A Post...FINALLY!!!!

After a  long, long hiatus...here is finally a post!!!! From one of my many drafts...which I have not been able to convert into posts in recent times...what to do...when life overruns all good intentions that one has... to record one's culinary masterpieces for posterity (read: if the kids ever decide to follow in my footsteps of culinary obsession).


So, without any further ado...here is my recipe for Beet Bread..adapted from two or three of my books on baking bread.

RECIPE FOR BEET BREAD:



Prep Time - Overnight plus some hour and a half


Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp active dry yeast + 1 tsp sugar in 1/4 cup lightly warm water until bubbly
2 cups whole wheat / AP flour plus some more to get a non-sticky dough
2 tbsp yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup beet puree(I roasted beets for 30 minutes in 300F then pureed it)
2 tsp oil
Optional: couple drops of rose water(if you like the fragrance)


Directions:
Mix in the salt, sugar and flour in a large bowl.
Make a well, pour the yeast mixture, milk, yogurt and beet puree
in the well and stir in the flour to make a non-sticky dough. 
Once the ingredients are bound into a smooth dough with some kneading, 
use 1 tsp oil (and optional ingredient: rosewater - 2 drops)to further smoothen the dough. 
In a well-oiled bowl, place the smooth ball of pink dough. 
Make deep cross cuts on the top with a sharp knife for easy rising. 
Cover and keep overnight or for some 2 hours until the dough has 
risen to over double the volume. 
In cooler spaces, it would be better to keep this on your counter overnight 
for a perfect rise.
After the dough has risen well, remove it onto a lightly floured counter. 
Punch out all the air by kneading for a few minutes. 
The dough will be very flexible and not stick to your hands at all. 
 Let this prove for atleast an hour covered with cling film during which 
it will again double up in volume.
In a 350F preheated oven, place the shaped dough into a loaf pan and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.