Žemľovka

Žemľovka is a Slovak baked dessert of stale rolls, soaked in sweetened milk and egg and layered with apple.

It belongs to the family of bread puddings, which use bread that is no longer fresh. The rolls are soaked, layered with apple and sometimes raisins, then baked until the custard sets and the top turns golden.

What it really is

Stale rolls are sliced and soaked in milk sweetened with sugar, then combined with beaten egg. The soaked rolls go into a buttered dish in layers, with sliced apple between them and raisins in the kitchens that use them. As it bakes, the custard sets around the bread and fruit, so the dish cuts into soft, moist portions with a golden top. Because it is made from bread that is no longer fresh, it is a practical way to use up rolls. It contains no meat.

How it's served

• Warm from the oven, cut into portions and lifted out with a spoon or slice.
• As a dessert, with the layers of apple visible in the cut edge.
• Cooled to room temperature when it is served later in the day.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the base on the menu: rolls, so guests know it is a baked bread pudding and not a sponge cake.
• Name the apple as the fruit layer, since it is the standard filling.
• Flag wheat from the rolls, milk from the milk and butter, and eggs from the custard.
• Say whether raisins are included, and list them as a separate ingredient for guests who avoid them.
• State whether it is served warm or at room temperature, and mark it as vegetarian.