Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Cardamom Flavoured Coconut Pull - Apart Bread




Have I ever mentioned that it is coconut, I love, after chillies and spices?
Having grown in a state where coconut is abundant and introduced in almost all ways in the everyday life, my love for the nut had been undying all the years.

I came to know about Aparna's ,"We Knead to Bake", only 3-4 days back. I instantly fell in love with the theme, the name and everything about it.
Unfortunately being shifted to a small town for the time being, I couldn't get hold of fresh yeast. All I had was 1/2 tsp of Fleishmann's that too almost nearing the expiry date. The proof testing part went fine and I my hopes started flying high. With the limited amount of good quality yeast in hand I couldn't knead the full amount of dough and use my loaf pan now!
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Aparna had an answer to every single doubt I had in mind back in her post!

Finally I decided upon quartering the recipe and making miniature pull apart bread stacked cozy in my bundt pan.



Cardamom Flavoured Coconut Pull Apart Bread


Ingredients:

For the Dough:

1/2 cup warm milk
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 3/4 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup scant sugar
1/2 tsp salt
25gm butter, soft at room temperature
3/4 cup milk (+ a couple of tbsp to brush over the bread)

For the Filling:

15 to 20gm melted butter
3/4 - 1 cup freshly grated coconut (loosely filled)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp of freshly ground cardamom

Method:

In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and the yeast in the 1/2 cup of warm milk. Keep aside for about 5 minutes till the yeast mixture bubbles up.

Put 2 3/4 cup of flour, salt and softened butter in the food processor bowl (or a large bowl) and pulse a couple of times to mix. Then add the yeast mixture and the 3/4 cup of milk and knead till you have a soft, smooth and elastic/ pliable dough which is not sticky. Add a little extra flour if your dough is sticking,but only just as much as is necessary.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it completely with oil (I used ghee). Cover and let it rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until almost double in volume.



Combine coconut and cardamom.Dust your work surface lightly with flour. Deflate the dough, shape it into a square and roll the dough out into a larger square that is about 12’ by 12”. Brush the surface of the square with the melted butter.

 Evenly sprinkle sugar and then the coconut cardamom mix. Use a rolling pin to very lightly press the topping into the dough to ensure the topping doesn’t fall off when you are stacking the strips.

Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough from top to bottom into 6 long and even strips – they do not have to be perfect. Lay each strip on top of the next, with the topping facing upwards, until you have a stack of the strips.

You can put the 2 strips cut from the sides in the middle of the stack so it looks neater. Using a pastry scraper or a sharp knife, cut straight down through the stack dividing it into 6 equal pieces (6 square stacks).

Grease and lightly flour a 9” by 4” (or 5”) loaf tin. Butter and lightly flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Layer the square slices, cut sides down into the loaf tin.



Cover the loaf tin dough with a towel and allow the dough to rise for an hour. Lightly brush some milk over the top of the loaf.

Bake the dough at 180C (350F) for about 30 to 40 minutes until it is done and the top is golden brown. This recipe bakes one 9” by 5” loaf.






Note :

The minor changes I made with the dough from the original recipe are
~ I halved the amount of salt (1tsp to 1/2 tsp) as I chose a sweet version. Hence I had to avoid garlic.
~ Addition of sugar while kneading the dough.

 I preferred to use ghee/clarified butter to coat the dough set before rising.
As for the filling it is coconut flavoured by cardamom layered after sprinkled sugar.

I have given the measurement for a 9” by 5” loaf ,above . As mentioned earlier I quartered the original recipe to accommodate the dough in my bundt pan.



 I was elated when the strips got tucked the whole round in the bundt pan perfectly! But I felt I would end up with 'pull apart crackers' as the slices were small and stacked between the narrow ridges of the pan :) To my amazement the bready texture remained perfect after 35 minutes at 180C!

Though I coated the pan well enough with butter and dusted with flour, I failed to invert the baked bread beautifully. The freshly baked coconut pull apart bread with the bursting aroma of cardamom and the whole house smelling baked bread was heaven!

32 comments:

  1. It is a wonderful flavour.. happy to see that you were not deterred because u did not have enough yeast.. would love to try the combo... happy to follow you.. do check my blog as well when you get a chance.

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  2. This simply awesome! Very innovative! Its like modernizing coconut turnovers. Loved it.

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  3. simply awesome Bharathy ! soon to join the Gang ! loved it :)

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  4. Awesome pics.....I can even smell the aroma of cardamom and coconut...how wonderful!!

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  5. Absolutely delicious....can't beat coconut and cardamom combo!

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  6. I know how it is in small towns, especially the one you are talking about! Do the bakeries not want to sell yeast?
    I always loved the sweet coconut filling in buns, this one is absolutely lovely.

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  7. Bharathy, great clicks and interesting recipe too. However, butter/vegetable oil is too light to coat cake pans. To get bread and cake out easily, from the baking sheets/pans, you need to use something a little more greasy like lard/palm oil/cake release sprays. I usually get pre-packaged cake release sprays that use palm oil and flour and baking breads and cakes is easy, tasty and comes out looking perfect each time :)

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  8. Absolutely divine.. Even I have posted today pull apart bread.. http://www.spiceursenses.com/2013/01/pull-apart-bread-with-spicy-herbs-and.html?m=1

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  9. Absolutely bets presentation n delicious r.... coconut and cardamom combo always hit.

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  10. Love your clicks...coconut pullapart bread is worth trying...

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  11. Wow this is amazingly beautiful. I must say Ifind your patience amazing. I hate rolling out dough and Try to avoid it. But you are amazing.

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  12. I was sold when I saw that first picture. So beautiful and tempting! The day I get myself a fresh coconut and a coconut grinder, these buns will be the first thing I try out. They look lipsmacking delicious.

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  13. Wow.. so beautiful! Love the colour and texture! :)

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  14. My favorite filling in a favorite bread. What more can i ask for?

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  15. Wow! I have made a cardamom and ghee white bread but coconut will only make it better!

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  16. This looks divine... love the combination and the beautifully done bread! I am sure to try this combo soon :)

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  17. so yummy and looks too good!
    http://great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com

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  18. good one-loved the blend of flavours in it barathy

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  19. Glad to have you on board Bharathy:)Your filling reminds me of aval nanachathu,now why didn't I think of that?I was planning a cinnamon-sugar filling to try next but looks like that has to wait!

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  20. Loved the flavor combo gal... The bread looks so tempting

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  21. Stunning and super tempting bread, looks simply beautiful and gorgeous.

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  22. Love the idea of coconut and cardamom, i am sure if i made them i will eat the whole lot, that pan brings back good memories from when i was a child, mom had on, but then a plane one without any design .

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  23. I am sure that I will love the coconut cardamom flavor...simple and delicious...Bread looks super tempting..

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  24. A fancy bread with coconut! The pictures look beautiful and I can smell the bread. Happy baking!

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  25. tempting pictures... love the picture with half color and half black and white!!
    Sowmya
    Ongoing Event - Breakfast
    Ongoing Event - Tried and Tasted - Raks Kitchen

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  26. lovely flavours and such an awesome idea to use your bundt pan..loved it

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  27. Where there's a will, there has to be a way. :)
    Very good looking bread, by the way.

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  28. Awesome clicks , unbeatable combo,love it.

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  29. Absolutely beautiful pull apart rolls..looks soo good!

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