Swiss Cantonal Breads

Those photos from your old bread book are treasures, Thomas.  The bottom right round of the left photo reminds me of some of Hansjokamin's recent bakes.  Thanks for posting them.

Your own bread is quite spectacular as well.  Or at least, what was left of it!

Happy New Year.

Thanks for sharing the pictures from your old bread books on shapes. Love it!

Wishing you and yours all the best, Thomas.

Betty

Such a cute collection! I recognize many, but not all of them. My favourites out of these: the Graubünden bread is from Poschiavo and made out of rye, wheat and spiced with anise. Delicious. And the one from Wallis is a rye bread, often made with walnuts. jummyyy...And the Basel Bread can be very bland, but if it's made with such a devotion as you do Thomas it's a highlight as well.

Thanks for sharing this treasure.

I've scheduled baking the Dreikönigskuchen, too. I love all these customs!

Salome

And of course I recognize the two books you have showing under that top one - the green one having been used in Swiss schools to teach the children cooking and baking. I still use it sometimes for some basics like "Griessschnitten" (my kids love those sometimes for breakfast) or sauces and such.

Just like Salome, I will certainly not miss making the Dreikoenigskuchen (to correct the forgetting of the Grittibaenzen :), but I must admit, I have become a little unfaithful of the Swiss tradition in recent years. Here in the US I am very much involved in the French community (Michigan - Automotive Industry - tons of French here!) and have adopted their "Galette des rois" (Three Kings Cake), because it is so incredibly delicious. Before coming here I had never tasted it. I'll post about it, but will most likely be making several of them only on Sunday (to invite friends).

Thanks for sharing, Thomas!

I'm intrigued by many of the regional loaves that are displayed on the photo. Particularly those for St. Gallen/Appenzell/Thurgau. Can you tell anything more about those?

Here's another recipe for Bürli - I don't know from which canton (they look like the ones from Uri). I made it several times, they taste really good. I adapted the recipe to overnight cold fermentation and stretch and fold technique.

Karin

SWISS BÜRLI

DOUGH
360 - 480 g water, warm (95 F), (1 1/2 - 2 cups)
7 g instant yeast
100 g starter, rye or whole wheat, activated
375 g bread flour
375 g whole wheat flour, or spelt flour
1 tbsp. honey, or maple syrup
2 tbsp. salt

DAY 1

Dissolve yeast in 360 g water. Add to all other ingredients and mix 1 - 2 min. at low speed, until coarse ball forms. Let dough rest for 5 min.

Resume kneading at medium-low speed for 2 min., adjusting with more water as needed. Dough should still be somewhat sticky. Continue kneading for another 4 min., the last 20 seconds at medium-high speed. Dough should be very tacky, verging on sticky.

Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Stretch and fold 4 times, with 10 min. intervals (resting in a lightly oiled bowl). After last S & F, cover and refrigerate overnight (I divide the dough already in 4 portions).

DAY 2

Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hrs. before using, dough should double. (Preheat oven after 1 hr.)

Preheat oven to 500 F, including steam pan. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide dough into 16 equal pieces, shape into rolls, and place them two and two touching each other, seam side down, on baking sheets. Let rolls ferment for 30 - 45 min., or until they have grown 1 1/2 times their original size.

Bake rolls at 450 F for 10 min., steaming with 1 cup of boiling water. Rotate sheets, remove steam pan, and continue baking for another 15 min. (internal temperature at least 200 F)

Let cool on wire rack.

Ross, I found this recipe years ago in a German website, the original says only: "wheat barm", without specification. I made it with my 75% hydration whole wheat starter.

I just looked it up again, the original has 42 g fresh yeast (=14 g instant yeast) - way too much, so I reduced it by half. I never tried it without yeast, so far, but I'm sure it would work fine.

I baked the Bürli several times, adapting the flour combination to what I had, and what worked. In the original it's half type 405 (the German all-purpose flour, but more in between US pastry and AP) and half type 1050 (often used for bread baking, resembles US first clear flour). So my version has about a quarter more whole wheat content, I think.

It's a while ago I baked them, but we liked them a lot, and this discussion made me think of making them again.

Karin