Hot Cross Buns

FFTO April challenge was dedicated to Easter. These days I could see many interesting traditional Easter recipes from all over the world and this time, thanks to FFTO and Sarah from Simply Cooked, I`m presenting Hot Cross Buns.

Although Sarah gave us freedom to change recipe as we like, I wanted to try the original version from the old recipe book Sarah found in her parents` basement. There is just one thing I really had to change-I didn`t make lemon glaze! Maybe it`s because I`m more fond of savory pastry. Anyway, recipe worth trying!

Hot Cross Buns (copied from Sarah)


makes 24


3 1/2 - 4 c (440 - 500 g) flour


3/4 c (190 ml) lukewarm milk


1/2 c (125 ml) lukewarm water


1 package (2 1/2 t) active dry yeast


1 T sugar


1/4 c (65 g) sugar


1/2 t salt


1/4 c (55 g) butter, melted


1/4 t allspice


1/2 t cinnamon


1/4 t nutmeg


2 eggs


2/3 c (100 g) currants


1/4 c (40 g) diced citron



In a mixer bowl, combine 1 c (125 g) flour, milk, water, yeast, and 1 T sugar. Beat well. Set in a warm place until frothy. melt butter; cool. To the yeast sponge, add remaining sugar, salt, melted butter and spices; beat in eggs, one at a time. Add 1 c (125 g) flour and beat 5 minutes with electric mixer. Gradually add remaining flour, currants, and citron. Turn out onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (8 - 10 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top of dough. Cover with kitchen towel and set in warm place until doubled in bulk. Punch down. Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead lightly for 2 minutes. Divide dough into 24 equal parts and shape into buns. Place well apart on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
 
 

Make a cross (X) on each bun with a razor blade or sharp knife. Brush with egg yolk beaten with 1 T water. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 15-20 minutes or until golden in colour. Cool on wire rack.

Fresh From the Oven: Braided Challah Bread

Bread with tradition-Jewish challah bread was this month`s challenge in FFTO.
Dom from Belleau Kitchen really caught my attention with his lovely vignettes from  family life with cameo appearences of challah, so I instantly...did some google research :) and found dozens of modified recipes of this bread. In spite of that, I decided to completely respect Dom`s ingredient list:

• 1 sachet (7g) dried yeast
• 
  1tsp clear honey
• 250ml lukewarm water
• 50g melted butter
• 500g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs lightly beaten - in separate bowls - one for the mix and one for glazing
• sesame seeds, and some linen instead of poppy seeds

Combine the yeast, honey, milk and butter, stir and leave for 15mins to dissolve

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and one of the beaten eggs. Stir to make a dough. (It will be very sticky and will definitely need extra flour for kneading)

Knead till smooth and elastic (a good 15 mins) then transfer to a clean bowl, cover and leave to prove for 1 1/2 hours.

Here`s the moment when I did something different! In lots of recipes you`ll see that the braid is made of 6 equal parts. But how? That was the question that tangled me and I simply had to find the answer! I came across an excellent explanation here , and here`s what I managed to do:

When I finished making 6-braid challah, I let it rest for 30 minutes and then baked it for 40 minutes at 190 C.

Instead of conclusion-just like Khrushchev dough, challah bread with its challenging braids was more than pleasant surprise and will become regular inhabitant of my oven :)

Kiflice od Hruščov testa : Khrushchev Dough Rolls

Ovomesečni Fresh From the Oven izazov osmislile su naše komšije sa bloga mushitza .
Trebalo je pripremiti njihovu verziju testa koje se često i rado priprema u Rusiji i Bugarskoj. Ono što me je jako zaintrigiralo, bio je sam postupak pripreme testa, koji se u mnogome razlikuje od onog na koji sam navikla. Uostalom, videćete.

Odmah da kažem-prezadovoljna sam rezultatima!!!! Od testa sam pravila kiflice, i priznajem, bile su jedne od najboljih koje sam probala!!! Askete u ishrani se sa mnom ne bi možda složile, zato što su kiflice vrlo puteraste, ali zato gurmani imaju još jedno testasto zadovoljstvo kome mogu da se raduju!

• 40g svežeg kvasca (ili 10g kvasca + 30g vode)
• 10g soli
• 250 ml hladnog mleka  (direktno iz frižidera)
• 150g (koristila sam 125g) putera sobne temperature, iseckanog na kockice
• 1 kašika šećera
• 500g brašna+ po potrebi za posipanje

Sada sledi interesantni deo! Kvasac se ne stavlja u mlako mleko sa šećerom, kako mi to obično radimo. Ne, naprotiv!!! Kvasac se pospe solju, a onda ih skupa mešate kašikom, dok kvasac ne postane tečan. (ako koristite suvi kvasac, dodajte mu so, pa to pomešajte sa vodom)


Kvascu dodajete hladno mleko, puter, šećer i brašno. Mešajte mikserom ili drvenom varjačom. Izbegavajte kontakt testa s rukama, zato što toplota naših šaka može škoditi testu. Mešajte dok se ne formira mekano testo, a onda posudu sa testom prekrijte folijom i stavite preko noći u frižider.

U frižideru će testo postati tvrdo i blago će narasti.

Sledećeg jutra, zagrejte rernu na 180 stepeni, pobrašnite radnu površinu, stavite na nju testo, ili još bolje deo testa (da ne bi dugo stajao na sobnoj temperaturi), razvucite ga oklagijom i formirajte šta god želite od njega, u mom slučaju kiflice. Premažite ih žumancem i mlekom. Ništa se ne mesi, nema čekanja da testo naraste itd.

Pecite ih, autori kažu 15 minuta, ja kažem 20-25 minuta, dok ne postanu zlatasto smeđe.
I probajte obavezno...nećete zažaliti :)

Khrushchev Dough Rolls

Thanks to Silvia and Ivan from blog mushitza, I had a chance to try this exquisite dough. Guys, thank you, oh so much!

As you can see, this month in Fresh From the Oven Challenge, we had quite an interesting task with such an intriguing name :). The interesting part for me was the making of the dough, which quite differs from the one I`m used to.

Anyway, to make long story short, I just have to say that this was my first challenge and I didn`t regret taking part in it...and I will definitely put these lovely rolls (or kiflice :)) on my regular menu.

Here`s what Silvia and Ivan have to say about preparation :

Khrushchev Dough Recipe:

40 gr fresh yeast (or 10 gr powdered dry yeast + 30 gr water);


10 gr salt;


250 ml cold milk(directly from the fridge);


150 gr unsalted butter, cut in small cubes, room temperature(NOT melted);


1 Tbsp sugar;


500 gr all purpose flour + additional for the counter;


If using fresh yeast: Using an ordinary tablespoon rub the salt through the yeast block till it becomes liquid.


If using dry yeast: Mix salt and dry yeast, then add the water.


Add in the milk, butter, sugar and sift the flour on top. Mix with an electric mixer equipped with the dough hooks till all the ingredients are combined and soft dough forms. A wooden spoon could either be used. Cover the bowl with an airtight lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.






The dough becomes firm in the fridge (since the butter goes firm) but it does rise slowly. Although the original recipe says it doesn't, we are making it every quite often for more than five years, and it always rises, not as much as the other doughs but it rises nicely.






The next morning, dust the counter with flour, place the dough on top, roll it out and shape it as you like. Work the dough as soon as you take it out of the fridge. If needed divide it in two or three parts and place one part in the fridge while you are forming the other.

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Take the dough out of the fridge, divide it in two and return one of the parts in the fridge.



Dust the counter with flour and roll the dough out to 3 mm thick rectangle. Cut it lengthwise and widthwise to smaller or bigger rectangles. Place some grated feta, cheddar or whatever cheese you have in the fridge and roll the rectangles up to tight rolls. All kind of jams, preserves, nutella... could be used. Arrange them in a baking pan living some space between them since they rise in the oven. Brush the rolls with a mixture of egg yolk, a few drops of water and a few drops of vegetable oil.

Bake for around 15 (I`d rather say 20-25 min) minutes or until golden brown.