Cumin and Cottage Cheese Bread Loaf – Rohi Parāoa Kumene me te Tīhi Pahī
What a beauty this Cottage Cheese Cumin Loaf is (if I do say so myself)! I made this recipe a couple of years ago for Fly Buys. The challenge was to showcase the beauty of this Le Cruset cast iron pot and it was not a hard task. I knew instantly that a rustic parāoa (bread) was the perfect recipe to create. However, this can also be made in a large loaf tin if you do not have a cast iron pot.
A little about this Cottage Cheese Cumin Loaf:
This parāoa (bread) has the subtle flavours of toasted kumene (cumin) and tīhi pahī (cottage cheese). If kumene (cumin) is not your flavour, swap it for another spice or leave it out completely. This recipe yields a lovely soft dough and adds protein in to your loaf at the same time. Serve fresh from the oven with herby scrambled eggs – te mutunga mai o te reka (absolutely delicious).
If you have any left over the next day, you should try my Maple Bacon and Cheese Toasted Sandwich. The sweet and salty combination with this amazing toasted sandwich is absolute perfection!
Want to make a similar loaf but a no-knead version?
Check out my Rustic No-knead Bread baked in a cast iron pot or my No-knead Bread Loaf baked in a loaf tin. This No-knead Focaccia Bread is also a favourite with flavours of kāriki (garlic), rēmana (lemon), tāima (thyme) and mīere (honey).
More kneaded dough recipes:
Porotiti (scrolls) are my favourite treat and if they are yours too, try these Coconut Buns (Pani Popo), Sticky Maple and Pecan Scrolls or Gingerbread Scrolls. There are so many wonderful things to create with dough – the possibilities are endless! Check out more bread recipes here.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Cumin and Cottage Cheese Bread Loaf – Rohi Parāoa Kumene me te Tīhi Pahī
Ingredients
The Cumin and Cottage Cheese Dough – Te Pokenga Kumene me te Tīhi Pahī
- 1 tbsp kākano kumene (cumin seeds)
- 2 tsp (10 g) tote (salt, I like to use nice quality salt here but up to you)
- 1 C (250 ml) wai aromahana (lukewarm water)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp īhi Surebake (bread makers yeast) or use 8 g of instant yeast
- 1 hēki (eggs, size 6)
- ¾ C (170 g) tīhi pahī (cottage cheese)
- 3 C (450 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
Instructions
The Dough – Te Pokenga
- Set a frying pan over medium heat. Add the kākano kumene (cumin seeds) and toast for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add them to a mortar and pestle or a chopping board.
- Add the tote (salt) to the kākano kumene (cumin seeds) and either grind them to a powder with a mortar and pestle or crush and chop them finely with a sharp knife. This can also be ground in a spice grinder.
- Add the wai aromahana (lukewarm water) and huka hāura (brown sugar) in to a large bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Whisk in the īhi (yeast) and leave for 5 – 10 minutes until the yeast has floated to the top and looks foamy.
- Add the hēki (egg) in to the yeast mixture and whisk until well incorporated.
- Using a fork, give the tīhi pahī (cottage cheese) a really good mash with a fork until smooth. (Mine was a bit too lumpy in the video).Add it to the yeast mixture and stir it through.
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and ranunga kumene (cumin mixture). Stir it all together with bread and butter knife.
Kneading the dough – Pokepoke pokenga
- Tip the dough on to a lightly floured table and knead for 12 minutes. You can also knead it in a stand mixer for 10 minutes. The dough has an egg in it so it will be a little sticky – don't add extra flour.
- Add the dough to a large oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel or bowl cover. Leave for 1 hour and 45 minutes to rise and double in size.
Cast Iron Pot Version
- Once the dough has risen, tip it on to a lightly floured bench and fold in to a loaf shape. (Refer to the video for a guide). Place it in an oiled bowl, the same shape as your cast iron pot (the bowl should be smaller than the pot).
- Cover and rise again for 50 minutes.
- Add a 3.6 L cast iron pot and the lid to the oven and heat at 200 °C for 30 minutes.
- Tip the risen dough on to baking paper. Score it, this helps the parāoa (bread) rise in a uniform way and can be done with scissors or a sharp knife. Remove the pre-heated cast iron pot from the oven and gently lower the parāoa (bread) in to it. Place the lid on.
- Bake it for 25 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and bake for a further 20 minutes uncovered.
- Remove it from the oven, let it cool for 5-10 minutes and slice in to the delicious parāoa (bread) that you just made!
Loaf Tin Version
- Grease the base and sides of a loaf tin with oil. The size should be approximately 20 cm long and 12 cm wide.
- Once the dough has risen, tip it on to a lightly floured bench and fold in to a loaf shape. (Refer to the video for a guide).
- Add the rolled up dough in to the loaf tin, with the seam underneath. Cover the tin with a tea towel and allow to rise for 45-50 minutes.
- As it rises, pre-heat the oven to 175 °C.
- Once it has doubled in size, score it, this helps the parāoa (bread) rise in a uniform way and can be done with scissors or a sharp knife. Slide it in to the pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes until golden.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Slice and enjoy with your favourite toppings.
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