I turned 40 a few months ago, but I’m still trying to learn some new tricks. I’m getting deeper into yoga and meditation, practicing being more chilled out, trying to apologize less, and generally owning my shit. It’s up and down. We’re still learning, ya know.
I’m also trying to learn how to make bread. This is not really something you can learn from books or TV. Bread making is tactile. Yeast is a living thing that needs attention. Bread dough can be different from one day to the next. It’s a beast that I don’t fully understand. We’re getting to know each other. It’s a process.
This Tear & Share Flower Bread is pretty approachable. It uses a mix of white bread flour and whole wheat flour giving it a hearty texture. It’s sorta cute without involving any complicated braids. Don’t be afraid. You can totally do this.
The petals are perfect for dipping into soup, and the center can be sliced for toast or whatever, or just torn off into hunks fr more dipping. Do what you want. It’s gonna be tasty.
Let’s do cool new things. Let’s make bread. It’ll be awesome.
Tear & share Flower Bread
10 servings
20 minutes
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Ingredients
250 grams strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
250 grams wholemeal flour
1 (7 gram) packet dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
325 ml warm water
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl combine both flours as well as the yeast and salt. Make a well and add the olive oil. Stir in the warm water to form a dough.
- Turn out your dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for up to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Add extra flour a bit at a time if the dough is too sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and allow it to rise for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.
- Punch down your down and remove it to a lightly floured surface for another couple of minutes kneading. Roll the dough into a long sausage shape. Divide your dough up about 60/40. Shape the bigger piece into a circle and transfer it to a baking tray. I lined mine with parchment.
- With your remaining dough, roll it out a bit more to make your sausage skinnier. Cut this into 11 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a petal shape and place them around the center ball of dough. If you want to get fancy, you can use a sharp knife to slash a few lines into each petal to make them more petaly.
- Cover your dough flower loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 30 minutes. While this is happening, preheat your oven to 200C (400F).
- Just before it goes in the oven, brush your dough with your beaten egg. Sprinkle your poppy seeds over over the middle ball of dough. Bake for 20 minutes r until golden brown.
Recipe from Tesco magazine
