WALNUT, OLIVE, CHEESE AND POTOTO CIABATTA BREAD

Last week, when it was my baking day, i thought of making ciabatta bread with different flavours in them. I usually bake at least 3-4 to freeze for future use. So I made one loaf with mashed potatoes in, the other with chopped walnuts ( my favorite ), the third Butch was with black olives and the forth one with grated cheese. I used the no knead method that I love and found it so easy to do. Just make four batches of the master recipe of ciabatta bread then mix handful of walnuts, olives, cheese and boiled grated potato in each batch.

MASTER RECIPE FOR CIABATTA BREAD by chef of foodwishes.

• 3 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
• 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups of lukwarm water
• chopped walnuts, cooked and grated potatoes,
• chopped black olives, grated cheese.

1) Mix flour, yeast, salt with the water, mix to make a sticky dough. Add the walnuts.Cover with cling film or foil and set aside for 16-18 hours. ( Make 3 more batches of the dough using measurements above to use for olives, potato and cheese ciabatta bread.)

2) After 18 hours punch down the dough with a spatula to take the air out.

3) Lay a cling film on the work top. Sprinkle flour on the cling film, scrape the dough on the cling film and make it long, flat dough with your hand.

4) Grease baking sheet with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal generously.

5) Flip the dough over in the baking tray. Sprinkle some flour on top. Cover with floured tea towel and let it rest for 2 hours.

6) Preheat the oven to 220 c, 200Fan setting. Cook 2 ciabatta together on the same shelf for 35-45 minutes. Cool on wire rack before cutting for serving.

SUN DRIED TOMATO & OLIVE NO-KNEAD BREAD

I love no-knead method because it is so simple and fun way of making bread. Today I made 2 loaves, one plain, the other with my favorite ingredients: black olives and sun dried tomatoes.

I have been watching bread making YouTube videos and also learnt a lot from my dear friend Joe in US.

I got my inspiration from the Italian bread made with olives and Parmesan cheese but I adapted and used sun dried tomatoes instead of Parmesan and I added grape molasses which gave a special taste to it.

MY BASIC DOUGH INGREDIENTS FOR ONE LOAF

• 10 1/2 oz white bread flour
• 5 oz wholemeal bread flour
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt(if the olives and tomatoes are salty, use less salt)
• 450 ml warm water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp molasses
• Sesame seeds for sprinkling.

• Mix instant yeast and salt with flour. Pour warm water in a jug. Add oil and molasses and mix. Pour the water mixture into the flour and mix to make a sticky dough. Cover the dough with cling film and let it sit for 12-18 hours.

FOR THE SUN DRIED AND OLIVE BREAD

• Make the second batch of the dough as above
• Add 1 tbsp chopped black olives and 1 tbs chopped sun dried tomatoes into the dough before setting the dough aside for 12-18 hours.

NEXT DAY

• Pour the dough on a well floured surface. Fold the ends of the dough to make a ball with floured hands.
• Spray a proving basket with oil spray and sprinkle linearly with sesame seeds. Transfer the dough ball in the basket, cover and let it rest for 1 1/2 hours. Do the same with the other batch of dough.
• When only half hour left, place 2 casserole dishes, Pyrex or cast iron dishes with lid in to the oven at 230 C to preheat the oven and to heat the dishes.
• After 1 1/2 hour of resting period and the dough is double in size, get the dishes out, transfer the dough into the hot dish. Brush the top of the dough with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place the top on and back into the oven to cook for 30 minutes. Do the same with the other dough and place it in the oven to cook 2 loaves together.
• Take the lids off after 30 minutes and cook the bread for further 15-20 minutes until the tops of the both bread nice and golden in colour.
• Take out and cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hours before cutting it. ENJOY ...

TURKISH PIDE - BREAD

This bread is delicious hot from the oven with butter or with any savoury dish with your meal.

PIDE

• 4 cups of strong bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• half a cup warm water
• 2 tsp easy blend dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp nigella seeds

For glazing

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp milk

Sieve the flour with salt. 

1) Mix the yeast and sugar in a jug with warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes until is is frothy.

2) Make a well in the flour and add the yeast mixture. Add the oil, egg white and the yogurt. Knead by hand for about 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Alternatively use an electric mixer with the dough hook for 6-7 minutes. Add little more flour if sticky but make sure the dough is not too hard.

3) Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 2 hours until it has doubled in size. Knock back the dough and knead for 1-2 minutes.

4) Place the dough on a floured surface and divide dough into 2 pieces.. Flatten each dough with the heal of your hand, use your fingers to stretch it from the middle.

5) First mark the dough with a knife  like a diamond shape on the surface. Then push your fingers into the dough to achieve a dimpled effect.

6) Place the dough on to a baking tray, brush with milk and egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Cover and leave the dough to rise again for 30 minutes.

7) Place 2 cups of water in a oven proof dish and place at the bottom of the oven. Bake the pide in preheated oven 220 C, 200 Fan setting for 10 - 15 minutes. Bake the other pide the same way.

8) Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

SIMIT (TURKISH SESAME BAGELS )

SIMITS ( Bagels ) are a very popular snack in Turkey which is lovely to eat at any time of the day and especially for breakfast. Street vendors tour round the housing estates to sell  warm simits first thing in the morning,  straight from the local bakers. Simit sellers even keep slices of cheese and boiled egg along with the simits for those who didn't have time for breakfast before leaving home. You are sure to have a good breakfast on the go with fresh simit, cheese and egg.

This is the first time I made simit and very pleased that they turned out nice. My family's comments were: "they taste just like the ones  we buy in Turkey", which is a great compliment. 

Below makes 10 simits.

INGREDIENTS

• 450 g strong bread flour
• 2 level tsp salt
• 7 g easy bake yeast 
• 250 ml warm water
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp pekmez or molasses
• 1 cup  hot water
• 200 g sesame seeds

METHOD

1) Sift the flour with salt. Add yeast  and mix well. 

2) Mix honey, oil and water in a jug. 

3) Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour the liquid in gradually to make a firm dough. Start kneading and stretching for about 10 minutes. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

4) Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a greased  bowl. Cover with cling film and place it on a warm corner in your kitchen for 2 hours, until the dough doubled in size.

5) After 2 hours, punch down and knead the dough briefly.

6) Divide the dough into 10 equal chunks  then divide each chunk into 2 small balls. Roll each ball into  25-30 cm long log. Then twist two logs together into a plat. Squeeze and seal the ends together with a splash of water. As you make one simit, keep the other chunks of dough covered with a clean tea towel. Repeat with rest of the dough to make 10 simits. Place the simits into the baking tray, cover with tea towel and allow to stand for 1 hour. 

7) When the dough is nearly ready, mix molasses or pekmez with hot water and mix well.

8) Then dip each simit, first in the pekmez and water mixture and then roll the simits all over in the sesame seeds, in a large tray.

9) Place the simits back  in the baking tray lined with grease proof paper. Let the simits rest further 30 minutes before baking.

10) Place 2 cups of water in an oven proof dish and place it at the base of the oven.

11) Cook simits in preheated oven 220 C, 200 Fan setting for 15- 20 minutes.

12) Cool them on wire rack before serving.