Ukrainian Nut Roll - sweet dough and a honeyed walnut filling - A classic Ukrainian sweet

Hello Bakers,

In the past few episodes of The DoughDr, I have been talking about working on a Ukrainian Nut Roll Recipe.

One of our bakers mentioned she had a problem with her nut roll cracking. It led me to think that a good nut roll recipe and good proofing instructions (that’s why it cracked - under proofing) would be something many of you might be interested in.

Last week I closed the show by saying that when we bake the recipes of other cultures and countries - not only do we increase our knowledge as bakers and add more delicious recipes to our repertoires - we also tell their story. And I feel while it doesn’t directly help indirectly I am hoping it does.

Nut rolls are made throughout Eastern Europe - in Poland they are called Potica, in Hungary, Dios Beigli or Kalacs and in Ukraine Volos'kyy Horikh Zavyvanets.

They are all a thinly rolled sweet yeast dough filled with walnuts, jam or poppyseed.

They can be rolled and baked on a parchment lined sheet pan or they can be placed in a bundt or tube pan (12 cup capacity). The dough goes together easily and is flexible - resting it overnight in the refrigerator is not a problem. The filling is very traditional, jam or poppyseed filling work well too.

Baking is a very important activity in Ukraine and the war has upended it - for now we will have to bake for them.

Any questions - let me know. If you bake one of these please tag me on IG: bakingwcolette

Happy Baking! Colette

Equipment: Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, quarter sheet pan or 13” X 9” cake pan (for resting dough),
9” X 5” x 3” Loaf Pan for baking, rolling pin.

Ingredients:

Dough

10g instant yeast

227g milk - 80 degrees

50g egg (1 lg egg)

1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)

74g sugar

405g unbleached all purpose flour

85g unsalted butter - room temperature

8g salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast and the milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the egg, vanilla extract, flour, sugar and salt.

Mix on low speed for 4 minutes.

Add the butter and mix for 4 additional minutes on speed 2.

Dough shaped into an 8” x 9” rectangle - ready for bulk fermentation

Remove from mixer - shape into a rectangle approximately 8” x 9”.
Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let bulk ferment at room temperature for 1 hour (it will not double - it may lift a little but it doesn’t need to double in size.
Chill for 1 hour before shaping.
Make walnut filling. Recipe is below.
Roll out into a rectangle that measures approx - 11” x 14”

Dough rolled out to 11” x 14”

Filling spread on dough.

Dough placed in greased pan

After one hour at room temperature the Nut Roll is ready to bake.

Spread walnut filling so that it covers all but ½ “ of one of the long edges of dough.
Roll up and place in a greased pan. I used a 12 cup bundt pan, a tube pan can also be used.
Let proof 60 minutes or until the the roll looks like it has lifted, the surface of the dough will look a little thinned out.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes and then tent light with foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Note: The rolls can also be baked on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Brush with beaten egg white before baking and check for doneness at 30-35 minutes.

Walnut Filling

340g finely chopped walnuts - a food processor works well
74g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
128g honey

2 egg whites - whisked until foamy

1. In a medium sized saucepan combine walnuts, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice over medium heat for 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the honey. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Beat the egg whites to a soft foam and add to the cooled nut and honey mixture.

   Can be made ahead and refrigerated.

Pampushky - Ukrainian Garlic Bread - Without the bite of the garlic #Bake for Ukraine

Hello Bakers,

Here is the recipe to match Saturday’s Garlic Blanching Demo on TheDoughDr.

Pampushky are soft dinner rolls from Ukraine that are drenched in garlic and herbs right as they come out of the oven. Typically sunflower oil would be used as Ukraine produces 80% of the world’s sunflower oil - but olive oil works well too. Give these a try. They are easy to put together and so delicious - the blanched garlic is full of flavor with none of the bitterness.

This is the first in our series of #BakeforUkraine recipes. Our next recipe will be Ukrainian Nut Roll - a request from one of our TheDoughDr. audience members. Please post and tag me if you make these pampushky - I hope you do. Any questions - let me know.

Happy Baking! Colette

Yield: 8 Rolls
Equipment:
Scale,Instant read thermometer, Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, bowl scraper, 9”round cake pan (lightly oiled) - or 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment, small saucepan for blanching garlic, strainer, chef knife

Ingredients:

227g (8 ounces) milk - 80 degrees
7g instant yeast (active dry can also be used)
28g sugar
28g vegetable oil, sunflower is often used - but olive works well
375g bread flour
8g salt

Pampushky MEP

Egg Wash: 1 egg beaten up with a pinch of salt until completely smooth

Scaled Dough

1. Heat the milk to 80 degrees in the microwave (30 secs) or briefly on stovetop.

2. Combine the yeast and the milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes.

3. Add the sugar, oil, flour and salt.

4. Mix on speed 2 for 3 minutes, stop the mixer to scrape down the bowl when necessary.

5. Mixing on speed 1 for an additional 3 minutes.

6. Remove the dough from the mixer - smooth and round - place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set a timer for 90 minutes. Unless your kitchen is very warm - in which case check the dough in 75 minutes.

7. Remove the dough from the bowl - gently degas (press the air out).

8. Weigh the dough and divide into 71g pieces. The dough dividing can be eyeballed but make sure they are as even as possible. Lightly round the rolls, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

9. Reroll nice and tight as per the demo below and place 8 in lightly oiled cake pan. If using an 8” pan - there may be extra dough.

10. Cover and let sit at room temperature until they look slightly puffy - are about 60 percent larger than before they started proofing and when you squeeze their sides (gently) your finger imprint stays. Typically they take an hour to get to this point. If you have the XL Ziploc bags - use them and if using the Brod and Taylor proofer - use with humidity and set to 82 degrees.

Roll Rounding Demo

Proofed Rolls - proofing time 1 hour and 15 minutes

12. Prepare the egg wash. Egg wash the rolls and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. What you are looking for is a beautiful golden brown crust and a full bake.

1. Blanch the garlic in boiling water for 30 seconds - changing the water and bringing it back to a boil each time. Drain, cool and chop.
2. Combine oil, chopped garlic and herbs
Enjoy!! Freeze leftover rolls, thaw and refresh in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes before serving.

Saint Patrick's Day Macarons - Shamrock Reboot 2022! (Copy)

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Baking!

On last Saturday’s episode of The DoughDr - we had three great questions about macarons - leading me to think that it was time to reboot the Shamrock macaron with a simple ganache filling. If you made the eclairs from a few posts back you might have some ganache leftover.

This reboot includes a stripe of food color to make them pop and a way to get the Shamrock macaron template to you easily. No emailing me and waiting the link will be here - right here. Link to Shamrock template.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DDdOAQ-Nw5ZR4L8yjHBEydeazkv2jZ1dQVcYj6bv4nQ/edit?usp=sharing

Here is a helpful tip - if you are troubleshooting macarons - make a half batch - the technique is exactly the same - just less ingredients to go through if you have a batch that is not as successful.

Note: I used a few videos from the previous 2019 - that’s the reason for the different kitchen setting and lighting.

And if you want a more detailed explanation - please check out my Craftsy class Miniature French Desserts: https://www.craftsy.com/class/miniature-french-desserts-macarons-madeleines-more/

Equipment: Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, spatula, large bowl, piping tip (Wilton #12), piping bag, sheet pans, parchment paper and silpats

Ingredients: Half recipe is in parenthesis

198g (99g) powdered sugar

113g (57g) almond meal

113g (57g) egg whites

one pinch (1/8 tsp) cream of tartar

99g (50g) granulated sugar

4-6 (2-3) drops vanilla extract (no more than a half teaspoon)

Green food color (Wilton if possible)

Shamrock Macaron MEP

1. Line 2 (1/2 sheet pans) (1- if you are doing a half recipe) with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
2. Layer the powdered sugar and almond meal in a food processor or mini processor.
Pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Place the egg whites and pinch of cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Make sure that the bowl and the whisk are impeccably clean.
4. Starting on medium speed, whip the whites with the cream of tartar until they look like light foam. The whites should not appear liquid. The foam will be light and should not have any structure.
5. Slowly rain in the granulated sugar, trying to aim the stream between the whisk and the side of the bowl. Turn the speed up to medium-high.
6. Continue to whip the meringue until it is soft and shiny. It should look like marshmallow creme.
7. Add the gel color and the vanilla.
8. Staying at medium-high speed, whip the egg whites until the mixture begins to dull and the lines of the whisk are visible on the surface of the meringue.

9. Check the peak. It should be firm with the angle supporting the peak at 11:30 as shown on video. Transfer the whites to a medium bowl.
10. Fold in the almond meal mixture in three increments.
11. Paint the mixture halfway up the side of the bowl, using the flat side of a spatula. Scrape the mixture down to the center of the bowl.
12. Repeat two or three times, then check to see if the mixture slides slowly down the side of the bowl.

Optional: If you want the tie dye effect - stripe a line of color down the seam of the piping bag, starting in the tip - a skewer works well to draw in the color.

There is the 11:30 peak

13. Put the mixture in a piping bag fitted with one of the tips listed above. Pipe on the prepared baking sheets.
14. Slam each sheet hard four to six times on the counter. Then fist bump each end of the sheet’s underside twice.
15. Let the unbaked macarons dry until they look dull. Drying time depends on humidity. In a dry climate, the macarons can dry in 30 to 35 minutes. But never let them dry for more than an hour.
16. While the macarons are drying, preheat the oven to 325
17. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack.
18. Check in 11 minutes. If the tops slide, then bake for 2 to 3 more minutes. The macarons should release without sticking. Check one or two. If they stick, put them back in the oven for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Ganache Filling - with optional Bailey’s Liqueur -
6 ounces (170g) semisweet chocolate - chopped if not using chips - Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips work well
6 ounces (170g) heavy cream
Optional: to taste - Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur -1-2 Tablespoons is usually enough

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl
Bring cream to a low boil and pour over chocolate
Let sit for 1 minute and then stir with a spatula - add Bailey’s to taste if desired
Let sir for 1-2 hours until it sets up to a pipable consistency

Finishing Shamrock macarons

1. Arrange macarons by size, flip one macaron over so that flat side is facing up, pipe ganache on flat side and top with second half. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight in an airtight container before serving. A little time in the refrigerator helps them achieve their distinctive - chewy in the middle and crisp in the middle texture. Enjoy!



Eclairs! A Sweet Treat - Easy to Make and Delicious

Hello Bakers!

When was the last time you bit into a sumptuous eclair? Take a moment and remember - the crisp but soft at the same time, pastry, the rich vanilla scented pastry cream and the rich chocolate glaze - worth your time and the calories - oh absolutely.

I say - more Pate a Choux in 2022! Let’s start with Eclairs

Making eclairs is really quite easy. They are best made a few hours before serving but that doesn’t mean you can make the components one to two days ahead. The one thing about baked but still empty pate a choux is that it needs to be stored in the freezer then thaw and refresh in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.

If you want to explore pate a choux in more depth.

I have a detailed Pate a Choux demo in my Craftsy class French Pastry Shop Classics https://www.craftsy.com/class/french-pastry-shop-classics/ It’s amazing all the desserts that are packed into that class.

Try these - they are so delicious - you may have forgotten how good they are.

Any questions - let me know. Happy Baking! Colette

Equipment
2 medium bowls
Medium saucepan
Whisk
2 spatulas
Strainer (only needed if pastry cream appears lumpy after cooking)
Baking sheet lined with plastic wrap or bowl of ice water for cooling down the pastry cream
Paring knife, if using the vanilla bean
Ingredients
13 ounces (369g) of whole milk
2 ounces (57 g) sugar (sugar #1)
1⁄2 vanilla bean, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ounces (57 g) sugar (sugar #2)
31⁄2 tablespoons (36 g) cornstarch
3 ounces (85 g) milk
4 egg yolks
1 ounce (28 g) unsalted butter
Method
Pour the 13 ounces (369 g) milk into a saucepan. Add the first 2 ounces (57 g) of sugar.
If using the vanilla bean, split it in half lengthwise with a paring knife, carefully scrape the seeds into the saucepan with the milk and first sugar. If using the vanilla bean paste add 2 teaspoons to the milk and the first sugar in the saucepan. If using vanilla extract add 2 teaspoons after the pastry cream is removed from the heat at the end of cooking
Place the saucepan on medium heat and bring to a low boil.
While the milk is heating, in a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch to the remaining vanilla sugar. Stir until well combined. It should look like fine dust.
Add the 3 ounces (85 g) of milk and the egg yolks to the sugar and cornstarch mixture.
Pour half of the boiling milk into the cornstarch mixture, and then quickly pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan. It is important to bring the egg mixture up to the temperature of the milk so that the eggs don’t scramble.
Using the whisk, gently stir the egg-milk mixture over medium heat as it thickens, then whisk briskly until smooth. Cook for 1 minute once the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat.
Add the butter and the vanilla extract, if using.
The mixture should look smooth, but if you see any sign of lumps, strain the mixture.

Alternatively, the pastry cream can be poured into a clean bowl and placed over an ice water bath. Press a piece of plastic wrap over the surface and stir often
Pastry cream must be refrigerated. It has a shelf life of 2-3 days. 

Pastry Cream

Yield:
20 ounces (567g) or 21⁄4 cups (slightly less when strained)

Pastry Cream MEP

Pate a choux

Yield: 10 - 12 Medium Eclairs

Equipment
Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Measuring spoons
Scale
Piping bag
Plain round or star tip (Ateco 806 or 826#)
2 or 3 baking sheets lined with parchment paper

Ingredients

Pate a Choux MEP

6 ounces (170g) water
3 ounces (85 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 ounce (14 g) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 ounces (106g) all-purpose flour
3 eggs

Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C/gIn a saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar, and
salt to a rolling boil.
Add the flour all at once. Stir over heat with a Ingredients wooden spoon or spatula, and cook until there is a film of starch on the bottom of the pan. This takes 2 to 3 minutes, keep stirring vigorously.
Transfer the flour mixture to a stand mixer, and beat on low speed until the steam dissipates and the bottom of the bowl is no longer hot.
Add the eggs , beating until fully incorporated. Mix on medium low speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth.

Pipe into the desired shapes onto parchment- lined baking sheets.

Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C/gas 4), and continue to bake for 15–20 minutes. The pâté à choux should be a light golden brown overall not just on the surface but in the cracks.
Pâté à choux (unfilled) can be wrapped well and stored at room temperature for 24 hours or in the freezer for 1 month.
Unfilled pâte à choux can be thawed for an hour at room temperature and then refreshed in a 350°F (175C/gas 4) oven for 5-7 minutes.

Chocolate Glaze/Ganache

This topping for éclairs can also be used as a glaze for cakes and a filling for tarts and tartlets. Refrigerate any leftover ganache.
Yield: 340g

Equipment
Medium saucepan
Heatproof bowl
Spatula
Ingredients
6 ounces (170 g) heavy cream
6 ounces (170 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (54 percent minimum cacao)
Method
Bring the cream to a low rolling boil in a medium saucepan.
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
Let sit for 1 minute, then stir with a spatula until the ganache is smooth. It should look glossy and rich. Dip Eclairs while the ganache is fluid.

Fill and Garnish Eclairs
Eclair Components
12 éclairs
1 recipe pastry cream
1 recipe ganache, at room temperature
Method

Make 1 or 2 holes in the bottom of the eclairs with a 826 star tip and use a 825 star tip to fill - you can also make a hole with a paring knife.

Fill a 16-18” pastry, fitted with an 825 star tip with pastry cream.

Fill eclairs until the eclairs feel heavy.

Dip tops in ganache. Store finished éclairs in the refrigerator. Garnish with crispy pearls if desired. Refrigerate eclairs until ready to serve.