Cuisine Featured: Armenian
The Melting Pot section is where we have placed recipes for cuisines brought to America by the many immigrants to our shores. Over the years these cuisines have been Americanized, i.e., most viewers of our site have probably been exposed to many of these cuisines, either via the dining-out route or, perhaps, directly within our own families due to the multi-ethnic makeup therein. As an example of this multi-ethnicity within a single family, I can cite my own case-- My family consists of the following ethnicities: English, Irish, Scottish, German, Polish and Greek. Is it any wonder then that America is called the Melting Pot?
At the bottom of this page, you will have an opportunity to E-mail us and give us your thoughts on this page. We encourage this. After all, we will be tailoring this "Cooking Around the World" series according to the wishes of our viewers.
½ c lukewarm water (110° to 115°) 1¾ c lukewarm milk (110° to 115°)
2 packages active dry yeast 4 to 5 T olive oil
2 tsp plus 2 T sugar 2 T unsalted butter, softened
6 c flour 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 T water
1 T salt 4 T white sesame seeds
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Pour the lukewarm water into a small bowl and sprinkle in the yeast and
2 tsp of the sugar. Let the mixture rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir to
dissolve the yeast. Set the bowl in a warm, draft-free place (such as an
unlighted oven) for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast bubbles and the
mixture almost doubles in volume.Place 5½ c of the flour in a deep mixing bowl and add the remaining 2 T of sugar and the salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture, lukewarm milk and 3 T of the olive oil. With a large wooden spoon, gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the liquid. Stir until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Place the dough on a surface sprinkled with the remaining ½ c of flour and knead, pushing the dough down with the heels of your hands, pressing it forward and folding it back on itself. When the dough is smooth and elastic, cut it in half.
With a pastry brush, spread the softened butter on two baking sheets. With your hands, flatten the two balls of dough into round cakes, each 1½ inches thick and measuring about 8 inches in diameter. Place them on the baking sheets. With a 3-inch cookie cutter, punch a circle out of the center of each round of dough, then put the dough circle back into the hole. Brush the surface of the loaves with the remaining olive oil, cover lightly with a kitchen towel and set aside in the draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in volume.
Preheat the oven to 350°. With a pastry brush, coat the surface of the loaves with the beaten egg-yolk-and-water mixture, and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, then transfer the loaves to wire racks to cool before serving. Makes two 11-inch round loaves.
