This savory bread is great as an appetizer, as an accompaniment to a family-style meal or even served on an hors d'oeuvre table served with a red dipping sauce.
Makes three 12 " loaves
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1 T. honey
- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 ¼ cups white flour
- ¾ t. and 1 t. salt, plus more to taste
- 3 T. and 1 ½ T. olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup soymilk powder
- 1 T. cornstarch
- ½ cup dairy-free soy mayonnaise
- 1 cup plus 2 T. plain unsweetened soymilk, divided
Preparation:
1. Make the sponge. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, gently combine the warm water, yeast and honey. Allow the mixture to set for about 5 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface. (This ensures that you, indeed, have an "active" packet of yeast.)Add the whole wheat pastry flour, mixing with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
3. To the sponge, add in the white flour, salt and 1 ½ T. of the olive oil, mixing until forming a soft, but not sticky, dough. (Your dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and should not "tear" or stick to your hands. If the dough is still sticky, add more white flour in small increments until your dough no longer sticks to your hands when you push down on it.)
4. On a dry (not floured) countertop, turn out the dough and knead until elastic, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour in small increments as needed, taking care so as not to dry out your dough. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and cover. Place bowl in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. While dough is rising, heat 1 T. of the olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Set aside until ready to assemble the loaves.
6. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. In a small bowl, combine the nutritional yeast, soymilk powder and cornstarch. Set aside.
7. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the 2 T. of the remaining oil, soy mayonnaise and 1 cup soymilk, whisking until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and 1 t. salt to the mixture, whisking until lumps are dissolved (a few lumps will still remain but will dissolve while cooking).
8. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat the sauce mixture, stirring constantly until desired consistency. Salt to taste.
9. Assemble the loaves. Punch down the dough and divide into three portions. Roll out each portion, one at a time, to a rectangle about ¼" thick. Spread 1/3 of the cheese sauce onto each of the loaves followed by 1/3 of the onions and the spinach, leaving a 1" margin on all sides.
10. Place the rectangle so that it is horizontal, with one of the long sides nearest you. Roll the dough to the opposite side and place the loaf seam-size down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining loaves.
11. Lightly brush each of the loaves with the remaining 2 T. soymilk and sprinkle generously with salt. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown. Serve warm.
