Greens and Beans Tartines

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (September 2019) and taken from “The Forest Feast Mediterranean” by Erin Gleeson.

Bean Tartines

Step One : Fry four thick slices of rustic French-style bread (live sourdough) on a medium heat in a pan with some olive oil and butter, until golden on both sides. Remove the bread from the pan, but keep it hot.

Step Two : In the pan, place three garlic cloves, 100g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, four large chard stalks, leaves and stems cut into thin ribbons and the juice of a lemon (plus a sprinkle of oil olive, salt and pepper)

Step Three : Saute for two minutes on a low to medium-low heat, until the beans are warmed and the greens wilted. Pile the mix onto the toasted bread slices and top with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Enjoy warm.

Potato and Rosemary Bread

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (March 2013) and taken from “All You Knead is Bread” by Jane Mason.

Makes : 4 loaves

Ingredients :
1kg strong white (bread) flour
5g instant yeast
500ml / 2 cups water
20g salt
3-4 tblsp fresh rosemary needles
Mashed potato – up to about half the volume of the dough

Step One : Put all the ingredients except the mashed potato into a big bowl and mix them together. Tip them out onto the counter and knead well for 10 minutes. Pop the dough back into the bowl, cover with a dry tea towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Step Two : Pull the dough out of the bowl and gently fold in the potatoes until well-incorporated but not completely blended in. The dough will get sticky, but use a scraper to gather it all up and get it off your hands, and keep going. If you do add any more flour, be sparing with it. Pop it back in the bowl, cover again and allow to rest for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.

Step Three : Pull the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Flour your hands and shape each portion into a ball or sausage. Don’t stretch and fold it to form a skin – the dough is too soft for this and it will sink a bit. Place on a prepared baking sheet, flour the tops, cover with a dry tea towel and allow to rest for 1 hour.

Step Four : Preheat the oven to 200oC / Gas Mark 6. Make a few slashes in the tops of the loaves and dust with flour. Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.

Tarongia (Sicilian Flatbread)

Taken from Psychologies Magazine (May 2019) and recipe published in Moorish: Vibrant recipes from the Mediterranean.

From the Aeolian Islands off the Sicilian coast, the dough for this bread is fried in olive oil for a few minutes before the toppings are added.

IMG_2029 (2)

Serves : 6

For the Dough :
240ml lukewarm water
50ml red wine
1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tblsp runny honey
1 x 7g sachet dried yeast granules
425g strong white flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1/2 tsp fine salt
Olive oil

For the Filling :
1 fennel bulb, cored and finely sliced
75g sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and roughly chopped
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced
18 salted anchovies
100g pecorino or caciocavallo cheese, grated
1 tblsp fresh thyme leaves

Step One : First, make the bread dough. Put the water, wine, oil and honey in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and stir. Leave to activate and become foamy. Now, add a third of the flour, the lemon zest and salt, then whisk to a smooth batter. Mix in the remaining flour to form a manageable dough.

Step Two : Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes. Shape into a ball, put in a bowl and cover with a cloth. Leave to rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Step Three : Cut the dough into six equal portions. Roll out each piece into a rough circle. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before cooking.

Step Four : Heat enough olive oil for shallow frying in a deep pan – to 170oC. In batches, carefully lower the breads into the hot oil, using a metal spatula, and fry for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan, then drain on kitchen paper.

Step Five : To make the filling, heat a pan over a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Add the fennel and season, then cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, onion and chilli and cook for a further 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Step Six : Preheat the grill. Divide the fennel and tomato mix among the flatbreads, spreading it over the top, followed by the anchovies and the cheese. Place under the grill and cook for3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.

Tomato Focaccia

Recipe taken from Easy Living in July 2013.

Prep time : 10 mins plus rising time
Cook time : 25 mins

Makes : 1 loaf

Ingredients:
340g (11oz) strong white bread flour
1 x 7g (1/4 oz) sachet fast-action dried yeast
1 tsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing and brushing
10 cherry tomatoes

Step One : Put all the ingredients except the tomatoes in an electric mixer with a dough hook and add 1 tsp salt and 200ml (7 fl oz) warm water. Mix on a medium speed until the dough forms a ball, adding more water if needed. Beat for 5 mins more, or until the dough is elastic and smooth.

Step Two : Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 1 hour. Punch the air from the dough, knead for 2 mins, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and shape into a 30cm x 18cm (12in x 7in) rectangle. Cover and leave for 40 mins.

Step Three : Heat the oven to 200oc (Gas Mark 7). Halve the tomatoes, Press dimples and tomato halves into the surface of the dough, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 25 mins, or until crisp and golden.

White Square Sandwich Loaf

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (May 2014) and taken from The Baker’s Daughter by Louise Johncox.

Makes 2 x 450g loaves or 1 x 900g loaf

Ingredients:
500g super strong premium white flour
2 tsp sugar (optional)
1 1/4 tsp salt
25g margarine
1 1/2 tsp fast action dried yeast
300ml warm water

Step One : Lightly grease your loaf tin (or baking sheet). In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar (if using) and salt. Rub in the margarine and stir in the yeast. Stir in the warm water and mix into a soft dough by hand.

Step Two : Knead the dough for 5 minutes in a freestanding food mixer fitter with a dough hook, or turn it out onto a floured surface and knead well by hand for about 10 minutes. Flatten the dough with your knuckles and pull both edges apart before folding them inwards on top of themselves so you have 3 layers of dough. Tightly roll it forwards in order to form a giant swiss roll shape. Keep kneading this way for 5-10 minutes.

Step Three : When your dough feels smooth, place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with a clean, damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove or until it has almost doubled in size. An airing cupboard is good to use here. This stage can take up to an hour, so don’t rush. You can leave dough to rise in the kitchen, but it will take longer.

Step Four : Tip your dough onto the floured surface. Divide it in half if you are making two small loaves. Shape the dough into a ball, folding it inwards repeatedly until the air is knocked out. Form the dough into an oblong, flatten it out and fold the sides into the middle. Ensure the join runs along the base and the top is smooth.

Step Five : Place the dough in the prepared tin on a baking sheet. Leave the dough to prove for about 1 hour or until it has almost doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 220oC / Gas Mark 7. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the bread is baked through.

Tip : To check if bread is baked, tip it upside down out of the oven and tap it on the base. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. Remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.

Scandinavian Cinnamon Buns

Recipe Courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (Jan 2016) and taken from a book called Special Delivery by Annabel Crabb and Wendy Sharpe.

Although best eaten warm, these cinnamon buns are good for a few hours after baking.

Makes about 12

Ingredients: 1 tsp active dried yeast; 45g caster sugar; 200g plain flour; pinch of salt; 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom; 1 egg; 40g butter, plus extra melted butter for glazing; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, plus a little extra for dusting; 175g raisins; icing sugar, for dusting

Step One: The day before, mix the yeast, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 70ml lukewarm water in a medium bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in half the flour, ten leave to stand for about an hour, or until roughly doubled in size.

Step Two: In a large bowl, combine the remaining flour with the salt and cardamom. When the pre-dough is ready, add it to the flour, along with the egg. Mix until you have a dough. Put the butter between two sheets of baking paper and bash it with a rolling pin to soften. Fold the butter into the dough and knead until fully incorporated, then cover and rest for 10 minutes. Knead the dough again, then cover and rest for another 10 minutes. Repeat once or twice more, until you have a firm, smooth ball of dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Step Three: Next day, knock back the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Flatten into a rectangle about 25 x 10 cm. Brush with the beaten egg, then sprinkle over the remaining sugar, followed by the cinnamon and raisins. Roll up the dough into a long sausage, like a Swiss roll, then cut into slices about 2 cm thick – you should get about 12. Nestle the slices into a greased 23cm baking dish or tin, cover with a tea towel and leave until doubled in size, about 1 – 1 ½ hours.

Step Four: Preheat the oven to 200^oC (400^oF) and sit a roasting tin on the lowest shelf. Put the buns in the oven, pour a cup of water into the tin and reduce the temperature to 180^oC. Bake the buns for 10-15 minutes until golden, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. While still warm, brush with melted butter, then dust with icing sugar and cinnamon.

Manaeesh (Flatbread, also known as manakeesh)

This recipe is courtesy of Easy Living Magazine

Makes: 4 – Prep time : 15 mins, plus 2 hours standing time – Cook time : 20 mins

Cals per serving: 173 – Fat : 2g

Ingredients: 7g (1/4 oz) sachet quick-acting dry yeast; 750g (1 ½ lb) white bread flour; 2 tsp salt; 2 tblsp olive oil

For the topping: 125g (4oz) za’atar spice blend mix

Place the yeast, flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add olive oil and 420ml (13 fl oz) of tepid water. Mix using a dough hook for about 5 minutes until the mixture comes together and forms a really soft dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes, then shape into a large ball. Place in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cloth or cling film and leave in a warm place for 1 – 1 ½ hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Heat the oven to 240^oC (gas mark 9). Punch down the dough with your fist to expel the air. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 1 minutes and then shape into four balls.
On a lightly oiled surface, use a rolling pin to shape each dough ball into thin 5mm (¼ in) rounds, then transfer to two baking sheets. Make a few indentations in the dough with your fingertips.
Brush the loaves with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Slide the manaeesh off the trays onto the oven shelves and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until crusty.

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