BREADS,  SAVOURY,  VEGETARIAN

MOROCCAN HOLIDAY BREAD…BAKING FOR A WORTHY CAUSE… "YES WE CAN"!

2008/11/10 / 36 Comments
“It isn’t bread that feeds you; it is life and the spirit that feed you through bread.”
Angelus Silesius 2008 11 09Moroccan Holiday Bread
…The addition of maize meal & a cornucopia of seeds gives this superb loaf an interesting flavour & texture.

Sunday morning woke up with a mission; BAKE BREAD! There was no meal idea in mind, the morning loomed large, the kids were out of bed & running wild…& I had to bake bread. While the kids squabbled over the remote & hot-house eggs (which I shall blog about another day), I emptied my bread baking bookshelf onto the table & wondered where to begin. Winter is almost here, the weather isn’t warm enough for a confident rise in yeast…yet, I had to bake bread. I juggled a couple of choices … a Tuscan Schiacciata, a Greek Olive Bread, Portuguese Corn Bread…& eventually settled for a Moroccan Holiday Bread. I had all ingredients on hand, just enough time for the dough to double & rise again…& a bag of sunflower seeds to use. Happily enough, by sheer coincidence, the bread belonged to Morocco, a country in North Africa. IMG 0617
What’s the fuss about? Why bake bread on a Sunday morning with the kids running wild? Actually, time was running out. I’ve been tagged to bake bread by Jeanne @ Cook Sister. Yes, the South African blogger, nibbling at the world, based in London, but found all over the globe at amazing speed. She’s a trained criminal lawyer, & now an avid photographer & food blogger. More about this interesting lady here. I was touched & thrilled to be tagged by her for a cause close to her heart…read on

2008 11 091

BAKE BREAD – GIVE DOUGH – FEED AFRICA!

Breadline Africa is a South African-based charity that is seeking to put a lasting end to poverty South Africa (and further afield in Africa) by breaking the cycle of poverty and helping communities to achieve long-term self-sustainability. Breadline Africa was founded in 1993 when a group of community and social workers in South Africa (who had first-hand knowledge of the uniquely African problems that they faced) formed an alliance with like-minded colleagues in Europe (who were well-placed to source donations in valuable foreign currency). Armed with this unique combination of skills, Breadline Africa has been able to raise funds in Europe and use their local knowledge to identify which small, ground-level projects in Africa are most likely to succeed with a financial boost. CKSIS

On Blog Action Day, Breadline Africa launched their Worldwide Blogger Bake-Off campaign. The aim is to raise $1 million in funds for a project to convert shipping containers into locations for food production and distribution in Africa. It is hoped that these sustainable community kitchens will not only provide food such as bread and soup to those in need, but also opportunities for skills development within poor communities.IMG 0612Bloggers can download the Blogger Bake-off widget and tag five other bloggers to do the same – I am tagging these five to bake bread:
Val @ More Than Burnt Toast
Aparna @ My Diverse Kitchen
Manggy @ No Special Effects
Rosie @ Rosie Bakes a Peace of Cake
Nuria @ Spanish Recipes
2008 11 092

If you want to get involved in the Blogger Bake-off, check out their website here.IMG 0621
YES WE CAN…there is such great optimism in these 3 words. Ever since I heard Barrack Obama’s speech, the words have stuck to me. Three words, such great hope. They can move people, a nation, the world! Yes we can…bake bread & change the world too!
.
MOROCCAN HOLIDAY BREAD
Adapted from ‘The Practical Encyclopedia of Baking’, by Martha Day , pg 483
(Classic Breads From Around The World)
Ingredients:
Flour – 1 1/4 cups
Maize Meal/Cornmeal – 1/4 cup
Salt – 1 tsp
Yeast – 1 tbsp
Lukewarm water – 100ml (orig. recipe has 120ml/4fl oz)
Lukewarm milk – 100ml (orig. recipe has 120ml/4fl oz)
Sugar – 1 tsp
Sunflower seeds – 4 tbsps
Black sesame seeds – 2 tbsps
White Sesame seeds – 2 tbsps2008 11 094
Method:
  • Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment.
  • Sift the flours & salt into a bowl.
  • Cream the yeast in a 100ml warm water + 100 ml warm milk, with a tsp of sugar. proof for 5-10 minutes.
  • Pour into the flour mix & make a fairly soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth & elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap & leave to rise in a warm place, until doubled in size, for about an hour.
  • Turn out on a lightly floured surface, knock back, & gently knead the seeds into it. eave a few seeds for sprinkling on top. Shape into a loaf (original recipe has a round ball), flatten slightly, & place on prepared sheet.
  • Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 200C.
  • Brush the top of the loaf with water, sprinkle seeds on top, & bake for 30-35 minutes until it’s golden, & makes a hollow sound when tapped. (I placed a bowl of water under the tray, & spritzed the oven twice).
  • Transfer to a rack to cool. We had it warm, & it was wonderful. Tasted great on it’s own, & even better with a brush of butter. The kids loved it too, both without, & later, with butter!

2008 11 093 I’m sending this to Susan @ Wild Yeast for her ongoing event ‘Yeastspotting.’

Posted by Deeba @ PAB

About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.

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36 Comments

  • Aparna

    2008/11/10 at 12:22 pm Reply

    Your bread looks fantastic, Deeba. The seeds certainly give it a middle eastern/ north African look.
    Now your breads are looking as good as your other confectionaries.
    Saw the tag. Let me see what I can do.

  • Snooky doodle

    2008/11/10 at 3:36 pm Reply

    wow you always amaze me with your baking and your fantastic pictures and this post is no exception 🙂

  • Curry Leaf

    2008/11/10 at 4:03 pm Reply

    Lovely.I love all your baked goodies.They have an out of the world charm.The bread is fantastic

  • Núria

    2008/11/10 at 4:23 pm Reply

    Hola Sweetheart♥
    Thanks for thinking about me! Now I have no excuse not to try kneading some bread and baking it ;D. Of course I’m in 😀 although it will be difficult to improve your skills… I’m craving for your moroccan bread… awesome, love that sunflower seeds on top… where’s the knife and the ham?

  • Reeni

    2008/11/11 at 1:49 am Reply

    Your bread is beautiful! And even more so because it’s for a worthy cause. I understand now why you “had to!”

  • Proud Italian Cook

    2008/11/11 at 4:19 am Reply

    A very worthy cause Deeba, your bread looks awesome. I love the toppings and the color of the inside. Passionate about baking was a perfect title for your blog.
    Sooo true!!!

  • Tamsin

    2008/11/11 at 8:12 am Reply

    Your bread looks amazing!
    Just a quick note to say THANKS FOR JOINING THE BLOGGER BAKE OFF!

    There has been such a great response so far and we’ve had alot of amazing input from everyone so our campaign is really shaping up.

    We’ll be blogging about some of our projects very soon so please do check out our blog on the home page of the Bake Off website (www.bloggerbakeoff.com)

    You can also check out our top recipes and fundraisers.

    Thanks again!

    Tamsin – Breadline Africa

  • Pearlsofeast

    2008/11/11 at 8:58 am Reply

    Wow this bread looks out the world and cornmeal imparts a lovely colour.
    Thats a great cause and u have done an great job.

  • Jeanne

    2008/11/11 at 12:45 pm Reply

    Oh Deeba – you’ve really risen to the occasion (pardon the pun!!) with this fantastic bread! I love all the seeds and the lovely golden crumb. A fantastic contribution to this excellent campaign 🙂 And thank you for your very kind words about me *blush*

  • Jeanne

    2008/11/11 at 12:56 pm Reply

    I also meant to say I *LOVE* your site redesign! And I’ve added a link to your bread recipe to my original Blogger Bake-Off post 🙂

  • Yasmeen

    2008/11/11 at 2:15 pm Reply

    Sure we can Deeba,I’m going to check out the worthy bake off challenge.
    Moroccan bread looks very festive with its seedy texture:)

  • Susan/Wild Yeast

    2008/11/11 at 5:04 pm Reply

    Obama inspired so many with just those three words — I hope their momentum continues now that the election is over. I’ll participate in the bake-off. Gorgeous bread, as always!

  • The Peanut Butter Boy

    2008/11/11 at 6:06 pm Reply

    This bread looks wonderful and I love the cause, I’m going to check it out now.

  • Darius T. Williams

    2008/11/12 at 2:55 am Reply

    LOVE the quote and the bread looks stunning!

    -DTW
    [www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com]

  • ejm

    2008/11/14 at 9:12 pm Reply

    What beautiful looking bread! The black sesame seeds (at first I thought they were nigella seeds) are really striking.

    -Elizabeth

  • Cakelaw

    2008/11/14 at 10:48 pm Reply

    What a gorgeous bread for a very good cause Deeba! (BTW, I’ve always wanted to tell you that I adore the quotes that you put at the top of each post.)

  • Susan from Food Blogga

    2008/11/15 at 2:01 am Reply

    I just saw your bread on Susan’s blog Wild Yeast and came right over. Oh, Deeba, that bread looks divine. And I haven’t been around much this past week, so let me say how much I love your new look.

  • lovefrom1stbite

    2008/11/20 at 2:57 pm Reply

    Good job!! I’m glad you posted this. I just love to see Moroccan cuisine circling around. It’s really worth trying..I just posted the Moroccan flat bread recipe yesterday on my blog if you’re interested.

    A Moroccan blogger next door 😉

  • Ferrari Middle East

    2009/11/24 at 1:02 pm Reply

    That's a fantastic recipe on bread!Pics look fabulous!!!!!!Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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