Traditional Mennonite Zwieback

My grandmother, up before dawn whenever we visited, making enough breakfast to feed a small army; me at three years old, helping my father roll out the sticky brown dough to make the tiny peppernut cookies (pfeffernesse) we left out for Santa Claus; big church potlucks with eight different kinds of sheet cake made by my mother and her friends...

While I only started baking in my late 20s, it's a tradition that goes way back in my family and one that pervades many of my happiest childhood memories. Now that I live so far from them, I enjoy making traditional recipes in order to feel closer to the people I love.

One of my absolute favourites is zwieback. A simple Russian Mennonite bread roll, these were a breakfast staple my sister and I always looked forward to. Our job was to roll out the dough into balls and shape them into tiny snowmen; then to argue about whether jam, butter, or cheese was the best filling.

This is my grandmother's recipe, or the closest thing to it. A totally intuitive baker, she never had a recipe for anything (other than 'a pinch of this and a bit of that'), and we're only able to pass on her delicious treats thanks to my determined aunt, who was there to forcibly hold measuring cups over the bowl!

Zwieback

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons salt
30g yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
3 cups water
9 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup melted butter
1 extra-large egg

Mix salt, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Add evaporated milk and water and stir. In a separate bowl, beat butter and egg together.

Alternate adding flour and butter, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until smooth.

Put on a floured surface and knead for 15 minutes, adding flour as necessary. Put in an oiled bowl, cover, and keep in a warm spot until doubled in size (you can leave it overnight to bake fresh in the morning).

With greased hands, form round egg-sized balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make a dent in the middle and put a smaller ball on top (try to centre it as much as possible so it doesn't slide off). Cover with a tea towel and let double in size.

Bake at 190°C for 10-12 minutes, or until tops are nicely golden.