Christmas Wreath Bread (圣诞花环面包）

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INTRODUCTION

It is my own wish to share one Christmas bread recipe per year for the reader and this year I have decided to share a wreath bread..

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Actually, Christmas wreath bread is nothing difficult and I have lots of idea how it should be done. As long as the bread is shaped in a circle, it can be called a Christmas wreath bread.

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I have amended the design along the way and I can’t exactly tell you the measurement of each part of the dough required. Well, for the leftover dough, I have used it to make it into buns shape ..For this bread, I have added mixed fruits to the bread but this is optional.

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To be frank, as I am not a Christian, I do not know exactly what is a Christmas wreath.. Therefore, I assumed many non Christians may not know too. As per http://www.holidayinsights.com/xmas/wreaths.htm,

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“Wreaths have been used as a decorative sign of Christmas for hundreds and hundreds of years. Christmas wreaths can adorn any part of your home, inside or out. In many homes, this symbol of growth and everlasting life can be found both inside and out. It is common to find a number of wreaths on doors, over the mantle, or hung in windows.The wreath has significant meaning for the season. It’s circular shape represents eternity, for it has no beginning and no end. From a Christian religious perspective, it represents an unending circle of life. The evergreen, most frequently used in making wreathes, symbolizes growth and everlasting life. Holly branches have thorns. When used in a wreath it represents the thorn on Jesus’ crown when he was crucified. Bright red holly berries symbolize Jesus’ blood that was shed for us.”

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: Prepare one big size wreath bread

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  • 500 grams of bread flour
  • 100 grams of sugar
  • 5 grams of salt
  • 11 grams (1 packet) of instant dry yeast
  • 30 grams of butter
  • 1 egg
  • 220 grams of lukewarm  water
  • 150 grams of dried fruits soaked in orange juice or cherry wine overnight

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • In a mixing  bowl, mixed all the ingredients  together. Use a spoon to slightly stir it until it form a sticky dough. Use the dough hook in the machine to beat the dough at medium to low speed (speed 2 in Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, change from medium to high speed (speed 4 kin Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and leaves the side of the mixing bowl. Add the drained soaked dried fruits and knead for another 1-2 minutes until all the fruits are incorporated to the bread dough.

  • Transfer the dough out to a lightly flour surface.  Lightly knead for 1-2 minutes and let it proof until double in size. Cover the dough with a wet towel or clingy wrap. Proofing time will depends on the weather but it will take about more or less 30 minutes in Singapore weather.

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  • Take some dough, use a rolling pin to roll it to about 1 cm thickness. Use a round cutter to cut the dough and place a piece the dough to the baking tray. Cut the second dough and place half way on top of the first dough. Perform the same for the others until a round circle is form . This part shall used up about at least 60% of the dough but that depends very much on the size of your round cutter and wreath diameter.

  • Take some dough and shape it into a small ball.

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  • Stick the small dough balls at the side of the wreath. Use hand to pinch one side of the round flat dough and the small dough balls such that they are intact with each other. Let it proof until double in size.

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius .

  • Once the second proofing is done, egg wash the bread (one egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of water, stir until well mixed, sift and apply). and bake in the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for 15-20 minutes. Timing will depend on the size and thickness of the wreath .

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CONCLUSION

This is a soft bread and it taste like ordinary buns. Servings shall be pull apart style and served with butter and jam. I hope this post will benefit readers who are looking for Christmas bread recipe.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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For more recipes, you can refer to my RECIPE INDEX (updated as at 13 March 2015)  here and you can follow me at PINTEREST or visit the blog’s FACEBOOK PAGE to keep abreast of my future posts. Also follow me at INSTAGRAM or TSU, a new social network for some more personal sharing other than recipes.

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German Soft Pretzels (德国扭结软面包）

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INTRODUCTION

i am rather worry that my pretzel did not turn out well.. But it turned out to be  a nice soft chewy German bread…It is not the most beautiful batch and  I do have some area of improvement for the pretzel that I will overcome it in my next attempt.. Well, all the imperfections have been addressed in the recipe and if you follow the recipe, you will be able to get a rather authentic German style soft pretzel..

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Watch the word, it is German style of soft pretzel.. It is not American Auntie Annie’s crispy pretzel snack.. Auntie Annie’s pretzel is famous internationally but that is not what I am going to share.. What I am sharing is another famous bread in my international bread series..

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Pretzels come in many forms, it can be crispy snack as in the pub or it can be soft that served as breakfast rolls. I remembers many years back when I stayed in a German Hotel in Beijing, that is the first time that I have encountered with this unique bread.. What captured my attention is its unique butterfly (?) shape and the sprinkle of coarse sea salt.. I have never try bread with this coarse sea salt.

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Soft pretzel’s texture is soft according to Western standard, but for Asian, some may considered as hard. It is slightly chewy but much less chewier than the baguette or other artisan breads.. It can be dipped in mustard sauce or served with butter. It has an unique flavour, a lye or kansui flavour skin and it is very dark..

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The unique darkness on the exterior and the special flavour of the bread was done via a special process which I have never seen it was done on other bread. The bread was dip in hot lye solution to provide the special flavour and that differentiate it from other breads..

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“A pretzel (German: Brezel or Breze) is a type of baked bread product made from dough most commonly shaped into a twisty knot. Pretzels originated in Europe, most likely among monasteries in the Early Middle Ages.[1] The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical looped form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwined and then twisted back into itself in a certain way (“a pretzel loop”). Pretzels now come in different shapes. Salt is the most common seasoning for pretzels, complementing the washing soda or lye treatment that gives pretzels their traditional “skin” and flavor through the Maillard reaction; other seasonings include sugars, chocolate, glazes, seeds, and/or nuts.”  (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretzel)

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I am unsure how many Asian readers will give this a try. Well, I still need to blog this recipe for my international bread collections. Trust me, it is a delicious unique bread and if you go German, you should give it a try.. If not, you should try preparing at home…

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Recipe adapted from: How To Make Soft Pretzels – The Kitchn

Servings: About 8 Pretzels

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Bread Dough

  • 400 grams of plain flour
  • 250-280 ml or grams of lukewarm water
  • 1.5 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoon of salt
  • 5 grams of instant yeast

Alkaline solution

  • 1/4 cup of baking soda
  • 2000 ml of water
  • 1 tablespoon of maltose

Others

  • 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of oil and sift
  • Some coarse sea salt

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Put all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl of a standing mixer, gradually add in lukewarm water, knead using low speed until well combined. Transfer out to a lightly flour surface. Hand knead for 2-3 minutes and let it proof until double in size. Cover with a wet towel or something during the proofing.
  • After the first proofing, punch the dough to let the air escape, shape round and divide the dough into 8 equal parts.

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  • Take one dough and use you hand to roll form the centre to the end for at least 12 inches. Perform the same for the other 7 dough. The dough string shall be slightly fatter in the middle and slimmer at the ends.

  • After all the 8 strings are done, take the first dough string, continue rolling using your hand until it reaches about at least 18 inches. Lift the ends of the string towards the top and cross them . Make another cross and fold back the twisted string down over the bottom loop like the shape as in the picture. Transfer the pretzel to a baking tray. Perform the same for the remaining 7 pretzels. Proceed to second proofing until double in size. Cover with a wet towel.

  • Once the dough have double its size, put the dough inside the fridge for at least 15 minutes to 1/2 hour to firm the dough.

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  • Pre-heat the oven to 240 degree Celsius.

  • In a  big pot , put the water and bring to boil. Add the baking soda and maltose and stir until dissolve. An alkaline solution will then be formed. Reduce the heat to medium to let it simmer. (Note: Commercially lye water or caustic soda was used )

  • Take out the chilled firm dough, take one dough and carefully put it the simmering alkaline solution. For each side, only 30 seconds is adequate. Dish out the blanch dough and place it on top of the baking tray. Perform the same for the remaining 7 chilled dough. It is normal the dough may have “wrinkle” on the crust. It will bounce back again when it is baked in the next step. However, if you have overcooked the dough, the yeast are dead and it will the crust will not be smooth even when it is baked. Therefore, 30 seconds of simmering is of critical importance in this recipe.

  • Egg wash the dough and sprinkle with some coarse sea salt. If you wish, you can use a knife to make 1-2 slashes in the dough.  Bake in the pre-heated oven of 240 degree Celsius for 12-15 minutes or until your desired colour tone.

  • Pretzel is best served in the day it is prepared. It can be dipped in mustard sauce or spread with butter. The pretzel shall be slightly crusty but soft and chewy inside.

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CONCLUSION

Shall I say sorry that I may disappoint  you with this type of famous German pretzel soft bread rather than Auntie Annie’s pretzel snack? Well, If i have time, I will search for a recipe, tried and share with all. I seriously hoped that readers will give this bread twist a try.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Roti Prata, Roti Canai, Roti Paratha , Roti Parotha (印度煎饼，手抓饼, பராத்தாவை ）

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INTRODUCTION

Actually, I have been eating this flat bread for many years and I am still very confused about the name. When I as studying in Kuala Lumpur, it was called roti canai and when I settled in Singapore, it was called roti prata..I have always think that these two are the same   but I believed it is different from the roti paratha commonly found in Northern India. However, it is the same as roti parotta , a variation or subcategory of paratha that is common in Southern India and Sri Lanka.

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Does it sound confusing? Yes, it is , the so called Singapore roti prata seems to be parotta from Southern India based on the shape, images and preparation method.. Well may be i am wrong as I have not eaten prata in recent months and I have forgotten about the shape that was sold. However, a parotta is still a paratha, a type of paratha.

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“A paratha is a flatbread that originated in the north of the Indian Subcontinent. It is still quite prevalent in the north of India, where wheat is grown and is the traditional staple of the area. Paratha is an amalgamation of the words parat and atta which literally means layers of cooked dough. Alternative spellings and names include parantha, parauntha, prontha, parontay, porota (in Bengali),palata (pronounced: [pəlàtà]; in Burma), and farata (in Sri Lanka and the Maldives). Parathas are one of the most popular unleavened flatbreads in the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent and they are made by baking whole wheat dough on a tava, and finishing off with shallow frying[2] Parathas are thicker and more substantial than chapatis/rotis and this is either because, in the case of a plain paratha, they have been layered by coating with ghee or oil and folding repeatedly (much like the method used for puff pastry or some types of Turkish börek) using a laminated dough technique; or else because food ingredients such as mixed vegetables have been mixed in with the dough, such as potato and/or cauliflower, green beans and carrots.” (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paratha)

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If you read the definition of parotta, the spiralled dough seems to indicate that Singapore and Malaysia version is a parotta:

“A parotta, porotta or barotta is a layered flatbread made from maida flour, from the culinary tradition of Sri Lanka and parts of Southern India, especially Kerala, as well as Tamil Nadu. The origin lies in the greater Punjab region comprising parts of modern-day North India and Pakistan (see Paratha). Parottas are usually available as street food  and in restaurants across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka. At some places it is also served at weddings, religious festivals and feasts. It is prepared by kneading maida, egg (in some recipes), oil or ghee and water. The dough is beaten into thin layers and later forming a round spiralled into a ball using these thin layers. The ball is rolled flat and roasted “(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parotta)

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Well, I believed there are some technical differences but be it prata, paratha, cana, canai or parotta it is a nice piece of flat bread. Based on the above definition, I have chosen a parotta recipes from an Indian lady .. Her preparation and final image picture convinced me that I shall try her recipe..

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When we talked about roti prata or roti canai, we always thought of swinging the dough in the air and that deter many people from preparing this at home.. People will think that it is not possible to do it at home due to technical difficulties or they have no such skills to do so.. Well, this is not true, come to think about it,, since it is such a popular bread and do all the Indian Households swing their breads at home? There must be a way and the lady’s use of folding method that is logical and suitable for our home setting.

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Swinging in a big piece is a beautiful sight and subconsciously we were brainwashed that he dough must be very stretchable with well developed gluten structure and most believed that to attain this stretchability, a special flour shall be used.  Some argue that the roti must used India’s maida flour..  As per Wikipedia :

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”Maidaa is a finely milled refined and bleached wheat flour, closely resembling cake flour. It is either naturally bleached due to atmospheric oxygen or using chemical bleaches. Maida flour is used extensively in making Indian fast food, bakery products such as pastries and bread,[1] varieties of sweets and in making traditional Indian breads such asparatha, naan, kulcha and rumali roti. It is similar in nature to all-purpose flour, which is used around the world in the preparation of cakes, pizzas and white bread”.

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Well, I did not go specifically to search for the flour and unsure if there is such a flour in Singapore, from the definition, I will think Chinese bao flour (Hong Kong flour) will be a good alternative.. However, since Maida is a high protein flour, I would recommend the use of bread flour instead. In addition, while it is ideal to have big piece of stretchable dough , the lady  further assured her readers that it is acceptable that if there are some breakage in the dough film as it will be folded later… No body will know your dough broke during the preparation. Is that not very logical?

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Since I have prepared some curry that day, I have decided to give it a try.. Well, it is a very satisfactory batch though it still cannot be compared to the commercial sold.. Hmmm, I ask myself how can I compare my first prata with those who have sold for donkey years..

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I did make a mistake in the pan frying part..I have over pan fried it and resulting the roti prata much more crispy.. Well, after the dinner and I sat down and think, roti prata should not be crispy but flaky.. I have managed to get the flakiness and the over crispiness can be overcome by less pan frying time. As this folding is home-style folding, of course , it will not be the same as those sold in shops. I also realized that different stores seems to have different folding techniques, some are like this demonstration using spiral folding but some are like a square folding.. Well, practising a few more time will make it more perfect.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Recipe adapted from: Malabar Parotta Recipe Video – Laccha Paratha or Kerala …

Servings : about 16 pieces of roti prata

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  • 400 grams of maida flour or bread flour or plain flour
  • 270-300 grams of warm milk or water
  • 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
  • 2 teaspoons of castor sugar
  • 1 teaspoons of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
  • About 50 grams of ghee or butter or cooking oil

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Put flour, cooking oil, castor sugar, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Stir until well mix and gradually add in the lukewarm milk.  Gradually use hand to knead it until it forms a dough. The dough may be sticky at this stage but it is ok , shape round, cover with a wet towel and let the dough rest for at least 1/2 hour. After half an hour, your dough should not be sticky if you use your hand to touch it as gluten have developed.

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  • Rub your hand with some ghee, put some dough in your hand and squeeze out a dough ball. Transfer the dough ball to the lightly greased bowl. Perform the same for the remaining dough. Cover with a wet towel and let it rest for at another 1/2 hour.

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  • Take a rested dough ball, in a surface sparingly greased with ghee, roll the dough ball as thin as possible . A bit of brokerage is acceptable. Brush the thin dough sheet with more ghee and divide equally into half. Start folding the dough sheet with about 1/2 cm width and it shall becomes a long multi layered dough. Roll the think string of dough towards the centre and transfer this dough in a greased baking tray . Perform the same for all the other dough balls. Cover with a wet towel and let it rest for another 15-30 minutes.

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  • Take a spiral dough ball, use a rolling pin to roll it flat and transfer it to a non stick pan . Pan fry under medium heat for 1-2 minutes each side or until there are some brown patches. Do not over pan fry as it will become very crispy and dry.

  • For serving, use your hand to “clap” the roti prata a few times and best serves with curry or your preferred condiments.

Notes:

  • If you wish, you can use a mixer to knead it into a pliable dough. You may or may not add in all the water as it will depend on the flour . New flour will absorb less water and old flour will absorb more water.  If you have time, let is rest more than 1/2 hour is acceptable. The longer the resting, the most stretchable will be the dough.

  • You will need quite a lot of ghee or butter for the exercise. Have to brush it sparingly such that the thin dough sheet will not stick to each other and hence become a big piece when you pan fry.

  • You can either use this style of folding or do a rectangular shape folding .. I am unsure which is better but I will try in my next attempt to put eggs in it.

  • It is rather easy to break and but it is acceptable as nobody will know your dough breaks during the preparation. It will not be obvious.

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CONCLUSION

I have purposely select a simple recipe that looks doable at home. I have to thank the original recipe provider for convincing me that such type of bread is doable at home… I did it though it can still be further improved.. I do not think home chefs should be extreme or harsh on expectation on your first roti prata or canai.. Give some allowances and I am sure you will like it.. If you found that counter sold is nicer, one of the main reasons is that much more butter or margarine were used. Margarine also make a bread crispier than butter and ghee.. I have seen that the bread dough was dip in a pail full of yellowish liquid. There fore their products will be different. Hope that I can convince some readers to give this recipe a try.. You never try, you never know..

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Italian Focaccia (佛卡夏，意式薄饼）

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INTRODUCTION

I never knew that focaccia is so easy to prepare. I always thought that focaccia needs some long and tedious preparation resembling the sourdough bread whereby I need to wait for days before I can eat this.. That is the reason that deters me from trying the recipe..

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Yesterday, when I watched a TV program, the focaccia looks extremely delicious and I have make up my mind to give it a try. I started to search for recipes and only then I knew that there are many recipes that are fast and easy.

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I was also mislead by many images in the internet and TV that rosemary was used in the preparation. I do not have such herbs and if I want, I will have to head down to Cold storage or Fair Price Extra to buy the herbs.. Even If I bought, I will only use a small portion of the herbs, it is a waste of money. I am very happy to read Wikipedia’s definition that do not mention the absolute need to use this herb..It was written:

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“Focaccia (Italian pronunciation: [foˈkattʃa]) is a flat oven-baked Italian bread product similar in style and texture to pizza doughs. It may be topped with herbs or other ingredients. Focaccia is popular in Italy and is usually seasoned with olive oil, salt, sometimes herbs, and may at times be topped with onion, cheese and meat. It might also be flavoured with a number of vegetables. Focaccia can be used as a side to many meals, as a base for pizza, or as sandwich bread. Focaccia doughs are similar in style and texture to pizza doughs, consisting of high-gluten flour, oil, water, salt and yeast. It is typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in astone-bottom or hearth oven. Bakers often puncture the bread with a knife to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread. Also common is the practice of dotting the bread. This creates multiple wells in the bread by using a finger or the handle of a utensil to poke the unbaked dough. As a way to preserve moisture in the bread, olive oil is then spread over the dough, by hand or with a pastry brush prior to rising and baking.”(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focaccia)

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I am also happy to note that this recipe is eggless and milk less, that suits my current vegetarian diet. As I do not have the coarse sea salt, I have used common table salt instead. Since I do not have any sun dried tomatoes and I do not intend to buy it just for this purpose, I have resorted to the use of fresh tomatoes. Well, that is optional and focaccia can be as basic as without any toppings.

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I am happy with the adventure. The bread is soft, slightly chewy and herbal aromatic. I prepared some corn soup to go with it. I do not mind to eat as a snack though it is good to eat it as dinner rolls, for sandwiches or as a pizza base.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings : Prepare about a 9” x 12” tray of focaccia

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  • 400 grams of bread flour
  • 250 ml or grams of lukewarm water
  • 7 grams of instant dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of white castor sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Toppings

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of Italian mixed dry herbs (oregano, thymes, rosemary etc)
  • 1-2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt
  • Some tomatoes (sun dried tomatoes preferred- optional)
  • Some fresh herbs of your choice.

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl of a standing mixer. Use the machine to knead for 10-15 minutes at medium speed until the dough is smooth and leaves the side of the mixing bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2-3 minutes, shape round and let it proofs until double in size . Cover the dough with a clingy wrap or a wet towel during proofing.

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  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

  • Once the dough double the size, punch down the dough and force the air out. Knead again for another 2-3 minutes. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough follow the size of the baking tray. Brush the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse sea salt, use a chopstick to indent holes at regular intervals. Sprinkle the dough with chopped herbs (fresh and dried) followed by the tomatoes. Lightly press down the tomatoes to the dough. Let it proofs until double in size before baking in the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for 20-25 minutes. If the top of the tomatoes section is too wet, use top heat to bake the focaccia for another 5 minutes until the tomatoes dries up. Cut in large square or your preferred shape before serving.

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Notes

  • The shape can be round or rectangular and up to individual preference. The toppings can be anything that you like including cheeses, rosemary, black olives, sliced onions and etc..

  • It can be used as a pizza base, sandwiches or with soups.  It is best consumed within the day it is prepared.

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CONCLUSION

This is a straight forward recipe and worth the try if you are craving to have some simple focaccia. Variations of toppings are many and do give it a try to see if it suits your taste bud.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Adzuki Bread Loaf aka Red Bean Bread Loaf (红豆面包条）

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INTRODUCTION

If you like soft fluffy Asian type of pillow loaf, this is not a recipe for you. However, if you like wholemeal bread type of texture, this is a good recipe that you can try. This recipe yields a soft loaf of nutritious but slightly chewy bread.

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Red bean is also technically called adzuki or azuki beans. It is a bean that is very commonly used in Asian cuisines.

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“The adzuki bean (Vigna angularis; from the Japanese アズキ（小豆） (azuki?), sometimes transliterated as azuki or aduki) is an annual vine widely grown throughout East Asia and the Himalayas for its small (approximately 5 mm) bean. Red bean paste is used in many Chinese dishes, such as tangyuan, zongzi, mooncakes, baozi andred bean ice. It also serves as a filling in Japanese sweets like anpan, dorayaki, imagawayaki, manjū,monaka, anmitsu, taiyaki and daifuku. A more liquid version, using adzuki beans boiled with sugar and a pinch of salt, produces a sweet dish called red bean soup. Adzuki beans are also commonly eaten sprouted, or boiled in a hot, tea-like drink. Some Asian cultures enjoy red bean paste as a filling or topping for various kinds of waffles, pastries, baked buns or biscuits. Adzuki beans are a good source for a variety of minerals, with 1 cup of cooked beans providing 4.6 mg of Iron (~25% RDI), 119.6 mg of magnesium (~30% RDI), 1.223 g of potassium (~25 % AI), 4.0 mg of zinc (~25% RDI) and 278 µg of folic acid (~70% RDI)” (Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adzuki_bean)

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I have prepared some Hong Kong Red Bean Cake last week, since the cake uses only 10-20 grams of red beans, I have decided to boil the entire packet of red beans using pressure cooker and using part of the red beans to do this bread. Some others were used to make desserts. If you are interested in the red bean cake, you can refer to this post: Hong Kong Red Bean Steamed Rice Cake aka Put chai ko (砵仔糕) 

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings : One 9”x 4” x 4” Pullman Loaf Tin (or any Pullman loaf tin not smaller than this size)

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  • 100 grams of red beans
  • 3 pandan leaves (optional)
  • 20 grams of sugar

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  • 400 grams of bread flour
  • 200 grams of water
  • 40 grams of sugar
  • 30 grams of butter (softened)
  • 6 grams of yeast
  • 200 grams of cooked red beans

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Wash the red beans, add sugar and pandan leaves. Add water until it is about 2 cm above the red beans. Pressure cook the beans for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Note:

  • In this illustration, I have cooked 400 grams of red beans for other purposes. All my remaining red beans has been used in making desserts and bread. You may want to consider prepare a bit more to fully utilize the pressure cooking.

  • If after 30 minutes, you found that the bean is too hard, you can consider adding a bit more water to continue cooking for another 15 minutes.

  • If you do not have pressure cooker, you can cook over the stove or rice cooker until soft. In this case, to expedite the process, it is advisable that you soak the red bean overnight.

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  • Lightly greased a Pullman tin of 9” x 4” x 4”.

  • In a mixing  bowl, mixed half of the water and all the other ingredients (except butter)  together.  Gradually add the other half of the water and use a spoon to stir it until it form a sticky dough. Use the dough hook in the machine to beat the dough at medium to high speed (speed 2 in Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 5 minutes. Add the butter and continue to beat the dough for about 15 minutes  or until the dough is smooth and leaves the side of the mixing bowl. (If the dough is too dry, add water teaspoon by teaspoon and if it is too wet, add bread flour tablespoon by tablespoon. The water quantity is for your reference and it is very much depends on the flour’s water absorbing properties and how wet is your mashed potatoes. A pliable dough shall be the final outcome)

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  • Transfer the dough out to a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball, cover with clingy wrap or wet towel, and let it proof until double in size.

  • After first proofing, divide the dough into 3 portions. For each portion, use a rolling pin the roll flat the dough following the width of the baking tin. Roll up again like you are rolling a Swiss roll. Place the roll into the baking tin  and let it proof until it reaches about 90% of the tin.

  • Preheat the oven to 190 degree Celsius.

  • Once the proofing almost reaches the cover, close the pull man lid and bake in the pre-heated oven of 190 for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of loaf comes out clean. Cool completely before slice for serving.

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CONCLUSION

Though chewy, this bread is soft. The chewiness stems from fibrous red bean that contains lots of mineral. Hope some readers will give it a try and see if this suits your taste bud.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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food bloggers[4]

Food paradize[8]

pinterest[4]

  • If you are a Pinterest user and you are interested to have more recipes, you can join or follow this Pinterest Board set up by me  where there are more than 2600 recipes worldwide and pinned by various bloggers: FOOD BLOGGERS AND FOODIES UNITED PINTEREST BOARD.

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It Taste Like Brioche–Sally Lunn (莎莉露圓麵包)

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INTRODUCTION

Many people know focaccia, brioche,  challah,  baguette, and other famous bread but not many know about this bread that was named after a lady. Sally Lunn.

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It is very British though it is now become common in United States and France. It is a rich bread like brioche and when I compared the recipe of brioche and Sally Lunn, Sally Lunn only uses slightly less butter and eggs the brioche…

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I am happy with this adventure with no regrets at all. It is very buttery and rather soft in my humble opinion.  Preparation are so easy, much easier than brioche. It is a no knead bread and without very long proofing period.

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Traditional shape of Sally Lunn is round bun or cake shape. Since I saw Martha Stewart was using a loaf tin, I have decided to follow suit. The reason is very simple, just easier to cut for servings.

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There are many recipes in the internet, as usual, I routed back to my trustable cook book especially for famous recipes. The book never failed me, measurement all in grams and the steps are clear and precise. The book also recommended short cut methods which is more suitable for the present busy lifestyle.

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As per the above book, it was written:

“One of the many tales of the origins of Sally Lunn has it that the name comes from a baker in the late 18th century name Sally Lunn who had a bakery in Bath. Another more romantic variation of the story is that a well known baker and musician bought the bakery and wrote a song about Sally Lunn and name the bun after her. Sally Lunn is a term used for a variety of yeast and soda breads and can be made as sweet large buns or teacakes.” (Source: Page 260, Sally Lun“The Essential Baking Cook Book” published by Murdoch Books in 2000)

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: Prepare a loaf of 3.5” x 3” x 8”

Recipe adapted from: Page 260, Sally Lun“The Essential Baking Cook Book” published by Murdoch Books in 2000

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  • 250 grams of plain flour
  • 60 grams of butter, melted
  • 60 grams or ml of lukewarm fresh milk
  • 60 grams of honey
  • 4 grams of instant yeast
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Glazing

  • 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon of milk

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

  • Lightly grease a baking tin of 3.5” x 3” x 8”

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  • Beat the eggs, add the melted butter, lukewarm milk and honey, stir until well combined. Set aside.

  • Sift the flour in a big mixing bowl , add the yeast, stir until well mixed and make a well in the centre.. Add the egg mixture and use a big spoon or spatula to stir until it forms a thick batter. Cover loosely with a clingy wrap and let it proved for 1-1.5 hours.

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  • After the first proofing, spoon the bread to the lightly greased baking tin. Pat hand with oil or flour to level it as flat as possible. Cover loosely with clingy wrap and let it proof for another hour or until batter reaches the top of the baking tin.

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

  • For glazing, mix the sugar and milk. Stir until sugar dissolved. Brush the top of the loaf with the glaze mixture and bake in the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for about 25-30 minutes or when a skewer inserts into the centre of the bread comes out clean. Best served warm with a thick slab of butter in the afternoon.

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CONCLUSION

This cake–liked bread is very tasty and much simpler to prepare as compared to Brioche.  It is ideal for tea gathering  as a tea cake substitute. Be it round or loaf shape, I will leave it to the readers.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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food bloggers[4]

Food paradize[8]

pinterest[4]

  • If you are a Pinterest user and you are interested to have more recipes, you can join or follow this Pinterest Board set up by me  where there are more than 2600 recipes worldwide and pinned by various bloggers: FOOD BLOGGERS AND FOODIES UNITED PINTEREST BOARD.

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Bacon Bread Rose (培根玫瑰餐包）

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INTRODUCTION

I have not been sharing buns recipes for quite a while and since I found a good dough recipe, I have a tendency to use the same dough to churn out different type of sweet or savoury bread or buns.. My basic dough is in this post and it will be reproduced here too with slight amendment.: Basic Bread Dough Recipe And Plum Blossom Sausage Buns (梅花香肠面包）. In the above post, there will be more sweet bread shaping.

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Many members have tried this sweet bread dough and like it .. They like it because it is a straight dough method, fast and simple. It yields a soft bread if properly knead, proofed, baked and kept.. The dough is very easy to handle and especially good for first time bread makers..

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What I can share is that this bread dough was used by some Taiwanese bakery for all the sweet buns sold in the shop and me too love the texture of this dough very much.

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Today what I am sharing is a savoury bun recipe using bacon.. My kids loves bacon and that prompt me to prepare this. This bread goes well with mayonnaise and some green herbs like spring onion.

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Without the specially prepared sweetened mayonnaise, your bread can be rather salty as bacons is salty by nature.

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The size of the bun is very small.. As such baking time, proofing time are very short. it is soft and fluffy and I am confident it will suit most readers who is asking for a change in their daily bread rolls.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: Prepared about 20 mini buns

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Bread dough

  • 250 grams of bread flour
  • 50 grams of sugar
  • 2 grams of salt
  • 5 grams of instant dry yeast
  • 15 grams of butter (melted) or cooking oil
  • 30 grams of eggs
  • 110 grams of plain water
  • 10 grams of milk powder

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  • 10 pieces of bacon
  • 1 sprig of spring onion or other herbs such as basil, coriander or celery (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon of condensed milk (not in picture)

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • In a mixing  bowl, mixed all the ingredients  together. Use a spoon to slightly stir it until it form a sticky dough. Use the dough hook in the machine to beat the dough at medium to low speed (speed 2 in Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, change from medium to high speed (speed 4 kin Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and leaves the side of the mixing bowl.  (bread machine can also be used for kneading function) Transfer the dough out to a lightly flour surface.

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  • Lightly knead the dough for 1-2 minutes and let it proof until double in size. Cover the dough with a wet towel or clingy wrap. Proofing time will depends on the weather but it will take about more or less 30 minutes in Singapore weather.

  • After first proofing, divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Take one dough, roll it flat following the length of the bacon (mine is about 24 cm x 10 cm) . Roll the dough up like rolling a Swiss roll. Shape it as even as possible and seal the edges.

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  • Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into two equal halves. Use the palm to lightly pressed it. and let it proof until double in size.

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

  • Once the dough have proofed to double in size, egg wash the dough (one egg yolk plus 5 drops of water, stir well, sift and use) evenly and bake in the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for 10-15 minutes.

  • For mayonnaise dressing, add one tablespoon of condensed milk to 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Stir until well combined.  If there is no condensed milk, icing sugar can be used.

  • When the bread is completely cooled, pipe the mayonnaise on top of the bread and sprinkled with some chopped spring onion or other herbs.  Unfinished bread shall be kept in air tight container to conserve moisture.

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CONCLUSION

This is the nice bread and as expected, my kids fight for it and they finish after hours of preparation.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Cheesy Pizza Buns (比萨餐包）

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INTRODUCTION

I am unsure if this product is still available in Pizza Hut.. There is one pizza being sold by the restaurant  of which the crust was stuffed with lot of cheeses and that is how I get the inspiration from the creation of this pizza bun..

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I hope the pictures are able to convince you that this is a delicious bun.. I bet you will agree with me that kids will like to eat these type of buns and I am sure adult like it too. If you like pizza, it taste like pizza  but it comes with as a soft bun as contrast to slightly hard pizza base..

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When the bun is cold, it is logically that the cheese will harden inside the bun but microwave for 1/2 minutes will melt the cheese and make it a cheesy bun again..Therefore, the buns are best served immediately after it was prepared.

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There is nothing I can write about this own creation, it is just a bun  that suits my taste buds, variations are many and you can add any pizza ingredients into the buns. But do not be greedy, the wrapping have to be tight, otherwise, when the cheese expand, it will leak out of the buns..

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One member in my Facebook Group pointed out there is something similar called Calzone.  I goggled the picture, yes, it is quite similar and if readers are interested, you can refer goggle for more information.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: About 18-20 medium size buns depending on size

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Bread dough

  • 500 grams of bread flour
  • 100 grams of sugar
  • 5 grams of salt
  • 11 grams (1 packet) of instant dry yeast
  • 30 grams of butter (melted) or cooking oil
  • 1 egg
  • 220 grams of plain water

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  • About 180 –200 grams of shredded mozzarella cheeses
  • 4-5 tablespoons of pasta sauce
  • 2-3 pieces of bacon (optional)
  • Some Italian dry herbs (oregano, basil) etc. for decoration
  • Additional shredded mozzarella cheeses or cheddar red cheese s toppings

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • In a mixing  bowl, mixed all the ingredients  together. Use a spoon to slightly stir it until it form a sticky dough. Use the dough hook in the machine to beat the dough at medium to low speed (speed 2 in Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, change from medium to high speed (speed 4 kin Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and leaves the side of the mixing bowl. Transfer the dough out to a lightly flour surface.

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  • Lightly knead for 1-2 minutes and let it proof until double in size. Cover the dough with a wet towel or clingy wrap. Proofing time will depends on the weather but it will take about more or less 30 minutes in Singapore weather. Divide the dough equally into 18 pieces of about 50 grams each.

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  • Take a dough, lightly flatten it, put a small teaspoon of pasta sauce, some bacon and about 10 grams of mozzarella cheeses, seal the edges, shape round and transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking tin. Let it proof until double in size.

  • Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

  • Once the dough reaches double in size, egg wash the buns (1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon of water, stir until well mixed, sift before application), top with additional shredded mozzarella cheeses or grated cheddar red cheeses. Sprinkle with some Italian herbs like oregano or parsley if desired. Bake in the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for 15 minutes or until the top turn golden brown. Best served immediately out from the oven as a snack or breakfast item.

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CONCLUSION

This is a very delicious bread. It is not a very difficult task as the dough is very easy to handle.. Feel free to add your desired pizza ingredients to the filling. But do not be too generous with your fillings as it can leak rather easily.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Stove Top Pizza or Skillet Pizza (煎锅比萨饼)

Posted on by

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INTRODUCTION

When I saw this video in Facebook from www.chefstoolbox.com above stove top pizza, I immediately have the urge to try preparing it. …It looks extremely easy and tasty and if you are interested to view the video in full, you can refer to the following link: https://www.facebook.com/TheChefsToolbox/videos/458019277713166/

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Today, I tried out the recipe and in general, I am satisfied with the recipe. It is fast and easy to prepare .. There is nothing much to complain about except the pizza base is not as fluffy as the recipes that require kneading and proofing..

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It took me only about half an hour to prepare this and I would think that my pizza base will be much better if my homemade pizza sauce are not as wet as the store bought.

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Though not as fluffy, the effect is not obvious at all. This is a 9” pizza and with so little flour, the base is very thin. Some part are rather crispy but some part is a bit dense.. Having said that, I would think this is a fun adventure and I will definitely be re=preparing it when there is a sudden urge for pizza. Well, the kids and me have finished all within minutes..

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Recipe adapted from:  https://www.facebook.com/TheChefsToolbox/videos/458019277713166/

Servings: Prepare a 8”-9” pizza

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  • 62.5 grams (1/2 cup) of self raising flour
  • 62.5 grams (1/2 cup) of plain flour
  • 177 grams of ml (2/3 cup) of lukewarm water
  • 1 teaspoon of instant yeast
  • Pinches of salt
  • Pizza topping of your choice*

*For this illustration, I have used mozzarella cheeses, mushrooms, canned pineapples, tomatoes and pasta tomato sauce.

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Put all the pizza base ingredients on a non stick skillet. Stir until well combined, spread as evenly as possible . Add your pasta sauces followed by your desired toppings.

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  • Add the cheeses and place the lids on top of the skillet. Cook the pizza under medium to high heat for 15 minutes.

Note:

  • Original recipe called for 5 minutes with the vent in the lid off and another 10 minutes with the vent on.. As my skillet do not have such a function, therefore, I have let the vent on throughout the entire preparation.

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CONCLUSION

I will not say that this is the best pizza, weighing against  the amount of effort spend in the preparation, I personally think that this is a fast and easy pizza recipe worth trying, As the base is very thin, whether or not it is fluffy is of secondary importance, you will not feel it especially you have a huge amount of toppings.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day

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