The Richness Of National Breads

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Bread is eaten in almost every country in the world. Even where wheat does not grow, other products such as corn, rye or rice are ground into flour and used to make simple and nutritious equivalents of wheat bread.

Thanks to the trips abroad and the growing number of restaurants with foreign cuisine, we get acquainted with breads from different countries, as well as with the respective national dishes. If you are served an Indian dish, wouldn't it be most natural to eat it with chapati or naan? Or when a person eats a Mexican dish, for example, it is quite natural to be accompanied by Mexican tortilla cakes. In the same way, oriental pie is inseparable from Greek or Turkish food, but it has become so popular that it almost becomes part of our national cuisine.

European breads, unlike Asian and South American breads, are made mainly from common wheat flour and are generally leavened with yeast. Despite this similarity in the basic procedure there is an incredibly large variety of breads in Europe - from the rich and complex Easter cake, to the simple but perfect baguette.

The effort is worth it

Yeast breads require some time to knead and rise. Indian types of bread, although not all are made with yeast, usually require someone to bake the loaves on the hot stove one after the other to see them disappear in seconds in someone's hungry throat. Almost all breads take time and effort, but it's worth it!

Oriental pie

The flatbreads known to all of us are probably of Arab origin, although they are extremely popular outside the Middle East. Especially attractive in them is that they easily split and become great bases for sandwiches and skewers, falafel, salads or anything that can be put in sliced bread. The trick with them is to bake in a very hot oven.

Products for 10 pcs:

dry yeast - 2 tsp.

powdered sugar - 1 tsp.

flour - 450 g plus more for sprinkling

salt - 1 tsp.

lubricating oil

Mix the dry yeast, sugar and 300 ml of warm water and leave to become a frothy mixture when warm.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well. Put the mixture with the yeast and mix into a dough. Turn it on a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes to become smooth and elastic.

Form the dough into a ball, put it in a bowl greased with oil and cover with fresh foil, also greased with oil. Allow to swell until it doubles in volume. Preheat oven to 240 degrees.

Knead the dough, make it firm, and divide into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into an oval about 4 mm thick. Put in a greased and floured pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Lightly sprinkle with flour and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes until puffed and golden.

Greek Easter Easter cake

In many European countries, special breads are baked for religious holidays. The Easter cake with its egg decoration is among the most picturesque.

Tortillas

The most famous Mexican cakes - tortillas, are made from a special corn flour, table harina, which you can find in good delicatessens.

Semi-fringes

The aroma and texture of the baguettes are difficult to achieve outside of France, mainly because the flour, ovens and skills are extremely French. The breads in this recipe may not be what you may have tasted in France, but they are very good when eaten the same day, taken straight from the oven.

Products for 3 baguettes:

dry yeast - 3 tsp.

powdered sugar - 1 tsp.

vitamin C - 1 tablet, crushed

flour - 450 g plus more for sprinkling

salt - 1 tsp.

lubricating oil

egg - 1 pc. broken for spreading

Mix the yeast, sugar and 300 ml of water. Leave on warm to become a frothy mixture, add the vitamin C tablet.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the yeast mixture and mix into a soft dough. Knead for 10 minutes. Put in a bowl greased with oil, covered with fresh foil greased with oil, and leave to rise in the heat for 20 minutes.

Mix on a floured surface and divide into three pieces. Cover two of the pieces and shape the third into a cylinder 20 cm long.

Gather the two ends to meet in the middle. Press them tightly to seal the top.

Repeat the process, then put your hands in the center of the cylinder and gently rock it back and forth, pushing the dough towards the edges to form a 25 cm long sausage. Repeat with the other two pieces.

Place on a lightly greased and floured baking tray. Make three incisions with a knife on each rolled piece. Cover with freshly greased foil. Leave to swell in the heat for 1-1 1/2 hours or until they double in volume. Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Grease the breads with beaten egg and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack and eat while still fresh.

Boiled muffins

These ring muffins are a European specialty and are cooked before baking. According to Jewish religious and culinary rules, kosher meat and dairy products should not be eaten together. So boiled muffins are made only with margarine or oil. They are very tasty when filled with cottage cheese.