Crispy Brushwood with a Secret Ingredient

Delicious, appetizing, simple, with a secret ingredient! This classic brushwood is good because after it you don’t have to wash not only the entire kitchen, but even the stove! Youʼll need a cauldron for this, but itʼs worth it, believe me. And adding vodka to the dough fills it with bubbles and makes it crispy.
cook time: 1h
Maya Lindell
Crispy Brushwood with a Secret Ingredient

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

492
Calories
39g
Fat
28g
Carbs
6g
Protein

Ingredients (5 portions)

Basic:

Wheat flour 1 cup
Eggs 2 pc
Vodka 1 tbsp
Salt 0.5 tsp

For frying:

Vegetable oil 1 cup

For sprinkling:

Powdered sugar 3 tbsp

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make classic brushwood? Prepare ingredients for making firewood. It may take a little more flour, it all depends on the size of the eggs you take, and on the flour itself — on its quality, on air humidity, etc. Plus a little flour will be used to roll out the dough. The amount of vegetable oil is also approximate. A glass will be needed for a small saucepan. I fried it in a large cauldron and it took a lot more oil.

Step 2

Step 2
Take a bowl and break eggs into it. Lightly beat them with a fork. It is not necessary to take a mixer or whisk for this purpose — our goal is only to mix the whites and yolks. Add salt while stirring.

Step 3

Step 3
Pour in a spoonful of cold vodka. Stir. Why is alcohol needed in this recipe? It is due to vodka that the dough, when fried, acquires many bubbles and becomes crispy. Don’t be alarmed, all the alcohol will disappear from the high temperature, so you can safely give firewood to children.

Step 4

Step 4
Start adding flour in portions, stirring the dough with a fork. When the dough becomes thick enough, start kneading with your hands. Some people make the dough in a mixer, but believe me, it’s much easier and faster to knead it with your hands. It is very easy.

Step 5

Step 5
Dust the board with flour and place the dough on it. Knead into a smooth dough; for this you will need to add a little more flour. It should become elastic and homogeneous. Well-kneaded dough is practically non-stick. Due to the fact that there is no water in this dough, kneading occurs quickly.

Step 6

Step 6
Cover the finished dough with a bowl and leave to stand for 10-15 minutes. During this time, the gluten will develop well, which will make the dough very elastic and roll out well. Donʼt be afraid that there isnʼt enough dough. This amount will make a large bowl of brushwood.

Step 7

Step 7
Cut half of the dough, be sure to cover the remaining piece with something so that it does not dry out. Roll out the dough into a thin layer. It should be very thin, literally a millimeter thick, do you see the pattern on my rug showing through? The thinner the dough, the tastier and crispier the brushwood will be.

Step 8

Step 8
Cut the dough into strips about 2 cm thick. Then cut the strips crosswise to make rectangular pieces. Make a cut in the center of each piece. Do not throw away the waste that comes from slicing; all of them can be cut randomly and fried.

Step 9

Step 9
Form brushwood. To do this, take the workpiece and turn it through the cut hole. The video clearly shows how to do this. (This is how classic Soviet brushwood is made. But you can cut it in a completely arbitrary way. This is not prohibited and not critical) Immediately turn out all the pieces so that they are ready for frying, this will be more convenient and faster.

Step 10

Step 10
Take a container that is convenient for deep frying. I specifically take a tall cauldron. It may not be exactly beautiful, but it’s the best for frying. The oil does not splash and heats up very well. Pour in oil. There should be a lot of it, at least 5 cm. Heat the oil over medium heat. How to check that the oil is hot enough? Dip a wooden stick into it, if the oil is warm enough, bubbles will immediately begin to form around it.

Step 11

Step 11
Dip the pieces into the oil. Keep in mind that brushwood expands greatly in size when frying; do not add too much.

Step 12

Step 12
Fry the brushwood, turning it with a fork, on all sides until golden brown. Turn the heat to medium; on high, the oil will begin to burn, but on low, the dough will not fry.

Step 13

Step 13
When the brushwood becomes a beautiful golden color, remove it with a slotted spoon. Prepare a plate with paper napkins in advance. Place brushwood on them to absorb excess fat. Sprinkle the finished brushwood thickly with powdered sugar. In the same way, fry all the brushwood from the first batch, and then make the second. I rolled out and cut the brushwood during the frying process.

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