fitlife 
You may have seen various forms of shaped bread “art” with one braided and twisted bread even lovelier than the next. There is a beautiful sweet version here on Monique’s blog La Table de Nana. She made a nutella-filled braided brioche bread which is gorgeous.
This bread is a savory version of Hungargian Kalács which is a sweet bread eaten during Easter. The word Kalács means ’round’ or ‘wheel’.
onions, Greek yogurt, grated Jarlsberg and Parmesan cheeses mixed with
spicy horseradish mustard, red pepper flakes, and Penzey’s Pizza
Seasoning (which is a blend of oregano and other herbs). I can imagine
this bread made with chopped, cured meats and other cheeses and
seasonings. You could use any kind of seed or even pine nuts in the
center. Let your imagination and taste buds be your muse!
I used Passionate About Baking’s adaptation of the dough recipe which I found easy to make and work with. Color Your Recipes has a great, detailed tutorial on how to do the shaping of the bread.
This would make a delicious Easter appetizer/finger food and the flower shape makes it perfect for spring time. Happy Spring and Enjoy!
Adapted from At Down Under and Passionate About Baking
Printable Recipe
Dough:
2-1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
1/4 cup-packed (25g) grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1-3/4 cup (200g) milk, lukewarm
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon (15ml) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
3 Tablespoons (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Filling:
(The filling is very versatile so use any cheese and seasonings/herbs
of your choice, including chopped, cured meat such as pancetta or bacon)
3 Tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
8 ounces of shredded cheese or your choice (I used Jarlsberg and Parmesan)
3 small green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons spicy horseradish mustard or Dijon
1 teaspoon Penzey’s Pizza seasoning (or a combination of dried oregano, basil and marjoram)
Salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 beaten egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water, for wash
2 tablespoons seeds for decor in center of bread
Place
the flour, Parmesan cheese, yeast and salt in the bowl of food
processor and pulse on high speed to mix. Add the milk, cloves, garlic
and yogurt and pulse to blend. Remove dough from food processor and
knead on a floured surface to a smooth dough – about 5 minutes.
Cover
with a piece of plastic wrap or dish towel and let rest for 15-20
minutes, then knead in the olive oil. Place the dough in a well oiled
bowl, seal with plastic wrap and allow to double in rise in a warm
place.
Assembly:
Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 390F (200C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, mix together the filling ingredients.
Divide
the dough into two equal pieces. On the lightly floured surface, roll
one half into an 12″ circle. Transfer the circle to the baking sheet and
roll out the other piece of dough to the same size. Spread the filling
ingredients on the baking sheet dough and then cover with the second
circle of dough and press down gently, trying as best you can to fit
them together evenly.
Place a small glass in the center and
press down gently (I used the cover to a small round butter dish).
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough around the glass evenly into 4
sections, then cut each section into another 4 sections. You should have
16 sections.
Gently lift each spoke and twist it 3 times.
Brush over with milk gently and sprinkle melon seeds over the center.
{You can always brush with a beaten egg to get a beautiful glow. I
wanted to keep the bread vegetarian}.
Remove the glass in the
center and brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Arrange
sunflower seeds in the center where the glass was.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Serve warm or room temperature.
