Tomato & Harissa Bread

A delicious, spicy bread to serve with dips and antipasti

INGREDIENTS

• 500g strong white flour
• 300ml water
• 10g active yeast
• 10g salt
• 150g sundried tomatoes in oil
• 1tsp tomato puree
• 2tsp harissa paste
• 1tsp fennel seeds
• sprinkling of sesame seeds

METHOD

1. Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Mix the harissa with the water
2. Remove tomatoes from the oil, roughly chop and add to the bowl
3. Pour the oil from the tomatoes into the bowl and add the harissa water
4. Combine the ingredients by hand until a rough dough is formed
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes
6. Put dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and set aside for 2-3 hours
7. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knock back
8. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll out into sausage shapes – 30-40cm long
9. Place onto a surface and arrange the 8 strands alongside each other, sticking the top parts together by pressing them down onto the surface
10. Number the sausages from 1-8 and take #8 under #7 and over #1
11. Repeat the following steps until the plait is finished: #8 over #5; #2 under #3 and over #8; #1 over #4; #7 under #6 and over #1
12. Place loaf onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment
13. Cover the baking tray with a plastic bag and set aside for about 1 hour
14. Pre-heat the oven to 210 degrees C and put a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven
15. Spray the top of the loaf with a little water and sprinkle sesame seeds on top
16. Bake the bread for 35 minutes or until the loaf is hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom
17. Cool on a rack