Ever thought of ways to make your veggies taste better? Well, use them in bread! This is a creative way of eating your veggies and the best part is they taste great too! No vegetable taste at all! Don't believe this? Well, give it a try and you will be pleasantly pleased :)
Sweet Corn Bread
Ingredients
1 c. cornmeal
3 c. all-purpose flour
1⅓ c. sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup. melted butter
2 Tablespoons. honey
4 eggs, beaten
2½ cups whole milk
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Pour in the vegetable oil, melted butter, honey, beaten eggs, and milk, and stir just until moistened.
4. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Watch the cornbread towards the end, you want it to be turning golden and starting to show some cracks.
5. Remove from oven, serve warm with butter or honey or plain.
Pumpkin Bread Loaf
Ingredients
Pumpkin pre dough:
150g pumpkin, peeled, steamed and pureed
30g bread flour
105ml water
Method
1. In a heatproof sauce pan, add in all the above ingredients, mix well until all is combined. Then start the fire and cook the mixture till it thickens, about a couple minutes. Let cool completely then store in container and chill in fridge for up to 8 hours before use.
Main Dough:
All of the above pre dough
450g bread flour
60g caster sugar
3/4 tsp salt
6g active dry yeast (1.5tsp)
170ml fresh milk (you can start with 150ml and add as per needed)
35g unsalted butter, room temperature
Method
1. In a heavy duty mixer, add in all the above ingredient except the butter and knead everything together to form a soft pilable dough. Continue to knead/mix till the dough is not sticky, then add in the butter. Knead well till it reaches elastic and window panel stage.
2. Let the dough proof in a well greased bowl for about 1.5hr to 2hrs or until it has doubled its size.
3. Punch out the air and divide the dough in 600g and 4x70g or approximation to the weight you have with the dough. Shape the 600g portion for a loaf while the 4x70g portions for buns.
4. Shape as desired, top with desired filling for buns and let proof for another 45mins. Preheat the oven to 180C while proofing.
Glaze the dough tops with egg wash and bake in the oven for 28-30 minutes for loaf while 14 minutes for buns.
5. Once done, remove from oven. Remove the loaf from the pan after 3 minutes and let cool completely before slicing.
Sweet Potato Bread
Ingredients
400g bread flour
220g purple sweet potato, peeled, sliced, steamed and mashed
60g caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant active yeast
60ml fresh whipping cream
100ml fresh milk (more or less depending on the moisture left in the mashed potato)
60g unsalted butter, room temperature
Method
1. Mix all ingredients except butter and raisins in a large mixing bowl to form a soft dough. Knead the dough till it is not sticky, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the unsalted butter in and continue to knead till the dough is shiny and elastic. To test if the dough is ready, pull a small piece off and stretching it with your fingers. If dough is very elastic and pulls to almost see through without breaking, then it's done.
3. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof for at least 90 minutes.
4. Punch out the air in the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions.
5. To make a large loaf, repeat with the other 3 dough portions and place in a 9" by 6" bread tin. Let proof for another 90 minutes or it rises to 90% of the tin.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C.
5. Brush loaf top with egg wash and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. If top browns too quickly, cover with foil and reduce heat to 170°C and bake till time is complete.
6. Remove from bread tin immediately when done and cool on rack completely before slicing.
Potato Bread
Ingredients
270g Bread flour
30g Plain flour
3g Bread improver
150g Mashed potato
20g Caster sugar
1 tsp Instant yeast
1/4tsp salt
150ml Milk
30g Butter
Decoration
Butter, cut into thin strips
Chili powder
Method
1. Dough: Combine all ingredients together (except butter) in a mixer & beat until a dough is formed.
2. Add in butter & beat again until the dough is smooth.
3. Divide the dough into 8 portions. Roll dough out & shape them into oval.
5. Proof the dough for 1hr.
6. Use a knife to make a slit in the middle of the dough & put one strip of the butter on top.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 15mins.
8. Sprinkle a dash of chili powder on top of the bread after out from oven.
Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia
Ingredients
• 1kg strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 625ml water, at room temperature
• 3 x 7g sachets dried yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 1 bulb garlic
• a few sprigs of rosemary
Method
1. Tip your flour onto a clean surface or into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle to hold all the other ingredients
2. Pour half the water into the well then tip in 3 sachets of yeast
3. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of sea salt to the well
4. Use a fork to gradually bring in the flour from the outside. Once you get a stodgy, porridge consistency in the well, add the rest of the water and gradually incorporate the flour to make a smooth dough
5. Make the dough into a flat round shape and pop into a floured bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size
6. Knock the air out of your bread using your fist then lightly flour your surface and knead it again until smooth
7. Grease a baking tin (approximately 25cm by 30cm) well with olive oil and dust it lightly with flour. Roll or stretch the dough out until it’s the right size for the baking tin and put it in the tin
8. Break the garlic bulb apart, leaving the skins on, then squash each one with the back of a knife
9. Strip the leaves off your sprigs of rosemary
10. Drizzle the garlic cloves and rosemary leaves with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix and scrunch them together with your fingers
11. Scatter the garlic and rosemary over the dough then use your fingers to push the flavours in and make little dimples on the surface
12. Drizzle the dough with olive oil, cover with a tea towel then place the tray somewhere warm and leave for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
13. Preheat your oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7
14. Bake in the hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden with a crunchy surface. Remove from the oven, give it a tap and if it sounds hollow then it’s cooked
