1 December, 2017
Spinach and Mushroom Braid
A family favorite
2 pastries, serves 10-12
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry dough, defrosted || 1 lb 10 oz || Remove from the freezer the night before
Filling
- Spinach || 2 lb || Clean, remove any dried part of the stems
- Onion, chopped || 12 oz (2 cups)
- Mushrooms, sliced medium || 1-1/4 lb
- –
- Cheddar Cheese, grated || 12 oz (3 cups)
- –
- Dijon Mustard || 1 Tbs
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Wash coating
- Egg, beaten
- OR: Aquafaba (canned Chickpea liquid), whipped
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 350F
The Filling
- Saute the Onions until soft.
- Add the Mushrooms until both are tender.
- Add the Spinach and saute slightly (note, the Spinach will cook further in the pastry).
- Allow to cool.
- Stir in the Salt, Pepper, Dijon Mustard.
- Mix in the Cheese.
The Braid
- Flour the table top lightly.
- Roll out the pastry dough, fold over, roll out again, repeat a few times. It should be a large rectangle (12 to 15 inches square) about 1/8 inches thick.
- –
- Spoon some of the Spinach mixture down the middle of the Pastry square. Leave uncovered about 4″ on either side and a few inches at the top and bottom.
- With a small knife, score strips of dough on the left and right, approx 3/4″ wide, resulting an equal number of strips on each side.
- Fold down top flap, fold up the bottom flap over the filing.
- Alternating left/right, from one end to the other, fold a strip at an angle over the filling, cross the strip from the other side. It will look like a lace or braid.
- With a pastry brush, apply a thin wash over the pastry.
- Optionally sprinkle some Sesame Seeds.
Bake
- With 2 or 3 spatulas, lift the Pastry onto a baking sheet.
- Alternatively, I’ve rolled the Pastry out on parchment paper. It’s then easy to lift the pastry onto a baking sheet.
- Bake 1 hour, or until golden brown.
Notes
- We’ve used a wide range of fillings, be creative. Red Bell Peppers, Cauliflower, Pre-baked or sauteed Squash, Broccoli, … Be creative.
References
- Adapted from Julia’s fantastic Gaia’s Kitchen cookbook/cookery (pg 71, in the 2000 edition).