I have been making a recipe for 30 years now for Rugelach (cinnamon swirls). People say it's so good I should package and sell it (not what I am looking to do), but for some reason I just realized that the recipe calls for one package of dry yeast to be put into the dry ingredients first. Doesn't dry yeast have to be activated in a warm liquid to bring it to life? So what, if anything is the package of dry yeast doing for my recipe by just dumping it in? Should I omit it from the recipe altogether?
Also, my recipe only calls for sour cream and no cream cheese. Has anyone ever seen a recipe for Rugelach without cream cheese? All the ones I see call for cream cheese.
Since your recipe is to die for, I wouldn't worry about the yeast, but I have found you a recipe that doesn't use cream cheese. It has Russian roots and was listed online by Natashaskitchen.
Russian Rugelach
YIELD: 50
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted (not hot)
1 cup warm milk (1% or 2% milk will work)
4 cups CANADIAN all-purpose flour
¾ tbsp active dry yeast
Black current preserves
Preheat Oven to 360°F
Melt your butter over low heat. Once it's melted, transfer it to the bowl of your electric mixer. You want it to be warm, not hot.
In the bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment on medium speed, combine 2 sticks of melted butter & 1 cup warm milk.
In a medium bowl, mix together the 4 cups flour and ¾ tbsp yeast, than add 4 cups flour, about ½ cup at a time, and mix until it is an even consistency and no longer sticking to the walls of the bowl, scraping down the bowl as necessary. It only takes 3-5 minutes to get the flour mixed well. The dough should be soft and won't stick to your hands.
Divide the dough into five even portions and cover them loosely on the counter with some plastic wrap until you are ready to use them.
On a smooth non-stick surface, roll a portion of the dough out into about a 11-inch circle. No need to flour the surface if it's a good, smooth cutting board.
Sprinkle the top of the dough with sugar and cut 6 strips through the center to make 12 triangles.
Add about a marble size amount of your favorite preserves to the center of the wide part of the triangles. Anyways, start rolling your rugelach toward the center. Push down the edges slightly after the first roll so the jam is less likely to sneak out.
Place the rolled rogaliki onto the prepared baking sheet with the end part facing down. Space them about ½ - inches apart.
Let them rise in a warm oven (100 degrees for 30-45 minutes). Or let them rise in a warm room till they are about 50% larger (could take as long as 2 hours or more at room temp).
Bake at 360° F for 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl while they are still hot and sprinkle each layer generously with powdered sugar.
I hope this helps. Also, yeast is different today. With some of the instant yeasts, you just dump it in with the dry ingredients. Just make sure you buy the correct type of yeast according to how it's used in your recipe. The yeast package will explain how to incorporate it into your recipe. Happy Baking!
Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to not only answer me but also supply me with a new recipe. That is really so nice of you and your input is greatly appreciated. I will have to try it. Have a wonderful holiday season, you have already made mine!!
This site really was like finding a goldmine. You are all so knowledgeable it's wonderful. I do use active yeast and yes I have always just dumped it in without activating it. There is no salt or sugar in the dough. It gets its sweetness from the sugar and cinnamon and apricot pie filling that I spread on later after the dough has chilled for hours.
I once again gave it to someone new yesterday with a few other cookies and they called me up that afternoon. She said I couldn't wait till I saw you again to tell you that your Rugelach was the best pastry I ever ate. Maybe it's just the two secret ingredients that I put in (love and patients) that makes it taste so good.
Anyway, thanks for your help.
Cindy
I have been making a recipe for 30 years now for Rugelach (cinnamon swirls). People say it's so good I should package and sell it (not what I am looking to do), but for some reason I just realized that the recipe calls for one package of dry yeast to be put into the dry ingredients first. Doesn't dry yeast have to be activated in a warm liquid to bring it to life? So what, if anything is the package of dry yeast doing for my recipe by just dumping it in? Should I omit it from the recipe altogether?
Also, my recipe only calls for sour cream and no cream cheese. Has anyone ever seen a recipe for Rugelach without cream cheese? All the ones I see call for cream cheese.
Hi Cindy. I'm curious. Under the heading, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" if you have had such success with this recipe for so long, why mess with it now? Whatever the yeast is doing, it obviously works.
Jock, you are absolutely right, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I was just wondering if my yeast wasn't getting activated am I just wasting it by putting it in. If I am ambitious I will experiment one day without it and see what happens. Have a happy New Year!
I respectfully disagree with Panini, salt inhibits yeast, sugar proliferates it's activity. It is fuel for the yeast.. I proof the yeast in lukewarm water and sugar. When it foams I add the flour, oil and salt.
I respectfully disagree with Panini, salt inhibits yeast, sugar proliferates it's activity. It is fuel for the yeast.. I proof the yeast in lukewarm water and sugar. When it foams I add the flour, oil and salt.
@laurenlulu, may I suggest that you try using some SAF Red Instant Yeast. It requires no proofing; rather, just mix it with your dry ingredients and add liquid.
Hi kokopuffs, I've used it at home but unfortunately due to our company's contract with manufacturers (discounted pricing agreements)I am limited at work with the products I can buy. Love making fresh bread every day, the smell is incomparable!
Am I the only one who doesn't proof any dry yeast? I used ADY and just dump it with the dry ingredients. What's more, I can't tell a performance diff between ADY and IDY for bread applications. All that despite what the manufacturer claims are. Am I alone?
I don't think you are alone Brian. I've seen others in the past, post that they too just dump the ADY into the dry ingredients with no ill effects. I don't use ADY anymore (I use IDY) but if I did I would probably proof it first, just out of habit I suppose. I don't see any performance differences either but that's not surprising. The difference is convenience, not performance but that line is blurred now too. You need less IDY than ADY too, thereby saving a few cents. Although many will tell you they successfully substitute 1 for 1 you really only need 75% IDY compared to ADY. I tend to be a bit obsessive about these things so I do the math. Others get by just fine with a straight substitution.
Am I the only one who doesn't proof any dry yeast? I used ADY and just dump it with the dry ingredients. What's more, I can't tell a performance diff between ADY and IDY for bread applications. All that despite what the manufacturer claims are. Am I alone?
Good morning. I know that you know the following, for those who may not know why we proof ACTIVE DRY YEAST, it started when this product became in vogue some years ago. Due to poor quality control, many of thesel packets failed. Soooo, the manu suggested it be proofed first by employing warm water & a little sugar...if it bubbled up It was good to be used. But today the QC is 100% there is ever a failure that is ever reported.
There is a advantage in employing the ADY in pizza baking only.... that is not well known....otherwise there isn't. other than 1,tsp of IDY weighs .11 & ADY weighs .12 per tsp.
Enjoyed being with you all this fine New years day. & I wish all a safe & a happy New Year as well.
The main difference between instant (rapid rise) and active dry yeast is the improved production process. The improved process yields a yeast with 25% more live yeast. This allows you to use 25% less instant yeast in recipes that call for active dry yeast, as Jock mentioned.
The higher percentage of live yeast cells also eliminates the need to proof the yeast in water + sugar before using it. No harm will be done if you do proof it, but it's not necessary.
Another adustment when using instant in recipes calling for active dry is time. If you use the same amount of instant yeast as active dry, things are likely to rise faster. When it comes to bread this is not always a good thing[emoji]128522[/emoji]
Kyle
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