Fruity Snack Bread
Fruity Hand Pies
Slow-Roasted Fruit
FRUITY SNACK BREAD
(Makes one 10-inch snack bread)
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 ½ cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 cup cold water
For the garnish:
2 cups of roasted figs (see recipe below) or 2 cups fresh grapes
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons savory leaves
Coarse salt such as Maldon or Fleur de Sel to taste
Directions
1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and mix by hand until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean bowl and wrap with plastic film. Let sit at room temperature for 12 hours.
2. Half an hour before baking, preheat the oven to 450° F and place the oven rack to the middle position. Place a cast iron skillet (about 12 inches in diameter) in the center of the rack.
3. Transfer the risen dough to a plate (about 11 to 12 inches in diameter) previously brushed with olive oil. Gently stretch with your fingers to cover the entire surface of the plate. Let rest for 10 minutes.
4.Using potholders, carefully remove the preheated skillet from the oven. Brush generously with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the hot skillet and gently stretch the dough with your fingers trying to cover the entire skillet (handle the dough only with your fingertips, barely touching the surface of the dough).
5. Working quickly, brush the dough with additional olive oil, arrange the fruit* on top, sprinkle with coarse salt and savory leaves and put in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough acquires a rich golden color and the fruit looks nice and roasted. *If using grapes, remove from stem, toss in a bit of olive oil and season them lightly with a pinch of salt and granulated sugar.
6. Remove from the oven. Transfer carefully to a cooling rack. Let sit for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
FRUITY HAND PIES - BAKED OR FRIED
(Makes about 8 hand pies)
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of kosher salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
4 ounces cream cheese, cold, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon iced water
To assemble the pies:
2 cups roasted peaches or pears
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons heavy cream (only for baked hand pies)
Directions:
1. To make the dough, combine flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the pieces of butter and cream cheese into the dry ingredients until they resemble pebbles the size of peas. Make a well in the center. Place the egg yolk and the iced water in the well of ingredients and mix gently with your hands until it comes together in a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Flatten into a disc, wrap with plastic film and refrigerate for at least one hour and up 2 days.
2. To assemble the pies: flour a working surface generously. Using a rolling pin, stretch the refrigerated dough into a rough rectangle about ¼-inch thick. Cut 8 circles about 5 to 6 inches in diameter with a pairing knife using a small plate as a guide. Brush the edges of the circles lightly with a wet brush, fill each circle with about ¼ cup of roasted peaches or pears, fold the circle in half like you would an empanada or a turnover and seal by pinching the edges together with a fork or alternatively crimping the edges like you would a molded pie. Transfer the formed pies to a tray and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.
3. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and reserve.
4. To bake the hand pies: 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350ºF and set the oven rack in the middle position. Transfer the pies to a cookie sheet, placing them at least 2 inches apart from each other. Paint each tart with a pastry brush dipped in the heavy cream and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar. With a pairing knife, score a ½-inch slit on top of each pie. Bake for 30 minutes or until nice and golden. Let cool completely. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container to enjoy later.
5. To fry the hand pies: preheat a counter top fryer to 375ºF (or alternatively fill a heavy non-reactive pot halfway with vegetable oil. Heat up over medium heat, using a fryer thermometer to determine when the oil has reached 375ºF). Fry the pies about 3 minutes on each side or until nice and golden all around. Transfer the fried pies to a platter lined with paper towels to drain the oil and while still warm toss in the cinnamon sugar. Serve shortly thereafter.
SLOW-ROASTED FRUIT
Peaches
(Makes enough to fill 8 hand pies)
Ingredients:
8 medium-sized peaches, ripe
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF and place the oven rack in the middle position.
- Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Score an “X” on each of the peaches. Blanch the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds to one minute. Remove and transfer to a colander. Let them cool for a minute. Gently peel the skins off the peaches, which should come right off.
- On a cutting board, cut the peaches in half, remove the pits and fit the fruits cut side up snuggly in a baking dish about 8 x 13 inches.
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a pairing knife, scrape out the pulp with the back of the knife, and put the pulp and pod in baking dish with the peaches.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the peaches and then drizzle them with the honey.
- Roast for one hour.
Pears
(Makes enough to fill 8 hand pies)
Ingredients:
8 medium-sized pears, ripe
1 vanilla bean
½ cup sugar
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF and place the oven rack in the middle position.
- Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler. On a cutting board, quarter the pears and gently remove the core and seeds at their centers. Arrange the fruit cut side up snuggly in a baking dish about 8 x 13 inches.
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a pairing knife, scrape out the pulp with the back of the knife, and put the pulp and pod in baking dish with the pears.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the pears.
- Roast for one hour.
Figs
(Makes enough to make one snack bread)
Ingredients:
1 pound ripe figs
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF and place the oven rack in the middle position.
- On a cutting board, remove the stems off the figs and cut the fruit in half. Arrange the figs cut side up snuggly in a baking dish about 8 x 13 inches.
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a pairing knife, scrape out the pulp with the back of the knife, and put the pulp and pod in baking dish with the figs.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the figs and then drizzle them with the honey.
- Roast for one hour.
Write us and tell us how you do!
~ Roxana Jullapat, Pastry Chef/Partner Cooks County
