DOMAĆI KRUH / HOME-MADE BREAD

Domaći kruh

Kruh je od davnina bio jedna od glavnih prehrambenih namirnica. Mnogi narodi su ga pekli na razne načine i u raznim oblicima, pa tako i u sjeverozapadnoj Hrvatskoj, a pogotovo u bilogorskom kraju, postoji tradicija pečenja kruha. Ona se najčešće mogla vidjeti u seoskim obiteljima u prvoj polovici 20. stoljeća.

Tijesto za kruh se mijesio u drvenoj posudi zvanoj naćve. Višak tijesta se stavio u zemljanu posudu, prekrio vlažnom krpom te bi se od njega dobio kvasac (kiselo tijesto) koje bi se zatim koristilo u pečenju sljedećeg kruha.

Kruh se pekao u krušnoj peći. Ona se ložila drvima koja bi gorjela dok ne bi ostao samo žar. Nakon što bi se žar pomeo, stavili bi kruh da se peče. Kruh se nikad nije jeo topao, već je morao odstajati barem pola dana prije upotrebe. Uvijek su se pekla četiri kruha odjedanput koja su bila dovoljna za tjedan dana. Pečeni i rashlađeni kruh se čuvao na polici (kobača) koja je imala pregrade za po jedan kruh. Sama polica je bila rešetkasta pa je zrak mogao strujiti slobodno oko kruha da se ovaj ne upljesnivi.

Kruh se jeo u svakoj prilici: za doručak sa prežganom juhom (juha na zapršci), žmarama, sirom kvarglinom (svježi kravlji sir u obliku stošca začinjen paprikom, solju i paprom i sušen na dimu), čvarcima ili domaćom suhom slaninom. Za ručak se jeo sa raznim varivima i grahom, nedjeljama uz pečenu gusku, puricu ili patku koje su se također pekle u krušnoj peći. Ljeti se često jeo kruh nadrobljen u kiselo mlijeko.

Mnoga su se ova jela zadržala u našim krajevima, ali situacija sa kruhom je ponešto drukčija. Tradicija pečenja kruha je zadržana samo na turističkim manifestacijama, poput Kaj su jeli naši stari u Vrbovcu ili Žetvene svečanosti u Daruvaru. Neki domovi još uvijek uživaju u svježe napravljenom domaćem kruhu, ali se sad on radi od bijelog pšeničnog brašna i peče se u električnoj pećnici.

Sastojci:

1 kg crnog pšeničnog brašna

1 kg raženog brašna

300 g kukuruznog brašna

200 g kvasca

40 g soli

1,2 l mlake vode

Priprema:

U drvenu posudu ili naćve stavimo sve sastojke osim vode. Nju dodajemo malo po malo i mijesimo dok ne dobijemo glatko tijesto. Kada se tijesto počne odvajati od posude, kruh je dobro umiješan. Tijesto se zatim stavi u drugu posudu, pospe brašnom i pokrije krpom. Ostavimo ga da se diže na toplom mjestu oko jedan sat. Nakon što se digne, stavimo ga u prethodno zagrijanu pećnicu. Kruh se peče oko jedan sat na temperaturi od 180°C. Nakon što je gotov, izvadimo ga i poškropimo vodom da korica omekša te ostavimo da se ohladi. Dobar tek!

Home-made bread

Bread has always been one of the most important groceries. Many peoples have baked it in varios ways and in different shapes, and there is also a tradition of making bread in north-west Croatia, particularly in the Bilogora region. It was usually practiced in families living in villages in the first half of the 20th century.

Women would knead the dough in a wodden dish called "naćve". If there was any dough left, they would put it in a earthen pot, cover it with a moist cloth and it would turn into yeast, which was then used in the preparation of bread.

Bread was baked in a baker's oven. The oven would be stoked with wood which would burn until there were only live coals left. After the women swept the oven with a broom, they would put the bread in it to bake. They would never eat the bread hot, but rather it had to stand at least half a day. They always baked four loafs of bread at once which would be sufficient for a week's time. The baked and cooled bread would then be stored on a shelf ("kobača") which had compartments for each loaf. The shelf was letticed and the air could flow freely around the bread so that it would not become mouldy.

People would eat bread on any occasion: for breakfast with brown roux soup (soup on roux), "schmarren", cheese called "kvarglin" (fresh cow cheese in the shape of a cone made with paprika, salt and pepper and then smoked), cracklings or home-made smoked bacon. For lunch they would eat it with different stews and with beans, and on Sundays it was served with a baked goose, turkey or duck which would also be prepared in a baker's oven. During the summer they would often eat bread crumbled in sour milk.

Many of these dishes are still eaten in my countryside, but the situation with bread is somewhat different. The bread-making tradition can only be seen at tourist events, such as Kaj su jeli naši stari in Vrbovec or Žetvene svečanosti (a harvest festival) in Daruvar. Some families can still enjoy freshly baked home-made bread, but now it is made of white flour and baked in an electric oven.

Ingredients:

4 cups of whole-wheat flour

4 cups of rye flour

1 cup and 2 oz of maize flour

10.5 oz of yeast

1.4 oz of salt

2.5 pints of lukewarm water

Preparation:

Put all the ingredients, except the water, in a wooden dish or "naćve". Add water little by little and knead the dough until it becomes smooth. When the dough starts separating from the dish, it is done. Then put it in another dish, flour it and cover it with a cloth. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about an hour. After it has risen, put it in the pre-heated oven. The bread should bake for about an hour at a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius. When it is done, take it out, sprinkle it with water so that the crust might mellow and leave it to cool down. Enjoy your meal!

Snježana Javurek

Spring 2005/06