ScarlettChocolate Honey Swirl
May 3rd 2007 11:15
Chocolate Honey Swirl
About Bread
Bread is a staple food of European, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures which is prepared by baking, steaming, or frying dough. Bread consists minimally of flour and water; salt is present in most cases; and usually a leavening agent as yeast is used. Breads may also contain some amounts or sugar, spices, fruit (such as raisins, pumpkin or bananas), vegetables (like onion or zucchini), nuts, or seeds (such as caraway, sesame or poppy seeds). There are a wide variety of breads, with preferences differing from region to region.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 loaf
300 gm strong white flour
½ teaspoon salt
75 gm butter
3 tablespoons caster sugar
185 ml / ¾ cups milk
3 teaspoons dried yeast
250 gm chocolate dots
3 tablespoons clear honey
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons candied peel, chopped
4 tablespoons nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts or others), chopped
icing sugar, to sift
1. Place the flour and salt in a bowl, then rub in the butter.
2. Stir in most of the sugar.
3. Heat the milk until just lukewarm, then stir in the remaining sugar and sprinkle the yeast over the top.
4. Set aside in a warm place, without stirring, for about 15 minutes until frothy.
5. Pour the yeast liquid into the flour mixture and mix to a soft dough. Knead for 10 minutes, then replace in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size.
6. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients.
7. Knead the dough briefly, then roll it out into an oval, about 1cm / ½inch thick.
8. Spread the chocolate mixture over, leaving a border.
9. Dampen the edge, then roll up the dough. Pinch the edge to seal it well.
10. Place non-stick baking parchment in the soaked pot and put the loaf in it. Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled. Place in the cold oven.
11. Set the oven at 230 degrees Celsius. Cook for 45 minutes.
12. Uncover and cook for 10 minutes.
13. Cool on a rack.
14. Sift with icing sugar.
Notes:
Wash a new pot in hand-hot water adding a little washing-up liquid, and rinse it thoroughly.
Preparing the claypot for cooking:
1. The first step in preparing a claypot recipe is to soak the pot in cold water for 15 minutes, or until you are ready to put the food in the pot. If the pot has never been used before, it should be soaked for 30 minutes.
2. Place the pot and lid in the sink or in washing-up bowl. Invert the lid on top of the pot to save space and fill the sink or bowl with cold water to completely submerge the pot and lid. The unglazed, porous pot absorbs water during soaking.
3. As the pot heats in the oven, the water creates a moist cooking atmosphere. Not only does this prevent foods from drying out but it also encourages some ingredients to create a flavoursome cooking liquor.
4. The moist atmosphere promotes tender results when roasting meat and preserves the natural flavour of seafood and vegetables.
5. When used for baking, the pot encourages items, such as cakes and breads, to rise well.
6. The pot also helps to give yeasted breads a good crust which crisps and browns when the lid is removed for the final 10 minutes or so of cooking.
7. The material and moisture which is retained in the pot makes it unnecessary to add fat for basic cooking.
8. When cooking baked items, such as bread or cakes, it makes sense to line the bottom of the claypot with a piece of non-stick baking parchment. This ensures that the baked goods are easy to remove.
9. If you intend using the same claypot for all types of cooking, do not cook fish as the first food in the pot. Once the pot has been used for other cooking, then it can be used for fish and seafood. Ideally, it is best to keep a separate clay pot for desserts and baking.
**From “The Book of Claypot Cooking” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
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Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
oh yum! Looks and sounds great, but a lil too much work for an average workin bachelor like me! LOL
May try this for a holiday though or a gathering of frinds for dinner...
Great pots!
Take care,
Nick