In the memoirs of Maria Alexandrovna Patkul (a very famous memoirist, by the way) about the family of Nicholas I there is the following passage:
With the move of the courtyard, nice evenings in the Alexander Palace resumed ...
On one of these evenings, the Empress remembered the kummelkuchen (caraway buns), which she loved, but had never been able to eat since she was in Prussia; in St. Petersburg, it was impossible to get such buns anywhere.
When I got home, I ordered the cook to prepare everything I needed for the next morning. Getting up quite early, I kneaded the dough myself, baked buns and, sending them hot to the palace, ordered to convey to Her Majesty's valet so that he served them for tea, and before that, not a word about them mentioned.
The Empress was so delighted when these buns were served to her that she asked where he got them from. Having learned that I had sent them, the next day, thanks to me, she asked who I could bake them. I replied that they were made with my own hands, and if yesterday I didn’t say that I knew how to bake them, it was for fear that they might not succeed if the yeast was caught bad. She only allowed the sovereign to offer, and ordered to hide the rest.
It became very interesting to me - what kind of buns are these, which in Russia the empress could not cook the best - and the family the imperial were probably better - the cooks, and which such a high-ranking person agreed to share only with spouse?
And, I must admit, I was very surprised to learn the recipe. There were no wonderful ingredients in them that would not be available in Russia. They are generally, like many dishes of German cuisine, very, I would even say... common. Boring. In comparison with the French delicacies and pickles of the Russian aristocratic table - well, in general... Not interesting.
However, maybe I'm wrong? Judge for yourself
We take:
- 750 grams of premium flour is desirable. I suspect that the original used candy flour - grit of the first analysis, and I can hardly imagine how to replace it now. Feeling silky, I can suggest to try the flour called "French thing", baked from it several times, it shows itself very well. If there is access to Kazakh flour of the highest quality, then it goes well, but it still falls short of "candy" in its structure;
- Yeast - I won't name the mass, I had dry ones, I put three quarters of a bag (a bag is designed for a kilogram of flour);
- A teaspoon of sugar;
- Milk 125 ml;
- Water 250;
- One and a half teaspoon of salt;
- 2 yayla and one yolk for lubrication;
- Butter - one hundred grams;
- Well, and caraway, of course.
How we cook:
I already wrote that I use even dry yeast incorrectly: first, I dilute it in the entire volume of liquid (warm), adding sugar and a little flour there, and when it all rises, I make a dough. In this way, it is possible to avoid the "yeast" aftertaste, which for some reason is now often given by yeast.
When such a wrong "dough" rises, in a separate bowl I beat the eggs with salt, send them into the dough, add the rest of the flour. I knead the dough until it stops sticking to my hands.
You need to let him come up twice, then - you can start sculpting buns, just round buns.
We spread them on a baking sheet to dissolve and, when they come up, we make a middle depression in each recess and put a thin piece of butter there.
We bake at a temperature of 180-200 degrees until golden brown.
Well, then we eat and feel like emperors.
Bon Appetit!