Breading with soy yoghurt was very easy and quite fool proof, and resulted in a lovely crispy topping with a hint of yoghurty sourness. The baked version was definitely lighter, and baking also resulted in a more developed, round flavor.

The Marinade:

• 1 dl red wine
• 1/2 dl soy sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 teaspoons agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, ground
• 1 teaspoon green peppercorns, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, ground

I first pressed my 500 gram block of tofu for one hour – sliced it 1 cm thick, wrapped in cheesecloth, arranged as a uniformly thick layer, and placed a cutting board and a pile of plates on top. Then I just mixed all the marinade ingredients and placed in an airtight container along with the tofu. I flipped the tofu slices and shook the container every once in a while to ensure even absorption of the marinade.

As we found out, the marinating time can be anything between 2 hours and two days.

The Breading for Fried Tofu:

• 1 dl dry bread crumbs
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 3/4 dl plain soy yoghurt
• a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar

I mixed the bread crumbs and the salt and pepper on one plate and the soy yoghurt and the salt and sugar on another. Then I patted the marinated tofu slices dry with some kitchen towels and dipped them first in the yoghurt dish, then rolled them carefully in the bread crumbs.

Then Heikki shallow fried the tofu slices in canola oil until nicely browned on both sides.

We enjoyed our breaded tofu with lemon wedges and a side of stir-fried morning glory – so good!

This recipe makes a large loaf of bread, because my bread tin just happens to be a little larger than most I guess – it’s 12 X 26 cm. This bread does keep quite well, and we didn’t have any problems finishing it in a couple of days just between the two of us.

The Dough:

• 6 dl water
• 1/2 dl olive oil
• 2 tablespoons syrup
• 10 dl whole wheat flour
• 3 dl wheat flour
• 1 dl oat bran
• 3 tablespoons gluten flour
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 15 g dry yeast (or check the package for the right amount)
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 teaspoon green peppercorns, crushed

I followed Celine’s instructions pretty closely, so here’s what I did:

First, I mixed the dry ingredients (whole wheat flour through green peppercorns) together in a large mixing bowl, but I left out about half of the whole wheat flour to be added later. Then I warmed the water to 42 degrees Celsius (a little warmer than my hand), added the olive oil and the syrup in the water bowl, and started mixing in the flour mixture. Using my hands, I added about 1-2 dl dry mix at a time, and then started adding the remaining whole wheat flour until the dough was quite elastic and didn’t stick to the sides of the bowl.

Then, I placed it on the kitchen counter, and kneaded for about 5 minutes, adding a little bit of flour when it started sticking, and didn’t stop until it was completely smooth and springy. Now, I placed the dough back in the bowl, added a teaspoon or so of olive oil, swirled it around to cover the dough, and let it rise, covered with plastic wrap, for 2 hours.

When the dough had risen nicely (and maybe doubled in size), I greased my bread tin with some more olive oil, kneaded the dough a little more to break the bubbles, formed it into a loaf, and placed in the pan. I covered it again with the same piece of plastic wrap and let it rise for another hour as per Celine’s instructions. I set the oven to 175 degrees Celsius half an hour before baking, and when the dough was ready for the oven, I cut three crosses on the surface of the bread with scissors. Then I baked my bread for 35 minutes, until it was all browned over the top, and made a nice hollow sound when I tapped it with my knuckles.

This is how high the bread had risen before it went to the oven.