Z'atar Lockdown Bread_ Iain Graham, Chef and Food Stylist
500 g Strong bread flour
15 g yeast
350 ml warm water
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tbs salt
30 ml EV olive oil/ rape seed oil
1 tbs sweet potato puree
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp black sesame seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sumac
Heat the oven to 180 C.
SO after a few days in lock down, I was desperate to make some bread, for a few reasons really, the first being that I didn’t want to go out and risk getting any from a shop and the second, that as I now had time, why not wake up to freshly baked bread in the morning….
I like to do this first part in a small jar as I keep all of the jars I use and reuse each and every one… but if you don’t have jar you can do this in a jug or even a bowl.
Put the yeast, sugar and 100 ml of the water into the jar with a good sized spoon of the flour. Get the lid on and give it a good shake. Set that to oneside and using a good mixer with the dough hook, add the flour, salt, the rest of the water the sumac and the sweet potato puree.
Using a small frying pan on a low heat, warm the Olive oil or rapeseed oil and add the seeds, once they are toasted and fragrant then add them to the flour mix in the mixing bowl.
After around 10 to 15 minutes the ferment mix in the jar should be foaming and bubbling nicely.
Open the jar and pour the entire contents into the mixing bowl with the flour. Now mix the dough. You should have the mixer on a high speed. Gradually the dough will come together and eventually will have a shiny glossy look to it.
Leave the dough in the mixing bowl for 20 -30 minutes until it has doubled in size.
Next I pour the dough out onto a floured surface, cutting it into two 480 g pieces.
I then pull the outer edges of the dough into the centre of the dough gradually folding the outside into the centre and stretching the surface of the dough. Flip the dough over and using an open hand, with some small pressure, move the dough in circular motion until the top of the dough becomes tight and smooth.
Transfer the loaf to a lined tray and allow it to prove again for 20 minutes until it has again increased in size.
Now put the two loaves into the oven and toss 90ml of cold water into the side of the oven, this steam produces a wonderful crunchy crust.
After around 20 -25 minutes the bread should be ready…
Lift the loaf and tap it on the underside. If it sounds hollow then its ready to go.
