Zwiebach Baking 101

My cousin Julie and I decided that we needed to bake zwiebach together...and then we decided that we needed our Grandma Net (master zwiebach baker) to help. She has over 70 years of experience and we have um...maybe 30 years (combined). For those of you non-Mennonites, zwiebach is a delicious delicacy that means "double bread" or "2 breads". It conjures up memories of family gatherings, church dinners, and of course, Grandma Net.

Recognizing that grandparents are a resource unlike any other, we were excited about our Saturday adventure with grandma. We learned tricks to the recipe like a melted cup of margarine and a cup of cold milk combine to form the perfect lukewarm temperature that is required for yeast activation. Overall we were satisfied with our efforts, and John even gave us his very discerning stamp of approval.

Zwiebach Recipe

2 TBS yeast

3/4 cup lukewarm water

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup margarine

3 cups milk (lukewarm)

1 TBS salt

approximately 8-10 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water and suag. Heat margarine and milk to lukewarm. Combine with yeast salt and flour. Knead well. Let rise (approximatly 1 hr.) Shape zwiebach & let rise on pans (approximatly 30 minutes). Bake at 375 until done (approximately 15 minutes).