Seeded épi wreath

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It looks lovely as a centrepiece on the table, perhaps encircling a baked cheese or ideal as a bread to tear off and enjoy as an accompaniment to soup. 

INGREDIENTS

Dough

440 gms strong white bread flour

290 gms tepid water

8 gms fine sea salt

5 gms instant active yeast (or its equivalent in dried yeast)

10 gms olive oil

Seeds

60 gms mixed seeds (sesame, poppy and linseed)

60 gms water

METHOD

The day before - toast the seeds in a dry frying pan for a few minutes and then cool. 

Add to 60 gms of water and leave overnight to absorb. 

On the day 

Into a large bowl, place the flour and salt and mix well. Add the yeast and then gradually add the water, stirring continually until you have a rough dough. 

Sprinkle in the seed mixture.

Knead until the dough is smooth and silky. 

Tip the dough into a lightly-oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled. This will take about an hour but.....WATCH THE DOUGH, NOT THE CLOCK. 

Tip the dough out onto a lightly-floured board. Weigh the dough and divide it into four even pieces (or work out the proportions if you're going to stack them on top of each other) . 

Shape each piece into a ball and then cover and rest for 15 minutes. This is necessary to make the dough manageable for the next stage. 

To shape the dough into a crown, flour an index finger and press it through the centre of the ball. Place both hands inside the hole and gradually work the inside of the ring until you have a crown-like circular shape. If the dough starts to refuse to stretch, leave it for five minutes, covered, and then start again. 

Eventually, the internal diameter should be about 10 cms. - you  might want to consider the diameter of a brie/camembert if you're going to use it to encircle a baked cheese

Place the crowns on prepared baking sheets, seam-side down, and cover them. Leave for up to 1 hour at room temperature until they are proved and fluffy. 

Preheat the oven to 220⁰C Fan (430⁰F) / 230⁰C (450⁰F)  Conventional  - and add a steam bath at the bottom of the oven. 

Dust the tops of the crowns with flour.  Alternatively, paint with a slurry of a pinch of flour in a little water and top with poppy seeds. 

Slash the crowns around the edge at 45⁰ using scissors following the curve of the crown. Make sure the cuts are far enough into the crown so that it resembles wheat stalks. 

Spray the oven interior as you add the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Cool on a rack. 

Just imagine......

- stacking three or four of different sizes as a centre piece for your table...

-  having a baked cheese or a dip in the centre of a large table...

- choosing your own dough - sweet or herbed, seeded or cheesy and enjoying as part of a meal. 

Merely some ideas - using the actual bread but in a 'fictional setting':

and

Happy Baking