Excerpts

A Baker's Tour Nick Malgieri's Favorite Baking Recipes from Around the World Denmark Salt Pretzels Kringler Dough 2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off) 1/2 teaspoon salt 11/2teaspoons sugar 4 tablespoons (1/2stick) unsalted butter, softened 2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1/2cup warm milk, about 110 degrees 1 large egg Egg wash: 1 egg well beaten with a pinch of salt Kosher salt for sprinkling 2 cookie sheets or jelly-roll pans lined with parchment or foil These are an amusing addition to an assortment of dinner rolls. 12 small pretzels In the bowl of an electric mixer stir together the flour, salt, and sugar. Rub in the butter with your hands or a pastry blender. Whisk the yeast into the milk, then add liquid to the flour mixture. Add the egg and use a large rubber spatula to mix to a rough dough. Place the bowl on the mixer with the dough hook and mix on lowest speed for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Mix the dough again on medium speed until it is smooth and elastic, about 2 or 3 minutes. Scrape the dough into an oiled or buttered bowl and turn it over so that the top is greased. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the dough and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour. Scrape the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press it into a rough square. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Cut each of the pieces into 4 pieces to make 12 pieces in all. Cover the pieces of dough with a towel or plastic wrap. Roll a piece of dough into a strand about 12 inches long. Shape into a pretzel according to the illustration, right, and place on the baking pan. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Brush the pretzels with the beaten egg and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Allow them to rise until they just begin to puff a little, about 30 minutes. About 15 minutes before the pretzels are completely risen, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Switch the top pan to the lower rack and the bottom pan to the upper rack, also turning the pans back to front when you switch them. Bake the pretzels until they are a light golden color, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Slide the papers from the pans to racks to cool the pretzels on the papers. Serving: These are good with drinks before a meal, especially with a strong cheese or some prosciutto. Or serve them along with other breads as dinner rolls. Storage: Keep the pretzels loosely covered at room temperature the day they are made. Place in plastic bags and freeze for longer storage. Reheat the pretzels and cool them slightly before serving. The Netherlands Currant Rolls Krentenbollen 1 cup currants 1/2cup dark raisins 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off) 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 cup warm milk, about 110 degrees 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons (3/4stick) unsalted butter, softened 1 large egg 1 large cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan covered with parchment or foil Though these rolls are full of currants and raisins, they are not particularly sweet. In the Netherlands they are often used to make cheese sandwiches with aged Gouda. 12 medium rolls Cover the currants and raisins with water, bring them to a boil over medium heat, and drain. Cool the dried fruit in a single layer on a pan covered with paper towels. In a large bowl, mix the flour and whole wheat flour, then transfer approximately half of the combined flours to the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk the yeast into the milk, then stir the liquid into the flour in the mixer bowl, using a large rubber spatula. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside until it begins to rise visibly, about 20 minutes. Stir the sponge to deflate it and add the remaining flour, the sugar, salt, butter, and egg and stir them into the sponge with a large rubber spatula. Place the bowl on the mixer with the dough hook and mix on lowest speed for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Mix the dough on medium speed until it is smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes. Lower the speed to lowest and mix in the cooled currants and raisins. Scrape the dough into a buttered bowl and turn it so that the top is buttered. Press plastic wrap against the dough and let it rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and press the dough into a rough square. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Round each piece of dough under the cupped palm of your hand to make it into a sphere and to stretch a smooth, even skin around it, as in the illustration on page. Arrange the rolls equidistant from each other on the prepared pan. Cover the rolls with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. About 15 minutes before the rolls are completely risen, set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls until they are well risen and deep golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. The internal temperature should be about 200 degrees. Cool the rolls on a rack. Serving: Use the rolls for breakfast or brunch, or split and butter them and use them for cheese or other sandwiches as they do in the Netherlands. A Baker's Tour Nick Malgieri's Favorite Baking Recipes from Around the World . Copyright © by Nick Malgieri. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Excerpted from A Baker's Tour: Nick Malgieri's Favorite Baking Recipes from Around the World by Nick Malgieri All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.