The dough will be sticky to the touch.At first, the butter may look like it wasn't going to mix, but eventually, it'll blend in with the dough, which should form into a glossy ball. Continue the kneading process, adding salt, and softened butter, one tablespoon at a time.Using the dough attachment, start mixing and kneading the dough until the liquid is completely absorbed into the flour.In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the warm milk/water, flour, sourdough starter, and egg. The night before baking, start making the bread dough.Now, if only I had planned this ahead of time, I would have added rye flour to the dough and then served the corned beef-stuffed bread with Russian dressing, to create a Stuffed Reuben Dutch Crunch! Shut the front door! Quick, buy more corned beef, and rye flour!

So, look, they found themselves stuffed inside the Giraffe! I also happened to have homemade purple cabbage sauerkraut on hand. Patrick’s Day, so what else is taking up residence in my fridge? Leftover corned beef, that’s what. Boomshakalaka! As my son would say, lol.īut I save the best for last. Remember when I made my Stuffed Meatballs in Guinness Gravy? Well, I had extra meatball mix and decided to stuff my dough with it. On the other hand, if you really want to make an impression, you stuff your Giraffe Bread. Not one with a crunchy topping like this. Warm from the oven, and maybe with just a little bit of butter, it makes a wonderful snack.īut, of course, you can always turn it into a slider. The crunchy topping, and the fact that it’s also a sourdough make this bread very flavorful. On its own, this bread is already very tasty. It also has that slight tang of sourdough that makes it extra flavorful. It stands better at being stuffed than a soft-crumb bread would. But it’s not dense like a bagel or pretzel. My sourdough version has a more robust crumb and is slightly chewy. Yeast, and an addition of sugar, will likely help achieve this. Yeast (dry active, instant, or fresh) can be used in place of the sourdough starter.īesides the crunchy exterior, Dutch Crunch Bread is described by many as having a soft interior crumb that’s slightly sweet. Most recipes don’t call for sourdough starter. The paste is applied just prior to baking, and as the bread bakes and expands, the paste crackles and becomes crispy. Salt and sugar may be included to add flavor. The crunchy topping on the bread is achieved by applying a paste made essentially with rice flour, water, yeast, and oil. We’re not talking about giraffe the animal, but giraffe the bread. Did you know giraffes only sleep for several minutes every few hours? I learned that from reading a book to second graders! In the future, I think I’ll refer to this Dutch Crunch Bread as Giraffe Bread instead.īesides, I love giraffes. The crunchy pattern on top of the bread does look distinctively giraffe-like. I, too, agree! That little girl is so perceptive! That’s the most appropriate name for this bread. In England, a little girl wrote a letter to the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain to have the bread renamed Giraffe Bread, and Sainsbury’s agreed.

The US supermarket chain Wegmans calls it Marco Polo Bread, and at one time even offered the bagel version in their store bakery. In the Netherlands, where it originates, it’s called Tijgerbrood (Tiger bread) or Tijgerbol (Tiger roll). What is Dutch Crunch Bread?ĭutch Crunch Bread is a type of bread popular in the Bay Area and is so named because of its Dutch origin and its signature crunchy and crackly coating.ĭutch Crunch Bread is also known by many other names.

Besides, once again my starter is starting to accumulate in my fridge, taking up precious space. So when I was trying my hand at creating Dutch Crunch Bread, I thought it was the right thing to use a sourdough starter.

Dutch crunch bread l.a.