The theory and practice of casual bread
« The best bread is made with a good thought. With a pure intention to feed people. » This is what Tony Sokolov, who, together with his wife Sofia Kileva, make « Knyazhevi bread ». From their oven comes out of kvass production, and the smell, which is worn outside, is reminiscent of the eldest residents of the « Knyazhevo » childhood, in which there was no wrapped in a nylon product on shelves at large stores.
Naturally, on an Easter from the family oven, a kozunak comes out, which is different every year, because experiments of different nature is made. This year is the turn of something in between bread, icing and Panette, according to the description of the young baker. For the readers of Dnevnik, he gives valuable guidance in the preparation of the homemade goat, as well as his grandmother’s recipe.
We make live bread
After going through the production of craft beer, teaching a tourism economy at a school school and a little in cinema, Tony Sokolov sets out to make live bread – not with yeast, but with kvass. He did not intend, but he felt his attraction to the craft after his acquaintance invites him to his own bakery to see things inside.
The bread itself chose me.
Then he realizes that this is exactly what they will invest family savings. He assumes that doing something with his hands, the inheritance of grandparents, who practiced different crafts, was drawn to it, and with the month he meets thanks to his grandmother and his mother.
And so for 3 years he has taken about 150 breads a day in Knyazhevo in a room where he welds for his ideas. There is also his house, which makes it literally the neighborhood baker. However, his clients come from different directions – including not only from the nearby Pernik, but also those who travel over half an hour from the other end of Sofia. He explains it with the growing culture and taste for fermented bread.
However, unlike the one with the instant yeast, it is a much greater challenge and does not provide the same product every day as the case with industrial bread. It describes its production concept as a simple one – white rural flour bread and whole grain lesser, dark bread – 100% whole grain, which has it, and complemented with nuts and cranberries, is baked and 100% rye, and on the weekend – spelled and other varieties of old grain varieties.
With such grain and corresponding flour, it is supplied by its godparents, with which they work in a sense as a cooperative. They produce flour from other people’s wheat varieties. Their advantage is that they require less processing, which leaves them cleaner.
The oven does not make snacks, but it offers an alternative – garnished bread, which is usually available under the name Focacha, sprinkled with Spanish olive oil, imported by another familiar to the family, and with various rosemary, sesame and more orders.
Even the experienced in the kitchen know that without a pinch of love, no dish will be as tasty as what is what I have prepared with love. For Sokolov, this pinch is added with a morning prayer God bless the bread and those whose table will be.
However, the knowledge of technology is something that it acquires with reading, and its request to customers is to be condescending, because with living bread and for 10 seconds, everything can go wrong.
On the issue of price, he says that the costs are slightly lower than those of his colleagues, whose businesses are in the city center. At the same time, he found that when he offers bread of 800 g of BGN 5, instead of 7 or 8 levs, depending on the type, the phenomenon « Give one for the neighbor » is often manifested.
Traditionally, an Easter is a public discussion about the price of the Kozunak, and those products are particularly expensive with the claim for very high quality products. « For me, the honest price for 600 g of goat with quality products and kvass is 18 leva, » he estimates.
Important guidance for beginner
In « bread » it is called cosunic bread – because of the bread forms in which it is baked. It is the result of experiments, explains Tony, which is in changing the ratio between the ingredients – sometimes with more butter and eggs, other times – with less milk, with honey, etc. It is constant that it never puts egg proteins because they liquefy the mixture and make the end result even more difficult. Usually Bourbon vanilla, dried citrus, dried French grapes and raisins are used. And the order is yolk, butter and sugar.
This year, something will be done between bread, icing and Panetne.
This is the hardest discipline with the zealous bread – things can go wrong in seconds.
Distraction for 10-20 seconds resulted in an unwanted increase in the temperature of the casserole mixture, which had to be adjusted in order not to completely worsen the end product. The role of yeast is even more visible here – if it is not good, the end product will not be like that.
Since the use of kvass has its own peculiarities and requirements that not everyone, especially the beginner in their experience with it, can answer, here in the instructions and the recipe at the end of the text we rely on yeast, where the likelihood of something going is much less.
Everyone has heard from family members or from stories of other people with culinary experience, that the Kozunak is made in a highly warmed room, that it hit one of the countertop and generally an exhausting without a guaranteed good result. Some of these things are unnecessary, others are inaccurate, and the most important thing is to insert a soul and heart to make the holiday a pleasant holiday, explains Tony Sokolov.
For the temperature of the ingredients, he advises to be cooled if a mixer for kneading will be used. If not, then they may be at room temperature. The reason is that it will work not so much with the temperature in the room, but with that of the dough. While kneading, it should be somewhere within 23-26 degrees, but not above. As long as it can be 28 degrees, which means that in this case it is good that the room is warmed.
Flour – can safely be used type 500 or one, indicated « for a goat », the important thing is to be fine, to be of quality gluten and to be well sifted.
It is very important that the fat used is of high quality, whether it is operated with oil, butter or fat. When using oil, it should be at a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, is saltless and centrifuged – both characteristics relate to how it is made. The young baker’s experience indicates that the German and French are commonly eligible for these requirements.
It is a very important clarification that no matter what the recipe for the goat will be used, the salt is added before the oil.
Before sugar, fat and eggs (yolks) are inserted into the mixture, it is very important to develop gluten in the flour. This is done through a lot of kneading the mixture of flour, water and yeast (sourdough). The kneading ends when the dough does not break when stretched, but can stretch to a transparent almost like a window layer.
Once the kneading is completed and starting, it is already important to be warmer in the room. The stump lasts between 6 and 10 hours. It may be beyond this, but the end result is that at least a doubling of the dough volume is sought. It is also important not to overdo the volume exceeding the original 3 times.
Then the initial squeeze follows the formation and again.
« With the dough, everything should be moderate, not overdoing anything. In the end, it doesn’t even work out to your expectations, it will still be a delicious cupcake, » says the young baker. According to him, people at home often make very high demands, so sometimes they are disappointed. It reminds that in some cook videos behind the frame there is techniques that the viewer does not see, which is why the result may be different. And from his point of view, the preparation of bread at home aims to enjoy the process and to please loved ones. « When a person is positive, it is much more likely to get things done, » he concludes.
The recipe for Kozunak is from Tony Sokolov’s grandmother. He sends it to us personally by her. This also explains why it does not follow the guidance of the grandson.
Products for the original boom:
30 g of yeast (in this case is used living, which is sold in the form of a cube)
1 tsp sugar
100 ml of fresh milk
1 tbsp flour
The yeast is crushed, adding sugar, fresh milk and a tablespoon of flour to it. Allow the mixture to boil.
Kozunak products from which two pieces come out:
1 kg of flour
6 eggs
300 g of sugar
150 ml of fresh milk
200 ml of oil
2 vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
rum essence
lemon juice
the bark of 1 lemon
Technology: Beat the eggs with sugar with a mixer in a container placed on a hob at low temperature. The milk is added. The flour is sifted 3 times. To it is added the egg mixture, as well as the aromas and finally the baked yeast.
In a bowl that is suitable to use for the involvement, the oil is placed and the whole mixture is poured on it. Mix while the oil is consumed. Put in a slightly heated container smeared with oil. Wrap and allow to simmer for 2 hours.
The already dough is divided into two. Each part – two more. Stretch with hands and spread with warmed oil or fat. Optionally add raisins, locum, marmalade. Then a knit is made from the two stretched parts. This is the case with the other half. In this way, the end result is two goats.
Allow to simmer again, then smear with yolk and sprinkle with sugar.
They are baked.
