The season of fresh dill has begun and its fans may enjoy this amazing herb in several foods: dill sauce is perfect for a light summer lunch, or you can combine dill with cottage cheese that results in a lovely dessert, or die-hard fans can make dill buns, which are loaded with a remarkable amount of dill as a filling.
Kapros dübbencs (this is the Hungarian name of these dill buns) is a regional peasant food and its homeland is Hajdú-Bihar county (Debrecen and the region around it) in the eastern part of Hungary. It was probably baked already in the 18th century, but the first written recipe only dates back to 1890.
Kapros dübbencs was one of the favourite summer foods of peasant farmers who worked hard all day. The buns contain not only finely chopped dill, but a large amount of lard too, which makes them very soft. The quantity of dill might seem to be too much, but in this case dill isn’t a spice, but a filling. Kapros dübbencs is best served right from the oven, though the buns are still tender next day provided that they are stored in an airtight container.
Ingredients:
- 500 g (~4 cups) flour
- 250 ml (~1 cup) milk
- 35 g (~1 1/4 oz) fresh yeast (3 1/2 tsp dry yeast)
- pinch of sugar
- 50 ml (~1/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 15 g (~2 2/3 tsp) salt
- 3-4 tbsp lard
- 100-120 g (~3 1/2 – 4 1/4 oz) fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 egg + pinch of salt for the egg wash
Dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm milk and set aside to proof for 10 minutes.
In a bowl combine flour and salt. Add oil and actived yeast, and knead into a smooth dough (it will be a little tough). Cover and let it rise for 50-60 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal pieces. Roll out the first one into a thin rectangle and spread 1,5 – 2 tablespoons of lard over it evenly. Scatter half of the chopped dill on top, then roll up the dough starting from the longer side. Cut the roll into 5 cm / 2″ parts and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat the above process with the remaining dough.
Add a pinch of salt to the egg and slightly beat it. Spread the top of the buns and let them rest for 15-20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 210°C / 410°F and bake the buns for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
