Pull-Apart Scallion Swirly Bread

This is another post that started with a picture on Instagram.  I saw Sarah Jampel's picture of kubaneh from the Breaking Breads cookbook and was utterly transfixed.  Then it showed up again on the Food52 feed in a picture for their store's twine holder, but all anyone wanted to know was what the beautiful, crazy, swirly bread was on the right.  I managed to track down the recipe from my library's copy of Breaking Breads and tried it without even knowing what it was supposed to taste like.

The original was a bit too salty for my liking, but the picture above garnered the most likes I've ever gotten for an Instagram post!  I decided to take a cue from Molly Yeh's scallion pancake challah bread and try a hua juan version of kubaneh by brushing a mixture of scallions and sesame oil on the dough before rolling it up.  I also used a fresher yeast this time, and the results are pretty spectacular if I do say so myself.

The bread itself reminds me a lot of milk bread in that it's slightly sweet and very soft, yet the parts that get browned turn out a little crunchy from all the butter!  And even though you just apply a small smear of the sesame-scallion filling, it's so fragrant that the flavor gets infused throughout the whole roll.  It's definitely better when warm, so if you're eating it a day or two later, microwave it for 10-20 seconds to rewarm it.

Pull-Apart Scallion Swirly Bread (adapted from Breaking Breads)
makes 16 rolls

For the bread dough:
1 1/4 cups water
1 packet (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 stick butter, very soft

For the filling:
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a stand mixer bowl and allow to dissolve.  Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the yeast and water.

Use the dough hook on low to combine the ingredients, then mix on medium-high until the dough comes away from the bowl cleanly.  Give the dough a few folds to form a nice, tight ball.  Cover the bowl and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Lightly butter a large plate (I usually use the butter wrapper to do this).  Divide the dough into 8 pieces, shape each into a tight ball, and place on the plate.  Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Mix the sesame oil, scallions, salt, and sugar in a small bowl.  Generously grease a 9" springform pan with the softened butter.

Use about a tablespoon of the butter to generously grease a clean 11" x 17" rimmed baking sheet.  Place one of the balls of dough on the baking sheet, smear a little more butter on top, and start pressing it out to cover almost the entire sheet.  Sprinkle some of the scallion filling across the middle lengthwise third of the dough.  Fold the top third of the dough down and then the bottom third up (like a business letter fold, but lengthwise).  Roll the dough up into a tight spiral and cut in half.  Place the cut sides up in the buttered pan.  Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.  Cover the bottom of the pan with a large piece of aluminum foil or place in another pan to catch any melted butter that leaks out.  Cover the pan and let the dough rise a final time for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 325°F.  Bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  If there is any butter left, melt it and add it to any remaining filling mixture and brush on top of the rolls.  Serve warm.

Next:  Chocolate Babka
Previously:  Cranberry Curd Tart
Two Years Ago:  Puppy Chow Pie
Three Years Ago:  Miso Pumpkin Soup
Four Years Ago:  Homemade Ramen Noodles
Seven Years Ago:  Tim Tam Slam Ice Cream
Eight Years Ago:  Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

Soy Garlic Glazed Korean Fried Cauliflower

During my stint as a vegan (which became vegetarianism and then pescetarianism until I finally gave up this year and became an omnivore again), I would often crave Bon Chon chicken.  That gloriously crispy, thin-skinned chicken with the amazing soy garlic glaze would haunt me, and I'll admit that I sometimes gave in.  It was just too good to give up.

I wish I had had this recipe for Korean fried cauliflower back then, but to be honest, this substitute is so good, I might even prefer it over the real thing.  I adapted the recipe from Serious Eats' well researched recipe and just reduced the amount of vinegar and upped the garlic in the glaze according to my own taste preferences.  If you don't have the sesame seeds and/or finely shredded coconut to add to the batter, you can omit them, but they add some great texture to the cauliflower.

Even though they're meant to be an appetizer, I ended up eating them with rice like I would with sesame chicken.  And if you want to save any as leftovers, I would refrigerate the cauliflower after they're fried and drained.  The next day, heat them up in the toaster oven and then toss them with the sauce; that way they will still be crispy.

Soy Garlic Glazed Korean Fried Cauliflower (adapted from Serious Eats)
serves 4-6 as an appetizer or 2 as an entrée

For the Soy Garlic Glaze:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons mince garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Combine everything except for the cornstarch in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.  Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 1 1/2 teaspoons water.  Whisk into sauce and bring to a boil.  Cook until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

For the Korean Fried Cauliflower:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vodka
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1/2" - 1" florets

Pour enough oil into a Dutch oven or large pot for it to reach at least 2".  Preheat the oil to 350°F.

Combine the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, sesame seeds, coconut, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until homogeneous.  Add the water and vodka, and whisk to form a smooth batter.

Add the cauliflower to the batter.  Fry the cauliflower in batches, letting the excess batter drip off each one before you lower it into the oil.  Remove with a slotted spoon when golden brown and let drain on a paper-towel lined plate.

Toss the fried cauliflower with the soy garlic glaze and serve immediately.

Next:  Pear Apple Cranberry Slab Pie
Previously:  Caramelized Honeycomb Ice Cream
Two Years Ago:  Hokkaido Milk Bread Three Ways (Traditional, Braided, and Taro Swirl)
Three Years Ago:  Salted Butter Caramel Apple Pie with Vodka Pie Crust

Sesame Soba Noodles with Avocado Rose

Usually when I get an avocado in my Boston Organics delivery, I just hope that I'll be able to figure out how to use it before it gets overripe.  But this time I knew exactly what to do with it; I was going to attempt an avocado rose!  I had first discovered these a few weeks ago thanks to a post on Food52 on the trend taking over Instagram.

To make one, slice an avocado in half.  You want a ripe avocado, but not one that is so soft it'll be hard to manipulate without smushing.

Remove the pit, then carefully peel away the skin.  See that little bit of flesh left on the skin below?  It ended up being the only blemish on my rose.  =(

Place on half cut side down on a cutting board and slice the avocado thinly.  It helps to use a paring knife since it has less surface area to stick to the avocado than a chef's knife (which I found out the hard way).

Start shifting the slices diagonally.

Try to make as long of a chain as you can make without breaking it.

Start curling in one end of the chain and continue rolling it in until you've made a rose!

To have something to eat with the avocado, I tried making some sesame soba noodles based on my go to peanut butter noodle recipe but using tahini instead of peanut butter.  I really liked how the buttery avocado added a cool creaminess to the sesame noodles, so much so that I'd pair the two again even if I didn't have enough time to make an avocado rose!

Sesame Soba Noodles with Avocado
makes 2 servings

2 handfuls of soba noodles
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
A pinch of sugar
1 avocado
Sesame seeds and chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the soba noodles.  Cook until done.  Drain in a colander and run under cold water so that the noodles don't stick to each other.

Mix the tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and sugar until it forms a smooth paste.  Toss with the noodles, adding water to thin, if desired.

Serve with sliced avocado and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, if desired.

Next:  Tortilla Española (Spanish Potato Omelet)
Previously:  Will It Puffle?
Last Year:  Scoglio all'Andiamo (Saffron Fettuccine with Seafood in a Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce)
Two Years Ago:  Easy Chilquiles with Fried Egg and Avocado
Six Years Ago:  Lilikoi Malasadas (Portuguese Donuts filled with Passion Fruit Curd)
Seven Years Ago:  Moffles!