Jamie Magazine
By Marina Filippelli
2 hrs plus proving
Not Too Tricky
makes 2
About the recipe
These plaited loaves may look tricky, but just a couple of simple twists will give you impressive results. Filled with nuts, tomatoes, oregano and parsley, they smell divine served warm from the oven.
Recipe From
Ingredients
10g instant yeast
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
125g spelt flour
2 teaspoons runny honey
olive oil
WALNUT & PARSLEY FILLING
60g walnut halves
½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 clove of garlic
TOMATO & OREGANO FILLING
½ a bunch of fresh oregano
50g sun-blush tomatoes
35g Parmesan cheese
Method
- Combine the yeast, flours and 2 teaspoons of sea salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the honey, 2 tablespoons of oil and 400ml of tepid water. Mix the liquid around with your fingers, drawing the flour in and gradually combining the ingredients to form a soft dough.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the fillings. For the walnut and parsley filling, chop the nuts and parsley, and peel and crush the garlic. Combine with 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl and set aside.
- For the second filling, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat, then finely chop and stir in the oregano. Set aside to infuse. Finely chop the tomatoes.
- Halve the dough and, on a floured surface, roll it out to make two rectangles roughly 21cm x 30cm.
- Stir the tomatoes into the oregano oil and spread it over the surface of one rectangle, then finely grate over the Parmesan. Cover the surface of the other rectangle with the walnut and parsley filling.
- Starting with a long edge, tightly roll one of the rectangles into a log and lay it seam-side down. Repeat with the second rectangle. Trim the ends of both logs so they're the same length. Cut each log in two lengthways, giving you four long pieces of filled dough.
- Place a walnut and parsley piece, cut-side up, alongside a piece of the tomato and oregano. Pinch the top of both lengths together, then lift the left over the right, repeating until intertwined, with the filling visible on top.
- Pinch the other ends together to seal. Shape the plait into a tight ‘S’ shape, then tuck both ends under the middle to form a figure of eight. Make the other plait the same way.
- Place on a greased baking sheet, with plenty of space between them. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
- Brush the loaves with olive oil, scatter with sea salt and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden and the base of the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
- Cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm or cold.
Tags
