Holiday Wreath Bread
[donotprint]“How would someone who really knows you describe your WORST qualities?”
That is one of the questions from the Masterchef season three online application form. There is a whole lot more questions in the application – 82 questions to be exact but this question is one of the toughest, after that silly “Where would you see yourself in 5 years time?” question. Gosh, I hate those questions! I feel like singing my answer to the question, “I want to be a Billionaire… so friggin’ baddd….”
Back to the first question, I think my worse qualities are possibly I can be very stubborn at times and always aim very high at whatever I do which can be my downfall. Someone said because I am a Libran, they are perfectionists and like to do things their own ways and never give up until perfecto. Maybe… maybe not. But when I know I want to make some breads for our Christmas in July dinner party few weeks back, I didn’t want to just make loaves of breads, but something a lot fancier, something pretty to look at and also taste good. So I set myself a challenge and decided to make the Holiday Wreath Bread. Yep, things I’ll do to myself while already busy juggling a gazillion things at once. As promised, I will slowly putting up all the recipes from our dinner party here on the blog.
This is the first time I made wreath bread, so the result wasn’t as good as I’d hoped for. Am I contradicting myself again here after I just saying that I am a perfectionist? Hmm.. whatever. But Artisan Bread in Five minutes has a great post to teach you how to make them. I used a very basic bread dough recipe on Jamie Oliver’s blog and it is so easy and worked like a charm. Initially I thought the quantity of the recipe will make heaps of bread and decided to cut it down by half, then I regretted as it was just enough dough for me to make 2 small wreath breads. So I’d advice you to follow the recipe to a tee and go all out.
One of the down side of making small wreath breads is the ring simply not big enough to have enough space for the folding. Especially when doing the double-pleating on both sides, which ended with leaves overlapping on the inside.
The first wreath is a basic wreath without adding any extra flavour and just a simple one side folding. Be brave with the scissors and cut away, without snapping the ring off that is, then it’s just a matter of folding each “leaf bun” facing outwards overlapping on top one another.
I really shouldn’t have messed with Jamie’s recipe by cutting it half. I found perhaps I used too much yeast in the dough, it puffed up like mad and also taste very “yeasty”? But the bread is firm and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside which is all matters to me.
I had a little more fun with the second dough by adding lemon thyme, and doing a zig-zag fold. I probably prefer the added lemon thyme to cover up some of the strong yeasty flavour, but the zig-zag folding technique definitely has more room to improve.
Don’t worry too much if it doesn’t look tidy after folding, because the dough will puff up with a smooth surface a little during the second proving, and it will fill up most of the gaps once baked. Just only wish that my wreath is a lot bigger to actually can really see that it is actually a ring. Oh well, next time.
The holiday wreath breads are so beautiful and they really add the festive touch on the table. I simply serve them on a chopping board with some home made truffle butter and everyone just tear off one of the “leaf buns” and spread with butter – no cutting, no fuss, pure bliss of homemade freshly baked bread, that’s how a holiday feast should be, eat to your heart’s content. [/donotprint]
[print_link] Holiday wreath bread (adapted from Jamie Oliver's recipe) Ingredients 1kg/just over 2lb strong bread flour 625ml/just over 1 pint tepid water 30g/1oz fresh yeast or 3 x 7g/¼oz sachets dried yeast 2 tablespoons sugar 1 level tablespoon fine sea salt extra flour for dusting 1 bunch of lemon thyme Method 1. Using a mixer - Add flour, dried yeast, sugar, sea salt into the mixing bowl and mix all together. Just a dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer on low speed, and slowly pour the water into the bowl while spinning. The dough will slowly come together and is ready for next step. By hand - Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a large well in the centre. Pour half your water into the well, then add your yeast, sugar and salt and stir with a fork or hand. Slowly but steadily, bring in the flour from the inside of the well. (You don't want to break the walls of the well, or the water will go everywhere.) Keep adding more water bit by bit and bringing in all the flour until all well mixed to form a very sticky dough. Flour your hands and pat and push the dough together with all the remaining flour. (Certain flours need a little more or less water, so feel free to adjust.) 2. This is the crucial part. With a bit of elbow grease, simply push, fold, slap and roll the dough around, over and over, for 4 or 5 minutes until you have a silky and elastic dough. 3. It is ready for the first prove. Flour the top of your dough. Put it in a mixing bowl, cover with clingfilm, and allow it to prove for about half an hour until doubled in size – ideally in a warm, moist, draught-free place. This will improve the flavour and texture of your dough. My own trick - turn the electric stove on for 1 minute or so when the stove top just heat up enough but not too hot. Then turn it off and put the mixing bowl on the stove top and let it prove. The heat from the stove will help the yeast expanding but not hot enough to cook the dough, so take extra care that the stove top is not too hot. 4. Now this is the fun part! Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out for 30 seconds by bashing it and squashing it. Bring it back down to one dough, then split in half, or you can make a very large wreath bread by keeping it whole. 5. Stretch the dough into a ring and allow to set on a baking tray dusted with flour for about 30 minutes. For another dough, add lemon thyme and gently knead the dough until it is evenly covered with lemon thyme. Then shape into a ring and allow to set on another baking tray for 30 minutes. 6. Preheat the oven to 230 degree Celcius. 7. The dough rings will be expanded once more, and now should be fat and bouncy. Sprinkle the dough rings with flour. Use a pair of scissors and make a deep cut almost to the bottom of the ring then drag the "leaf" bun facing out by pulling scissors outward. Repeat this step until the whole dough ring is cut. Same theory to make the zig-zag fold, cut the dough deep enough then pull the "leaf" bun facing out follow by one facing in until the whole ring is formed. 8. Then bake the rings in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. By now, you will already have half decorated the house with the smell of freshly baked bread ready for the festive season.
What is ATFT’s Titbits?
On a lighter note, something is brewing behind ATFT’s factory. I won’t give away too much details for now, but there will be lots of never-before-seen “titbits” to share with you all. Launch date to be confirmed, but sign up now and be the one to have the first bite.
A Table For Two (ATFT) is Billy Law's food blog that features best eats in Sydney and around the world with drool-worthy food photography to salivate your appetite. I also throw in a smidgen of my food and travel photography for good measure. Billy Law also happened to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia 2011. 
brilliant. i assume you can use the same technique for making Épi?
asiansupper´s last [type] ..Chicken Satay Recipe
Yes you can, it is exactly the same technique for Epi loaf
bread in shapes always seems to impress
These look fan-fricken-tastic! So clever with using the scissors to cut the leaves!
Rhonda (thedaintybaker)´s last [type] ..Almond & Pistachio Schookies
It was so much fun I tell you!
I’m sad to admit, I’ve never made bread. not even once.
I shall try one day, maybe
Laura´s last [type] ..August Goals
I know what you r saying there are so many things i havent make which I know I should, pasta for eg. must get cracking!
I use Jamie’s bread recipe to make pizza bases which works really well. These wreaths were so pretty. Definitely going to include for my next dinner party
yeah his recipe is fun to read and works really well with few simple steps.
That’s so impressive Billy! The zig-zag loaf looks awesome and I could imagine the addition of thyme would make it even more heavenly. Nothing beats fresh bread. YUM!
Phuoc’n Delicious´s last [type] ..Food Bloggers’ Dinner at Bistro CBD
Thanks Phuoc! yeah the thyme is lovely, I think next time I am going to add olives
Well., you may be tarred with the Libranesque brush of perfectionism, but WOW its worth it …., look what you’ve done. I love the use of scissors to form the wreath. Well done
Anna Johnston´s last [type] ..HOW MANY CARROTS DO YOU HAVE TO DICE TO MAKE 100K A YEAR
Thanks Anna
yeah the cutting is so much fun, you can make a hedgehog bun with a scissor too! 
They look beautiful!!! Good on you for making your own bread, I know I’m happy to just buy it for now, but maybe one day…
(So you’re attempting Masterchef 3?? Exciting!)
Sandra @The French Wench´s last [type] ..Les Bergamotes de Nancy
Thanks Sandra!
You are french! You have to make bread, they taste so much better! serious! Masterchef 3? you kidding me!? LOL
Very professional Billy. Love the idea of adding lemon thyme though if you had not said your first attempt tasted yeasty – we would not have known! The photograph is also great and I bet served with truffle butter it was delightful. Thanks for sharing
Oh and good luck with Masterchef 3 application.
Yeah the truffle butter makes everything better right ?
so u applied this year again? Yesss !!!!!! Good luck ! Really wanna see u in masterchef (but I have to watch on Internet since I gonna go back to Thailand soon)
Ja´s last [type] ..Earl Canteen
Oh no sad to hear you are going back to Thailand soon! I just had a quick look of the application, I havent signed up yet! LOL
Glad that i read this post!
Will give this a go when i bake my weekly buns and breads next week. Adding some zzzing into my boring loaves!
next one! try it and let me know what you think
They look fab! I was waiting for this recipe…
Hope you rocked the application form!
Tina´s last [type] ..All stations to central
Well looking forward to see your take on this recipe.
I havent apply for MC3, stil not sure yet.
Looks like beautiful bread.
Have you ever made Jamie Oliver’s stuffed loaves from his second book? Fantastic bakes for brunch, some of my friends are still talking about them 5yrs on!
Richard Elliot´s last [type] ..Newtown- A foodie adventure
Thanks Richard. I don’t have Jamie’s book, looks like it is worth getting it huh? I should have got it when it was on sale.
I think your friends got taste
If you wanted the recipes a quick Google found them here:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=28119
My favourite is the savoury, I think there is a real imact when you cut into it with the eggs and sundried tomatoes.
However, friends with a sweet tooth prefer the chocolate and banana.
Richard Elliot´s last [type] ..Newtown- A foodie adventure
People tell me I’m a perfectionist because I’m a Virgo – now I can tell them it’s all the Librans out there and not me!
And bread and butter? Definitely one of the simple joys of life =)
mademoiselle délicieuse´s last [type] ..Epicure Recipe Card 42- Summer Pudding
yeah horoscopes are such bullshit! hAHAHA…
yep, and truffle.
These look great. What a neat idea.
Thanks wizzy/!
My what lovely breads you have =)
angie´s last [type] ..Bread & Butter – Simple Pleasures – Simply Wize Gluten Free French Stick Bread Mix
Thanks Angie!
These bread wreaths were so FRIGGIN’ awesome! I love bread mmm
FFichiban´s last [type] ..TW Din Tai Fung 2010
Billy – your bread is perfect as it is! I know you are a perfectionist – I can see this easily from your posts – so much passion in what you do – which is great!
Trissa´s last [type] ..Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cake with Pine Nuts
Hi Billy this bread look amazing!! is it the same with Chiabatta bread? would you mind give the recipe in Cup and spoon thingy instead of oz. please i do not know know how to manage that
oh sorry and is this apply for the bread machine as well? i love home made bread so i am gonna try it for sure
Thank you in advance