Saturday, March 21, 2015

Savory Flower Bread


You may have seen various forms of shaped bread "art" with one braided and twisted bread even lovelier than the next.  There is a beautiful sweet version here on Monique's blog La Table de Nana.  She made a  nutella-filled braided brioche bread which is gorgeous.  

 
Then, I saw a savory version of a twisted bread that looks like a big sunflower on Juliana's blog Color Your Recipes.  She had found it on Passionate ABout Baking but was originally seen on At Down Under. I know that a lot of links but I've been to each one to try and learn how to make this and thought you might appreciate seeing them and the lovely photos too  :)

This bread is a savory version of Hungargian Kalács which is a sweet bread eaten during Easter.  The word Kalács means 'round' or 'wheel'.  


The dough itself is delicious with garlic and Parmesan cheese mixed in.  Then, I filled it with chopped green onions, Greek yogurt, grated Jarlsberg and Parmesan cheeses mixed with spicy horseradish mustard, red pepper flakes, and Penzey's Pizza Seasoning (which is a blend of oregano and other herbs).  I can imagine this bread made with chopped, cured meats and other cheeses and seasonings. You could use any kind of seed or even pine nuts in the center.  Let your imagination and taste buds be your muse!

 
I used Passionate About Baking's adaptation of the dough recipe which I found easy to make and work with.  Color Your Recipes has a great, detailed tutorial on how to do the shaping of the bread.   

This would make a delicious Easter appetizer/finger food and the flower shape makes it perfect for spring time. Happy Spring and Enjoy!

Savory Braided Flower Bread

Adapted from At Down Under and Passionate About Baking
Printable Recipe

Dough:
2-1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
1/4 cup-packed (25g) grated Parmesan cheese

2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1-3/4 cup (200g) milk, lukewarm
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon (15ml) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
3 Tablespoons (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Filling:
(The filling is very versatile so use any cheese and seasonings/herbs of your choice, including chopped, cured meat such as pancetta or bacon)

3 Tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
8 ounces of shredded cheese or your choice (I used Jarlsberg and Parmesan)
3 small green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons spicy horseradish mustard or Dijon
1 teaspoon Penzey's Pizza seasoning (or a combination of dried oregano, basil and marjoram)
Salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 beaten egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water, for wash
2 tablespoons seeds for decor in center of bread

Place the flour, Parmesan cheese, yeast and salt in the bowl of food processor and pulse on high speed to mix. Add the milk, cloves, garlic and yogurt and pulse to blend. Remove dough from food processor and knead on a floured surface to a smooth dough - about 5 minutes.

Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or dish towel and let rest for 15-20 minutes, then knead in the olive oil. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, seal with plastic wrap and allow to double in rise in a warm place.

Assembly:

Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 390F (200C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix together the filling ingredients.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces. On the lightly floured surface, roll one half into an 12″ circle. Transfer the circle to the baking sheet and roll out the other piece of dough to the same size. Spread the filling ingredients on the baking sheet dough and then cover with the second circle of dough and press down gently, trying as best you can to fit them together evenly.

Place a small glass in the center and press down gently (I used the cover to a small round butter dish). Using a sharp knife, cut the dough around the glass evenly into 4 sections, then cut each section into another 4 sections. You should have 16 sections.

Gently lift each spoke and twist it 3 times. Brush over with milk gently and sprinkle melon seeds over the center. {You can always brush with a beaten egg to get a beautiful glow. I wanted to keep the bread vegetarian}.

Remove the glass in the center and brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Arrange sunflower seeds in the center where the glass was.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

51 comments:

  1. This is absolutely beautiful and I would think it would be a fun kitchen project. Great job.

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  2. I wish I lived close to you and Monique!! I'd trade y'all some soup for bread!! Lovely! It is a beautiful day here. If I had a convertible, I'd put the top down.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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    1. That would be a great exchange :) Wish it were that warm here! Thank you, Bonnie!

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  3. It's superb!
    I am so glad you tried this..Now I know for sure it works..I ahve been Pinning many of these beautifully shaped breads.
    Weren't you excited when you saw it?
    I think I will stick to your additions as they suit us perfectly.
    Only you would have scalopped parchment;)
    Love this bread..will make!

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    1. I was pretty excited :) I'd love to try the one you made soon too. So many pretty inspirations out there! This was fun to make too.

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  4. Beautiful...like a piece of art, Susan!

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    1. I know! I loved it the first time I saw it. Thanks, Marigene!

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  5. Nice....love bread in any form.

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  6. Yum....I can't wait to try this. I'm on spring break....the timing is perfect!

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    1. Thank you, Bonnie! I hope you enjoy as much as we did :)

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  7. Thanks for posting this scrumptious looking bread. I can't wait to try it for Easter.

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  8. Very pretty Susan, I love the twists in the bread and flower look:@)

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  9. Wow - It is a work of art! If it taste as good as it looks, I will have about 3 pieces with a glass of wine please. :)
    Happy Spring!
    Hope you are enjoying the weekend.

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  10. Oh my! That is gorgeous. I wouldn't even care if it didn't taste good because it looks so fantastic.

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  11. I have always want to bake this flower bread. Yours looks really beautiful and I bet it must taste amazing, Susan.

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    1. perfect for Easter monday picnic! Have a good day my dear Susan, a warm hug from Trieste

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  13. Absolutely stunning bread Susan and meant to impress. I know I would enjoy the savory aspects to your bread as I'm not much of a sweets lover, although I do succumb from time to time. We eat with our eyes and now I'm very hungry.
    Sam

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  14. Wow, I really love the shape of this! it's absolutely stunning!!

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  15. Love the bread and photos, and would prefer your savory version to a Nutella version. I stopped buying the stuff a few months ago and I dont miss it..

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  16. It sounds and looks delicious, Susan, a work of art!

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  17. WOW, stunning and looks absolutely delicious.

    Carolyn

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  18. Totally awesome looking and sounding Susan

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  19. This is just beautiful and sounds delicious. It almost looks too pretty to eat. Almost.

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  20. Another beautiful baked item! You're so talented!! Love the cabbage and potato souffle, too!! Hope you are having a wonderful early Spring!!!

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  21. What a beautiful bread! I can see this on a Mother's Day buffet.

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  22. I have been seeing this recently and each one I see I have to "ooh" and "aah" because they are just so beautiful! I love the fillings you've used in this one. Hope to try this for Easter dinner. :)

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  23. What a thing of beauty! Everyone must be so impressed when you bring it to the table.
    Amalia
    xo

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  24. Such a gorgeous loaf of bread! And lovely golden colour too! The filling sounds delicious! I can just imagine having this with a bowl of hot soup!

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  25. Wow, that makes one gorgeous presentation. You did such a beautiful job with it. Almost a shame to break it up!!

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  26. This is a beautiful bread Susan and it is perfect for presenting it to your guests! Looks very professional and I assume it tastes heavenly!

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  27. Hi Susan, looks like a piece of art, from the flower shaped bread to the scalloped parchment, very nice!

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  28. Such BEAUTIFUL Bread ,love the twist and flower shape! Your recipes for baking always look so Great, Susan!!! Just like your Eggs Baked in Croissant 'Nests'...love this one too! And I included in my list of favorite recipes for Easter in my last post! Hope you like it!

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  29. Wow. This bread is stunning. So very pretty, and no doubt incredibly delicious.

    Velva

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  30. This is so funny! I saw this on Pinterest today....not yours, think it was David Lebovitz....and copied it to my desktop for the future. Great minds, Susan. :) You did a beautiful job with this....picture perfect...and I bet it tasted wonderful. That yeasty flavor served as an appetizer is right up my alley.

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  31. Oh Susan, you made the flower shaped bread...turned out beautiful...I am sure you had a lot of fun...and as you said much easier than it looks...
    Have a wonderful week :)

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  32. Your savory combination for the filling makes me salivate as I read this. The dough looks wonderful too. I love the shape. We would love this with the savory filling. I would probably eat half the bread! Your bread looks like a wonderful sunflower! We will definitely be trying something like this. I always love fresh bread from the oven!

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  33. Simply beautiful!! xo Catherine

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  34. Oh my goodness this is the most beautiful piece of bread I've seen in a long time. Amazingly gorgeous. I bet it is tasty. You did a wonderful job! Happy spring!

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  35. Susan, you are not supposed to post these things before Passover. It makes them way too tempting! This will be first on my list to make when the holiday is over!

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  36. Susan, you are not supposed to post these things before Passover. It makes them way too tempting! This will be first on my list to make when the holiday is over!

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  37. This bread looks so beautiful, Susan, and it sounds fabullus! I think I like savory breads like this more than sweet ones.

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  38. A beautiful bread and perfect for Easter!
    Thanks Sue!

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  39. Susan, oh dear, I'm wanting some now! Looks just scrumptious! Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe!
    Happy Easter~
    Nancy

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  40. Beautiful bread Susan! I would love to see you demonstrate how to make one of these flower breads;)

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