Tag: bread

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Feta-Filled Flatbreads

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Feta-Filled Flatbreads
Feta-Filled Flatbreads

200g self-raising flour
170g greek yoghurt
Filling:
50g baby spinach
50g feta cheese, crumbed
30ml cream cheese, room temperature
1 clove of garlic, minced
a few grindings of black pepper
40ml frozen peas, defrosted
a handful of mint leaves, chopped

Add the flour and yoghurt to a mixing bowl and bring together.
Knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes – you want a soft, bouncy dough. (Add more flour if you have to, but the dough becomes less sticky as you knead it).
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Place the spinach in a bowl and pour boiling water over. Stand for 1 minutes, drain and squeeze the spinach as dry as you can get it, in a tea towel.
Chop it up and add it to a bowl.
Add the feta, cream cheese, garlic, pepper, peas and mint and mix together.
Unwrap the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions.
Make a ball from each portion and then press it into a circle with your fingers.
Spoon a tablespoon full of filling in the centre and then bring in the edges and seal by squeezing it together.
Turn the filled disc over and flatten out with your fingers until about 1,5cm thick.
Set aside and repeat the process with the rest of the dough and filling.
Place a non-stick pan on medium-low heat and add a small knob of butter.
Place the flatbreads in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes PER SIDE.
Serve warm.

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Easter Celebration Bread

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Easter Celebration Bread
Easter Celebration Bread

500ml milk, tepid
250ml x 6 all-purpose flour
30ml sugar
15ml instant yeast
10ml salt
85ml butter, cubed, room temperature

Fit a dough hook on your stand mixer.
Add the milk, 5 x 250ml flour, sugar, yeast and salt to the mixer bowl.
Turn the mixer on a low speed and knead to bring together.
Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft, workable dough.
Knead for 3 minutes on medium-low speed, until you have a smooth elastic dough.
Add the butter and continue to knead on medium-low speed until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic.
Cover the dough with a tea towel and allow to rise for 60-90 minutes.
Spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray and set aside.
Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
Divide in half.
Shape one half into a 22cm diameter disc and place in the prepared cake tin.
Divide the other half into three equal portions and roll each into a rope about 60cm long.
Now braid the three ropes together and place the braid flat around the edge of the pan, forming a circle.
Trim the ends of the braid so that it “meets” neatly.
Place an uncooked egg in the centre of the circle – this symbolises birth/new life.
Cover the tin with a tea towel and leave to double – it should take about an hour.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the bread in the oven and bake for 55 minutes.
Remove from the cake tin and cool completely on a wire rack.

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Wholewheat Quickbread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Wholewheat Quickbread
Wholewheat Quickbread

250g wholewheat flour
250g cake flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml salt
420ml cultured buttermilk
edible food colourant paste if you want to decorate the bread

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the two flours, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a mixing bowl.
Pour in the buttermilk and stir the ingredients until it comes together as a dough.
Flour a work surface and tip the dough on it.
Gently roll and fold the dough to form a ball shape – do not knead!!
Place the shaped bread on the prepared baking sheet and dust off the excess flour with a pastry brush.
If you would like to paint on the bread, now is the time. I used a paste colourant that I normally use to colour cake icing. Simply paint directly on the bread and voila!!
Now make two cross cuts in the bread – be careful not to cut straight through.
Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes – If you are not painting and fiddling, allow the bread 30 minutes.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Cool the quick bread completely before slicing.

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Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread
Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread

1 x 250 g bottle of cheese spread
150g butter, cubed
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 red chillies, very finely chopped
250ml grated mozzarella cheese
2 sourdough loafs or baguettes

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Add the cheese spread, butter, garlic and chillies to a small saucepan and place over a low heat.
Stir the mixture around while the butter melts. Keep going until amalgamated.
Add the grated mozzarella and stir until the cheese has melted and has incorporated into the sauce. Take from the heat.
Slice the bread on the diagonal into slices 2cm apart, taking care not to go all the way through to the bottom.
Spread the cheese mixture generously between the slices.
Wrap the bread in foil. (You may freeze one loaf at this stage).
Place the loaf on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.

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Potato-Cheese Flatbread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Potato-Cheese Flatbread
Potato-Cheese Flatbread

Yields two flatbreads

3 potatoes, cooked (about 250 – 350ml cooked potato)
60ml butter
250ml cheese, grated (I use parmesan and cheddar)
5ml salt
5ml garlic salt
15ml chives, chopped
250ml yoghurt
375ml self-raising flour
butter

Mash the cooked potato while it is still warm and mix in the butter, cheese, salt, garlic salt and chives. Set aside to cool.
Add the yoghurt and flour to a bowl and combine.
Knead until you have a smooth ball of dough – add a small amount of flour if the dough is too sticky.
Divide the dough in two balls.
Roll out into a circle of 1cm thickness.
Add half the potato mixture, flatten into a smaller circle and gather the edges of the dough around the filling. Pinch together the dough to seal the potato filling.
Flip the filled dough and gently roll it out to a disk shape that will fit your pan.
Pan-fry on both sides on medium heat, until golden, brushing with melted butter.
Serve the bread warm.

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Chocolate Bread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chocolate Bread

If you long for slightly warm pain au chocolat directly from a Paris pâtisserie, long no more! This chocolate bread offers real competition! If you battle to understand the finishing instructions, go to my instagram account (karen_claassen) or my YouTube channel, for a demonstration video.

300ml milk

30ml butter

10g instant yeast

80ml sugar

a pinch of salt

850ml cake flour

2 egg yolks

350g chocolate spread

2 egg whites

Put a small saucepan onto the heat and warm the milk in it.

Stir the butter into the milk so that it can melt.

Allow the milk to come to a temperature where you can comfortably keep your finger in it without feeling it is hot.

Sprinkle the yeast onto the milk and give it a good stir. Set aside for 5 minutes or so.

Add the sugar, salt and flour to a large mixing bowl.

Add the yeast mixture as well as the egg yolks and mix to form a rough dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to stand until doubled in volume.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into four equal pieces.

Roll the first portion of dough into a circle – I like to measure my circle with the loose-bottom of a 22cm cake tin. This is a real help in getting all the circles/discs to the same size.

Transfer this dough circle onto your prepared baking sheet and spread a third of the chocolate spread as evenly as you can over the dough.

Repeat this process with the other three portions of dough.

Once the last dough circle has been placed onto the stack, you are ready to cut and shape your bread. If you have difficulty in following this process, go to my instagram account or my YouTube channel for demonstration video.

Finishing instructions:

Imagine a 5cm diameter circle as the centrepiece of your dough circles – DO NOT cut through this circle.

Now, if the dough circles were a clock, make an incision from the centre circle on 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.

Half each of the four triangles you have so that you are left with 8 pieces.

Lastly, cut through each of the 8 pieces to end up with 16.

Now lift two pieces that are next to each other, one in each hand, and make two twists in opposite directions. Carefully place these pieces down. Keep going until all of the bread pieces have been twisted and your have a beautifully patterned bread.

Cover the bread with a clean tea towel and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Whisk the two egg whites with a fork and glaze the bread with it.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

Serve slightly warm.

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Chinese Flatbread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chinese Flatbread
Chinese Flatbread

Also called Scallion Flatbread or Green Onion Flatbread, these tiny breads are flaky with a crispy outside and wonderfully soft inside. Easy and very straightforward to make!

250g flour
160g HOT water
sunflower oil

30ml sunflower oil
30ml flour
2,5ml salt
40g green onion/scallion, chopped

Add the flour to a mixing bowl and pour in the hot water. Stir with a spatula/spoon until no more flour can be seen.
Combine the mixture into a rough-looking dough with your hands.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
Uncover and knead by hand until it becomes smooth.
Rub a thin layer of oil over the dough as well as on the work surface.
Roll the dough into a rectangle of about 43cm x 33cm.
Add the 30 ml sunflower oil, flour and salt tot a small mixing bowl and mix together.
Brush the mixture over the rolled dough and sprinkle the green onion over.
Roll the dough, from the short side, into a log that is not too tight.
Cut into 4 equal pieces.
Stand a piece on its cut side, press it down with your hand to flatten slightly and then roll out into a 13cm diameter circle. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and pour a small amount of oil into it.
Wait for the pan to heat up and place the breads in the pan if you can fit all of them. You may also cook 2 breads at a time if space is a problem.
Place a lid on the pan and cook the flatbread for 3 minutes.
Flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes until done.
Serve while warm.

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Caramel Banana Pull-Apart Bread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Caramel Banana Pull-Apart Bread
Caramel Banana Pull-Apart Bread

62ml tepid water
10g instant yeast
250ml milk, warm
30ml sugar
7,5ml salt
5ml ground cinnamon
62ml butter, melted
2 eggs
4 x 250ml + 83ml flour
1 x can/portion Dulce de Leche or Caramel Treat
3 bananas, sliced

Pour the tepid water into a small mixing bowl and sprinkle over the yeast. Stir until dissolved and set aside.
Add the milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and whisk together by hand.
Stir in the butter, eggs and yeast mixture.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and gradually add the flour. You are looking for a dough that is soft enough to handle. It is usually ready when it easily pulls away from the sides.
Knead/mix for another 5 minutes.
Rub a few drops of oil on the inside of a mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with a tea towel.
Allow to rise until double in size. (about 90 minutes)
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour.
Roll the dough to a 0,5cm thickness and cut circles of dough with a biscuit cutter, about 8 cm in diameter.
You need about 22 circles to make two small breads.
Line two 11cm X 25cm loaf tins with baking paper.
Spread a teaspoon of caramel on half of each circle and place 3 slices of banana on top.
Fold the circle in half and place it in the prepared tin with the open ends facing up.

Continue until all the discs are in the loaf tin.
Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 40 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Bake the breads for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the baking tin.
Serve the pull-apart bread warm or at room temperature.

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Blueberry Quickbread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Blueberry Quickbread
Blueberry Quickbread

250ml wholewheat flour
250ml cake flour
250ml blueberries
125ml sugar
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
250ml buttermilk
zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
62ml vegetable oil
5ml vanilla

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 23cm x 13cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the two flours to a mixing bowl and stir to mix with a spatula.
Place the blueberries in a separate bowl and sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the flour over the fruit. Mix through so that the blueberries are coated with flour. Set aside.
Add the sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to the flours and stir through.
Add the buttermilk, lemon zest, egg, oil and vanilla to a wide-mouthed jug and whisk together.
Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and stir together until all the flour has been incorporated and you are left with a shaggy, wet batter.
Add the blueberries and stir through.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf tin and pat it into the corners.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bread, comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Remove the bread from the tin and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Slice to serve.

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Greek Filled Flatbreads (Plakopsy)

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Filled Flatbreads (Plakopsy)
Greek Filled Flatbreads (Plakopsy)

This is such an easy filled bread to make and is guaranteed to transport you straight back to that Greek Taverna on the beach and all its wonderful aromas and tastes!! It is crispy, subtly flavoured and makes a great addition to mezze. Yields four flatbreads.

1 egg
200ml water
a pinch of salt
450g flour
400g feta cheese, crumbed
60ml thyme leaves
60ml chives, chopped
50ml olive oil plus extra for brushing the breads

Add the egg, water and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed for a minute or so.
Add the flour a few tablespoons at a time with the engine running.
Mix/knead the dough until it comes together and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. About 2-3 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
Flour a work surface and roll a piece of dough out as thin as you can, aiming to end up with a rough square of 25cm x 25cm.
Brush the square with some olive oil.
Sprinkle a little less than a quarter of the crumbed feta onto the top half of the square.
Now sprinkle some thyme and chives over the feta.
Fold the bottom half of the dough over the half with the cheese and lightly press it down with the palms of your hands.
Brush the folded half of dough with olive oil and sprinkle the rest of the quarter of feta over one half. Repeat with some herbs.
Fold the one half over the other and lightly press together. You will now have a 4-layer piece of dough with filling.
Repeat the process with the rest of the pieces of dough and filling.
Heat 50ml olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium-low heat.
Fry the breads for 3 minutes on each side, lowering/regulating the heat if you see them catching.
Serve warm with other mezze.