Recipe Moroccan Semi-Sweet Bread

[Wandering Bob]

The inspiration for this came from David Scott’s recipe in Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookery (Rider and Company Ltd, 1981)

You need:

500g of strong white bread flour
1 level teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 level teaspoon of caraway seeds
1 level teaspoons of poppy seeds
1 level teaspoon of salt
1 dessertspoonful of sugar
10g of dried active yeast

1 tablespoonful of olive oil
warm water
2 more level teaspoons of poppy seeds

Method:

Put the flour, seeds, salt, sugar and dried active yeast into a large mixing bowl.

Add the olive oil and as much warm water as is necessary to make a malleable dough. Cover and put on one side somewhere warm for 2 hours (it should double in size).

Knock the dough down, place it on a baking tray and shape into a round. Sprinkle the remaining poppy seeds over the loaf. Cover and leave for another hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 210C

Cook the bread for 16 minutes at 210C, then reduce the oven temperature to 200C for a further 5 minutes

Take out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

This looks fantastic. I assume the semi-sweetness comes from the poppy seeds (that tiny amount of sugar gets converted by the yeast). And, speaking of yeast, I see that you don't proof it first: I always start the yeast with sugar and some of the water first to get it to bloom a bit before I add the other ingredients. But, if you're getting such great results, maybe I'm doing it wrong and I need to try your method.

 

[Wandering Bob]

Thank you.

I haven't needed to prove dried yeast for a number of years (maybe 5 years?). The dried active yeast now sold in the UK & France makes it unnecessary. I just add it as another dry ingredient. Maybe you should do some internet searches for possible US suppliers - I think that when the 'new' dried yeast was first marketed in the UK, it was labelled 'instant dried active yeast' - thus differentiating it from the older type.

It doesn't make any difference to the quality of the bread - all it means is one job less and perhaps 10 minutes saved.

I've refined my dough-making skills too. I don't knead on a hard surface - I do it inside the mixing bowl (incorporating a little of @morning glory 's 'slapping' which I think helps distribute the yeast and gets the glutens started). I use quite a lot of what I think is called 'bench flour' (aka plain flour) in the US to get a dough that feels exactly right, and I knead and stretch the dough in my hands until the tendonitis in my right arm says 'stop'.

There's a bit more sugar in this recipe than I'd normally use which does makes a slightly sweeter bread. I must admit that I hadn't noticed any extra sweetness from the poppy seeds though. It's the fennel and caraway flavours that really give the bread a lift.

 

[Morning Glory]

speaking of yeast, I see that you don't proof it first: I always start the yeast with sugar and some of the water first to get it to bloom a bit before I add the other ingredients.

I haven't needed to prove dried yeast for a number of years (maybe 5 years?). The dried active yeast now sold in the UK & France makes it unnecessary.

There are two types of dried yeast - one you add straight into the flour. The other (which I'm using at the moment as it seems to give slightly better results and is cheaper) you mix with warm water and a little sugar and leave to 'fizz' for 10 mins or so before adding to the flour. With fresh yeast you always need to mix it with warm water and sugar allow it to 'fizz' first.

Are you using dried yeast @The Late Night Gourmet?

 

[Morning Glory]

@Wandering Bob - you need to post links to this recipe on the Cookingbites Recipe Challenge and Cookingbites Prize Challenge. Simply paste a link to the title or use the URL.

 

[Wandering Bob]

@Wandering Bob - you need to post links to this recipe on the Cookingbites Recipe Challenge and Cookingbites Prize Challenge. Simply paste a link to the title or use the URL.

I put the links in last night for both. I've just gone back to have a look and they are still there - but greyed out.
I'm sorry - but I simply don't know what else I can do.

 

[Morning Glory]

I put the links in last night for both. I've just gone back to have a look and they are still there - but greyed out.
I'm sorry - but I simply don't know what else I can do.

Greyed out? I really don't understand that. The only time I've seen (my own) posts greyed out is when I've typed a post but not hit the 'Post Reply' button.

Can you please try again? I can't do this for you... just copy the URL of the recipe and paste it into each of the challenge threads.

 

[medtran49]

We have both kinds of yeast. I don't like the instant yeast because like @morning glory I think it is a bit inferior. You actually can add the other yeast directly into the bread also, but I prefer to get it started with a little sugar and whatever warm liquid I'm using.

 

[medtran49]

Greyed out? I really don't understand that. The only time I've seen (my own) posts greyed out is when I've typed a post but not hit the 'Post Reply' button.

Can you please try again? I can't do this for you... just copy the URL of the recipe and paste it into each of the challenge threads.

I don't see any posts in that thread for @Wandering Bob so I think that's it.

 

[Wandering Bob]

I'm bewildered - I posted a photo and a link to this recipe to both Challenges on Wednesday evening (successfully, as far as I can recall).

The links were still there on Thursday evening - but not the photos - and greyed out.

Can I just say (trying very hard not to be grumpy) that sorting out all the tags and links for this has actually taken longer than it took to write the actual recipe.

Anyway I've redone the links again - and they appear to be OK (at least for now ….)

 

[Morning Glory]

OK - sorry and I don't know what happened re the 'greying out'. I've never come across this before unless the message wasn't posted (so its still in draft). You will get used to it, I promise. Most folk find it tricky at first. The links appear to be fine. @medtran49 has 'reminded' you to add images too. Strictly speaking you don't need to though. Or I'll do it for you if you are really having probs.