Ponie
6 servings
90 minutes
The recipe is taken from the book "French Regional Cuisine" by Joël Robuchon and Loïc Bienassy. In the past, in the provinces, when they baked homemade bread, they often left a handful (in local patois pougna or pugna) of dough and added pastry to it to make a dessert. Some believe that the name "ponie" comes from this handful. This recipe is from Romans-sur-Isère, but it is known far beyond the borders of Dauphiné. Nowadays, bread is no longer baked at home, but ponie is still made from yeast dough.
1
Dissolve the yeast in 70–80 ml of warm salted water with 20 g of sugar. Add 100 g of flour. Cover the mixture with a damp cloth and leave it overnight.
- Fresh yeast: 20 g
- Salt: to taste
- Wheat flour: 500 g
2
In a ceramic bowl, mix the remaining flour and sugar, making a well. Gradually pour in the orange blossom water, eggs, and then yesterday's dough. Beat the dough well to make it rise. Add butter.
- Wheat flour: 500 g
- Orange blossom water: 1.5 tablespoon
- Chicken egg: 6 pieces
- Butter: 300 g
3
Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and let it rise for 2 hours. Knead the dough with floured hands. Shape it into a ball again and let it rise in a bowl covered with a damp towel for another 4-5 hours.
4
Separate a quarter of the dough, shape it into a ring, place it on a baking sheet lightly greased with vegetable oil, leaving space for a second ring.
- Vegetable oil: to taste
5
Cover the remaining dough with a damp cloth again, let the dough rings rise for 20-30 minutes.
6
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 210 degrees. When the rings are ready, make cuts on the surface with a sharp knife dipped in cold water. Place in the oven for 30 minutes (check readiness with the tip of a knife; it should come out dry). After removing from the oven, place on a rack.
7
Also make two more rings from the remaining dough.
8
Chill and remember that ponies are good not only for dessert but also for breakfast.