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Braided Loaf with Poppy Seeds

Wednesday, December 02, 2020

A very simple yeast bread dough is divided into four strands and braided to form an elegant loaf. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds before baking. It is crispy and flaky on the outside and soft tender on the inside. Braiding 4 strands of dough can be tricky, but the technique isn't hard to master and it's actually easier than you think. Here is a video on How to braid a 4-strand loaf.

7 g Dry yeast
2 tsp Coconut sugar or raw brown sugar
200 ml Warm water
350 g All-purpose or bread flour
1 tsp Sea salt
4 tbsp Olive oil
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tbsp Poppy seeds
1 tsp Sea salt

Place yeast, sugar and warm water in a jug. Whisk with a fork until yeast has dissolved. Stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.
Sift flour into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix on low speed to form a soft dough. Increase the speed and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes.
Turn out the dough and shape into a ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Using your fist, punch dough down. Knead until smooth.
Line a pullman pan with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 even portions. Roll each portion into a 35-cm strand, slightly tapering the ends. Form into a plait, tucking the ends under. Place it into the prepared loaf pan.
Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 50 minutes or until dough has almost doubled in size. Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced/400F.
Brush dough top with egg. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and salt. Bake for 25-35 minutes until nicely golden and crunchy. Cool on a wire rack, then serve with poppy seed spread or butter, if desired.

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Muhammara Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip

Sunday, November 29, 2020

A traditional Middle Eastern red pepper and walnut dip, this Muhammara recipe is easy and quick to make. Originating from Syria, muhammara tastes deliciously spicy, nutty, tangy and pairs perfectly well with fresh flatbread or any of your favourite bread. If you’re short on time, you can use jarred roasted red peppers instead. Muhammara can be made in advance as it keeps well in the fridge for a few days and the flavour develops even better after storing a day in the fridge, but be sure to bring the dip to room temperature before serving.

Muhammara	Flour Tortillas
3 Red bell peppers, halved and seeded 25 g Fresh breadcrumbs 1 tbsp dried Aleppo chilli flakes (or 1 Long fresh red chilli, halved, seeded, and chopped) 1 Large garlic clove, crushed 1-2 tsp Ground cumin 1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses 1/2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice 50 g Walnuts, toasted and chopped plus more for garnish 1/2 tsp Sea salt 2 tbsp Olive oil	250 g Plain flour 130 g Whole spelt flour 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Baking powder 80 ml Olive oil 240 ml Hot water

Whisk together the flours, salt and baking powder into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add in the olive oil and hot water . Mix on a low speed until a firm smooth ball forms, about 5 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 8-10 equal portions.
Flatten each dough ball with the palm of your hand as much as you can, then cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out each ball into an 18-20cm round.
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over a medium-high heat. Cook each dough round for 30 to 45 seconds or until beginning to puff up and brown patches appear on underside. Turn. Cook for a further 30 seconds or until beginning to puff up and brown patches appear on underside.
Wrap in a clean tea towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining dough. Serve.

Heat the oven to 200C/400F. Put the pepper halves on a tray and roast for about 35 minutes until they are cooked and the skin is blackened. Put the peppers in a bowl, cover with cling-film and, once cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin.
Pulse the breadcrumbs, red pepper, red chilli, garlic, cumin, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, walnuts and sea salt in a food processor until almost smooth.
With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until the oil is completely incorporated. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with some chopped walnuts. Serve at room temperature with your favourite bread.

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Roasted Purple Carrots with Cilantro Yoghurt and Pistachios

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

I love how coriander, garlic, chilli pepper and roasted pistachios add aroma, texture and flavour to this otherwise simple roasted vegetable recipe. The combination of tangy Greek yoghurt and sweet carrot is just perfect. It makes a feast of a light lunch or if you are looking for a more substantial meal, toss it with some whole grains or grilled meat. It is simple to make, and you can use other root vegetables too, like parsnips, rutabagas or beets. It would be great to sprinkle some dukkah (a Middle Eastern spice blend made with toasted nuts, seeds and fragrant spices) over too.

	Cilantro Yoghurt
750 g Purple carrots, halved lengthwise if large 3 tbsp Olive oil 4-5 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 3 Thyme sprigs 1/2 tsp Coriander powder Salt and black pepper 2 tbsp Toasted unsalted pistachios, chopped 1/3 tsp Chilli pepper flakes Cilantro leaves and thyme	250 g 10% Greek yoghurt 1 tbsp Cilantro leaves, chopped Juice of 1/2 lemon Salt

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Place carrots, garlic and thyme on a baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with coriander, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yoghurt, chopped cilantro, and lemon juice. Stir well to combine and add salt to taste.
Spread the prepared yoghurt on a platter and arrange roasted carrots on top. Scatter chopped pistachios, chilli pepper flakes and fresh herbs on top, and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

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Pineapple, Matcha, and Puffed Teff Granola Wedges

Monday, November 23, 2020

Give your granola bars a nutritious boost with matcha- a fine green tea powder, packed with antioxidants. These granola wedges are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar-free. Substitute your favorite dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds for the pumpkin seeds and/or dried pineapple in these granola bars. Puffed teff can be substituted with quinoa or amaranth pops too.


220 g Rolled oats 120 g Pepitas 100 ml Maple syrup 5 tbsp Almond butter 3 tbsp Coconut oil 1 tsp Vanilla paste 75 g Dried pineapple, thinly sliced 80 g Puffed teff (or armanth or quinoa) 1/2 tsp Sea salt 1 tbsp Matcha powder

Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Combine rolled oats and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the oats are lightly toasted and have a nutty aroma. Remove and set aside to cool.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil, and vanilla paste. Whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled oats and pumpkin seeds with the dried pineapple, puffed teff, sea salt, and matcha powder. Pour the almond butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir quickly to mix.
Spread the mix into an 9-10 inch springform pan lined with plastic wrap or baking paper. Press down the mixture firmly. Place in the fridge for a couple hours to firm up, then remove from fridge and slice into wedges. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up two weeks.