Today Nowruz (Persian New Year), very simply "new day", is being celebrated in many parts of the world. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday and having significance amongst the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranians, the same time is celebrated in parts of the South Asian sub-continent as the new year. The moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year and Iranian families gather together to observe the rituals. Originally being a Zoroastrian festival and the holiest of them all, Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.
Today my post is a contemporary bread recipe for those of you that have joined me in my homemade bread challenge ( I realize this has nothing to do with Nowruz, but this would be a perfect time if you have not already done so to join my bread challenge). If you enjoy everything bagels you will fancy this bread. It toasts beautifully, and is ideal for sandwiches (think large BLT's with avocado). The recipe only makes one loaf, but may effortlessly be doubled. I have concluded if I am going through the motions of making homemade bread I prefer to bake two loaves at once, and then freeze one.
Everything Bread
3 3/4 cups (18 3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup cold buttermilk
1/3 cup boiling water
2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbs honey
1 envelope (about 2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
2 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp dried minced garlic
2 tsp dried minced onion
3/4 tsp kosher salt
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the cold buttermilk and stir to combine.
Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the buttermilk/water mixture, butter, honey, and yeast to a liquid measuring cup. Turn the mixer on low, and add the liquid in a slow stream, increasing the speed of the mixer as you go to medium. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and satiny, stopping to scrape the dough from the hook as needed. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of the everything spice mix. Knead about 10 minutes, adding flour 1 Tablespoon at a time, as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to form a smooth ball, about 15 seconds.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat with the oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, 50-60 minutes.
Turn out onto the floured surface and gently press the dough into a rectangle that is 1 inch thick and 9 inches long. With the long side facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers as you roll to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed.
Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan, and press it gently to make sure it touches all four sides of the pan. Sprinkle with the everything spice mix (you don't have to use all of it - I think I used a few more teaspoons of it), lightly pressing with your hands to adhere the spices to the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place an empty baking pan on the lowest rack of the oven. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and pour into the empty pan. Set the loaf onto the middle rack, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 195 degrees, about 40-50 minutes.
Remove the bread from the pan and cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Slice and serve.
Until tomorrow...Peace.
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