The Polish Way To Enjoy a Loaf of Bread (It’s So A lot Higher)

I’ve been conserving sourdough starters alive for years, lengthy earlier than it turned a well-liked quarantine interest. And I like to plan holidays partly across the bakeries I need to hit up. My husband has discovered to go along with it.

My Polish mother additionally had a deep love of bread, so I got here by it actually. It ought to come as no shock that I’ve additionally inherited her peculiar—and totally pleasant—manner of often having fun with a contemporary loaf.

My mother emigrated from Poland within the late Fifties, and her thought of a deal with throughout her childhood wasn’t sweet, chocolate, or cake. Those had been costly, usually rationed, or reliant on components, corresponding to cocoa powder or sugar, that had been troublesome to acquire.

Instead, now and again, her mother would let her and her sisters tear out the mushy, pillowy inside a contemporary loaf of bread (no crust allowed) and pair it with a chilly glass of buttermilk.

In communist-era Poland, this wasn’t only a snack. It was a belly-filler, and a small luxurious in a time when nothing went to waste, and contemporary bread and real buttermilk had been treasures price savoring. As a child, I assumed it was the weirdest mixture.

Now, I discover myself craving that very same comforting mixture, normally with a good sourdough loaf and a glass of tangy kefir as an alternative.

The Polish Way To Enjoy a Loaf of Bread

I’m undecided if that is actually the ‘Polish’ manner, or simply my Polish household’s manner, however this is the best way to do it proper: begin with a contemporary, crusty loaf—again then it was all the time rye; sourdough or nation rye work fantastically. Pop the loaf within the oven for 5 minutes, till the crust is crisp and the inside is heat and mushy. Meanwhile, guarantee your buttermilk or kefir is chilly; half the enjoyment is within the refreshing distinction.

If you are civilized, as I (briefly) was for this picture, you’ll be able to slice items of the bread as you’d with any loaf or boule. But if you wish to do it like my mother did, it is way more enjoyable. Crack open the loaf along with your fingers and pull out chunks of the tender crumb, leaving the crust behind. Yes, it feels indulgent—that is exactly the purpose. In my mother’s childhood, selecting solely one of the best half was a luxurious they hardly ever had.

Take a small sip of the chilly, tangy dairy, then a chew of heat bread. Alternate slowly. Or dip the bread proper into the glass. The pillowy texture in opposition to that bracing, cultured tang is gorgeous. Chleb i sól, or bread and salt, is a cornerstone of Polish hospitality. So, if you wish to honor Polish custom much more, sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt on the bread, too.

Tips for the Best Bread Experience

• Choose a loaf with a agency crust and ethereal crumb. Country sourdough is right, however any rustic bakery loaf with a very good proportion of wheat flour works properly.

• The bread needs to be heat (not sizzling), and your kefir or cultured buttermilk needs to be genuinely chilly. If the bread is not heat, the distinction falls flat. If the drink is not chilly, you lose that refreshing “snap.”

• If you’ll be able to’t discover good cultured buttermilk, plain kefir is an effective various. It’s truly my most popular drink, and it is closest to the naturally tangy liquid my mother remembered from childhood. Plus, it is loaded with probiotics, making it good and good for you.

Read the unique article on Simply Recipes