Parisian Pletzl Recipes

PARIS-BREST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a small pan containing about 2-3 cups of hot water onto the bottom of your oven ( directly onto the bottom of the oven) to generate steam. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with shortening and then dust lightly with flour. Use a 10 inch pan as a template and draw a 10 inch circle onto the flour dusted sheet using a toothpick. Set aside.
• Place the 4 eggs into a small measuring cup and mix with a fork to combine, set aside.
• Combine the milk, water, salt and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a full boil, add the flour all at once and stir to make a paste. Continue to stir over the heat for about 40 seconds until the paste dries a little. Remove from heat and place paste into a mixing bowl. Let cool about 4 minutes.
• With a mixer on low, mix the paste and slowly add the beaten eggs. Mix slowly but thoroughly until all of the eggs have been added. Place the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round decorating tip. Pipe the paste out onto the sheet pan following the 10 inch ring you outlined. Pipe a second ring around the inside next to this ring. Finally, pipe another ring on top of these two rings. Lightly paint the set of rings with the remaining 1 beaten egg and press the sliced almonds into the paste.
• Place in the oven on the lowest shelf and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake about 12 minutes more or until brown. Remove form the oven and using a long serrated knife slice off the top half of the puffed ring. Remove any bits of raw dough on the inside of the ring. Replace the top and place back in the oven to crisp the dough, about 5 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
• To Make The Filling: Whip the pastry cream until smooth. Place the heavy cream into a bowl along with the vanilla and beat on high until soft peaks are formed. Add in the confectioners' sugar and beat a little more. Fold the pastry cream in with the whipped cream and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the cream mixture into the ring and then replace the top. If you wish, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

PARISIAN PLETZEL

Steps:

• Mix the water with the yeast in a large glass bowl. Add 4 cups of the flour, the eggs, 1/4 cup of the oil, the sugar, and the salt to the yeast mixture. Stir well, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth, adding more flour if necessary. Let the dough rise, covered with a towel, for 1 hour in a greased bowl. You can also leave the dough in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375° and grease 2 cookie sheets.
• Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll or flatten them into rounds about 5 inches in diameter. Place 4 pletzel on each cookie sheet and gently press down the centers. Brush with water and sprinkle each with about 2 tablespoons diced onions leaving a 1/2-inch border. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over the onions and sprinkle with the poppy seeds and some kosher salt. Let sit for 15 minutes, uncovered.
• Bake the pletzels for 20 minutes, switching from top to middle rack after 10 minutes, or do them in 2 shifts on the middle rack. Then stick them under the broiler for 1 minute, keeping a sharp eye on them, to brown the onions. If you don't have a broiler, raise the heat to 550° and put each sheet on the top rack for 2 minutes or so.

TRADITIONAL PARISIAN OMELET

Steps:

• Place a saute pan over medium heat.
• Using a fork, mix your eggs together with salt and pepper in a bowl and then add the herbs. Make sure your eggs are well mixed, with no long strands of egg white hanging off of the fork.
• When the pan is hot, add the butter and swirl it around until it's melted and has evenly coated the pan. Add all of your egg mixture and using a fork, continue to scramble the eggs in the pan, breaking up any large lumps that want to form as the eggs set. This will take about 30 seconds. Next, shake out the pan slightly so the eggs settle into an even layer with small curds. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 30 seconds until just set. Begin to loosen the sides and roll the omelet on to itself then flip out on to a plate. Serve immediately and enjoy!

PLETZEL

Steps:

• Place towel or shelf liner beneath stand mixer to prevent wobbling and fit mixer with dough hook. Add flour, room-temperature water and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt to bowl and mix on low speed until no patches of dry flour remain, about 4 minutes, occasionally scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Turn off mixer and let dough rest for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle yeast and sugar over dough. Knead on low speed until fully combined, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Increase mixer speed to high and knead until dough is glossy, smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 8 to 10 minutes. (Dough will only pull away from sides while mixer is on. When mixer is off, dough will fall back to sides.).
• Using your fingers, coat large bowl and rubber spatula with 1 tablespoon oil. Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl and pour 1 tablespoon oil over top. Flip dough over once so it is well coated with oil; cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature until nearly tripled in volume and large bubbles have formed, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in poppy seeds. Transfer to bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
• Coat bottom and sides of 12 x 16 inch rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Using oiled rubber spatula, turn dough out onto prepared sheet along with any oil remaining in bowl.
• Using your oiled fingertips, press dough out toward edges of sheet, taking care not to tear it. (Dough will not fit snugly into corners. If dough resists stretching, let it relax for 5 to 10 minutes before trying to stretch again.) Let dough rise, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Dough will increase but not quite double in volume.).
• Using your oiled fingertips, press dough out toward edges of sheet once more. Using dinner fork, poke surface of dough 30 to 40 times. Brush top of dough with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Distribute onion-poppy seed mixture evenly over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge.
• Bake until golden brown, 18 to 23 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Using metal spatula, transfer pletzel to cutting board. Slice with a serrated knife and serve.

MRS. PELTZ'S ONION FLAT ROLLS (PLETZLACH)

Steps:

• Place flour in bowl of an electric mixer with dough paddle attached. Make a well in center and pour in 1 cup lukewarm water. Stir in yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar, and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Add egg, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, remaining sugar and the salt. Mix well until dough is soft but not sticky, adding flour if necessary. Turn into a greased bowl, and let rise again, covered, for one hour. Knead lightly, and let rise again for 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place diced onion in a small bowl, and stir in poppy seeds and remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Divide dough into 20 balls. On a floured board, roll each ball into a circle about 2 or 3 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of onion-poppy seed mixture on each circle. Roll circles again, to a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch. Prick each circle with a fork and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Transfer to 2 ungreased baking sheets. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

PARISIAN PLETZL

Steps:

• Pour 1 cup lukewarm water into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and the sugar until dissolved. Add 4 cups flour, the eggs, 1/4 cup of the oil, and the salt. Mix well, and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth, adding more flour if necessary. Or use a food processor or a standing mixer with a dough hook. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, and let rise, covered, for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and grease two cookie sheets.
• Divide the dough into twelve balls, and roll or flatten them out into rounds about 6 inches in diameter. Put the rounds on the cookie sheets, and make thumbprints in the centers. Brush the dough with cold water, and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of onion in each indentation. Brush the rounds with the remaining vegetable oil, and sprinkle the poppy seeds on top. Let sit for 15 minutes, uncovered.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Then, if you like, slip the pletzlach under the broiler for a minute, to brown the onions. Serve lukewarm, as is or in a big pletzl sandwich.