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| Slice of Kale and cottage cheese filled pleated bread |
Bread making is both science and art;
Science in the sense that it involves a lot of chemistry
including fermentation, temperature control and
enzymetic activity. Art because crafting and baking
artisanal handmade breads ensure quality,
taste and satisfaction.
Here goes an artistic and extraordinary verstile recipe and instructions of a very popular bread loaf. I regularly bake for home consumption as well as bake for friends and family.
I bake these using either prefermented dough that requires a portion of the bread to be fermented for 16-20 hours. The method I am sharing here is straight dough that requires hardly 3-4 hours for you to fill your house with that aroma of freshly baked breads, and present a professional looking and tasting braided loaf filled with all kind of amazing filling.
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| Dried Fruits and Nuts Filled Pleated Bread |
Ingredients for the Dough
250gms, plain white flour
250gms with
wholewheat
2 tsp bread improver (optional)
1 tbsp, instant dry yeast
2 oz/65ml, lukewarm water
2 of/65ml lukewarm milk
2 oz/55gm, castor sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp salt
1 egg for dough and 1 for glazing
2oz/55g, unsalted butter at room temperature
Optional
2 tsp kelonji/Nigella seeds for topping savoury filled breads
2 tsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds for topping sweet filled
breads
Instructions for making dough
1-
Add all dry ingredients and sift together
2-
Mix beaten egg and butter
3-
Add water and milk
4-
Mix all ingredient with hand to a loose shaggy
mass
5-
Leave it for 20-30 minutes for yeast action
6-
Now knead the for 6-8 minutes to a supple and
elastic dough
7-
Leave it to prove in a warm place for 1 and ½ hours until double in size
8-
Punch down the dough for degassing and knead
lightly
9-
Roll out on a floured surface into a 15x10
rectangle
10- Now
transfer on a baking sheet
11- Spread
one of the following filling
12- With
a pizza wheel or a knife cut 10-12
strips at angle or either side of the filling cutting just upto the filling
13- Now
make bread folding the ends neatly on each other in criss cross manner until all
stripes are folded
14- Cover
with a plastic and leave to prove for 40-60 minutes or until double in size
15- Brush
the top with a beaten egg and Nigella/kalongi if the bread is savoury or
sesame/poppy seeds if it is sweet
16- Bake
in a pre heated oven at 375F/200C gas mark
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| Bake for 20-25minutes at 200C |
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| Brush the loaf with egg wash and top with nigella/kelonji |
Fillings
Savoury Filling-1 Vegetable
450 gms baby spinach roughly chopped
1 large bell pepper/shimla mirch chopped
100gms spring onion chopped
¼ cup garlic chives
¼ cup fresh green coriander chopped
2-3 green chillies chopped finely
6-8 cloves garlic chopped
1tbsp olive oil
100gms cubed cottage cheese
red chillie flakes 1tsp
1stp salt
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| Saute vegetablelightly dont overcook |
Cooking Instructions
-slightly heat the oil and sauté garlic
-when fragrant add all other vegetable and spice excluding
coriander and chives
-saute the vegetable just for few minutes until wilted turn
off the stove and leave it there uncovered
- add the chives coriander and cottage cheese while filling
the dough
Savoury Filling -2 Chicken Mince
250gms minced chicken
100gms spring onion chopped
¼ cup Garlic chives
¼ cup fresh green coriander chopped
2-3 green chillies chopped finely
6-8 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp roast cumin powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Cooking Instructions
- Sauté ginger and garlic in the heated oil
- when fragrant add mince, salt and the spices chillies and cumin.
- Fry for 5 minutes on medium fire
- Now add a cup of water and leave covered for cooking
- When the water dries add garam masala and the fresh spring onions, herbs chives and coriander
- Saute lightly for 2-3 minutes and turn off the fire and leave covered
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| Chicken and herbs filled pleated bread |
Filling-3 Sweet nuts and fruits
250gms dried apricot
50gms currant
50gms currants
100gms chopped almonds
50gms chopped walnuts
50gms candied orange peel
¼ tsp grated nutmeg (jaifal)
2 tsp lemon zest (about 1 big lemon)
1cup any herbal or light brewed tea (use 1 tea bag and make
tea without milk sugar)
2 tsp castor sugar
1 1/2oz/45gms melted unsalted butter
Cooking Instructions
-soak the dried apricots in warm tea
-leave for 20 minutes
-drain and chop
-add in it all the nuts and fruits
-now add sugar lemon zest and butter
-Mix with a wooden spoon in a thick mass
-Your filling is ready to fill in the dough now
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| Pleated Bread Loaf filled with spinach and kale |
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| Pleated bread loaf filled with chicken and herbs |
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| Pleated Bread loaf with sweet filling
Note: Please feel free to ask me questions related to this bread here.
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