Our daily bread and all its delicious varieties

Photos by Aaron Mclean.
Photos by Aaron Mclean.

Dean Brettschneider, who styles himself the Global Baker, has yet another book out, this time simply called Bread (Penguin).

Dunedin people may remember he owned Windsor Cakes in South Dunedin in the 1990s, but since then he has worked internationally and now owns two bakeries in Singapore.

In Bread, he explains with detailed photographs about ingredients, equipment, how to mix and knead dough, what it should look like, how to tell if it has proved properly, how to shape, slash, bake and store bread and how to grow a sourdough starter.

He then gives many recipes for savoury, sweet, grainy, quick and festive breads, and things that are not quite breads.

With lots of photographs, it is a useful book for anyone who wants to make bread.

- Recipes reproduced with permission.

 


German vollkorn bread
Makes 1 loaf

This is our No1-selling loaf of bread among the Asian locals and expats alike at my artisan bakery, Baker & Cook. It is a healthy loaf that is good for sandwiches and toast. It has great keeping qualities, and is not as heavy and dense as the Danish Rugbröd.

Ingredients

Dough

400g strong bread flour
1 quantity of soaked grains (see below, prepare the day before)
8g salt10g honey
5g instant dry yeast
5g Dutch cocoa powder
10g olive oil
300ml water
additional flour for dusting
100g jumbo rolled oats, to decorate

Soaked grains

25g kibbled wheat grains
25g kibbled rye grains
25g whole barley grains
20g chia grains
20g jumbo rolled oats
50g sunflower seeds
20g linseeds
15g coarse corn grits or coarse polenta
15g sesame seeds
150g hot water 

 

Method

Prepare the soaked grains a day in advance by placing ingredients in a bowl and mixing together. Cover and leave to soak overnight (12-16 hours).

The next day, place all dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, combine to form a dough mass. Tip dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 minutes, resting it for 1 minute every 2-3 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky to the touch at first. It is OK to add a little extra flour during the kneading process but do not be tempted to add excessive amounts.

Lightly oil a bowl large enough to allow dough to double in bulk. Put dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place for 1 hour. Gently knock back dough in bowl by folding it back on to itself: this will deflate it slightly, but it will develop more strength. Cover again with plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes.

Tip dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and gently mould into a roundish shape. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap and flatten dough, then mould into a rectangular loaf shape. Wet loaf by brushing all over with a pastry brush dipped in water, then roll it in rolled oats to coat evenly all over. Grease a 19cm x 11cm x 11cm-deep loaf tin. Place loaf seamside down in tin. Using a sharp knife, make a deep cut lengthways down centre of loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to prove for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Place loaf tin in a preheated 240degC oven, add steam (spray with water or put ice cubes in a pan in the bottom) and quickly close oven door. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 200degC and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped with your knuckles. Remove loaf from oven and turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

 


Wholewheat spicy lavash-style crackers
Makes 40 triangular crackers

Lavash crackers have a spicy Asian influence to them and are just divine with any pate or hummus. Once baked and crisp, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month, not that they will last that long!

Ingredients

Dough

100g plain flour
100g wholemeal or wholewheat flour
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp olive oil
1 tsp red chilli flakes
120ml (approx) warm water

Spice mixture

1 tsp anise seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
½ tsp nigella seeds (or use onion seeds)
½ tsp sea-salt flakes
½ tsp hot chilli powder

 

Method

To make spice mixture, bruise anise seeds slightly by grinding in a mortar and pestle, or using a rolling pin on a chopping board. Stir all spice ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Place flours, salt, oil and chilli flakes in a medium bowl. Add water slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon, until you achieve a firm dough. If dough is too dry, add an extra 1-2 Tbsp of water; if it is too sticky, add 2-3 Tbsp of flour.

Tip dough ball out on to a work surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes, resting dough for 1 minute every 2-3 minutes, until it is firm but smooth. Place in a lightly floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Tip dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and cut into five equal pieces. Mould each dough piece into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest again for 20 minutes.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each dough ball to a thin 20cm-diameter circle and place it on the lined baking tray. Lightly brush dough circles with water and sprinkle about teaspoon of the spice mixture over each. Wipe the blade of a large sharp knife or pizza cutter with olive oil, then cut each circle into eight equal pieces (do not separate them).

Place tray in a preheated 250degC oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, until the crackers are golden brown. Take care during the baking, as they are thin and will colour up very quickly. Remove crackers from the tray and break them into wedges.

Cool the baking tray and repeat the rolling, seasoning, cutting and baking process for the remaining dough balls.

 


The book

Bread by Dean Brettschneider. Published by Penguin Group (NZ). RRP $45.


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