No. 981 — Baked Smoked Ham in Rye-Bread Dough
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 981 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Take a large smoked ham from the hindquarter of a pig, soak overnight in cold water, wash with boiling water, rub thoroughly with wheat bran, rinse in clean cold water and dry.
Bake the ham together with the rye bread: cover it entirely with dough prepared for baking bread and put it into the oven at the same time as the loaves.
Remove when the bread is taken out, but do not remove the dough crust until it has cooled.
Clean the ham with a knife, cut and fold back the upper skin halfway, stud decoratively with cloves in stripes or a checked pattern, and sprinkle with one teaspoon each of fine sugar and cinnamon.
Return to the oven for a few minutes to melt and lightly brown the sugar.
The author describes serving ham prepared this way for Easter. After the meat has been eaten over several days, the skin and remaining bones may be chopped up and added in small portions to borscht or soups made from sorrel, nettles or spinach for flavour.