This dough can be prepared in 2 ways — making sponge dough or without it. Sponge dough is made if much shortening (butter, sugar, eggs) is used.
Spongeless dough method. Dissolve yeast in warm milk or water, add sugar, salt, stir well until dissolved, add eggs and flour. Knead dough adding softened fat or vegetable oil in the end. Cover dough with clean cloth and leave for fermentation for 3-4 hours.
To remove the excess of carbon gas and enrish the dough with oxygen, make knock-backs and let the dough rise again. The 1st knock-back is made in 1–2 hours, the 2nd — in more 2 hours.
Sponge dough method. To warm (100oF/40oC) water or milk add dissolved in water and strained yeast, stir in half of the flour and mix until homogeneous. Sprinkle the sponge dough surface with flour, cover with cloth and leave for fermentation in warm place for 2-3 hours.
When the sponge cake rises twice its initial size and begins to sink, add the rest of the liquid with dissolved sugar and salt, add eggs, mix well, stir in flour and knead dough. At the end of the kneading add softened fat. Cover the dough with cloth and leave for fermentation for 2-3 hours. While the dough ripens, make several knock-backs.
Mature dough rises twice its initial size, becomes smoothly-textured, a hollow pressed on its surface levels gradually, the dough doesn’t stick to hands and easily comes off the bowl sides.
