epicurious
Bobalki (Slovak Christmas Dough Balls)
These Slovak Christmas dough balls are traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve as part of a twelve-course meatless meal.
👥 60 Servings👤 Georgina Hayden📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●mixing bowl
- ●whisk
- ●oven
- ●frying pan
- ●pan
- ●colander
- ●saucepan
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Place yeast in a measuring jug with superfine sugar and whisk in 275ml (scant 1¼ cups) warm water. Leave to one side for ⏱️ 5 minutes. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl, whisk in the sea salt and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast water and olive oil and mix in with a fork until it all comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for ⏱️ 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. If you have a free-standing mixer with a dough hook, you can use that if you prefer. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm for 1–1½ hours, until double in size.
2
Lightly oil a large roasting tray; if you don’t have a very large one, oil a couple. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knock out the air. Roll the dough out to a 1-inch-thick sausage and cut into small, even pieces, so that when you roll them they are shaped into balls about 1 inch. Place them all on a lightly oiled baking tray, so they are all just touching. Cover and leave to one side for a second prove to double in size, about ⏱️ 30 minutes.
3
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 °F. When the dough balls have roughly doubled in size, bake for 18–⏱️ 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before combining with one of the two toppings.
4
Peel and finely chop the onions. Place a medium frying pan on medium-low and pour in the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and caraway seeds and season generously with salt and pepper. Sauté for 12–⏱️ 15 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Drain and chop the sauerkraut and add to the pan. Turn the heat up a little and fry for a further ⏱️ 3 minutes, until golden. When ready, break the dough balls apart and place in a large colander directly in the sink. Boil your kettle and pour enough just-boiled water over the balls to soften them slightly, but not turn them mushy (you can do this in batches if easier). Drain the balls and place in a large mixing bowl or tray and spoon over the sauerkraut mixture. Toss together well.
onions3(⅔ cup) honey150mlsauerkraut150g
5
Place the poppy seeds in a mortar and finely grate in the lemon zest. Grind just enough with a pestle so they release their flavors but retain a good seedy texture, and keep to one side. Pour the honey into a small saucepan and squeeze in the juice of half the lemon. Warm over a medium heat.
lemon1(⅔ cup) honey150ml
6
When ready, break the dough balls apart and place in a large colander directly in the sink. Boil your kettle and pour enough just-boiled water over the balls to soften them slightly, but not turn them mushy (you can do this in batches). Drain the balls and place in a large mixing bowl or tray and pour over the warm lemony honey. Sprinkle over the ground poppy seeds and toss with your hands to coat the bread completely.
7
Serve the bobalki straight away, or chill until needed.
Reviews & Ratings
Share your thoughts and feedback about this recipe
Write a Review
Community Feedback
0 ReviewsLoading reviews...