Spinach Breads

I hope to bake a 'green bread' for a St. Patrick's day potluck at work.  These were two trial runs.  My father-in-law received half of each loaf as his March bread.

Spinach Bread 1

This bread was more whole grain.  I chopped the sauteed spinach and used curry powder to see how it would affect the taste,  hoping that it would taste good by itself with some butter.

400  g whole wheat

50  g bread flour

1 tsp instant yeast

¾ tsp salt  (less than usual, to account for the curry powder)

1 tsp curry powder

5 oz baby spinach cooked until slightly wilted and then chopped

1 Tbsp light olive oil

1 Tbsp agave nectar

120  g yogurt (½ cup) mixed in 1 cup slightly warm water

Spinach Bread 2

This bread was going to be truer to what I plan for the potluck,  a more white bread,  with sauteed pureed spinach for an even color and basil and cheese for flavor.

140  g whole wheat

350  g bread flour

1 tsp instant yeast

¾ tsp salt (less than usual to account for cheese)

1 tsp dried basil 

5  oz baby spinach cooked until slightly wilted and then pureed

85  g grated pepper jack cheese (3 oz)

¾ Tbsp agave nectar

1 cup water

(No oil, because the cheese has plenty of fat)

Ingredients for both

5:58 pm: Spinach Bread 1: Specks of chopped spinach clearly visible

5:58 pm: Spinach Bread 2: More evenly colored with spinach puree

8:06 pm: Spinach Bread 1: Decently risen

8:06 pm: Spinach Bread 2: More bread flour = Better rise

8:09 pm: Spinach Bread 1: Deflated, rounded and ready for second rise

8:10 pm: Spinach Bread 2: Deflated, rounded and ready for second rise

9:09 pm: Spinach Bread 1: Curry powder lending some color?

9:09 pm: Spinach Bread 2: Wonderful rise

9:15 pm: Bread 1 becomes a loaf, Bread 2 becomes a boule

10:51 pm: Both doughs are nicely risen

Pretty good oven spring on Bread 2

Bread 1 is not bad either

Bread 1: Even crumb with specks of (dark) green here and there

Bread 2: Bigger holes, even tint of green

Notes for Spinach Bread 1:

Date: March 2, 2012

Recipe: My own recipe

Flours: Whole wheat flour, bread flour

Bread specific ingredients: Spinach, curry powder

Sweetener used: Molasses

Liquid: Yogurt, water

Comments: The higher percentage of whole grain accompanied by the curry powder gave this bread a dark brown crust and crumb.  The chopped spinach turned darker green during baking.  The end result was a definitely-savory tasting bread that wasn't very green at all.  It tasted wonderful warmed and with some butter the next morning. However it staled fairly quickly, which meant finishing it up was left to me.

Notes for Spinach Bread 2:

Date: March 2, 2012

Recipe: My own recipe

Flours: Whole wheat flour, bread flour

Bread specific ingredients: Spinach, cheese (pepper-jack), dried basil

Sweetener used: Molasses

Liquid: Water

Comments: The end result wasn't as colored as I had hoped.  I wonder if using all bread flour would make the green more prominent.  I definitely plan to use more spinach (6 oz instead of 5) and more cheese (4 oz instead of 3).  This bread tasted good too,  much lighter than bread 1 (for obvious reasons).  It too staled within 3 days, but that won't be a problem for a potluck. That recipe will be the one after next.