Bobalky

Dough
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons (1 ¼ oz) active dry yeast
5 ¼ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water, for the egg wash

Sauerkraut
1 stick of butter
Sauerkraut reserved from Mushroom Soup (5-6 lbs)

Browned Butter
2 sticks of butter

1. Pour 2 cups of hot water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. When the water temperature on an instant-read thermometer registers 110 degrees F, sprinkle the yeast evenly over the water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy and creamy.

2. With the mixture on low speed, beat in 1 cup of the flour until just combined. Beat in the kosher salt and slowly add 4 more cups of the flour just until combined. Beat on medium-low until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl, about 1 ½ minutes. Add ½ cup more flour and beat on low speed, kneading the dough for about 1 minute. If the dough is still very wet and sticky, add ½ cup more flour and knead until combined about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a light floured board and knead about 10 times until smooth.

3. Coat the bottom and the sides of a large mixing bowl with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning the dough to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave in a warm place (i.e. oven set on proof) until the dough has doubled, approx. 1 hour.

4. About a half hour into your dough proofing, start to sauté your sauerkraut. To sauté, melt 1 stick of butter in a frying pan large enough to hold 6 lbs of sauerkraut. Once the butter has melted, add the 6 lbs of sauerkraut to the frying pan. Saute the sauerkraut for about an hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 450 degree F. Spray 2 baking sheets with Olive Oil Pam Baking Spray and set aside. Punch down the dough to remove any bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice. Divide the dough into 16 pieces (about 2 ½ ounces each). Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap.

6. Using the tips of your fingers, roll one piece at a time into an 18-inch long strip, about ½ inch wide. Cut each strip into ¾-inch long pieces. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheets. Cover with a damp kitchen towel as you work.

7. Fill a large shallow pot with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the baking soda. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Using your hands or a large slotted spoon, transfer about 15 bites into the water. Poach for 1 minute, using the spoon to prevent the bites sticking together. Use the slotted spoon to transfer the bites to a clean, dry baking sheet. Continue with the remaining bites. Arrange the bites evenly on the 2 oiled baking sheets.

8. Working in batches of about 50, brush each bite with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets once for even browning. Transfer the bites to wire racks to cool. You will need to repeat this process again for the second batch.

9. While the bites are baking in the oven, place 2 sticks of butter in a fry pan and melt. Brown the butter. This takes about a ½ hour, the amount of time to cook your bites.

10. While the bites are cooling, boil a tea kettle full of water.

11. After the bites are cool, place into a colander and pour the boiling water over the bites. You just want to dampen your bites, you don’t want them to get too soft.

12. In an extra large mixing bowl, mix together the bites, softened sauerkraut and browned butter. Mix well and transfer to a serving/storage dish.



Number of Servings: 12

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MMLPINK.