Beleše

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Heat the milk slightly so it is lukewarm. Crumble the yeast into half of the milk, add sugar, a tablespoon of flour, mix, and let it foam for 5-10 minutes, i.e., let the starter rise. If you don't see any activity even after 15 minutes, start again with new yeast.
• 2
  Measure the flour into a bowl, add the egg yolks and salt. Pour in the starter, mix, and gradually adding the rest of the lukewarm milk, work the dough with a wooden spoon until it is smooth, soft, and almost non-sticky. Don't be afraid to work it thoroughly; the more you work it, the better. Alternatively, entrust everything to a kitchen robot, which will knead the smooth dough in 5 minutes.
• 3
  Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Scoop out portions of the unrisen dough with a spoon and place these buns on the prepared surface. Let them rise for 20-30 minutes until the pieces double in volume.
• 4
  Heat a hot plate, a stone griddle, or a dry cast-iron pan. Using your fingertips, shape the risen dough pieces by pressing the dough from the center outwards to create a flat pastry with a dimple in the middle and thicker edges. It should be roughly the size of your palm. Place them in the dry pan or on the hot plate and bake dry for about 3 minutes on each side until the surface is clearly golden brown.
• 5
  While still warm, brush the beleše with melted lard or butter and keep them warm. Then serve with jam, quark, sour cream, stewed cabbage, or with soup, as desired.