Yeast pastries are varied like no other: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, sweet-and-sour; a main course, an appetizer, a treat for tea, a snack for work; a pie, a small pie, pizza, kulebyaka, rastegai, a bun, a pampushka, a doughnut, a cheese tart, a belyash, a flatbread, a cupcake, an Easter cake. It can be made from different kinds of yeast dough:
- rich
- lean
- unleavened
- layered
- sour
It can be based on dry or fresh yeast, as well as a starter culture made at home. The fillings are varied: vegetables, fruits, berries, grains, meat, fish, herbs, eggs, cheese, jam, preserves, chocolate, and so on.
The five most commonly used ingredients in yeast baking recipes:
The simplest yeast pastry is made from unleavened dough consisting of flour, salt, water, and yeast. To be on the safe side, you can add vegetable oil and sugar, but in small amounts. Whether or not to make a sponge is up to each person. The most important thing is that the yeast be fresh. Store-bought yeast doesn't always turn out to be of the right quality, so it's worth testing it before baking.
How to check the quality of store-bought dry yeast:
- Mix 2 tbsp of warm milk with 1 tsp of yeast and 1 tsp of sugar.
- Cover with a napkin and put in a warm place.
- If after 30 minutes the mixture has a foamy cap, the yeast is alive and can be used.
Don't be lazy about testing this product this way, especially if you're starting on a complex yeast bake with many ingredients. It's better to run to the store several times for good yeast than to cry over dough that won't rise.
The five most filling yeast baking recipes:
| Name of the dish | Cooking time | Calories per 100g | User Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belyashi with dry yeast on water | 1 h | 617 | +129 |
| Fluffy round yeast doughnuts with filling | 3 h 40 min | 544 | +1 |
| American yeast doughnuts with milk | 1 h 30 min | 534 | +40 |
| Classic kefir doughnuts | 2 h 40 min | 533 | +59 |
| Doughnuts with condensed milk inside | 1 h 30 min | 503 | +28 |
Yeast pastries are made in the oven, a slow cooker, or a bread maker. You can also cook them in a frying pan under a lid, especially flatbreads, small pies, pampushki, and doughnuts.
There's a belief that when making pastries like this in the kitchen, it's best not to shout, not to make loud noises, and to keep a good mood. It isn't scientifically confirmed, but you can stick to it — just in case.