Rose Wilde’s recipes in her cookbook “Bread and Roses” are all about thinking out of the box.
They’re all about expanding your mind to learn about different flavors and thinking about different ways to make things that are very familiar but have a little something extra.
“I think that all of these recipes are going to be familiar in, sort of what they are, but instead of relying on all-purpose white flour you’re going to be putting in a grain that adds more flavor,” she explained to Jessica Holmes. “As a chef, it’s your job to put flavor in.”
When you think of flavor, all-purpose flour doesn’t really come to mind.
So, she incorporates grains in her recipes to give them something more. It also adds a more nutritious component too.
“I like to get into this new wave of whole grains. Whereas in the 1970’s it was very much like ‘eat it because it’s good for you. But now we’re saying, eat it because it’s delicious! And you’ll love it”
She also advocates for using botanicals in her creations, which include the whole part of the plant.
“I advocate eating root-to-blossom, which is sort of my answer to the nose-to-tail movement, about honoring an animal. Honor a plant as well,” she said.
Rose is also behind Red Bread, which is mostly an internet micro bakery. Customers can place orders and then pick them up when they’re ready.
It was founded in 2011 and focuses on local whole grains and produce from the Santa Monica Famers Market.
Jessica tried her hand at making one of Rose’s recipes that taps into the familiar but with a twist. It’s an apple pie that uses whole-grain Khorasan and halva, which is a concoction using sesame seeds.
“(Khorasan) makes the crust very tender but also gives them this crunch,” she explained.
She credited the halva for mimicking the “earthiness” that “underpins an apple’s sweetness.”
“We get something that tastes really magical without being too sweet.”
Follow Rose on Instagram here: @trosewilde.
This segment aired on California Cooking with Jessica Holmes, Episode 159.
Khorasan Apple Halva Lattice Sheet Pie with Halva Custard: Courtesy of the “Bread and Roses Cookbook” by Rose Wilde
FILLING
12 to 14 apples, cut in half and sliced thinly about ¼ inch
2 lemons, cut in half and sliced thinly
200 g brown sugar
25 g cornstarch
5 g salt
100 g unsalted butter
100 g halva
CRUST
30 g starter
300 g cold water
380 g Khorasan flour
700 g all–purpose flour
5 g salt
150 g brown sugar
600 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
1 egg for egg wash
Splash of milk for egg wash
Large–grain sugar, such as turbinado, for sprinkling
Halva Custard (page 280)
A sheet or slab pie is a statement piece no matter the occasion. I love them for big family picnics, a dinner party with friends, or a bake sale. A slap pie capitalizes on the crust–to–filling ratio being equal. People can pick between an edge slice and a center slice. And something about cutting big, fat square slices gets me every time! Khorasan makes this all–butter crust sing even more and flake beautifully on your fork. Halva is a candy made from sesame seeds, spun with sugar, and packed into a block. Traditionally you cut off sweet crumbling pieces to eat with cheese and fruit with tea for dessert. You can find it in lots of flavors, but classic plain is my favorite to use here. I love to snack on halva with apples, so this pie pairing was natural. Serve with more halva custard to make this flavor really pop. The pie can be made ahead, frozen, and baked from cold. The baked pie keeps for 3 days at room temperature or for a week in the fridge.
MAKES TWO HALF-SHEET CRUSTS; FILLING MAKES 1 PIE
Combine all the filling ingredients, except the halva, in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the apples soften and the juices thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare the crust: In a small bowl, dissolve the starter in the cold water. Set aside.
Combine the flours, salt, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk vigorously to mix and break up any lumps in the sugar. Add the butter and gently coat by tossing quickly.
Dump onto a clean work surface. Use the heel of your hand to press the butter down against the work surface and away from you, creating thin sheets. Do this to all your butter. When you’ve touched every piece of butter, use a bench scraper to scrape everything off the work surface and back together.
Make a well in the center and add half of the starter mixture, using your bench scraper to cut it into the flour. Add the rest of the starter mixture and continue to cut it into the dough with your bench scraper. Once you have a chunky mass, use your hands to pull the mass together. Press down flat and cut into three sections. Stack these sections on top of one another and press down again. Cut in half and stack once more. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes or overnight.
Pull one dough from the fridge and, starting from the center, roll out the dough in all directions until it is a 15–by–19–inch rectangle that is ¹⁄8 inch thick. Use your rolling pin to gather the dough onto it like a scroll, then lift and set it onto a sheet tray. Unroll it. Use a fork to prick the entire rectangle of dough. Top completely with the apple mixture and drop the halva all over. Divide second dough in half. Roll out one of the halves into a 7–by–19–inch rectangle. Cut into six thick strips lengthwise. Roll out the other dough half into a 9–by–15–inch rectangle. Cut into six thick strips lengthwise. Weave the strips of dough in an open weave across the filling. Where the dough meets the edges, overlap and crimp with a fork pressed all around. Chill for 1 hour or overnight in the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make an egg wash by combining the egg and a splash of milk. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash lightly over all the dough. Sprinkle generously with large–grain sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Place sheet tray on cooling rack to cool before slicing and serving.
