Ryan’s roast pumpkin soup with homemade bread

Shara Burger | From The Kitchen

There is a lot of banter happening on our social media platforms about what it is to be really cold. As Chad and Britt head out to film a Sofa Safari on cold, winter mornings, wrapped up to the hilt with steam leaving their mouths, they often mention how freezing it is out there. Lots of our loyal followers come back and declare that the Timbavati is not Norway or Canada, and we do not know what real cold can feel like. However, we must pause and question whether one would head out in the dark, freezing temperatures of said countries in an open vehicle?

Nevertheless, for all of us safari weaklings, we think that this time of the year is cold. And what better way to heat our freezing bones than to indulge in an aromatic, warming pumpkin soup. Step-by-step, Chef Ryan has totally spoilt us this month with not one, but two recipes. To accompany his delicious, orange soup there is a simple homemade brown bread recipe. So, whether you are prone to suffering from slightly lower temperatures or not, this soup and bread are definitely worth trying.

Roast Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 1kg Hubbard Squash (about ½ of a medium sized squash)
• 2 medium White Onions
• 2 Green Apples
• 4 clove Fresh Garlic
• 2 medium Carrots
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

 Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170ᵒ C.
2. Peel and roughly dice the pumpkin, onion and carrots.
3. Remove the cores form the apples and then dice.
4. Peel the garlic cloves and thinly slice.
5. Place all the vegetables into a roasting tray and add the cinnamon, nutmeg and olive oil.
6. Season with salt and pepper and then mix well.
7. Wrap the top of the roasting tray with tinfoil and bake for 2 hours.
8. After roasting, transfer the vegetables into a deep pot.
9. Place the roasting tray on the stove over a medium heat and deglaze with 1 litre of water.
10. Mix well to lift off all the bits of vegetables that were stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan.
11. Pour the water from the roasting pan into the pot with the roasted vegetables and place the pot over a medium low heat. Add more water if needed, the water needs to just cover the vegetables.
12. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
13. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add more water if required (depending on how thick you want the soup to be).
14. Season to taste.

Homemade Bread

Ingredients:

• 600g White Bread Flour
• 10g Instant Dry Yeast
• 20ml White Sugar
• 100ml Olive Oil
• 1 cup Warm Water
• 5ml Salt

Method:

1. Place the yeast and sugar in a small bowl and cover with ½ a cup of the warm water.
2. Leave the yeast in a warm area to ferment for about 10 minutes. The yeast should look frothy and be double its volume.
3. Sift the flour and salt into a big bowl.
4. Once the yeast has fermented, add it to the flour along with the olive oil and the remaining warm water.
5. Mix together until a soft, slightly sticky dough has formed. Add more warm water if needed.
6. Turn the dough out onto a clean work table and knead for about 10 – 15 minutes. The dough is ready when it is soft, smooth and elastic. Be careful not to add to much flour.
7. Test the dough by gently stretching the dough apart. If the dough stretches out to the thinness of a membrane without tearing, the dough is ready.
8. Once the dough is ready, place it in a clean mixing bowl and cover the top with a tea towel.
9. Place the bowl in a warm area (near the stove or the oven) and allow the dough to rise until it is double its size.
10. Preheat the oven to 200ᵒC. place a roasting tray at the bottom of the oven to get hot.
11. Once risen, carefully turn out the dough onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.
12. Using the palms of your hands, gently flatten the dough.
13. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball.
14. Place the shaped bread dough on a baking tray and place in a warm area again to rise double its size.
15. Once the bread has risen, gently score the top with a sharp blade (I find a Stanley knife works the best).
16. Place the bread in the oven and pour about a cup of cold water into the heated roasting tray to create steam.
17. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. The bread is ready when it sounds hollow when tapped and has a crispy, brown crust.