BUTTERFLY PEA BREAD. 2ND ATTEMPT. MODIFIED RECIPE

Method.
Boil water and pour the hot boiling water into a glass vessel containing the dried Butterfly Pea flowers. Let this seep through ( some say, preferably overnight) for a few hours. The blue dye will be released by the hot water. Strain the water into a container, squeezing out the soaked flowers to maximise the amount of dye. 

For the first attempt I used only a tablespoon of the dried Butterfly pea flower. There wasn’t sufficient dye to render the crumb blue. This time, I used 9 gm of the dried flowers. Note the  intensity of the  deep blue dye!

Measure 400gm unbleached bread flour into a KitchenAid mixing bowl. If possible use white flour if you want an intense blue effect. I didn’t have white flour then!

Add in the dry yeast to the flour. Mix thoroughly. The pour in the cooled blue water extract of the Butterfly Pea flower, and mix the dough for between 10 to 15 minutes on the stand mixer until the dough is smooth and silky. If necessary, add in by the tablespoon, additional flour to obtain this consistency. Lastly add in the sea salt, butter and fresh lemon juice towards the final stage of mixing.

Transfer the dough to a floured mat and fold a few times before forming the dough into a ball. Proof the dough covered with a damp tea towel for 30 minutes.

After this time, fold the dough again and form into a ball. Proof for 30 minutes again. At the end of this time, fold again and do a final shaping of the dough and transfer this to a floured baking paper. Proof for 30 to 45 minutes, while you heat up the Dutch Oven to 235˚C.

When ready, transfer the boule by holding the edges of the baking paper and gently lowering the boule into the hot DO. Bake for 30 minutes with the DO cover on, and then a further 15 minutes with the cover off. Transfer the baked loaf on to a metal rack to cool before slicing.

Hot out of the Dutch Oven. Cooling on a metal rack before cutting.