Soft And Chewy Balkan Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Dissolve sugar into the hot water in a 2-cup measure; add yeast and stir gently. Let dissolve until top is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir gently, starting from the middle, until mixture is sticky. Knead by hand, adding more flour if needed, until dough is elastic and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes.
• Oil a large, clean bowl and place dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Fill a roasting pan with water and set on the lower rack of the oven. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape dough into 1 large loaf or 6 sandwich loaves, tapering the ends. Place loaves on the prepared baking sheet. Cut 3 or 4 diagonal slashes, about 1/4 to 1/2-inch, across the tops. Cover with a dry towel and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Uncover and bake in the center of the preheated oven until top is light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the loaves.

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a mixing bowl and allow to stand until the yeast forms a creamy foam, about 5 minutes. Mix in 2 cups of flour, salt, and shortening; beat for 2 minutes with a fork. Stir in as much of the remaining 1 1/2 cup flour as needed.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, kneading in more flour if dough is sticky. Form into a ball, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest in a warm area for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Divide dough into 12 equal portions; flour your hands and roll each piece into a ball. Cover dough balls with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Flatten the balls into rounds on a floured surface, cover with kitchen towel, and let rest 10 more minutes. Gently roll each dough ball into a circle about 6 inches in diameter on a floured surface. Place pita breads in a single layer on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until the pita breads puff up, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip breads over with a spatula, return to oven, and bake 2 more minutes. Let cool on wire racks before cutting pita breads in half and gently separating tops and bottoms to form pockets for filling.

Steps:

• Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Position 2 oven racks so they are not too close to the top or bottom of the oven.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.