Russian Mennonite zwieback facts for kids
 |
|
| Type | Bread roll |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Netherlands and West Prussia |
Russian Mennonite zwieback is a special kind of bread roll. People who speak Plautdietsch (a language used by some Mennonites) call it Tweebak. It's made from two pieces of dough. When you eat it, you can easily pull the two parts apart.
Making zwieback is a bit like an art! Bakers place one ball of dough on top of another. The trick is to make sure the top ball stays on during baking. Traditionally, people bake this bread on Saturday. They then enjoy it on Sunday morning or for an afternoon snack called Faspa. Faspa is a light meal, like a tea party.
This unique bread started in port cities in the Netherlands or Danzig. Back then, dried, toasted buns were used to feed sailors on ships. Mennonites were people who moved from the Netherlands to areas around Danzig in West Prussia. They continued this tradition. Later, they moved to new communities in what is now Ukraine. They brought their zwieback baking with them!
How to Bake Zwieback Rolls
Traditionally, zwieback is made using lard (a type of fat) or a mix of lard and butter. Because of this, the rolls are very rich. You don't always need butter when you eat them. But they taste great with jelly or jam!
Many old zwieback recipes don't use exact measurements. Instead, they rely on tips passed down through families. Here is a traditional recipe, but with modern measurements:
- First, heat 2 cups of milk and 3/4 cup of shortening (like butter or lard) in a small pot.
- Let this mix cool down until it's warm, like your body temperature.
- Then, add 2 tablespoons of yeast to the milk mixture.
- In a separate bowl, sift 3 cups of flour. Sifting makes the flour light and fluffy.
- Add 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the flour.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Mix it well.
- Now, add more flour and start kneading the dough. Kneading means pushing and folding the dough.
- The dough should be a little softer than regular bread dough. It should not be sticky. You will use about 5 cups of flour in total.
- Cover the dough and let it sit in a warm place. It should double in size, which takes about an hour.
- Once the dough has risen, shape it into small balls. Each ball should be about the size of a walnut.
- Place one dough ball on top of another. The top ball should be a bit smaller than the bottom one. This makes a "snowman" shape.
- Let the shaped rolls rise again for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 410ºF (about 210ºC).
- Bake the zwieback for 20-25 minutes. They are ready when the bottoms are golden brown.
- Serve them warm or at room temperature. Enjoy your homemade zwieback!
See also
In Spanish: Zwieback menonita ruso para niños
