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Monday, May 31, 2010

Twisted-up Everything Bread ...and yummy stuff for shmearing...on Moon & Stars bread...or any other.

There's been lots of fun with yeast around mi casa over past week or so.  I went to make another batch of Whole Grain Artisan bread, only to realize I was basically out of Whole Wheat flour...and I had already begun mixing the other things. I changed it up a bit and hoped for the best.  I ended up having less than a cup of the ww flour, so I subbed bread flour...not quite as healthy, but turned out every bit as satisfying!  Next came deciding what to actually make from the dough.  This was a crazy week anyway with it being the last week of school for the kiddos...which included field trips, end of year programs and field day...so we were out of the house a lot.  That's one of the cool things about making the no-knead dough...it lasts a few days in the fridge.  Although, my dough was kind of iffy this week...it seemed to be getting a bit too wet!?  It was hard to form...it just sort of sat and spread it's way across the surface it was resting on.  Basically it didn't rise as well as it could have, but you know...it didn't lose any of its appeal. You know how I adore food with rustic appeal, anyway.

The first loaf I made was from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day...called Moon and Stars Bread...although I prefer to call it Crescent Moon bread; that's what it looks like after all!  Since this was the first loaf made from the dough, it wasn't quite as wet as it got later...but you can tell it didn't rise as much as a regular, kneaded loaf.  But the dusting of sesame seeds on top and the fun shape totally made up for it!  I used the recipe (slightly adapted, obviously...with the flours) for Whole Grain Artisan Bread found HERE at the HBin5 website.  From here you just form a 1 lb. size piece of the dough into tapered ends and form it into a crescent shape.  After a 90-minute rest, brush it with water and sprinkle it with sesame seeds before cutting slits around the sides with kitchen shears.  Bake ~30 minutes or until done.

This was a great tasting loaf made even better by shmearing with a little White Bean and Roasted Garlic Purée w/ Thyme, which is from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.

White Bean Purée with Roasted Garlic (& thyme)
slightly adapted
2 c. cooked Great Northern Beans
20 roasted Garlic cloves
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbs. olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Purée beans, garlic and thyme in blender or food processor...adding a bit of the bean cooking liquid or water or stock until it just makes a smooth purée.  Add to small saucepan with olive oil and mix until hot.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dip it, spread it, shmear it!

...and now on to my favorite surprise from this dough...a happy surprise!  Although I had my doubts...when I turned out the last 3 pounds of the dough onto the counter, it was wet.  Very, very wet.  I added a bit of flour just to help me form the loaves.  I divided it into five ropes and rolled each rope in different delicious toppings.  I wanted to make a twisted-ropelike loaf...um...it was a struggle just to braid them.  Once I left the loaves (I cut it in half because it was a lot of dough) to rise...they just sort of melted together...no visible twist.  Ugh.  BUT, the gorgeous toppings were still twisted and combined and scattered...they looked gorgeous!

I let them rise for ~1 hour and cooked them at 450 degrees F for ~35 minutes, until they were golden and inviting!  What was really cool about the bread was the goodies enveloped inside...since the ropes melded together, there were seeds, crunchy salt, pungeant garlic and mellow, roasted, delicious garlic cloves hidden inside!  It was soooo tasty.  It didn't form and rise perfectly...as a matter of fact it kind of looked like a loaf of ciabatta...but man, was it tasty!

It was delicious sliced lengthwise and made into sammies!  I used what I had today which was salami, pepper-jack cheese, roasted red peppers and bbq potato chips...sound strange?  It was awesome! Mingled with all the deliciousness going on in the bread itself...I think I'll go make another when I'm done here, actually.

Me and my Twisted Everything Bread...we're goin' places.  Like on a picnic...yeah, that sounds perfect.

*I am submitting my Twisted Everything Bread to my friend Natashya at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies for Bread Baking Day #30~ Breads with a twist.
*I am submitting both breads to the current HBin5 Bread Braid...our host for HBin5 is Michelle of Big Black Dog...where the HBin5 group is based!
*The White Bean Purée with Roasted Garlic is my entry to this week's Herb Garden theme over at IHCC...please join us!
*And last, but not least...I'm sending the bread to Susan at Wild Yeast submission into Yeastspotting this week.
Whew!
BreadBakingDay #30 - last day of submission June 1st, 2010HBin5IHCC
This bread has been YEASTSPOTTED!!!



Would you like to comment?

  1. These breads look delicious! I love all of your toppings. I think the thing that frustrates me most about this dough is that it's usually too wet to do anything to it other than throw it in a loaf pan. It kind of makes me miss kneaded bread. Sigh.

    I love your white bean puree! Roasted garlic makes me unendingly happy.

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  2. I've found the same thing, if I let the dough go too long, it gets way too wet and doesn't behave. It still tastes good all baked up though!

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  3. Love your breads! They all look wonderful, love the Moon and Star's version and the sandwich looks so delicious. I feel as if my bread is really beyond the mark after only 3 days. It just seems unable to be used as well as too sour for me . . .

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  4. Yay, great bread! Thanks for doing the twist with me this month for Bread Baking Day!

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  5. Your breads look awesome. Love it.

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  6. Your breads are incredible! And that bean paste sounds fantastic on the bread - yum! You are really inspiring me... yeated breads often make me nervous but I'm going to have to give it a try!

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  7. I love it, I have to post this sandwich I made last year with doritos on it! The bread looks great, but I made Robert R. late night tortillas tonight with chicken and skirt steak :)

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  8. What lovely photos! The bread looks wonderful!

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  9. Would you like to come and live with me for a little while? I really need some homemade bread. ;)

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  10. Looks wonderful! Love the toppings! Overall, I think bread dough is a pain to handle.

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  11. You worked your magic again. The bread is gorgeous, the toppings are too much fun and am sucker for a bean dip!

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  12. You truly have the magic touch with all kinds of food. Bread is fantastic to look at and I am sure to eat.

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  13. way to kill a bunch a birds with one post! everything looks just delicious, i really love that sandwich! this makes me want to get baking!

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  14. Your bread and the sandwich, layered with chips looks terrific...BUT it is the bean puree that is calling my name. I'm totally craving beans right now. Is it strange that I have bean cravings ;-)

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  15. Great multi-tasking post. Your bread looks amazing, love the sandwich and that Bittman bean puree looks yummy too. Lots of great food at your house! ;-)

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  16. love all things bread... and what a great idea for twisted bread... gonna be stealing this idea!

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  17. I love the bread and the garlic puree is right up my alley! Yum : )

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  18. Your bread looks perfect!love the bean puree....wonderful.

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  19. I love breads and you have done a fabulous job here! Love the garlic and bean spread....amazing and very unique...thanks for visiting me and introducing yourself, glad to meet you :)

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  20. Gorgeous bread...and I love the dip! Glad it turned out so well. I've gotta start making more of my own bread.

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  21. Oh my! Those breads look good! Time to get baking...

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  22. Love all of the toppings you added over this crescent bread, especially the pepitas.

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  23. Great looking bread and that white bean puree sounds like a wonderful spread for it!

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  24. Great looking breads. I really like the sandwiches, nice twist! ;)

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  25. I need to get baking again. Have only been using my sourdough for coffee cake and pancakes lately. You've inspired me.

    Great lovely garlicy spread as well.

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  26. Great pictures and choice!!! Sounds and looks delish.

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  27. YUM! I love the bread and the bean puree! Sounds delish!

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  28. Beautiful loaf of bread, what lovely toppings! I would enjoy making this very much!

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  29. Great job. I really have to try bread baking this summer, I'm just such a ninny.

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  30. they look wonderful Heather!!! I just love this dough because you can do most anything with it and it's always good. I wonder what would happen if wine was used in the batter instead of water?

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  31. Wow, your breads look fabulous! And you sure do multitask--all those recipes for all those blogging partners in one post!

    You go girl!

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