Tag Archives: yeast bread

May 21 2012
53 Comments
Bread, Brunch, Chocolate, Yeast Breads

Bread To Convalesce By: Chocolate-Cinnamon Babka

Cut Loaf

2 SlicesWhen a neighbor of ours went in for some major foot surgery – surgery that would leave him house-bound for quite a while – Kel and I thought it would be nice to drop off something comforting to help with his convalescence.  I occasionally send a fresh loaf of whole grain bread this neighbor’s way – the man appreciates a good loaf of bread – but this time I wanted something a little extra special to help with the healing process.

I’m a firm believer in the healing powers of chocolate, the comforting qualities of the smell of cinnamon and the health benefits of fresh- and home-baked bread.  Together those qualities must offer unbeatable rehabilitative properties, right?.  And since I was going to the effort anyway, I doubled the recipe so that Kel and I could comfort ourselves, too.  Thank goodness neither one of us required surgery.

Chocolate-Cinnamon Babka
Makes 2 loaves

Dough:
1 tsp. agave nectar
2 packages dry yeast
1 1/2 cups soy or almond milk, warmed
6 tbsp. maple sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. egg replacer + 3 tbsp. water (whisk together until frothy, then set aside)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
8 tbsp. vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

Filling:
1/2 cup maple sugar
1 tsp. powdered stevia
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. semi-sweet vegan chocolate, finely chopped (chocolate chips work, too)

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and agave in the warm soy milk and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the maple sugar, vanilla extract, salt and egg replacer mixture.  Add the bread flour  and about 2 cups of the whole wheat flour and stir until well-blended.  Add the butter and stir again.  You’ll have a very sticky dough.

Now’s the time to knead the dough.  Lightly flour the counter and knead, adding whole wheat flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking too badly to your hands.  You should have a soft, slightly sticky dough by the time you’re done (8-10 minutes).  Place dough in a large bowl that’s been lightly sprayed with oil.  Cover and let rise for an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.  Punch dough down and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl.  Line the bottom of two 9″x5″ loaf pans with parchment and lightly spritz the sides of the pan with cooking oil.

Divide the dough in two and starting with one piece (keep the other piece covered), roll it out to a 16″ square.  Sprinkle filling over the dough, leaving a 1/4″ border.  Roll up the dough just as you would for cinnamon rolls.  Pinch the ends to seal.  Holding the roll by the ends, gently twist the dough as if wringing out a towel.  Fit the dough into the pan.  I formed mine into a u-shape to get it into the pan.  It looks funky, but comes out beautifully as it rises and bakes.  Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Cover both pans with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise for about 45 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 350F.

Bake the loaves for about 40 minutes or until nicely browned.  The bottom should sound hollow when tapped.  Cool the loaves in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely on wire racks.

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Mar 26 2012
29 Comments
Bread, Yeast Breads

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread (or The Loaf Formerly Known As The Brick)

Four Slices of Bread on PlateRemember this loaf?  The Brick?  The utter failure?  I was determined to try again – this time remembering the salt and the maple syrup – because I just knew it would be a good loaf of bread if I could concentrate, not try to do five things at once and pay attention to one thing at a time.  You might call it Being Present.  You might call it Living in the Moment.  You might even call it Anti-Multitasking.  Whatever it’s called, I need to figure out how to slow down and do it!  By the way, I turned the original Brick into French toast and, you know, it was really, really delicious.

Okay, before I kick off the recipe, please consider submitting one of your blog posts to VeganBloggersUnite!  Lidia is looking for content for this great resource – a place where vegan bloggers can meet and greet and let other like-minded eaters and readers know about their blogs.  It’s easy!  Find a blog post for which you are particularly proud (recipe, opinion, ramblings – whatever!) and follow the simple instructions here.  It takes like five seconds!  I want to thank Lidia for putting together this cool blog and for giving me the space to share some of my posts.

Let’s do this bread thing:

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
Makes 1 loaf, about 16 slices

Dough:
1 1/4 cup unsweetened, plain soy milk, warm
Dough Rising, Loaf1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 1/4 tsp. dry active
2 tbsp. prune puree
2 tsp. salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
~2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup raisins

Swirl:
2-3 tbsp. prune puree
3 tbsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup Demerara sugar

In a large bowl, combine the soy milk, maple syrup, orange juice and yeast, and stir to combine.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture looks foamy.  Now add the prune puree, salt and the 2 cups of whole wheat flour.  When that’s all nice and combined, stir in the raisins and one cup of the AP flour – adding more as necessary to get a soft dough together.  Lightly flour the counter and knead, adding flour if you need to, to keep dough from clogging up your fingers.  Knead for about 10 minutes and you should have a lovely, soft, elastic dough.

Lightly oil another large bowl and place the dough inside.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for an hour or so, or until the dough has doubled in size.  Meanwhile, prepare the filling by combining all of the ingredients.  Set aside.  Oil a 9″ x 4″ loaf pan.

When the dough has risen, punch down and then dump it out on a lightly floured surface.  Roll to a 10″ x 12″ rectangle and gently spread with the filling mixture.  I leave a little space along the short ends for rolling.  Speaking of which, once you’ve spread the filling over the dough, roll the dough (from the short side) and carefully place the loaf into the prepared pan.  Spritz dough with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another hour or so.  Dough should be about 1 1/2″ inches above the pan rim.

When the dough is nearing the end of its rise, preheat the oven to 375F.  Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.  Carefully remove the loaf from the pan and tap the bottom of the loaf.  If it sounds hollow, the loaf is done.  If it still sounds a little squishy, put the loaf back in the oven – directly on the rack so the bottom browns up nicely.  Check on the loaf every 5 minutes or so until you are satisfied that it’s thoroughly and deliciously baked.

Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.  No really.  If you cut it too soon, it will tear, sag and pull.  But it’ll still taste fantastic, so who am I to tell you what to do?

Sliced Loaf w/ Bread Knife

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Mar 20 2012
29 Comments
Bread, General, Kitchen Disasters, Yeast Breads

Small Kitchen Tragedies

Pecans, Burned

Don't let this happen to you.

I should have stayed out of the kitchen on Sunday.  The peanut butter-banana-wheat germ pancakes came out just right, sure, but it was downhill from there.  I had been looking forward to a morning of baking; I’d already set everything out on the counter that I needed to make a loaf of whole wheat cinnamon raisin swirl bread.  Whole wheat biscuits for lunch were to follow.

I warmed the soy milk, added the yeast and let the mixture sit for a few minutes to bubble.  Then I added in the flour and kneaded – gosh it was a nice dough – and then in went the raisins and a few more minutes of kneading.  When I had a nice, smooth ball of dough it hit me: I’d completely forgotten to add in the salt and the 1/4 cup of maple syrup.  Both ingredients were sitting there on the counter.  Right in front of me.  Never mind.  Shake it off.  How bad could it be?  What did I think baking was anyway – - chemistry?!  I plopped the dough in an oiled bowl and set it aside to rise.  After it had doubled (rather quickly, I thought), I rolled it out and spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top, then rolled it up and put it in a loaf pan, setting it aside for its second rise.

While the bread dough was doing its thing, I started to mix the biscuit dough together.  I had the brilliant idea to added chopped pecans to the mix and I had those toasting on the stove.  I finished mixing the dough and I carefully patted it out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet when…wait.  Who the h*ll is burning corn husks?!  Oh no.  Not again.  I realized I’d forgotten about the pecans.  Not only had the pecans not made it into the biscuits, they’d been burnt to a crisp.

Meanwhile, I’d turned the oven on to preheat to 475F, the temperature needed for the biscuits, but when I looked over at the cinnamon raisin loaf, it had risen a couple of inches over the rim of the loaf pan.  I knew I had to get it into the oven immediately, but the temperature needed to be at 375F.  I turned down the oven, slid in the loaf pan and thought, what the heck, throw in the biscuits as well.

After about ten minutes, I checked on the bread and biscuits.  The loaf that had risen so loftily had suddenly dropped like a souffle seconds after the oven door slams.  And it looked as if someone had rested an elbow on one side of the loaf.  The biscuits looked pale and wimpy.  I rotated the biscuits up to the top rack, cranked the heat up to 475F and crossed my fingers.  When the biscuits had browned up, I removed them, turned down the oven temperature and moved the loaf pan back up to the top rack, trying not to look at it.  Too depressing.  In another 10 minutes, the bread was…done.  Or maybe I was just done with the bread.

Kel tells me that The Brick tastes pretty darn good.  I’m not sure I trust him, however.  I’ll probably give it a taste once I get over my disgust with the way it looks.  The biscuits came out just fine – flaky, tender and with a nice crust.  It would have been even better if they’d had pecans in them…Some days just go this way and all one can do is get back into the kitchen to try again.

(On a happy note, both the utterly divine tinykitchenstories and the ridiculously readable Meizac’s Blog bestowed Versatile Blogger Awards on An Unrefined Vegan – thusly helping to alleviate some of my baking pain and suffering.  Thank you, fine ladies!)

Brick Loaf, Sliced in Half

Amazingly, the chain saw was not required to cut The Brick.

Loaf of Brick Bread

Not a reflection in the fun-house mirror, just another Brick in the wall.

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Mar 16 2012
26 Comments
Yeast Breads

By Hand or By Machine: Cranberry Wheat Loaf

Slice of Bread w/ PB

It’s been ages since I’ve posted a bread recipe and if I’m to achieve my goal of getting everyone on earth to at least once bake a loaf of bread – I’d better get moving.  This loaf is the perfect candidate for a novice bread baker as the dough is very easy with which to work and the result – delicious – is all the incentive needed to start…kneading.  It can either be made using a bread machine or by hand.  I strongly urge the latter method to the bread machine, but whatever method gets you in the kitchen to make this is just fine and dandy with me.  If you don’t like cranberries, substitute raisins or tart cherries – or leave the fruit out entirely and toss in a handful of toasted, chopped walnuts.  There’s no law against it.

Cranberry Wheat Bread
One Loaf

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup orange juice
Unbaked Loaf in Pan1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. prune puree
1 1/2 cups bread flour
2+ cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup dried cranberries, softened in hot water, drained and patted dry

By Machine:
Place ingredients in the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer and select Sweet Bread Cycle.  If your machine has a Fruit setting, add the cranberries when you hear the signal – or about 5 minutes before the kneading cycle has finished.

By Hand:
In a large bowl, whisk together the water, orange juice, maple syrup and yeast and let sit for a few minutes – until it gets slightly foamy.  Stir in the prune puree and then add the flours, salt and spices and mix until a wet dough forms.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding whole wheat flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.  Lightly oil another big bowl and when the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Oil an 8 1/2 ” x 4 1/2″ loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350F.  Punch dough down and form it into a log and place in the pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until there’s about 1 1/2″ of dough above the lip of the pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the bread is a beautiful, deep brown on top.  I remove the loaf from the pan about 45 minutes or so into baking and place it directly on the oven rack so that the bottom crisps up.  The loaf is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Three Slices from Loaf

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Feb 16 2012
12 Comments
Bread, Vegetables, Yeast Breads

Hot Pockets (Minus the Meat, Fat & Freezer Burn)

Plate of Hot PocketsRecipes representing the dough-with-filling concept are well-represented here on this blog (or is it, “on this here blog?”).  My love of dough, be it the “quick” kind or the risen kind began long ago as I crowded mom at the kitchen counter as she rolled out buttery pie crust or biscuits.  Whether you choose to go savory or sweet, filled dough will rarely let you down.  Unless you reach into the freezer section at your local grocery and pull out a box of Hot Pockets and their ilk.  Okay, I’m a snob.  But trust me, spend part of an afternoon making your own, and you’ll never look back.  These little babies are so versatile.  Make up a batch of the dough and let loose your imagination for the filling: go Asian with sauteed greens, sesame seeds, garlic and soy sauce; load them up with beans and rice; go Italian-style with chopped black olives and marinara or do a pierogi and stuff them with mashed potatoes and nutritional yeast or vegan cheddar.

Homemade Hot Pockets
Makes 16

Dough:
1 tsp. regular yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2-1 cup AP flour
1 tsp. kosher salt

Filling:
Split Not PocketYves Meatless Ground (or similar vegan faux ground meat; or skip entirely)
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
vegetable broth, as needed (for sauteing)
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chile powder
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
pinch salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
(adjust seasonings to suit your taste and heat level!)

Make the filling:
In a large skillet, heat about 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and saute the onions and the red pepper for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the faux meat, if using, and then add the garlic and cook for another few minutes.  Add the spices and stir for another minute or two.  Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.  Set the mixture aside to cool.  You can do this a day ahead of time.

Chopped PeppersMake the dough:
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the white whole wheat flour and a cup of the AP flour along with the salt, and stir until dough forms.  Add more AP flour if the dough is very sticky.  Knead for about 3 minutes, then cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.  Uncover and knead the dough for another 3 minutes.  Dough should be very smooth and elastic.  At this point you can either continue with the recipe, or you can put the dough in the refrigerator until ready to form the flatbreads.

Bowl with DoughIf proceeding without chilling the dough, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and lightly coat with cooking spray to prevent sticking.  Cover again with the towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.  (If retrieving the dough from the refrigerator, punch down the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes, then divide the dough into 16 pieces and proceed with the recipe.)  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment so that you can place the flatbreads on them while you make all of the “pockets.”

Lightly dust a surface with flour and roll out a piece of dough to about 6″.  Scoop 2 tbsp. of filling into the middle of the dough circle and fold the dough to make a square packet: fold 2 opposite sides over the filling, then fold one short side over and then the other short side.  It helps to moisten the dough a little so that the edges stick  Lightly press to seal and place flatbread on a baking sheet.  Proceed with the remaining balls of dough.  You’ll end up with more filling than you need – time to get creative with the leftovers!

Dough Circle w/ Filling

When all of the dough balls are rolled out and filled, heat up a skillet or one of those nifty griddles (heat to 350F) so you can cook 8 at a time.  When the skillet/griddle is hot, lightly spray with oil and cook the flatbreads for about 3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.

Flatbreads on Griddle

Serve immediately or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for later.

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Jan 10 2012
11 Comments
Bread, Crackers and Flatbreads, Yeast Breads

Easy Herb Focaccia

Chunk of Herb FocacciaI return to this recipe for herb-cheezy focaccia again and again.  One of the great things about focaccia is that kneading isn’t required (though stirring is), yet you get an airy, chewy, flavorful bread.  It’s fairly quick to mix together, too, so you can have fresh homemade bread on the table without a lot of fuss.  The original recipe called for garlic olive oil and Asiago cheese.  I’ve omitted the oil and replaced the cheese with nutritional yeast, which is optional if you are not a fan of the flavor.  I also bumped up the quantity of whole wheat flour.  Dried thyme in addition to or instead of the oregano would work really well, too.  This makes a wonderful sandwich bread as well as a straight-up munching bread to pair with soups, stews and salads.

Easy Herb Focaccia
Makes 8 Large Chunks

1 large head garlic, roasted (Cut off top of head, wrap in foil and roast at 425F until soft, about 35-45 minutes.  You can do this a day or two ahead.)

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour
Dried Oregano2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1 2/3 cups warm water
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1/4 cup nutritional yeast, optional

In a large bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, agave nectar and salt.  Stir in the flours, oregano and squeeze in the cloves out of the roasted garlic.  Stir the dough – adding water if needed to create a wet, sticky dough – for a couple of minutes so that all the ingredients are well-combined.

Transfer dough to another large bowl that has been sprayed lightly with cooking oil.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.  Meanwhile, lightly spray a 9″ x 13″ baking pan, line with parchment paper and lightly spray with oil again.

When the dough has risen, stir and knead in the 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, if using – and then scrape dough into the baking pan, using wet fingers to spread the dough to the edges.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for another hour.  Preheat oven to 450F.

Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes.  The bread should be a deep brown on top and sound hollow when tapped.  Carefully remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving.

(The original recipe with lots of oil and cheese, came from Vegetarian Times.)

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Jan 06 2012
2 Comments
Bread, Yeast Breads

Onion and Mustard Seed Braid

Slices of Onion Mustard Seed BreadHere’s the recipe I promised yesterday.  I was looking for a bread to complement a sandwich I was contemplating and as soon as I saw this one including onions and mustard seeds, I knew it was exactly what I wanted.  The fact that it had a pretty braid made it all the more appealing.  The baked bread has a chewy crumb and crunchy crust and is not overwhelmed by the addition of onions – in fact, next time I’m going to include a whole onion.  A wonderful sandwich bread, but also delicious alongside soup, stew or salad.

Onion and Mustard Seed Braid
One large loaf

Unbaked Loaf Aerial1 tbsp. black (or yellow) mustard seeds
1/2 a large onion, finely chopped
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
1 tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2+ warm water

In a small skillet on medium-high heat, toast the mustard seeds for a few minutes, then add a splash of water or vegetable broth and saute the onions until soft.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, molasses and 1/2 cup of the water.  Let stand until foamy.  Meanwhile, whisk together the flours and salt in a large bowl.  When the yeast is foamy, add it to the flour mixture along with the remaining 1 cup of water and the onion mixture.  Stir until a soft dough forms, adding water or flour as necessary.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic.  Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been lightly sprayed with cooking oil.  Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Punch the dough down and knead for a minute.  Then divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.  Place the three pieces next to each other on the baking sheet and braid them, tucking the ends under.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rise until nearly doubled.

Preheat the oven to 450F.  Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden on top and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.

(This delicious bread recipe was inspired by one in Vegetarian Bible, by Sarah Brown.  I believe it’s out of print, but used copies are still out there.  This is a great cookbook and resource, though a touch heavy on the cheese.  Many of the recipes are adaptable to vegan diets.  For this recipe I increased the amount of whole wheat flour and used molasses instead of brown sugar.)

 

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Dec 20 2011
1 Comment
Bread, Yeast Breads

Onion & Walnut-Stuffed Beer Bread

Slices of Onion Stuffed Beer BreadTime this month has been in short supply, but one still needs to put bread on the table.  Since I’m currently lacking in the patience to spend 10-12 minute kneading dough, I’ve repeatedly turned to my no-knead bread books for inspiration.  When I came across the recipe for “Bradley Benn’s Beer Bread,” I knew that was the one I was going to make this week.  Not only does it make a beautiful, savory swirled loaf, the dough all by itself makes a wonderful all-purpose bread for sandwiches and toast.  As with all no-knead recipes, the initial time investment is small; the good flavor and texture work is done while you are busy doing other things.

As I mentioned on Dough, Dirt & Dye, I’m going to fill the second dough with a combination of unsweetened applesauce (in place of butter/shortening usually used), cinnamon, maple sugar, golden raisins and toasted pecans.  Cinnamon & raisin-swirl bread…

Onion & Walnut-Stuffed Beer Bread
Makes 4 small stuffed loaves or 2 large plain loaves

3/4 cups light rye flour
Two Loaves Beer Bread5 cups whole wheat white flour
1 1/2 tbsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups beer
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp. maple syrup

Onion Mixture (per loaf):
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable broth
splash of soy sauce
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt and vital wheat gluten in a 5- or 6-quart food grade container.  Add the water, beer, oil and maple syrup and mix until there are no dry floury bits remaining.  You may need to use wet hands to get in there and mix thoroughly.  Loosely cover the container and let rest at room temperature for two hours.  The dough will puff up slightly – but not as much as with other doughs.  After two hours, transfer the bucket (securing the lid) to the refrigerator – or use immediately if you wish.  FYI, the dough will be harder to work with if used right away and won’t have developed as much flavor.

Prepare the onion mixture by heating the vegetable broth and soy sauce in a small skillet and sauteing the onion, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion is tender.  Add more vegetable broth if needed to prevent sticking.  You can prepare this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When you’re ready to bake, take a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.  ( If using a baking stone, instead of lining the inside of a baking sheet with parchment paper as described above, turn it over and line the outside bottom – this way you can easily slide the dough/parchment onto the baking stone.)  Sprinkle a little bit of flour over the surface of the dough in the container, then remove half of the dough.  Roll the dough out to about a 1/4″ thick.  Spread the onion mixture over the surface and sprinkle on the toasted walnuts, leaving about a half inch border.  Starting from the long end, roll the dough up – just like making cinnamon rolls.  I found that I had to cut the roll in half to get it to fit on my baking sheet.  Just use your judgement.

Cover the loaves with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 90 minutes.   Cover loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 90 minutes.  The loaves will not rise very much (or maybe my house is just cold!).  About an hour into the rest, slide the baking stone (if using) into the oven and preheat to 400F.  If not using a baking stone, just bake the bread on the prepared baking sheet.  Just before you’re ready to put the dough in the oven, spritz the loaf with water.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.  The bread should be a deep brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Allow the loaves to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into it.

Baked Loaves

(Thanks to Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day for this recipe.  The only change I made was to omit olive oil when sauteing the onions and rosemary.)

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Nov 06 2011
10 Comments
Bread, Breakfast, Yeast Breads

Noon Rogani (Cinnamon Turban Bread)

Noon Rogani Loaf on PlateI subscribe to King Arthur Flour’s quarterly publication, The Baking Sheet, because I’m obsessed with breads – especially yeast breads.  And while a good majority of the offerings are not vegan-adaptable (at least not by this humble baker), there are always one or two recipes that I want to try out immediately.  Noon Rogani, in their Holiday 2011 issue, was one of those recipes.  I did have to do a little bit of tweaking to make this vegan and also less “refined.”  First off, I used mostly KAF White Whole Wheat Flour and a little bit of AP flour.  I substituted walnut oil for vegetable oil and agave nectar for the tablespoon of sugar called for in the dough.  Instead of the butter/cinnamon/sugar called for in the filling, I used unsweetened applesauce and stirred in cinnamon and Demerara sugar.  Butter was called for in the topping as well, so instead I used almond milk and brushed it over the loaves then sprinkled more Demerara sugar on top before putting the loaves in the oven.  Oh, and one other change: the original recipe says to roll the dough into a 5 foot (yes, 5 feet) rope.  Sadly, I do not have 5 feet of counter space, so I divided the dough in two and rolled each to approximately two and a half feet.  This sounds like a complicated recipe, but it truly is not.  Take your time, enjoy the process.  The dough is forgiving.  You will definitely enjoy the results.

Slice Noon Rogani

Noon Rogani
Makes 2 generous loaves

Dough
3 1/2 cups KAF White Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup unbleached, AP flour
1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4+ cups warm water (I needed about 1 3/4 cups)
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1 tbsp. walnut oil

Filling
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup Demerara sugar (or more, depending on how sweet you like it)
1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping
almond milk
Demerara sugar

Dough: Stir together the flours, yeast and salt, then add the water, agave nectar and walnut oil and mix until you have a nice, soft dough.  Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place dough in a large bowl that has been lightly spritzed with oil and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour.

Filling:  Combine the applesauce, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Assemble:  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Divide the dough in half and working with one piece at a time (cover the portion you aren’t using so it doesn’t dry out) roll out to an approximately 16″ square and about 1/8″ thick.  Spread half of the applesauce mixture over the dough.  Roll the dough just as you would for cinnamon rolls.  It will get a little bit messy, but it doesn’t matter, persevere!  When you have the dough rolled, squeeze and pull gently until you’ve stretched it to about two and a half feet long.  Then, start twisting the ends so that you get a swirl going along the length of the “rope.”

Dough being rolled

Grab one of the baking sheets that you’ve lined with parchment paper and loosely roll the dough around and around.  It will look like a big cinnamon roll.  Set aside and do the same with the other portion of dough – placing it on the second baking sheet.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for about 45 minutes.

Two loaves rolled

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Once the loaves have finished their second rise, gently brush the tops with the almond milk and sprinkle with sugar.  Place in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes – rotating and switching the loaves between shelves halfway through the baking time for even browning.  The loaves will be a lovely, dark brown with a sparkly crust.  Remove loaves from their pans and let cool on wire racks.

Two loaves baked

See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?

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