Sunday, February 28, 2010

Whole Wheat Olive Oil Bread and Bocconcini de Foccacia


Here are two recipes made from the Whole Wheat Olive Oil Bread dough from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. With the dough, I decided to make a plain loaf of Whole Wheat Olive Oil bread and Southwest Foccacia.


This was a great whole wheat bread recipe!  My addition to the recipe was to sprinkle the dough with dried basil and Kosher Salt over the top of the bread before it went into the oven.  The bread has a lovely, moist crumb and was delicious warm and slathered with butter.  Great for sandwiches too!


Then, with some of the remaining dough I made these Bocconcini 'Foccacia' Bundles:


The Southwest Foccacia recipe intrigued me and I made my own spin on the recipe by making them into muffin-like bundles instead of a flat foccacia.  My friend Monique, at La Table de Nana had shared a recipe for 'Bocconcini de Foccacia' which were more like filled muffins rather than foccacia.  Made with the same whole wheat olive oil dough, these bundles are stuffed with roasted corn, sauteed onion and tomatoes and manchego cheese, although mozzarella would be another good choice.

Onions were sauteed in a little olive oil and then I added tomatoes from my garden that I had oven-roasted and frozen at the end of last summer. Sun-dried tomatoes could be used instead.  I tossed in some rosemary, basil and a little salt and pepper to taste.  I bought a fresh ear of corn, removed the kernels, added a little olive oil and roasted them in the oven.


>br/> I used small, plum-sized pieces of the whole wheat olive oil bread dough to make small discs and added the filling and a little cubed Manchego cheese.I pinched the bundles together, turned them over and placed them in muffin liners sprayed with Bakers Joy.


They were so delicious warm from the oven!

100% White Whole Wheat Bread with Olive Oil 

Adapted from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day 

Recipe can be Halved

7 cups white whole wheat flour (or use whole wheat flour)
1-1/2 Tablespoons yeast
1-1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
3-1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees F)
1/2 cup olive oil

In a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a large, 5-quart bowl or container with lid (not airtight). Using a large wooden spoon mix in the olive oil and water, until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. You may need to wet your hands to incorporate the last of the flour but do not knead.

Cover the dough (not air tight) and let sit at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses or flattens out on top (about two hours.) Then you can use the dough right away, or for easier handling, refrigerate for a few hours or as long as ten days.

When ready to bake, sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then remove a grapefruit sized piece of dough. Sprinkle with flour again, shape the dough into a ball by folding the sides under and stretching the top to a smooth surface. Put dough on a pizza peel, parchment paper, or cookie sheet to rest. (I use a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper to easily slip the dough onto a hot pizza stone in the oven.)

The dough needs to rest for 90 minutes, but after 60 minutes, place a pizza stone in the middle of the oven and a shallow baking pan on the rack below.  Begin preheating the oven to 450F/230C.  

After dough has rested for almost 90 minutes, brush the surface of the dough with water, then using a serrated knife, cut parallel slashes into the surface of the bread. (At this point I sprinkled the top of the bread with dried basil and kosher salt.)

Then slide the bread (and parchment paper if using) on to the hot pizza stone or baking sheet, and immediately pour 1 cup hot water into the other baking dish and shut the oven door. Bake bread for 30-35 minutes, until nicely browned. I like to turn the bread over after 20 minutes so the bottom of the bread will brown.

Remove and cool on a baking rack.  

To make the Bocconcini Bundles


You will need:

1 onion, chopped
1 ear of corn, kernels removed  (can substitute frozen)
6 ounces Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes

1/2 cup diced or shredded cheese, such as manchego or mozzarella
1/2 teaspoon each dried rosemary and basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Saute the onion in a pan with a little olive oil.  Add the chopped tomatoes, red pepper flakes and corn and saute for about 3 minutes.  Add seasoning and allow to cool.

Cut off plum-sized pieces of the whole wheat olive oil dough and press each one flat.

Add the diced cheese to the cooled mixture and place about 1 tablespoon of mixture for each 'bundle'.  Pinch together and place in sprayed muffin cups seam-side-down. 

Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes.

33 comments:

  1. Love your idea of wrapping the ingredients in the dough like you did! Wonderful and delicious looking!

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  2. Hum... THAT does look good. (The little bundles). Guess we all just go with what we like and have on hand...nothing like a little improvisation I say.

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  3. Looks wonderful..........cute bundles!!!

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  4. Great job! I love the idea of using the muffins cups for the dough.

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  5. This is such a great idea... and you can use what ever you have on hand to make a super stuffed bread. The look perfect in the muffin cups. I love your dialogue about how you got from point a to point b... it's half the fun!!! Great post.

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  6. Bread stuffed CUPCAKES! I love it and so perfect for Mr. Tastebuds to take in his lunch too! I'm trying these next!

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  7. Those little bundles look fantastic..I like goat cheese, go figure!!

    The wheat loaf looks so professional...you are becoming a pro!!

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  8. What a fantastic idea- The perfect 'brown bag' lunch item! (and they look so cute too.)

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  9. The little bread bundles are awesome and such a clever treat to maybe serve with soup as a starter!!!! Your breadbaking skills inspire me!!!

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  10. I absolutely love what you did with these! They are like little parcels of heaven - perfect for an on-the-go snack.

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  11. Your foccacia bundles sound so tasty AND are really cute! Whole wheat olive oil bread sounds like a nice "everyday" loaf. I bet it would be tasty toasted.

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  12. Your "bocconchini" look fantastic! I'm going to have to try those. And your loaf is beautiful!

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  13. wow beautiful and you are so clever adding the onion and tomatoes to the inside love it

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  14. Your bread looks wonderful! It amazes me that I like goat cheese since I am so picky! I guess I won't send you any chevre that I am making! :)

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  15. Your foccaccia are wonderful... What a great unique idea. I'll have to try that.

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  16. wow che delizie!!! complimenti!!buona Settimana!

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  17. I had the same thought as Michelle-bread cupcakes with stuffing!! Love it! I'll be making these
    xoxo Pattie

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  18. How creative! I love the idea of stuffed rolls! Mostly at my house they just get stuffed into my mouth...

    GREAT idea.

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  19. Love the stuffed buns: great travel food.

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  20. I love seeing the unique ways everyone is using the dough - it really encourages me to be more adventurous. Great job!

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  21. Yummy on your little focaccia pockets, Susan! What fun to bite into those. Great idea. You are so clever!

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  22. The bread stuffed cupcakes look sensational!

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  23. Love the way you made our little stuffed "muffins". And your loaf looks wonderful. Wonder where I went wrong, 'cos mine just spread outwards. :)

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  24. Wouldn't these be perfect with soup or a salad!!! What a surprise to find a delicious filling inside a muffin. Can't wait to try this myself.

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  25. Great Idea for stuffed muffins

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  26. You really are becoming a bread "master"! Both look very good but I want to try the stuffed little muffin loaves - they look so good :)

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  27. Wow! Your muffins look delicious! I loved this dough. I thought it was really versatile.

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  28. oooh my gosh!! I love what you did!! those little filled muffins are brilliant! well shoot...with the dough I have left over, now I want to make those instead of the pizza I was planning on. but i want pizza too. hmm, maybe I'll just have to make another batch of dough!

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  29. Susan, I am enjoying the series of HBin5! And I haven't met a bread I don't like :-) I may have to try those muffin bundles.

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  30. great looking pictures and bread. It looks fantastic

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  31. Your little foccacia bundles look so tasty. I've never had sheep's milk cheese, but I'd love to try it.
    ~Jenny~

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  32. So creative!!! Love the muffin cups. Even your loaf of bread looks wonderful.

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