When the loaves baked, the seasonings clung to the loaves’ surfaces, leaving every inch covered with specks of poppy and sesame seeds, bits of toasty onion and garlic, and flakes of sea salt. Shortly thereafter, someone sent me a photo via Instagram of her two peasant loaves coated in sesame seeds, which similarly looked so pretty, and someone else sent me a photo of her loaves coated in dukkah. It was time to give the bowl-coating method a go. I have since tried all of these variations, and I absolutely love them. Coating the buttered bowls with seeds or seasoning takes just a wee more effort, and yet this simple step adds considerable flavor as well as an especially appealing appearance. With sandwich season upon us, this is a fun one to add to your bread-baking repertoire. I especially love the dukkah bread for making the 44 Special. I think you’ll approve. Let’s make it together. Gather your dough ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast. Whisk to combine… then add lukewarm water (1.5 cups cold water + .5 cups boiling water). Mix to form a sticky dough ball. Set in a warm place to rise. (Incidentally, the kitchen is nearly done… just waiting for some drawer inserts. Can’t wait to share more.) When the dough has doubled … deflate it with two forks. Locate your seed mixes: dukkah on the left; everything bagel seasoning on the right. Coat your buttered bowls with the seasoning. Split the dough into two equal pieces. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowls. Let rise again for another 20 minutes or until… it just crowns the rim of the bowls. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes… then turn out onto cooling racks. 5 from 27 reviews I used this recipe from the Food Network to make homemade everything bagel seasoning. Combine:
1/4 cup sesame seeds 1/4 cup poppy seeds 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes 3 tablespoons dried garlic flakes 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt
Warm spot to rise: This is how to create a slightly warm spot for your bread to rise: Turn the oven on at any temperature (350ºF or so) for one minute, then turn it off. Note: Do not allow the oven to get up to 300ºF, for example, and then heat at that setting for 1 minute — this will be too hot. Just let the oven preheat for a total of 1 minute — it likely won’t get above 100ºF. The goal is to just create a slightly warm environment for the bread. Adapted from the master peasant bread recipe in Bread Toast Crumbs.
