Busy - but have to eat.... Foccacia

I felt tempted to bake foccacia ever since. But after bloghopping to ICook4Fun, I just felt that I have to bake it.
So, last night we had this for supper.
I don't have anything appropriate for the topping (no baby tomatoes/ sun-dried tomatoes/ basil, etc). I just have some fresh rosemary (left from baking rosemary roasted chicken a few days back) and some parmesan.
so, that'll make do for the topping.
For the recipe, I just copy and paste from 'ICook4Fun' blog.

For the bread :

3 tbsp of olive oil
2 1/4 cups of unbleached flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
1 envelope of dry yeast
1 cup of lukewarm water (if might need a bit extra if the dough is too dry)

Mix sugar, yeast into the lukewarm water. Set aside until it bubble
In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt. Add in the yeast mixture and turn on the mixer and knead dough. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth. It might take about 5 min but if you knead by hand it will take longer. Transfer the dough to a lightly grease bowl and cover with a kitchen towel and let it raise in a warm place for an hour. It should double it size. Punch down the dough.

Lightly oil a baking pan and put the dough into the centre of the pan. Lightly oil your fingers and push the dough evenly out on the pan. Put a bit of indentation on the surface of the dough to creates a nice little pockets for the topping and olive oil.

Rest the dough again for 20-30 min. When the dough is risen, scatter the topping all over and drizzle with some olive oil. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for 30 min or until it golden brown and cooked through. Slice and serve with soup or eaten on its own.

For the topping I used chopped rosemary and parmesan.

Light Wheat Rolls

I made these rolls a few days back. Got the recipe from an internet recipe site.
It has more fiber than the regular rolls, as it uses whole wheat flour.
It turned out soft (eventhough i don't have a bread machine to knead them), and yummy, not too sweet.
The kids love to eat 'em right away, but i prefer to warm them, cut and spread with some butter and jam.
INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix sugar, salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down dough, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled again, about 30 minutes.
4. Grease 2 dozen muffin cups. Punch down dough, and divide into two equal portions. Roll each into a 6x14 inch rectangle, and cut rectangle into twelve 7x1 inch strips. Roll strips up into spirals, and place into muffin cups. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise uncovered in a warm place 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush again with melted butter.

White / Wholemeal Bread

I cooked fish curry for lunch. And every time we had curry for meal, my son have to have it with bread.
Being too lazy to make a trip to the nearest groceries store, so I baked one.
I got the recipe from some online recipe site, make some changes, and voila…bread for the family.
Even though the recipe said ‘white bread’, mine was brownish… ☺ ..I used whole meal bread flour instead of the regular high-protein flour…. Need me to remind us all of the 2007 resolution??-eat healthily, add more fiber in our diet. ☺
I halved the recipe, baked only one loaf.

White Bread

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups warm water (45 degrees C)
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 6 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. (about 10minutes)
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 175 degrees C for 30 minutes.

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls - The Recipe

There are a few friends that emailed or sms or YM me asking about this recipe.
I have been planning to post it here from last week, but...(hmm..I am running out of reason). Well, let's just say that I tend to procrastinate things SOMETIME (most of the time actually-- bad, bad habit).

so here's the recipe. Do give me feedback when you have done baking (and eating this). I was told my good friend Boern's cinnamon rolls turned out incredible.:))

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 0.25oz (7g) active dry yeast
* 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 teaspoon salt

* 2 eggs, beaten
* 4 cups all-purpose flour
*
* 3/4 cup butter
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup chopped pecans/walnut, divided

* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 cup melted butter

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

3. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs and flour; stir well to combine.

4. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

5. While dough is rising, melt 3/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 3/4 cup brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Pour into greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle bottom of pan with 1/2 cup pecans; set aside.

6. Melt remaining ¼ cup butter; set aside. Combine remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup pecans, and cinnamon; set aside.

7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll into an 18x14 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter, leaving 1/2 inch border uncovered; sprinkle with brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Starting at long side, tightly roll up, pinching seam to seal. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. With serrated knife, cut into 15 pieces; place cut side down, in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

8. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes, then invert onto serving platter. Scrape remaining filling from the pan onto the rolls.



Tips 1: Make sure you use high protein flour. All-purpose flour have little gluten, so that when you work the dough (bila kita uli), it won't develop well.

Tips 2: In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
-make sure it's frothy, the foam will be double the volume. If your yeast mixture doesn't foam or develop only a few bubbles, throw it away. Make another yeast mixture. It might be the water is too hot @ too cold @ the yeast is bad.

Tips 3: After step 3, the dough will be very soft, add alittle flour along the way as you knead it, until you get a smooth and elastic dough.

CRUMB BUNS

This is what we had for breakfast today. I found this recipe in 'Family Circle' magazine. The original recipe calls for pineapple spread, however, pineapple is not in my pantry, so, I used blueberry filling instead.
It is delicious, but I think it would taste much better if I used pineapple (it goes better with the cinnamon topping).
And don't think that I woke up very2 early to prepare this...I prepare everything up to step 6, then cling wrap it, shoved it into the fridge overnight. This morning I just prepare the crumb and bake.

PINEAPPLE CRUMB BUNS

Makes: 16servings
Prep: 25 minutes
Rise 2 ½ hours
Bake: 375F for 30minutes

Dough:

¼ cup milk
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ tsp salt

¼ cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 ½ tsp instant yeast

2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 ½ cup high protein flour
2/3 cup pineapple spreadeable fruit

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp confectioners’ sugar

1. Heat milk, sugar, shortening and salt over medium heat. Cool until lukewarm.
2. Add warm water in a large bowl, add 1 tsp sugar and yeast. Let stand until foamy.
3. Add milk mixture, eggs and flour into yeast bowl. Stir until flour comes together.
4. Turn dough out onto floured workspace. Knead until smooth and elastic.
5. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
6. Line a baking pan with baking sheet. Punch down dough. Roll our to form a 18x15”rectangle. Spoon fruit over one side of dough. Fold the other side over the fruit like a book. Place in the prepared pan. Let rise, 1 hour.
7. Heat oven.
8. Prepare topping. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in melted butter until crumbly. Crumble topping evenly over dough.
9. Bake at 375 F(180-190 celcius) for 30 minutes. Cool pan on rack for 30minutes. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

I planned to post the recipe for this lovely, delicious, incredible recipe for the best cinnamon rolls that I have ever tasted...but too lazy to search for it today (at this very moment I only have the printed copy -which already smudges with flour, butter, etc).
So, i post the picture first..:)
The ooey gooey part is at the bottom. Supposed to invert it first before taking pictures.
This is the tenth (roughly) times I baked this rolls.

I always wanted to bake bread. I got some recipes from my mum's kitchen, but all the bread/buns turned out tough and hard, and end up in the bin. So, after dozens of times trying, I quit... No more baking anything that have to do with yeast. I thought that it's not my kind of cooking...
10 or perhaps 20 years later...with the help of INTERNET...I learnt a lot about bread.
The biggest mistake (or rather lack of knowledge) is not using the right ingredients.
Use a GOOD high quality flour. Always use high protein flour(last 20years-I don't even know that there are many kind of wheat flour). I don't even know that there are other types of flour other than all-purpose flour @ self-raising flour.

But...now I know...
So...beware...many more recipes to come. This cinnamon rolls is just the beginning...

And make sure that the yeast is good before you mix everything up. No point in making bread with a bad yeast.
I'll write about it next time.

p/s...to my hubby...be ready..u are my food critic..
tons more coming your way for your taste test...

Bread Pudding

Found this recipe in an internet cooking site. It has hundreds of good review.
I tried this. My 'ever dearest' like it. As for me- it's not my type. I never like bread pudding.
Anyway, it's a good recipe. Anyone who loves bread pudding should tried it.



INGREDIENTS

* 6 slices day-old bread
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
* 4 eggs, beaten
* 2 cups milk
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.