Ciabatta bread recipe in breadmaker

If only bread-makers could make artisan styled products... No, not really.
If I'm not in the mood to start from scratch then I see nothing wrong using gadgets to help me on my way. Ciabatta is a great bread - easy enough to buy from the supermarket when getting groceries - but so much tastier when made fresh at home.
So, here's an easy recipe for Ciabatta that lets your bread machine do all the kneading and tastes like you spent hours on it.

Ciabatta breadmaker recipe

1½ cups water
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3¼ cups flour
1½ teaspoons yeast

1.  Put all the ingredients into your breadmaker in the order above. 
2.  Select the dough only cycle and press start. 
3.  In this recipe - sticky and wet dough = a fluffy loaf - so leave it be.
4.  Once the kneader blade stops churning and the dough cycle beeps "finished", leave the dough alone for 15 minutes.  
5.  Tip the rested dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 2 loaves
6.  Line baking paper onto a baking tray and place the loaves on the baking paper
7.  Dimple each loaf with your fingers and LIGHTLY dust the top of the loaves with flour
8.  Cover with a teatowel and let the loaves 'rest' for 45 minutes
9.  Preheat oven to 200°C
10. Place the tray on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes
11. Let bread cool then enjoy

This same Ciabatta dough can be used to make square rolls instead of loaves. Just divide the dough into 4, 6, or 8 equal amounts - 12 if you're going to make sliders. Nice and easy.


Ciabatta bread maker recipe

Stollen – Christmas bread recipe with pictures

For me, Stollen is the epitome of Christmas celebration food.

Bread is bread – but stick to the basics and with the addition of some interesting ingredients – it can get very tasty. A choice of sweet or savoury...

This festive fruit bread is the most expensive bread I’ve made but so far, but ranks as my all-time favourite. 

If the thought of buying all the ingredients in one go causes you to reach for the phone to get some budgetary advice, start buying some ingredients now, so when Christmas week arrives you can enjoy the process.

I used our bread making machine to take care of the dough making, but if you like the artisan approach to doing everything by hand – go for it.

And - since the recipe makes two loaves, you’ll have one spare to give as a gift.

Stollen for Christmas

Stollen – Christmas bread recipe

Ingredients

125g mixed peel

100g raisins

100g dried cranberries

5 tablespoons dark rum I don’t drink rum, but one of those small bottles (think airline food) is the exact amount you’ll need.)

14g dried yeast

60g caster sugar

250ml warm milk (=1 cup)

freshly grated nutmeg

700g flour

pinch of salt

85g butter, melted

4 eggs

100g shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

300g marzipan

2 tablespoons milk for egg glaze

1 cup icing sugar

¼ cup water

Method

Mix together the fruit and peel. Sprinkle the rum over and set aside.

Dissolve the yeast and a pinch of the sugar in the warm (not hot) milk and set aside somewhere warm to activate.

When it starts to bubble (about 10 minutes), sprinkle on the nutmeg and remaining sugar.

Rub the flour and salt together with the butter then stir in the yeast mix.

(this is where the trusty bread machine came in handy – but Please! – remember...only use the dough option – You are NOT using the machine to bake the bread as well)

 Beat 2 eggs and add to the yeast mix with the fruit.

The dough should be elastic and firm; add a little more milk if it is crumbly.

Cover with a clean cloth and place in a large bowl.

(If you are using the dough only function on your bread machine then let it rise the dough for you)

Set aside somewhere warm to rest until it doubles in size (about 40 minutes).

Knock down gently, fold over, tip out on a floured surface and knead lightly.

Split the dough into 2 balls.

Roll the first ball into a long oval about 20cm x 10cm and 5mm thick.

Sprinkle half the pistachios over.

Roll out half the marzipan into a log and place in the centre of the dough.

marzipan

Roll the dough firmly round the marzipan.

Beat 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk and a sprinkling of sugar, and brush the edges of the dough to seal.

Form into a firm, long sausage shape and seal the ends by folding over the edges and tucking.

Repeat with the other ball of dough.

 Place the 2 loaves on a baking tray that has been sprayed or lined with baking paper. Set aside again to prove (rise); they will swell, but not quite double.

Glaze all over with more of the egg wash and bake at 170°C for 25-30 minutes.



Remove the loaves from the oven and cool

Meanwhile, make a fondant icing by mixing the icing sugar and water to a thick paste.

Apply the paste liberally over the cool bread

Slice your Stollen anyway you like – thick or thin – and enjoy...

Have a great Christmas season

Stollen recipe with pictures

Christmas time...

It just wouldn't be the same without some tasty Stollen.
This festive cake can be enjoyed with family and friends, and the spare loaf given as a gift.

As inclination and time permit, I'll be posting the step-by-step photos and blurbs...

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