Hi Everyone,
It's really been so long since I last updated this blog.
for sometime, I could not access this blog and I have been using my phone to post.
Today I have tried to use the computer instead.


I have been busy taking a course for work and didn't really do anything much except mugging and catching up on sleep since I took night classes.


After the course ended, I pampered myself taking up some cooking lessons and finally decided to sign up a bread making course.


The photos below are the marron glace crown which I made in class. We used Japanese chestnut. On its own, it is very sweet, but combined in bread, is very appealing.

I made again the next day replacing the chestnuts with golden raisin and walnuts. I also scattered some walnuts on the bread before baking. It turned out quite well and is also tasty. I ate the bread over 3 days for breakfast.

Bread is made using handknead method. I will be posting more bread posts in future.

Happy mid week to everyone!!



Roti Boy Buns

I can still remember buying roti boy buns in Malaysia and they were very popular many years back.

Today I happen to come across this YouTube video on how to make them

https://youtu.be/NAjaSkkcHac

I was already making bread buns so I used about 300 gm of my dough to make 6 of these roti boy buns.

Wrap a pc of cold butter I use 4-5 gm wrap in a small pc of dough 10 gm

Further wrap into the main bun dough 

Before proofing

After proofing about 30 mins

Make the coffee paste n chill it in a piping bag

Ready to pipe ( sorry my nozzle hidden) actually can don't use nozzle 

Pipe rounds about halfway on the bun

Baked at 180 for about 15 mins

I used bread flour - see the butter in the middle?

Light coffee flavour

Do give it a try! Happy baking 

Hawaiian bread buns

This is another great recipe for soft sweet buns and even my son finished a whole piece all by himself.

I made a large tray of 15 pieces and just nice my relatives came by and we shared them.

Thanks to Tessa from Handletheheat 

Please see the link and her video below 

http://www.handletheheat.com/homemade-hawaiian-bread-rolls/

My ingredients 

In the jug - 1/2 cup pineapple juice from my can of pineapples 

66 grams of melted unsalted butter 

4.5 cups of bread flour I used Blue Jacket

1.5 teaspoon salt

Yeast 2 1/4 teaspoon

Castor sugar 6 tablespoon

2 eggs beaten

Slightly warmed milk 1/2 cup

From her blog her measurements in conversion 

http://www.handletheheat.com/ultimate-guide-measuring/

Method 

Use the stand mixer as the flour is a big amount

Prepare a large tray with high sides 

Need cling film for proofing 

Each bun is about 68 gm

Follow her steps

Put in fresh milk, pineapple juice, butter, salt, eggs, sugar and yeast.

Stir to mix with spatula or wooden spoon

Then add in about 2-3 cups flour and mix  with your spatula or wooden spoon 

Transfer to machine and use dough hook

Add in a cup of flour from remaining 

Start machine on low

Continue to add flour till all used up

Mix till flour no longer clings to bowl.

Make into a ball n proof in covered bowl 45 mins in warm oven ( original didn't use oven)

Then remove from bowl and flatten dough slightly to circle and divide to 15 portions

Spray your tray with cooking spray

Form into balls , egg wash and proof till double 1 hour

Preheat oven to 180 C n bake for about 17 mins

Stop when flour no longer cling to bowl

Make into ball place in a clean bowl n cover with cling film. Proof in warm oven 45 mins.

After second proof

Done beautiful brown n fluffy buns

Happy baking!!

Fried bread toasts with egg yolks

It is my first post for 2016. Happy New Year!!

This is not my first dish of food but think this is nice to eat so I decided to jot it down

I had leftover egg yolks after making some sesame crisps and didn't want to waste the yolks. So I decided to stir fry the yolks.

Ingredients 

3 pcs of bread slices to cubes

Oil for frying 

Egg yolk mix

3 egg yolks

Milk about a tablespoon

Ketchup about a teaspoon

Soy sauce a teaspoon

Stir all together

Salt

Additional ketchup for drizzling 

Method

Prepare the yolk mixture n set aside

Cut up the bread

Pour a little oil on frying pan

After heating the pan, fry the bread on both sides 

The oil will be absorbed by the bread

Add a little more oil and add the egg yolk mixture 

Try to coat the bread with the egg yolk mix

After frying till egg yolks cooked 

Sprinkle a little salt and mix in

Dish up and drizzle ketchup 

Serve

It looks like our Chinese dish called Chai tow kueh or fried carrot cake 

Enjoy cooking!

My December cooking

These are some foods I attempted in December

Please refer to original recipe links 

Love this sweet potato bread

I must use purple ones next time!

Note - I didn't use bread maker 

Recipe link

http://lykitchenventure.blogspot.sg/2014/06/champion-sweet-potato-bread-oven-baked.html?m=1

Deep fried - very tasty

But need to control the temp better next time

Recipe link

http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.sg/2011/03/cheese-and-sausage-bread-rolls.html?m=1

These tastes crispier than the box premix that I tried - I omitted 3 ingredients ground cloves n black pepper n molasses which I can't find 

Recipe link

http://www.thekitchykitchen.com/?recipes=/o-g-gingerbread-cookies/

Oven baked - really tasty wings

Recipe link

http://www.asianfoodchannel.com/recipes/fish-wings

The chocolate cup cake with cream cheese frosting 

The chocolate cake taste is good!

http://www.asianfoodchannel.com/shows/bake-with-anna-olson/recipes/chocolate-spice-cupcake-with-chocolate-swirl-frosting

Do try out the recipes if you have time.

Wishing all a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance!

Butter Rolls

My friend recommended using Japanese bread flour. After lunch at Liang Court I bought this flour from Mediya. This is premium and costs $8 for 1 kg.

I followed the recipe in the pack

I googled for a recipe and saw a YouTube recipe on bread using this flour

I followed the steps but incorporated the ingredients n timing on the pack 

http://youtu.be/waU7DRLWvGA

This video is using similar flour

Ingredients 

Flour 300 gm

Salt 5 gm

Caster sugar 40 gm

Yeast 6 gm

Mix the above in a large bowl using a whisk

Measure out 45 gm unsalted butter wait for it to soften 

To the flour mixture add in 175 ml or 3/4 cup of warm water

Beat an egg 

Measure out 30 gm and add into the flour 

Stir together using a wooden spoon until you can't anymore

Then knead - follow video

After 5 minutes I added in the butter and knead another 5 minutes 

Shape into a ball n proof in the same bowl covered with cling film

I kept in the oven with a bowl of hot water

Proofed for 50 minutes

Before proof

After proof - stick floured finger in and the hole remains 

Flour the mat or workstation

Remove onto your mat or workstation

Press slightly into circle 

Cut into 12 sections

Roll each section into a ball - follow video step

Cover with cling film plus a cloth and proof 10 minutes 

Each ball is about 45 gm

Prepare 2 baking tins or 1 large baking tin

Line with baking paper 

After proofing, follow the pack instructions n roll into the butter roll shape

Put spaced apart n proof covered with cling film for another 40 minutes

I put mine in the oven with hot water

Before proof

After proof

Add a little water to the balance egg n use it to apply as egg wash to the bread 

Preheat oven to 190 c

Bake for 9-10 minutes

Serve on its own or with some strawberry  jam

Cross section 

Happy baking!

Scandinavian white bread

According to the author of this recipe scalded flour is used traditionally in Scandinavian breads

Scalded flour is flour mixed with hot boiling water n kneaded with the main bread dough

The bread was soft but however the next day I find that it wasn't as soft. I used hand kneading this time following the recipe.

Also I followed the way of rolling the dough so it resulted in difficulty of cutting the bread towards the ends when some part of the bread may fall apart.

http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/scandinavian-white-bread/

Do give it a try and judge for yourself.

Out of the tin

Top view

Eating it with Planta margarine 

A piece of the bread

Ham n Cheese Bun

These are very soft sweet buns with a savory taste to it.

The original recipe by Khoo See Yew's recipe book DIY Home Bread mayonaise cheese bread.

I have made some changes to it by adding some chicken ham for filling.

I also did an egg glaze instead of spraying with water.

Recipe - makes 10 buns you will need approximately 3.5 hours

Ingredients 

A-

230 gm bread flour/high protein flour 

5 gm instant yeast

170gm water

1/8 tsp bread improver(omitted)

B- 

20gm egg

60 gm castor sugar 

1/4 tsp salt

25 gm cold water

2.5 gm instant yeast

C

30 gm butter(softened)

100 gm bread flour ( I used an additional 10-20gm)

Filling

3 slices of cheese diced

2 tbsp mayonnaise

25 gm castor sugar

Additional 3 slices of cheese for topping

Method

1. Mix A till even n rest for 1 hour- 1.5 hours. I used my k beater. I rested only 1 hour. Covered with cling film in my cupboard.

2. Add B to A, mix till smooth dough, add in C  n knead ( I used hands on) to firm a smooth dough. Occasionally I added a sprinkle of flour as I found the dough too wet. Rest for 15 mins. Covered with cling film.

3. Divide into 60 gm each n shape into balls, let them rest 5-10 minutes.

4. Flatten dough, wrap in filling, knead to round balls, placed on greased tray let it prove to double the size. Maybe around 30 minutes. I didn't use greased tray but paper trays for buns.

5. Apply balance egg as egg wash to buns n place the 2 strips of cheese in a X position.

Pipe out some mayonnaise in circles  ( I omitted)

6. Bake at 190 celcius for 10-12 minutes.

Using the cornell oven I used convection mode middle rack about 13 minutes till the x shape of the cheese becomes pronounced.

Remove from oven n cool before storing in airtight container.

Happy Baking!!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This is the first time I am using pumpkin in bread n this recipe comes from http://www.bakedbyrachel.com/2013/10/pumpkin-cinnamon-swirl-bread-recipe/

 

Please follow the above link to get the method.

 

Dough

1/2 cup milk, heated to 115F  ( so I warmed up the milk and added in half unwarmed milk)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/3 cup plus 1 tsp granulated sugar, divided

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin puree - steamed the pumpkin and mash it

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

Pinch ground cloves

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 cup - 4 cup all purpose flour

 

Filling

2 tbsp. unsalted butter,softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon

 

Egg Wash

1 egg

1 tbsp. water

 

Note :

I omitted the ground cloves and I also could not fit the loaf into my regular loaf tin

Spices used

After proofing the dough - mixed spice filling n unsalted butter

Rolled out dough to spread the butter n filling

After baking / I couldn't fit into my regular loaf tin n I flipped the dough over

 

The bread is really very soft, next time I may divide the dough into 2 portions so that I can fit them into 2 regular loaf tins.

 

I also served my bread with some Planta margarine to eat.

 

Hope you enjoy baking this marvelous soft bread - thanks to Rachel's recipe.