Being so close to Tabantha, and having some similarities in climate, the region of Hebra developed some similarities in cuisine. For these reasons Tabantha Wheat also became a key ingredient in a number of dishes of Hebra. One of the big differences, though, is that Hebra does not grow the same quantity of vegetables as Tabantha. The climate of Hebra is much colder and harsher, with near constant snow. On the flip side, there are a large number of cold weather animals that inhabit the region. Meat replaces vegetables in a number of the dishes there for this reason.
One example of this is the Hebra Bake. This is a take on the Tabantha Bake with meat replacing the mushroom filling. Minced meat is baked inside the bread dough for an equally savory and warming pastry.
This Hylian recipe is an original creation. My kids are not fond of mushrooms, but love minced meat. They really enjoy the meat pies, so this recipe uses a similar meat filling. The bread dough is wrapped around the meat filling and then baked using an identical process to the Tabantha Bake.
Ingredients
Bread Dough:
2 ½ cups bread flour
½ tbsp salt
1 cup of warm water
1 packet of yeast
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp melted butter (for baking)
Minced Meat Filling:
2-3 tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste
Let's begin by making the dough for the bread. Add yeast to one cup of warm water and whisk together. Allow the yeast 5 minutes to bloom (you should see bubbles forming on top of the water). Once the yeast has bloomed, add the honey and olive oil to the water and whisk.
In a standing mixture with a dough paddle attachment, add the flour and salt and mix and a low speed to combine. Turn the mixer off and then add the water mixture, and mix again at a low speed until the ingredients fully incorporate and a dough is formed. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything mixes and combines. This should take about a minute it or two. Scrape off any dough stuck to the paddle and switch it out with a dough hook. Turn it back on at a low-medium speed and knead the dough. It may take as much as 8-10 minutes for the dough to fully come together. Mine was ready after about 5-6 minutes. The dough is done when it is smooth, holds its shape, and fills back in when you poke a hole in the dough.
Grease a bowl with cooking spray. Form the dough into a ball and place the dough in the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for about an hour (or until it doubles in size).
At this point, once it has doubled, you can remove it from the bowl. The dough is done.
While the dough is resting, let's make the filling for the Hebra Bake. This will also give it time to cool once it's finished. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to a food processor along with 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Pulse or operate on medium speed until the vegetables are chopped into very small pieces, but not fully puréed.
Heat a pan over medium heat, add the vegetable mix (and another tbsp of olive oil if necessary). Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the ground beef (and another tbsp of olive oil if needed). Add the salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cook until the meat is fully browned, about 5-8 minutes. Once the meat is browned, add the tomato paste and stir to fully incorporate. Let cook for about 3 minutes more and remove from the heat. Place the meat mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to fully cool.
Take the bread dough and form it into a ball with your hands. Using a knife, slice the dough ball in half. Using your hands again, roll each half back into a ball and cut each ball into three equal portions. I usually cut three triangular wedges of roughly equal size. Roll each of the six pieces back into a ball one final time. You now have the six smaller dough balls that will be used to make six individual Hebra Bakes.
Roll each dough ball out with a rolling pin so that it forms a disk that is about ¼ inch thick. Add ½ cup of the meat mixture to the center of the disk. Now carefully fold the sides of the dough up and pinch them together at the top. Fold the ends in and make sure the meat is enclosed in the dough and it is completely sealed. Place it seam-side down on your cutting board, and gently round out the ends and form a small loaf. Repeat this process with all six dough balls.
Gentle place the loaves seam side down on two baking sheets (3 loaves each). I recommend lining the bottom of the baking sheet with some parchment paper to prevent sticking. Brush the loaves with some melted butter and cover it with a towel to rest for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After 20 minutes, brush the loaf with more butter and place in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, increase the temperature 400°F and cook for 5-10 minutes more, until it turns golden and has an internal temperature of 190 °F. Remove it from the oven, brush it with butter one last time, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
It is now ready to eat. Slice a loaf in half and place it on a plate. I recommend serving it with some liquid cheese dip, a ranch dip, or even simply some ketchup. Enjoy!