Yeast cakes are our guilty pleasure in winter.
Airy dough with delicious fillings just out of the oven, what more do you need in life?
In the past, we have already published a recipe for a dairy yeast cake, but in most cases we choose the fur version cakes, because of kosher matters.
It's no secret that there is no substitute for dough made with butter, but that's the reality, so we tried to find the perfect recipe.
We chose the recipe for the yeast cake of Chen Koren, who broke into our lives together with her husband Alon in the program "Bake of Israel", somewhere in 2016. Since then, it seems that the two have become part of the landscape, with cooking workshops, a variety of delicious recipes and a project of boxes from the Mahane Yehuda market.
Koren promises in the recipe "a perfect yeast cake, soft and juicy".
This description bought us, and we set off.
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What did we think?
The yeast cake came out to us soft and airy, with a chocolate filling that does not weigh down or overshadow the soft dough, and we will tell you that a whole strip of it disappeared immediately when the cakes came out of the oven.
Although this is a fur cake, and this is evident in the taste (among other things, the lack of butter was felt), but if we leave the obvious comparison for a moment - this is a soft and delicious cake.
Difficulty level:
easy, and no prior knowledge is required to succeed in the recipe, if you follow the instructions.
It is important to check that the yeast is working properly and that the dough rises, you can see this after a few minutes of rest.
If this is the first time you are making yeast dough, we recommend making half the amount, and experimenting as a start by making three strips of yeast, until you get used to the way of preparation.
Making the cake, photo: Adeva Giladi
What should be taken into account:
a yeast cake requires patience.
The dough requires rest, rising, filling, shaping, and rising again.
It will take a good few hours until you eat the long-awaited yeast cake, but the wait is worth it.
In addition to that, consider a free and clean work surface on which you can easily roll out the dough - and get dirty.
Lots of dirt.
The chocolate filling is sticky and spreads in all directions, but don't worry - easy cleaning and it passes.
The best cake to eat on the day of baking or the day after, and after two days we will recommend that you heat the cake for about 15 seconds in the microwave before eating, and you will see salvation.
Making the cake
Our experience:
The recipe is clearly written, with all the necessary steps and explanations.
Where required, Koren gives tips and highlights that greatly facilitate the preparation process.
Start with the dough - knead all the ingredients until a uniform dough is formed.
It is important to follow the two steps - mixing the flour and sugar with the yeast, and only then adding the wet ingredients and the salt.
If you add the salt in the first step - the yeast will not ferment, and the dough will go to waste.
Since it is a dough that is based on a lot of liquid, the dough is very soft and sticky, and will not function like the familiar yeast dough.
We felt the need during the kneading to add more flour to the dough, because we felt that the mixture did not come together into a uniform dough.
Try to pay attention to the dough and its texture, it should form into a uniform dough, sticky and soft, but not liquid like water, and if necessary - add a little flour each time during the kneading, until you feel that the result satisfies you.
After that, the dough is left to rise for an hour.
We recommend oiling the bowl and then returning the dough to it, to prevent sticking to the bowl and ensure easy removal.
After an hour - the volume of the dough should double, so make sure you choose a large enough bowl.
At this stage, the dough is "dropped", that is, the volume is reduced with the hands without kneading, and left to rise for another hour.
The final result, photo: Adeva Giladi
For the rolling step, take care of a well-floured work surface, and don't be alarmed by the dough sticking to the surface.
It can be easily released using your hands or parchment.
Divide the dough into six balls, and prepare the filling at the same time.
We have a strong weakness for cinnamon-filled yeast, so we divided the amount into two parts - three strips of chocolate yeast, and three strips of cinnamon filling.
To make the cinnamon filling, you need 200 grams of butter/soft margarine, 200 grams of dark sugar (3/4 cup) and two tablespoons of cinnamon.
Mix all the ingredients well to create a uniform paste, and spread using the same technique.
You can sprinkle chopped nuts for added crunch.
We recommend starting with the cinnamon filling, which is less dirty than the chocolate.
It is very important to roll the dough into a sheet as thin as possible, and at this stage you will help with flour so that the dough does not shrink back into a smaller sheet.
After rolling, spread the stuffing in a thin layer and roll into a roll as tight as possible.
Cut the roll lengthwise with a sharp knife, and tie into a screw shape.
Koren recommends using English cake molds and leave to rise for about half an hour, until the cakes have doubled in size.
In conclusion:
although it is a fur recipe, the result is delicious and the cake does the job.
The ratio between the dough and the filling is excellent, and if you make sure of a tight roll and a delicate layer of filling - you get a juicy result.
We really liked the result, and are sure we will return to this recipe again.
does the job.
Chocolate yeast cake, photo: Adeva Giladi
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