That Orange, date and cardamom loaf

okay - so I'm a leeetle bit slow with birthdays, cards and blogging. This is only a few months late. Next, have to tackle the tax!!!

I love this flavour combination; orange dates and cardamom started flirting with each other centuries ago and the sparks are still flying. This is perfect for a festive occasion, and I can imagine a beautiful orange cream cheese spread with this one.

I hope you enjoy the bread plaiting tutorial. Keep me posted on how you go.


BREAD INGREDIENTS:

80gram unhulled buckwheat (or toasted buckwheat). The unhulled buckwheat gives a lovely speckled finish to the bread

30gram millet

20g yoghurt whey, buttermilk or yoghurt

280gram water

2tsp yeast

tbsp brown sugar or honey

420g bakers flour

11/2 tsp salt

30gram oil or butter

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

Handful of walnuts

1/4 tsp cardamom

Zest of 1 orange

1tbsp brown sugar

Handful of dates

60 gram water

Pinch of bicarbonate

80g butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

Dough:

Mill buckwheat and millet for 30 secs speed 9

Add yogurt and water, yeast and honey and mix for 1 min, 37 degrees, speed soft. Let it sit and prove while you get the other ingredients.

Add remaining ingredients; flour, salt and oil and combine for 10 seconds speed 6

Knead for 2 minutes on interval speed and allow to prove in a breadmat or oiled bowl covered with oiled cling film, in a warm draught free spot, for 1 hour.

Filling:

Lightly chop the handful of walnuts for 5 seconds, reverse speed 5, check the nuts and repeat for 2 more seconds if needed. Set aside

During the last 10 minutes of dough proving, zest your orange with the sugar and cardamom for 30 seconds speed 9, or if you used an orange zester, just add all those ingredients straight into the bowl.

Add the large handful of dates and bicarbonate and water.

Cook 3 minutes, 100 degrees speed 2.

Meanwhile roll your dough on your oiled baking mat or paper, it will need to be 30cm wide at least and as long as your baking tray.If you roll it out on your Mat like I did, or roll it out on your bench, you are going to have one hell of a tricky time transferring it to your baking tray!!! (Not that I would ever be sooooo silly) ;)

Mark the dough just wider than a third so you have a middle section about 15cm wide or more, by running your spatula lightly down the length of the dough as if you were about to roll it into thirds.

The dates will probably have finished cooking by now, so put 50g of the butter into the bowl and melt it by mixing 1minute speed 2.

Meanwhile, Cut fringes about 2-3 cm wide on each side using your lines as a guide. These will be the fingers you plait.

Scrape the date mix onto the centre of your dough. (The picture above is a different FAILSAFE mix of choko, carob etc - will post one day)

Add the remaining butter to the emptied TM bowl and cook for 1 minute, 100 degrees speed 3.

Meanwhile spread the date mix out with your spatula, covering a little of your fringes and all of the centre portion. Sprinkle over your walnuts.

Start at your smallest end, by lifting a fringe and drawing it towards the centre on the slightest diagonal angle. Lift up the opposing fringe and cross over the first piece. Keep repeating like a fishbone plait.

Slide the dough on it's paper onto your baking tray and glaze with the butter mix from the bowl.

Prove a further 20 minutes, Set your oven to 190C and bake 20-25 minutes, 190 degrees. Check it after 20 minutes of cooking.

and VOILA! Gotta love a daggy name tag :)