Dandelion bread

Again, we are participating in the 19th Bread Baking Day, an event started by Zorra. This edition's theme are country spring breads. Yuuummy! The host is the previous BBD's winner - Cindy. 'Spring bread? Maybe something with dandelions?' - Gosia, thanks for the idea! Surprising, but working surprisingly well.

Ingredients:

350 g plain wheat flour
150 g wholewheat flour
75 g honey
20 g compressed yeast
245 g warm water
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp salt
50 dandelion buds

1. First you need to find a meadow far away from the road:-) Collect more buds for later use and some leaves if you like to prepare a salad. It is a good idea to use gloves as you may stain your hands with dandelions' sap.

2. Rinse and drain buds. Bring water to boil, toss in dandellions and keep over low fire for a minute. Drain buds and keep them aside. Let the water to cool down.

3. Mix flours and salt in a bowl. Take aside 50 g of it to be used in kneading. Add milk, honey and yeast to warm (not hot!) water and stir to dissolving of yeast.

3. Pour the liquid to the bowl, mix well with flours and take out on the pastry board. Knead pouring the remaining flour until the dough reaches a firm and flexible consistency.

4. Leave to rise in an oiled bowl covered with a wet cloth.

5. When the dough doubles the size, take it out on the board. Don't punch the dough but free the air by delicate flattening the dough into a circle. with your hands. Spread dandelions on the dough and carefully roll it into a roll shape. Stick together every end separately. Roll it a little with your hands to make the log even longer. Transfer it on a baking tray and roll into a snail putting the end at the bottom. Cover with a wet cloth and leave to rise.

6. Make cuts imitating flower's petals and place in preheated oven. Bake 50 minutes in 190 Celsius degrees.

Hm, what should I say now... Wait until it cools down? Well, I should. You can be scalded with dandelions' buds. This bread goes well with the cottage cheese and is rather too sweet to go with meat. I find bundz, Polish sheep milk cheese, very similar to another distinguished Polish cheese, oscypek, the most suitable. Remember that this cheese is the best exactly in May!

I believe that bread is like wine. You should get to know it, taste and learn it. Bread also has its character and can go straight to head. Flour types are like grape varieties. This dandelion bread was made of the mixed flours: plain wheat and wholewheat flour. In its bouquet you may find delicate buds' bodies dipped in the dough. Their scent wafts through this bread's hard crust. I can catch the smell of the bonfire baked potatoes. Imagine the spring bread that reminds that even this time is going by. The bottom smells of raisins and hot cross buns. The top smells of boiled corn. Honey gives a delicate character of the festive bread to it. Warm bread is alive, you can warm up your hands and face. It makes me feel safe. Can you hear bread? Sometimes. Can you talk to it? Yes, you can. But the best of it is that you can feel it. Cool down, my dear. I am waiting for you.