So, this blog is something so different to what I would normally do. I normally like to stay in my sweet baking bubble, however this week I wanted to try something different. I also wanted to get into the Christmas spirit so this is definitely combining the two, Christmas tree dough balls. I’ve always wanted to try and make dough balls so this seemed like the perfect time to try especially when I had enough time to make them. It was nice to try and make something savoury for a change.
I started by added 1 sachet of yeast in a jug with 300ml warm water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I added a pinch of salt and sugar as well. I mixed this together allowing the yeast to dissolve. In a big bowl I added 500g strong bread flour and poured the liquid over the top. I brought this together to a dough and then tipped it out onto a floured surface. I kneaded the dough for a couple of minutes until it was smooth and elastic. I put the dough back into an oiled bowl and left to prove for 1 hour. You ideally want somewhere that is warm. This was a nice break to get some uni work done.
The dough has risen nicely after I’d left it to prove. I then weighed the dough and divided it into 22 equal balls because that’s how many I needed to my tree. I was very picky about each one weighing the same. I had already cut some mozzarella into cubes. I put one cube inside each ball and rolled it so it was round. I had my baking tray with baking paper on and starting with one at the top made a tree. I ended up having 6 balls in my last row then one in the centre for the base. At this point you can either prove the dough balls for one final time or not, it depends how much time you have. I had preheated the oven to 200 degrees.
Before the tree was ready to go in the oven, I needed to make the garlic butter to brush on top. I melted 100g butter, once this was melted I added 2 crushed garlic cloves. I also added some basil and parsley for some extra flavour. I brushed the butter over the top of the doughballs, but made sure I left some to glaze it with after it had baked. I used around 2/3 of the butter. This helped the tree have a nice golden brown colour when it baked. I baked it for 20 minutes and it also rose in the oven slightly. Once it was cooked I brushed the butter on top and left it to cool.
It was a stressful mission trying to get a photo of the tree, but I was pleased with how it turned out. This bake was definitely out of my comfort zone but I was happy I tried a new bake. I hope you enjoyed reading about how I made these Christmas tree dough balls. I’ve got the pleasure of decorating my Christmas cake this week so you’ll be seeing how that turns out in a couple of weeks. I hope you have a lovely week.
Lots of love,
Hannah x
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