For the August 1st HBinFive Bread Braid, we were supposed to make Four-Leaf Clover Brocolli and Cheddar Buns and Mesquite Bread.  I had already made Southwestern Focaccia/Pizza in April using the mesquite dough and Mesquite Pizza and Buns in May so for this bread braid, I just focused on the Four-Leaf Clover Brocolli and Cheddar Buns.

The recipe for these Four-Leaf Clover Brocolli and Cheddar Buns can be found on page 174 of the Healthy Bread in Five Minutes book.

Step 1: Prepare the brocolli puree.

Steam the brocolli florets for a couple of minutes.

Then puree the brocolli in the blender.

Step 2: Make the Dough

Mix together the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients, including the brocolli puree.  Mix, without kneading, using a spoon, food processor, a mixer, or a dough whisk like I did.

Step 3: Ferment the Dough

Cover and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses, about 2 hours.  Then refrigerate the dough overnight and use it over the next 7 days.

I left the dough in the refrigerator two nights and made the buns on the 2nd day.

Step 4: Shape the Buns

Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2-pound piece.  Quickly shape the dough into a loose ball.

Divide the ball into 8 roughly equal portions. 

Cut each of these portions into 4 smaller pieces.  Shape each one into a round ball.  Put the 4 rounds together to from the clover lead and place in greased muffin cups.

Step 5: Proof the Buns

Allow to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 40 minutes.

Step 6: Bake the Buns

Just before baking, sprinkle the buns with cheddar cheese.

Bake the buns for about 20 to 25 minutes, until richly browned and firm.  I didn’t use a baking stone underneath so I baked them at 375 degrees instead of 450 degrees.

Step 7: Eat the Buns

Remove the buns from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on a wire rack before eating.

These Four-Leaf Clover Brocolli and Cheddar Buns have a very unique flavor.  I thought they would go really well with the homemade tomato soup I made using fresh tomatoes from my garden and some from my mother’s garden.  Here is the recipe for the homemade tomato soup.

Thanks for joining me in the bread-baking blog.  Check out BigBlackDog to see all of the breads in the August 1st Bread Braid roundup. 

Happy Baking!
Cathy

About the HBinFive Baking Group

The HBinFive Baking Group, started by Michelle of Big Black Dogs, is baking through all of the breads in the Healthy Bread in Five Minutes book. For more information on the HBinFive baking group, check out BigBlackDog.

Here are some additional bread-making resources:

• Bread Recipes
• Bread Cookbooks
• Bread Making
• Baking Supplies
• Bread Flour
• Bread Mixes