Focaccia Pugliese or Potato Focaccia Pugliese

Focaccia Pugliese or Potato Focaccia Pugliese

Focaccia is appreciated at home so I decided to “Fire my Oven this April” make another one. This time I choose Focaccia Pugliese or rather Potato Focaccia Pugliese.

 This did not look appetising and so I was worried if the girls will eat it. Needless to say I worry unnecessarily.

Will love to see you #FireUpYourOven" to make this delicious Focaccia Pugliese or Potato Focaccia Pugliese.

 Focaccia Pugliese or Potato Focaccia Pugliese

Recipe Source: My Diverse Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 ¾ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 ½ tsp honey
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for brushing and drizzling
• 4 medium sized potatoes
•  Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
• 2 tsp dried rosemary (use fresh if you have it and half the amount)

Focaccia Pugliese or Potato Focaccia Pugliese

Method:

• Peel and slice the potatoes. I used the slicer and sliced the potatoes.
• Par-boil them in a little salted water as we will be using salt later. 
• Drain and pat the potato slices dry. Keep aside.
• Dissolve the yeast and honey in about 1/2 cup of warm water and allow to proof (about 5 to 10 minutes).
•  Put the flours, 1/3rd tsp salt, 1 tsp rosemary (if using dried herbs only) and oil in the bowl and mix well.
•  Add the yeast mixture and knead, adding just enough water to obtain a smooth and elastic dough. It should not be sticky.
• Make a ball out of the dough and Place it in a well oiled bowl and roll the dough in the bowl to coat it with oil.
• Cover with a cling film and allow to rise till double (about half an hour).
• Oil a rectangular tin (I used an 11" by 7" tin).
• Gently deflate the dough and knead a couple of times.
•  Using your fingers press the dough out to cover the tin in uniform thickness.
•  Continue using your fingers and dimple the top of the dough. Brush the top of the focaccia dough with oil.
•  Sprinkle the rosemary (fresh or remaining 1 tsp dried) and then arrange the potato slices to cover the surface of the dough.
• Sprinkle salt (if using) and freshly crushed black pepper.
• Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for about an hour. Bake the focaccia at 220°C for 30 minutes till the potato starts browning and the focaccia is a nice brown colour and sounds hollow when tapped.
• Serve warm as it is, or as a snack/ appetizer or maybe with soup or as part of a meal. 

Focaccia Pugliese or Potato Focaccia Pugliese

Day 11

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

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French Baguette

French Baguette

For Blogging Marathon this week I am taking up Taming the Yeast where we are trying our hand at yeast breads!

So this month Pradnya has suggested the French Baguette!

In her write up on French Baguette Pradnya has said something that has cleared my doubts about French breads here it is,”All Baguettes are French but not all French breads are Baguettes. So French Baguettes are basically freshly baked breads meant to be consumed the same day. The bread is crusty on the outside, chewy within. The bread goes best with soups or along with an array of fresh cheeses.”

Also “The other popular shapes are slightly roundish like inverted bowl shape…which is crusty from outside, slightly chewy but little soft at the centre…this is more suitable for French breads."

Coming to the recipe…a few things to remember is the technique….to create the crust on the bread, we need to create a vapour cloud inside the oven.”

Do I need to add something more?

Yes the first time I made these Baguettes I handled the dough gently. Patted the seams of the folds and the result was like Pavani on whatsup said Halloween bread... they had opened up. So the second time I checked the video and followed that for sealing. The trick is to use the heel of your palm and seal the edges.

French Baguette

Yield:  2 loaves of 6 inch length

Ingredients:  

• 2 cups Maida/APF
• 3 tsp honey
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ¼ tsp active  yeast
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 cup ice cubes (to be kept in refrigerator until the last step)
• ½  tsp oil only to brush the top of the dough 

Method:

• In a small bowl warm ¼ cup of water. Add the sugar and stir well. Sprinkle yeast and stir till the yeast dissolves. Set aside till the yeast proofs.
• In a large bowl add the flour and salt and mix it well with hand.
• Add the honey to the flour mixture and mix well.
• Now   add yeast mixture and mix using your hands until the flour gathers to form crumbly dough.
• Gradually add 1 tsp of water at a time while kneading with one hand to smoothen the dough. You may not need all the water.
• Knead the dough at least for 10 min till the dough is smooth, elastic and stretches easily. This is a crucial step so Do not cheat on this step. If you are using an electric hook, then you can knead for 5 min.
•  Dip your 2 fingers in oil and lightly rub the top of the dough to cover the exposed surface from drying.
• Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30-40 m or until it doubles.
• After it has doubled take the dough and punch it using your knuckles and flatten the dough.
• Make two balls and roll them and set them aside for 10 minutes.
• Then work on one ball. You can work with your palms and flatten the dough with your fingers or Roll out the dough using a rolling pin on a flat surface.
• Make a rectangular shape; first time about 4 inch in width and 6 inches in length.
• Now fold the top lengthwise, until mid way, to look like an envelope. Use the heel of you palm to seal the edges.
• Now fold over the bottom half over the top. Seal the edges well.
• Flatten with your fingers or roll out width wise and repeat the envelope folds and seals again.
• Continue until you reach desired length, either 6 or 8 inch or maximum 12 to 14 inch in length
• Now just place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently roll out the dough.
• Transfer to a greased tray and Set aside for 30 min more
•  Towards the end of the rising period (I generally start the oven 15 minutes before the end of the rise time) preheat your oven at 230 C.  
• Take ice cubes in an oven safe pan
•   Slid the baking tray on the top rack and the ice cubes on the bottom rack.
• Close the oven door and Bake it for 15 min or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped
• Serve hot with soups or cheeses.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#46

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Whole Wheat Tomato Basil Loaf

For Nov Taming the yeast Veena has shared her Whole Wheat Tomato Basil Loaf that is adapted from Italian cookbook by Tarla Dalal.

It is very flavourful bread with all the goodness of the whole wheat, tomato and basil.

Since half the flour is whole wheat flour, the bread tends to be a little dense.

As Veena suggested I have used both regular whole wheat flour and Maida. Varada suggested that I quarter the tomatoes and bake on low heat for 4 hours in the oven to get my sun dried tomatoes. Thanks Varada!

Whole Wheat Tomato Basil Loaf

Yield: One loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour     
• 1 ½ tsp active dry yeast  
• 1 tsp sugar        
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup sun dried tomato (soaked in warm water)
• ¼ cup fresh basil    
• 2 tbsp tomato puree 
•  3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup to ½ cup warm water   

Method:

• Mix the flours together with salt.
• Add the yeast to 1/3 cup of   warm water with sugar and let it rest for 2 minutes.
• Add this mixture and tomato puree to the dry flours and knead well for 5 to 7 minutes to make it into soft pliable dough.
• Oil a wide mouthed bowl and transfer this dough to it.
• Keep it covered in a warm place and let it double for nearly 1 hour
• Now punch down the dough a little and add the  sun dried tomatoes, basil  and knead again.
• If need be add a little more flour and knead applying olive oil.
•  Dust the rolling surface and roll it into a rectangle approximately ¼” in thickness and then shape it into a loaf by rolling it from long side.
• Grease a baking tray.
• Place the shaped loaf on a prepared tray, cover it loosely and let it rise again for 30-40 minutes.
• At the end of 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 180°C or 356°F
• Now brush the top with egg wash or milk and bake it at 180°C /356°F for 20 minutes or till done.
• Let it cool and slice it.
• I served it with Garlic Cheese Dip to others I preferred it plain with tea!

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Simiti or Simit or Turkish Sesame Rings

Simiti  or Simit

For the month Swati of Baking Partners has challenged us to make  Simiti  or Simit from here. I was relieved for i had already made this delicious bread. With the month long marathon at my space and all of sick I did not have too much tension.

Then I began thinking where is the post? Cannot see it at my wordpress site or here on blogspot!! I could locate it on my facebook page. The FB page led me to the domain I had and which crashed without any way of recovering it. I lost so many delicious posts. Boy was I upset?

Luckily for me I had the draft and pics. So for me it’s a repost. I hope you don’t mind Swati.

This is my repost....

"For the month of February Aparna had given us a freehand and we could bake anything we choose. Now there are many that I wanted to bake some are from the challenges that I had missed in the past. But I had made the petimezi/ grape juice thickened in the fridge.  So I made Simitia/Koulouria these were to be made for Eggless Baking, Gayatri’s brainchild.

So enjoy these for we We Knead to Bake

Simiti  or Simit

Recipe Source: My Little Expat Kitchen

Makes 10 Simiti or Simit

Ingredients:

For the bread:

• 3 tsp active Yeast
• 5 cups Flour/ Maida
• 2 tblspn  Sugar
• 1 cup Lukewarm Milk
• 1 cup Lukewarm Water
• 2 tblspn Olive Oil + extra for oiling the mould
• 1 tsp salt

For the coating:

• 1 ½ cups Til/Sesame Seeds
• 1/3 cup petimezi /grape juice thickened
• ¼ cup water

Method:

• First make the Petimezi. I have just done nothing but followed the instructions here. As usual I did not follow any measures just crushed and strained the grapes and boiled it stirring constantly. I have done the job in a thick bottomed kadhai/wok on a low flame. 
• In a medium bowl mix the milk, water and sugar. Add the yeast and mix well. Set aside in a warm corner to proof.
• Meanwhile in a large bowl mix together flour, salt, and oil.
• Add yeast mixture to make soft and slightly sticky dough.
• Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for 10 minutes until soft and elastic.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap and allow it to double for 1 hour.
• While the dough is resting roast the sesame seeds till slightly brown and aromatic. Remove and cool.
• In a bowl mix together the petimezi thickened grape juice and water. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 180°C. (The original recipe says 200°C but I baked at 180°C).
• Now deflate the dough and divide into 10 equal portions. 
• Divide each portion into two and roll each portion into a 30 cm long rope.
• Attach at one end both the rolls and twist both together to form a braid.
• Make a ring by sealing both the ends to form a braided ring. Repeat with all the portions.
• Dip the ring in petimezi /grape juice and place it on the sesame seeds.
• Coat the ring completely with the seeds.
• Place the coated ring on a baking tray.
• Complete all the rings.  
• Transfer to the oven directly they do not need second proofing.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until nicely browned.
• Remove from oven and serve it hot or warm.
• Serve slathered with butter, jam or chocolate spread and enjoy!!
• Mine disappeared without any spreads. 

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

Pita bread on the Stove Top

Pita Bread

This is a simple pita bread that can be made on the stove top or baked in the oven. But in case you are baking this bread then please prick the bread all around.

Pita bread

Recipe source: Greek food and  the kitchn.com

Ingredients:

• 1 tblspn active yeast
• 1 tblspn sugar
• ½ cup warm water
• 4 cups bread flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tblspn olive oil
• 2 tsp salt

Method:

• In ½ cup warm water dissolve sugar and yeast.
• Let it stand covered for about 10 minutes. When the yeast becomes bubbly it’s ready for use.
• In the wide bowl mix salt in the bread flour mix the slat well.
• Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture.
• Mix the dough using as much as warm water needed to make a smooth elastic dough.
• Knead well. Make a smooth ball of the dough.
• Apply oil to the bowl and place the dough in the bowl.
• Turn the dough so that the top of the ball is also oiled.
• Cover the bowl with a cling film and set aside in a warm corner for the dough to rise. The dough has to be double the size, approximately 1 ½   to 2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes more.
• Heat any tava/ skillet   over medium-high heat and roll your pita bread.
• Take pieces of dough about the size of a lemon and on a floured board roll out to a thickness of ¼ inch.
• Coat the bottom of the hot pan with a little butter or olive oil and add your pita.
• Cook the pita for about 30 seconds or till you get small bubbles and then flip it over.
• Cook for a minute and a half, flip it again, and cook for another minute.
• Transfer the pita to the direct flame and cook.
•  During this time, the pita will puff up like a pita and get some nice toasted spots on the underside.
• Flip over again on the direct flame again you get lovely spots. You are done.
•  Wrap the pita breads in a clean dishcloth while your make the others.

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: August -- Week 5'.

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

Komaj~ A Persian Date Bread With Turmeric & Cumin

Koma j~ A Persian Date Bread With Turmeric & Cumin

For this month in We Knead to  Bake we are baking  Komaj which is a Persian turmeric and cumin bread that’s filled with chopped dates.

I was skeptical about its acceptance at home and was right. Hubby refused to eat it! Since I suspected as much I made just 5 Komaj the rest I filled with cheese, chilli flakes and oregano. Sorry this I took  just one picture of the big roll I made and managed to delete that too.

Tthis dough has three rises instead of the usual two.

Peas Caulifower and Paneer Pull Apart ~Knead to Bake

Bread baking is a skill  and I hit panic buttons, due to the fact that yeast and I are not so good friends.

 So when Aparna said she is starting a group that is baking 12 breads down the year I thought I will tag along. Hopefully I will make friends with yeast finally. 

This is the February challenge and I am very late posting it but then I went to Ahemadabad for "The Blogging Marathon #25 Meet" and so was delayed.  Had a rocking time there but now I realize that I have not done tons and tons of work here. So will keep posting now hopefully regularly.

Shaped Bread Rolls

My bread basket

In her introduction for Baking Partners #4 Swati said that as Thanksgiving is approaching, we were to make some dinner rolls. 

Our challenge is Shaped Dinner Rolls as baking bread is what most of us have tried. but this time we were to make them  going to add some technique not only make them taste great, but also look beautiful.

As a part of the challenge we were given two different recipes, one with egg and other without egg. We were to choose either one of it.  We were also to make changes top suit our taste and needs. The one mandatory thing was that we to try at least three shapes, from 7 different shapes given for challenge. The different shapes we were given were

1)         Clover leaf  2) Rose Shape 3) small braid 4) knot 5) crescent shape 6) Rosette or Kaiser 7) Lion house rolls.

Herbed Garlic Pull Apart

Baking is something I enjoy but baking bread is something that I do not dare try at all.

For I have failed repeatedly!!

 But when I saw this herbed Spicy Garlic Pull Apart baked by Champa I fell in love with it. And baked it!! Four times now and not once have I had a problem.

Do try it out and bask in the praises heaped on you by all who come in its ambit.

Thanks Champa you are great.

There is no change in what I have done and what Champa has done except the garlic powder is replaced with crushed garlic and I have added onion to the paste as my jar cannot handle smaller quantities.