Zwieback

Crunchy, ultra-light zwieback toast has been a favorite of teething babies for years. Add a layer of cinnamon-sugar to the toasts as they bake, and you've made Trenary Toast, a specialty of the Trenary Home Bakery in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The cinnamon version of zwieback also mimics Finnish korpu, if you're partial to those tasty toasts.
Read our blog about zwieback, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.
- 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened or cut into pats
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling, optional
Directions
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2) Cover the dough, and allow it to rise till it's quite puffy, about 2 hours. Divide the dough in half. Each half will weigh just under 16 ounces. |
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3) Divide the dough in half. Each half will weigh just under 16 ounces. |
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5) Bake the bread for 22 to 24 minutes, till it's a deep, golden brown, and its temperature at the center is at least 190°F. |
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10) Return the pan to the oven, and bake for an additional 1 hour, or until the toasts are very dry and crisp. |
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Yield: 4 dozen toasts. |
Recipe summary
- Hands-on time:
- 20 mins. to 30 mins.
- Baking time:
- 2 hrs to 2 hrs 30 mins.
- Total time:
- 14 hrs 20 mins. to 15 hrs
- Yield:
- 4 dozen toasts
Overnight
- Recipe comments (1) »
Tips from our bakers
- Some of our taste-testers preferred the stronger flavor of 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. If you're not a fan of that spice (or if you'll be feeding these mainly to kids), use just 1/4 teaspoon.
Reviews
05/29/2009
I've made these twice now for a friend's teething baby (without the added cinnamon sugar) and saved some for my husband too. They were a hit! Now I have requests to make these from the mom all the time. All of the adults like to eat them with their coffee too. The last batch I made I substituted some white whole wheat flour for some of the all-purpose since that's what I had- those weren't quite as light and airy as the original recipe batch, but I think they worked fine. We've kept them in an air-tight container and they've kept for several weeks. Maybe they last longer, but we couldn't wait that long to find out. This is a good, super crunchy and satisfying snack. (It's also great to grab a few for a quick breakfast running out the door!) Thanks!

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