Text 2562, 117 rader
Skriven 2013-07-19 08:38:10 av Stephen Haffly (1:396/45.27)
   Kommentar till text 2517 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: more picnic tastes 878
==============================
Hello Michael and All,

On (18 Jul 13) MICHAEL LOO wrote to ALL...

 ML> Stephen and Ruth had gone through Columbia on their way
 ML> to their upstate family obligation and had left some treats
 ML> for the picnic. Chief among these was a jar of kefir, which
 ML> is a live yogurty substance (very good for you I'm told,
 ML> but I think I'm an exception) that is also not my style,
 ML> despite the lactose being much diminished. I think that
 ML> Burt and Shirley were eventually entrusted with it, I'm not
 ML> certain.

Kefir grains are a sort of symbiotic clump of yeast and bacteria. The
result is that the Kefir has a bit of carbonation (and a very small bit
of alcohol). It does seem to help with digestive issues.

 ML> There were two examples of kefir cheeses to show the
 ML> versatility of the stuff. These are sort of between cottage
 ML> and farmer cheese but with a tiny bite; and in the interest
 ML> of completeness I too had a tiny bite of each of them.

The inspiration for this is Labneh, which is strained yogurt cheese. I
figured that if it worked for yogurt, it should work for Kefir.

 ML> The one flavored with Mexican oregano had a strong herbal
 ML> taste; I thought it might be good spread thin on good sturdy
 ML> bread and run under the broiler for a few seconds.

 ML> I was slightly puzzled by the texture of the other one,
 ML> mixed with paprika and Italian seasoning. It tasted mild and
 ML> milky, so I thought it would go well in a beef or lamb stew,
 ML> but again I wouldn't be the one to do the experiment.

Sometimes, the cheese will continue to expand under the pressure of the
gas generated. Eventually the reaction slows. I also have not settled on
one way of flavoring the cheese so each batch is different.

 ML> My second choice was the sourdough whole wheat pide
 ML> from the Hafflys, made from a Turkish recipe, which I used
 ML> with sweet things.

Turkish Bazlama bread is not exactly sourdough. The Kefir gives it the
flavor. There is no sponge made or sourdough starter used. I had posted
the recipe a few weeks ago but I will post it again. This bread is very
similar to what we had with Doner Kebabs when we were in West Berlin.
Did you try it warmed up a little bit? What did you think of the bread
itself?

Title: Bazlama - Turkish Flat Bread
Yield: 4 servings
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Preparation Time: 1/2 hour
Category: Breads
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Source: sharwna
Website: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?recipeID=215599&o

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Ingredients
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1 package active dry yeast (.25 oz)
1 Tbs white sugar
1 Tbs salt
1 1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F or 45 degrees C)
1/2 c Greek-style yogurt
4 c all-purpose flour

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Instructions
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1.   Dissolve the yeast, sugar, and salt in the warm water. Add the
water and yogurt to the flour and mix well. The dough will be soft but
not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and
shape it into a ball. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it
to rise at room temperature for 3 hours.
2.   Cut the dough into four portions. Shape the dough into rounds and
flatten each round as though you're making pizza dough. Cover the
rounds with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
3.   Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place
one dough round in the skillet and bake until brown spots appear on
the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip the bread and bake for an additional
minute. Remove the bread and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel to keep
warm.
4.   Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Store any leftover
flatbreads in an airtight container.


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Notes
---

"This simple flatbread gets its tang from yogurt. It's best served
warm."
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2013 Allrecipes.com   Printed from
Allrecipes.com 6/15/2013

My notes:

Substitute 1 cup Kefir for the Greek yogurt. Reduce water to 1 cup. Use
raw sugar or honey in place of the white sugar. Use whole wheat flour in
place of the white flour.

Dividing the dough into eight portions instead of four yields bread of a
good size to fit into a gallon freezer bag. This bread freezes well.
It is really good when warm. If it is cold, it can be warmed for 20 to
30 seconds in the microwave.
Regards,

Stephen
Professional Point in DOSBox running on Linux.

... Proverbs 3:13 | Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

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