Tag: Yeast

These authentic flat “pocket” breads of the past, originally baked on hot stones have made a great comeback!  The hollow or split pitas may enjoyed with any part of the meal or stuffed with hot or cold, savoury or sweet fillings. For best results, knead the dough very well and allow for a thorough first rising (until completely doubled) before shaping into flat breads and rising once more.

Prep time       45 minutes (including rising time)
Cook time      30 minutes

1 x 8 g sachet (1 tsp/5 ml) instant yeast (or use double quantity for quicker rising)
3 cups (750 ml) bread flour
2 cups (500 ml) lukewarm water
¼ cup (60 ml) melted butter or olive oil
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) salt
± 1½ cups (375 ml) extra bread flour

1. Mix the yeast with the first measure of flour in a mixing bowl, the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook or a food processor. Add all the remaining ingredients except the extra flour and mix well.
2. Add just enough of the extra flour gradually to form a dough which can be handled comfortably. Take care not to make the dough to firm for it will be difficult to work with and the end results will be dry as well.
3. Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for about 5 minutes, in the mixer for 4 to 5 minutes or 2 to 3 minutes in the bowl of a food processor until smooth and elastic. Sprinkle lightly with flour and shape into a neat ball.
4. Return the dough to the bowl used, cover and let rise until doubled, about 3 to 40 minutes – allow to rise very well and double completely for the best pitas.
5. Knead down the dough and pinch off balls the size of a small apple for large pitas or the size of a large egg for smaller pitas. Sprinkle with flour, cover and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
6. Roll out the balls on a well-floured surface into either round or oval-shaped pitas about 1 cm thick. Sprinkle with flour, cover with a cloth and rise 20 minutes.
7. Place firm baking trays (not greased) which will not warp in the oven, into the oven and preheat the oven to 220ºC while flat breads are rising. Turn over each flat bread when placing onto the hot trays so that the moist underneath side is on top and the pitas will puff up and become hollow during baking.
8. Place the breads into the oven, reduce heat to 180ºC and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until puffed and lightly coloured but not browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe by Carolié de Koster from the Art of Cooking Recipe Book p. 832.

Variation
Brush baked flatbreads with olive oil and sprinkle generously with the Za’atar Spice Mix.  Serve with labneh (Greek yoghurt).

t of

Almost every European country has developed it’s own speciality yeast bakes based on a variation of sweet dough. Be sure to have a look at the delicious variations made from the basic sweet dough here.

2 x  8 g sachets instant yeast
4 x 250 ml cake flour
500 ml mildly lukewarm milk
125 ml sugar
125 ml butter or margarine
5 ml salt
2 large eggs
10 ml vanilla essence
± 500 ml extra flour

1. Mix the yeast with the first measure of flour.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients except the extra flour and mix well.
3. Add sufficient of the remaining flour gradually to form a dough which is quite soft but no longer sticky and knead the dough 3 to 4 minutes in the bowl of an electric mixer with the dough hook or turn out onto a floured surface and knead 5 to 6 minutes with floured hands until smooth and elastic.
4. Return the dough to a floured bowl, cover and allow to rise about an hour or until completely doubled.
5. Knead down and continue as explained for the individual recipes.

Note
In most cases only ½ recipe of the dough is required for the speciality cakes made, leaving the other half for another product or a plain sweet loaf or buns as explained below.

Dough Knots

1/2 recipe Basic Sweet dough, risen and punched down lightly
125 ml melted butter
125 ml sugar
10 ml cinnamon

1. Divide the dough into gholf ball size portions and roll each portion into a rope about 10 cm in length.
2. Place the meted butter and combined sugar and cinnamon onto two plates and roll each rope of dough in the butter and then into the cinnamon sugar.
3. Tie into knots and place onto a baking tray. Allow to rise until almost doubled and bake at 180°C for about 18 to 20 minutes until firm and cooked through but not too dry.
4. Allow to cool and serve as is or buttered if preferred.

Recipe by Carolié de Koster from Art Of Cooking page 848.

Irresistible bubbles of dough coated with butter, nuts, cinnamon and sugar.

½ Basic sweet dough recipe

Coating

125 ml butter or margarine, melted
125 ml coarsely chopped pecan nuts
125 ml caramel brown sugar
7,5 ml ground cinnamon
string to tie if Angel cake tin is used

1. Knead down the risen dough and pinch off walnut sized balls.
2. Grease an Angel cake tin or large loaf tin (30 x 12,5 x 10 cm) well with margarine.
3. Combine the nuts, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
4. Dip each ball of dough into the melted butter or margarine and roll into the nut mixture.
5. Pack evenly and tightly together into the prepared tin, sprinkle any remaining nut mixture over the top and pour any remaining butter or margarine over as well.
6. Allow to rise in a very mildly warm protected spot until doubled.
7. Bake at 170°C for about 30 minutes or until well-risen and browned.
8. Test for done-ness with a metal skewer and cool in the tin for 5 minutes.
9. If the Angel cake tin is used, loosen the sides carefully and lift out the base of the Angel cake tin.
10. Tie a length of string around the loaf to keep the balls together and turn out onto a cooling rack.  Remove string and break apart.
11. If the loaf tin is used, loosen the sides and bump the tin on a hard surface to release the loaf.
12. Turn out, press the balls together if necessary and allow to cool.  Break apart for serving.

Yields:  One large loaf or at least 16 – 20 servings

Recipe by Carolié de Koster from Art Of Cooking page 849.

Traditional Panettone is flower-pot shaped and to achieve this effect it is baked in a deep high container with slanted sides.  You can use a silicon mould, a 1 litre soufflé dish, a flower pot or just loaf tins – whatever you fancy!

½ Basic sweet dough recipe
125 ml sultanas (golden if available)
30 ml mixed peel or currants
30 ml finely chopped glace pineapple
60 ml brandy or rum
icing sugar to dust

1. While the dough is being prepared and left to rise, soak the fruit in the brandy or rum.
2. Add the fruit to the risen dough and knead until evenly distributed, while kneading down the dough at the same time.
3. Shape into a neat round or cylindrical form and place into the prepared dish or tin to fill it no more than 2/3.  Or, divide dough into 2 to make smaller Panettone.
4. Allow to rise in a mildly warm spot until doubled and well rounded above the edge of the tin.
5. Preheat the oven to 170 ºC while the dough is rising and bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked if tested with a metal skewer.
6. Cool in the tin or container used for 5 minutes, loosen the sides carefully and turn out onto a wire rack.  Dust generously with icing sugar, cool and serve with butter.

Yields:  1 large or 2 small Panettone

Recipe by Carolié de Koster from Art Of Cooking page 852.

One of the best breads to serve with soup or as part of a cold buffet which includes salad, fish, cold meat and cheese.

500 ml rye flour
250 ml  cake flour
2 x 8 g sachets instant yeast (less if time is unlimited)
15 ml brown sugar
10 ml salt
5 to 10 ml caraway seed (optional)
30 ml butter or oil
30 ml honey or treacle sugar or molasses (see note below)
375 ml lukewarm water
250 ml extra cake flour

Topping
a little plain yoghurt or buttermilk
rye flour

1. Combine the dry ingredients and add the butter, margarine or oil and honey, treacle or molasses and water and mix well.
2. Add sufficient of the remaining flour to form a dough that is still slightly sticky and soft but just firm enough for kneading.
3. To knead by hand, turn out the dough on a floured surface, knead for 5 minutes, adding extra flour as necessary and return to the bowl.
4. Or, to knead in an electric mixer, knead 3 to 4 minutes with the dough hook or until no longer sticky, adding a little extra flour as necessary.
5. Cover and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
6. Knead down well, cover and allow to stand for another 15 minutes.
7. Grease a baking tray with butter or margarine. Divide the dough into two portions and shape into oval-shaped loaves.
8. Place the loaves onto the baking tray lined with a Wizbake baking sheet and brush with yoghurt or buttermilk and sprinkle with rye flour.
9. Slash the top of the loaves diagonally with a sharp knife or snip with a pair of scissors.
10. Allow the loaves to rise until doubled and pre-heat the oven to 200°C while the loaves are rising.
11. Place the well-risen loaves into the oven, lower the temperature to 190°C and bake for 20 minutes.
12. Lower the temperature to 180°C and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the top crust.
13. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Yields 2 medium loaves or about  16 to 20 slices

Recipe by Carolié de Koster from her Art of Cooking Recipe Book page 813.

Note

• If a bread with a dark colour is preferred use treacle or molasses.
• For a light bread use honey only or ½ honey and ½ molasses.

Variation:

Cranberry and nut rye bread

Add 250 to 500 ml cranberry and nut mix or mixed cranberries and pecans or walnuts to the dough after the initial kneading. Mix until evenly combined and continue as explained above.