Best Soft And Chewy Balkan Bread Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S KUMMELWECK ROLLS

Steps:

• Whisk 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons oil, 1 egg white, sugar, salt, and honey into yeast mixture; whisk until smooth. Gradually add flour to yeast mixture while mixer is running with the dough hook attached; knead until a soft, sticky dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drizzle remaining vegetable oil into the bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover the bowl and let dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, flatten dough, and press into rectangle. Cut dough into 12 pieces and form pieces into rolls. Place rolls 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Whisk 1 egg white and 2 teaspoons water together in a small bowl. Use kitchen shears to cut an X at the top of each roll. Brush rolls with egg white mixture and sprinkle with caraway seeds and salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

ZA'ATAR PULL-APART ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let stand until mixture is foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Beat milk mixture on low speed. Add 1 cup flour, beating just until combined. Add melted butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1/2 cup flour; beat until combined. Beat in eggs. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups flour and salt. Beat until a soft, sticky dough forms.
• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray; add dough. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Punch dough down gently. Pinch off 36 small pieces of dough and roll into balls.
• Whisk 6 tablespoons za'atar and 1/3 cup olive oil together in a bowl. Immerse dough balls in oil mixture to coat all sides. Arrange 3 dough balls in each muffin cup. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons za'atar over dough.
• Cover muffin tin loosely with greased plastic wrap. Let rise until dough balls puff up over the rim of the tin, about 25 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed up and golden, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Lift out of the pan and cool briefly on a wire rack, about 5 minutes more.