Courgettes can always be relied on to grow happily in our kitchen plot and once the summer is in full swing it's hard to keep up with them. It doesn't help that the kids refuse to eat them so I have to go to the trouble of sneaking them into dishes to avoid wasting any. Luckily fresh bread always gets eaten, no questions asked, so it's an easy way to get them eaten up.
The Urfa chilli paste adds a smoky warmth rather than fiery heat so despite the double chilli, the bread is still gently flavoured enough to be enjoyed by children. Makes great toast if any is leftover after a day or two.
Simple courgette & chilli bread
Prepare: 15 minutes plus 90 minutes proving
Cook: 45 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
10g salt
5g dried fast active yeast
2 courgettes (about 350g) grated
2 mild red chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp Belazu urfa chilli paste
1 Place all the ingredients in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the motor running, slowly add in some lukewarm water - how much you need will really vary depending on the flour and the juiciness of the courgettes but it'll take 75ml - 150ml. Knead for about 4 - 5 minutes to make a smooth but not too sticky dough.
2 Shape the dough into a ball, rub with a little olive oil and return to the bowl. Cover and leave for an hour until doubled in size.
3 Heat the oven to 240C, gas mark 8. Place a sheet of baking parchment in a casserole or pyrex dish and sprinkle lightly with flour.
4 Gently knead the air out of the dough and reshape into a ball. Place in the casserole and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
5 Score the surface 2 - 3 times then cover and place in the hot oven. Bake for 35 minutes, then carefully lift off the lid and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until cooked through and darkly browned. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
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