Island Life Magazine Ltd October/ November 2012 | Page 120

FOOD

IN SEASON

Pumpkin
Pumpkin
Ciabatta
A recent creation for our new Plantation
Room serving Mediterranean inspired food,
fine wines and stunning loose leaf teas. This
beautiful bread is full of roasted squash,
pumpkin seeds and oil of wight.
Ingredients:
500g Strong White Flour (Preferably OO
grade) • 450 ml Luke Warm Water(room
temperature) • 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
40g Fresh Yeast • 1 ½ Teaspoon Salt
Oil of Wight • 200g Roasted Pumpkin Flesh +
Pumpkin Seeds for the top

MARTIN CUTLER
Ventnor Botanical Gardens

120

www.visitislandlife.com

Method

surface (without kneading any further) spread

Pre heat oven to 200C. In a large bowl mix

the pumpkin over the top and fold over like an

with your hands flour, sugar and yeast. Pour

envelope length ways to create the ciabatta

in the water. Add salt and ‘beat’ in the bowl

shape. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds across the

with your hands for 5 minutes. The dough

dough. Lift dough onto a floured baking tray

should be like a very thick pancake paste

and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden and

not like a regular bread dough. To beat the

when tapped sounds hollow.

dough you need to pull at parts of the dough
and stretch it up high and then slap it down
again. This pushes air pockets into the
dough to create the airy texture. Pour about 1
Tablespoon of Oil of Wight over the dough so
the oil covers the top and goes down the side
of the dough.
Allow to rise covered with plastic wrap for
about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
Pour the dough onto a well floured work