The end of another month? When did that happen? Time really flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?
Of course, the end of the month brings at least one thing to this blog with certainty… another Daring Baker Challenge! I absolutely can’t say enough good things about this one… so come on… let me show you!
This month’s recipe was brought to us by Natalie and Shel… and this month we went vegan and made lavash crackers and dip (our choice, as long as it was vegan and/or gluten-free). Yay! This was perfect for a little kickoff to fall get together that we had this month, and the crackers were such a hit… they were gone in flash!
To plagiarise a bit from the recipe description, this makes a snappy Armenian-style cracker, perfect for breadbaskets, company and kids… It is similar to the many other Middle Eastern and Northern African flatbreads known by different names, such as mankoush or mannaeesh (Lebanese), barbari (Iranian), khoubiz or khobz (Arabian), aiysh (Egyptian), kesret and mella (Tunisian), pide or pita (Turkish), and pideh (Armenian). The main difference between these breads is either how thick or thin the dough is rolled out, or the type of oven in which they are baked (or on which they are baked, as many of these breads are cooked on stones or red-hot pans with a convex surface).
I kept mine simple… rolled thin and dotted with sesame seeds and kosher salt… and served them with my killer spinach-artichoke dip. Yeah… not sure what got into me there… I thought the rules were vegan OR gluten-free. Oops. So… my dip goes totally against the rules and I didn’t even realize it until it was all said and done. But… it was a great combination… I could have plowed through the whole presentation all by myself. Luckily, I had friends to help me – and to save me from eating my way through all those calories (the dip, not the crackers). I’m hungry just thinking about it.
Such a wonderfully fun, creative challenge! Be sure to check out where everyone else took their creative license by taking a peek at the Daring Baker Blogroll. Now… on the recipes!
Lavash Crackers
(from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart)
Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers
1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test and registers 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).
Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt – a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).
When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.
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Spinach-Artichoke Dip
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 Romano cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Romano cheese, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.
