Hungarian Country Bread

Submitted by Andreacute Grisell

"This is a traditional Hungarian bread with a hard, crispy crust. It takes some time to prepare, but is very cheap and very appreciated. It won't keep for long, since the dough doesn't contain any fat, but the problem seldom arises, since it will be gone in no time. The recipe is from the Swedish magazine "Allt Om Mat"."

 

• Ready In: 4hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 4
• Yields: 1 loaf

ingredients

• 1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 package dry yeast
• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 - 2 1⁄2 lbs wheat flour (8 cups)

directions

1. Dissolve yeast in water (if using dry yeast, follow instructions).
2. Add most of the flour and the salt.
3. Knead vigorously by hand for 5-10 minutes.
4. Let rise, covered, to double size (1-2 hours).
5. Heat the oven to 450 deg F/ 230 deg C.
6. Knead again, vigorously, for 5 minutes.
7. Shape one big, round loaf and put on a greased baking tray.
8. Cover and let rise for another 45 minutes.
9. Make a few cuts in the loaf with a razorblade.
10. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
11. Reduce heat to 400/200 deg and bake another one hour.
12. The crust should become quite brown.
13. Turn off the oven, take out the bread, and brush the bread with water.
14. Put it back in the oven for 15 minutes.
15. Let cool uncovered.

Reviews

[Charles B.]

I've lived in Hungary. I've used this recipe before (as is) with outstanding results. This time I made a few changes. Not all home cooks make the same recipes the same way for eternity. The additions I made conform to Old World practices and add more depth to the original. Firstly, I weighed the flour instead of using measuring cups and added 1/4 c bread flour. Baking is a science; it's important to go by the formula (recipe). Secondly, I finely ground 2 tsp of Egyptian, organic caraway seeds (carum carvi) and added to the flour mixture. I also added 2 tsp local raw honey and 2 tsp Grandma's molasses to 3 1/4 c filtered, lukewarm water (the addition of bread flour and sugars from the honey and the molasses give the yeast more to feed own creating a slightly lighter loaf. After the first kneading, I rounded the dough up in a SS bowl greased with applewood-smoked bacon drippings (no longer a non-fat recipe). Please don't think I ruined it; fat in the diet is what sustained many former-Communist countries during periods of food shortages. It also adds depth. Lastly, during the final 15 minutes of baking I brushed the loaf with highly salted water (1 TBSP kosher salt dissolved in 1/2 c warm water. My changes resulted in a loaf worthy of an exhibit in the Hungarian National Baking Museum in Budapest (just kidding). But it was gone in under 2 hours! I would make it this way again and again. Jó étvágyat kívánunk!

 

[CookingOnTheFlyKathy]

I have been searching for this recipe for a very long time! Tastes just like my grandmothers, who was from Hungary and didn't write her recipes down. Thank you so very much for sharing it! It is perfect.

 

[jjmacsar]

This was good, it needed a bit more salt. This is close to the breads i ate in Hungary 2009.