Cranberry & Orange Twisted Loaf

A scone with a twist! One look at the loaf, and one would think that it is a twisted loaf bread! This twisted loaf is made with a scone dough. And there's no yeast, like most scones recipes, it uses baking powder. So it really isn't a bread, but more of a loaf of scone.

This lovely recipe is from the book "Bread" by Dean Brettschneider, my current cookbook obsession at the moment! I just can't seem to put this book down. This is the third recipe I've tried from this book which I bought just a few months ago. There are loads of recipes bookmarked from the book, time is the only factor that is keeping me from trying them out sooner. I do have his other book "Pie", bought ages ago, but have not tried anything from it so far, perhaps I should jump on to that book next.

As with most scones recipes, the dough uses baking powder. And the flavour of the dough is enhanced by the orange zest, which gives a lovely orange fragrance. The author says the secret to these scones, is the vanilla, and I do agree! There's vanilla extract in the dough and in the glaze, smells really nice! The dried cranberry filling is made the day before, and I'm wondering why it is done as such. I figured that the cranberry filling can be made in the morning and used immediately after that. Anyway, I left mine in the fridge for two days, before using it.

The cranberry filling is made by boiling dried cranberries with fresh orange juice and thickened with a little cornflour solution. Allow mixture to cool, then tip the whole lot onto a chopping board and chop with a large chef's knife until it become a thick, spreadable paste. I did the easy way out...by using the blender to puree it to a thick paste. Takes only seconds! Taking into consideration, if chopping it with a knife would give a coarse texture, and by using the blender, the cranberry paste will be like a thick puree. Which is fine with me, as the cranberry paste tastes very nice! It would be nice to spread on a piece of bread, just like jam.

Make the dough, taking care not to over knead it. Divide into two equal pieces and roll out each piece to a square. Spread the cranberry filling evenly on each square, roll them up tightly like a Swiss roll. Working on one log at a time, cut right through each log lengthwise. Beginning at one end, twist strands around each other down the length of the strands. Press the ends firmly together so they do not unwind during baking. Repeat with the other roll. Place the twists on lined baking sheet, spaced well apart as they will rise  a little during baking. Brush with egg wash, let rest for 10 minutes and bake as directed.

Make the Vanilla White Icing and use it while still warm. Use a pastry brush to brush the icing over the warm twist. Recipe mentioned to cool glazed twists completely before eating, but I find that eating them while still warm is the best.

The crumbs are moist, soft, smells wonderful from the orange and the flavour of the zest really shines through. I like the cranberry filling, it pairs perfectly with these lovely twisted loaves. The Vanilla White Icing is a little sweet, so for a lesser sweet taste, the next time, I would drizzle them lightly over the twists instead of brushing them over. I would not entirely skip on the icing, as it is very nice, albeit just a little too sweet. Most scones do not keep well overnight, as they would turn a little stale, but not these! These yummy scones stays just as soft on the next day! Really nice with a cup of warm tea.

Cranberry & Orange Twisted Loaf
(adapted from "Bread", Dean Brettschneider, or here)
Makes 2 small twists
Filling :
200gm dried cranberries, roughly chopped
juice of 3 oranges (150 ml) (or good-quality store-bought orange juice) - zest 2 oranges first and reserve zest for dough
1-1/2 tsp cornflour, mixed to a slurry with 1 tbsp water

Dough :
400gm plain flour
20gm caster sugar
good pinch of salt
25gm baking powder
zest of 2 oranges
70gm butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
200ml milk

1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
additional flour for dusting
Vanilla White icing **

Prepare filling a day in advance. Place cranberries and juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, add the cornflour slurry and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick. The cranberries should soften and swell during cooking. Allow mixture to cool. Tip mixture out onto a chopping board and chop with a large chef's knife to give a thick, spreadable paste. Set aside. (I pureed the cranberry in the blender to a thick paste).

The next day, sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir in orange zest. Add softened butter and rub in using your fingertips and thumbs until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk egg, vanilla and milk together in a bowl and pour into dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, mix together to form a soft dough.

Tip dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 10-20 seconds. Take care not to over-knead or the dough will become too elastic. Cut dough into two equal pieces and shape into squares. Using a rolling pin on a floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 25cm square.

Divide filling in half. Using a palette knife, spread filling evenly on each dough sheet, leaving about 1cm free along one edge. Brush egg wash along the edge. Working towards the edge painted with egg wash, firmly and tightly roll up each dough sheet to achieve a Swiss roll or log shape. Using a large chef's knife or dough scraper, make a single cut lengthways right through the middle of each log. For each log, take one strand in each hand, with the cut side of each strand facing upwards. Beginning at one end, twist strands around each other down the length of the strands. Press the ends firmly together so they do not unwind during baking.

Place twists on a baking tray lined with baking paper, keeping them well apart so they don't join together during baking. Brush with egg wash and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Bake twists in a preheated 210C oven for 25-30 minutes. Turn tray halfway through baking time to ensure an even colour. While loaves are baking, make icing. Cover and set aside.

Remove twists from oven and leave to cool slightly. While they are still warm, gently heat icing in a microwave and use a pastry brush to brush it over the twists. Leave to cool completely before eating.

** Vanilla White Icing

25gm butter

45gm cream

1 tsp vanilla extract with seeds

150gm icing sugar

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and gently melt together over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula. Use while warm.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Wednesday, which the lovely Marjie of Modern Day Ozzie and Harriet is currently hosting, while Louise is taking a break.

and

Cook-Your-Books #23 @ kitchen flavours

Farmhouse Wholewheat Bread

Healthy wholemeal bread, that is great for breakfast and anytime of the day when you need something for your hungry tummy. This is the second recipe which I've tried from the book "Bread", by Dean Brettschneider. The first one is this delicious Cheese, Bacon & Onion Paves. 

The recipe makes 2 small loaves. I've made half a recipe and use a small loaf pan, size 7"x4". This bread uses the same amount of both bread flour and wholemeal flour. According to the book, if you want a denser loaf, reduce the white flour and increase the wholewheat flour proportionally. But I think this ratio is just perfect.

In the recipe, this bread is coated with wheatgerm after is is shaped before the final proofing. However, my wheatgerm as already expired (oops...), so I've used rolled oats instead, which works out fine.

A lovely bread, with moist, lightly dense, soft crumbs. Spread with salty butter and some jam, along with a cup of coffee makes a wonderful breakfast, a perfect start to another busy day!

Farmhouse Wholewheat Loaf
(adapted from "Bread", Dean Brettschneider)
Makes 2 loaves
250gm strong bread flour
250gm wholemeal or wholewheat flour
10gm salt
10gm sugar
8gm instant dry yeast
20gm olive oil
380ml water
additional flour for dusting
100gm wheatgerm or wheat bran, for coating the loaf

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, combine to form a dough mass. Tip dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 15-20 minutes, resting it for 1 minute every 2-3 minutes, until smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky to the touch at first; it's okay to add a little extra flour during the kneading process, but don't be tempted to add excessive amounts.

Lightly oil a bowl large enough for 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 the bowl by folding it back onto itself - this will deflate it slightly, but it will develop more strength. Cover dough again with plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes.

Tip dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into two equal pieces. Gently shape each piece into a roundish shape. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Flatten and mould each dough piece into a rectangular loaf shape. Wet each loaf entirely using a pastry brush, dipped in water, then roll in wheatgerm or wheat bran to give an even coating. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, make three diagonal cuts in the top of each loaf.

Grease two 500gm loaf tins. Place loaves in tins, cover with plastic wrap and prove for 1 hour.

Place loaves in a preheated 230C oven, apply steam and quickly close oven door. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped with your finger. Remove loaves from oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Cheese, Bacon and Onion Paves

Do you like bacon and onions? Cheese and bread? Well, if you do, then this bread is definitely for you! There's a new bread cookbook released in November 2014, which I have been eyeing even before it was released! I was pretty excited when I found this book "Bread", by Dean Brettschneider, at our local bookstore a few months later, and after looking through it, I knew that somehow it would end up at my bookshelf! A few weeks later, I ordered it via online from one of our local bookstore with a discounted price as they were having an online sale at that time. I'm glad I'm waited! 

Could not decide which bread to make at first, but somehow bacons, cheese and onions won! What's not to love when these three come together!

The dough is pretty much straightforward, with the usual bread dough ingredients. I have however used the stand mixer to mix the dough. The dough is proofed twice, and after the second rise, the dough is rolled out flat and the filling is scatter all over. I have however divided the dough into two (instead of as one very large piece) and filled each with the filling. I've used streaky bacon which I pan-fried lightly in a dry saucepan just until they begin to colour and crisp slightly, let cool before use. Firstly, sprinkle some grated cheddar cheese all over the rolled out dough, then followed by the sliced onions and top with the pieces of bacon. Fold the dough over the filling as per the instructions given in the recipe.

Slice the filled dough into 6 to 8 pieces, place them on a lined and greased baking tray, spacing them apart, brush the top with water and sprinkle more grated Cheddar on top. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for approximately 30 minutes, until they puffed up. Bake as directed. 

Smells really delicious as these were baking, and I could not wait to bite into one! Bacon, onions and cheese! I put on the kettle to make a pot of tea! haha!

Eat it while still warm, delicious! And smells delicious too!

The cheese over the top has melted and baked to a delicious crispy crust. I may have overbaked the bottom part of the bread, and it has turned golden brown and crispy, which really is a good thing actually, as when you bite into the bread, the top and bottom is really crispy, with the crumbs in the centre soft, chewy and so delicious with the salty bacon, cheese and sweet onions. Yummilicious! Two of these for lunch and I'm a happy gal!

Cheese, Bacon & Onion Paves
(adapted from "Bread", Dean Brettschneider, or here)
Makes 6-8 paves
500gm strong bread flour
10gm salt
20gm olive oil (2 tablespoons)
5gm sugar
7gm instant dry yeast
350ml water

Filling :
300gm grated strong Cheddar or tasty cheese
1 medium onion, sliced in rings
6 rashers smoky bacon

additional flour for dusting
100gm extra grated Cheddar, for topping

Place flour, salt, oil, sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add water and, using a wooden spoon, combine the ingredients to form a dough mass. Tip dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, resting for 1 minute every 2-3 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until almost doubled in size. Tip dough onto work surface and gently deflate by folding it back onto itself three or four times. Return it to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for a further 30 minutes.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Gently tip dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out to a 75cm x 15cm rectangle. Position the dough rectangle on the work surface with the long edge facing you. Sprinkle dough evenly with grated cheese, onion and strips of bacon. Fold top edge of dough slightly more than halfway down over the filling. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the folded dough surface. Then fold the bottom dough edge with its filling upwards to just cover the wet surface, so that the filling is now encased in dough. Lightly press down with the palm of your hand to seal. Lightly flour the sealed surface and roll the strip of filled dough over so the seam is on the bottom.

Use your hands as guides to make sure the long strip of filled dough is nice and straight. Using a large chef's knife, cut the strip into 6-8 pieces. Place each piece onto the prepared baking tray, leaving approximately 3cm between each one. Brush the tops with water and sprinkle remaining 100gm grated cheese evenly over the surface.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave to stand in a warm place for approximately 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and place filled dough pieces in a preheated 230C oven, apply steam (I preheated a roasting pan and after placing the dough in the oven, I throw some ice cubes into the roasting pan), and quickly close oven door. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Eat while warm.

I'm linking this post with

Cook-Your-Books #22 @ kitchen flavours