[recipes] Christmas Bread

Christmas is around the corner and this year I managed to bake 2 batches of Christmas themed bread. These sweet Christmas buns make a great alternative to serve on festive table and you can choose to make it plain without the fillings in order to have it with soup or cheese.

圣诞节的气氛越来越逼近，今天就和你们一起分享我和小伙伴一起做的圣诞主题面包

Japanese Chigiri-Pan 3D Bread Recipes & Vidoes

Chigiri-Pan (3Dちぎりパン) or commonly known as "tear off/pull-apart bread" is one of the new baking craze among online bakers. This soft and fluffy bread can be made into different designs from original square to 3D cartoon characters or festive themes base on your creatives and imaginations. After which you can serve them with butter and jam or turn them into posh sandwiches for parties and gatherings.

In this article I am sharing five recipes which you can make together with your kids during school holidays. On a side note these recipes can be done using "hand knead" method so you don't even need to have a stand mixer or bread machine to do the job.

Black Sesame Bun with Azuki Bean Paste

Black Sesame Bun with Azuki Bean Paste

Yeah! Finally after the stressful year end examination it’s time to sit back and enjoy the long 7 weeks school holiday. So now we would have more time to prepare and enjoy international breakfast (some breakfast ideas here) in the morning as well as getting into some bread making sessions with the boy because he loves to help up with shaping the dough.

Furthermore bread making has become a breeze ever since I am using my new BOSCH MaxxiMUM stand mixer to prepare the dough.

[KitchenAid Dough Recipe] Matcha Azuki Bun with Salted Cherry Blossom

Matcha Azuki Bun with Salted Cherry Blossom

Hi folks, it's Monday again and I hope you had a great rest over the weekend. Recently you might have realized that I am back into bread making from those Instagram posts which I have shared while testing out my new KitchenAid KSM150. And after trying a few bread recipes, I still think the best result achieved is from the “five thousand dollars starter dough” recipe which I shared last week.

So in this post, I will be using the same 5K starter dough recipe with a twist to turn it into our current favourite bread which is; Matcha Azuki Bun with Salted Cherry Blossom.

[KitchenAid Dough Recipe] 5 Thousand Dollars Starter Dough Bread - 五千元的老式面包

5K Starter Dough Bread

Apart from the Baked Egg Cake (烤鸡蛋糕) which I did recent, I also come across another "viral" recipe known as "5 Thousand Dollars Starter Dough" from my friend; Amy's (Motheringcorner) Facebook timeline. And through their discussions, it seems like many of the home bakers are trying out this recipes too. According to their comments this is seems to be another popular "dough" recipe when compare to the Tang Zhong (water roux - 烫种法) method a few years back. So without hesitate I decide to give this recipe a try and at the same time test out my new KitchenAid stand mixer.

My First Brioche

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Brioche is made using similar method as compared to bread doughs. It is make from enriched French pastry with high egg and butter content that give it a rich and tender crumb. The texture is "light and slightly puffy" with a dark, golden and flaky crust achieved from the egg wash applied after proofing.

Although I have seen and read up different brioche recipes from baking books but it has never trigger me to work on it until I saw how easy Bryan Wong made his brioche on last Wednesday, Knock ! Knock ! who's there? (Episode 10) cooking variety show.

MY FIRST BRIOCHE

Since I cannot find any related recipe that Byran (on episode 10) used, I decided to Google the most suitable and foolproof recipe to try it myself. So from the lists that I searched, I finally set my eyes on this Quick Brioche Braid by Nick Malgieri from his book The Modern Baker.

This recipe is done using a food processor and the steps are quite easy to follow plus it's bonus point is; it required zero to a few kneading of the dough depending on it's texture and weather. So if you like crusty bread with soft and buttery texture, this brioche recipe is  definitely to be added to your "Must-do-list". And for those who do not have a food processor, you can use a heavy duty mixer with dough hook attached for this recipe too.

Recipe adapted from The Modern Baker, Quick Brioche Braid.

(Make: 2 Standard Loaf | Preparation: 10 mins | Waiting: 1.5 hours | Baking: 20 mins)

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup(60 ml) Lukewarm(43°C) Milk
1 1/2 Cup Unbleach Plain Flour
1 1/4 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
56g Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes
28g Caster Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Large Egg
1 Egg Yolk

Egg Wash:
1 Egg + Pinch of Salt, lightly beaten

Method:-

1. Pour lukewarm(43°C) milk in a bowl and whisk in yeast till well-mixed. Next with a whisk stir in 1/2 cup of flour till it became a sticky dough.

2. Loosely cover the bowl with cling wrap and set aside until the dough slightly risen (about 20 minutes).

3. In a food processor fitted with dough blade, add in butter cubes, sugar, salt, egg and extra yolk.

4. Pulse the mixture until butter is finely chopped and well mixed throughout the mixture.

5. Scrape yeast mixture into the food processor and pulse about 5 - 6 times to till well mixed.

6. Add 1/2 cup of flour and pulse till the mixture is smooth(refer to the photo above).

7. Scrape down mixture in the bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour and pulse again until the mixture is well blended. Rest dough in food processor for about 10 minutes.

8. Start the processor and let it run continuously for 10 seconds till dough leaves the side of the processor.

9. Turn dough out on floured surface and give it a quick knead. Divide dough into half portion to make 2 loves of brioche.

10. Cut each dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each pieces into a thick rope (if the dough is too sticky, keep in the fridge for 20 minutes before plaiting).

11. Line baking tray with greaseproof paper, plait the dough and shown above and let it rise till dough in size (about 60 - 90 minutes, depending on the weather and room temperature)

12. Just before baking, lightly brush the dough with egg wash and bake in preheated 180°C oven for about 20 - 30 minutes(i bake mine for 22 minutes) or till golden and glossy in colour. Cool bread before slicing.

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For ME: I ate it with some Orange Marmalade where the tangy taste of the marmalade blends well with the rich buttery pastry. 

For My Boy: He loves his Brioche with his favourite Nutella and since he has set his heart for this he don't even agreed to share the very last slice of the loaf  with anyone of us.

For FRIENDS: I have packed a few slices in each bags to share with friends on what's our new love for this month. Thankfully for those who tried loves these brioche to bits.

Crisp Duck with Apple & Orange Sauce serve with Rosemary & Garlic Flatbread

I have hardly use DUCK meat as one of my ingredient while planning for our daily meals. I guess the only dish that I known how to cook by using whole/portion duck is to make "Braised Duck with Dark Soya Sauce" which is a well-like dish in most Asia families. Not long ago, I have read up a recipe and post from Jacob over at Cook.Snap.Eat.Love where he takes the effort and time to prepare Duck Confit as a main course to host a few food bloggers on a tasting session(read more HERE).

After going through Jacob's recipe plus some others similar recipes online, I find making Duck Confit was rather complicated and time consuming for my standard as a home cook. So after much consideration, I think I better settle for something easier which I could managed and keep that big project aside for the time being.

CRISP DUCK WITH APPLE AND ORANGE SAUCE

This is a pretty easy dish with minimum preparation but comes with delicious combination of savory crisp duck, crunchy fresh apple plus salad greens swam in pool of aromatic spiced orange sauce. Personally I love the sweet and tangy taste of the orange sauce which really goes well with the whole combination and especially on the crisp duck.

Here I used half portion of the duck(which included the duck breast fillet and drumstick) instead of two duck fillets because I have left over from the previous dish on braised soya duck. If you are getting the duck from the wet market poultry stalls, you could also ask them to help you de-bone the fillet which would be easier for you.

(serves: 2 | Preparation: 30 minutes | Cooking: 25 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Duck Fillets, skin on
1/2 Tablespoon Sea Salt
Dash of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Red Delicious Apple, sliced thinly
2 Servings of Salad Greens

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place a wire rack over a foil-lined baking tray.

2. Make shallow incisions diagonally across skin of duck apart 1cm apart, rub sea salt into skin.

3. Place a non-stick frying pan on medium heat, add duck, skin-side down and cook for 8 minutes until skin is crispy.

4. Transfer to wire rack, skin-side up and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and stand on wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing it.

5. Using a vegetable slicer or knife, sliced the apple thinly and place it on the duck slices on prepared plates.

6. Drizzle some orange sauce on the apple and duck mixture, top with some salad greens and homemade rosemary and garlic flatbread on the side and serve warm with extra orange sauce.

Orange Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
Zest of 1 Orange
125ml of Orange Juice
60ml Cup Water
2 Star Anise

Method:-

1. Place orange marmalade, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, star anise and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved.

2. Simmer for 8 - 10 minutes, until sauce reduced and sightly thickened. Strain and serve warm.

ROSEMARY AND GARLIC FLATBREAD

A flatbread is a simple bread made with flour, water, salt and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened which is made without using yeast or sourdough culture similar to the recipe shown below. And in order to make the above crisp duck salad more filling, I decided to pair it with some homemade Rosemary and Garlic Flatbread which could be used to wrap up the crisp duck salad.

Recipe adapted and modify from Australia Masterchef website HERE.

(serves: 2 | Preparation: 30 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
125g Plain Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
65ml(1/4 cup) Lukewarm Water
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary
Extra Flour, dusting
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

Method:-

1. Combine olive oil and lukewarm water in a jug.

2. Process flour, salt and rosemary in a food processor or alternatively place them in a large mixing bowl.

3. Slowly add olive oil and water mixture to the flour to form a dough.

4. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth. Rest dough for at least 30 minutes

5. Divide dough into 6 dough balls, roll out flat and fry(without oil) for 2 minutes each side or until golden.

6. Brush with melted butter. Keep warm and serve together with the Crisp Duck salad above.

Other than making your own flatbread from scratch you could also purchase those ready-made "Wraps/Tortilla " which are available in most leading supermarkets. I am sure you would like this dish as much as I do, and if duck fillets are not available in your area or liking you could always replace it with chicken fillets. And furthermore if you could get hold of kumquat marmalade I am it would add extra and unique flavour to this dish too. Enjoy!

Prawn Capsicum and Chilli Pizza

Pizza is an oven-baked, flat and usually disc-shaped bread typically topped with tomato sauce, shredded cheese and various toppings such as seafood, beef, chicken, capsicum, ham, olive and etc. Here we made a rectangle shape lemon scented pizza base top with succulent juicy shrimps, grated mozzarella cheese and lovely chopped fresh basil.

PRAWN CAPSICUM AND CHILLI PIZZA

Since these few days we are experiencing cold rainy evenings we decided to make something simple and yet hearty to fill our hungry stomach. So together with my boy we made this Prawn, Capsicum and Chilli Pizza using our homemade pizza dough. And in order to make a tangy pizza base to enhance the flavour of the shrimps, I have added some lemon zest and juice to make the pizza dough.

(serves: 2-4 | Preparation: 90 minutes | Cooking: 15 - 18 minutes)

Basic Pizza Dough: make 2 (30cm) base
7g Instant Active Dry Yeast
190ml Lukewarm Water
1 Teaspoon Caster Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 1/2 Cups Plain Flour
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Zest of 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, optional

Method:-

1. Combine yeast, sugar, salt and lukewarm water in a measuring cup/bowl. Stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until mixture is foamy.

2. Place flour in a large mixing bowl together with lemon zest. Make a well in centre, add in yeast mixture and stir until dough comes together.

3. Next stir in olive oil and lemon juice till it form a dough. Knead dough on a lightly-floured surface for 5 - 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

4. Place dough in a large, oiled bowl. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

5. Using your fist, punch down centre of dough and knead for another 30 seconds and divide the dough into half.

Ingredients For Pizza:
1 Portion of Pizza Base, see recipe above
1/4 Cup Tomato Paste Sauce
1/4 Cup Grated Tasty Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Red and Green Capsicum, thinly sliced
8 Medium Prawns, shell removed
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
Some Shredded Fresh Basil Leaves
*Polenta(cornmeal), optional

Method:-

1.Roll dough flat to 30 cm round pizza base or 9" x 7" rectangle and place base on greased baking tray. (I greased the baking tray with olive oil and dust with some polenta(cornmeal) to give the pizza base an extra crunchy texture)

2. Spread base with tomato pasta sauce and top with half the cheese mixture.

3. Next evenly scatter the capsicum, prawns, basil, chilli and remaining cheese on top.

4. Bake in preheated 200 Degree Celsius oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until base is crisp and cheese melted. Serve.

If you have no time to prepare the fresh pizza dough you could also replace it with those ready-made pizza dough, baguette or tortilla to act your desire base. I am sure you and your family would enjoy this quick and easy pizza with some fresh salad greens or hot pipping soup(some western cream soup recipe HERE). Till then have a great weekend ahead.

{5 Recipes} Assorted Homemade Bread Part II

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First of all, sorry for not being able to update more posts for the past few weeks as I was very busy with work, upcoming events as well as my boy's school term examination. But despite of all those busy days, we also starts to enjoy making our daily Handmade Bread(Part I, HERE) which I would like to share with you some of the modified recipes that I have tried and tested.

When it comes to Handmade Bread, I think the most difficult part will be on the mixing and kneading of the dough. Personally I find it quite tedious to knead till the stretchable membrane stage which sometime takes about 20 - 30 minutes using hand instead of mixer or bread machines. But these hard work will payoff when your get to see your soft and fluffy bread that is well-received by the family. As for those who still cannot achieve that stretchable stage for your dough or having problem/unsuccessful Bread even though you follow all the steps to the dot, please do not give out. I am sure with more practice and proper guidance from those of your friends who had succeed, you too will be able to overcome the problem soon.

HOKKAIDO MILK LOAF

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I still remember vividly, a few years ago this Hokkaido Milk Bread(北海道牛奶土司) is one of the popular bread recipes circulate among bakers and I first notice this recipe at Angie's Recipes HERE which using a different method. And I have never thought after few years later, I would able to  try out this popular bread using Tangzhong(烫种) method.

Although we might not be able to get hold of Hokkaido Milk to make this milk bread but definitely with any brand of full-cream fresh milk that we have in the local supermarket we can also bake  a similar milk bread/bun that is soft, fluffy and fragrant to taste. And if you love anything with "milk" taste, this is sure to be a "MUST TRY" recipe for you.

Recipe adapted from Christine's Recipes, HERE.

Ingredients: (makes 2 loaf of bread, 17cm x 8cm x 6cm)
220g Bread Flour
50g Extra Bread Flour, set aside for kneading
50g Caster Sugar
3g Salt
1 Tablespoon Milk Powder
5g Instant Yeast
92g Tangzhong(烫种)
30ml Beaten Egg
50ml Whipping Cream
30ml Fresh Milk
25g Unsalted Butter, soften

Toppings:
1 Tablespoon Dried Cranberry And Raisin Mixture
1/2 Tablespoon Mini Chocolate Chips
1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge

Method:-

1. Combine all dry ingredients such as flour, milk powder, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl and mixed well.

2. Make a well in the center stir in wet ingredients such tangzhong, beaten egg and soft butter then follow by milk till it form a sticky dough.

3. Next turn the sticky dough out on to lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough by pushing the front half away with one hand, knead and constantly dust with the extra bread flour that is set aside.

4. Fold the stretched part of the dough back on itself, give it a quarter turn and repeat for 15 - 20 minutes, until the dough has been turned full circle several times and is a smooth and elastic ball. (Knead until stretchable and pass the window panel consistency)

5. Place the kneaded dough back into the lightly floured mixing bowl and leave it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

6. Test your proofed dough by pushing your floured finger deep into the risen dough whereby it will leave an indentation that does not spring back.

7. Punch the risen dough with your fist to deflate it, re-shape the dough into oblong shape and divide it into 4 equal portion and let it rest for 10 minutes.

8. Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Fold 1/3 from right and left edge to the middle and press down. Turn seal downward.

9. Roll flat and stretch to about 15 - 20cm in length, scatter with desire toppings and with roll from the top far end towards you. With seal facing down place in the loaf tins and repeat the same procedure to the next 3 portions.

10. Prove doughs for another 45 minutes or at least double the original size. Brush dough with egg wash and bake in pre-heated 175 oven for about 20 - 25 minutes depending on the size of the loaf/bun.

11. Remove loaf IMMEDIATELY from the pan and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

BAMBOO CHARCOAL AND MILK LOAF

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Get this idea from a bread post that I saw from Cathy's Joy website on her "Moo Moo Bread". Initally I was thinking about making something similar to hers but since we are using a totally different recipes, I ended up having a checker design rather than moo moo. This is the 1st time I am using 2 coloured dough and I think I have sort of over knead it as the texture seems to be a bit dry after a few hours later. But overall it still taste good with that extra dose of almond flakes on top.

Ingredients: (makes 1 loaf)
135g Bread Flour
*40g Extra Bread Flour, set aside for kneading
5g Milk Powder
3g Instant Dry Yeast
30g Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
30ml Beaten Egg
60g Tangzhong(烫种)
60ml Fresh Milk
15g Unsalted Butter, soften

Colour Dough:
3/4 Teaspoon Bamboo Charcoal Powder

Toppings:
Egg Wash
Almond Flakes

Method:-

1. Refer Steps 1 to 4 of the Hokkaido Milk Loaf recipe above.

2. Divide dough(about 400)into 2 portions weighing, 200g each separately.

3. Slowly knead Bamboo Charcoal Powder into 1 portion of the dough (200g) for a few minutes till colour is even.

4. Place both the kneaded doughs into two lightly floured mixing bowl and leave it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

5. Test your proofed dough by pushing your floured finger deep into the risen dough whereby it will leave an indentation that does not spring back.

6. Punch the risen doughs with your fist to deflate it, re-shape the two doughs into oblong shape and cut each dough into 5 equal portion and let it rest for 10 minutes.

8. Roll each individual portion of the doughs into an oval shape about 10cm x 5cm, roll the flatten dough towards your direction starting from top down. Further divide the rolled dough into half and set aside. Repeat the same process for the remaining doughs.

9. Arrange the cut doughs(10 plain doughs and 10 black doughs) into a grease loaf tin in alternate colours of two layers. Prove the loaf for about 45 minutes or double its size.

10. Brush dough with egg wash, scatter some almond flakes and bake in pre-heated 175 oven for about 20 minutes. Remove loaf IMMEDIATELY from the pan and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.

PUMPKIN CINNAMON BUN

Since I have some left over pumpkin in the fridge from making pumpkin soup. I decided to try out this Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun from one of the Chinese website known as "袅袅烘焙香". Since we are using a different cooked dough recipe, I have changed a bit on the original recipe which I replaced her "scalded-dough" to water roux method and cold water to cold milk.

Indeed this is a very sticky dough to knead till smooth and elastic as we have added to 3 liquid items such as water roux, mashed pumpkin and cold milk. I think out of the doughs that I have kneaded so far, this is the most difficult dough to knead as it took me about 30 minutes or more. And sad to say the final result is not very good, from the step-by-step photos below you will notice that the 2nd proofed dough seems to sink after the egg wash and the surface texture became crumpled too.

Recipe adapted from 茄子, 袅袅烘焙香, Pumpkin Bread HERE.

Ingredients: (makes 6 buns)
170g Bread Flour
30g Extra Bread Flour, set aside for kneading
30g Caster Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
1 Tablespoon Milk Powder
4g (1 Teaspoon) Instant Yeast
65g Tangzhong(烫种)
60g Mashed Pumpkin
75ml Cold Milk
30g Butter, soften

Topping:
Sesame Seeds, optional

Method:-

1. Combine all dry ingredients such as flour, milk powder, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl and mixed well.

2. Make a well in the center stir in wet ingredients such tangzhong, mashed pumpkin and cold milk till it form a sticky dough before mixing in the soft butter till well combined.

3. Next turn the sticky dough out on to lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough by pushing the front half away with one hand, knead and constantly dust with the extra bread flour that is set aside.

4. Fold the stretched part of the dough back on itself, give it a quarter turn and repeat for 15 - 20 minutes, until the dough has been turned full circle several times and is a smooth and elastic ball. (Knead until stretchable and pass the window panel consistency)

5. Place the kneaded dough back into the lightly floured mixing bowl and leave it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

6. Test your proofed dough by pushing your floured finger deep into the risen dough whereby it will leave an indentation that does not spring back.

7. Punch the risen dough with your fist to deflate it, re-shape the dough into oblong shape and divide it into 6 equal portion and let it rest for 10 minutes.

8. Roll each portion of the doughs into an oval shape about 12cm x 5cm, roll the flatten dough towards your direction starting from top down. Place the seal side facing down on a greased tin. Repeat the same process for the remaining 5 doughs.

9. Prove prepared buns for about 45 minutes or double its size. Brush dough with egg wash and bake in pre-heated 175 oven for about 20 minutes.

10. Remove loaf IMMEDIATELY from the pan and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.

PANDA BREAD

Finally gets to lay my hand in trying out this cute Panda Bread which I adore very much.The original recipes from the internet called for 3 different coloured dough to distinguish between the face, features and background. But here using my reliable "Milk Bread" recipe which we love, I only used black and plain dough for this design. 

But as you can see from the photos below I didn't quite get the wrapping steps correct which cause my Panda Bread to be out of shapes for its ears and eyes.

Recipe adapted from Not Quite Nigella, HERE.

Ingredients: (makes 1 loaf, 20cm x 10cm x10cm high)
220g Bread Flour
*50g Extra Bread Flour, set aside for kneading
50g Caster Sugar
3g Salt
1 Tablespoon Milk Powder
5g Instant Yeast
92g Tangzhong(烫种)
30ml Beaten Egg
50ml Whipping Cream
30ml Fresh Milk
25g Unsalted Butter, soften

Colour Dough:
100g Knead Dough
1/2 Teaspoon Bamboo Charcoal Powder

Method:-

1. Refer Steps 1 to 4 of the Hokkaido Milk Loaf recipe above.

2. Divide dough(about 540g)into 2 portions weighing, 100g and 440g separately.

3. Knead 1/2 Teaspoon of Bamboo Charcoal Powder into the 100g of dough for a few minutes till colour is even.

4. Place both the kneaded doughs into two lightly floured mixing bowl and leave it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

5. Punch air out of dough and prove for another 10 - 15 minutes.

6. 1st Layer: Use 90g plain dough for the face and 2 pieces of 30g bamboo charcoal dough for the eyes and fill the hollow of the eyes with 30g plain dough. (refer to the photo above)

7. Roll another 100g of plain dough over the 1st layer of patterned dough.

8. 2nd Layer: Divide the remaining bamboo charcoal dough into 2 pieces (20g each) for the ears and place another 70g of plain dough to fill up the hollow between the ears. (refer to the photo above, last row)

9. Wrap the rest of the plain dough all around the patterned dough, place dough into a well-greased loaf pan and cover it with a lid and prove for 50 – 60 minutes or till double its size.

10. Brush dough with egg wash and bake in pre-heated 175 degree oven for about 20 - 25 minutes. Remove loaf IMMEDIATELY from the pan and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

WHOLEMEAL CRANBERRY WITH MULTI-GRAIN LOAF

I love Wholemeal Bun/Bread with either assorted nuts, dried fruits or multi-grain toppings. So making this wholemeal loaf is something which I look forward to at least once or twice a week. Before attempting this recipe, I have read a few posts mentioning that wholemeal dough is rather more tricky to handle by hand compared to plain dough. So after much hesitation, I finally get myself ready to make my favourite Wholemeal Cranberry With Multi-Grain Loaf.

Although the dough was rather sticky but thank God I already have some experience in kneading the pumpkin dough so I was rather mentally prepared to knead longer for this. To my surprised the dough became more and more manageable after about 15 minutes or kneading and finally it works out after almost 30 minutes of turning, folding, stretching and turning. And I am glad  that I have made the decision to try out this bread as it is so light, fluffy and delicious with those dried fruits and multi-grains hidden in between the layer of the wholemeal loaf with a slight crisp outer crust. MUST TRY!

Ingredients: (makes 1 loaf of bread, cm x 8cm x 6cm)
110g Bread Flour
*30g Extra Bread Flour, set aside for kneading
100g Wholemeal Flour
5g Instant Yeast
30g Caster Sugar
60g Tangzhong(烫种)
30ml Beaten Egg
70ml Fresh Milk
25g Unsalted Butter, soften

Toppings:-
60g Chopped Dried Cranberry And Raisin
1 Tablespoon Multi-grain Toppings

Method:-

1. Refer Steps 1 - 6 of the Pumpkin Cinnamon Loaf recipe above.(this wholemeal dough is very sticky compared to the rest, but just keep on knead and you will get the same smooth and elastic dough result)

2. Punch the risen dough with your fist to deflate it, re-shape the dough into oblong shape and divide it into 4 equal portion(about 115g each) and let it rest for 10 minutes.

3. Roll each portion of the doughs into an rectangle shape about 15cm x 5cm, scatter each dough with some chopped cranberry and raisin roll the flatten dough towards your direction starting from top down.

4. With the seal side facing up, flatten and into another rectangle then roll dough towards your direction starting from top down again. With seal side facig down, place dough in grease loaf tin for 2nd round of proofing (around 45 - 60 minutes) or until double in size.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the remaining 3 doughs.

6. Brush final dough with egg wash and scatter evenly with multi-grain and bake in pre-heated 180 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

7. Remove loaf IMMEDIATELY from the pan and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Lastly I hope that you won't get bored with this 2nd "lengthy" post on bread making but instead this will strengthen/boost up your confident in making Homemade Bread for your family which you gets to control what you like for your ingredients to suit their taste buds.

For more PHOTOS on these HANDMADE BREAD, please refer to the facebook link HERE.

{5 Recipes} Assorted Handmade Bread Using Tangzhong Method

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I have never thought of one day I could write a long post base on my homemade bread because firstly I am not good in baking or handing anything with yeast especially "bread". But Sherie's homemade bread and her lovely Guest Post changed my view and doubts on bread making totally. With her easy to follow recipe, I managed to make all these Assorted Buns and 3 different flavour of Bread Loaf within a week all using TangZhong, or water roux method.

So I hope this can be a useful post for those who do not own a bread machine at home but yet interested in making some homemade bun/bread. Furthermore I also included some step-by-step photos in order to boost up your confident in trying out some of the recipes with your family during coming weekend.

CHEESE AND MAYO BUN

This is my 1st bread making session after about 3 years and I am so glad that I actually takes the courage to try out this Guest Post RECIPE by Sherie two weeks back. As you can see from the photo on the left, the texture of the cheese bun is so soft and fluffy for a handmade result. And with Sherie's detail explanation and step-by-step photos it actually simplify the process and boost up a lot of my confident.

Recipe adapted from Sherie, Maameemoomoo, 1/2 a food blog, HERE.

Ingredients: (makes 8 buns)
350g Bread Flour
10g Milk Powder
6g Instant Dry Yeast
50g Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Egg(60g), lightly beaten
120g TangZhong (refer to the tangzhong recipe below)
125ml Fresh Milk
30g Unsalted Butter, soften

Toppings:-
Japanese Mayonnaise
Smoke Slice Sandwich Cheese/Shredded Cheese

Method:-

1. Mix all the ingredients (according to your recipe) in your mixing bowl for about 3 minutes and make sure that all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

2. Next turn the sticky dough out on to lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough by pushing the front half away with one hand.

3. Fold the stretched part of the dough back on itself, give it a quarter turn and repeat for 5 more minutes, until the dough has been turned full circle several times and is a smooth and elastic ball.

4. Place the kneaded dough back into the lightly floured mixing bowl and leave it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

5. Divide dough into 8 pieces. From the 8 pieces, further divide each dough into 3 pieces. Then roll each pieces to 15 cm long rope.

6. Place the rope side by side and start plaiting. (refer to the step-by-step photos above)

7. Continue to plait until you reach the end. Place the ends together and tuck them neatly under the bottom of the plait. Repeat for the remaining 7 pieces.

8. Place the completed plaited bread onto baking sheet that has been floured. Let doughs proof for 45 minutes or until double in size.

9. Squeeze or spread ample mayonnaise on the each of the bread doughs before topping them generously with grated cheddar cheese.

10. Bake at the preheated oven at 175c for 18 - 20 minutes until the bread is browned. Remove immediately.

MATCHA AND CHESTNUT LOAF

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Matcha and Chestnut combination is always one of my favourite when comes to baking. If you have follow this blog you will notice the "Japanese Steamed Matcha Cake" and "Matcha and Chestnut Chiffon Cake" where I have incorporate these two ingredients. So with the same concept I tried to replicate mum's favourite "Green Tea Bread" from BreadTalk. Although the colour of the bread is not as "green" as those from BreadTalk but the texture is definitely light and fluffy which we all loves.

Ingredients: (makes 2 loaf of bread, 17cm x 8cm x 6cm)
350g Bread Flour
10g Milk Powder
1 - 1.5 Tablespoons Matcha Powder
65g Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
7g Instant Dry Yeast
1 Egg(60g), lightly beaten
120g TangZhong (refer to the tangzhong recipe below)
125ml Fresh Milk
30g Unsalted Butter, soften

Topping:-
100g Ready-to-eat Roasted Chestnut

Method:-

1. Combine all dry ingredients such as flour, milk powder, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl and mixed well.

2. Make a well in the center add in wet ingredients such as beaten egg, tangzhong and soft butter and and slowly stir the mixture till it form a sticky dough by adding the milk to it.

3. Next turn the sticky dough out on to lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough by pushing the front half away with one hand.

4. Fold the stretched part of the dough back on itself, give it a quarter turn and repeat for 5 more minutes, until the dough has been turned full circle several times and is a smooth and elastic ball.

5. Place the kneaded dough back into the lightly floured mixing bowl and leave it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

6. Test your proofed dough by pushing your floured finger deep into the risen dough whereby it will leave an indentation that does not spring back.

7. Punch the risen dough with your fist to deflate it, re-shape the dough into oblong shape and let it rest for 5 minutes.

8. Divide the rest dough equally into TWO portion(mine was about 400g per portion), flatten one portion of the dough into a rectangle, scatter some roasted chestnuts on the dough and fold 1/3 of the top part down and follow by 1/3 of the bottom up. (refer to the step-by-step photos above)

9. Lastly tuck in both side of the flatten dough and seal the shaped dough with your finger tips.

10. Place the loaf in an oiled and lightly floured pan for second proofing of 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough rises just above the top of the tin.

11. Bake bread in preheated 175 degree oven(or as per instruction) for about 20 - 25 minutes. The bread should be well risen, golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with fingertips.

12. Remove the loaf IMMEDIATELY from the pan and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD LOAF

I used to buy Chocolate Bread loaded with chocolate chips from supermarkets which my boy loves. But now with my new hobby on bread making I able to bake my very own Chocolate Chips Loaf which is quite well-received by those who tried and it really makes me feel those kneading and proofing time is worth working on.

Ingredients: (makes 2 loaf of bread, 17cm x 8cm x 6cm)
350g Bread Flour
10g Milk Powder
1.5 Tablespoons Valrhona Cocoa Powder
70g Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
7g Instant Dry Yeast
1 Egg(60g), lightly beaten
120g TangZhong (refer to the tangzhong recipe below)
125ml Fresh Milk
30g Unsalted Butter, soften

Topping:-
100g Mini Chocolate Chips

Method:-

1. Refer from the Matcha And Chestnut Loaf above. Replace the chestnut on "steps 8" to mini chocolate chips.

CHEESE AND SAUSAGE BUN

Cheese and Sausage Bun is always one of the popular pick among kids and adults. Here upon reading a related bread post from Rasa Malaysia and Food-For-Tots, I decided to try using the basic water roux dough method which I am practicing with to make some Sausage Buns for our breakfast. And on top of that, I also use the same dough to make some Cheese and Mayo Bun and Mayo and Spring Onion Bun too.

Ingredients: (makes 8 medium assorted buns)
175g Bread Flour
5g Milk Powder
3g Instant Dry Yeast
30g Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
30ml Beaten Egg
60g TangZhong (refer to the tangzhong recipe below)
60ml Fresh Milk
15g Unsalted Butter, soften

Toppings:-
Mini Sausage
Japanese Mayonnaise
Chopped Spring Onion
Smoke Slice Sandwich Cheese

Method:-

1. Refer Steps 1 to 5 of the Cheese And Mayo Bun recipe above.

2. Divide dough into 8 equally portions (mine was about 50g per portion for this recipe).

3. For Plain Sausage Bun: Roll one portion of the small dough into oblong shape with width around the same length as the mini sausage. Place the sausage at the top part of the flatten dough, roll the dough with sausage toward your direction and place it with seal side facing down on a paper case.

4. For Plait Sausage Bun: Roll the dough into an oval shape, place the sausage in the middle and top it with half a slice of sandwich cheese, cut both side of the dough into strips. Fold the strips alternating the left and right over the sausage. (refer to the step-by-step photo above, or click HERE for more detail.)

5. For Mayonnaise and Onion Bun: Roll the dough into an oval shape about 12cm x 5cm and roll the flatten dough towards your direction starting from top down. Place the seal side facing down on a paper case. After the 2nd proofing, use a scissor to snip an line on the proofed bun and top with generous amount of Japanese Mayonnaise and sprinkle with some chopped spring onion.

6. Proof all the prepared bun for at least 45 minutes or dough double its size before baking in a preheat 175 degree oven for about 15 - 20 minutes depending on the size of the bun.

Note:-
~ You can use this plain dough recipe to make different fillings of bun according to your preference.

BLACK SESAME LOAF WITH CRANBERRY

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This was the first bread that I wanted to make when I first saw it over at Sherie's website @ Maameemoomoo (original recipe HERE). The texture, fragrant and topping of this bread look similar to one of the cranberry bun that I always buy from the bakery near my area.

And after a few attempts on making those loaf and buns shown above, finally during National Day holiday I managed to make this together Celes from Celestial Delish. And this is definitely one of our favourite homemade loaf using freshly grind black sesame powder.

Ingredients: (makes 2 loaf of bread)
350g Bread Flour
10g Milk Powder
40g Black Sesame Seed Powder
65g Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
7g Instant Dry Yeast
1 Egg(60g), lightly beaten
120g TangZhong (refer to the tangzhong recipe below)
125ml Fresh Milk
30g Unsalted Butter, soften

Method:-

1. Refer from the Matcha And Chestnut Loaf above. Replace the chestnut on "steps 8" with 1/4 of chopped dried cranberries and repeat the same procedure on folding and adding of cranberries again before resting the dough for 2nd proofing. (in order to have more evenly spread out fillings, I did the folding and fillings steps twice)

2. Bake in pre-heated 175 degree oven for 25 minutes, remove loaf IMMEDIATELY from the pan and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

TANGZHONG / WATER-ROUX METHOD

Tangzhong, or the water-roux method(烫种法) is the best method if you are looking for some way to retain the soft and fluffy texture for homemade bread which can stay fresh for up to five days. Thus by incorporating tangzhong into your bread it will give bring a soft and fluffy bread that has fine crumbs and springy texture.

For your information, the flour-to-water ratio for tangzhong is always 1 (bread flour) : 5 (water). For instance from the recipe shown below you can make a batch of approximately 150g tangzhong.

Ingredients: (able to make 2 loaf of bread with 350g bread flour)
25g Bread Flour
125ml Water(could be replaced by milk, juice or 50/50 water and milk)

Method:-

1. Mix flour and water in a small saucepan until without any lumps.

2. Cook over medium low heat, stirring consistently with a egg whisk or wooden spoon to prevent the mixture from burning while cooking.

3. The mixture will thicken up (takes about less than 2 minutes) while cooking, so once you see “lines” appear in the mixture or it starts to form a dough. It is done.

4. Transfer the cooked dough into a clean bowl and cover with a cling wrap sticking onto the surface to prevent it from drying up.

5. Cool it completely before use. (I have tried using it while lukewarm and it works well too)

TYPES OF BREAD FLOUR AND INSTANT YEAST

For the recipes above, I have tried using both "Red Man" and "Prima Flour" BREAD FLOUR which turns out equally good with price ranging from S$2.80 - S$3.00 depending on the supermarkets. Whereas for the INSTANT YEAST I have do a swap on my last two recipes from "Bake King" to "Saf instant"(comes in a box of 5 packets each weighing 11g) upon recommended by Sherie and a few baking friends.

BREAKDOWN OF TIME SPENT 
FOR MAKING THE BREAD

I am sure some of you are just like me, whenever we scan through any bread related recipes we are always hesitate to try out the recipe due to the long proofing hours. But physically what it required is about only 15 - 20 minutes of hands-on such as preparation plus kneading of the dough(for those without bread machine at home) whereas the rest of the time taken is more for proofing of the dough. Below is the breakdown for your reference:-

~ Preparing Tangzhong/Water Roux: 3 minutes

~ Preparation plus Kneading: 15 minutes

~ 1st Proofing: 45 - 60 minutes or double it's original size (you can do other household chore while waiting)

~ Shaping: 5 - 7 minutes

~ 2nd Proofing: 45 - 60 minutes or double it's original size
(Check the dough after 45 minutes by pressing it lightly with a fingertip, it is ready when the dent springs back slowly. But if the dent stays as it is, the bread is overproofed.)

~ Adding Toppings/Baking Time: 20 - 30 minutes depending on the recipe.


Lastly I hope you would like this "lengthy" bread post and if you need more inspirations on bread making you can also refer to all those wonderful Bread Entries in "Aspiring Bakers #8 Bread Seduction (June 2011)" at this link HERE.