Fresh from the oven – courgette cluster bread

This months Fresh from the oven challenge was hosted by Sally from My custard pie. She chose courgette cluster bread but challenged us to either use this recipe or another bread recipe with any vegetables in it. I think this is my first time baking vegetables in to bread so  I started of by baking the recipe provided by Sally with every intention of doing a different bread as well but I didn’t have time to try any other breads.

I have to be honest and say this bread wasn’t to my taste but I loved the way of baking bread in clusters in a cake tin, I will be doing that again. I’m not a massive fan of courgettes unless they are used in a recipe with plenty of other flavours so I guess I was destined not to like the bread from the start.

Courgette Cluster Bread – adapted from a recipe in House and Garden magazine by Roz Denny
Makes 8 rolls or clusters

Ingredients

450g courgettes, grated coarsely
Salt (for degorging and for the dough)
675g strong white bread flour
2 sachets of easy-blend/fast-action yeast or 14g instant dried yeast
3 tablespoons parmesan, grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Tepid water – about 200ml
Milk, to glaze
Sesame seeds, to sprinkle

Method

• Place the courgettes in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt. Allow the juices to drain for about half-an-hour, then rinse well in cold water and pat dry.
• If using instant yeast whisk it into 90 ml of the tepid water until frothy and dissolved. Mix the flour, yeast, parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some black pepper together in a bowl, then stir in the olive oil and courgettes. Add some more water until the mixture comes together as a firm, soft dough. I did this and the kneading in my KitchenAid with the dough hook.
• If kneading by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured board or work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl and put the dough into rise, covered with cling film or a cloth, for about one hour or until doubled in size.
• Knock back the dough in the bowl (punch the air out of it) and then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead again briefly until smooth.
• Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and roll to shape into even balls. Lightly grease and line the base of a 23 cm cake tin with baking parchment. Place one ball of dough in the middle and all the others around it.
• Brush the tops of rolls with milk and sprinkle over some sesame seeds. Cover again with oiled cling film or a cloth and leave to prove until doubled in size and the balls touch each other – about 30 minutes.
• Put into a preheated oven at 200 C for about 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked. Cool on a wire rack. Tear each roll off to eat as a bun.

Thank you again Sally for hosting this months challenge. I think you have inspired a lot of us to try baking breads with vegetables in them. This may not have been the right recipe for me but you have inspired me to try different bread recipes that include vegetables.