Organic Beetroot ‘Overnight’ Focaccia – Vegan

by Lou Robbie

This is a fabulous way to celebrate bread and Irish organic beets! I made this a few times last summer to share with visitors to the Green Earth Organics farm walks and it was a huge hit.

The focaccia is a super simple no knead recipe – the dough develops and slowly proves in the fridge overnight. The next day, smear it in beetroot puree and bake. It looks amazing and has heaps of sweet and savoury flavour.

Make sure you save the recipe and serve it alongside our gorgeous green lettuce this summer.

Lou x

Tips:

Tips for getting this right:
✨This bread needs time in the fridge to prove.
✨Use strong/bread flour.
✨Make sure the dried yeast is in date.
✨Use a neutral olive oil, or rapeseed oil not extra virgin
✨Try not to knock too much air out of the dough when you add the beetroot puree and make the dimples.

Ingredients:

Makes one focaccia
-500g strong flour/bread flour
-2 teaspoon salt
-1 (7g) sachet dried yeast
-430ml lukewarm water – made up by mixing 130ml boiling water with 300ml cold water (it should be body temperature, 36ºC)
butter for greasing
-4 tablespoons olive oil

For the beetroot puree:

  • 3 cooked beetroots approx 200g
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

*Steam or boil and peel the beetroots. Cool and keep in the fridge ready to make this bread.

Step 1: Pour the dried yeast into the lukewarm water and let it sit for 15 minutes then stir.
Measure the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Pour in the yeast and water and mix with a wooden spoon to form a sticky ball. Oil a second mixing bowl and transfer the dough into it. Using your hand lightly oil the top of the dough – the oil is important to stop it drying out. Cover the bowl to make it airtight with a lid, cling film or a damp tea towel and put the bowl in the FRIDGE for at least 12 hours (ideally overnight).

Step 2: Prepare the baking tin 9inc x 13inc. Line with parchment paper or grease really well with butter, this is really important to stop the focaccia from sticking to the tin. I recommend using parchment paper.
Now oil the baking tin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Oil your hands and scoop the dough out of the bowl and put the dough straight onto the baking tray. Rub the oil over the dough and smooth and push it into the corners of the baking tray. Cover the tray with a clean plastic bag, or cling film and let the dough rest for 3 to 4 hours to warm up and double in size

Step 3: Make the beetroot puree, add the beetroot, chopped garlic, salt and oil in a small powerful blender. Blend until smooth.

Step 4: Preheat the oven 220ºc. Pour the beetroot puree over the dough and rub lightly with your hands, using your fingers press straight down to create deep dimples.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and the bottom is golden brown.
Transfer to a cooling rack. Brush with some olive oil. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Storage: This will keep in an airtight box for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.

Air Fryer Croutons 3 ways

by Lou Robbie

Bread is Irelands most wasted food with 40% of households saying old bread makes it way to the bin. There are a few nifty thrifty ways to use up old bread and give it a new lease of life. There is “Less Waste and More Taste” with these homemade croutons in 3 different flavours (herb, chilli and curry) that go deliciously well with soup in winter and salads in the summer.

I joined the air fryer community a few months ago and I have to say making a batch of croutons in the air fryer with old cubed bread is a cinch and very satisfying. Raid the spice rack and add some exciting flavours while you’re at it. If you don’t have an air fryer just toast the bread in the oven.

Tip: Old bread works best for croutons. Cut the pieces of bread into roughly the same sized cubes for even cooking.

My young kids adore these with their soup…and we munch and crunch on them chat about which flavour we like best.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 3 different flavours and 3 small bowls

  • 6 slices old bread – white slice pan/ sour dough/ batch loaf/ GF whatever you have
  • 1-2 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1-2 tsp curry powder
  • cooking oil
  • salt and pepper optional

Method:

  1. For the herby croutons: Slice and cube 2 slices of bread and add them to a mixing bowl.
  2. Sprinkle in the dried mixed herbs and mix, add a drizzle of oil to coat season with a small pinch of salt and pepper if you wish. Toss the croutons to coat in the oil.
  3. Pour the cubed bread into the air fryer basket.
  4. Air fry at 180ºC for 8-10 minutes shaking half way through.
  5. You can toast the croutons in the oven -Preheat your oven 180ºC, put the bread cubes on a baking tray and bake them in the oven for 20 minutes, check and shake half way through.
  6. The croutons should be evenly toasted and brown all over.

For chilli croutons: Repeat the method above but for step 2 instead of dried mixed herbs add paprika and chilli flakes.

For curry croutons: Repeat the method above but for step 2 instead of dried mixed herbs add curry powder.

Dairy-free Soda Bread

by Liz Child

Soda bread is so easy to make and a delicious Irish classic. You’ve got to try a fresh, homemade loaf for St Patrick’s Day! Perfect for breakfast with sweet or savoury toppings or for lunch with a bowl of soup. We make versions of this loaf at least once a week, sometimes with a handful or two of dried fruit in the mix for a sweet version, and it’s the perfect loaf to make with kids as it’s so quick and simple.

Traditional Irish soda bread contains buttermilk so it’s easy to make a dairy free version with oat milk and a little apple cider vinegar to make it acidic. The baking soda needs something acidic to react with otherwise it will not rise, so don’t be tempted to skip the vinegar. I promise, you can’t taste it in the bread. We choose creamy, Irish oat milk and raw apple cider vinegar from Clashganny organic farm. Here’s our easy recipe.

Liz x

Ingredients

  • 300ml oat milk
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 400g white flour
  • 100g wholemeal flour
  • a handful of porridge oats (optional)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • a handful of optional seeds or dried fruit

Method

  1. Turn your oven on to 200C and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
  2. In a mixing jug, mix the milk, vinegar and oil and let it sit for a few minutes while you prepare the dry ingredients. This is your vegan buttermilk.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, measure the flours, oats (if using), salt and baking soda and mix well with a wooden spoon. Make a well in the middle. You can also add dried fruit or seeds at this stage if you would like to.
  4. Then pour the ‘buttermilk’ into the well and stir with the wooden spoon until the ingredients come together into a rough, sticky dough.
  5. Now use one hand to turn and squash the dough together in the bowl. You may find it is too sticky to handle and needs an extra handful of flour. Careful not to add too much flour though, the dough should be slightly sticky otherwise the loaf will come out too dry and crumbly. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly, just for a minute or two at the most.
  6. Shape the dough into a disc that is around 3 cm high and place it on the lined baking tray. Using a large knife or bread knife, cut a deep X into the top of the dough, around 1 cm deep. Dust with a little flour or an optional sprinkle of seeds or porridge oats.
  7. Bake in the oven until risen and golden – around 30-40 minutes. The loaf should sound hollow when you tap it. Enjoy warm or cold slathered in butter (we stock a really good vegan butter here if you need).