Krakow bagels

[Bonobo]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obwarzanek_krakowski


An obwarzanek krakowski (Polish pronunciation: [ɔbvaˈʐanɛk kraˈkɔfskʲi], plural: obwarzanki krakowskie [ɔbvaˈʐaŋkʲi kraˈkɔfskʲɛ]; also spelled obarzanek) is a braided ring-shaped bread that is boiled and sprinkled with salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, etc., before being baked. It has a white, sweetish, moist and chewy crumb underneath a crunchy golden-brown crust. Traditionally sold from street carts, it is a popular snack in the Polish city of Kraków, where it has the status of a regional food with protected geographical indication. It is closely related to, but distinct from, bagels and bubliks.

Etymology

The term obwarzanek krakowski is Polish. The Polish noun obwarzanek, or obarzanek, derives from the verb obwarzać, "to parboil",[1] which refers to the distinctive technique of boiling the dough before baking. The adjective krakowski denotes anything coming from or related to the city of Kraków.
Description

An obwarzanek krakowski is a ring-shaped baked product. It takes the form of an oval or, seldom, a circle with a hole in the middle. Its surface is formed by strands of dough, round or oval in cross-section, twisted into a spiral. The colour ranges from light golden to light brown, with a distinct sheen. A typical obwarzanek is 12–17 centimetres (5–7 in) in diameter, 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) thick, and weighs 80–120 grams (3–4 oz).[2]

The visible strands of the spiral on the crust are firmish to the touch and the surface varies from smooth to slightly rough. The crumb inside is pale, soft and slightly moist. The taste is sweetish, which is typical of bakery products that are first parboiled and then baked. Obwarzanki are traditionally decorated by sprinkling them with various ingredients, including coarse salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, mixed herbs or mixed spices (paprika, caraway, pepper), grated cheese, onion, etc.[2]
Ingredients and preparation
Obwarzanki sprinkled with poppy, sesame and nigella seeds

The dough for obwarzanki is made from wheat flour, up to 30 percent of which may be replaced with rye flour. Other ingredients, per 100 kilograms (220 lb) of flour, include:

2–3 kg (4–7 lb) of fat,
2–4 kg (4–9 lb) of sugar,
1–2 kg (2–4 lb) of yeast,
1–1.5 kg (2–3 lb) of salt,
40–48 litres (9–11 imp gal; 11–13 US gal) of water.[2]

The dough is prepared using the single-stage method. Once suitably mixed, the dough is set aside for initial rising, which may take from a few minutes in summer to an hour in winter. The dough is divided into small portions, which are rolled out and cut into strips. The baker twists two or three strips into a spiral and then forms a ring by twisting them around his hand and presses it against the table. The ring is placed on a board or mesh for proofing, and then parboiled in water with a temperature of at least 90 °C (194 °F) until it rises to the surface. The water may be sweetened with very small amounts of honey. The obwarzanek is then decorated and baked.[2]

Once it has cooled, an obwarzanek may be placed in packaging. If packaged before it has cooled, it quickly loses its crunchiness and becomes rubbery. Obwarzanki are usually sold unpackaged and unlabelled.[2]
History
A street vendor in Kraków selling obwarzanki and pretzels from a typical cart

The earliest known references to obwarzanki being baked in Kraków, Poland's former royal capital, appear in the accounts of the court of King Vladislaus II Jagiełło and his consort, Queen Hedwig. An entry dated to 2 March 1394 mentions the product using both its Polish name and its equivalent in Polish Medieval Latin, circuli,[3] or "rings": "for the queen, for rings of obwarzanki [pro circulis obarzankij], 1 grosz".[2][4]

In 1496, King John Albert granted the bakers' guild of the city of Kraków a monopoly on baking white bread, including obwarzanki. This privilege was subsequently confirmed by all Polish kings up to John III Sobieski. Initially, obwarzanki could be made only during Lent by bakers specially designated for that purpose by the guild. The guild issued a decree in 1611 regulating the sale of obwarzanki inside the city walls and the choice of bakers who were allowed to sell them.[2]

A radical change took place in the 19th century. On 22 January 1802, a decree was signed which stipulated that any baker had the right to bake obwarzanki when it was his turn to do so. The bakers authorised to bake obwarzanki were selected by the drawing of lots. The custom of drawing lots probably ended in 1849, there being no evidence that it continued after that date. This could mean that, over time, the rules were relaxed and any baker could make obwarzanki on any day of the year, as is still the case today.[2]
Obwarzanek krakowski (protected geographical indication) may be produced only in the city of Kraków (K) and the adjacent Kraków (KR) and Wieliczka (WI) counties (marked in red) in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (blue).[2]

Obwarzanki were sold from stalls which opened before 6 a.m. so that the inhabitants of Kraków could buy them freshly baked early in the morning. The guild monitored the quality and freshness of the products, eight of its members being responsible for carrying out checks on stalls. Any transgressions were severely punished. Eventually, people started selling obwarzanki in other ways. As late as the 1950s, they were sold straight from wicker baskets.[2]

In modern times, obwarzanki have been sold not only in shops and bakeries, but also from street carts. There are between 170 and 180 such carts offering obwarzanki in Kraków today. An average of almost 150,000 are sold on the Kraków market in a single day.[2]

The obwarzanek krakowski often features in campaigns to promote Kraków. As a well-known symbol of Kraków and Lesser Poland, it is often used in advertising aimed at locals and tourists alike. It has also won an award at the Nasze Kulinarne Dziedzictwo (Our Culinary Heritage) competition, and received a prize at the 2003 Polagra Farm international fair in Poznań. It always features at the Święto Chleba bread festival, an event that is held regularly in Kraków.[2]











My mum always called them bagels which is a Jewish word. As a child, she lived close to the Jewish district in Krakow and had a lot of Jewish friends.




In my childhood and youth days there were only two kinds: salt (my fav) and poppy seed.






Later they have added sesame, cheese, spicy

[pjotr]

In the Western world the bagel is seen as a typical Jewish delicatesse, but in Poland I remember it was a regular bread product you could buy on the street.

Bagel

Bagel, doughnut-shaped yeast-leavened roll that is characterized by a crisp, shiny crust and a dense interior. Long regarded as a Jewish specialty item, the bagel is commonly eaten as a breakfast food or snack, often with toppings such as cream cheese and lox (smoked salmon).


Bagels with poppy and sesame seeds.

Bagels are made from the basic bread ingredients of flour, yeast, salt, and sweetening. High-gluten flour gives the roll its spongy, chewy texture, which can be lightened by the addition of eggs, milk, and butter. As traditionally made, the dough is shaped by hand into a ring, boiled for a short time in water to seal the dough to ensure a compact texture, and then baked. In modern mass production, the rings are machine-made, and steaming may be substituted for boiling. In either process, a glaze of egg yolk or milk applied before baking produces a shiny crust. Seeds and spices may be added before baking; bagels also are made with flavourings, vegetables, nuts, or fruits mixed into the dough, although purists scorn such innovations. There are also whole-grain and rye versions.


Bagels in a Jewish food store in the Detroit area.

The origin of the bagel is not known, but it seems to have its roots in central Europe. A widely repeated legend traces its history to Vienna in 1683, when John III Sobieski, king of Poland, successfully defended the city from a Turkish invasion. A local baker, wishing to commemorate the victory of this accomplished horseman, fashioned his bread in the shape of a stirrup (the present-day German word for which is Bügel). In the late 19th century, European Jewish immigrants introduced the bagel to the United States, where it gained a popular association with New York City. The American bagel industry expanded rapidly in the late 20th century; bagel bakeries and frozen-food distributors created numerous variations on the traditional form and texture.

I remember that I could buy Bagels in New York and in Cape town in Jewish neighbourhoods. They often had bagels in the kosher departments of supermarkets, in special Bagel stores and Jewish bakeries. In Poland you will probably find bagels in every major Polish city or town.


Restauracja Bagels & Friends - City Park; Wyspiańskiego 26, 60-751 Poznań, Poland


Bagels & Friends: Bajgel z kurczakiem