Читать книгу Dutch Treats - William Woys Weaver - Страница 15

This iconic Pennsylvania Dutch recipe was preserved by Anna Bertolet Hunter (1869-1946) of Reading. Mrs. Hunter and her son, Wellington, were deeply involved in organizing the Bertolet Family Association; she more or less took charge of the women’s committee, which handled the refreshments for the various reunions. Her heirloom Dutch Bread was first served at a reunion held at Mineral Springs Park in Reading on August 5, 1900 and at many Bertolet family events thereafter. Like the Gerhart’s Reunion Cake on page 42, Pennsylvania Dutch heritage was thus verified through the medium of food.

Recommended utensils: two 8 to 9 inch (20 to 23cm) cake tins at least 2 ½ inches (6 cm) deep.

Yield: Approximately 20 to 30 servings

Crumb Topping:

½ cup (60g) pastry flour

3 tablespoons (45g) cold unsalted butter

3 tablespoons (45g) sugar

Bread Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (125g) unsalted butter

¾ cup (185g) sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (100g) mashed potatoes

1 cup (250ml) whole milk

1½ teaspoons (about 15g) dry active yeast

1 cup (250ml) lukewarm milk or potato water

2 large eggs

4 to 5 cups (500g to 625g) bread flour

Before starting the bread, make the crumb topping by rubbing together the flour, butter and sugar until they form evenly sized crumbs. Set aside.

Put the butter, sugar, salt and mashed potatoes in a deep work bowl. Scald the milk and pour it boiling hot over these ingredients. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and all the sugar is dissolved. While this is cooling, proof the yeast in the lukewarm milk or potato water. Once it is foaming vigorously, combine with the milk mixture. Beat the eggs until frothy and lemon color, then add them to the liquid ingredients.

Sift the flour into the liquid mixture one cup at a time, stirring as you sift, until thick, sticky dough is formed. Cover and set aside in a warm place to triple in bulk.

Stir down with a spoon. Grease the cake pans and dust with bread crumbs. Divide the dough into two equal parts and spoon or ladle it into the cake pans. Sprinkle the prepared crumbs over the top. Set aside in a warm place until the dough rises to the top of the cake tin. While the dough is recovering, preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Once the dough has reached a height of no less than 2½ inches (6 cm), bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the breads tap done in the center. Cool on racks before removing from the baking tins. Do not slice while hot. Serve at room temperature.

Watch Point: If the dough is not allowed to triple in bulk in the first rising and double in bulk in the second, it will not bake properly and the centers will fall when taken from the oven. The first and second risings may require as long as 2 hours or more, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.