Python Swirls

There are plenty of people out there who don’t love snakes, but I’m sure everyone will love these python (pizza) swirls! (Who doesn’t love pizza?!) These are super easy to make and taste so good! They take a couple of hours to make but it’s so worth it!

Feel free to change these up by trying out a different filling. I also sometimes sprinkle a little extra cheese on top, you never have to much cheese, right?

So the animal for this week is of course a snake. In fact it’s the world’s longest snake, the reticulated python! But I’ll tell you more about them after the recipe!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 500g strong plain bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp fast-action dried yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 300ml warm water

For the filling:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• Garlic powder
• Mixed herbs
• Salt
• Grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 red onion
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1/4 courgette

Equipment:

• Large mixing bowl
• Baking tray
• Measuring jug
• Rolling pin
• Small mixing bowl
• Frying pan

Method:

1. Chop up the onion, pepper and courgette into very small pieces. Fry them for a couple of minutes until they are soft. Leave to one side
2. Lightly brush the baking tray with oil.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. (Flour, yeast, salt and sugar)
4. Slowly stir in the warm water.
5. Shape the dough into a ball. It shouldn’t be sticky, you may need to add a little more flour.
6. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes. It will be smooth and elastic.
7. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, roughly 40x25cm.
8. Mix the filling (in a small bowl) and spread most of it over the dough. Sprinkle over the cheese.
9. Carefully roll the dough and cut into 12 pieces.
10. Arrange on the baking tray, spread the remaining mixture on top, cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 45-60 minutes.
11. Preheat your oven to 200°C.
12. Bake for 20-25 minutes. They should rise, be golden brown and hollow when tapped.

Enjoy!

Now onto this week’s animal, the reticulated python!

Reticulated Python – Python reticulatus

Reticulated pythons are the world’s longest species of snake and are found all across South East Asia. They live in rainforests, woodlands, grasslands and swamps; basically anywhere close to water. Reticulated pythons are excellent swimmers and use water for protection and predation. Water is the perfect camouflage; once an animal is close enough, the python will strike and suffocate their prey. They eat a range of animals from rodents to primates and even domesticated animals such as cats and dogs! They have also been known to kill humans and are not afraid to live near areas populated by people.

Reticulated pythons are on average 5 metres long however the longest recorded snake was 9 metres! Female pythons are, on average, larger than males, measuring around 6 metres and 4.5 metres respectively. They have a distinctive diamond pattern of black X’s with zigzag yellowish/brown stripes that run along parallel rows of pale spots.

They can live up to 20 years old in the wild but live for 23 years on average in captivity. Reticulated pythons regularly shed their skins for growing and to repair injuries. They are also deaf as they don’t have any ears and instead have an ossicle organ called columella, this allows the python to sense vibrations in the ground. Pythons use movements to create vibrations to communicate. Their eyelids are immovable and rely on their sense of smell and touch.

Reticulated pythons are listed as “Least Concern” on IUCN’s Red List but they still face threats. The two main threats are habitat loss and hunting. These pythons are hunted for their skin for products such as boots, belts and wallets.

(All photos are taken by me)