I love baking bread these days compared to everyday cooking :-)) The humidity here the past weeks is unbearable, but so conducive to baking breads – they rise like a breeze.
As my family likes savoury breads compared to sweet ones, I adapted the sesame and onion Pull apart bread and divided the dough into two parts with different stuffings : one with sauteed spinach and garlic and the other with chillies and indian spices (like cumin, chilli flakes). we loved them a lot, and they vanished quickly.
The humidity is also due to the clouds that set in pretty early in the day making it impossible to take decent daylight pictures. However, these were two super delicious flavours that I loved to make and for us to eat. Goes well with any warm soup for supper / brunch.
Prep time : 15 mins, Rising time : 1 hours + 45 mins ; Bake time : 30/35 mins
Spice : Low – Medium
Ingredients:
Basic calzone dough / Bundt Bread / Sesame Onion Pull apart bread – approx 400 gm
Stuffing 1:
- Spinach – fresh – 1/2 cup (can use frozen too)
- Garlic – 8-10 pods
- Cheese – 3 TBSP (opt.)
- Olive oil – 3 TBSP (divided use)
- Sea salt – to taste
- Butter – 1 TBSP (can use vegan version if preferred)
- Black n sesame seeds – for topping
Stuffing 2:
- Hot spicy Indian chillies – 2 or 3
- Curry leaves – few (about 6-7 leaves)
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 TBSP
- Red Chilli flakes – 1/2 TBSP
- Sesame seeds – 2 tsp
- Kalonji Seeds (onion seeds) – few
- Sea Salt – to taste
- Olive oil – 1 TBSP
- Grated Cheese – 3 TBSP
Method:
Preps:
While the bread rises, keep the stuffing no. 1 ready:
In a pan, heat 2 TBSP of olive oil and butter. Add chopped garlic, saute for 2 mins. Turn the heat to medium low and add spinach, saute for further 3-4 mins till the spinach wilts a bit. Turn off, add salt (caution – spinach is quite salty, so add with caution). Cool to room temp.
Once the dough rises, punch down and knead gently for 2 mins. Divide the dough into two and keep them covered till you roll out.
Bread 1 :
Grease a loaf pan and line if necessary
Take one portion and roll into a rough 8 * 10 rectangle on a floured surface into a slightly thin . Apply a layer of olive oil and brush it evenly. Then add the garlic- spinach mixture all over again.
With a pizza cutter, make longish rectangular strips (about 2 inch broad).
Stack the strips on top of each other and again cut them into squares.
Gently place the squares along the length of the pan. Cover and let it rise for 30-45 minutes.
Bread 2:
Roll the other portion of the dough into a smaller rectangle. Spread olive oil, spread the chopped curry leaves, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, chilli flakes, sea salt, Grated Cheese. and cut into squares as above. Cover and let rise.
Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 180 C / 375 F. Bake the breads for 20-25 mins till the tops are golden brown and spring back. Cool on wire racks and serve warm as is or with a bowl of Soup or pasta
Sending this toBM #64 under Pull Apart Breads Theme
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#65
Surely looks tempting!
Nice variation on the stuffing.
Lovely variations ! One has to just get hooked on and things happen in a breeze , great passion ????
Looks absolutely fantastic and am in love with your stuffing.
It looks fantastic. Lovely variation
Looks yum and love teh flavours. Cooking when its a breeze is a delight ins't it?
What a delicious looking pull apart breads Kalyani. Love both the fillings especially the spicy one sounds delicious.
Love the fillings and great way to serve up breads for a crowd!
love the spinach stuffing – great breads
Delicious stuffing there. I find spinach very good for baking.
Both the stuffings look flavorful and yum!! Nice variation for teh same bread.