Whole Wheat Maneesh Style Bread

Jem Carducci -

This flavour packed crispy seeded cuddle for your tummy is high in fibre and a great accompaniment to soups or salads. Best eaten fresh, although they can keep for up to 5 days, you can even toast slices of these and serve with an olive tapenade or a vegan cheese style nut spread recipe at: https://snugglegrub.com/cashew-queso-dip/

Recipe makes 3-4 breads.

Ingredients
For the bread:
500g/1lb 2oz whole wheat (wholemeal) flour, plus extra for dusting
10g/¼oz garlic salt
10g/¼oz instant yeast
20ml/4 tsp EVOO, plus extra for kneading
360ml/12fl oz warm water
For the topping:
6 tbsp tuxedo sesame seeds (black and white sesame seeds)
5 tbsp ground dried mixed Italian herbs
3 tbsp ground dried red pepper
1 tsp black garlic powder
1 tbsp chopped smoked garlic (I love English Provender's Very Lazy Chopped Smoked Garlic)
3 tbsp EVOO


Method
Mix together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Add the oil and about 2/3 of the water. Mix the ingredients together with you fingers, adding the remaining water little by little until the flour around the sides of the bowl has been incorporated into the mixture, you may not need to use all the water. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
On a clean surface, pour a little oil, spread with your hands, place the rough on top and knead for about 10 minutes. The dough should transform from being quite a wed tough to quite a smooth dough once needed. spread a little oil into the mixing bowl to cover the bottom and sides, and return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave to double in size. This normally takes around 2 hours.
Cover two baking trays in baking (parchment) paper,  fold the dough onto itself  to remove the air, then divide the dough into two or three equal sized balls. Flatten slightly, then place on the baking trays. Cover and leave for another hour.
Mix the ingredients for the topping until they form a paste, preheat the oven to 450°F/ 230°C and spread the topping over the breads. on the bottom shelf add a high sided tin with about 1/2 litre of water. This will heat up and create steam in the oven, which will make the crust of the bread crisp. Place the breads in the oven and bake for around 15 minutes. Cool and serve.