deconstruction: hummus bread

I was chatting last week with Patrick Ryan in twitter as he wanted to bake a bread and I suggested using chickpea flour. I really like using it and it's not the first time I bake something with chickpea flour (pan a l'ancienne or these Bollos de azafran lidia baked). Texture and flavour are unique.

But I wanted to twist this bread and thinking what to do came up hummus, where the main ingredient is chickpeas. So why dont use the ingredients of hummus and bake a bread? voila, and this is how this bread was made. There are a few different versions of hummus but most of them have chickpeas, olive oil, lemon, garlic and salt. I used a few more as I like hummus with tahini, so that's my recipe (be aware that still my baking equipment is in Belfast, so weight is not very accurate):

- 300g strong white flour
- 125g chickpea flout
- 100g spelt flour
- 2tbs dried yeast
- 10g salt
- 250ml water
- 40g olive oil
- 50g tahini
- 1tbs paprika
- 50g chickpeas ()
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- pepper

Of course I was afraid that this experiment wouldn't work for several reasons: the dough was too heavy (chickpea flour, chickpeas and tahini), the combination of flavours after baking wouldn't go well etc. When I was kneading it was quite difficult to work with the dough but I kneaded for 15 minutes and put it to prove for 1hour and a half. The dough responded and raise quite well so I kneaded for a few seconds and put it back to prove for another 1 hour and a half, but this time it wasn't that good. Anyway, oven at 230 °C for 15 minutes and another 30 minutes at 190 °C.

hummus bread

The result, very unusual flavour, you can feel all the ingredients, maybe a touch bitter and too much tahini so net time I will put less. Similar in consistency to a soda bread. But overall an interested experiment.

hummus bread

Bread symphony

Dos baguettes blanquísimas y un pain de campagne aderezado con aceite y ajo. Ésta fue mi aportación a una velada de celebración y música en la que casi todo el mundo, menos una servidora, sabía lo que hay que saber sobre notas y corcheas.

No se pueden tener todos los talentos, qué se le va a hacer. Pero lo del pan realmente ayuda a que te inviten a fiestas.

Last bread of the year: halloumi and olives bread

I am down in Cork spending a few days with my friends Philippe and Gianmaria, who have hosted me in their house for new year . So I promised them to bake some bread for tonight dinner, new years eye dinner. I wanted to be safe so I chose the olives and garlic bread I made recently. One of the best breads I've ever baked. But there is another part of me that always want to try new things and be very creative (too much sometimes) so I normally change even my own recipes.

When I went to buy this morning the bread flour, I decide to buy as well some rye flour to give more flavour to the bread. Not a big risk. Then I went to the olive shop and my eyes went straight to some black moroccan olives, so I bought them instead the greek style ones. Not to bad so far. Finally, I remember that this cyprus bread is made as well with one of the most popular and famous food from this island: halloumi cheese. Why not? I though. So, I was literally paying for the cheese in the shop when just in front of me there was a nice tin of hazelnut oil and of course I couldn't resist the temptation of buying it and using it instead of olive oil. So the result was this:

700 g white wheat flour

100 g rye flour

2 tbs quick dry yeast

12 g salt

400 ml water

50 ml hazelnut oil

150 g moroccan black olives

100 g halloumi cheese

10 g fresh mint

1,5 tbs mince garlic paste

The dough was very difficult to knead, as it was very sticky and moist, even though you can see the water it's only 56%. I think the olives could added some water and the hazelnut oil made it sticky. So I had to knead and leave it rest a few times before I considered it was ready. Then two times of a hour and 15 min fermentation. The dough worked well and doubled it size both times. Here you can see it in the tray before putting in the oven:

I am using as Lidia the water in a tray in the oven instead of the spray: for me it's easier than open and close the oven a few times. 10 min with the tray with water at 240º C, then I took the tray and let the steam out of the oven, and another 35 min at 190º C. The bread didn't grown up a lot in the oven, but I think it was because it did it before. During the time it was in the oven, there was a lovely and strong smell in the house, mix of garlic, olives and hazelnuts. After that time, I left the bread inside of the oven off with the door open for a few minutes.

Dark color bread, not big alveolus but soft crumbs, I find the combination of all the flavors very interesting. Strong from the garlic (even a little bit spicy), salty from the halloumi and olives and refreshing from the mint. Looking forward to put something on the top or dip it in a sauce or just olive oil

I used only half of the halloumi cheese, so while making the bread, because it was lunch time and I was hungry, and I love this cheese, I sliced the rest and grilled, placed them on top of scottish oatcakes, herbs, tomatoes and olives. Halloumi is the perfect cheese to be grilled (maybe together with the argentinian provoleta) because it has a high melting point, and it is even better if you do it in a barbecue. It has a distinctive texture, similar to mozzarella and has a salty flavour.

An this the the bottle of the hazelnut oil:

eliopsomi

As I said in one of the comments to a Lidia's post, this week I felt to make some bread inspired in that beautiful and interesting part of the world, eastern mediterranean sea. I love this part of the world and especially the food, but also the beautiful landscapes, the history and the people. For that I need some mediterranean ingredients but as well some middle east ones. First ones, garlic, olive oil and olives, and for thesecond, mint.

I have lived and travelled many times to Greece. I can say it is one of my favorites places to go on holidays and to live, and I don't refuse the idea of living again there. This recipe has some of the basic ingredient of the greek cuisine, and it could be a greek bread, but this time I was inspired in another country: Cyprus.

I spent one month in Cyprus working there and it was a very good experience. Food is similar to greece but there is more influences of the middle east. the combination is superb.

This bread is called eliopsomi (lit. olives bread). There is a version called eliopita (lit. olives pita). But I wanted to make a load of bread, so I mixed a few recipes I had and add the basic ingredients for making a eliopsomi. And this was the result:

525 g super strong white flour

300 g water

1 tbs quick dry yeast

10 g salt

40 g olive oil

140 g black olives

1 tbs fresh mince garlic

4 g fresh chopped mint

I found last week in a delicatessen shop in belfast called Arcadia this super strong flour from Hovis. I never used a very strong flour (this one has 12.8 g of protein) and I want to know how much affect the result. By the way, in this shop sells sourdough baguettes, I tried one and I have to say I liked it. I meant to put more olives but I couldn't resist the temptation and ate a few of them.

10 minutes at 240 degrees with a tray with water, after that I took out the tray and the steam (and of course the kitchen fire alarm went on) and another 30 minutes at 200 degrees.

I have to say that this is probably one of the best breads I made or at least the one I liked more.

Very nice crust, very soft inside, olives, garlic and mint gave to the bread a nice aroma and flavor. I can't wait till the morning to put loads of things on top of it.

And yes, I used the oven as well to roast some chestnuts, i love them so i couldn't help putting them with the bread.

It might be a good idea to use a few left to make a bread with chestnuts. Any suggestions?