EcoVarna’s traveling eco-workshop docked this weekend at Daedalus Club. Iliyan Iliev from the Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, under the expert guidance of master baker Chef Kosta Zhivkov, presented techniques for preparing healthy homemade bread. In addition to the traditional white wheat bread, young and old lovers of healthy eating mixed chef Zhivkov’s favorite rye-wheat bread, corn flatbread, as well as focaccia and pizza dough.
All of them were made with sourdough starters made the day before from flour, dry yeast and water. All starters, except rye, can be prepared two hours before mixing. During the workshop, Kosta Zhivkov and Iliyan Iliev demonstrated a technique for kneading dough, as well as subtleties for a tasty and crispy crust. In addition to the sourdough, “sealing” the bread with a special mixture during its rising is very important for preserving moisture during baking. It is made from a little flour and water, and a lot of mixing. About 50 g of flour is beaten until a homogeneous mixture is obtained with a little lukewarm water. Then it is scalded with about 250 g of boiling water while constantly stirring. The flour becomes transparent and thickens. It acquires the aroma of scalded dough. A sticky slurry is obtained. It is used for all types of bread, spreading it while it is rising. After that, the dough may not be rolled, but it should remain warm. “Especially for a thin and nice crust, it should be spread with this dough,” is confident Kosta Zhivkov, who learned the technique from his first teacher in Bulgaria. He took her to Germany, where she currently works in a luxury bread bakery. He took up the craft back in 1992, initially making pies and snacks. Now they make whole wheat flatbreads, for which the Germans pay 6 euros each.
For the readers of EcoVarna, we reveal the recipe for chef Zhivkov’s favorite bread – rye-wheat bread. For 1 kg, you need rye flour type 1150, white flour type 550, dry dry yeast – three packets, salt and water.
How is rye sourdough prepared?
Products for 750 g:
Rye flour type 1150 – 250 g.
Dry yeast – 7 g
Water – 500 gr.
The products are mixed in a deep vessel. The mixture was allowed to rise for 24 h at room temperature.
For dough:
Rye flour type 1150 – 250 g
White flour type 550 – 500 g
Rye sourdough – 750 g
Dry yeast – 14 g
Salt – 20 g
Water – 200 gr.
All products, together with the leaven, are mixed. Dough is mixed and left to rise. It is divided into parts. It is placed in forms lined with baking paper and left to rise. When it begins to rise, it is smeared for a crust. Bake for about an hour at 200 degrees (temperature and duration may vary according to the type and features of the oven).
Bread spread for crust
Products:
White flour – 50 g
Water – 300 gr
Preparation:
White flour is mixed with warm water until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. The mixture is poured with 250 g of boiling water, stirring constantly, until homogenized. The final product should have a slightly yellowish color.
It can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator or chamber for a longer time.
The traditional stop of the EcoVarna healthy bread workshop is at the ecocamps in the village of Ezerets at the end of August and the beginning of September. There it is baked without electricity, in an oven in the ground.
If you would like us to demonstrate live the techniques for making homemade healthy bread, you can invite our traveling workshop as a guest. The conditions for the visit are negotiated additionally.
