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Schmerkipfel
From the Kitchen of
Anne Dreer
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Comment: Schmerkipfel where
originally made from the
abdominal lard of pigs,
sometimes referred to as
leaf lard. It is tenderer
than regular lard, thus
suitable for delicate
pastry. When all the
butchering work was done,
and the meat was processed
into sausages, hams, bacon
and the regular lard was
rendered for cooking, it was
then the Donauschwaben
housewife had time to make
Schmerkipfel.
When no
leaf lard was available the
Kipfel were made with
butter; thus referred to as
Butterkipfel.
The leaf
lard ones were lighter and
puffier. I find Crisco®
shortening works great and
is easier to work with than
butter.
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¾ cup
lukewarm water
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2
teaspoons sugar
-
2
packages yeast
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5½
cups all purpose flour
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1¼
cups sugar
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4 egg
yolks
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Grated lemon rind from
one lemon (approx.)
-
2¼
cups lukewarm milk
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1½
teaspoons salt
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1 lb.
Crisco OR 1 lb. cool
(not cold) room
temperature butter
-
½ cup
flour
A large
jar of pure apricot jam,
without pectin if possible.
Jam that has too much pectin
will melt from the heat and
run out of the kipfel.
Kraft® or Smucker® brands
are good.
Method:
Soak the
yeast with the sugar and
lukewarm water in a small
bowl. Set aside.
Coat the
Crisco with the ½ cup flour
and flatten it into a
rectangle about seven by ten
inches. This may be done on
the paper it was wrapped in.
It should be even in
thickness.
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Click images to enlarge |
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When the
yeast is dissolved and bubbly,
mix it with the lukewarm milk,
flour, sugar, egg yolks, lemon
rind, and salt. By hand work it
together to make a smooth dough.
Use the mixer if you have a
dough hook. If not, let it sit
for five or ten minutes and
knead it until it comes off the
sides of the bowl. |
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Dust
the dough board with flour and
roll out the dough evenly to
form a rectangle double the size
of the flattened Crisco. Put the
Crisco on one half of the dough
and fold the other side over it. |
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Pinch the edges together
Turn the
dough clockwise so the long
pinched side is towards and
parallel to the edge of the
board. Cover it with a clean
dishtowel and let it rest for
about 10 minutes. Keep the
board dusted with flour. |
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Roll it out
again into a rectangle from the
center to the edges—about 22 by
12 inches. Press the rolling pin
down slightly so the Crisco in
between gets rolled all the way
to the edges. Make the corners
of the dough as ‘square’ as you
can (not rounded).
If some of the
fat comes out pinch some dough
over it. Do not stretch the
dough. Carefully fold the right
third of the dough toward the
center, then the left side over
it to make it triple thick. |
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Cut a narrow
strip
off edges first.
This will
be used
for Danishes when
all kipfel are done.
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You have now done one turn.
Repeat three more times, letting
the dough rest, covered, in
between. It may be necessary to
roll it into a larger rectangle
as it will keep getting puffier
as the dough rises from the
yeast. Sometimes it is a good
idea to roll it out and wait a
few minutes before folding it as
it will also get stretchier.
Turn the dough
clockwise, one quarter turn, so
the long side is again along the
edge of the board. Cover and let
it rest for 10 minutes
After the
final turn have your baking
sheets and the jam ready. Roll
the dough out to a half inch
thickness. It will be quite a
large rectangle. Cover it and
wait a few minutes or else it
will shrink as you cut it. |
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Heat your
knife on the stove burner and
cut 3inch strips, reheating the
knife as necessary.
Cut the
strips into squares. Put
½ teaspoon jam on each
square, fold into a
triangle. |
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Put ½
teaspoon jam on each square,
fold into a triangle,
then pull the
opposing triangles back and
pinch them together. Try not to
touch the cut edges. That would
disturb the layers that are
supposed to puff up like a
harmonica. Brush the tops with
egg white, carefully not getting
any on the cut edges (that would
make them stick together.) |
Bake in a
preheated oven at 400 degrees
(check after 10 to 15 minutes)
until golden brown.
Use the edge
strips to make a few Danishes.
Twist them, and then form a
coil. Dot centre with jam and
bake.
Dust with
vanilla flavoured icing sugar.
They’re best
when warm. They freeze well and
are best when reheated in the
oven (they stay crisp). The
microwave makes them a little
soft.
