Worlds Best Fennel Bread: Partha Bread

Introducing and Unveiling ~ The first of many ~ Cookin Freely Recipes... The Amazing. The Wonderful. The Flavorful. The Medicinal. The Tasty and Terrific.  The Ultimate Multi-Creative Cookin FreeLy Worlds Best Fennel Bread... Paratha Fennel Bread.

I first discovered this recipe several years ago while learning a little about Ayervedic Cooking.  The cook teaching me this recipe was a generous, cute and masterful Indian monk of sorts.  He had the recipe down and could concoct this recipe with one hand while blindfolded. Plus he would often tell jokes while cooking or rattle off some crazy words of wisdom... such as, "Dis make you go to batroom." He often emphasized moderation and understood the power of medicinal herbs and the power of healthful cooking and eating, as well as the art of cooking.  I might go so far as to say that it is THIS Fennel Bread Paratha Recipe that has since provoked my passion of cooking creatively and healthfully. 

I won't say that I've mastered this recipe yet, but I will say that I adore this Paratha Fennel Bread recipe for so many reasons.  It has stayed with me over the years and it is a prized recipe in my book.

• Hand made / home made.
• Aromatic herbs and spices. (Good for the belly and whole body)
• Tasty 
• Versatile (Can be made for a variety of dishes... traditional indian dishes, pizzas, snack enhancer, etc..)
• Did I say you get to use your hands?!?

 These are the herbs and spices I use: Whole peppercorns, Fennel Seed, Lavender. I also added sesame seeds and cinnamon. You can get creative and make this with just about any herbs and spices that will benefit you or entice you!

*Great for Digestion!! I will tell you, or warn you, as the monk so wisely said before, these herbs and spices are good for you!  Beneficial. Healthful and Medicinal.  Just eat 'em.  But be warned... They might make you...
feel clean, or even hmmm... musically amused... that's a nice way of saying, you're gonna fart a little bit until your belly gets used to the good for you herbs and spices. :)

 In a large mixing bowl: 1 tsp of salt. Large palm full of fennel seeds. small palm full of whole or cracked peppercorns. Small palm full of sesame seeds.  Big pinch of Cinnamon. 

 Breadtopia 100% Organic and Whole Durum Flour.  I order this online because I like these guys. You can also find general durum flour from local Indian Grocery stores and that works fine too, but Breadtopia makes 100% whole and Organic, which I haven't been able to find at the stores.

 Add 3 whopping handfuls of flour to the spices.

 Pour a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the mix.  *1 Tbsp should be fine.

 Add warm Lavender infused water to the mix.  Make sure it is cool enough to touch but still warm. Add gradually and just enough to absorb the flour.
* Heat up (if not already) 1 quart of water and add a big Tablespoon of dried Lavendar.  Mmmm If only you could smell this over the interweb.   So good for you!  Lavender is great for calming the nerves, deep relaxation.  You can eat this!  In moderation... So don't go too crazy over this :)

 This is the Fun part!  Mix and kneed the dough with your hands until smooth and dough like consistency.

 VoiLa!  Now you have yourself a Fennel / Lavender Infused Dough Ball.
Cover in mix bowl for about 1 hour.  Then it's ready to use or you can refrigerate.
Can keep in Refrigerator for a couple of days.

 When ready to get Cookin... Grab a handful of dough and roll into smooth ball.  Smoother than mine from above ;) Roll with flour to prevent major sticking.

 Roll out flat.

 Pour a couple of teaspoons over the flat dough and smooth out evenly.

 Fold into sections.  Fold edge to center and overlap other side.

 After folding into a square, cover lightly with flour to avoid sticking to rolling pin.

 Pat it down and get ready to Roll...

 Roll out thin and evenly.

 Ready for more Cookin Freely!
You can place this on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes.  This will make the bread a little more crispy than the usual Paratha bread.  It's great for pizzas, cracker like snacks etc...
Or you may cook this over the stove in a large skillet or flat / edgeless skillet.  To ensure that it cooks and maintains some softness, heat up one side and flip after you see the dough raise up or puff up a little.  Flip.  Add some butter all over.  Flip one more time for a brief heating of the buttered side.
This again, will give the paratha bread more softness as opposed to the oven version.

 I like the oven version for cooking pizzas.... Stay tuned for My Cookin Freely Pizza Recipes...

 Great Snack Enhancer for Plain yogurt and berries.

Bon Appetit!