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Kalach
Padlock-shaped wheat bread
Kalach (калач): white wheat bread shaped like a padlock with a thin handle
Street sellers in nineteenth-century Moscow shouted for kalachi hot from the oven, and the town of Murom near Vladimir had its own famous version. The loaf is shaped like a padlock with a thin arched handle; carters and labourers held it by the handle with grimy hands, ate the plump body and, so the story goes, left the handle for the poor, which gave Russian the phrase 'to come to the handle' for hitting rock bottom. The dough is lean and vegan, just flour, water, yeast and salt, kneaded firm and chilled, so the crumb comes out white, chewy and close under a thin crisp shell. Eat it warm with soup, or tear it with tea and jam. A common mistake is a slack dough; it must feel firm, or the handle loses its shape. Chef's tip: pour hot water into a tin on the oven floor as the bread goes in; the steam gives the glossy, pale crust.
- Total time
- 175 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ¼ cups waterlukewarm
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
For baking
- 2 tbsp plain flour for dusting
- 1 cup hot water for steam
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Dissolve the ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast and 1 tsp caster sugar in the warm 1 ¼ cups water and leave for 10 minutes, until foamy.
10 minStep 2: Add the 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and firm; it should not stick to your hands.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 4: Knock back, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes; cold dough holds the shape better.
30 minStep 5: Divide into 4. Roll each piece into a 30 cm rope that is plump in the middle and thin at both ends. Bring the ends together and pinch them hard to make a ring, then pull the thin joined section outwards into an arch, so it forms the handle across the top of the lock.
10 minStep 6: Set the loaves on a tray dusted with the 2 tbsp plain flour for dusting and prove for 30 minutes, until puffy but still holding their shape. Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan) with a roasting tin on the bottom shelf.
30 minStep 7: Put the tray in and pour the 1 cup hot water for steam into the hot tin. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until pale gold with a floury, crisp crust and a hollow sound when tapped underneath.
20 minStep 8: Cool under a tea towel for 10 minutes and eat warm.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 92 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kalach take?
- About 175 minutes in total: 155 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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