String-gredients
Butter
Flour
Water
Salt
(Seriously. That's it.)
There's two steps to enjoying String Bread: HEAT and EAT. (And maybe have a napkin or two handy.)
FOR CRISPY STRINGS
Preheat oven to 350
Place String bread on pie tin or baking sheet
Cook for about 10 minutes
FOR CRUNCHY STRINGS
Preheat medium pan
Break string bread apart and place in pan
Cook for about 5 minutes
FOR BUBBLY STRINGS
Place string bread on microwave safe plate
Heat on high for about 60 seconds
Careful not to overcook!
Let it cool down for a few minutes, pull it apart and enjoy!
Food that would make Grandma proud. And her Grandma, too.
You take your first bite of String Bread and ask "How is this deliciousness possible?!"
Have we harnessed the power of the Elder Wand? Made an unholy deal with the devil? Blind chance, perhaps? No. It's even more diabolical than that. The secret came from... Albanians!
In 1915 my Great Grandmother, Thomaida, and her siblings immigrated to America. They brought with them a single suitcase, a lot of faith and the recipe for String Bread. Called "brushtul" in the native tongue, the recipe is several hundred years old and originated in Katundi, a small village in the Southeast part of Albania.
In 1995 the women of my family (who hold a majority) returned to Katundi to climb up into the branches of the family tree. After reuniting with our distant cousins and traveling throughout the country they were shocked to discover <dramatic music plays> no-one had any memory of String Bread or how to make it!! This could have represented the end, the secrets of the recipe lost forever. Except, it wasn't. Because my family saved it by bringing it to America.
String Bread is traditionally enjoyed at celebrations and holiday meals. Growing up I watched my mother make it as part of our festivities, anxious for it to cool down enough to steal a bite. I always look forward to sharing it with family and friends, and now you can, too.
Headed to a gathering and you don't know what to bring? Bring String Bread! I think you will find it pairs well with companions, laughter and the making of great memories.
