Czech baked plum doughnuts

BUKHTY

We are fortunate enough to live in a part of the country that was once covered in orchards.  Although sadly, many of these are no longer commercially viable, a great many of the trees remain and are readily accessible.

On my way to work I pass egg plum, cherry plum, apple, damson and cherry trees and outside the workshops we have more plum trees, a hazel hedge and blackthorn by the yard.

This means that I spend each season foraging and, topped up by the fruit trees in the garden, and use of the freezer, this means that we have a wonderful selection of native and free fruit all year round.

This recipe is taken from Marguerite Patten's 1972 International Cookery in Colour recipe book, which is a great favourite of mine, not least because it demonstrates how far we have travelled in our culinary journey from the days when curry was considered exotic.

This is the illustration on the fly pages.

Whilst we may now have access to ingredients from all around the world and Eastern European food shops are popping up all over the place, I think that we are still not exploring this cuisine enough.

These Czech "doughnuts" are absolutely delicious and I am reproducing the recipe here after I posted photos of the last batch on Twitter, prompting someone to ask where they could get some.  By the way - I got it wrong on Twitter, describing them as Polish, they're not, they are Czech in origin.

No idea where/if you can buy them - but this is how you make them.

The recipe book I'm using was published in 1972, so you will have to accept the imperial measurements.

For 12-16 cakes

¾ oz fresh yeast
2oz sugar
approx 12 tablespoons milk
12oz plain flour
Pinch of salt
1½ oz butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 egg
1 oz melted butter

Plum compote or jam

Cream the yeast with a teaspoon of sugar
Add approx 8 tablespoons of tepid milk and a sprinkling of flour.
Leave until the surface is covered with bubbles.
Sieve the flour and the salt into a bowl.  Rub in the butter and add the remaining sugar.
Blend the vanilla extract and lemon rind with the yeast mixture and add to the flour mix, with the egg.
Add the remaining milk gradually.
NOTE: you want to end up with a dough which you can knead - it should not be sloppy.
Knead lightly but firmly until it forms a smooth dough.
Cover the  bowl with a damp tea towel or oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place.
Allow to prove until doubled in size - about an hour.
Knead again and divide into 12 - 16 equal pieces.
Flatten each portion and put a spoonful of compote or jam in the centre.
Pull up the corners and pinch to seal.
Place on a greased baking tray, leaving room for expansion.
Brush with melted butter and leave to prove again for 20 minutes
Bake at 200ºC / gas mark 5 for 15 minutes - until firm to the touch.
Sprinkle with caster or icing sugar while still warm.

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk