Sunflowers are known for being “happy” flowers, making them the perfect gift to bring joy to someone's (or your) day. Freshly baked Sunflower bread for my family.
Two flowers are stuffed with Spinach, Cheese & Panner along with herbs & chilli flakes too.
Baked one with the Nutella filling to satiate the sweet tooth craving.
Ingredients:
· Maida (All Purpose Flour) – 2 cups + extra ½ cup for dusting
· Dry Active Yeast - 2 tsp
· Warm water – ½ cup
· sugar -1 tsp
· salt – 1 tsp
· Garlic - 1 tsp (Minced)
· Spinach – ¾ cup (boiled & blanched)
· Ricotta cheese - ½ cup or Paneer ½ cup
· Mozzarella cheese – ½ cup
· Oregano - 2 tsp, extra for dusting it in the centre
· Salt to Taste
· Black pepper - 2 tsp
· Chilli flakes – 1 tsp
· Melted Butter for brushing
Method:
· In a small bowl dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water.
· Let it rest for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast is activated.
· Take big mixing bowl add in the flour, salt, oil and the activated yeast mixture. Now mix this with a fork. It will look like a sticky dough.
· Pour this sticky dough on a work table, now knead this by hands for around 10 minutes. Use all-purpose flour for dusting till it becomes smooth and soft. Make a ball from this dough. Once you punch the dough with finger it should bounce back.
· Take another bowl, lightly grease it with oil and place the dough just made and brush it with some more oil.
· Put the dough into a greased bowl. Cover with cling wrap and put in a warm place for about 1 ½ to 2 hours or till it is almost doubled.
· Now wash, boil and blanch the spinach leaves. Drain the excess water from it, and roughly chop the spinach
· Mix the chopped spinach with ricotta cheese or paneer, mozzarella cheese and season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and oregano.
· When the dough has risen, transfer it to a floured surface and punch out the air. Then roll it into a cylinder and divide it roughly into 2 equal parts.
· Take one of the balls of dough and roll it out to a circle of around 8-9 inch. Use a plate for a template, press it down lightly on the circle to get an indentation and using a pizza cutter cut the extra off. Then move this onto a parchment paper.
· Put little stuffing in the centre of the circle and the remaining creating another circle around, like a donut shape.
· Roll the other part of the dough exactly the same way.
· Now cover the first circle and the filling with the second circle and pinch the sides using fingers.
· Keep a small glass/bowl over the central stuffing.
· Using a sharp knife cut the stuffed dough into 4 quarters first. In the centre of one quarter cut it again to make two halves. Now make 2 cuts between the two halves. Follow this for other 3 quarters too. You will get 24 strands.
· Turn each strand upside 90° so that it resembles the shape of a sunflower petal.
· Now cover this and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
· Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and when the sunflower dough has risen, brush it with melted butter so it gets a nice golden-brown colour.
· Sprinkle oregano or black sesame seeds (Til) in the centre portion for some extra sunflower effect.
· Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye over it after 20 mins as each and every oven works slightly different.
· Let it cool a little before serving.
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