Beleše

METHOD

• 1
  Warm the milk slightly until lukewarm. Crumble the yeast into half of the milk, add sugar, a tablespoon of flour, mix, and let it foam for 5-10 minutes, allowing the starter to rise. If you don't see any activity 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
  Dust the work surface thoroughly 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, griddle stone, or dry cast-iron pan. Using your fingertips, shape the risen dough pieces by pressing the dough from the center outwards to the edges, creating a flatbread with a dimple in the middle and thicker edges. It should be roughly the size of your palm. Place them in a dry pan or on the hot plate and dry-bake 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.