Recipes ULTIMATE CHEESE-‘N-VEG STUFFED BRAAI BREAD

ULTIMATE CHEESE-‘N-VEG STUFFED BRAAI BREAD

Prep 1 hr 40 mins
Cooking 25-35 mins
Serves 6

We took inspiration from pizza and calzone for this, our ultimate stuffed braai bread! We went green for our veggies, with spinach, courgettes and spring onions. But you could use any other cooked veggies as long as you pre-cook them and ensure that they won’t release too much water during baking. Not into greens? Think roasted red peppers, slices of pan-fried aubergine, sundried tomatoes, fried mushrooms. Whatever you fancy, go wild, just use our Cape Herb & Spice Mediterranean Roasts Seasoning  to make this veggie and cheese stuffed braai bread this month!

- WHAT YOU WILL NEED -

  • 2½ cups bread flour
  • ¼ cup rye flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 x 10g packet dry yeast
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • extra olive oil, for brushing
  • extra flour, for dusting
  • 2 lrg courgettes, finely sliced
  • ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped parsley, leaves only
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced, green bits included
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • olive oil
  • 2 cups (100g) baby spinach, rinsed
  • 1 cup (250g tub) cream cheese, mixed with 1 cup roughly crumbled feta
  • 3 tsp MEDITERRANEAN ROAST
  • 1½ cups grated mozzarella
  • pinch of sea salt flakes

- METHOD -

Place the bread and rye flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Dissolve the honey in the water and add to the flour along with the 2 Tbsp olive oil. Mix thoroughly and then knead by hand for 10 minutes. Brush a clean bowl with some olive oil, place dough in bowl and cover with cling film. Allow to prove for 90 minutes.

Make the filling while the dough is proving. Fry the courgettes in 2 Tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan until soft. Add garlic (and chilli if using) and fry for a further half a minute. Add parsley, remove courgette mixture and set aside. Fry spring onions in same pan over low heat with 1 Tbsp butter until soft. Remove and set aside. Turn heat up and tumble rinsed spinach into same pan. Fry until spinach is soft (it does not need any oil, the residual water from the rinsing is plenty). Place cooked spinach in a colander and use the back of a spoon to press as much of the liquid out as possible.

Place a pizza stone on a hot kettle braai (or in a 220 ºC oven) to pre-heat. Knock the dough back and roll dough out to form a circle 7mm thick (dust the surface and rolling pin with flour if need be to prevent sticking). Spread the entire dough circle with the cream cheese and feta mixture, leaving an edge of 2cm clear all around. Layer the cooked vegetables over half the dough circle. Top vegetables with mozzarella. Fold the other half of the dough over the vegetables so you end up with a half moon. Press the edges to close and crimp dough as you would a pie. Stab a few very small holes all over to allow for steam to escape. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on hot pizza stone, cover with kettle braai lid and cook for 25-35 minutes until golden and cooked through. Cut into wedges and serve right away while hot.

 

Recipe concept & photography by Lizet Hartley.

Lizet Hartley is a freelance stills and reel food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer. In her spare time she – rather predictably – cooks. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za

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