Pumpkin Chia Bread Rolls

Ingredients

7g active dry yeast
150ml lukewarm water
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup mashed roasted pumpkin

300g white bread flour
100g wholemeal flour
1 tsp salt


Method

Combine the yeast, water and honey in a mixer bowl. Leave for 5 minutes.
Add the pumpkin, golden syrup and olive oil.
Add the flours and salt and mix with a dough hook for 8 minutes, or 10 minutes on the bench.

Note: you want a sticky dough that just sticks to the bottom of the mixing bowl when the dough hook churns - you dont want it dry enough to form a ball that bounces around in the bowl. If too dry, add a few drops of water at a time to get the desired stickyness. Same concept for a dough that is slightly too wet.

Leave covered for 1.5 hours in a warm place to prove. Fold halfway through the proving.

Shape rolls from the dough (approx 6) and place on a tray lined with baking paper and dusted with semolina flour.  Cover with plastic to prove another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees C.

When ready to bake (fully proved), the rolls should be 1.5 times their original size and when pressed gently with one finger the dough should spring back about 90%. Brush the tops with milk and scatter with chia seeds.

Place in the oven and spray with water to create steam.

After 10 minutes turn the oven down to 200 degrees C. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the rolls are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped beneath.

These were very nice; savoury but sweeter than normal bread of course. They had a warm nutty flavour and were lovely toasted with tasty cheese and pickled cucumbers.

photo to come :)

Woodfired Pizza

at Geoff and Jess's Place

Geoff had some nice olive oil dough ready to go

Laura's Gluten Free Pizzas were also great

Shawn made a supreme

Anthony made an avocado and cheese - Bellissimo!

Tacheen - Almond, Pomegranate and Coriander

Ingredients

Basmati Rice

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Handful of green beans from the garden.

Toppings of your choice (see below)

Method

Place rice (about 3 cups for 4 people) in saucepan and rinse will water runs clear.

Fill rice saucepan with water again and add a pinch of salt.

Bring rice to boil on stove till just slightly cooked (still has a slight hardness to it)

Remove rice and strain.

Place butter and olive oil in pan (*non-stick deep saucepan is important)

Add 2 tbsp water and swirl round the bottom.

Pack half the strained rice into the base and press down.

Pile the rest of the rice in a pyramid over the base and make a few deep holes to allow steaming.

Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for up to 1 hour.

Add green beans to the top 5 minutes before serving to steam them.

To serve, upturn the Tacheen onto a wide plate and observe the amazing "Tahdeeg" the crust!

(In ancient persian feasts this was fought over for its deliciousness!)

Place lovely toppings over the crust - pomegranate seeds, fresh coriander,

roasted pine nuts and pistachios and a few cranberries.

It is also lovely served with fresh yoghurt and mint.