Braided Bread with Mushroom and Corn Stuffing Recipe

Blogging Marathon#64 Day 1
The braided bread has been on my to-do list for a while now. Shaped yeasted breads is my theme for the Blogging Marathon and for the next 3 days I will have a bread recipe that I have been waiting to try. Sometimes working in a group(though virtual) helps you to shed those inhibitions and get to work. I am being part of the BM after long and really enjoyed Day 1 itself of being pushed out of my comfort zone.

Yeast is no new ingredient for a Keralite actually with the appam being a regular on the breakfast/dinner menu. However, every time I use yeast, it is fingers crossed and praying hard that all the right conditions come together for the yeast to come into action. It is a wonderful experience seeing it rise to that nice fluffy texture that is a thumbs up for you saying you have got the first and most important step right. The second will be to incorporate this with the remaining ingredients mix and getting the perfect dough. The aroma of freshly baked bread is simply heavenly and is the real reward of all the baking. My teen came in asking what I was baking and all the pictures here are courtesy her.

I went by yummytummyaarthi's vegetable stuffed braided bread recipe. She has a lovely collection of baked goodies and other recipes. A must check out blog. Her bread looked perfect. I first thought of doing a chilli paneer stuffing recipe but a sweet corn mushroom filling too was on the mind and the love for mushroom and corn did take over. The end product looks a little complicated however, it is a simple technique of braiding that brings out this hard to resist bread. A wonderful addition to your evening tea, breakfast menu or even dinner, this is an anytime instant smile recipe. Do try it.

Ingredients:
For the bread:

All Purpose Flour or Maida - 2 1/2 cups

Active Dry Yeast - 1.5 tsp

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1.5 tsp

Olive Oil  - 2 tbsp + 1 for greasing in the vessel where you would rest the dough)

Warm Milk - 3/4 cup 

Warm water - 1/4 cup

For the filling/stuffing:

Mushrooms -200 gms (washed , cleaned and chopped lengthwise)

Sweet corn - 1 cup(I used the frozen one and microwaved it for 2 minutes)

White pepper - 1 tsp (you may use black pepper too, adjust quantity as per spice levels)

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Mozzaraella - 1/4 cup (I sprinkled some over the filling before finally braiding it)

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1 small(finely chopped)

Ajwain/Caraway seeds - 1/4 tsp or any other herbs of your choice

Method 

For the Bread:

1- Take 1/4 cup warm water in a cup and add 2 tbsp sugar to it. Add the yeast and keep aside for 5-7 minutes for the yeast to rise. 

2- Take a bowl, add the all purpose flour/maida, salt, 2 tbsp of oil and the fermented yeast. Add warm milk little by little and bring together into a dough (like that for chapati). Grease a vessel with oil. Keep the dough in it, cover and keep aside for 1 to 1.5 hrs to rise. The dough will more than double in size. After an hr, punch the dough down to remove all the excess air. Keep aside. 

For the filling:

1- Take a pan and add 1 tbsp olive oil in it. Add in the chopped onions and mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 mins. Add the sweet corn. Sprinkle salt, white pepper and ajwain or caraway seeds. Saute for another 2 mins till all the moisture from the mixture has almost dried up. Keep aside.
Now we come to the assembly. 

Method for Assembling it

1- Make 4-5 balls of the bread dough. Roll out one portion into a broad rectangle. Make equal horizontal slits on both sides. Now put the mixture along the centre of the rectangle, sprinkle some grated mozaraella cheese and criss cross the slits towards the centre to get the braided look(as shown in the picture). 

2- Put in a pre-greased flat baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes at 180 deg C and then for 6 to 8 minutes at 220 deg C. The baking time may vary slightly from oven to oven. Remove. Cut. Serve hot. 

*You may decide to do a mixed vegetable/chicken, minced meat, paneer or any other filling of your choice. You can even do a sweet version of it.
*Instead of making a big one and cutting into pieces, you may even make mini braided stuffed bread and serve as an appetizer or as part of your kids birthday party menu. 

Check out the http://spicingyourlife.blogspot.com/p/blogging-marathon.html Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#64