[Sca-cooks] Kalács

[Julia Szent-Gyorgyi]

The Marie Antoinette "quote" of "let them eat cake" is usually
rendered as "let them eat _kalács_" in Hungarian.

Regardless of the exact recipe, modern _kalács_ is very much like the
challah one can buy in some supermarkets: a slightly sweet bread,
light yet substantial (due to the egg content), with or without
raisins, but no spices. The modern form is most often braided, but the
etymological dictionary indicates that it was probably originally
round or toric, being based on a Slavic word derived from "wheel".

The Transylvanian etymological dictionary (the one with actual
citations in it) has among others: 1594 "on Easter day they owe the
ispan [roughly "bailiff"] a gift of two or three eggs and one kalach
each if someone cannot give a kalach he gives one piece of bread. On
St. Martin's day they give two coins each and one kalach."

I have not found a recipe resembling kalács in the Science of Cooking.

(There are recipes that sound remarkably like strudel, along with all
sorts of variations on fritters/donuts -- things involving batter and
frying in butter.)

Julia
/\ /\
>*.*<

Terry Decker <t.d.decker at att.net> ezt írta (időpont: 2019. jan. 13., V, 20:05):
>
> Kal�cs
>
> My first foray into The Science of Cooking was to experiment with a recipe
> that does not appear in the cookbook, that of kal�cs, a sweet enriched
> bread.  In this case, it is fonott (braided) kal�cs.
>
> There isn't much information available on the history of kal�cs, and no
> pre-17th Century recipe I can locate.  In this context, the term translates
> as "cake," much as some other enriched breads were called cakes in other
> cultures. As far as I have been able to ascertain, the common word for bread
> in Hungarian is "keny�r," although I expect I'll get a lecture on that at a
> future date.
>
> The dough most closely resembles that of stollen or rastons rather than
> challah due to the inclusion of milk as an ingredient.  Without some in
> depth research in Hungarian sources (for which I lack the linguistic
> skills), I can't ascertain the inclusion of spices (cinnamon, cardamon,
> etc.) and raisins before the 19th Century.  As a speculation based on the
> evolution of stollen and rastons, the additions to kal�cs likely occurred
> well before The Science of Cooking was written.
>
> And now, the recipe:
>
> Fonott Kal�cs
>
> 400 g (1 2/3 C) lukewarm milk
> 5 g (1 t) sugar
> 25 g (2 scant T or 2 packets) yeast
> 60 g (4 T) melted butter
> 650 g (5 1/2 C) flour
> 1 egg
> 48 g (1/4 C) sugar
> 2.5g (1/2 t) salt
> 1 egg (beaten) for glaze
>
> Combine 5 g sugar and the yeast with 120 g (1/2 C) milk and let proof.
> Whisk egg together with salt and sugar.
> Add yeast mixture, milk, butter, and 400 g (roughly 2/3) flour. Beat
> together.
> Use remaining flour to knead the dough.  Which should become a smooth,
> slightly sticky ball.
> Cover and let rise until doubled (40-60 minutes).
> Punch down the dough and knead it briefly.
> Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion between your hands
> to form ropes of equal length.
> On a greased or parchment covered baking sheet, form the three ropes of
> dough into a braided loaf.
> Cover and let rise until doubled (20-30 minutes).
> Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
> Beat the remaining egg until the yolk and white are thoroughly blended.
> Brush the egg glaze onto the loaf just before placing it in the oven.
> Bake 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.
> Remove and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.
>
> Bon appetit,
> Bear
>
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