Unleavened Bread Recipe

Здраво and Cześć! Dia dhuit and Hello! There’s a delicious unleavened bread recipe coming your way! And a seriously decent soda bread recipe, too!

No matter what part of the world you call home!

These tasty beauties are brought to you by Edyta and Jelena from Apple-Green.com. Hailing from Poland and Serbia, our mission is to provide an inspired and tasty solution for your next meal.

Because remember: Kitchen creativity knows no borders. Here’s bringing our best unleavened bread recipe and two traditional soda bread recipes to the Irish Buzz arena.

International food solidarity abounds!

Polish bread

When I was growing up in Poland, my grandma used to make some quick version of soda bread – baked on the top of the wood stove, very simple and tasty. I would like to share my traditions here.

Poland has a very strong bread-making culture. It is consumed every day, usually with breakfast and supper, and people just can’t imagine going even one day without it. Polish bread is always prepared for special celebrations and beautifully decorated to show its importance. It symbolizes hospitality and wealth. There is no wedding without the traditional “bread and salt”, where parents greet the newlyweds, wishing them prosperity for their future life together.

Savory quick bread recipes

Polish bread used to be prepared and baked once a week, or even every two weeks, and stored in a big basket – covered with cloth to keep it fresh. Sometimes the amount of bread was not enough, so people came up with a quick version of bread for when they were running short. They called it “proziak”, but from region to region the name can differ – as can its ingredients. It is a type of flatbread and can come in different shapes, but the most popular are round and square.

When I was growing up in Poland, my grandma used to make some quick version of soda bread
– Edyta, Apple Green

These (savory) quick bread recipes from Poland can have different flavors, like dill or garlic, and are often made with soured or fresh milk as a simple breakfast. This plain Polish bread can be eaten with butter, jam or honey, depending on preference, and there is also a sweet version made with sugar for those who prefer sweeter flavors.

This traditional Polish bread has lots of benefits, not only does it tastes great and can have so many variations, but it is also easy to make and, most importantly, stays fresh for a long time. Even older proziak is very tasty, I remember my grandma dipping it in water and putting on the top of the wood stove in order to “refresh” it before eating. I understood then that sometimes simple food tastes better, especially when made by you or your loved ones.

Here is a brief recipe from my grandmother’s cookbook that makes about 40 pieces: strong bread flour, bicarbonate of soda, soured milk, eggs and salt. If you would like the full recipe and directions please head on over to Apple Green. I always loved the simplicity and tradition brought by homemade meals, and Polish soda bread is definitely something that I miss – especially when homemade.

Serbian bread

Slavic countries have strong bread traditions; it is consumed every day and has great importance during festive periods. Serbian bread is made from different ingredients, very commonly including corn, and either sweet or savory quick bread recipes are preferred, depending on the area. Bread is always made to mark the birth of a child, for family celebrations, Christmas and Easter. But the Serbian bread I would like to share is very special, as it is only baked once a year – for Orthodox Christmas on January 7th.

Česnica is always placed in the center of the table and has a coin hidden inside. Not dissimilar to the Irish tea cake tradition, when all family members have gathered at the table, the head of the household blesses the bread, rotates it counterclockwise three times and divides it between them. The person who finds the coin inside their piece of bread will have luck in the coming year, according to the legend.

The symbolic Serbian bread of Česnica is always made round, but from region to region, and among different families, people have come up with so many variations that it is hard to agree on one recipe. It can be sweet or savory and is often decorated, but it always contains a coin inside and is a true unleavened bread recipe.

I have my own family recipe which is very important to me, this is the bread we make every year for our Christmas table and whose taste I will never forget. Here are the ingredients for this scrumptious Serbian bread: cornmeal, strong bread flour, sunflower oil, sparkling water, salt. If you would like to know the full recipe and baking directions, please see our site at Apple-Green.com.