North African Coriander Bread 31 January, 2011

Don't you love those lazy Sunday afternoons. Lazy Sunday afternoons are a perfect time to make homemade bread. You can spend the whole day lying about, while the yeast does its magic! My lazy Sunday afternoon was spend making North African coriander bread. This recipe has been passed down from my friends mother, and I excited to share it with you.

NORTH AFRICAN CORIANDER BREAD RECIPE (print)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp honey
6 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp coriander
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated cloves
1 tbsp grated orange peel

In a saucepan, on low heat, warm the milk, butter, and honey until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and let cool. It is important to let the mixture cool before adding to the yeast, because a high temperature will kill the yeast.

In a separate bow, proof the yeast by mixing 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 tsp of honey. Let the mixture sit until it starts bubbling and foaming.

In a large bowl, or in a stand mixer bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk and butter mixture, 3 1/2 cups of flour, eggs, salt, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. Beat for 2 minutes with either the dough hook for a stand mixer or with a wooden spoon. Gradually add 3 more cups of flour.

Once the ingredients are combined, take the dough and knead it on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, approximately 10 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in size, approximately one hour.

After one hour, punch the dough down and divide into 3 balls. Place the 3 balls onto a baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 10 more minutes. Place each dough ball into a well oiled loaf pan. Brush the tops with melted butter and let rise again for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until top has browned.