Wild Garlic and Poppy Rolls

Just back from a freezing cold camping trip in our van to Sussex, I had to make soup and bread up return to warm us up. Lemon and thyme lentil soup and wild garlic and poppy rolls was what I ended up with.
We had a fabulous stay at Wowo Campground. Despite the cold, the lovely staff and encouraged campfires kept us warm. Saturday night even featured home made soup served with organic bread whilst listening to the sounds of local musicians by the campfire. We booked onto the bushcraft course by Really Wild Bushcraft and learned a range of things from making rope in the wild, filtering water, making fires and topped it all off with baking wild garlic pioneer bread around the campfire.
Cooking with wild garlic is one of my favourite spring time activities. It is in abundance in the woods just across the valley from our house. From now until it’s gone it will grace our plates in such forms as pesto, soup, bread, salad, vinaigrette, risotto and what ever else I can incorporate it in. Foraging for food really allows you to eat with the seasons and gets you out in nature. Kids love it too!
Our weekend at WoWo and the inspirational bushcraft course definitely inspired this version of a favourite bread roll recipe. Roll on spring.

Wild Garlic and Poppy Rolls

500 g strong white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried yeast
30 g butter, melted
75 ml warm milk
225 ml warm water
4 tbsp chopped fresh wild garlic
2 tbsp poppy seeds
oil for greasing

Combine yeast, sugar, butter, warm milk and warm water; let sit for five minutes or until frothy. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in frothy yeast mixture. Stir with a spoon until a rough dough begins to form. Using you hands, mix together until the dough is well combined. Bring the dough together into a ball. Place dough on flour work surface and knead with floured hands. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and smooth (this can be done in a food processor or mixer). Add a little water to loosen the dough if it becomes too tough. Place dough in a clean oiled bowl and turn the dough in the oil to coat.Cover with cling film and leave to rise for about 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size.Knock the dough back and knead in the wild garlic and poppy seeds.

How to Knead in Wild Garlic and Poppy Seeds

Smooth the dough into a rough rectangle.  Sprinkle the seeds and garlic over the dough. Fold dough into a parcel.

Begin kneading by stretching the dough away from you with the palm of one hand, while pulling the dough with the other hand.

Roll the dough back onto itself and towards you. Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat until garlic and seeds are fully

incorporated.

Separate the mixture into 10 equal parts, using a scale.

Roll into a ball. Move your hand and the ball in a circular motion, pulling the dough into itself with and slightly reducing pressure on the top of the dough until a perfectly round dough ball is formed.

Roll remaining dough. Place closely together in a

circle with two rolls in the middle on an oiled baking tray.

Cover and set aside for 20 minutes or until rolls have doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas Mark 8.

When the rolls are proofed, dust with flour and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.