Learn how to bake a batch of Indian garlic butter naan bread easily in your oven with common pantry ingredients to serve alongside your Indian dishes.
Ever tried curry bread? This is one of the more unique bread that you can find in Indonesia, Malaysian, and Singapore. There are not many bakeries selling this, …
Slovenian Braided Bread, or Bosman I love hearing from readers. Last month, a charming woman named Sara sent me a question about a traditional Slovenian bread she learned to make from her mother, called menihi or monk's bread. She included a photo of a gorgeous, braided loaf that reminded me of challah, the popular Jewish Sabbath bread. Had I ever heard of it? The name didn't ring a bell, but I had seen images of Slovenian breads that sounded similar. I started to search. No monk's bread, but I did find references to several other festive, decorated breads on the Slovenian government's official Travel Guide. The closest was the photo of an impressive-looking bread called bosman, described as: "...a richly decorated ceremonial bread, which used to be a compulsory gift to brides, as well as newborns and children being christened. It is decorated with several lines of plaited dough and various dough ornaments, as well as paper flowers." I found a recipe for bosman, or plaited bread, in Janez Bogataj's The Food and Cooking of Slovenia. The dough was very much like Sara's monk's bread, and both seemed similar to the egg-rich challah recipes I had made in the past. Most Central and Eastern European cuisines do seem to have a tradition of making light, braided yeast breads for holidays and other celebrations. These treasured dishes are a reminder that white flour was once a precious commodity that ordinary people enjoyed only on special occasions. Bogataj's dough recipe turned out to be surprisingly easy. No initial sponge or even proofing of the yeast. He specified "easy blend" yeast, which I took to mean standard dry yeast. (After the fact, I discovered that this means "rapid rise" or "instant" yeast, which is best for this rapid mix method.) The challenge came in the shaping. Bogataj provided elaborate instructions for a dramatic nine-strand, three-tiered loaf, topped with little dough figures of birds, flowers, butterflies, balls, and mini-braids! Fortunately, he did offer another option: a simple, three-strand plait. I hesitated to make a single loaf of bread that used seven cups of flour, so I decided to cut down his original recipe to two-thirds. I also corrected a couple of the metric conversions. Otherwise, I followed his original recipe. For the recipe and the result, read on. Slovenian Braided Bread, or Bosman Slovenian Braided Bread, or Bosman (adapted from Janez Bogataj's "Bosman Plaited Bread" in The Food and Cooking of Slovenia.) 4-2/3 cups (about) white bread flour (530 g) 2/3 t. salt 1 envelope "easy blend" (rapid rise) dried yeast 2/3 cup + 1 T. warm water (200 ml) 2 T. honey 2 eggs, beaten 4 T butter, softened* For glaze: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 T. cold water *Note: Oil is often preferred in traditional challah recipes, so that those who follow Jewish dietary laws can serve it with both meat and dairy meals. Feel free to substitute! Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir in the dry yeast. Make a well in the center and add the remaining ingredients. Mix together to make a soft dough, then knead on a floured board for about ten minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. (The rising took me one hour, although the original recipe suggested two.) Punch down and let rest for ten minutes before shaping. The full ceremonial version of this bread involves multiple braided layers, one on top of the other, with little decorative bits on tip. Three braids is simplest. I decided to compromise. I made a slightly fancy four-strand braid, which results in a nice compact loaf. To make a four-strand loaf similar to the one in the photos, divide the dough into four equal balls. (Use a scale, if you like.) Roll each piece into a twelve inch rope or sausage shape. Press strands together at one end and then begin to braid, starting with the outside strand on the far right, then moving to the outside strand on the far left, and then back again. This alternating, side-to-side braiding pattern is "under two, back over one." For a good illustration of the four-strand pattern, see this blog post about challah, the Jewish version of a similar bread. The web is full of guides to even more complex patterns. And remember: there is nothing wrong with a simple three-strand braid! four-strand bosman braid, before baking Transfer the loaf to a baking sheet that is greased or lined with parchment paper. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Before baking, glaze the loaf with the egg wash. Bake for about 45 minutes, until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. bosman, after baking The result? This was was one of the easiest and most successful challah-type breads I have ever made. It was rich without being cloying and just slightly sweet. The texture was light but not too airy. Even in these reduced quantities, I ended up with rather large loaf. But we made good use of it. The first couple of nights, it was the perfect dinner companion to my homemade cevapčiči. After that, it became breakfast fare. Bosman makes wonderful toast! On the weekend, my husband made French toast. He turned the last bits into croutons for salad. So nothing went to waste. This bread is definitely a keeper! breakfast toast bosman with čevapčiči French toast
Tang zhong is the secret to Asian bakery milk bread that stays soft, moist, fluffy, and fresh for days! Learn how to make this lovely bread with my recipe.
Ever tried curry bread? This is one of the more unique bread that you can find in Indonesia, Malaysian, and Singapore. There are not many bakeries selling this, …
Tang zhong is the secret to Asian bakery milk bread that stays soft, moist, fluffy, and fresh for days! Learn how to make this lovely bread with my recipe.
Slovenian Braided Bread, or Bosman I love hearing from readers. Last month, a charming woman named Sara sent me a question about a ...
Tang zhong is the secret to Asian bakery milk bread that stays soft, moist, fluffy, and fresh for days! Learn how to make this lovely bread with my recipe.
Tutti Frutti Bread which has soft buttery milk bread dotted with tutti fruity all over it. The fruit bread is baked to perfection and a slice is perfect with a cup of milk.
Moist and soft banana bread upgraded with brown butter. The brown butter gives it toasty nutty notes that adds so much flavor. It's studded with chocolate, because why not?
Are you searching for the best sourdough banana bread? Look no further! After years of making banana bread, I've finally developed a recipe that I absolutely love. It's moist, flavorful, and easy to make, including a whole bunch of sourdough discard. This will be your new favorite banana bread!
Today, I am sharing a recipe to make taro swirl bread. I use taro paste from my previous taro paste recipe, so if you want to make this bread, please refer to …
Asian/Chinese bakery pull-apart milk bread with pineapple jam filling.
Korean egg bread (gyeran bbang) baked in standard muffin pan is filled with hard boiled egg in each bread, making it perfect for breakfast.
Christmas Walnut Potica, December 2014 As another year of Slovenian cooking comes to a close, I have been thinking about potica. As usual, I will be making our traditional family recipe for the holidays. My expanded, step-by-step guide seems to be getting a particularly large number of visits this year. It remains the cornerstone of my own approach to this challenging Slovenian delicacy. But my potica horizons have been expanding this year, for a few reasons: My growing collection of cookbooks, both American and Slovenian. My trip to Slovenia in the summer. And the spirited food-related discussions on a wonderful Facebook Slovenian genealogy group I joined last year. I have finally realized something important: My beloved family potica style is not an approach that everyone favors. It is certainly not the the standard in Slovenia, where potica is often closer to bread than pastry. Paper-thin spirals of dough, sometimes pulled like strudel rather than rolled, seem to be a peculiarly American evolution, fueled by a certain competitive baking spirit among the women. My family's version of potica also appears to be favored in the ethnic communities of Northern Minnesota's Iron Range, where my own great-grandparents first settled, and where my grandmother was born. (An aside: In the early days of this blog, I used to write mostly about genealogy. See the "Family History" heading at the top of the page, if you would like to read some non-food posts:-) And if you are on Facebook, do consider joining our Slovenian Genealogy group!) I have included some photos below, where you can follow my evolving potica style. I have been striving to have thinner, more even layers, in order to come closer to the standard set by my mother and my grandma. But the photos from the Slovenian Hall in San Francisco and the Ljubljana Farmer's Market show a potica with thicker layers and fewer spirals. The moral: There is no gold standard. Most of us favor the potica we grew up with. That is probably as it should be. I have also been reminded of a few important baking tips, regardless of the style of potica you hope to make. Most important: The yeast dough (at least in most recipes) is rich, soft, and sticky. Don't knead in too much flour! And if you make a nut filling (which remains most popular, in Slovenia and America) the nuts need to be finely ground. A food processor is a poor substitute, I have learned, for the old-fashioned hand grinder I bought last year. I have learned a few new tricks, thanks mostly to the discussions in that Facebook genealogy group. To clean out the nut grinder, you can follow up with a few graham crackers, which can then be added to the filling. (As you'll see from the photo below, I used leftover Halloween Bunny Grahams!) Another idea I tried this year: after rolling up the potica, I cut off the doughy ends and shaped them into individual rolls. Finally, if you want to imitate the more elaborate pattern of some of the commercial bakeries (as in the photo below) simply coil a thin potica roll once or twice around itself in the baking pan. Commercially prepared American potica I continue my cautious experiments with filling. The foundation is still my family's uncooked honey-nut filling. I most often stick with tradition and use walnuts, although I sometimes substitute pecans or almonds. I have often wondered why most nut fillings are pre-cooked and recently read a possible explanation from one of my online genealogy friends: Some cooks believe that the slightly bitter taste of walnuts (which evidently bothers some folks) can be reduced pre-cooking, or at least an initial soak in hot milk. My family has never used raisins, but they seem to enjoy the sprinkle of dried cranberries I started to add a couple of years ago. Everyone but my mother likes my experiments with poppy seed and chocolate fillings. In the coming year, I will continue to explore some of the more intriguing variations I have been learning about. I might even try a peanut butter crumb filling, a uniquely American twist that some people swear by. I have also learned that potica can survive an oven malfunction and a charred bottom crust. Just slice it off before serving! (I don't recommend this, however. Watch your oven and don't overcrowd it!) From my kitchen to yours: Happy Holidays! Vesel Božič! Christmas Potica ca. 2010 (walnut filling) Christmas Potica 2011 (walnut filling with cranberries) Christmas Poticas 2012 (chocolate, tahini-honey, and poppy seed fillings) Christmas Potica 2013 (walnut filling) Christmas Potica 2014 (poppy seed filling with cranberries) Christmas Potica 2014 (walnut filling) Potica Varieties, Ljubljana Farmers' Market, Summer 2014 Vegan Walnut Potica, Ljubljana, Summer 2014 Potica served at Slovenian Hall in San Francisco, 2014 Christmas Potica 2014 (poppy seed filling) Christmas Potica (with extra "buns") and Scottish Shortbread, 2014 Making walnut filling for Christmas Potica 2014, with a few graham crackers added Christmas Potica, 2014 Oh-oh! Burned Bottom, Christmas Potica, 2014
Kaiser Rolls have original roots from Austria. I used a Kaiser Roll stamp to give that spiral design on top (so easy to do). The interior texture of these rolls is very tender. Though, the crust isn't quite as crisp as we had in Austria, I found the dough easy to make and to work with.
I grew up at the end of a 1/2 mile dirt road in the country. Half way between the bus stop and our house lived a wonderful Polish woman we ...
Tang zhong is the secret to Asian bakery milk bread that stays soft, moist, fluffy, and fresh for days! Learn how to make this lovely bread with my recipe.
How to bake Asian bakery style ham and mayonnaise bread with nori seaweed sprinkles, with detailed step-by-step guide to shaping the bread roll.
Let's bake some Asian milk bread with ube halaya (purple yam) filling. This spiral version is super lovely, especially when baked in a tube pan.
Mastering this dessert is as satisfying as eating it.
We attended a Russian Orthodox Church while living in Boston and I collected many great recipes over these years. My friend Athanasia gave me this recipe which was her mother's in Poland. This was always a favorite with my children! I wish I had some great pictures to post of some of these special, beautiful Easter dishes. Watch for more...
Today, I am sharing a recipe to make taro swirl bread. I use taro paste from my previous taro paste recipe, so if you want to make this bread, please refer to …
Shogayaki is a popular Japanese pork dish with a refreshingly delicious ginger soy sauce. This quick and easy recipe will become your go-to recipe right after teriyaki.
A meal in Malaysia over a decade ago sends one writer down a very fragrant rabbit hole.
Soft fluffy Asian bakery style bread rolls with sweet and crunchy ground almond paste filling. Almond can be substituted with peanuts, or sesame seeds.
No, this is not potica the way your grandma (babica) used to make it. But this vegan adaptation is based on the written recipe I inherited from my mother, who was inspired by her own mother's example. My grandmother would probably approve of vegan potica, if she were around today. She was unusual for her time and place. Sixty years ago, unlike most working class women in Cleveland's Slovenian community, she read Prevention Magazine and kept her own organic garden in the back yard. She was open-minded and politically progressive, as well. Pretty impressive for an immigrants' daughter with a fourth grade education! I started experimenting with vegan cuisine last December, when a couple of the younger generation in my family started to shift into plant-based eating. But I concentrated on cooking rather than baking. This past weekend, with Christmas approaching and a holiday potluck to attend, it seemed like a good time to attempt the ultimate challenge for a Slovenian baker: vegan potica. I knew it could be done. I had sampled vegan potica just once, right at the source: the farmers' market in Ljubljana, Slovenia's captital. It tasted pretty good, although not much like my family version. vegan potica, from the Ljubljana farmers' market A little Internet research turned up a half dozen vegan potica recipes, including one "click-bait" article that purported to be from Melania Trump! (As far as I know, neither Trump has any particular interest in animal rights, veganism, or traditional Slovenian cooking!) Unfortunately, none of these recipes seemed like good bets for duplicating my family's beloved walnut-honey potica, because they all used a less rich, more bread-like dough. My family's style of Slovenia's most famous dish presents a definite vegan challenge, because it is so rich in ingredients that are off-limits: butter, eggs, and sour cream in the dough, plus copious amounts of honey in the filling. I thought back to last December's gluten-free potica experiment, when I turned to adaptations of brioche or babka, since they seemed closer to the dairy-rich dough in my family recipe. So I started to explore vegan versions of brioche and babka. But then it hit me: Why not just use my own family recipe, with the plant-based substitutes other vegan bakers favored? So that is what I did. The details are in the recipe below. It was easy to come up with non-dairy versions of butter, milk, and sour cream. I have noted the specific products I used, in case it made a difference. The two bigger questions were how to replace the eggs and honey. My solution involved two ingredients that will be new to many readers. For the honey, I tried two different replacements. Agave nectar is widely available and works fine. But my husband and I preferred the more complex flavor of date syrup, sometimes known as date honey--or silan, to Israeli cooks. I already had some on hand, after purchasing a jar in our local Middle Eastern market to make an unusual version of honey cake for the Jewish holidays in the fall. In considering possible egg substitutes, I ended up in a surprising place: draining a can of garbanzo beans. Aquafaba--bean water--is all the rage in vegan circles, but it was new to me. I was skeptical of claims that this simple ingredient has amazing properties. Then I watched what happened when I added it to the creamed butter-sugar mixture and started beating. You know that moment when adding the egg makes a batter or dough come together? One minute, the mixture is curdled, and then everything smooths out and the volume starts to increase? That is exactly what happened when I added a few tablespoons of bean liquid. I did worry about a possible "off taste" in the dough, so I added a little vanilla and lemon rind, as a precaution. (My worries turned out to be groundless.) I had imagined that the vegan dough might more difficult to work with, but my experience was the opposite. It was easy to knead, although it had an unusual feel: very soft, even damp, but not at all sticky. I needed much less additional flour than usual for kneading. This dough felt very springy and "active." In fact, it began to rise almost immediately! I even put it in the freezer briefly to slow the process down, then refrigerated it, as usual. After chilling, it remained a little softer than usual, but it rolled out beautifully. I don't know what combination of ingredients created this mysterious alchemy. But I suspect the aquafaba had something to do with it. I do encourage you to give it a try. For the less adventurous, I note other possible egg substitutes in the recipe below. So what were the results? Impressive. The vegan potica was a hit at the party--even though I had broken my own rules to get it done in in a single day. I shortened the overnight refrigerator rise to just a few hours. I had to serve it a few hours after baking, instead of waiting a day. Also, I had been overly cautious with this new dough and had rolled it thicker than usual. So the photo below, from the party, doesn't look as pretty as my usual efforts. But that haunting flavor was there. And there was no trace of bean flavor. The next day at breakfast, it looked and tasted even better: When I baked the second batch, the loaves rose higher, after the proper overnight refrigeration. I also felt more confident with the dough, so I rolled it much thinner. Those loaves went into the freezer, so I had to wait to see how they turned out. I consider this a work in progress. But I am posting the recipe now, at the height of potica season, to make it available to readers who might want to give it a try--or even adapt their own family recipes. Good luck! Happy Holidays! Post Christmas Update: Sure enough, that second batch was perfect, even after freezing! See the photo below, with recipe following. Vegan Potica (based on my traditional family recipe, cut down by half and adapted) Dough 5-1/2 oz (1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons) non-dairy butter, melted and cooled (I used Earth Balance) 1/2 cup sugar 4-1/2 tablespoons aquafaba * (or other replacement for 1-1/2 eggs) 3/4 cup non-dairy sour cream (I used Sour Supreme) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla lemon zest, grated turmeric, a few pinches, for color 1 package instant dry yeast 3/8 cup non-dairy creamer (or milk), warmed (I used Wildwood soy creamer) 1 teaspoon sugar 3 cups flour, plus more for kneading 1/2 teaspoon salt *Aquafaba is nothing more than the slightly viscous liquid drained from a can of garbanzo beans. One egg is replaced by 3 tablespoons of bean liquid. This potica recipe requires the equivalent of 3 egg yolks or 1-1/2 whole eggs, which comes out to 4-1/2 tablespoons of bean liquid. If you are reluctant to experiment with this rather amazing ingredient, you could try using applesauce, mashed potatoes, commercial egg replacers, or homemade "flax eggs" (1 T flax seed + 3 T water = 1 egg.) Filling 1 pound (about 3-1/4 cups) finely ground walnuts, mixed with: 1/2 cup. sugar 1/2 T. cinnamon dash of salt (optional) 1⁄4 cup melted butter substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup agave nectar or date syrup (silan) for drizzling (Optional: dried cranberries) The night before, prepare dough In a large bowl, combine the butter substitute and sugar and beat. Add aquafaba (or other egg replacer) and beat. Finally, add add sour cream substitute, vanilla, and lemon rind (if using). Mix well. In a small bowl, proof yeast in warm cream or milk substitute and sugar. Add yeast to the first mixture. Mix well. Sift flour and salt. Add to the mixture in the large bowl and stir to combine. You should have a soft, sticky dough. Turn it out on a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten them slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. To Assemble It is easiest to use a floured cloth to roll out the dough. Remove a ball of dough from refrigerator and place it on floured surface. Roll it into a rectangle. The dough should be thinner than pie crust but thicker than strudel or phyllo. I usually aim for 15 x 26 inch rectangle and in recent years have aimed for thinner. With this dough, however, I ended up with a smaller rectangle, closer to 14 x 20 inches. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter substitute and a quarter of the nut/sugar mixture, which should be about 2 cups. Drizzle the dough with 2-4 tablespoons of agave or date syrup. If desired, sprinkle with dried cranberries (or raisins, if you like them.) Roll up the dough, beginning from the short end. After every few turns, prick the dough with a fork to eliminate air bubbles. Pinch seam and ends closed and fold ends under. Normally, I would place this entire roll seam side down on a baking sheet or pan that has been oiled or lined with parchment paper. Because I was uncertain about how well this vegan dough would hold together, I cut the roll in two pieces and placed each one in a small lined rectangular bread pan (7-3/4 x 3-3/8 inches.) Repeat with remaining ball of dough, for a total of four small loaves. Let potica rise 1-1/4 hours. (Note: Loaves don’t rise much.) Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. If necessary, bake for 10 minutes more at 325 degrees. Let cool before slicing. To store, wrap in aluminum foil. Potica tastes better the next day. It stores well. It also freezes well.
My husband and I are huge fans of Fogo De Chao — a Brazilian steak house. Among many, many, oh so many reasons we love it so much is their world class salad bar. Meh, you may say, who cares…
Fat Bread: Third Time's The Charm. Mission Accomplished! | Free The Animal is a classic blog that begun 20 years ago in 2003. It has over 5000 post on a wide range of topics from diet and health to politics, social issues, international living, travel, geoarbitrage, and food.
Ground toasted black sesame seeds and sugar make the nuttiest bread filling (without nuts!), and the spiral shape of the bread makes it too pretty to eat.
Slightly sweet and a little bit eggy, this Polish babcia (grandmother) bread is just right.
We enjoyed this "little bread" many times while living in Germany, and I have been on a quest ever since to try to make them. I've tried numerous recipes, but this one I received from Ute Staack, who lives in a village north of Bavaria, is the best one I have come across. The crust is crunchy and the dough is soft and chewy just like you want them to be. I love to eat them with lots of butter along side soft boiled eggs for breakfast, but they can be enjoyed anytime you want. Did you know? The crusty German yeast roll known as "Brötchen" (“little bread”) is as pleasingly moist and chewy on the inside, as it is satisfyingly firm and crunchy on the outside. Bakers all over Germany bake them early in the morning, but also throughout the day because they are popular for lunch or dinner. The rolls are best when enjoyed within a few hours of baking, especially when topped with butter or cheese, a spread like liverwurst or teawurst, salami, ham, or cold cuts, bratwurst, and even fish, either marinated or smoked, Dipping pieces of Brötchen into the yolk of a soft-cooked egg is always a delight. Sweet toppings also rank high on the popularity scale. Try honey, fruit preserves, sugar beet syrup (Zuckerrübensirup), or a chocolate-hazelnut spread. And a Fleischsalat (hearty meat salad) can turn a lowly roll into a satisfying meal. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention the guilty pleasure of slicing open a fresh Brötchen and sandwiching a sweet, fluffy, chocolate-covered “Schaumkuß” between the two halves. Brötchen (brotchen, broetchen), depending on the region, may also be referred to by one or more of these names: Schnittbrötchen, Spitzbrötchen, Semmeln, Schrippen, Weggla, Weckerl, Weckle, Wecken, or Rundstücke. The traditional Brötchen is made primarily from wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water and is shaped into an oval. However, more modern variations often include the addition of other flour types like rye. Sometimes milk fats, butter, or oils are added. The shape of a roll might vary, as well, and the roll might be be covered with seeds or nuts. (Source: German Food Notes) Recipe Ingredients 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 1 pkg. active-dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp) 4 tsp. *diastatic malt powder (optional - I purchase on King Arthur Flour) 1 cup water Method Add flour salt, sugar, yeast and baking malt (if using) to the large bowl of a stand mixer. Add the water, and using the dough hook, mix dough and "knead" it with the dough hook several minutes, or until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto floured surface and knead a few times. Place dough in floured mixing bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise 60-90 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and shape into round rolls (you'll get about 10-12). Hold each ball under running warm water briefly, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Cover with a floured kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Brush rolls with warm water and powder them with flour, sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Cut a slit in the top of each roll with a razor blade, bakers lame, or very sharp knife. Let rest 10 minutes uncovered. Meanwhile, place a large roasting pan with hot water on the lowest rack of your oven positioning top rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees; water will be steaming so be careful when you open the oven door. Spritz or sprinkle the rolls with water again, and place the baking sheet on the rack in the middle of the oven over the steaming water. Bake 20 minutes or slightly longer adjusting for your altitude. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. * Diastatic malt powder is the "secret ingredient" savvy bread bakers use to promote a strong rise, great texture, and lovely brown crust. Especially useful when flour does not have barley malt added, as is true for most whole wheat flour and many organic flours. Active enzymes in diastatic malt help yeast grow fully and efficiently throughout the fermentation period, yielding a good, strong rise and great oven-spring. Enjoy, Mary © Cooking with Mary and Friends Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
You will love these Indonesian hard-boiled eggs with a fiery spicy chili sauce coating. These savory eggs are perfect for your next authentic Indonesian rice meal side dish.
Mastering this dessert is as satisfying as eating it.
Good gluten-free bread is possible, and you can make it at home.
Chinese congee simply doesn't taste the same without cakwe (Chinese crullers/you tiao/油条), and you can make them easily and successfully with my recipe.
Gluten-Free Potica, with almond & walnut fillings Why would anyone attempt to bake a gluten-free potica? Good question. It requires a spirit of adventure. A strong incentive, like a family member or friend who is trying to avoid wheat. And the approaching Christmas holidays, which just aren't the same without Slovenia's most famous dish. That's what brought me to this point. I undertook the challenge with trepidation, because I am new to the world of gluten-free baking. It's been just a couple of months, and so far I have been sticking to the easy adaptations: cookies, sweet breads and cakes that already include naturally gluten-free ingredients--like buckwheat, cornmeal, and ground nuts. I have had good results with most of these experiments. But I had never crossed the last daunting frontier: Yeast breads. I didn't flatter myself that I would be the first person to attempt a gluten-free potica. But I was surprised to discover a good number of recipes online. Unfortunately, what I saw was not encouraging. The photos didn't look much like potica, at least not the kind I grew up with. Perhaps it really was an impossible challenge. Then it hit me: I was approaching this all wrong. My family recipe, while not unique, is definitely one of the less common approaches to making potica. Our version is more pastry than bread. The foundation is a rich sour cream yeast dough, left to rise overnight in the refrigerator. The filling is a simple, unbaked layering of butter, walnuts and sugar, and a drizzle of honey. So I began to search online for a gluten-free sweet dough that sounded similar, without worrying about any references to potica. I ended up in a surprising place: watching a Martha Stewart video, as she prepared a gluten-free treat called Yeasted Coffee Cake. Martha's coffee cake had a familiar look: a yeast dough with sour cream, rolled out thinly and covered with a dried fruit and nut filling, then rolled and twisted. Except for the streusel topping, it sounded like one of the many Eastern European sweet breads that resemble potica. It also reminded me of Jewish babka. Martha mentioned that it was a treat her mother would have loved. Then it clicked: Her mother was Polish. Suddenly, this recipe had some credibility. And it did look delicious. There were a few things missing from Martha Stewart's recipe. No discussion of the challenges of working with gluten-free yeast dough. No instructions about how to choose the right kind of gluten-free flour. It seemed almost too good to be true. Perhaps it was, judging from the sole comment: An angry reader had made two attempts at the recipe and ended up with an inedible lump that didn't rise at all. But I decided to forge ahead. I divided the dough in half, so I would have two small loaves to work on. Good thing, because the dough, which has a tendency to crack, is tough to work with at first. I spread the first roll with my family's traditional walnut filling, shaped the loaf into a free-form shape--and proceeded to overbake it. It emerged from the oven looking gnarled and knobby. When I took it out of the pan, it was so brittle that it cracked in two. I was convinced that it would be inedible. gluten-free potica, before baking gluten-free potica, after baking For the second, I resolve to lower the temperature and fit the roll firmly into a small loaf pan. I also put together a new almond filling I found in a Slovenian cookbook I'd bought last year. Naturally, I sampled it before baking. It was delicious! At least one good thing would come out of this crazy experiment. gluten-free potica, spread with almond filling But guess what? When I sliced into the loaves, they looked just like my family potica, with nice thin circles of dough and filling. The flavor was really good. The texture was not bad at all. It was dense, not too much rise. Very much like the potica I have eaten every Christmas of my life. Our son thought it was one of my better potica efforts. I consider this a work in progress. But if you care to give it a try--why not? Good luck! PS. For a refresher on how to make the non-gluten variety, see my post from several years ago: Potica: Step-by-Step Guide to Slovenian Nut Roll. gluten-free potica, with almond filling (top) and walnut filling (bottom) Gluten-Free Potica Potica Dough (adapted from Martha Stewart's Gluten-Free Yeasted Coffee Cake) 2 packages active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 6 tablespoons sugar (I used organic cane sugar) 2 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/3 cup sour cream 1-2/3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (see note below) 1 cup gluten-free bread flour (see note below) 1 teaspoon salt Note: The original recipe doesn't offer any guidance about how to choose the right flour. There are plenty of make-your-own formulas online--and a growing number of commercially prepared gluten-free blends. I used two different products made by Bob's Red Mill: "1 to 1 Baking Flour" (for the all purpose flour) and "Bread Mix" (minus the enclosed yeast packet). Just be sure that your flour mix includes xanthan gum, an ingredient that makes up for some of the missing "stretch" that gluten provides. For the dough: Mix the yeast, warm water, and sugar and set aside to proof. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until smooth, then add egg yolks and beat until fluffy. Mix in vinegar and vanilla. Blend in sour cream. Finally, add the yeast mixture and blend well. In another bowl, whisk together the two flours and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, using the mixer at first and continuing by hand if necessary until dough forms a ball. Knead dough for 5 minutes (or less) until smooth. Rising: The original recipe directs you to form dough into a ball and place in a bowl that has been sprinkled with flour. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours, until doubled--or simply refrigerate overnight. I ended up doing an unplanned hybrid. I started to let the dough rise in a warm place, but after an hour or so realized that I would not have time to complete the potica that day. So I punched the dough down and refrigerated it overnight. This slow rise refrigerator method is the one we use in my family recipe--minus that original rising. I believe the dough is probably easier to handle with this method and it is what I'll do in the future. To roll out: Place dough on floured board or cloth (my preference) and let rest for five minutes--or longer, if taken from the fridge. The original recipe calls for rolling the dough into a single 18 inch square with a thickness of 1/8 inch. I prefer to make two smaller loaves, so I cut the dough into two pieces and rolled each one into a 9 by 18 inch rectangle. To fill: Spread dough with filling of choice. I offer two suggestions below. The simple walnut-honey filling is my tried-and-true family favorite. The almond filling is my great new discovery from a cookbook I bought in a Slovenian bookstore last year. Each one makes enough filling for the quantity of dough in this recipe--one large or two small loaves. If, like me, you want to try both fillings, just cut the quantities below in half. To shape: After filling, carefully roll up from the short end, so that the finished loaf will be the size of your bread pan. (Since gluten-free dough often seems to spread and crack, it is probably best to avoid free-form loaves.) Oil bread pan(s) and line with parchment paper. Carefully place loaf inside, seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Don't be concerned if the filled potica doesn't rise much. To bake: The original directions call for baking a single large loaf at 375 degrees for 55 minutes. I found this temperature to be too high, so I reduced it to 350 degrees. If you make two smaller loaves, as I did, start watching after 30 minutes. Be careful when you remove loaves from pan. Let cool before cutting into thin slices. Good luck! Almond Filling (mandljev nadev), translated and adapted from Štruklji in Potice by Janez Štrukelj and Andrej Goljat 450 g grated almonds (I used ground toasted almonds with the skins left on) 150 g sugar (I increased to 200 g and used half brown sugar) 100 ml cream, warmed 3 egg whites (lightly beaten) vanilla extract (I used a packet of vanilla sugar) lemon rind, grated maraschino liqueur (I used Amaretto) 80 g dried plain cookie crumbs (I used my homemade gluten-free cookies) Combine almonds and sugar in bowl. Pour in the warm cream and stir to combine. Add the egg whites, vanilla, lemon rind, and liqueur and stir well. Filling will be thick. Drop onto the rolled-out dough and spread out as well as you can. Sprinkle cookie crumbs on top. Roll up from the narrow end. Walnut Filling (from my family recipe, go here for details) 1 pound walnuts, finely ground (about 3 cups) 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon dash of salt (optional) melted butter, about 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 to 1/2 cup Combine walnuts, sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Brush rolled-out dough with melted butter. Sprinkle walnut- sugar mixture evenly over dough. Drizzle with honey. Roll up from narrow end.
Chinese congee simply doesn't taste the same without cakwe (Chinese crullers/you tiao/油条), and you can make them easily and successfully with my recipe.
Another of my super easy recipe when I am super lazy to cook and just want to throw together enough ingredients to call it a recipe :D But, I hope this counts …
How to bake Asian bakery style ham and mayonnaise bread with nori seaweed sprinkles, with detailed step-by-step guide to shaping the bread roll.
Make and share this Schlotzsky's "Original" Sandwich recipe from Food.com.
