Clayton has a recipe for Lithuanian "ausytes" (bacon buns), on p. 551 of
his bread book, and a website with url
http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m042202.htm#3
offered these two recipes:
Lithuanian Bacon Buns
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Bacon, finely minced
1 Large Onion, finely minced
2 Cup Milk
1/2 lb Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1 Pkg Fresh or granulated yeast
5 Eggs, slightly beaten
6 Cup All-purpose flour
Directions
Put minced bacon and onion in skillet; cover with water. Cover pan; simmer
until water evaporates. Put complete mixture into a loaf pan and cool in
refrigerator.
Heat milk and butter; add sugar and salt. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of this
lukewarm liquid. Add eggs to remain- dissolved yeast mix. Stir in sifted
flour; beat vigorously. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled (2
hours). Punch down; cover and let rise again.
Cut dough into four sections. Roll each section on lightly floured board
until 3/8-inch thick. Cut circles with cookie cutter. Put a teaspoon of
cooled bacon mixture in center of each; fold sides over. Put seam side down
on lightly greased cookie sheet; let rise again until doubled. Bake at 375
degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly tanned; brush with mix of egg
yolk and 2 teaspoons water. Continue baking until golden brown, 10 minutes.
Serve hot or reheat. Makes 5 dozen. Try it with quick-acting yeast.
Deliciously persuasive.
and
Brandeles Su Lasiniais (Lithuanian Bacon Buns)
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs (beaten)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 oz. cake compressed yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup salad oil or shortening
FILLING:
1 lb. bacon (cut fine)
1/4 lb. ham (chopped fine or ground)
1/2 small onion (cut fine)
1 egg
Dash of pepper
Mix well. Soften yeast in small amount of water and flour; let rise a
little. Add milk, eggs, shortening, salt, sugar. Gradually stir in flour to
form soft dough. Beat vigorously, cover and let rise in a warm place until
it doubles in size. Knead again for 2 minutes. Let rise a second time. Roll
out 1/4in thick. Use large glass or circle cookie cutter for shaping buns.
Put 1 tablespoon of filling in each circle and seal edges with a little
liquid. Let rise again for 15 minutes on greased pan. Brush with raw egg
and bake in oven 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.
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and there is a similar recipe in Latvia called "Piragi"...from the url
http://www.angelfire.com/al2/LatvianStuff/Piragi.html
Latvian Bacon Buns
These buns can be used as appetizers, as part of a light lunch (with, say,
a cup of bouillon), or as part of a smorgasbord. They are best straight
from the oven, but can be frozen and re-heated. They are absolutely delicious!
Meat Filling
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 - 3/4 lb. bacon, finely diced (or 1/2 lb. bacon and 1/4 lb. ham or pork
jowl)
salt and pepper to taste
(Filling can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge)
Dough Ingredients
3/4 c milk
1/4 c butter
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 pkg (about 1 Tbsp.) dry yeast
1/4 c warm water
1 beaten egg
3 1/2 c white flour
1 - 2 Tbsp sour cream (optional)
Glaze Ingredients
1 egg, beaten
1 - 2 tsp milk or water
1/4 tsp sugar (optional)
Preparing the Filling
The filling should be prepared ahead of time and allowed to cool. Can be
prepared the day before and kept cool in the fridge.
Dice/chop all filling ingredients and saute in frying pan over low heat
until about half the fat has melted (15 - 30 minutes). Drain off all but
about a tablespoon of the melted fat. Season with lots of pepper and salt,
and allow to cool.
Making the Dough
Heat the milk until a thin skin starts to form. Remove from heat, and add
in butter, salt, and sugar. Let cool until lukewarm.
Put the yeast in the quarter cup of warm water. Wait until it starts to
bubble up. Add it to the (lukewarm) milk mixture. Also add the beaten egg.
To this add about 1 1/2 cps. flour and beat until smooth. Now add the rest
of the flour about a half cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
If desired, add the sour cream after all the flour has been added. Sour
cream makes for a lighter dough.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or towel and let the dough "rest" for 10
minutes. Meanwhile prepare a floured surface (board or clean counter) for
kneading. After 10 minutes, turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead
lightly for 5 - 6 minutes until the dough is smooth, but still somewhat soft.
Grease a large bowl. Put dough into bowl and turn it until all surfaces
have been greased. Cover bowl with damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place
until doubled in bulk (30 - 90 minutes, depending on the warmth of the
environment).
Making the buns (piragi)
When the dough has risen, punch it down. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare a floured surface for making piragi. Take meat filling out of
fridge. Mix together all the glaze ingredients.
Cut off a large piece of the dough. Roll it into a rope about 1 1/2 - 2
inches in diameter. Cut it into segments about 1 1/2 inches thick. Make
each bit into a small pancake, oval or square. On one half of it, put a
teaspoonful (or a little less) of the filling. Fold the dough over,
pinching the edges together. Make sure there are no openings left, or the
filling will leak out with the pinched seam underneath.
Rising and Baking
Place the finished buns on an ungreased cookie sheet, with the pinched
seams underneath. Let rise in a warm place, until almost doubled in bulk.
Brush them with the glaze. Bake at 400 degrees F for 13 - 18 minutes,
depending on their size, and how brown you want them to look. Golden brown
is good. Let cool a bit and enjoy!
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elsewhere on the Net I saw the expression "selling like hot bacon rolls",
referring to some ware or other (not bacon rolls...), so these must be
really good! Cholesterol and carbs, here I come! Looking forward to trying
one of these recipes myself...thanks for reminding me to make them, it has
been in the back of my head for months now, and with cool weather coming
on, I'll be firing up the oven more often... :D
When I get less busy, want to post one of my favorite recipes for "bolillos
with drunken beans"... grateful for all the work, but would like to get
back to experimental baking soon!
Elizabeth