Beet Leaf Buns you ask? I had to ask the same thing. The first time I heard of the tasty little bundles of dough was when my Husband and I were planning our Wedding Menu. We were discussing the options and I was reading down the menu the caterer had sent us when I came across ‘beet leaf buns’…… he nearly flew off of his chair! I knew at that point we were having them at our wedding but I still didn’t know what the heck they were.
A beet leaf bun is a piece of dough (typically a light bread dough made with milk) about the size of your thumb wrapped with a wilted beet leaf. They are baked and then served with a creamy dill sauce, delicious!
A girlfriend and I made them this summer for the first time, picking the top of the beets (the leaves!), washing them and then laying them out flat to dry for a day. Once they are nicely wilted it is time to start the rolling.
I made a few more batches after that and here is my take on the traditional Ukrainian beet leaf bun;
Beet leaves washed, dried and laying out over night.
Wilting
Once your beet leaves are wilted nicely you want to go ahead and make your dough, I use a simple dough recipe made in a stand mixer.
1 package of active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup of warm milk
1 tsp of sugar (if the recipe is made with almond or soy milk omit the sugar)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of olive oil
Mix the yeast and warm milk in your mixing bowl until the yeast is fully dissolved, once the yeast is dissolved add the rest of your ingredients and attach the dough hook. Turn the mixer on low until dough is combined. Once combined turn to medium speed and let knead for 2 – 3 minutes. Note: fresh dill or finely diced onion is a nice addition.
Once your dough is complete turn the dough out onto a floured surface I like to use a cutting board. Gather a small portioning scoop (if you do not have a small scoop, try to make them the same size of your thumb!) and a sharp pairing knife.
getting organized
You want to take a thumb size portion of the dough, roll it into a small log and then wrap the beet leaf (making sure you remove any thick stem) around the dough securing the end of the leaf on the bottom. Place buns on a greased cookie sheet leaving enough room for the buns to double in size. Once the buns have risen approximately 30 minutes or so bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
waiting for the buns to rise
- Finished product
Serve buns with Creamy Dill Sauce; sauté onions and garlic in a little bit of butter, add in 1 pint of whipping cream and simmer until reduced, season with salt, pepper and fresh dill.
Beet leaf buns freeze great for you to enjoy a taste of summer all year round, hope you enjoy my take on the traditional Ukrainian beet leaf buns!
picklesandpitchforks 