Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (273 page)
1
1
â
2
teaspoons dried oregano
1
â
2
teaspoon dried thyme
1
â
4
cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1
3
â
4
teaspoons salt
1 large egg or egg white, beaten with a pinch of salt (optional)
2 or 3 teaspoons sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
1.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Make a well in center. Pour in
1
â
4
cup lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast on top and add 1 teaspoon sugar. Leave 10 minutes until yeast is foamy.
2.
Add oil, remaining water, oregano, thyme, parsley, chives, and salt to well in flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until ingredients begin to come together into a dough. Mix in remaining flour using your hands.
3.
Knead dough vigorously on a work surface until very smooth and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes. Put dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until light but not doubled.
4.
Shape bagels (see
Shaping Bagels
). Then, preheat oven to 400°F. To boil bagels, bring 2 quarts water and 1
1
â
2
tablespoons sugar to a boil in a large, shallow saucepan. Add 3 or 4 bagels and boil 1 minute. Turn them over and boil 1 minute. If holes begin to close, force them open with handle of a wooden spoon. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a cloth. Repeat with remaining bagels.
5.
Lightly flour 2 or 3 baking sheets. Transfer bagels to the sheets. Brush them lightly with egg glaze, if using. Sprinkle them with seeds, if using.
6.
Bake bagels about 20 minutes or until browned. If baking sheets don't fit on center rack, bake them one above the other and switch their positions after 10 minutes. If not serving them right away, cool them on a rack and wrap them.
Most bagels are firm textured, but those made with cheese are more delicate and should be simmered instead of being boiled. Using a food processor eases preparing the sticky dough. These savory bagels are good spread with a little bit of light cream cheese and sandwiched with sliced ripe tomatoes, red onions, and arugula.
1 envelope dry yeast (
1
â
4
ounce or 2
1
â
2
teaspoons)
3
â
4
cup lukewarm water
1
1
â
2
tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
4 cups bread flour
2
â
3
cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 or 3 teaspoons for sprinkling
1
1
â
2
teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1
â
4
cup olive oil or vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1.
Sprinkle yeast over
1
â
4
cup lukewarm water in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon sugar and leave 10 minutes until yeast is foamy. In a food processor, briefly process flour, teaspoon sugar,
2
â
3
cup Parmesan cheese, oregano, and salt to mix them. Add oil and 2 of the eggs and process with a few brief pulses to mix. Add remaining water to yeast mixture. With blades of processor turning, gradually pour in yeast-liquid mixture. If dough is too dry to come together, add 1 tablespoon water and process again. Process for 1 minute to knead dough.
2.
Put dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until light but not doubled.
3.
Shape bagels (see
Shaping Bagels
). Then, preheat oven to 400°F. To simmer bagels, bring 2 quarts water and 1
1
â
2
tablespoons sugar to a boil. Add 3 or 4 bagels and simmer them over medium heat 1 minute. Turn them over and simmer 1 minute. If holes begin to close, force them open with handle of a wooden spoon. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a cloth or to paper towels. Repeat with remain- ing bagels.
4.
Put bagels on 2 or 3 lightly floured or greased baking sheets. Beat remaining egg with a pinch of salt for glaze. Brush bagels with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with Parmesan. Bake about 20 minutes or until browned. If baking sheets don't fit on center rack, bake them one above the other and switch their positions after 10 minutes. If not serving them right away, cool them on a rack and wrap them.
 or
Â
Marmalade and cream cheese are the perfect accompaniment for these bagels, which blend the flavors of orange, lemon, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. They're great for tea time.
4 cups bread flour
3
â
4
cup lukewarm water
1 envelope dry yeast (
1
â
4
ounce or 2
1
â
2
teaspoons)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons brown or white sugar
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1
â
2
teaspoon ground ginger
1
â
2
teaspoon ground allspice
1
â
4
cup (
1
â
2
stick) butter, melted, or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 or 3 large eggs
1
3
â
4
teaspoons salt
1
1
â
2
tablespoons sugar (for boiling)
1.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in
1
â
4
cup lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast on top and add 1 teaspoon sugar. Leave 10 minutes until yeast is foamy.
2.
Gradually stir remaining water into frozen orange juice concentrate until blended; set aside. Add remaining sugar, the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, melted butter, orange rind, lemon rind, and 2 of the eggs to well in flour. Add orange juice mixture and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until ingredients begin to come together into a dough. When mixing with a spoon becomes difficult, mix in remaining flour using your hands.
3.
Knead dough vigorously on a work surface until very smooth and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes. Put dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place about 1
1
â
2
hours or until light but not doubled.
4.
Shape bagels (see
Shaping Bagels
). Then, preheat oven to 375°F. To boil bagels, bring 2 quarts water and 1
1
â
2
tablespoons sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Add 3 or 4 bagels and boil 1 minute. Turn them over and boil 1 minute. If holes begin to close, force them open with handle of a wooden spoon. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a cloth or to paper towels. Repeat with remaining bagels.
5.
Put bagels on 2 or 3 lightly floured or greased baking sheets. Beat remaining egg with a pinch of salt. Brush egg over bagels. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until browned. If baking sheets don't fit on center rack, bake them one above the other and switch their positions after 10 minutes. If not serving them right away, cool them on a rack and wrap them.
PITA BREADS AND PIZZA
In Israel pita appears on the table frequently in just about every home. Originally a specialty of Middle Eastern Jews, these tasty breads have been embraced by everyone. Fresh, good-quality pita bread is available everywhere but many people love to bake it at home. Some of my husband's relatives in Israel who came from Yemen still bake it the traditional way, in a round clay oven. Others buy a special electric pita baking pan, with heat elements above and below the dough, or bake theirs in a very hot oven.
In the United States good quality pita bread (which is thicker, softer textured, and fresher tasting than standard supermarket types) can be found at Israeli, Middle Eastern, and some fine foods stores. Pita is also popular in natural foods stores and restaurants because it's usually fat-free or low in fat.
Pita is one of the fastest breads to make at home, as its rising and baking times are shorter than other breads. The dough is easy to make and resembles pizza dough. Don't worry if a few don't puff and form pockets; they'll still taste good. Like fresh pita bread that you buy, you can keep these a day or two tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature, or you can freeze them.
2 envelopes dry yeast (
1
â
2
ounce or 5 teaspoons)
About 1
1
â
4
cups lukewarm water
1
â
2
teaspoon sugar (optional)
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (optional)
1.
Sprinkle yeast over
1
â
2
cup lukewarm water in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, if using, and leave 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast.
2.
Briefly process flour and salt in a large food processor to mix them. Add oil, if using, and remaining
3
â
4
cup water to yeast mixture. With blades of processor turning, gradually pour in yeast-liquid mixture. If dough is too dry to come together, add 1 tablespoon water and process again. Process 1 minute to knead dough. Add another tablespoon of water if needed and process again 1 minute.
3.
Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn dough over to oil its entire surface. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place 1 to 1
1
â
2
hours or until doubled.
4.
Knead dough briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough back and forth with your hands into a thick log.
