Yeast vs. Cream Cheese in Rugelach
I'm trying to decide between a yeast or cream cheese dough. Will yeast dough produce a cookie or flaky texture? Or is it more about the layering of the dough into a box (a la croissant) that produces the flaky result and yeast v. cream cheese doesn't matter? Also, for anyone who's tried both sour cream and cream cheese doughs, any difference and if so, why the preference?
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Here is my great grandmother's recipe from the old country.
Cream 1/2 lb. butter. Break one 2-oz cake household yeast into butter and
mix. Add 1 cup sour cream and mix. Add 3 egg yolks, and mix in one at a
time. Add 3 cups of flour and mix well. Put in refrigerator overnight.
Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 TB cinnamon. On waxed paper sprinkle a
little sugar mixture. Dip 1/5 of dough (as a ball) into sugar; and then
roll out into a circle until it is about 12" diameter. Keep rest of dough
in refrigerator so it won't stick when it is worked. As dough is being
rolled, keep sprinkling with the sugar mixture. After rolling, sprinkle
with more sugar mixture and keep a thin layer of sugar mixture on the board
so dough won't stick to it. Cut into 8 pie-shaped wedges. Sprinkle with
nuts and raisins. Roll each wedge from the outside in to form crescents.
Then roll again in sugar. Continue same process with rest of dough. Bake on
a greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes (depending on
oven) or until done. Makes 40 rolls.
Cream cheese vs yeast rugelach is like the difference between puff pastry and croissant dough - both are laminated doughs, and thus have layers, but the process for making a croissant yeast dough requires light kneading and proofing, thus developing gluten.
2 ½ to3 cups of AP flour (spoon and level method)
200 gram cold unsalted butter or good quality margarine cut in small cubes
2 egg yolks
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
200 gram cold sour cream
Start with 2 ½ cups flour; add butter, yolks, salt and sugar.
Using just a butter knife, chop all together until it looks like coarse meal; then add sour cream and gather into a ball. If you fill that more flour is needed, add it little by little but make sure the dough is still soft; the dough will firm up in the refrigerator. Chill not less then 2 hours or overnight.
This is a full proof recipe from the Old Country, which is the best for all kind of sweet and savory pies, strudels tarts and Rugelach.
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