Harissa, garlic and coriander swirl bread recipe

Details

• Cuisine: International
• Recipe Type: Bread
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 85 mins
• Serves: 16

Step-by-step

For the harissa paste:

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C fan/240°C/475°F/gas mark 9.
2. Place the (bell) pepper in the oven until blackened on the outside and completely soft, which takes approximately 30 minutes.
3. Remove with tongs and place in a plastic freezer bag. Leave until cool enough to handle, then rub the bag vigorously with both hands to peel the (bell) pepper.
4. Remove it from the bag and discard the top, seeds, and any leftover peel.
5. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat and fry the onion until soft and just about to brown; then add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring to ensure the garlic doesn't stick or burn.
6. Add the cooked onions and garlic, the pepper and the remainder of the ingredients to a blender or a food processor and blitz together smoothly, adding a little more oil if needed.

For the bread:

1. Place the sugar into a heatproof measuring jug, add the boiling water to dissolve the sugar, then top up with cold water.
2. Make the dough by tipping the flour into a large bowl and adding the salt. Mix with a whisk to incorporate and break any clumps and mix in the dried yeast.
3. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour in the water and sugar mixture and the oil, and mix with a wooden spoon or a spatula until roughly combined.
4. Flour your work surface lightly and tip the dough onto it; knead for at least 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Alternatively, if you have a mixer with a dough hook, combine all the ingredients in the mixer bowl as above, and instead of tipping out, use the dough hook. Set the mixer to the lowest setting and allow it to knead for 10 minutes.
6. Place the dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with cling film (plastic wrap), and leave in a warm place to prove (proof) until doubled in size (typically around 1-2 hours).
7. Line a 23 cm (9 in) round cake tin (cake pan) with baking paper (parchment) or a liner.
8. Flour your work surface and knock back the dough; rest for 10 minutes.
9. Flatten it with your hands, then roll it into a rectangle of about 60 cm x 30 cm (24 in x 12 in).
10. Spread the harissa paste thinly and evenly over the dough.
11. Starting from one of the long sides, roll the dough inwards to form a long, thin sausage.
12. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 16 pieces.
13. Place the first piece upright in the middle of your cake tin, so you can see the swirl. Place five pieces in a circle around this first piece, leaving small gaps between to allow for proving (proofing). Place the remaining pieces around the circle in the same manner.
14. Cover loosely with a clean dish towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
15. Preheat the oven to 220ºC fan/240°C/475°F/gas mark 9. Bake the bread in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and if it's browning too quickly, slightly dampen a piece of baking paper, scrunch it up, unwrap and place it gently over the bread.
16. Meanwhile, mix the coriander (cilantro), the garlic and the olive oil, seasoning with salt, to taste.
17. Remove the bread and, while still warm, brush with the garlic-infused oil before serving.

Recipe adapted from Spice Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes and Spice Blends for the Home Cook by Sanjay Aggarwal. (Quadrille, £22) Photography by: Dan Jones.