Smoked Paprika + Fennel Seed Bread

 

Tonight we’re devouring this bread with a little homemade pulled pork, limey cabbage and carrot slaw, and some lima bean and charred corn succotash. Jealous? You should be, it’s a delicious summer meal. The work life is slowing down now for a few weeks which means an extra day off here and there… and a trip over to Montreal in two week’s time! I haven’t been outside of the province of Ontario more than a single time since I moved here two years ago, so I’m really excited to get out and experience something new. I’ve always wanted to go to Montreal, so it’s nice to be living more central in Canada- I can bus there?! This is much easier and affordable than flying from Vancouver 😉

So lots of photos and foodie adventures to be posted from the trip (including Au Pied de Cochon) so keep an eye out for that. But until then, here’s the latest from our kitchen:

 

The Paprika Fennel Bread: Yields 2 medium batons

 

450 g                bread flour

100 g                whole wheat flour

1+1/2 tsp          salt

2 tsp                 sugar

1/4 cup             warm water, to dissolve yeast

5 g                    dry yeast

1+1/2 cup         room temperature water

1+1/2 TB          smoked paprika

1 TB                 fennel seeds

pinch                black pepper

cornmeal + additional flour for the crust

 

-Preheat oven to 440 F. (with a pizza/baking stone preferably)

-Dissolve the yeast into the 1/4 cup warm water, set aside.

-Mix flours, salt, spices, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the room temperature water then the dissolved yeast, and knead with your hands for 2 mins.

-Set the dough aside in it’s bowl for 5 mins. Then knead for another 2-3 mins.

-Rest, covered, in a warm place for 30-40 mins or longer, until the dough has doubled in size.

-Remove from the bowl onto an oiled work surface, cut into two pieces lengthwise and form into two long loaves, pinching on the underside to hold their shape.

-Brush loaves with a little oil (whatever you have), and brush lightly with a little cornmeal and flour.

-Set the loaves aside for another 30-40 minutes or until they’ve doubled in size again.

-Create incisions across the top of the loaves crosswise or one single incision lengthwise (about 1/2 an inch deep) with a sharp knife, and bake until golden brown and until the loaves sound hollow when you tap the bottom. Allow to cool at least 20-30 mins in order for the inner crumb to set up before cutting into the loaves.

 

Top with… homemade pulled pork of course!