Would you eat your dinkelbrot in public?
What the hell is a dinkelbrot? you cry “Well it’s rather similar to a dampfnudel only in that it is a bread. Yes folks in this article we shall explore the rising world of global breads and the unique names that befit them. Bread is one of the most simple and widespread foods on earth, made simply of flour and water, bread has supplemented both rich and poor since before the birth of agriculture and Tesco and continues to be popular on the dinner table and in religious rituals and secular culture to this very day.
Lets break this down with the opening crusty contenders;
1.Dinkelbrot
It’s name means Spelt Bread and to be classed in Germany as true Spelt it must contain 90% Spelled Flour, Spelt is an ancient grain. The taste of the Dinkelbrot is said to be mild and nutty and due to the softness of the Gluten in Spelt it is softer on the stomach than others made with normal wheat and oats.
- whole spelt flour
- warm water
- salt
- anise seed
- caraway seed
- nutritional yeast flakes
- active dry yeast
- honey
- shelled, roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- butter for greasing the loaf pan
2.Dampfnudel
This is a sweet bread and is eaten in Southern Germany as either part of a meal or as a dessert. Dampfnudel is cooked in a pot using white flour, water, yeast, salt, butter or margarine, and sometimes eggs and a little sugar are added. The bottom of the small round bun browns and crusts whereas the top is soft and white.
For the dough
- flour
- sugar
- margarine
- oil
- egg
- yeast
- milk
- salt
For the pan
- water
- butter
- salt
3. Cherniy hleb
This is a Russian sourdough rye bread that is an unusual black colour, darker than a standard rye, the colour comes from the dark molasses and cocoa that is mixed into the dough, coffee has also been known to be added to the mix to increase it’s black hue.
Dough Starter
- Active dry yeast
- Warm water
- Rye flour
- Bread flour
- Water
- Dark molasses
Flour Mixture
- Whole-wheat flour
- Bread flour
- Caraway seeds
- Cocoa powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Cider vinegar
- Oil
- Cornmeal
4. Mantou
This is a Chinese steamed bun which is the staple diet of people residing in Northern China where wheat and not rice is grown. The bread can also be deep fried and served as a sweet, the sweetness coming from the condensed milk it is dipped in.
- yeast
- sugar
- warm water
- all-purpose flour
5. Pan De Muerto
Meaning bread of the dead, Pan De Muerto is a sweet bread that is eaten in the weeks before the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead. Decorated in bone shaped dough, the bread represents the dead loved one and a single teardrop shape is baked into the bread to represent goddess Chimalma's tears for the living. The simple sweet taste of the bread is sometimes added to with orange flower water and anise seeds.
- margarine
- milk
- warm water
- all-purpose flour
- active dry yeast
- salt
- anise seed
- white sugar
- egg
- orange zest
- white sugar
- orange juice
- orange zest
- white sugar
6. Pan De Jamon
Meaning ham bread, this is a Venezuelan Christmas bread that is traditionally filled with bacon, ham, green peppers, olives and raisins. It is said to have a lovely sweet flavour which blends charmingly with the savoury of ham and peppers.
- warm water
- rapid rise yeast
- all purpose flour
- stick butter
- egg
- milk
- sugar
- salt
- smoked ham, very thinly sliced
- raisins
- sliced olives
- egg yolk