Bread Recipe - Caramelised Onion, Borlotti Bean & Cumin Loaf

This is my next 'project' - funny, it seems I'm on a bread theme on this blog so far...
http://www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageID=50124&r=8

- OK, I got everything sorted, so here is the recipe and matching photos. I have to say, this is one of the tastiest breads I've ever made...

Ingredients:
500g (4 cups) high grade flour plus extra for kneading
1 teaspoon salt
8g instant dried yeast
325ml warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra to oil bowl with

For the filling:
½ cup Borlotti beans, soaked overnight
3 red onions
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for garnish
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 egg beaten
flaky sea salt

Method
for the dough
Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt, sugar and yeast. Combine the water and olive oil in a jug and, mixing by hand, start incorporating it into the flour until all mixed in and the dough has formed into a ball.
Tip on to a floured board and knead or 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. This can be done in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook or a heavy-duty food processor fitted with a plastic blade; process for 1½ minutes.) Roll the dough around in a lightly oiled bowl until coated. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and leave to rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.

for the filling:
Drain the beans, place in a saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. Slice 2 of the onions. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and add 2 teaspoons of the cumin seeds and the sliced onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes until soft.

Increase the heat to medium and stir in the sugar and vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes then stir in the beans and parsley. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Roll the dough into a 65cm-long roll and flatten to 15cm width.
Arrange the onion and bean mixture along the middle.

Brush the long edges with some beaten egg then roll the dough over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Roll the bread over so the seal is underneath. Shape into a ring and press the ends together.

Place on a lightly floured baking tray, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.Slash the top of the bread diagonally at 6cm intervals with a sharp knife and brush with beaten egg. Slice the remaining onion into wedges and toss in a little olive oil.

Arrange on top of the bread and scatter with the reserved cumin seeds and flaky salt.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden. Serves 8.

pete's recipe trials

Saffron and Pumpkin Grissini - recipe with pictures

Saffron and Pumpkin Grissini

Cuisine magazine (Issue 119 November 2006) has quite a few recipes we're keen to try. 

Page 138 has this recipe on it:

Saffron and Pumpkin Grissini by Fiona Smith.

Ingredients:
350g pumpkin, peeled
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
125ml hot water
450g (4 cups) high grade flour plus extra for kneading
8g instant dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra to oil bowl with


Cook the pumpkin in simmering water until tender and drain. 
Place in a bowl, cover with a dry tea towel and leave to dry out for 10 minutes.Mash and set aside to cool.
Soak the saffron in the hot water for 15 minutes. Check the saffron water is still warm; if not, heat it to warm.
Put the flour, yeast, salt and cooled pumpkin in a food processor fitted with a plastic blade. With the machine running, add the saffron water and oil through the feed tube. Process until it forms a soft mass (this didn't quite happen for me so I had to mix the gluggy mass myself) then process for 30 seconds more.
Turn out on to a floured board and knead for 2 minutes. 
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and rest for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Knead the dough again lightly, flatten to a 40cm x 15cm rectangle then cut into 1cm strips. Roll and stretch each strip to about 30cm and place on a lightly floured oven tray (you will need to bake in two batches – unless you have two big ovens). 
Bake for 16 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake a further 15 minutes. 
Cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container (I used our spaghetti holder) for up to 2 weeks.
If the Grissini soften, crisp them up in a 160°C oven for 10 minutes. 
Makes 32

Pumpkin and Saffron  Grissini

Courgette, Feta, Chili and Mint Flat Bread recipe

Courgette, Feta, Chilli and Mint Flatbread

Chilli and mint is always a great combination. 

Add courgettes to the mix and your taste buds are in treat-territory..
It also goes great in a salad - or with pasta - and definitely goes well with this flat bread.

For the flatbread
250g flour (industrial quality preferred)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
150ml tepid water
½ teaspoon dried yeast

For the topping
2 courgettes, very finely sliced lengthways
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large red chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
150g feta cheese, crumbled



To Serve
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint leaves
extra virgin olive oil


For the flatbread
In a bowl, combine flour and salt. 
Make a well in the centre and add the olive oil, water and yeast.
Stir the water, yeast and olive oil with a fork to combine.
Gradually mix the flour into the liquid to form a dough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured workbench and knead until the dough is smooth and silky.
Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until it has doubled it's bulk (on a good day this can take about half an hour).



Punch the dough down then roll into a square on a well floured surface.
Ideally, this bread is baked in a wood-fired stone oven but not many houses have them incorporated into the design - so a pizza stone - or heavy baking sheet in the bottom of a hot oven (220C) will have to do.
Bake the flatbread for 10 minutes
Top with the ingredients below and continue baking for another 10-12 minutes - or until the flatbead is crisp and appears slightly golden around the edges

For the topping
Combine all the ingredients, spread over the flatbread and bake as above


To serve
Sprinkle the hot bread with coarsly choped mint and a good drizzle of olive oil.
Then cut the flatbread into finger-lenghth slices and serve straight away
Makes 20-24 pieces.



If you have people in the family who absolutely abhor chilli - use finely chopped red capsicum instead - (though in this case I did sneak a drizzling of store bought sweet chilli sauce over the mix before the second baking stage).

Anyway, here are the photos and if you like what you see, please feel free to try it out for yourselves...


Courgette, Feta, Chili and Mint Flatbread recipe