Showing posts with label bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bread. Show all posts
Monday, May 19, 2014
My experiments with baking a basic whole wheat bread Recipe inside
At the beginning of 2013, I asked for your feedback on my Facebook Page on the kind of things youd like to see on the blog this year and that Ill try and incorporate some of your recipe requests. And the one thing that was a popular demand was a healthy loaf of bread. So heres my attempt to share with you a detailed recipe for a sandwich loaf.
Ive tried baking whole wheat bread on several occasions. It has led to a variety of results- my househelp giving me puzzled looks on what that seemingly edible brick is doing on our counter top, me wondering if I should let it dry out in the sun to be used later as a weapon for self defense, my son making me swear that I will not sneak it inside his lunch box, me quietly disposing it in the main trash can of our community, so it can never be traced back to me. But yes, Ill say this one thing. I never gave up. I kept trying from a variety of sources - books, blogs, my own improvisations. Recently, I came across this recipe in the kitchn and there was so much confidence in the tone of that post, it almost felt like a friend had her hand on my shoulder and told me that "this will work!" and work it did.
Other breads you can bake - Cinnamon Rolls | Pesto Pull Apart Loaf
You can be rest assured that this bread is a 100% handmade. No food processors, Kitchen Aids, Bread Machines were involved in the making of this work of art. Oven, yes - I did use an oven :)
You may ask if this is Whole Wheat bread a 100% whole wheat? To be honest, this one has 50% all purpose flour (maida) and 50% whole wheat flour (atta) - so if you trust your Atta to be 100% wheat, you can be sure that this bread is 50% whole wheat. And that is quite healthy given that the soft, spongy, melt in your mouth sliced bread labeled as whole wheat available in supermarkets is definitely NOT even 50% wheat, or theyve added a ton of other ingredients to make it soft and fluffy. The goodness of this bread is once youve mastered this basic loaf, you can keep playing with it in terms of other ingredients added to it such as a variety of other whole grain flours, seeds, flavourings etc. But Id surely request you to try it just like it is if you are a first timer.
This makes 2 loaves of roughly 600 grams each
Ingredients
2 3/4 Cup Atta (whole wheat flour)
2 3/4 Cup Maida (all purpose flour)
2 tbsp flaxseed powder (optional)
1 tbsp salt
1 cup lukewarm water (very slightly warm) plus some more
2 tsp instant yeast or active dry yeast
1/3 Cup Liquid Jaggery or Honey
2 tbsp olive oil / vegetable oil / melted ghee
1 cup lukewarm milk
You also need two 9x5 loaf tins greased and kept aside.
Directions
THE FIRST STAGE - ROUGH DOUGH
In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over 1 cup lukewarm water-stir with a spoon, cover and keep aside for 5 minutes, until it becomes slightly frothy.
In a large bowl, add the flours, flaxseed meal and salt, stir with a fork and keep aside.
In another bowl, mix all the liquids- liquid jaggery/honey, milk and oil with a fork and keep aside.
Once the yeast gets frothy, make the well in the flour and add the yeast-water and other liquids. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the liquids are absorbed by the flour and it sort of comes together.
Remove this onto a clean counter top or working surface and gently knead, adding up to 1/4 cup more water if this dough is too dry. Knead for 2-3 minutes until it all comes together to a rough ball. Cover this with a big bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes. This allows for the liquids to be well absorbed by the flour particles yielding a softer loaf at the end.
THE SECOND STAGE - KNEADING & PROVING
Once the dough has rested for 20 minutes, youll find this easier to handle. It has to be kneaded (here, you could use a Kitchen Aid or Food Processor) for 10-12 minutes. By kneading I mean-pushing the dough away from you and folding it back on itself towards you. Repeat this process for at least 10 minutes, youll the the dough getting progressively more elastic and soft. Once this is done, shape into a ball. Grease a huge bowl with oil, place the ball in this - cover with a fitting lid + tea towel and keep in the warmest area of your kitchen. You need to give the dough 1-2 hours for it to double in size and this totally depends on the weather conditions, which is why I cannot give you an exact time. If you wish you could keep the dough ball in a plastic transparent box, marking the level with a marker and then marking the level where you expect the doubled dough to reach, so you know that it has indeed doubled in volume.
THE THIRD STAGE - MINI REST
Once the dough has doubled, with a sharp knife divide it into two equal parts. Do NOT be rough with this and punch any air out. Gently shape each half into a ball and keep aside to rest for 10 minutes. This will make the final shaping easier.
THE FOURTH STAGE - SHAPING LOAVES
After 10 minute rest in the previous stage, follow the shaping procedure for each ball. Gently push out into a rectangle and go ahead with the step-by-step shaping instructions given here. I followed them to the tee each time and they worked perfectly. The end result should be a taut dome shaped top of each loaf. And I cannot emphasize enough to do the shaping with light, gentle hands so that you dont push any air out of the loaves. Place the shaped loaves into two 9x5 loaf tins. You could brush water on the loaves and sprinkle any whole grains or seeds on the top to give it a more gourmet look - for eg: whole oats, millets, sesame seeds, or sift 1 tsp of all purpose flour over the top.
THE FIFTH STAGE - PROVING THE LOAVES
Cover the tins with a tea towel and keep in a warm place until the dough rises to the edge of the tin. If you are impatient with this stage and put it into the oven prematurely (which I have done many times and suffered), you will not have well risen loaves, because this bread will only puff mildly in the oven, maximum rise is before it goes into the oven. This takes around 40 mins-1 hour, like I said, do not rush this stage. The middle of this stage is when you turn on the oven to preheat at 220 Celsius / 450 F and let the oven heat at this temp until the loaves rise outside to final level.
THE SIXTH STAGE - BAKING THE LOAVES
When the loaves have risen to just above the tins, brush them with some water. Using a sharp bread knife, make an incision along the length of the loaf. This not only makes the bread look good, but also helps it rise well. Reduce the oven temperature to 190 Celsius / 375 F and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is nice and golden brown.
THE SEVENTH STAGE - COOLING
Turn out the loaves from the tins. If you have greased the tins well, you wont have problems with this. Turn them upside down on a cooling rack and keep them covered with a breathable cloth like a muslin or so. You could leave them like this overnight or at least aim for an hour or so. During this stage, the bread continues to cook inside and it becomes easier to slice the following morning. If you try to slice the bread as soon as it is out of the oven, consider all your effort wasted, because the inside of the loaf WILL be wet and you will be disappointed with the result. Loaves HAVE to be cooled fully before trying to slice them. If you want to experience the joy of breaking into warm bread just out of the oven, reserve it for the small dinner rolls.
THE EIGHTH STAGE - SLICING
Youve been patient - allowed the loaf to cool overnight. You will now be rewarded with sweet smelling, delicious bread slices for breakfast. Place the bread on a chopping board and with a sharp bread knife, slice it as thick or thin as you want.
Tips
- I get started with the process at around 5/6 pm in the evening & it gets baked by 9/10 pm or so, then let it cool overnight before slicing them in the morning. This process works well for me.
- The original recipe says 8-10 mins of kneading in food processor (second stage), so make sure you knead at least for 10-15 mins when you are kneading manually. And following the push away-bring back technique for kneading.
- If you dont have loaf tins, looks for bread shaping instructions that show you how to shape a free form loaf like focaccia or a dome shaped loaf. The proving and baking times have to be adjusted accordingly. Just make sure that during the final proving, the shaped dough rises really well before putting into the oven.
- Dont be afraid to make two loaves at one go, unless of course your oven will only take one tin at a time, in which case, halve all the ingredients and proceed accordingly. Do note that proving times may be less after the second stage.
- I buy liquid jaggery from here (Bangalore) but you can mix some crushed jaggery to water, let it liquify on low heat and keep aside to use in recipe or use honey instead. This provides a mild natural sweetness to the loaf and also the brilliant colour without using any additives or artificial colouring agents.
Lastly, bread making is an exercise in patience. You have to allow the bread to pass through each stage and it depends on a lot of factors. You cannot rush through. You may think- WHOA this takes 3-4 hours, but most of it is inactive time, it only requires your passing attention for a few minutes at a time. Its good to keep a little notepad or keep track of the times on your phone, so you dont miss the time windows for kneading, resting, proving etc. A bit of precision and a lot of patience goes a long way in baking that perfect loaf of bread. Dont let the number of steps or the huge number of words written to explain the process overwhelm you. Its quite simple actually. Try it and let me know how it turned out!
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Skonsur Thick pancakes pan fried bread
The word "skonsa" (the singular form of "skonsur") is the same word as "scone" in English. We Icelanders use the word to refer to a kind of thick pancake. The taste is similar to American breakfast pancakes, but we serve them differently. We usually cook them on the same kind of skillet as we use to make the delicious Icelandic pancakes.
250 g bread flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
40 g margarine, melted
250 ml milk
2 eggs
Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and melted margarine, and thin with milk. Stir until smooth. Pour on a greased skillet and fry on both sides at low temperature. Cakes should be like thick pancakes.
-serve cold with any kind of topping that is good with bread: cheese, slices of meat, salads, etc.
-make a sandwich-cake: make a mayonnaise/sour-cream based salad (shrimp, tuna, egg, salmon, etc.), and layer with whole pancakes. (More on sandwich-cakes later).
-serve warm like American pancakes, with butter and syrup
Read More..
250 g bread flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
40 g margarine, melted
250 ml milk
2 eggs
Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and melted margarine, and thin with milk. Stir until smooth. Pour on a greased skillet and fry on both sides at low temperature. Cakes should be like thick pancakes.
-serve cold with any kind of topping that is good with bread: cheese, slices of meat, salads, etc.
-make a sandwich-cake: make a mayonnaise/sour-cream based salad (shrimp, tuna, egg, salmon, etc.), and layer with whole pancakes. (More on sandwich-cakes later).
-serve warm like American pancakes, with butter and syrup
Thursday, April 17, 2014
BREAD BAJJI
With another batch of snow in our area on Tuesday, we were at home the whole week and my husband was working from home. I made these bajjis for evening snacks to go with tea. I think most of my friends were preparing fried foods during the storm. When I was speaking with Viki over the phone, she too mentioned about preparing plantain bajjis last evening. There is definitely something comforting about eating fried foods during winter. Coming on to the recipe, I make these bajjis all the time when we have friends over. It takes just a couple of minutes to prepare and join in the chatting. These fritters do turn out very crispy compared to regular bajjis made with veggies.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Any types of soft or hard loaves, may be around 2-3 slices if regular bread slices are used. (I used a whole wheat baguette here).
2. Besan or kadala maavu1 cup.
3. Rice flour, 1 tablespoon.
4. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
5. Salt as per taste.
6. Baking soda, a pinch, (optional).
7. Red food color, a pinch (optional) although I have not used it here.
PREPARATION:
Mix the flours, chili powder, salt, color, and baking soda. Add some water and mix it to a thick batter. The batter should be thick enough to coat the bread slices evenly. A drop of oil can be added to the batter to make the bajjis crispier. Cut the bread slices evenly. Heat a pot with around 1 cup of oil. When the oil is hot enough, dip the bread slices into the batter and gently put them into the oil. To check the temperature of oil, add a drop of the batter into the oil. If the oil is hot enough the batter will puff up and rise to top. Add a couple of bajjis at one time and when the fritters turn golden-brown, remove them from the oil, and drain them on a paper towel. Serve hot with chutneys or ketchup.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
5 minute No Knead Bread
The other night I made a delicious (if I do say so myself) beef soup/stew and I tried out this recipe for bread to go along with it. I wanted something nice and hearty and this did the trick. It had a hard thick crust and it was dense and delicious. And it really was less than five minutes to mix together. It does need to rise for a couple hours, but it was extremely easy. As for the soup, I was kind of winging it, so Ill just give you the general idea. I cooked a big chuck roast on Sunday and had gravy with it and I had a lot left over, so I (with the inspiration of my mom) used the gravy and added some water. Then I chopped up potatoes, onions, and carrots and cooked those in there and just added a bay leaf and some garlic, salt, and Worchestershire sauce to taste (and of course I chopped up the beef and added that) and it turned out really tasty! So theres an idea for you if you have leftover pot roast or some type of big piece of beef. :)And heres the recipe for the bread. I got this from The Sisters Cafe.
5-minute no-knead bread
1 1/2 T. yeast
1 1/2 T. kosher salt (its coarser than table salt)
3 cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Stir together all ingredients until you have a nice thick dough (really, I just used a rubber spatula). Make sure you stir it enough that there are no dry pockets of flour left in the dough. Cover well (I used plastic wrap) and let rise for 2 hours on the counter.
Sprinkle just a little flour over the dough and divide into 4 parts. Sprinkle with a little more flour to keep your hands from sticking and form into a ball. Place seam side down on parchment paper sprinkled with a little cornmeal. Allow loaves to sit for 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone inside. Also, place a pan Also, place a shallow pan full of warm water on the bottom shelf of oven to make steam during baking. This creates a crusty exterior to the bread. (I didnt do this and mine was still very crusty). Sprinkle loaves with flour again. Using a serrated knife, make several slices across the top of the bread to allow for expansion. Lift parchment paper with loaves on top and place directly on hot stone. Place baking stone on middle shelf of oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes.
*FYI: I dont have a baking stone, but I just used a cookie sheet, and I did preheat it. Also, I halved the recipe because I didnt think we needed 4 loaves for the 2 of us. However, we did polish off 1 loaf at dinner last night. Hehe...
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Makes two 9"x5" loaves
3 c. lukewarm water
1/4 c. butter or vegetable oil
3 tsp. salt
1/4 c. honey
1 c. nonfat dry milk
8-10 c. whole wheat flour
4 tsp. instant yeast
Combine all ingredients, starting just with 7 cups of flour. Knead in mixer, adding more flour as needed, to form a smooth, fairly stiff (but not dry) dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.
Lightly grease two 9x5 loaf pans. Divide the dough in two pieces and gently shape each piece into a smooth log. Place it in the pan, smooth side up, cover the pan, and allow to rise about 30-45 minutes, or until it crowns about 1 inch over the top of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, or 350 if using a dark pan.
Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven, turn the bread out of the pans, and allow to cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Source: Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
New York Strip Tossed Salad with Homemade French Dressing and Garlic Bread
On a recent trip to Sheltons Market, my mom purchased a 10 lb whole New York strip, which we hand cut into individual steaks. From that 10 lb piece of meat, which cost about $20, we were able to yield 14 steaks. While the process required a little bit of work (trimming and cutting that large of a piece of beef), the savings was well worth the effort. Mom was kind enough to share her bounty, and I was the joyful recipient of 5 lovely hand cut New York strip steaks. Here is how I prepared last nights steak.
While I am anxiously anticipating retreiving the grill from the back of the garage and firing it up for the first time this season, we are not quite there just yet, so I preheated my trusty cast iron skillet until it was very hot. I lightly oiled the pan and seasoned the steak on both sides with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder. I seared the steak for about 4 minutes on each side for a nice medium rare. Set it aside and tented it with foil until time to eat.
I prepared a simple garlic spread for my crusty loaf of french bread by mincing 2 cloves of garlic and combining with about 2 tablespoons of softened butter, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread a liberal layer on on the bread and bake for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees.
The addition of the best homemade French dressing I have ever tasted took this, otherwise average and potentially boring, tossed salad and turned it into a surprisingly delicious accompaniment to this steak dinner. My friends here on the blog, Jim and Sharon, were kind enough to share their recipe for this French Dressing and I hope they dont mind that I share it. I rarely, if ever, purchase or use bottled dressing so I am always looking for alternatives to my standard vinaigrette. This recipe is perfect in it simplicity. Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup sugar. Thats it! I suggest you lightly dress the salad and add more a bit at a time as needed. Enjoy!
Monday, February 24, 2014
Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread Recipe
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| Warm from the oven gluten-free banana nut bread. Just a fad? |
Gluten-Free Banana Nut Bread
As Celiac Awareness Month dawns I thought I might celebrate with a banana bread recipe. This is a banana bread so tasty, tender and fragrant, you won't care it is gluten-free. And you might even tempt the naysayers. And the unbelievers.
You know who I'm talking about.
Out there in the cold cruel world, Darling, some folks apparently (still) view our gluten-free lifestyle through a jaded foodie lens, believing, first of all, that gluten-free anything is never going to taste anything but awful, and second, that this whole gluten-free trend (their word not mine) is a fad not worthy of serious consideration and compassion. Apart from the standard (and always brief) lip service that non-afflicted food writers, non-GF bloggers and journalists pay to celiac disease, adhering to the medical treatment that is a gluten-free diet is degraded- for that sexy topical hook- to a "bandwagon". An eating disorder.
A diet by choice.
They dub it a controversy.
As my twelfth year of living gluten-free marches on, I find myself reflecting not upon the decade plus years living gluten-free, but upon the ten long years prior to shunning gluten- the decade it took me (no thanks to the medical profession) to determine that gluten was the culprit behind my early onset autoimmune cataracts, mysterious low ferritin levels, skin rashes, migraines, fat malabsorption and impressive marathon stints in the loo- I feel the slow, sad burn of anger those of us who are dismissed experience.
Two bloggers referenced the gluten-free diet on a social networking site recently, bragging about their "iron stomachs" and their ability to chow down on everything (this implies that those of us unable to ingest gluten merely have "sensitive" digestion). I was reminded of a previous post I wrote in response to a blogger's remark that gluten-free is "too precious".
Ignorance is bliss, indeed.
Here's the thing. It's not a sensitive vs iron stomach issue. It's not an I-can-eat-anything-so-bring-on-the-butter-and-bacon-and-haggis issue. It's not about macho appetite. Or virtue. Or squeamishness.
It's not philosophical.
It's not emotional.
It's not about preciousness.
Or garnering attention.
Or skinny jeans.
It's about a cruel quirk in genetics.
If you won the luck of the draw in the genetic lottery and escaped- by no effort of your own- inheriting HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8, the two genetic haplotypes that predispose you to an autoimmune disease that triggers your body's defense system to attack itself, destroying the nutrient-grabbing lining of your small intestine, be humble. Be thankful. Your body works. You do not have to be vigilant about every crumb that goes into your mouth. In your world gluten does not increase your risk for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A bagel is not dangerous. You can eat what you crave when you are hungry. You can wing it when you travel, feeling carefree and adventurous. You can sample new cuisine on a whim- without asking about the ingredients. Food for you is fun. Romantic. Perhaps, even a passion.
Thank your small intestine.
And while you're at it, thank your pancreas, too.
Because those with Type 1 diabetes (another genetic autoimmune disease, one that destroys the insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas) must also be vigilant about their diet. Along with injecting insulin, Type 1 diabetics must also limit (if not shun) certain foods to protect their health, making careful, low glycemic choices day after day.
But maybe that's a fad, too. Maybe their pancreases are just sensitive. Maybe a diabetic child is merely craving attention, just like her celiac cousin. Maybe a mother learning how to cook a meal with low glucose is coddling her child, too. Maybe all autoimmune diseases are just a silly trend. The Fad Du Jour.
I hear celiacs and diabetics are wicked sexy.
Well, that part may be true.
Read more + get the recipe >>
Friday, February 21, 2014
SANDRAS APPLE WALNUT BRAIDED BREAD
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| What a delightful presentation this braided apple walnut bread makes, and its a fun to prepare, plus a to-die-for dessert... |
Posted: by Sandra
Prep: 15 mins. |
Raising time: Overnight, plus a couple hours |
Bake: 35 to 40 mins.
INGREDIENTS:
*** Yeast Sponge
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 cup warm milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
***Dough
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus a bit more if needed)
1 stick of butter, at room temp.
***Apple and Walnut filling
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 cups of fresh granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cubed small
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch
***Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
---plus: cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top
METHOD:
Mix the sugar, yeast, and flour together in a small bowl. Pour in the warm milk. Beat until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1/2 hour.
Place the hook attachment on the stand mixer. Pour in sponge mixture into bowl of stand mixer. Add the eggs, salt, sugar, and one cup of the flour to the sponge. Beat until smooth on low speed until smooth. Then add the butter in small chunks and beat well. Add the remaining flour a handful at a time and mix in until the butter is incorporated. Knead on low speed for 5 minutes, until dough forms ball and is somewhat elastic.
Place the dough in a bowl sprayed with baking spray, rub around, and then flip over. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise and room temperature until doubled in size, 45 mins. to 1 hr. Deflate the dough, recover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, in a small pot, combine; butter, brown sugar, and chopped walnuts. Stir until combined. Add apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla, and cornstarch. Heat while stirring until filling thickens (apples will finish baking in oven). Let filling cool completely.
Combine the egg and milk in a bowl and beat until combined, and set aside.
Once filling has cooled, take the dough out of the refrigerator and gently deflate it. Divide it into two pieces. Use a rolling pin to shape each piece into a ½” thick rectangle.
Spread your fillings in the center of the dough.
At 45-degree angle, slice the sides of the dough into tabs approximately 1 inch wide. Alternating from side to side, fold the pieces in over the filling, and gently press on the tabs to seal the folds, and then tuck under ends for a smoother finish. Glaze the braid with egg wash. Cover loosely with plastic. Set aside to rise until doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Just before placing the braid in the oven, glaze it again with remaining egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake on the center rack of the oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, rotating it once after 20 minutes so that it bakes evenly. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least half an hour before slicing.
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Variation: Click here for recipe: Blueberry Braided Bread Recipe
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Bread Delight
Bread Delight
Ingredients
- Milk Half Litre
- Bread Slices (with edges ) 4
- Butter 3 Tbsp
- Sugar 3 Tbsp
- Vanilla essence Few drops
- Pistachios and almonds 3 tbsp chopped
Method
- Heat milk in sauce pan add sugar butter leave it cook till bit condensed,off the flame stir well add vanilla essence. place bread slices .pour milk over them so they can absorb milk . sprinkle pistachios and almonds...leave till nicely chilled .serve.
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