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I was recently reminded about this bread, which looks impressive but isn't all that difficult. It travels okay by car, but I would not ship it.
Spinach-Mushroom-Cheese Bread
Makes 1 loaf
The filling:
olive oil, 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp.
8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms, either baby Portobello or white
1 clove garlic, minced
6-ounce bag of fresh baby spinach
2 eggs or equivalent amount of egg substitute
1 cup crumbled feta cheese, any fat level, about six ounces by weight OR
3/4 feta + 1/4 c. shredded Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp. sea salt (may substitute regular salt, or may omit)
Heat about 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, adding more oil if it does not cover the bottom of the pan once heated. Add mushrooms and garlic. Sauté, stirring often, until mushrooms release their liquid. Add the spinach. Cover and reduce heat to low. Check every two minutes, stirring, until the spinach has wilted completely. (About six to ten minutes, depending on the size of the leaves.)
While the spinach wilts, mix eggs, cheese, and oregano in a medium bowl. Once the spinach has wilted, remove the spinach-mushroom mixture from the heat and allow it to cool in the pan, with the lid off. When it’s no longer hot, use a slotted spoon to lift from the pan, leaving liquid behind. Blend with egg-cheese mixture and set aside.
The bread:
1 c. warm water, about 110°
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted or fully softened
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a cookie sheet, using either shortening or a thin coating of oil. (Do not use butter or margarine. If you cover a cookie sheet with foil, grease the foil.)
Measure warm water and add yeast to the measuring cup. Stir to mix. Add sugar and stir again. Melt butter and add. (Softened butter goes in during a different step. Use either one.) Set aside.
Clean a work surface, a section of table or counter, for kneading. (Or be lazy like me, use the biggest bowl you have, and knead in the bowl.)
Put 1 cup of the flour in a large bowl. (Add butter here if softened rather than melted.) Add salt. Pour water-yeast mixture into bowl and mix. Add flour, one-half cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until no more flour will mix in. (Don’t put the flour away.)
Flour your work surface with about 1/4 c. of flour. Knead the dough, adding flour as needed, until it has no stickiness. Return dough to bowl and re-flour the surface if needed. Roll out dough into a 10 by 14-inch rectangle. Using a dull or table knife or wheel-type pizza cutter, cut one-inch strips about a third of the way in on both the long 14" sides. Dust cut sections with flour and fold them over the uncut center. Transfer dough to greased cookie sheet and unfold the cut sections. (Or spread the dough right on the cookie sheet and use kitchen scissors to cut the edges. It's not as pretty, but it works.) Spread spinach-mushroom filling down the center third of the rectangle. Fold strips alternately over filling at an angle to resemble a braid. Fold the ends over in whatever way looks nice. Optional: Brush with beaten egg white, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Other option: Brush with leaky egg mixture oozing from the center, which works just as well.
Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before cutting. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat about 15 minutes at 250° before serving.
Spinach-Mushroom-Cheese Bread
Makes 1 loaf
The filling:
olive oil, 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp.
8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms, either baby Portobello or white
1 clove garlic, minced
6-ounce bag of fresh baby spinach
2 eggs or equivalent amount of egg substitute
1 cup crumbled feta cheese, any fat level, about six ounces by weight OR
3/4 feta + 1/4 c. shredded Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tsp. sea salt (may substitute regular salt, or may omit)
Heat about 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, adding more oil if it does not cover the bottom of the pan once heated. Add mushrooms and garlic. Sauté, stirring often, until mushrooms release their liquid. Add the spinach. Cover and reduce heat to low. Check every two minutes, stirring, until the spinach has wilted completely. (About six to ten minutes, depending on the size of the leaves.)
While the spinach wilts, mix eggs, cheese, and oregano in a medium bowl. Once the spinach has wilted, remove the spinach-mushroom mixture from the heat and allow it to cool in the pan, with the lid off. When it’s no longer hot, use a slotted spoon to lift from the pan, leaving liquid behind. Blend with egg-cheese mixture and set aside.
The bread:
1 c. warm water, about 110°
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted or fully softened
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a cookie sheet, using either shortening or a thin coating of oil. (Do not use butter or margarine. If you cover a cookie sheet with foil, grease the foil.)
Measure warm water and add yeast to the measuring cup. Stir to mix. Add sugar and stir again. Melt butter and add. (Softened butter goes in during a different step. Use either one.) Set aside.
Clean a work surface, a section of table or counter, for kneading. (Or be lazy like me, use the biggest bowl you have, and knead in the bowl.)
Put 1 cup of the flour in a large bowl. (Add butter here if softened rather than melted.) Add salt. Pour water-yeast mixture into bowl and mix. Add flour, one-half cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until no more flour will mix in. (Don’t put the flour away.)
Flour your work surface with about 1/4 c. of flour. Knead the dough, adding flour as needed, until it has no stickiness. Return dough to bowl and re-flour the surface if needed. Roll out dough into a 10 by 14-inch rectangle. Using a dull or table knife or wheel-type pizza cutter, cut one-inch strips about a third of the way in on both the long 14" sides. Dust cut sections with flour and fold them over the uncut center. Transfer dough to greased cookie sheet and unfold the cut sections. (Or spread the dough right on the cookie sheet and use kitchen scissors to cut the edges. It's not as pretty, but it works.) Spread spinach-mushroom filling down the center third of the rectangle. Fold strips alternately over filling at an angle to resemble a braid. Fold the ends over in whatever way looks nice. Optional: Brush with beaten egg white, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Other option: Brush with leaky egg mixture oozing from the center, which works just as well.
Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before cutting. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat about 15 minutes at 250° before serving.
