The origin of this idea came from Sunday lunches at Richard Corrigan’s restaurant in Mayfair which started with a small loaf of bread baked in a pot. They stopped serving Sunday lunches some time ago which makes us quite sad. Flowerpot Bread is my way of remembering those lunches.
The base of this bread is what I call our In-House Bread. That is to say, this is the bread I like to make best and which is very popular with everyone who eats it.
The terracotta pots can be bought from garden centres and measure 11 cm in diameter and 10 cm in height. They need to be lined with baking paper. There is a way to season the pots to give it a non-stick texture, but it was quicker for me to simply line it.
I made the dough in my Thermomix but you can make it conventionally by hand or indeed place everything in a bread machine.
For the Bread:
310 g water
2 teaspoons dried instant yeast
1 teaspoon runny honey
200 g organic white bread flour
300 g organic wholegrain spelt flour (I use Sharpham Park)
30 g olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon blue poppy seeds
1 teaspoon golden linseed
1 teaspoon brown linseed
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
How to Make:
Prepare the terracotta pots by lining them with baking paper.
Oil a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Place the water, yeast and sugar in the Thermomix bowl and warm 2 minutes 30 seconds/ 37 C/ speed 1.
Add the flours, oil, vinegar and salt. Knead 3 minutes/ dough setting.
Add the poppy seeds, linseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Knead 1 minute/ dough setting.
Turn the TM bowl upside down over the oiled mixing bowl and let the dough drop down onto it. Cover the bowl and and leave the dough to rise for around 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Divide the risen dough into four equal parts and shape each part into an elongated ball that will fit into the flowerpot. The best way I can describe this is that you are aiming for a giant molar. Imagine a tooth for a giant.
Allow the dough to rise again, around 30 – 40 minutes. At this point, you can make a snip at the top with a pair of scissors but this is strictly not necessary.
Bake in an oven pre-heated to 220 C for 25 minutes.
Remove the pots from the oven and let the bread cool slightly before peeling off the baking paper.
The bread can be reheated for 5 minutes in an oven at 180 C. It is an idea to quarter each loaf beforehand then place back in the pot before reheating and serving, which makes it easier to share at the table.
At a lunch with friends I served the bread with Carrot and Coconut Soup and some simple salads made with main ingredients of chickpeas and roasted cauliflower.
The Easter Bank Holiday is upon us and I am looking forward to having the children back home this weekend, as this gives us an opportunity to try new dishes. It is also great to have someone eat the leftovers…