My amazing Grandmother Bella. My true love!!!!

I call this The Kaznelson Bread  because it is the bread my grandmother used to make, and the one my mother makes on a regular basis. My great-grandmother probably made it as well. It is the first time it is written down as this one is passed from generation to generation through being together in the kitchen while it is being prepared.

This bread can be a side dish or a whole meal with a couple of salads next to it. As always, I believe in personal taste and therefore you can pretty much fill the bread up with what you like – savory or sweet.

What is nice about this recipe is –

1. This bread dough has been in my family for GENERATIONS. It is OUR bread dough. Our go to when we want to make quick rolls, breads or like this version filled bread rolls…

2. This dough is perfect for sweet or savory – it is the ultimate bread dough and can even be used for a wonderful Challah.

3. The smell that will fill your house while it is baking is unbelievable!

So lets start….

The dough:

50 gram (1.7 oz)  fresh yeast 35 gram (1.2 oz) dry yeast

500 m”l (17 oz) warm water

1 cup oil

about 1 kg flour

For sweet bread – 1 handful of sugar (yes it is a granny recipe….) which is about 20-25 gram sugar or 0.9 oz,  and 2 tbsp. salt

For savory bread the other way around 2 tbsp. sugar and a handful of salt….

Making the dough:

Place yeast, half the sugar and the water in a deep bowl. Let rest for a couple of minutes.  Add the remaining water, oil and sugar and mix well. Add flour – 1 cup at a time and mix well. Add the salt after 2 cups of flour, and continue mixing. The traditional way is to mix by hand, but a stand mixer works as well…..

Once the dough is incorporated, mix by hand for 5-8 minutes- the dough should be soft, feel great to work with and it is a really nice dough to knead.

Let rest for 30-45 minutes until it rises and doubles itself.

Here the fun begins:

You can choose to make it into a bread, or regular rolls. Brush with eggs and sprinkle some sesame on top. Bake at 350F, 180C for about 25 -30 minutes, until golden and ready.

To make a cheese filled bread or bread rolls:

Roll the dough out to a rectangle. Roll it rather thin as it rises in the oven while baling. I love to add on top: roasted tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, roasted peppers and Parmesan. You can add anything you like – fish, thin slices of pastrami, mozzarella etc.

Roll the dough and cut it into rolls. Place them on a baking pan. Keep enough space for them to rise.

Bake at 350F for about 25-30 minutes until golden.

If you make the sweet dough the options are endless.

Roll out the dough and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar for cinnamon rolls:

Bake the same.

You can choose to fill the dough with chunks of chocolate and turn them into rolls, you can add raisins, orange zest, and Craisins for sweet rolls and those can be brushes with honey after they are ready. Roll into a rectangle, spread with Nutella and turn into a rolled bread, rolls or any other option. Add Strawberry jam, You can fill it with Apples and Cinnamon as well.

Or you might turn them into a round sweet bread or Challah….

Lastly, if you like a thick, soft pizza crust you can turn it into a wonderful pizza with tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, slices of Mozzarella, olives and everything you like. Or with many vegetables and no cheese for a vegetable options. Or if many with sweet dough, an open sweet pizza as a dessert always works well.

Enjoy. This will be your Go-To dough for about any occasion…..