Introduction: No-Knead Bread Sunflowers

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About: I am a student at Centaurus high school who has a love for computers and engineering.

I wanted to make a bread creation that was a little out of the ordinary. These bread sunflowers use two contrasting types of bread dough. The center of the sunflower is a brown ale bread, while the petals are a simple bread with turmeric for coloring and flavor. I used no-knead bread so that the work is split up into two days.

Equipment

Day 1 (Making the Dough)

  • Two 16-cup containers with lids
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Whisk
  • 2-cup liquid measuring cup
  • Microwave
  • Wooden spoon
  • Spoon

Day 2 (Assembling the Sunflower)

  • Two medium cookie sheets, approximately 12" x 17"
  • Parchment paper
  • 6" bowl or container
  • Pencil
  • Spatula
  • Pizza cutter
  • Plastic wrap
  • Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

Brown Bread

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups white all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
  • 2 teaspoons granulated yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 12 ounce amber ale
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons molasses
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

Yellow Bread

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups white all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric (use less turmeric for a weaker flavor and lighter color)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons granulated yeast

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 cups lukewarm water

Step 1: Brown Bread: Mix Dry Ingredients

  1. For the flours, gently scoop the flours into the measuring cups with a spoon and level with the side of the spoon. Add the flours to the 16-cup container.
  2. Add the remaining dry ingredients to the container.
  3. Whisk thoroughly.

Step 2: Brown Bread: Mix Wet Ingredients

  1. Add honey, molasses, vinegar and ale to the 2-cup liquid measure.
  2. Microwave on high for one minute until warm.
  3. Stir carefully until the wet ingredients have dissolved into each other.

Step 3: Brown Bread: Mix Dough and Let Rise

  1. Pour liquid solution into dry ingredients in the 16-cup container.
  2. Mix with a wooden spoon until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. (No need to knead.)
  3. Put lid on container with air holes facing out so it can ventilate.
  4. Let rise until size is doubled and then put in refrigerator until the next day.

Step 4: Yellow Bread: Mix Dry Ingredients

  1. For the flours, gently scoop the flours into the measuring cups with a spoon and level with the side of the spoon.
  2. Add the flours to the 16-cup container.
  3. Add the remaining dry ingredients to the container.
  4. Note: Adjust the amount of turmeric to taste.
  5. Whisk thoroughly.

Step 5: Yellow Bread: Mix Dough and Let Rise

  1. Pour 2 cups of luke warm water into the dry ingredients.
  2. Mix with a wooden spoon until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. (No need to knead.)
  3. Put lid on container with air holes facing out so it can ventilate.
  4. Let rise until size is doubled and then put in refrigerator until next day.

Step 6: Assembly: Prepare Cookie Sheet

Congratulations! You've made it to day two. Now it's time to assemble your sunflowers. This recipe makes two bread sunflowers.

  1. Place a piece of parchment paper onto the cookie sheet.
  2. Using your six inch bowl, draw a circle in the center of the parchment.
  3. Flip the parchment over so that the drawing is on the bottom side of the paper. You should still be able to see it through the paper.

Step 7: Assembly: Divide Brown Bread Into Two Portions

Use the brown bread dough to create the center of the sunflower.

  1. Sprinkle flour over the top of the brown bread dough that you've removed from the refrigerator.
  2. Use a spatula to push down the edges all around the bread.
  3. Scoop the bread out with your hands, shaping it into a ball.
  4. Divide the dough into two roughly equal portions. These should be approximately six inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour as necessary to keep it from sticking and place it on a floured surface.

Step 8: Assembly: Cut the Brown Dough Into Strips

  1. Using a pizza cutter, slice the 6-inch circle of dough into two pieces.
  2. Separate the pieces and flour the cut edges so that they won't stick.
  3. For each half, cut it into five equally thick slices, separating the pieces as you go and rubbing flour on the cut edges.
  4. The strips when placed back together should still form a circle, roughly 6 inches in diameter.

Step 9: Assembly: Weave Bread for the Center of the Sunflower

  1. Starting with the longest strips in the center and working outwards to the shortest strips, weave the pieces of brown bread as shown.
  2. To keep the brown bread from drying out while you work with the yellow bread, cover it with the bowl.

Step 10: Assembly: Divide Yellow Bread Into Two Portions

Now use the yellow bread to create the petals of the sunflower.

  1. Sprinkle flour over the top of the yellow bread dough that you've removed from the refrigerator.
  2. Use a spatula to push down the edges all around the bread.
  3. Scoop the bread out with your hands, shaping it into a ball. Divide the dough into two roughly equal portions. Sprinkle the dough with flour as necessary to keep it from sticking and place it on a floured surface.

Step 11: Assembly: Cut the Yellow Dough Into Triangles

  1. Shape one of the portions of yellow dough into a 4-inch by 10-inch rectangle, sprinkling with flour to keep the dough from sticking.
  2. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough horizontally, separating the two pieces and rubbing flour on the cut edges.
  3. Cut each half into 10 triangles, separating the pieces as you go and rubbing flour on the cut edges. There will be a total of 20 triangles for the petals.

Step 12: Assembly: Attaching the Petals

  1. Remove the bowl that was keeping the center of the sunflower from drying out.
  2. With your finger and some water, wet the edge of the sunflower center.
  3. Press and shape the triangles of yellow bread dough to create the petals around the center.

Repeat all the assembly instructions for the second sunflower.

Step 13: Final Steps: Let Dough Rise and Preheat Oven

  1. Cover the sunflowers in plastic wrap. You could also use a large bread bag to cover them, as I've done here.
  2. It will take approximately two hours for the dough to rise properly.
  3. Set up your oven racks so that the two sunflowers can be baked in the center of the oven.
  4. At an hour and a half into the rising process, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, you really want to preheat the oven for half an hour.

Step 14: Final Steps: Bake the Sunflowers

  1. Remove the plastic wrap from the now risen sunflowers.
  2. Reset the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Place one cookie sheet on each oven rack and bake for 15 minutes.
  4. Switch the two cookie sheets so that the top one is now on the bottom rack and vice versa.
  5. Bake for 15 more minutes.
  6. Bread should be brown and sound hollow when tapped. If not, bake for 5 more minutes.
  7. Cool bread thoroughly on a wire rack for best taste and texture.

Step 15: Final Notes and Admire Finished Product

Congratulations! You've made bread sunflowers.

Notes:

  1. Depending on how much you like turmeric, you may want to reduce the amount. It will be less yellow, but you might like it better.
  2. As you can see, the petals tend to merge together. You can experiment around with making the petals longer and more separated from each other.
  3. From the previous pictures, you can see that sometimes the bread dough will expand out of its container. As long as you don't lose too much dough, this is fine.

Thank-you and congratulations again on building your bread sunflower!

Bread Challenge 2017

Participated in the
Bread Challenge 2017