Breads from all over the world

[sister herb]

Nordic breads

Nordic bread culture has existed in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden from prehistoric time through to the present.

Four grain types dominated in the Nordic countries: barley and rye are the oldest; wheat and oats are more recent. During the Iron Age (500 AD – 1050 AD), rye became the most commonly used grain, followed by barley and oats. Rye was also the most commonly used grain for bread up until the beginning of the 20th century. Today, older grain types such as emmer and spelt are once against being cultivated and new bread types are being developed from these grains.

Archaeological finds in Denmark indicate use of the two triticum (wheat) species, emmer and einkorn, during the Mesolithic Period (8900 BC – 3900 BC). There is no direct evidence of bread-making, but cereals have been crushed, cooked and served as porridge since at least 4,200 BC. During the Neolithic Period (3900 BC – 1800 BC), when agriculture was introduced, barley seems to have taken over to some extent, and ceramic plates apparently used for baking are found.

Scandinavian soldiers in Roman times apparently learned baking techniques when working as mercenaries in the Roman army (200–400 AD). They subsequently took the technique home with them to show that they had been employed in high status work on the continent. Early Christian traditions promoted an interest in bread. Culturally, German traditions have influenced most of the bread types in the Nordic countries. In the eastern part of Finland, there is a cultural link to Russia and Slavic bread traditions.

In the Nordic countries, bread was the main part of a meal until the late 18th century.

 

[sister herb]

Swedish Limpa Bread

Slightly sweet rye bread with a hint of orange flavor. This traditional Swedish bread makes great sandwiches or you can just spread it with butter and eat it as a snack.

Serves: 2 loaves

¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted buttter
1¼ cup boiling water
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 package (2½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water (110F)
2½ cups rye flour
3 to 4 cups bread flour

1. Combine the brown sugar, molasses, salt, and butter in a large bowl.
2. Pour the boiling water over the top an stir until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Let cool to lukewarm (about 110 F/43 C).
4. Sprinkle yeast over the ¼ cup warm water. Stir and set aside to foam.
5. Stir rye flour into the brown sugar mixture.
6. Stir in yeast, orange juice, and orange zest.
7. With the mixer on medium low and the dough hook mix in enough of the bread flour to form a soft dough.
8. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes by machine or 10 to 15 minutes by hand. The dough will be slightly sticky and feel like smooth Play-Do. I usually stop kneading when the dough feels like your earlobe.
9. Grease a large bowl.
10. Put the dough in the bowl, grease the top, and cover with a clean tea towel.
11. Let rise in a warm (100 F/38 C) spot for 2 hours, or until doubled.
12. Punch the dough down.
13. Divide in half and let rest for 10 minutes.
14. Shape into ovals and place on a greased baking sheet.
15. Slash tops.
16. Cover and let rise 1½ hours or until not quite doubled in size.
17. Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.
18. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
19. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing.

Source: http://www.restlesschipotle.com/2014/01/swedish-limpa-rye-bread/

 

[sister herb]

Finnish Potato Flat Bread

300g (1 1/2 cup) mashed potato, cooled
100g (3/4 cup) whole wheat flour or barley flour
1 large egg
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 220C/428F.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and divide the dough into 4 portions.
3. Place the portions on a baking tray lined with baking paper and flatten each portion with flour dusted fingers into a round disk.
4. Prick the breads with a fork and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Serve warm with butter, smoked or cured salmon and fresh dill.

Source: http://honestcooking.com/finnish-potato-flat-bread-rieska-recipe/

 

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Norwegian Knekkebrød - Crispbread

Knekkebrød or crisp bread is a staple food in the average Norwegian household. It is a form of flat bread, but probably resembles more of a seeded cracker. It is simply made with various (i.e. whatever you have on hand) seeds and grains, water and salt for taste. That’s it. An entire recipe of knekkebrød can be made in 30 minutes or less, including 20-25 minutes of baking time.

Knekkebrød is very quintessentially Norwegian with its no muss, no fuss production method, but admittedly has a has a long history rooted in making the best of the basic ingredients one has on hand. Eaten for breakfast, lunch or a snack anytime of day, knekkebrød can replace normal bread as part of an open-faced sandwich. I enjoy homemade knekkebrød more than the store bought varieties and tend to put butter and Jarlsberg on mine. You can also enjoy your knekkebrød topped with a soft goats cheese and raspberry jam.

*As this recipe can be sized up or down depending upon how much knekkebrød you want to produce at once, I’ve made a basic recipe in “parts” that focuses on ratios rather than specified measurements. If you want to make a larger batch, use larger volume measures (ml. or oz.) for each part.

Ingredients

1 part wheat flour
2 parts seeds or whole grains of your choice (sunflower, pumpkin or flax seeds + whole wheat berry, steel cut oats, rye, or quinoa are all good choices)
salt to taste
1 part water

Directions



1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 Celsius/350 Fahrenheit. Add all ingredients except the water to a large mixing bowl. Stir until the mix is fully blended.



2. Once all of the ingredients are stirred together, add the water – but slowly. This part can be tricky so add half of the water, stir a bit, then add more little by little. You want to final mix to be moist, but not overly wet else you’ll have to increase the baking time. No biggie – but save yourself the hassle of having to wait and slowly mix in the water.



You want the final product to look something like this. It should clump easily and resemble wet gravel.



3. Place the contents of the bowl on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread out the mixture as flat as possible.



4. Use the back of a rubber spatula or metal spoon to help get the knekkebrød as flat as possible.



5. Score the unbaked knekkebrød with rubber spatula or knife to make breaking it up after baking easier. Next, place the baking tray in the pre-heated oven and allow to bake for an hour.



6. Take the baking tray out of the oven and allow it to cool until it is easy to handle. Break into pieces, top with your favorite spreads like jam, soft cheese or with meat, sausage, peanut butter or just plain butter and enjoy.

Source: http://thanksforthefood.com/norwegian-knekkebrod-recipe/

 

[sister herb]

Norwegian Kneip Bread

8 cups flour
3 cups coarse wheat flour (cracked wheat berries)
4 1/2 teaspoons salt
30 g yeast
30 g margarine
2 cups milk
2 cups water

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.
2. In a bowl heat 1 1/2 c milk and 1 1/2 c water, add margarine till melted.
3. Heat 1/2 c milk and 1/2 c water just till slightly warm and add yeast.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry a little at a time, mix after each addition of wet ingredients.
5. Flour table, place dough on flour and and knead for at least 10 mins.
6. Place dough in a large greased bowl and put in a warm place.
7. When double in bulk, turn out on floured table and knead 5 mins.
8. Divide into 3.
9. Place in greased loaf pans.
10. Let stand in warm place till doubled.
11. Bake 45 mins at 400 F/200 C.

Source: http://cooklime.com/Recipes/Directions/449202-norwegian-kneip-bread#.VJ3GpTAKA

 

[sister herb]

Chilean breads


Hallullas

for 24 breads

Ingredients:

500 grams all purpose flour
275-290 ml of warm water
1 packet of yeast (7 grams)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of fine salt
50 grams of vegetable shortening or butter at room temperature


Preparation:
Mix together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar, star adding water to form a dough. Knead for 5 minutes with the bread machine or mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

Add the butter, mix until fully incorporated in the dough, knead 10 minutes more with the machine or 20 minutes by hand until the dough is soft and smooth dough. Let stand covered 10 minutes.

Extending the dough over a floured counter until it reach a thickness of 1 cm, folded in half and stretch again, repeat the stretch and fold steps 4 times in total. Sprinkle with flour if necessary.

Re-roll the dough until it is of 5-7 mm thick, cut with a 10cm round cake pan diameter. Place on greased baking sheet or silicone paper.

Let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 400F or 200C.

Bake until very browned, about 16-18 minutes.

Remove, let cool on a wire rack and eat!

Source: http://www.enmicocinahoy.cl/2012/01/chilean-bread-hallullas/

 

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The marraqueta (also called pan francés (“French bread”) in the south of Chile and pan batido (“whipped bread”) in the Valparaíso Region), is a Chilean soft bread made with flour, salt, water and yeast. It has a crunchy texture, and is mostly eaten in Chile, Bolivia and Peru but can also be found in Argentina and Uruguay.

Currently marraqueta is the most consumed type of bread in Chile and is used as toast, in sandwiches and as a binder for certain recipes such as pastel de carne (meatloaf). It is widely considered the quintessential Chilean staple food.

Marraqueta

4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Let stand 5 minutes.

Place the flour in the bowl of a standing mixer and use the dough hook

attachment to mix them together briefly. Add the oil and the yeast mixture to

the flour and begin to mix slowly, while adding the remaining one cup of water.

Knead until dough comes together in a ball, adding a tablespoon or two more

water if necessary. Continue to knead dough until it is smooth, elastic, and no

longer sticky, about 10 minutes.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a

warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. (dough can be refrigerated

overnight at this stage).

Punch dough down and divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then let

dough rest for 5 minutes.

Take two balls of dough and press them together. Place them onto an oiled

baking sheet and flatten them down together so that they resemble an oval.

Repeat with remaining dough, until you have 8 double rolls on the baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/200 C, and let rolls rise in a warm place for about 30

minutes.

Slice top of each roll lengthwise with a sharp knife, across the two rolls. Place the

rolls in the oven. Scatter 1-2 cups of ice cubes in the bottom of the oven to create

steam. Bake rolls for 20 to 15 minutes, until golden and crusty.

Source: http://chileanrecipes.blogspot.fi/2011/10/marraqueta.html

 

[sister herb]

Tortilla de rescoldo

is a traditional Chilean unleavened bread prepared by rural travellers. It consists of a wheat flour based bread, traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire. It's a simple fla tbreadbread made with flour, water, and salt and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened made without yeast.


4 cups wheat flour
5 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp salt
1 pinch baking soda
2 cups warm water


Mix the flour with the baking soda in a bowl. Then add salt, oil. Mix in with your fingers until you have completely crumbled it in. Slowly add the warm water and mix for about 8 minutes. Take the ball out and put on a "floured" board and give it a rounded, flattened form. Put a little bit of oil or span to a frying pan and place the flattend dough. Pinch the dough a little bit with a fork. Cover the frying pand and cook for about 10 -15 minutes (with a low flame), until dough has a golden tone.


Source: http://caloriecount.about.com/homemade-spanish-bread-rescoldo-recipe-r257258

 

[sister herb]

Bánh mì – Vietnamese Baguette

The most popular kind of bread in Vietnam. It can be served with beef stew or stuffed with meat and vegetables to make the world-famous Vietnamese Sandwich.

1.5 tsp active dry yeast
180 ml luke warm water 3/4 cup, (at 40-46°C or 105-115°F)
250 g all purpose flour (low protein, no bleached) 2 cups
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and lukewarm water. You can add sugar to easy activate the yeast. Stir well to dissolve. Add half of the flour and stir well to create a thick mixture with consistency of pancake batter. Cover and leave it in a warm place for 2-3 hours, until bubbles appear all over the surface.

Add the rest of the flour and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon until well combined. Then transfer the mixture to a floured working surface and knead well until it forms into a smooth, soft and elastic piece of dough. Kneading method: fold the dough and use the wrist to push and stretch without tearing it. This helps gluten to develop. You can switch hands alternately.

Place the dough back to the mixing bowl. Cover with kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place (35-37°C or 95-98°F) for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

Carefully transfer the dough onto the working surface. Try not to deflate the gas inside. With a scrapper or a knife, divide the dough into 3 equal portions (each portion should weigh about 130g). Twist each portion inside out and form into a ball. Cover with kitchen towel and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Take out 1 portion, hold the side and bang it 3 times on the counter. Use the wrist of your hand to flatten it out roughly into a 20x10 cm (8x4 inch) rectangle. Roll it lengthwise and pinch the edges together. Place both hands on top of the dough, roll it back and forth on the counter, applying more pressure on your baby fingers than your thumbs to shape it into banh mi form (broader in the middle and slimmer at both ends)

Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper and cover with kitchen towel. Let it rest for another 1 hour until it rises double in size.

Preheat oven and the baking tray at 230°C/450°F for at least 15 minutes before baking. Place a tray of hot water at the bottom of the oven.

To slash the baguette, use a paper cut knife or a razor blade, keep it at 45° angle, and make a quick and determined slash across the dough lengthwise. Bake immediately after slashing.

Remove the preheated baking tray from the oven and lift up the parchment paper to transfer the shaped dough onto the tray. Spray water on both sides of the oven and on the dough.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 230°C/450°F. After the first 8 minutes, spray water one more time on the baguettes and rotate the baking tray or the parchment paper to bake the baguettes evenly.

If the bottom part of the baguettes is not as golden as the upper part, remove the water tray and lower the baking tray. Turn off the heat and let the baguettes sit in the oven for a few more minutes. The crust of the baguettes will continue to crack after removed from the oven. Listen to the beautiful tiny cracking sound!

Source: http://danangcuisine.com/banh-mi/recipe-86-banh-mi-vietnamese-baguette/

 

[sister herb]

Japanese bread

Curry bread (カレーパン, karē pan) is a popular Japanese food. An amount of Japanese curry is wrapped in a piece of dough, and the dough coated in bread crumbs, and deep fried. On occasion it is baked instead of deep fried, but deep frying is the most common method of cooking.

Karē pan man ("Curry bread man") is one of the superheroes in Japanese Anpanman. He has a head made out of curry bread.



Ingredients:

– The dough
(A) 140g of strong flour
(A) 25g of butter
(A) 1 Tablespoon of beaten egg
(B) 3/4 teaspoon of dry yeast
(B) 1.5 Tablespoon of sugar
70cc of warm water (or 75cc. It depends on the dough)

The Filling1 piece of garlic
100g of ground meat
1/2 onion (chopped finely)
1/2 potato (chopped into 1cm cubes)
1/4 carrot (chopped finely)
200cc of water
1 Tablespoon of Consomme powder
4 Tablespoons of Panko (or more. It depends on how solid the paste is) See Note
2.5 Tablespoons of Curry powder
Panko
1 beaten egg

-Make Curry filling

1. Place sliced garlic and 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan and heat it up.
2. Place all the vegetables and ground meat and sauté it until the vegetable become soft and meat color changed.
3. Add water and Consomme powder.
4. When the Consomme powder melt, add the curry powder and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5. Add Panko and stop the gas. Let sit until it cools down.

-Make Bread

1. Place (B)s in a cup, mix with the half of warm water and let sit for few minutes.

2. Place all (A)s in a bowl, (1), and the lest of the warm water. Keep mixing with wooden spatula until you have a ball.

3. Place the dough on a big plate, knead and stretching until the dough become smooth, coherent and pliable. (The dough is sticky at first but it’s become stiff)

4. When you have a nice smooth dough ball, put into a ball, cover with plastic film and let rise for 30 minutes. (The best temperature is about 40 degree C)

5. Take out the dough, pinch down, and divide into 6 pieces with scraper. Roll each piece into a ball, let rest for 10 minutes under a damp kitchen towel.

6. Flatten out each piece into a thin round with a rolling pin. Place the curry filling in the center and gather up the opposing edges of the circle above the filling. Pinch the dough all around to seal well, Push the crimped edge to one side.







7. Leave them in a warm place for about 15 minutes. Dip the curry bread into the beaten egg, coating it on all sides and toss the Panko.

8. Prepare the frying oil to 180 degree C and place the bun in the hot oil. Deep fry it until golden brown. (about 3-5 minutes) Drain well on a rack. Serve hot or at room temperature.



Note: Bread crumbs or breadcrumbs (regional variants: breading, crispies) are small particles of dry bread, used for breading or crumbing foods, topping casseroles, stuffing poultry, thickening stews, adding inexpensive bulk to meatloaves and similar foods, and making a crisp and crunchy coating for fried foods, especially breaded cutlets like tonkatsu and schnitzel. The Japanese variety of bread crumbs is called panko.

Source: http://japanese-cooking-class-tokyo...-recipe-how-to-make-japanese-curry-bread-bun/


By the way, this is a Karē pan man ("Curry bread man"). His head is FILLED WITH CURRY THAT HE SQUIRTS OUT WHEN ATTACKED.

Better be wide awake with him... if you are a bad guy.

 

[sister herb]

Irish breads

The traditional bread of Ireland is soda bread. Soda bread can be made with white or whole wheat flour.

Early Irish cooks bypassed yeast and used "bread soda" or "baking soda" because Irish flour was too soft to make yeast bread. The bread was cooked on a griddle set over the fire or in a bastable, which is a type of Dutch oven. In many parts of Ireland, soda bread is still shaped and baked as a round loaf with a cross marked on top.

Soda bread is a type of quick bread in which baking soda has been substituted for yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Other ingredients can be added such as raisins or nuts.

Tip: Soda bread can dry out quickly and is typically good for two to three days; it is best served warm or toasted.


Basic Brown Soda Bread

Makes: 1 large loaf

Ingredients:
1 1b/450g/4 cups coarse wholemeal (whole-wheat) flour
6 oz/175g/11/2 cups plain white (all-purpose) flour
1 rounded tsp/1 1/4 US tsp bread (baking) soda
1 tsp/1 1/2 US teaspoon salt
3/4 pint/450 ml/2 cups buttermilk (approx.)


Directions:

Preheat a hot oven, 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir in enough buttermilk to make a fairly soft dough.

Turn onto a work surface dusted with wholemeal (whole wheat) flour and knead lightly until smooth underneath.



Form into a circle, about 1 1/2"/4 cm thick, and put onto a baking sheet. Mark a deep cross in the top with a floured knife. I decided to bake my in a casserole dish to give it a better shape.



Bake for about 45 minutes, until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. I baked the bread with the lid on for about 30 minutes, then baked it without the lid for the last 10 minutes or so.

Cool on wire rack. You might want to wrap it in a clean tea/dish towel to keep the crust soft.

This bread tastes good warmed with butter.

Source: http://breadmakingblog.breadexperience.com/2009/03/brown-soda-bread.html

 

[sister herb]

Irish Potato Bread

You make the dough into pie slices and fry in a hot pan or grill.

Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
Six large potatoes
One egg
One bunch of scallions
2 tablespoons of Irish butter
1 cup of Milk
Salt to taste

Directions:
Peel, boil and mash the potatoes. Finely chop the scallions and add to a large bowl. Add in the potatoes, half the flour and butter. Mix with a wooden spoon. Blend Egg and milk together. Add this as required to bind the potatoes together like a dough. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
On a floured board, roll out the mixture to about one inch thick. Use a 10" plate upside down on the potato dough and cut out a circle of dough using a knife. Remove excess potato dough from around perimeter of this circle. Divide the circle into 8 "Pie-Slices".
Place each slice on a hot pan or grill for about 3 - 4 minutes each side until golden brown. Serve hot with butter on top.

Source: http://www.breadexperience.com/potato-bread-recipe.html

More Irish breads: http://www.breadexperience.com/irish-breads.html

 

[sister herb]

Ngome from Mali

Ngome is a type of flatbread enjoyed by people of Mali. Unlike the popular yeast raised breads, this bread lacks the raising agent, which actually contributes to its flat nature. The bread batter is at times flavored using the regular vegetable oil or sesame oil. Their thickness varies largely depending on users’ cooking preferences. This bread is considered to be a staple of Mali because millet grows there in abundance. One of the reasons for preferring this bread can be its long shelf life. This bread has a large shelf life compared to many of the yeast raised breads because millet flour remains fresh for long time. Many variants of this bread are also enjoyed in Northeastern parts of Africa.

History of Ngome Bread

There is very scarce information about the exact origin of the bread. It is believed that the ngome has been a very integral part of the Malinese cuisine for last many centuries because millet was always a big crop in most of the African countries. It was always easier for the Malinese to prepare this bread because they always stocked the millet flour in abundance. The millet flour was preferred over other flours because it has power to resist the attack of weevils. The millet flour was the only ingredient which Malinese depended to counter the destructing power of drought and famine.

Ngome Recipe- Ingredients and Method of Preparation

The Ngome is prepared using the millet, vegetable oil and water. The millet is mostly coarsely grounded at home and flour is kneaded using water and softened using vegetable oil. This bread is often flavored with some ingredients such as chili powder, black pepper, jalapenos, etc. The dough is portioned in ball sizes and flattened using the rolling pin. The bread preparation ends by cooking the bread in traditional griddle. When done on both sides, the bread is moved to a warm platter.

Nutrition Information of Ngome Bread

Food experts debate that one of the prime reasons for the popularity of the bread lies in its nutritive value. The minimal processing and usage of basic ingredients both contribute towards retaining the nutritive value of the bread. The bread is rich source of phosphorus and other B vitamins. The millet grain used in the bread preparation also supplies bevy of essential amino acids. The protein content largely varies depending on the type of the millet flour used. The Ngome contains easily digestible weak protein because the millet flour is devoid of lysine.

 

[sister herb]

Palestinian breads

Taboon bread

this is for 3 large ones so double if you want.

2 cups of all purpose white flour.
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour.
2 Tbsp of dry yeast.
1 Tbs of granulated sugar
Enough warm water to make it a sticky dough- mine took 1.5 c.

If you have an electric mixer with a dough hook would be better otherwise you knead it with hands.

First mix the dry ingredients well together then add the water a start mixing and kneading until you get a sticky dough like this in the picture. Let it rise in a warm place for almost an hour or until doubled.

Sprinkle a clean surface with some whole wheat flour and divide the dough into three balls.

Flatten one ball at a time to make it a circle- does not have to be perfect- then tap it with your finger tips to form this desirable shape as this makes it look more like the original one.

In the mean time stick your mini taboon – the baking sheet with pebbles- in the oven and turn it on to the maximum, mine was 550℉. The pebbles have to be very very hot before baking the bread.

Gently take your fist circle and place it carefully- be aware that the pebbles are very hot- on the mini taboon and watch it. It will huff and it will puff and it will blow your mind but not down don’t you worry .

It takes about 3 minutes for each one to be ready you can turn the broiler on but I didn’t need to do that as the oven was so so hot.

Source: http://arabianmama.com/2013/03/31/palestinian-taboon-bread/

 

[sister herb]

Palestinian kmaj/bread

Measure and whisk together in a bowl either:

5 cups whole white wheat flour or spring wheat (the softer wheat grain traditionally used in the Middle East, which you can find sold as “organic spring flour” or “organic bread flour”; look for the “spring wheat”).

Have a bowl of wheat bran (also found in said natural food stores bulk sections) ready handy and set aside for now.

Add:

1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
1 T. salt
3 T. Olive oil

Gradually mix in, a little bit at a time and starting with just 1 cup and adding more only if necessary:

2-3 cups warm water

Start by mixing dough by hand, then kneading with the palm of your hand or your knuckle, turning the dough over, and kneading again. Continue kneading until the dough forms a ball (i.e. does not stick to the sides of the bowl anymore). Do not over-knead. Pat top of dough with some olive oil.

Leave to rise in draft-free place for one hour or until doubled in volume. Punch dough down, knead gently for one minute and form into a ball; let rest for twenty minutes.

Form palm sized balls from the dough and pinch ends; place on well-floured surface-or a surface sprinkled with a generous layer of wheat bran*- and let rest for 10-20 minutes. Roll dough balls out to about 1/2 cm thickness. Cover and let rest for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight (this is the way they traditionally do it in Palestine-they let the flattened dough at this stage to rest overnight to allow a more complex flavor to develop).

Pre-heat conventional oven to 500 degrees or highest available setting. At the same time, preheat an electric or stove-top griddle to medium-high heat.

Prepare baking sheets (baking stones if you have them!) by sprinkling them with bran to prevent sticking.

Begin baking by placing rolled doughs on top of griddle. Wait a few minutes-or until small sore-like “craters” begin to form, then quickly remove half-baked breads and move to baking sheets. Quickly place in pre-heated oven and bake for a few minutes or until bread puffs up.

Take bread out and cover with a towel or sheet to prevent the moisture from building up. Tip: nothing like warm kmaj with olive oil and zaatar!

Source: http://www.gazamom.com/2009/08/ramadan-recipe-1-palestinian-kmajbread/

 

[sister herb]

Zaatar Bread (Fatayer Zaatar)

Zaatar is the Arabic word of thyme, it is a wild herb that grows throughout hills and fields of the Levant and East Mediterranean regions. Zaatar has become (along with olive tree) a symbol of the land of Palestine. It is strongly associated with the Palestinian identity that it’s being widely adopted by poets, writers and artists in their writings and songs.

Zaatar bread also known as “fatayer fallahi” which means villagers’ pie, is a typical Palestinian pastry mostly made in spring, which is the official season of collecting fresh wild thyme. It is a flat bread, oily but crunchy, stuffed with fresh zaatar leaves, onions and sumac.

Personally, I’m in a never-ending romantic relationship with zaatar bread! Smelling the scent of baking bread mixed with the aroma of roasting thyme greased with olive oil, is where the romance starts over again every time…





Ingredients

Dough Ingredients:
3 cups white flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil

Filling Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups fresh zaatar leaves (thyme), washed thoroughly
1 medium size onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sumac
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

For the Dough: In a medium size bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil. Rub the mixture together until oil is well combined into the flour. Add one cup of warm water gradually while kneading using one hand (add more water if the dough is dry or flour if it is too sticky). Cover the bowel with a plastic bag and place it in a warm place for about 30 to 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

For the Filling: Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine zaatar (thyme) leaves, chopped onions, sumac, salt, and olive oil. Mix all together and leave aside.





Cut off the dough to form three or four balls. Roll each of them on a soft surface which is greased with olive oil using rolling pin until you make a paper-thin sheet of dough. Another option is to use your hands to punch down the dough until it becomes very thin that you can’t punch it further (don’t worry if the dough ends up with some holes).

Add a pinch of zaatar stuffing and a pinch of olive oil to the dough sheet, fold two sides of the dough to the middle. Add another pinch of zaatar stuffing and fold the dough. Keep adding pinch of zaatar and folding the dough until you can’t fold it further. (The photos should explain the process better). Leave them for 10 minutes to rest.

Place stuffed dough pieces in an oven tray greased with olive oil. Punch dough down with your hands until flat. Place the tray
in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until they become slightly brown or golden. Flip them to the other side and leave them for another 5 minutes. It’s better to be served hot to enjoy the crunchiness of the bread. Typically served with fresh yogurt or tea.











Source: http://www.kitchenofpalestine.com/zaatar-bread/

 

[friend263]

In India we call it as pav

 

[sister herb]

I am baking bread today - the traditional Finnish rye bread. Making the dough takes a week as kind of bread we don´t use yeast to rise it but "the root", a starter of the dough.

Recipe:

Rye bread is naturally health enhancing. The health enhancement of rye is based on the rye fibre. There are general clinical studies of the benefits of rye fibre for health in Finland. The main benefits of rye fibre and whole-grain products in the diet are:

• helps stabilize blood sugar levels
• helps in weight control
• minimizes the risk of heart diseases
• lowers the risk of some cancers
• improves gut function.

Finnish rye bread is whole-grain - in other words, the whole grain gets milled. This makes Finnish rye bread extremely healthy and rich in fibre, and it also distinguishes it from rye bread made in other countries.

1 dl (0.42 cup) root of dough* (see note)
1 liter (1 quart) water
1 kg (2.2 lb) rye flour
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon salt

*Note: How to make root of the dough:

3 dl (1 1/4 cups) water
1 tablespoon skim milk
5 dl (2 cups) rye flour

1. Boil the water and let it boil for 10 minutes without the lid.
2. Cool water with a towel. Add skim milk. Mix the liquid 1 dl (0.42 cup) of rye flour. Cover with a cloth and let sit at room temperature.
3. Add to root of the doughn 1/2 - 1 dl (1/4 - 0.42 cup) rye flour, during 5 to 7 days, mix in the same. The root of the dough starts smell of acidic and seethe.

That root of the dough replaces yeast. Rest of it you can keep in the freezer and use later.

1. Soak the dough just lukewarm water. Whisk half of the rye flour to the water, cover with the towel and leave the rest of the flour to room temperature the next day. Leave the dough to the room temperature to the next day.
2. Add the salt and the next day the rest of the rye flour. Knead the dough well until it is a tough and solid. This is quite heavy work.)
3. Let the dough rise under a towel doubled (2 to 6 hours). Time depends on the quality of the root and on the room temperature.
4. Baked 2 to 4 round, high, conical bread. Take from the dough 1 to 2,5 dl (0.42 to 1 cup) for the next baking (store in the freezer).
5. Raiseunder the towel the 1 - 6 hours. The bread begins to disperse from the surface.
6. Prick the bread with a fork. Bake at 250 degrees C / 482 degrees F for 40 minutes, then at 180 degrees C / 356 degrees F for 50 minutes. The bread is done when the bottom boom by tapping it with your finger.

Rye bread:

This is what the root of the dough looked when I started:

2 days ago:

Today: The dough is finally ready. Now it needs to rise, what takes 2 to 4 hours.

It´s enough for 2 breads.