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OLIVE BREAD.
Olives are rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body, preventing cellular damage and supporting overall health.
3 ½ cups wholemeal flour
1 cup of plain flour and a little extra to coat the olives before adding them to the batter
2 ½ tsp dry yeast
1 tablespoon of raw sugar or honey
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 ½ cups warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
Cornmeal for dusting the uncooked bread.
2 tablespoons dried herbs (optional)
Note:
The amount of flour depends on the liquid held in the olives. After adding the olives, add flour until you have a soft, pliable dough.
Using the dough hook in a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, and herbs, if using them. Add the honey and warm water, and gently mix until the dough comes together. Coat the olives in flour, add half of the chopped olives and the salt, and mix quickly until the dough forms a ball. Add the remaining olives; extra flour will be needed after adding the olives. Dust your benchtop with flour, and remove the dough from the bowl. Knead it into a ball. Wipe the inside of a large bowl with olive oil, add the dough, and smother the top in oil.
Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Lightly oil the baking pans of your choice, but not too much, as that will cause the bread to fry. Once the dough has risen, place it on a lightly floured surface and gently flatten it. Divide the dough into two, shape each into the shape of the baking dish, cover each with cornmeal, and pop them into the baking dishes. Heat the oven to 210°C. When the dough has risen again, use a sharp knife to cut 2-3 fine cuts (not deep) on the top of each loaf. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden. Do not let the crust darken, as it will become bitter. If the crust is darkening too quickly, make a foil tent and cover it. Continue baking until a fine wooden skewer comes out clean. Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool before slicing.
Pair with: Eggplant caponata / Walnut pesto.
RYE BREAD.
Rye originated as a wild weed in ancient Mesopotamia and became widely cultivated in central and eastern Europe during the Middle Ages. Despite Pliny the Elder dismissing it, rye is rich in essential vitamins and minerals, such as potassium and manganese. It supports weight loss and alleviates constipation, stomach pain, and gas. Including rye in your diet may also help prevent ulcers and some cancers, contributing to better digestive health.
5 cups unbleached plain flour
1 cup rye flour-light, medium, or pumpernickel
1 level tablespoon of dried yeast
2 tablespoons of coconut sugar
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup powdered soy milk (dried coconut left an odd flavour)
2 heaped tablespoons of caraway seeds
2 cups of lukewarm water
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until they are well mixed and evenly moistened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or in a Kitchen Aid until it forms into a ball. Then, transfer it to a lightly oiled work surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. Please let it rise, which may take up to two hours. Lightly oil baking pans of your choice, and add a heaped dessert spoon of plain flour. Stand over the sink and tip the oiled pans sideways until they are finely coated with flour. Holding the pans upside down, tap their bases to remove any excess flour. When your dough has risen, gently tip it out on your oiled workbench with as little handling as possible. Divide the dough into two. You can form shapes to fit your prepared baking containers, then gently transfer the dough into them. Cover baking pans with a damp cloth, and let the dough rise again.
Preheat the oven to 180 °F, fan forced. Bake your Rye Bread on a low shelf for 25 to 45 minutes, being careful not to overcook it.
Remove the bread from the oven, wait fifteen minutes, and turn it on a rack to cool.
Cool completely before slicing. This bread freezes well if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
Pair with: Beetroot-cashew pâté / Quick-pickled cucumbers.
SCOTTISH SOFTIES, aka SOFT WHITE BUNS.
This recipe was given to me by a lady visiting from Scotland. I don't know if it was her recipe or another's. I do know it's fabulously soft and fluffy.
4½ cups flour
½ cup vegan margarine
2 teaspoons raw sugar
2 teaspoons fine salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup lukewarm soy or other plant milk
4 teaspoons yeast
An extra cup of flour for kneading the dough
Place flour, margarine and salt into a bowl and mix with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir the lukewarm milk, water, sugar, and yeast separately until they are dissolved. Cover and place in a warm area until it is frothy. Mix again, then add the flour mixture and stir until it starts to come together to form a dough. Transfer to a KitchenAid or use a handheld mixer. Knead the dough by hand or with a machine until it's smooth and elastic. Take a small ball and stretch it. You should be able to see it as a thin, membrane-like structure. Make a dough ball by spinning it on the benchtop and folding the ends under it.
Oil a big bowl and place the dough in it. Cover it with plastic wrap, then let it rest in a warm place until it has doubled in size. I use my oven and switch on the light for this. Punch it down and knead it again for 5 minutes. Divide into 12 pieces and roll each piece into twelve balls. Dust the bottom of a baking tray with flour, and space the balls evenly on the tray, allowing them to expand. Dust the top of the balls and allow them to rise again. (It takes about twenty minutes sitting on a kitchen bench. Preheat the oven to 220°c (425°f) and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, until pale golden and a hollow sound is heard when lightly tapped. Cool before eating.
Pair with: Jackfruit "tuna" salad / Coconut-based curry.
SOURDOUGH BREAD.
In the Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology, Michael Gaenzle informed, "One of the oldest sourdough breads dates back to 3700 BCE and was excavated in Switzerland, but the origin of sourdough fermentation likely relates to the origins of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent and Egypt several thousand years earlier." The Egyptians discovered that a mix of flour and water, left to sit for a short time and fed regularly, would undergo natural fermentation, capturing wild yeast and bacteria from the environment. This resulted in risen bread with a tangy taste. When making your starter, please choose a time of day when you can regularly feed it. Your starter is a creature of habit and must be fed regularly at the same time every day. Your starter will fail if you are late with the time and measurements.
Sourdough Starter recipe for a symbiotic community of lactic acid bacteria and wild yeast.
whole wheat or rye flour
unbleached plain flour
filtered water
a large, tall glass container
a wooden, glass or plastic stirring utensil
a rubber band that will fit easily around the large glass container
Day 1.
Add one cup of rye, wheat, or unbleached white flour to the jar. Slowly stir in one cup of filtered water. Keep stirring until there are no lumps. Set the jar in a warm area and loosely cover it with a clean, dry towel. Wait twenty-four hours before your next step.
Day 2:
Discard one cup of starter and thoroughly stir in one cup of filtered water and one cup of your preferred flour. Cover the container loosely again, placing your container in the same warm place to mature. Wait another twenty-four hours.
Day 3:
Discard two cups of starter. Thoroughly stir in one cup of filtered water and one cup of preferred flour. Cover loosely again and return the jar to its warm position.
12 hours later
Repeat the instructions for Day Three.
Days 4-6:
Repeat day three instructions, feeding every twelve hours.
Day 7:
If your starter is a bubbling concoction, it's ready to use in baking. If it's a slow starter, continue to discard and feed it every 12 hours until it bubbles. It can take up to two weeks, depending on your home's temperature and the type of flour used. Your starter is ready when you visibly see bubbles throughout. After your fermentation reaches its peak, it may collapse or not. Ignore the collapse if it happens. Repeat Day Three. If you leave it for about two hours, then carefully cover the jar and refrigerate your yeast colony.
Maintenance for your starter.
You must discard and feed your starter to keep it healthy before using it for baking. Your starter develops a tangier flavour as it ages. Please carefully cover the jar and let it sleep in your refrigerator for up to a week before repeating instructions for DAY THREE.
Wake your starter up before using it for baking.
Take it out of the fridge, remove the lid, cover it loosely with a soft cloth, and place it on the kitchen bench for about two hours. Repeat DAY THREE instructions. If it still sleeps, repeat DAY THREE instructions until it wakes up.
Sourdough Rye Bread Recipe
4 cups of rye
1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
1 ½ cups of pumpkin seeds
1 dessertspoon caraway seeds (optional)
2 ½ cups of water (you may need more, but a thick or thin dough still bakes to make bread).
2 tablespoons of cane molasses. (Molasses made from other products may be too sweet)
1 cup sourdough starter
Combine water, molasses, and starter, stirring until it is smooth.
Combine the flour, salt, pumpkin, and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Form a well in the centre and gradually add the water mix.
Add the water to a well in the centre of the flour.
Once the starter and molasses are well dissolved in the water, incorporate the flour mixture and stir with a strong spoon until the dough is mixed. The dough will be sticky. Leave the dough in the same bowl, smooth the surface, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it ferment and rise, which may take up to 10 hours, depending on the room temperature. It has risen when it takes on a honeycomb-like appearance, forming tiny bubbles.
At this stage, oil and line a baking pan. You can use only a little oil, as you don't want to fry your loaf. I use a heavy-duty professional baking tin as the bread is evenly baked every time. Shape the dough, put it in the prepared tin, and cover it with plastic wrap. When risen to at least half its volume (perhaps another 3-5 hours), preheat the oven to 210 °c or 410°f. Remove the plastic wrap and bake uncovered for 35 minutes, or until medium to dark golden brown, if your bread is colouring too quickly. Place a tent of foil over the top. Many prefer the dark golden brown. It is baked when the bread sounds hollow when you tap it. Remove from the pan. Cool the bread for twelve hours before slicing.
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