Summer Breeze
Igor Levashov
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La Belle Cuisine - More Bread Recipes

Fine Cuisine with Art Infusion

"To cook is to create. And to create well...is an act of integrity, and faith,"

French Country Breads: Sunflower Seed Bread

"Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods,
and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts."
~ James Beard

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Igor Levashov
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Igor Levashov
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French Country Breads
by Jeffrey Alford, Bon Appetit April 1992

 "For a lover of bread, looking for whole-grain loaves in the French countryside is like going on a pilgrimage.  I recently made such as journey, exploring village markets, driving down country lanes and climbing steep cobbled streets in search of traditional boulangeries.  I found that the search was almost as great a pleasure as the breads themselves.
Traditional boulangers have a great deal of pride in the bread they produce.  They know it's good.  When I asked about a recipe, they were always generous with information - about the oven, the quality of the flour, the baker's attention and care.  These, they all agreed, are the essential ingredients.
Of course, it also helps if you have good recipes.  And here are six terrific ones that I created from the knowledge I gained from my fellow bakers across the Atlantic..."

Sunflower Seed Bread

This specialty originated in Alsace, but can now be found in boulangeries
across France. It is a distinctive sunflower-shaped loaf that goes well with
soups and salads.

1 3/4 cups warm (105 F. to 115 degrees F.) water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (about) whole wheat flour
3/4 cup shelled raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoon sunflower or other vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten to blend
Poppy seeds

Place warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast and then sugar over and stir to dissolve. Gradually mix in 2 cups unbleached flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour. Stir 100 times. Cover yeast mixture with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes. Stir shelled raw sunflower seeds, sunflower oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt into yeast mixture. Gradually stir in enough remaining whole wheat flour to form soft dough. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more whole wheat flour if dough is sticky, about 8 minutes.
Grease clean large bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to coat completely. Cover with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled and dough does not spring back when 2 fingers are pressed into side, 2 hours. Punch dough down. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Divide dough into 3 equal portions (about 14 ounces each). Knead 1 dough portion 1 minute. Form dough into ball and place in center of prepared pan. Divide each 2 remaining dough portions into 3, creating 6 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Place pieces evenly in pan around center. Cover with plastic wrap. Let loaf rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush top of loaf with egg. Sprinkle center generously with poppy seeds. Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool bread slightly. Serve bread warm or at room temperature.  Makes 1 loaf.
 

Featured Archives Recipes - French Country Bread Series:
Bran Bread
Hazelnut Bread
Raisin and Millet Rolls
Rye and Walnut Rolls
Olive Bread
 

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