Borscht bread Instead of dunking white bread in beetroot soup on a winter’s day, try adding the beetroot to the bread itself. The pink/red color is novel and a great conversation piece.Preparing the beetroot:Peel and boil one medium-sized beetroot in a pot of water until soft.Leave the beetroot and water to cool to lukewarm temperature. Save the beetroot water in the pot. In a food processor chop the beetroot finely (without the water).Preparing the dough:3 cups flour¾ cup of lukewarm beetroot water (from the pot)1 finely chopped beetroot½ Tbsp. instant dried yeast2 tsp. salt¼ cup sesame seedsMix all the ingredients and knead for seven to 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the beetroot, you may need to adjust by adding extra flour if the dough is too sticky or extra beetroot water if the dough is too stiff.Leave to rise covered with a damp cloth in a warm spot for an hour. Punch down and shape into an oval loaf. Place in a loaf pan and leave to rise for 90 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 180º for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.
In the grain: Rain and bread
Does rainy weather affect your baking?
Borscht bread Instead of dunking white bread in beetroot soup on a winter’s day, try adding the beetroot to the bread itself. The pink/red color is novel and a great conversation piece.Preparing the beetroot:Peel and boil one medium-sized beetroot in a pot of water until soft.Leave the beetroot and water to cool to lukewarm temperature. Save the beetroot water in the pot. In a food processor chop the beetroot finely (without the water).Preparing the dough:3 cups flour¾ cup of lukewarm beetroot water (from the pot)1 finely chopped beetroot½ Tbsp. instant dried yeast2 tsp. salt¼ cup sesame seedsMix all the ingredients and knead for seven to 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the beetroot, you may need to adjust by adding extra flour if the dough is too sticky or extra beetroot water if the dough is too stiff.Leave to rise covered with a damp cloth in a warm spot for an hour. Punch down and shape into an oval loaf. Place in a loaf pan and leave to rise for 90 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 180º for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.