Tried and Tested: Purker

This time I am offering you the recipe of a traditional recipe from my hometown, Halden, called "Purke".

In essence, they are large, flat, slightly sweet buns.  It is said that the idea must have come with Swedish workers coming across the border as sweet bread is more common in Sweden than in Norway, but to my knowledge they are only found in Halden and none of the other neighbouring towns. I don't know the origin of the name, but the direct translation is actually "sow" (female pig)...

☺

I remember we used to buy them from the bakers after school...

We ate them without adding anything to them, but some have them with cheese/ham/tomato and lettuce and I have even heard some enjoy them with butter and syrup (!)...

This very moreish recipe makes 16:

50 gram yeast (or 2 teaspoons if you use dried yeast)

5 decilitre luke warm milk

100 gram sugar

10 gram salt

1 kilo flour

1 large egg

150 gram soft butter cut in squares

1 whisked egg for glazing

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except the butter.

Knead well for 8-10 mins.

Add the butter and knead for another 10 minutes till it is all well incorporated.

Cover the bowl with plastic and let it rest for 1 hr.

Divide it into 16 pieces and roll them to smooth balls which you flatten

They should be about 15 cm in diameter.

Place them on a greased baking tray (you will probably fit 4 or 5 on each tray) and

let them rest again for about 45 minutes.

Glaze them with the beaten egg

Bake in the middle of the oven (200 degrees) for 12-15 minutes.

When they have cooled off open them like a pita bread and fill them with cheese/butter/jam/etc.

Or simply just enjoy them as they are.

♥