A True Bohemian Buchta

Discussion in 'Food & Drinks' started by Frank Sanoica, Apr 23, 2016.

  1. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    First 30 years of my life, we called ourselves Bohemians, ethnically descended from Bohemia, which was itself sided by Slovakia (the Slovaks), whom the Bohemians considered to be "hill-billies". Not important here. As time went by, by the '70s or earlier, "Bohemian" became synonymous with some strange sub-culture, perhaps associated with the "Hippies". People outside of our ethnicity stared when I said I am Bohemian. Rather than simply give in, whether PC or not, I continue to be Bohemian, but not that more modern definition of some. Making this point because I am today attempting to make an honest-to-gosh Bohemian fruit-filled Buchta, the "ch" is pronounced as a "hard" sort of hiss by holding the back part of the tongue up close against the roof of your mouth and exhaling while speaking. Without the fruit, it would be "Houska", easier to say, the ou sounds like we say the letter "o", so Hoe-ska.

    The dough is rising right now, it's a yeast dough, kneaded until resembling a cannonball in shape and texture both. I'm taking pics along the way, but first must resolve a dispute with my wife, who I think feels I overstep the "rules" when I cook, by trying to evaluate everything and simplify where possible. The "biggie"?

    Yeast dough is ALWAYS allowed to quietly rise, before baking, gets "punched down", then either shaped or rolled or whatever, and baked. I wanted to skip the punch-down, and was sorely admonished. Surely most folks
    here are better cooks than I, so someone will know: is the "punch-down" really necessary, and what happens if you skip it? Back to the dough check, now......
     
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  2. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    No one likes a man in the kitchen, eh? Well, we'll just....(crash), oops, who put that chair there? Here's a few pics of the process. First one, the dough having lots of flour worked in.

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    The big ball of dough ready to be divided in fourths.
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    The dough divided.
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    The filling which will be spread on 3 of the dough quarters rolled 1/4 inch thick, placed on top of each other. The last quarter goes on top the layered pie, then it gets rolled up to form a loaf. Needed my wife's help with that operation! Much more experienced than I, who got stuck with the Bohemian genes!
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    The loaf in the oven. Fuzzy, I know not why.
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    In the oven about 10 minutes, set for 50 total.
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    Close-up of the oven controls. This is a Microwave-Convection oven being used on straight convection, 300 degrees F. I am reckoning that Microwave/Convection Mix might finish the inside of the loaf more quickly, thereby reducing amount of outside browning a bit. My wife would not comment on the idea!
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    The finished product cooling atop the stove. Much less pretty than my Mother's and Grandmas' were! When we get a few slices removed, I'll post the appearance of the fruit roll-up inside.
    [​IMG]
     
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  3. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Sheldon Scott Here is how it looks on the inside. I added a bit of Currant Jelly near the top, as I felt the Apricot was running a bit short. The "swirl" of filling came out more acceptably than the outside appearance. Haven't made one of these since living in Missouri, that's over 4 years.

    [​IMG]
     
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  4. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Okay Frank, you really do not Kneed to punch it. Was that a hint? Yep. You can punch it, kneed it, fold it, use it as a football or whack in on the counter. Whatever your heart desires but yes........you should do it.

    When the gasses build up from the yeast fermentation they need to be released so the yeast can continue feeding in all areas of the dough.
    The gasses act as an inhibitor so when you punch it or kneed the dough they go "poof" to get a better "proof."
     
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  5. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    Aha! Makes sense. There is still a major imponderable, however. Temperatures much above 110 degrees F. or so kill yeast spores real quickly. How then do we account for the continued fermentation during baking at over twice that temperature, as we observe the continued gas production making the bulk increase in volume?

    The Ethanol produced is easy to figure out, though. Nobody gets drunk from eating raised dough! Frank
     
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  6. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Yes, the yeast itself dies but the "damage" the yeast has done still exists. Gasses expand during the baking process leaving the small and sometimes very large holes in the yeast bread.

    Yeah, nobody gets drunk, but..........the "huffers" get high by sticking their faces directly into the pit of the dough when it is punched down. They breath in the gasses and get a pretty good rush from what I am told.
    I had to fire a huffer when I was offshore on an oil rig. He was a cooks helper and he wouldn't leave the baker alone when he was making bread. He always wanted to be there when it was time so he could personally punch down about 50 lbs of dough while sticking his face into it. Three times a day whether he was on duty or not.

    Too weird for me to handle especially on a 3 legged exploration oil rig when every wrong move has definite and sometimes deadly consequences. The U.S. coast guard monitors the rigs and anything that might be construed as having the ability to get someone stoned or drunk like vanilla extract or whole nutmeg was dimly looked upon. Imitation only.

    That said, everyone from the south knew that 6 packs of Fleishmans dry yeast, 3/4 of a gallon of warm water, 1 lb of sugar and some fruit punch got a person some buck wine registering about 100 proof within 24 hours.
    I have smelled the stuff many times below decks.
     
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  7. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Bobby Cole Well, ......Most interesting experiences! All I can say is, I'll be dammed! FWIW, 24 hours is pretty quick fermentation; lots of yeast used at one time. My home brewing of beer is usually most vigorously producing C02 on the 3rd. day, using 1 pkg. dry Brewers Yeast, which is 0.4 oz., making 6 gallons of Ale. Now, for the wine, a similar amount of yeast will have 4 gallons virtually "boiling" with gas production after about a week, continuing vigorously for at least another week. Beer gets 4 lbs. Malt Extract per batch, fruit wines 2 to 2.5 lbs. sugar per gallon produced. For strong beer, I add 2 lbs. of sugar along with the Malt. Really good dark beer can be obtained by adding Molasses, a lb. or so.
     
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