MaMiko: Bread, Spice, And Everything Nice.

Onion Jam

2015-04-07T22:03:00.002+07:00

Hi there!

Thank goodness a blog is not a living thing because I’d be sued for neglecting it for months and I’m pretty much glad that I don’t make money from blogging because I suck at concentrating on writing. Who could resist not clicking on stupid 9gag vids and cute animal vids? I started with plenty of ideas in my head but 2 hours later I’d be reading about how to grow onions. Speaking about onions, I have accepted the fact that I also suck in gardening so I may as well buy all the onions I need. My thumbs just aren't that green.

Onion is one of my favorite pantry staples. It makes simple food tastes like 5 star cuisine and I do not like skimping on onions. I put it in the salad, I make it into pie, I use double amount of it in stir fries, basically I love onion for its taste and its health benefits. Though I do not go as far as worship it like the ancient Egyptians. Do you know that they believed that its spherical shape and concentric rings symbolized eternal life? Onions were even used in Egyptian burials, the archaeologists found traces of onions in the eye sockets of Ramesses IV. Cool and creepy, isn't it? They took the eyes out, put them in a clay jar then shoved an onion in each eye socket.

Anyhow, let’s stop there before you get grossed out by what I find amusing. Let me share you an amazing onion recipe that will turn your world upside down. Onion jam. I found the recipe at Allrecipes.com and this is perfect without any tweaking. I totally find it ahmazing that with just FOUR simple ingredients, you can turn a humble allium into a sassy, classy, sexy dish. The only thing I do differently is leaving the onion in the pot after I finish cooking it so it will mellow further and caramelize beyond perfection.

Here’s what you need:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup white sugar

4 cups onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot, use stainless or glass, over medium heat. Stir sugar into vegetable oil with a wooden spoon, stirring constantly until mixture is a light caramel-color. This mixture will be EXTREMELY HOT. So excuse my camera angle, I'm trying to deal with it fast and careful to avoid burning it, and protect myself from nasty hot sugar-oil splatter, and so should you.

Stir onion, salt, and black pepper into sugar mixture. Onions will immediately start to caramelize. Stir frequently over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and onions are browned, about 15 minutes. Pour red wine vinegar into onion mixture and simmer until mixture has a jam consistency, about 30 minutes. Let it cool in the pot with half the lid on.

How easy is that? Here is the result, EPIC!

It's tangy, it's sweet, it is just super umami.

You can use it as a condiment when you serve steak or curry. It is a simpler substitute for chutney and you do not have to go through all the trouble of making chutney. But here is how we serve it at home. On bread, with a good spread of cream cheese.

It just can't get any better than this. The tanginess compliments the creaminess of the cheese. It is like a match made in heaven. It is just how things are meant to be.

For more lovely onion ideas, you can try:

French Onion Muffin

Individual Potato Onion Tartes Tatin

Happy cooking,

Amy

Sourdough Bagels

2015-01-30T16:33:00.000+07:00

“It has been almost two months since my last bake.” confessed the militant advocate for good food who also happened to be a gluttonous baker.

She had tried to stay far away from the temptation called wheat, meat, and everything buttered and though the fat she piled mile high from the last Christmas parties she went to had not yet completely disappeared, her already weak willed self broke at the thought of having to have another slice of factory bread just because she was afraid to gain a few pounds by baking.

So on that eventful night, her dormant sourdough starter, which she treasured like the golden tooth she thought she would have one day, was fed with the purest organic dark rye flour so it would wake up from its deep slumber and ready to be at its Mistress’ service. But alas, too long Bonnie had slept. One feeding, two feedings, three feedings were what it took to wake the bonnie sleepy starter drunk in its own alcohol. Once Bonnie was awakened, she sported a grin bigger than Cheshire cat’s grin and made way to her laboratory called The Kitchen.

LOL, enough with the story. Let me just say a very belated New Year. YAY. Yes, I haven’t baked in a while. Jeez I want my old jeans back and YAY, I am getting there. Apparently bread is not what made me gained weight. It was dinner. I still eat like I used to but I only have coffee or hot cocoa at night. My dinner is at 5 pm. Weird isn't it? But whatever works for me might not work for you vice versa. But what I know for sure, do not go into a fad or crash diet because once you’re done, you’re getting the lost pounds back plus some more caused by missing a certain kind of food so much so you gorge in it until you feel rather bad about it. Diet, a vicious cycle don’t you think?

Anyhow, I want to share you a sourdough bagels recipe. This is a recipe that I love so much because it yields chewy bagels with a pleasant sourdough tang. Bagels are supposed to be chewy; otherwise it should be called doughnuts. I do have to warn you that you need to work those arms to knead the dough like you are competing for $1000. The gluten needs to be strong, strong, strong. So you have to knead, knead, knead.
So let’s roll up those sleeves!

Recipe is adapted from: Wild Yeast Blog

Ingredients

340 gr bread flour

10 g vital wheat gluten*

130 gr cold water

28 gr milk powder

17 gr brown sugar

11 gr salt

300 gr active 100%-hydration sourdough starter

----------------

1 tbs baking soda for boiling

Sesame or poppy seeds for topping, optional

Note:

*If you do not have vital wheat gluten, you can use 350 gr bread flour but the result will be less chewy.

Directions:

-Mix all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined and KNEAD.

If you are tired, rest for a while and do not forget to cover your dough with a cling wrap so it does not dry out. It will also benefit the dough. For example; knead for 10 minutes, rest for 10 minutes, then knead again. Low hydration dough gives you the best arm workout.

-Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

-Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Cover and let rest for another 10 minutes.

-Line a sheet tray with a parchment paper or silpat then dust it generously with semolina or corn meal.

I just have to put this here. Look at her knead the heavy dough :D

Shaping:

You can shape bagels in two ways.

-The first is making a 10 inch long rope from each ball of dough and form a ring by joining both ends, but overlapping each a bit, then roll the joint ends to seal the deal.

-Second, this is the easy way, is just to poke a hole in the middle of the dough.

Choose whichever way of shaping you like

Proofing and Baking:

-Proof for about 3-4 hours at warm room temperature, until the bagels look and feel a bit puffy.

-When 3-4 hours is up, transfer the whole tray then to the refrigerator for 4–8 hours.

-Preheat oven to 215C.

-Put a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil

-Prepare a wire rack

-Remove bagels from refrigerator

-When the water boils vigorously, add the baking soda.

-Gently lower a few bagels at a time into the boiling water. Boil for 20 seconds (by which time they should be floating). If they float immediately, be sure to turn them after 10 seconds so both sides get the full benefit of the boiling water.

-Lift them out with a strainer or slotted spatula, roll it on the topping if you're using, and place on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Let them sit on the rack for at least 30 seconds before placing them back on the tray.

-Once they are all back on the tray, slide them into the oven. When the oven door is shut, lower heat to 200C. Bake until golden, around 24-26 minutes.

I hate to admit it but every time I see this picture, Pitbull's image just pops in my head singing..

One two three four

Uno dos tres cuatro

I know you want me, want me

You know I want cha, want cha

But who does not want these plump bagels??

These are best eaten at the same day but if you want to keep it fresh longer, freeze the bagels by wrapping them individually in cling wrap. Bring it to room temperature and toast it before you consume it. Now, pass me some cream cheese, please.
Today, we dine. Tomorrow, we jog.

Cheers,

Amy

Submitting this to YeastSpotting

Traditional German Pretzels

2014-12-11T19:11:00.000+07:00

Pretzels, what joyous treat.

I used to make pretzels the easy way. It is delicious, I can assure you. But it lacks character. Something that makes pretzels pretzels. The traditional German pretzels require a dip in lye water. I understand that lye, or chemically known as Sodium hydroxide, lies in grey area. While it is safe in small amount to be digested by human, unless I am German and I own a pretzel geschaft, I do not find the need to go to the store and purchase lye solution.

But in my pursue of authentic pretzels, I read that baked baking soda is a good replacement for lye. You see, lye is alkaline and it affects the Maillard reaction, the chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that gives browned foods--as a result of baking and searing-- a certain flavor. Lye bath gives pretzels deep brown crust, crunchy arms and distinctive taste. But remember, not all lye is food grade. You can’t just use lye that is meant or used for soap making. So this is where baking soda comes in. Lower in alkaline, baking soda can act as lye substitute. Not 100%, but near. Near is good than eating soap ingredients.

You can use baking soda, plainly. But if you wanna go further in altering the chemical properties of baking soda to make it very near to the effects lye gives, bake the baking soda in the oven for an hour in 120C. You can bake the baking soda in huge amount and keep it in an air tight canister. It has no expiration date. But I know better than to waste energy for the sake of color.

In short, this is what you get if you use..

-Lye bath: Very deep mahogany, like the color of a bark, superb texture.

-Baked baking soda bath: Deep mahogany, almost like a bark in color, superb texture.

-Baking soda bath: Beautiful dark brown color, superb texture.

-No bath at all: Are you kidding me?

Now that we set the rules straight for the matter of color and texture, we should get to the recipe. You will find many online that do not use beer, like my Hot Buttered Soft Pretzels recipe if you choose to omit beer and in a hurry. But this one, the one with the beer, trust me on this, it is a definite keeper.

Recipe adapted from Pretzel Making at Home

Ingredients

Pretzel dough:

2 1/4tsp instant yeast

120 ml water

120 ml cold pilsner beer*

1tbs barley malt syrup/dark brown sugar

320gr bread flour

100gr dark rye flour**

5-10gr wheat bran***
2 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp salt

For the bath:

1/4 cup (baked) baking soda

2 Liter water

--------

Coarse sea salt, for topping***

Note:
*You can use all water should you avoid beer

**You can use all bread flour should you not have dark rye flour

***Optional

Instructions:

-Mix all dry ingredients together, pour water and beer. Knead until the dough is smooth.

-Refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours.

-Divide the dough into 8 equal portions

-Shape into pretzels and let them proof around 20 minutes.

-Prepare the baking soda bath by boiling the water and baking soda. When the baking soda already dissolves, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

-Dip each side of the pretzel dough for 10 seconds.

-If the pretzel hands fall off, worry not. You can always rearrange it again after the bath.

-Scatter some coarse sea salt on the pretzel if you like.

-Bake in a preheated oven on 260C for 8-12 minutes. If your oven cannot go that high, 250C will also be fine.

Note:

If you divide the dough into ten and bake for 15 minutes, you will get smaller pretzels with thin hands and very crispy hands those are.

I am not that big of a beer fan but I wouldn’t turn down a free beer, especially when it’s hot outside.. or when it’s cold outside or.. you know.. whatever the weather is. But I am also not a lass who would spend money on beer, unless I am making pretzels. You cannot taste the beer here, that is why you should keep some beer at hand. To help you gulp the pretzels down.

Oh.. Don't forget some mustard.

Not that yellow English mustard though..

Choose something bolder, Dijon I recommend.

Do try this at home. You won't regret it. But if you're too lazy to make it at home, you are always welcome at mine. Bring the beer,though.

Prost!

Amy

Submitted to YeastSpotting

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

2014-09-07T17:12:00.000+07:00

I have been sleep deprived for the last 5 weeks. My works piled up high, which is good because it means people trust me to handle their scripts. Now that I finished them, I have to reward myself with something before I crawl to my cave and stay there like a hermit to study for the finals at November. Dang! So little time so many friggin text books. Not to mention I have to help Amiko with her school works. She's homeschooled, but that means lots and lots of subjects must be taught by her teacher at home, which is me, so her grades would be good, if not stellar. I do think 24 hours a day is not enough. That is why I have zero tolerance for bad coffee.

Now about my reward, I have the house all by myself today to concentrate on baking something so sinfully delicious; Babka. Babka is a very popular Ukrainian dessert bread. It is very rich and commonly appears around Easter. I guess each country in Europe has their own Easter bread; British Hot Cross Buns, Bulgarian Kozunak, Italian Pane di Pasqua, Russian Kulich,Croatian Sirnica, Spanish Hornazo, and many more. The word Babka derives from the word Grandmother, or Babka. Perhaps in the old times, grandmothers were the ones usually baked Babka.

Now, even though I am far from being a grandmother myself and this is not easter, I crave for something indulging because I am celebrating. What am I celebrating? I could say because I survived that monstrous creature called deadline. But no, I am celebrating the act of celebration, by baking a bread worthy enough to be celebrated. Chocolate Cinnamon Babka.

The recipe I always use is from the book Artisan Bread Everyday by Peter Reinhart. I have tried many recipes in that book because it was one of my first baking books. This particular one is a gem. I have tried many Babka recipes but if you have ever heard a term 'lesser Babka', most of other ones I tried are indeed lesser Babka. They're not yeasty enough and somehow lack of character. Anyhow, I cut down some butter and yolk and also incorporate whole wheat flour and wheat bran to make me feel less guilty. But if you carefully read the recipe, I am still guilty. Just not THAT guilty.

Ingredients

DOUGH

2 tbs instant yeast*

200gr lukewarm milk**

70 gr unsalted butter, room temperature

85 gr sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 egg yolks

200 gr all-purpose flour

225 gr wheat flour***

3 tbs wheat bran, optional****

1 tsp salt

Note:
*This will taste very yeasty, if you do not like the yeasty taste, do reduce it to only 1/2tbs-1 tbs instant yeast.

**Use only 170 gr of water if you're using only all-purpose flour

***You can substitute the wheat flour with all-purpose flour, vice versa

****Adding wheat bran means you need to incorporate more liquid into the dough

FILLING

250 gr dark chocolate

1 tsp ground cinnamon

50 gr unsalted butter

Directions

MAKE THE DOUGH

-Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.

-Add the vanilla to the egg yolks and whisk lightly to break up the yolks, then add the yolks to the sugar mixture. Keep whisking until it's creamy.

-Add the mixture of flour, yeast, salt, then pour in the milk mixture.

-Transfer the dough onto a work surface and knead, adding more water/flour needed to make the dough pliable. The dough should be a beautiful golden color and feel soft and supple. Form the dough into a ball.

-Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for about 1 1/2hours. If it rises significantly in less time, you can move to the shaping step or place it in the refrigerator overnight if you plan to bake it the next day.

MAKE THE FILLING

-Using the bain marie, melt the chocolate and the butter. You do not need to melt it until silky smooth. Barely is enough.

-After you melt it, take it off the stove, then stir the cinnamon in.

-Spread the barely-melted mixture on a sheet of parchment paper or silicone baking mat, then refrigerate it until firm.

ASSEMBLING THE BABKA

-Roll the dough into a rectangle and cover the rolled out dough with the chocolate.

-Roll the dough into a log. You will need to hit it until it cracks into pieces so it will be easy to roll.

-Using a metal pastry blade, cut the log down the middle lengthwise.

-Cross one piece over the other, then continue to crisscross the pieces in both directions to form a braid. Sprinkle with more cinnamon if you wish.

-Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours or less, depending on how warm yor kitchen is, until the dough size has increased to about 1 1/2 times from its original size.

-Preheat the oven to 175C and bake for 35-45 minutes.

-The babka will begin to brown quickly because of the sugar content but it won’t burn.

Don't forget to let it cool for at least 90 minutes before serving (yeah RIGHT)

This recipe made a HUGE bread. It's not a problem though because this is out of this world delicious.

Let's see the crumb shot, shall we?

Omygodomygodomygod..

It's yeasty, chocolatey, soft, there's a hint of butter, of cinnamon, but subtle. This is the ultimate comfort bread, must I say. I mean, I've made brioche filled with chocolate, it's wonderful. But in brioche, the star is the butter. Here, every ingredient goes harmoniously together. Of course the chocolate stands out more than the other ingredients, but just a bit. It does not overpower though it looks dominant.

Now off I go make coffee. Lovely Indonesian coffee.

Cheers,

Amy

PS: This is a cure from Haruki Murakami's aftertaste.

Submitted to YeastSpotting

Szechuan Chili Oil

2014-08-23T19:04:00.002+07:00

If there is one condiment I would never share with anyone, it is chili oil.

Perhaps it is the reason why we love to go to Duck King so much, simply because the chili oil is great, if not wonderful. The best one I've had so far was at a small restaurant I used to go to when I was still doing office work. Heck it was a long time ago I already forget the name of the place and sadly it was replaced by Starbucks. Anyhow, I would refuse to go to a Chinese restaurant with average chili oil even when the dish is so stellar compared to Duck King. Chili oil makes a simple dish heavenly, I think.

I actually never bother to make my own chili oil because Duck King is only 10 minutes away from home. Not until yesterday.

My friend sent me a bunch of Szechuan peppercorn. It is quite hard to find it where I live. I have never cooked with it before, but I love the dishes that incorporate those particular peppercorns in. Having so much in my disposal, I immediately think of Mapo Tofu, Bon Bon Chicken, vegetable stir-fries, and many other Szechuan inspired dishes. But no, they have to wait far in line because Baby I am gonna make you sweat! With chili oil.

Adapted from bonappetit.com
Ingredients
Infused Oil:
1 litre vegetable oil
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1 whole garlic
3 inch ginger, the fatter the better
3 tbs coriander seeds
6 star anise
2 tbs green cardamom

Ground Chili:
225 gr dried chili
1/4-1/2 cup Szechuan peppercorns
---
3 tsp salt
3 tbs soy sauce

Directions:

-Bruise all the spices for the infused oil

-In a heavy bottomed pot, pour the oil, put the bruised ingredients in, then simmer on low heat for at least two hours.

**You want the garlic and the ginger just to fizz, not burn, not even brown.

Meanwhile...

-Place the dried chili on a pan and bake it in the oven for around 10 minutes on 150C.

**This step is actually optional but definitely sane. If you buy your dried chili in a traditional market, chances are they do not keep it in tight container. So you wanna get rid of any ants or whatever living being lives there. It adds extra smokiness as well.

-Grind the chili and peppercorns. You don't want it to be too coarse or too fine it turns into powder.

-Place your ground chili in a big bowl, use either glass or stainless bowl, Mix the salt and soy sauce in.

After two hours.....

-Prepare a sieve

-Crank the heat up and let the ginger and the garlic furiously fizz.

-Pour the infused oil through the sieve. Be careful, it sizzles.

Stir and let cool..

I am out of words.

It looks.. Demonic.. and judging from the time it took me to infuse the oil with that amount of spices, I'm not surprised that it is tantalizingly addictive. It is chili oil not like the one I've ever had. It has depth and character. It can even turn a humble instant noodle to a five star noodle dish. Toss it on your dumplings, on dim sum, on meat, on veggies, oh the endless possibilities!

If you're feeling crafty for the next holiday season, buy small mason jars and fill them with your own homemade Szechuan Chili Oil. Lovely gifts they would make.

Okay, off I go now tossing some oil on poached eggs.

Have fun making it,

Amy

Flax & Oat Sourdough

2014-08-22T19:36:00.000+07:00

Passion? Obsession?

There is a very thin line separating the two. For people who have an OCD tendency, the line is often blurred and it is so easy to cross over to the other –not so pretty- side. My family thinks that my passion for bread has become an obsession. They do not mind though. At least we do not starve ;)

Whenever I see another sourdough recipe, if I can’t make it soon, I would think of it until it ingrains in my unconscious mind. Sometimes I even have a lucid dream where I ponder the recipe in my dream and then wake up only to think about that recipe. This unrealistic behavior would stop if the bread in mind is already kneaded and baked. Although when the result is not as imagined, the whole pondering process will start again. Devious, devious cycle!

But let’s not bore you with me "Lecter-ing" myself.

Lol! I can't help it. I'm a hard core Hannibal fan.

Anyhow, let’s talk about this sourdough that contains oats and flax seeds. This bread had been haunting me for some time. When I first saw the title, I was smitten and saved it right away. Sadly, I was so busy at that time I couldn’t make it as soon as I had hoped. So fast forward to several weeks later, I exorcised that demon.

Adapted from houseofbakes.com

Ingredients:

Levain

2 tbs unfed sourdough culture

140 gr water

140gr bread flour

Dough

280 gr bread flour

112 gr whole wheat flour

130gr water

All of the levain

2 tsp salt

Soaker

¼ cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons flaxseeds

1 tbs poppy seeds, optional

Enough water to cover the oat/flax/poppy mixture

Direction:

Levain

Approximately 7 hours before making the dough, mix the sourdough culture and water until fully dispersed then add the flour. Cover with plastic and let rest.

Soaker

Mix the oats, flax, and water. Cover with plastic and let rest.

Make the Dough

-Mix the Levain with water, add flour and mix just until the flour is wet. It should look like a shaggy mess. Cover with plastic and let rest for 30 minutes.

-Add salt and Soaker then mix just until the salt and soaker is incorporated into the dough. Do not over mix here. It should not be a tight ball of dough yet.

-Stretch and fold every 30-45 minutes for 6 intervals. Cover with plastic while it rests.

-Shape however you want it and proof at room temperature for 1½-2 hours.

-Preheat oven to 230C

-Carefully plop your bread on the pan and make a slash.

-Bake for 40-45 minutes until a dark crust has formed.

-Let cool at room temperature for approximately one hour>> THIS, is the hardest part.

That is the picture of the loaf right after I took it out.

Lo!

This is the close up of the crust several minutes after it sat on room temperature.

The crust cracked slowly but sure because the temperature dropped from extremely high to just room temperature. The crumb was still 'cooking' on the inside because of the heat it retained and the crust was experiencing the gradual coolness from the outside. Being able to witness this process is a very rewarding experience. Bakers call it "Sing". Yes, you can hear the bread sing. The multiple crackling sound is very audible and it is the song this type of bread sings.

About the excess flour on the crust, I tried substituting all purpose flour with rice flour for my couche. It worked WONDERS! The dough did not stick at all. Of course as you can also see, I put too much rice flour. But no problemo. It's a matter of aesthetic preference.

Let's check the crumbs..

--I failed to refrain myself from cutting it before it was completely cool. Sinner!

Creamy, delicate, delicious

It is a loaf you would want to bring on a picnic with your family and friends. Accompanied by some butter and a bottle of wine, if possible, it would make your day picture perfect.

This recipe does take longer to make but it really is easier to handle because the dough is not that wet. The resulting bread is also seed packed, healthy, and very delicious it pays off all you hard work. Though next time I would add another 10 grams of so of water just like in the original recipe to have bigger holes in the crumbs.

See? See?

That is why I love bread. Always, there is a room for improvement.

But that is another project for another day, another glorious self-torturing day. Now let's just enjoy the bread with what we have in the pantry, in this case, Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette. Amiko's favorite.

Happy Baking,

Amy

Submitted to YeastSpotting

Heavenly Panzanella

2014-08-19T13:45:00.002+07:00

Every home bread baker will always have days when they bake more than they could eat.

Well, freezing is an option.

But what if you’re not in the mood to freeze your baked goods? Surely you’d feel guilty for throwing those wonderfully made bread. You can dice them, season them, and turn them into beautiful croutons for your soups and salads. You can also grate them, dry them, season them, and make homemade bread crumbs that you can use to coat your choice of protein, or sprinkle on top of a bed of creamy mac’n’cheese. So many options, so many delicious ideas to turn days old bread into something special. But here’s my favorite, Panzanella.

"Panzanella...Summer salad of central Italy consisting of tomatoes, cucumber, onion, basil, vinegar, and olive oil. Also pan molle (soft bread) and panbagnato (soaked bread). From the Latin panis (bread)."

---Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink, John Mariani [Broadway Books:New York] 1997 (p. 178)

The first time I tried Panzanella, I was absolutely not impressed. The vinaigrette was too much it turned the bread into a mush and the tomatoes were not ripe enough. Under ripe tomatoes are best for making sambal, methinks. So I did not care about Panzanella for a long, long time. That is, until I start baking my own bread. With the abundance of bread I have at home, I have to have perfect Panzanella. Two key ingredients in making perfect Panzanella are very ripe tomatoes and bread with open crumbs that would gladly soak the lovely vinaigrette.

There are many ways to make Panzanella. Some of the Florentine traditionalists actually just soak the bread in water and add some very ripe tomatoes, salt, and olive oil. They disapprove additional ingredients such as olives, mozzarella, white wine, capers, celery, red wine, red onion, cucumber, bell, anchovies, peppers, lemon juice, and garlic. But hey, with all due respect to the Fiorentino, I beg to differ. So let’s jump on my not mushy, simple, vegan, unbelievably delicious Panzanella band wagon!

Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Ingredients:

2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 red or white onion, thinly sliced

A handful of basil leaves, coarsely chopped

3-5 black olives, drained and thinly sliced

1 tbs capers, drained and shred to pieces

French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (4-5 cups)

a pinch of salt

2-3 tbs vegetable oil, for pan frying

For the vinaigrette:

1 finely minced garlic

1 tsp Dijon mustard

3 tbs red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

Important note: DO NOT put too much salt in your vinaigrette!

Once the vinaigrette is poured on the salad and mixed well with the other ingredients, you will have additional saltiness from the capers and the olives.

For the bread, you can cut the crust if it is already too hard. Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and a pinch of salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed. You are doing this to prevent the bread from turning into an unappetizing mush.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, onion, basil, olives, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to marry.

Mamma Mia!

Stale bread+ripe tomatoes+vinaigrette= MANNA.

I use my sourdough bread here and if you happen to have sourdough bread at your disposal, all the better. It will take your Panzanella to the next level. If you want to add cucumber, fine. It will provide an extra crunch. Just make sure you take the seeds out first , otherwise it would make the bread too soggy and that's something you wanna avoid.

If you have never had Panzanella before, then I advise you to intentionally leave your bread to stale. Don't you dare touch it. Get some of the ripest tomatoes possible and by God! Make yourself some Panzanella and get lost in all its glory.

Bisous,

Amy

Chocolate Coated Coffee Beans

2014-07-19T15:26:00.001+07:00

When I come across good quality coffee beans, I wouldn’t think twice to buy it. Even if it’s just for 100gr, I have to bring those babies home. So there is this new coffee kiosk in the traditional market near my house. It’s probably just a 3x4m kiosk but boy, does it have plenty of coffee varieties. I usually stop by to place my order then off to buy some veggies or whatever I come to the market for and get back there to retrieve that excellently made cup of coffee. It takes quite sometimes to make because the barista brews the coffee manually.

So last week, they offered me some beans from Vietnam. One sniff of the jar full of those perfectly roasted coffee beans will make you think you’re in Shangrila. That’s the thing with coffee I think. It contains caffeine. Caffeine is a drug. Just like its illegal cousins, it makes you more alert, focused, and happy. I like that. I really, really like that. So by the time I got home, I decided to half the beans to be ground later and some to be covered in chocolate. That way, you’ll get high faster, easier, and still not breaking the law.

“Sir, I need to report my neighbor. There is this crazy cat lady who never sleeps and I think she just might consume something illegal.” Said my neighbor.

I say.. Oh, neighbor.. I pity your existence.

Anyhow, let’s appreciate good beans by eating them. That way, you shall waste nothing.

Ingredients:

150gr good quality milk/dark chocolate

75gr freshly roasted coffee beans

Directions:

-Melt the chocolate in a bain marie.

-Once the chocolate has begun to melt, take the bowl off the water.

-Start tempering the chocolate by stirring. You need to let the heat dissipate so you can use your chocolate. This will take a while. You just need to keep on stirring to get it tempered.

~~How do I know whether it’s tempered or not?

Dip the back of a spoon into the chocolate and place in the fridge for 2-3 minutes. If the chocolate is completely set up, smooth and slightly shiny, then the chocolate is tempered.

-Once your chocolate is tempered, dump the beans in.

-Stir until all the beans are coated. Then using a small fork, take each coated beans and place it on a baking sheet.

-Put the coated chocolate in the fridge to speed up the setting up process.

-Peel the cocoa beans off the sheet and store in a glass jar (mason or Ball jar) in the fridge.

What a sophisticated snack!

I'm glad I am patient enough to individually separate the beans. You can, of course, make it in a cluster of two or three beans. But it was such a zen moment for me. No TV, no cell phone, just me, the repetitive action, and the sound of chirping bird in a distance.

A little note:

-Know your beans and find the right chocolate that matches the beans.

-If you use milk chocolate, you don't need to add any powdered sugar to the chocolate when you temper it.

-I use dark but added about almost a table spoon of powdered sugar to give a hint of sweetness in the chocolate because I want to be able to taste the chocolate before the bitterness of the coffee beans kicks in.

-This is not popcorn. You will turn into an energizer bunny if you eat too much at the same time.

Anyhow, if you're an adult and you love coffee, do make this. I promise it is worthy of your precious time.

Cheers,

Amy

Cheddar Brioche Buns

2014-07-15T17:00:00.004+07:00

Here comes the rain again

Falling on my head like a memory

Falling on my head like a new emotion

Ah.. I love Annie Lennox, I love 80s music, I love the cool air, and the smell of the rain!

I am not allergic to sun, it is just that my energy dissipates and my brain goes on hibernate mode when the sun is up in full blast. I am not a lizard, mind you, so there is no need for me to bask in the golden ray of sunshine and soak that vitamin D. Now that I am rejuvenated, I need to celebrate with something indulging, preferably sinfully.

When it comes to French pastry for breakfast, Brioche and Croissant are two of everyone’s top of the list. You can be a brioche person or you can be a croissant person. Though taking sides is the act of a person who has never tried both made from REAL butter. Yep, don’t say you like brioche or croissant better than the other if you have never tried tasting the one made with REAL butter and the dough is rested OVERNIGHT. Truly, they have the ability to transport you to cloud no.9.

Both are yeasted, both use lots of butter, but one is far easier to be made and won't stain your shirt with flakes.

Now that.. is my golden sun to go with my coffee.

Shall we make it?

Adapted from Savory Simple.

Ingredients:

340gr all purpose flour

1/4 cup dry milk

3 tbs granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbs instant yeast

3 eggs

1/4 cup lukewarm water minus 1 tbs

140 gr unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated (or more as needed)

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked (for egg wash)

coarse sea salt

Instructions:

-Mix the flour, dry milk, sugar, salt and instant yeast together.

-Add the 3 eggs and butter. Mix everything and add the water little by little.

~~If you’re kneading by hands then you really need to pay the attention to the water and adding it little by little because enriched dough is a naughty boy. You’ve gotta spank it but treat it gently to really get him to do what you want. But if you have the luxury of owning a mixer, by all means, work that dough hook on a low speed! Whichever vessel you use, knead for 20-30 minutes.

-Place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

-After 1 hour, place the covered bowl into the refrigerator and chill overnight (or 3 hours minimum).

-Set the dough on the counter for 45 minutes to soften the butter slightly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

-Roll the dough into a rectangle and spread your shredded cheddar cheese.

-Divide into 8 to make 8 buns.

-Place the buns on the prepared sheet, cover loosely with clingfilm and allow to rise for another 3 hours.

-Brush the buns with egg wash liberally and sprinkle some coarse sea salt.

-Bake the buns in a 180C oven for 25 minutes or until they're a deep golden brown.

Baked to perfection!

Yes.. Yes.. I am a bread snob and I can snobbishly say you won't find brioche as good as these unless you make it by yourself using the ingredients stated or get on a jet plane and go to France. Because I can vouch that the bakeries around town do not use 100% pure butter and they sure don't have the time to let the dough rise overnight.

I did say something about making something sinful, right? Well, the addition of cheese in the dough just hits the bulls eye. These keep well frozen so you can wrap it individually and pop it in the microwave for breakfast. Of course you can invite Beelzebub over by putting some dark chocolate in the center. Cheese and chocolate? Perfect mate.

Or if you feel like inviting Lucifer over, slice the brioche and put some bacon and cheese in the middle. It's a thought. A completely sane thought.

Go ahead, indulge!

Amy

Thin Crust Pizza, No Proofing Required

2014-07-01T16:23:00.000+07:00

The most iconic Italian food is pizza.

But it doesn’t necessarily come from Italy. If you have the time to read about pizza’s origin, you will be presented by a massive amount of stories that consist of dates and names which go back as far as 990 AD. Babylonians, Israelites, Egyptians, Armenians, Greeks, and Romans, and other ancient cultures ate flat, unleavened bread cooked in hearth or mud ovens. Almost every culture has its own version of flat bread. But Italy's version of the dish, especially from Naples, is the one we are familiar with and widely known later as pizza. Although back in 16th century its name was not pizza and it was commonly known as the dish for poor people. It was sold in the street and was not considered a kitchen recipe.

A fun fact about pizza; In 1843, Alexandre Dumas described the diversity of pizza toppings in Le Corricolo. There is a chapter about his impressions on Naples. You can read it at www.dumaspere.com. Wow, to think that the writer of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers actually walked around the market and tasted the flat bread that we also love to eat nowadays is pretty amazing.

Anyway, just as Alexandre Dumas described, there are many toppings, there are many sizes, and there are many ingredients people use to make a pizza. It hasn’t changed much for centuries. I have had my share of pizza baking and have tried so many variation of crust from thick to thin and from sourdough to no knead. They are all delicious and I say it is impossible for someone just to have a single preference of crust. There is no “I’m a thick crust pizza person” or “I’m a thin crust pizza person”. That statement is not legit. Because once you take side and one day you’re served with a pizza so good and it’s not on your spectrum of crust, you’d be questioning your believe.

Thick or thin, as long as you use good quality ingredients, you follow the recipe well, your oven is hot, then your pizza will be delicious.

One thing in common in most pizza is that it requires proofing time in the making even in the thin crust pizza. But what if you’re so hungry and you’re craving for pizza as in —I have to eat some goddamn pizza or I’m gonna punch somebody in the face—kind of craving? The solution is to make the no proofing required pizza. If you have a favorite fancy pizzeria that serves really, I mean really, thin pizza which flaunts the minimalist yet delicious toppings, then it is time to stop paying for their pizza and make it by yourself.

Here’s how...

Adapted from fearlesshomemaker.com

Crust:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour*

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp dried herbs of your choice

1 clove of garlic, very finely minced

1 cup of warm almost hot water**

Note:

*You can substitute it with all purpose flour but use only 3/4 cup of water

**Test the water by submerging your finger in the cup. It has to be hot but not too hot you can't put your finger in.

Toppings:

Whatever you want.

Of course the basic ones you ought to have is the marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and olive oil.

First,

Put your baking stone on the oven floor. If you don't have a baking stone then just skip this step. Turn your oven on, crank it up to 250C. If your oven can't go that high, 240C is okay, just add the baking time.

Then,

-Mix all the dry ingredients, add the water, and knead until it is supple and smooth. Not sticky.

-Divide into two balls.

-Get one ball. Using a rolling pin, roll it until thin.

-Get your pizza peel, put a baking sheet or parchment paper on it, then transfer your rolled dough on it. If you are not using a baking stone, just place a baking sheet or a parchment paper on a baking tray.

-To get your dough as thin as possible, after you roll it, pick it up and stretch it with your hands. Let the gravity and the weight of the dough help you. Just don't do it if you have long nails. The nails will poke holes on the flimsy dough.

Afterwards,

Spread only the sauce. 1/4 cup of sauce is enough for one pizza. Trust me, a little goes a long way. A soggy thin crust pizza is not appealing on the palate and on the eyes.

Finally,

-Bake it for 4-5 minutes

-Take it out, put the cheese and other toppings on, drizzle with olive oil.

-Bake again for 2-3 minutes

-If you can wait, let it cool on the wire rack for 2-3 minutes before cutting it

Here's the picture of the bottom of the pizza, perfectly charred in some spots ensuring you that it is crispy yet still pliable in case you choose to fold it.

Hubba hubba..

The beauty of thin crust pizza is that the crust lets the topping shines, no matter how simple it is, yet still shines on its own.

Oh the cheeesse..

This pizza will feed 3 polite people or two hungry people.

Or one savage known as a husband.

So, remember that we still have one ball of dough left? You can bake it right after you bake the first pizza or you can keep it refrigerated in a container. It will keep well for around 3-4 days. That means when the hunger strikes, you'll have no need to knead and you can have delicious pizza in less than 30 minutes. How convenient is that?

That's the one I baked with two days old dough. Taste even better. I had some blanched broccoli in the ziplock bag so off they go as the topping. If you use your cold half cooked veggies for your pizza topping, just toss them on the tomato sauce that you spread on the dough. You definitely do not want hot pizza together with icy cold veggies. After that, proceed in the same fashion.

Happy pizza baking,

Amy

Flaxmond Oreo Spread

2014-05-05T09:54:00.001+07:00

No, you did not read it wrong.

There is an actual store bought Oreo here. I mean, I can go all the way to make my Oreo from scratch but that, my friend, is a task for another day. There is always another day to be crafty in the kitchen. Just not now when Jakarta’s heat is merciless and you just can’t help to wonder how it actually feels to rub those ice cubes on your chest like a cheesy early 90s ad only to realize you hate to wet your clothes.

I came across something called Oreo Butter a couple months ago. That is a pit, a bottomless pitch black pit, or a trench in the abyss if you would like me to exaggerate it, that you would like to jump into. It is basically a bread spread made by putting Oreo in a food processor and some oil to form a spreadable paste.

Have I tried it? Yes.

Is it good? Like hell.

Spread it on bread and you will instantly feel like a rebel without a cause.

The thing is, it is not something you wanna give your family. It is something you wanna keep for yourself when the going gets tough and you need a friend to be with you when you get the tough going. Is there any way to enjoy it without guilt? Of course. I found some people who are boosting their daily protein intake use peanuts in the making of the spread. Like this Oreo peanut Butter from Crazy for Crust. So I have this great idea of taking a step further and making a spread that is filled with powerhouse ingredients that still has Oreo in it.

~Toss a good amount of almonds and organic golden flax seeds!

Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats which can reduce the risk of heart disease. It is high in vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and many other beneficial nutrients. Mixed with flax seeds which is crazily high in omega-3, you have a powerhouse combo!

Do not worry if you do not have flax seeds, you can use all almond in this recipe. Just make sure you use almonds with skins, not blanched. Because almond skins are a good source of pectin and dietary fiber that can serve as food for healthy gut bacteria in your tummy. Healthy digestive system equals healthy immune system.

Recipe:

1 cup toasted almonds

1/2 cup flax seeds

10 Oreo

3-5 tbs olive oil

Directions:

Blend it in your blender or food processor. That's it.

Now look at that glossy, spread. And it's black! Everything is sexier in black.

It would be kinder to your blender if you crush your oreo and grind your almond first if your blender is an old school blender like mine. But if you have a state of the art blender, work it!

Apart from using it as a spread for your bread, you can also use it as a dip for fresh fruits. I'm doing justice to healthy eating here. So if you have small kids, this spread can be a good idea to be served next to their fruit platter.

Yeah, it is also a good idea to feed your kids fruit and leave the crackers all for the parents. God! This! With crackers and binge watching on your favorite tv show is heaven. Be forewarned though, you will find yourself licking the spoon and the blender blade and the blender glass after you make this.

Stay healthy,

Amy

Dulce de Leche VS Confiture de Lait

2014-04-25T21:23:00.000+07:00

Dulce de Leche.

Long before I know what it means, those words already looked sexy to me. Once I know what it means, candy made of milk (literally) or milk jam, and had my first spoonful of it, my mind wandered far back to my high school and college days. Why didn’t I make this when I was boyfriend-less? This stuff is legitimately Hell sent because it is too awfully good to be Heaven sent. Surely everything that is too damn good is either sinful, unhealthy, or fattening.

You don’t need to be an expert cook to make Dulce de Leche. You only need to slowly heat sweetened condensed milk until the moisture evaporates. The maillard reaction will then turn the color into brown. It is simple science. When you heat your food, the chemical reaction between amino acids and the sugar which is reduced by the high heat will brown the food and give it a new dimension of flavor. It also occurs on the surface of the bread, on the seared steak, and just about anything pan-fried. You just love that caramelization, don’t you?

There are many methods to make Dulce de Leche. You can read it here on WikiHow: Dulce de Leche. Here is mine cooked for 4 hours in the slow cooker with the setting on high.

Please don’t ask again how this tastes. It tastes like sin.

Your wall of devotion will crumble and your faith will quiver with just a lick.

There is a problem though with this technique. In this era of research and technology, we now know that boiling can in hot water is not safe for so many health reasons like metal poisoning or the possibility of the BPA contained in the sealing agent of the can leaching into the food. But people throughout the world have been making Dulce de Leche this way for decades and they can swear to you that boiling the can in the water is THE best way to achieve the desirable result and they live to tell the tale. Such sweet, sweet, happy tale.

I’m a relapsing sweet addict.

I just gotta have it when I want it. But I graduated from just an addict to a fully functioning addict. Let me dance longer with my favorite substance by just cooking it in a more gallant way. That is by throwing away the can, put the sweetened condensed milk in a mason jar, and boil the jar just like boiling the can. It takes away the fear of getting poisoned by metal and BPA. If you think your jar can’t hold the long time cooking, well.. it can. Check this post on Natasha's Kitchen.

But if you are a purist that thinks sweetened condensed milk is an abomination or just a geek who loves trying out new recipes, then Confiture de Lait is just the right thing for you.

If Dulce de Leche originates from South America, Confiture de Lait is a specialty of Normandy, France. It is very much similar to a thick Dulce de Leche. As we know, some people like their Dulce de Leche thin, some like it very thick that it can actually be consumed like a soft milk candy. You can absolutely adjust the sweetness to your liking because Confiture de Lait is made by cooking the sugar with FRESH MILK.

Confiture de Lait

Recipe:

1 Liter fresh milk

150 gr sugar

150 gr brown sugar

A dash of vanilla

A pinch (or more) of salt

Directions:

Cook all the ingredients on low heat if you want less stirring but it will require more cooking time. I cook mine on medium low and stir every 10 minutes or so. It is done in less than two hour.

There is no right cooking time for making both Dulce de Leche or Confiture de Lait because the thickness preference is different for each person. I like mine not too thick because I want it spreadable on my bread and easy enough to stir in my coffee.

From 1 Liter of milk and the amount of sugar I use in my recipe I get around 325 ml of Confiture de Lait. You can always increase or decrease the amount of sugar to your liking. If you do not have brown sugar, just use plain white sugar. The reason I use brown sugar is just to add more depth to the flavor.

I guess there is no need to deny your nature, human!

You want this. You need this.

Cheers,

Amy

Pan Di Ramerino

2014-04-17T17:33:00.001+07:00

Let’s get things straight: I am a hopeless romantic to the core of my soul.

Please do not confuse my view of romance by associating it with cheesy Hollywood rom-com. Ever.

My family was not rich, we weren’t poor either, but we never held back when it comes to entertaining our imagination. So whenever mom and dad had some extra money, they would take us shopping to our hearts’ content in the bookshop. I guess that is the greatest gift they have ever given me; to know how to seek solace and go places without actually having to budge. It’s all in our mind. How I miss my childhood..

Today is mom’s birthday and I decide to make her something she would love. She loves cake, of course, who doesn’t? But she loves something simpler, preferably with a piece of history behind its origin. So I thought why not make Pan di Ramerino? Not only today is her birthday, today is also Holy Thursday. This is the bread that the people all over Florence and Tuscany has been selling and enjoying every Holy Thursday. Back then, bakeries sell the bread after having it blessed in nearby churches.

Pan di Ramerino means rosemary bread: pan (pane or bread), di (of), ramerino (rosemary). Well, rosemary is actually rosmarino in Italian but the Tuscans dearly hold the dialect, ‘ramerino’ they say. It’s not hard to make this bread and the ingredients are very easy to find. Because mainly, all you need is.. Rosemary.

Makes 12 bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup golden/black raisins

3 tsp instant yeast

2 tbs sugar

375 gr bread flour

1/4cup wheat bran (optional)

1-2tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1/2-3/4 cup water

2 eggs

Another egg for egg wash (optional)

----

Rosemary heavy syrup:

1/3 cup sugar

a sprig of fresh rosemary

3 tbs water

~Heat on low until the sugar dissolves but not caramelized

Adapted from joepastry.com

Directions:

-The night before (you can do this the same day, though the flavor intensifies overnight); pour the olive oil into a small saucepan. Put 3 fresh rosemary sprigs in ( I accidently put more, which is fine :). Heat it very low for around two minutes. Your hand should not burn when you touch the oil. Let it infuse overnight.

-The morning after; take the rosemary out of the oil. Add the raisins to the pan. Sauté for about 30 seconds to one minute. They will look slightly plump. Strain the raisins, reserve the oil, and set them aside to cool.

-Combine the dry ingredients.

-Mix the rosemary infused oil with eggs and 1/2cup of water. Pour into the dry ingredients.

-Knead until it is elastic, smooth, and supple. Do add more water if your dough is too hard.

-Knead in the raisins and chopped rosemary.

-Remove the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and let it rest about an hour until it doubles in size.

-Cut the dough into 12 pieces, shape them into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

-Brush lightly with more olive oil and let them proof about 30 minutes.

-Score a tic-tac-toe pattern (Ack! I completely forgot about scoring. It is fine and doesn’t affect the taste whatsoever) and brush with eggwash.

-Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven, 200C.

-Let them cool on a wire rack and while they’re still warm, apply rosemary heavy syrup glaze.

I have been baking bread for sometime and eating bread for my entire life and this is by far the most elegant bread I have ever tasted. The crust is soft but not fragile and the crumb is like cotton and it's bursting with flavors.

It is not your typical sweet bread because there is a hint of savoriness inside. I, who do not usually appreciate raisins, truly look at raisins with a renewed astonishment after they're cooked in rosemary infused oil. Speaking of oil, the use of olive oil in this bread somehow nullifies the fact that it uses two eggs. It somehow cuts the richness and leaves a clean aftertaste. Very light indeed!

I don't know about you.. but for me, in my moment of living this life, I am always drawn and enticed by things and people that have come before me. Making bread is not just therapeutic, it is somehow a very spiritual process because, pray tell, what is it that so major that has changed since the first bread was baked?

I may not be an architect like my dad wanted, because I do not know how to put soul into the plan I drew. But bread, something so simple and humble, is patience comes to life. It's how I quench my unquenchable curiosity, how I retrace the steps of the dreamers that lived their life to the fullest before me.

Have a bread, have a slice of life.

Amy

Submitting this to YeastSpotting

Homemade Yogurt

2014-04-15T13:03:00.001+07:00

Would you like to have a bowl of silky yogurt topped with avocado slices, chopped almonds, and drizzled with honey?

I know I do.

I know I want it for breakfast, snack, and dinner if I feel like eating light.

But I can't spend that much money just for yogurt. I know it's healthy, though.

What to do? Make it at home.

I’ve been meaning to write about how to make homemade yogurt since last year. Alas, the road to my computer is blocked by heaps of books begging to be read. So it isn’t my entire fault, you see. I've tried.

With prices skyrocketing, I am forced to do many DIY projects. It’s a good thing actually. So whatever the future brings, the simple, sustainable lifestyle we’ve been living should help us get through many things. Why pay for simple indulgence if you can make it by yourself?

A tub of 500gr good quality plain (greek) yogurt, store bought, cost 4$
A tub of 1kg good quality plain (greek) yogurt, homemade, cost 1.5$

That’s my rough calculation. But that simple math should make you want to start making homemade yogurt especially if it is a staple in your everyday meal and cooking.

Essential tools for yogurt making:

-Thermometer

-Stock Pot (minimum 1.5L)

-Spatula

-Glass jar(s)

Ingredients:

1 Litre of PASTEURIZED milk. Not UHT.

1 cup of good quality plain (greek) yogurt.

2-3 tbs milk powder (optional)

Directions:

-Have all of the ingredients in room temperature.

-Heat the milk on medium heat, while stirring, until it reaches 85C.
-When it has reached 85C, remove the pot from the stove

-Let the milk cool in the pot until it is down to 38C

-Meanwhile, sterilize and dry the jars. You can use big Ball jar, or you can use ex-jam jars you have at home. They will all do.

-Mix the milk powder into the cooling milk, make sure there’s no lump.

-Once the milk has cooled to 38C, stir your 1 cup of room temperature yogurt in. Stir the yogurt before you put it in the milk so it would be easier to avoid lumps.

-Pour your milk-yogurt mixture in to the prepared jar(s) and close the lid(s).

-Place it in a warm place and leave it untouched for 8-12 hours to let the bacteria multiply.

-Refrigerate it right away

-Enjoy it plain or have it with toppings!

Important notes, tips, and reminders

-The use of milk powder is to thicken the yogurt, feel free to omit if you want thinner consistency.

-Ideas of warm places: On your refrigerator, next to your rice cooker, next to your slow cooker, inside your oven with the light on, your embrace.

-Do not temper with the yogurt until it’s fully chilled in the refrigerator.

-Keep 1cup of your homemade yogurt for making another batch of yogurt next time.

-This homemade yogurt must always be refrigerated and it is best consumed within 2 weeks.

Now if you have the luxury of owning a yogurt maker, you still have to follow the cooking steps. A yogurt maker is actually a warmer just like a baby food/milk warmer. You put your milk-yogurt mixture in the yogurt maker and the machine keeps it warm by generating a low heat. It isn’t a tool for making yogurt instantly. Do not be fooled. It does, I admit, help a lot. I recently purchased one and I have to say that it is the best kitchen gadget I own next to my ice cream maker. It’s cheap and consumes only 25Watt of electricity. With a steady heat like that, it takes me only 7 hours to finish the yogurt before it’s refrigerated.

Don't be discouraged to make yogurt without yogurt maker. Just find a warm spot in your house and your very own lactobacillus farm is good to go.

Stay healthy,

Amy

Pumpkin Wheat Loaf

2014-03-14T20:03:00.001+07:00

Like I said in my previous post, I shall be posting more bread made with water roux starter (if I'm not tempted by baguettes, of course). Since frozen pumpkin puree is one of the ready handy item I always stock in my hopefully always well-stocked pantry and the fact that I never cease trying to incorporate as much fiber as I can in our family meals, Pumpkin Wheat Loaf deserves to be on my to-bake-list.

A little note on the pumpkin puree, you can make it by yourself by roasting or steaming your pumpkin. if you opt for steaming, be sure to let it sit on a fine sieve at least an hour because steaming will result in more moisture contained in the pumpkin and it will effect the end result of your bread. You want gummy bears, not gummy bread. Canned pumpkin works wonderful and will give your bread wonderful orange color. I don't do canned foods, but it's just a personal preference.

Adapted from christinerecipes.com

Ingredients:

120 gr water roux mixture, find out how in my post HERE

100 gr pumpkin puree

1 egg

100 ml milk

40 gr honey

15 gr milk powder/non-dairy creamer

1/2 tsp salt

325 gr bread flour

25 gr wheat bran

2 tsp instant yeast

25 gr butter, melted

Another egg for eggwash

Note: No wheat bran? substitute it with bread flour.

Directions:

-Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl

-Mix the milk, egg, pumpkin, honey, and egg in a separate bowl

-Mix the dry and wet ingredients together then add the water roux mixture.

-Knead well and let it sit covered in plastic until it doubles in size.

-After the 1st proofing is done, divide the dough into 3 equal portions and let them rest for another 15 minutes.

Let's shape the dough!

1. Roll the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape.

2. Flip 1/3 of the right part to the middle.

3. Flip 1/3 of the left part to the middle, you can do it vice versa as well. Seal tight.

4. Roll it flat until it is 30cm long.

5. Roll it like a roll cake.

6. Place it in a greased 9x5inch loaf pan.

After that...

-Cover the loaf wannabe with plastic and proof again until it doubles.

-Brush with eggwash.

-Bake in a preheated oven. 180C for 30 minutes.

-Cool on wire rack before slicing. Never slice hot bread.

Don't you just wanna kiss the loaf?

You won't taste much of the pumpkin here if the pumpkin you use is not very riped. Nevertheless, honey gives it a light sweet note. Very pleasant indeed. The texture? Super soft. Overall, this bread is very delicious and healthy for the whole family.

Do you feel happy if your family eats well? I do J

Cheers,

Amy

How To Make Water Roux/Tang Zhong Mixture

2014-03-11T21:47:00.001+07:00

For a blog dedicated in (mostly) home bread baking, I have not posted enough Asian bread recipe. That's pretty ironic since I, myself, am Asian to the core. Who am I to eat French bread and refuse soft, cottony Asian bread.

There are two reasons on why I seem to neglect making Asian bread at home. First, and it's such a simple reason indeed, I can find it almost everywhere in town. Even if I don't try to find it, the bicycle riding street vendors will ride from one neighborhood to another offering fresh baked bread twice a day, morning and late afternoon, so I don't always bother making it. Second, this is serious, ever since I involve myself more and more in the world of bread making, like any other world, there is always a dark side.

Oooohh... (scary sound effects in)

The dark side I'm talking about is actually the story behind any mass produced food: The excessive use of chemicals, improver, artificial colorings, and preservatives. Some additives might obtained an okay permit from the government and some did not, which comes back to the question of whether you trust the government or not. Those beautiful looking bread sold at the mall will take your breath away, sometimes literally. I admit they taste really good. My lazy self sometimes succumbs to the temptation of not having to knead heavy dough in the morning. But I also know they contain enhancers, bread improver, and multiple enzymes manufactured in factories. But the more expensive the bread is, the lesser amount of additives it contains.

Well, how convenient. Now we all can feel a lot better.

But then I must ask you the question I always ask my friends, "Would you rather spend 50 thousand Rupiah for one loaf of bread or for a half kilo of meat you can turn into hearty stew and eat with hot rice?"

If you answer meat, then this post, even my whole blog, is meant for you: Bread lovers who enjoy wonderful bread but refuse to pay a lot because what is bread but flour, water, and yeast.

So since I am hoping to post more daily Asian bread in the future, I shall elaborate as clear and as easy as possible on how to make your go-to water roux mixture and all the yada-yadas.

WHAT IS WATER ROUX ALL ABOUT

As we all know, roux is a thick mixture used as thickeners in soups and sauces. It is usually made with fat and flour. Water roux is basically a thick paste, hence the word 'roux', made with water and bread flour. But here's the catch: Water Roux mixture can do more than just imitate what bread improver and preservatives do to a loaf. Water roux mixture traps the moisture in the bread during the baking process and retains it even after the bread is baked.

Tall, fluffy, and tender loaf is a promise.

To make 135gr of Water Roux mixture, you only need:

-25 gr bread flour

-125 ml water

Whisk together the water and the flour until the mixture is lump free. Over medium heat, stir the mixture.

Once you see the mixture thickens, you have to pay really close attention. Theory-wise, you should stop when the mixture's temperature reaches 65C. But not everyone has a candy thermometer and honestly, this is something you can eyeball. So when yours starts to look like the one on the picture above; thick with lines starting to appear, remove right away from the fire.

The right color for water roux is white and the consistency is rather similar to pastry cream. IF your water roux's color is grey, then my friend.. you have succeeded in making glue out of starch. Do start all over again.

HOW TO STORE YOUR WATER ROUX MIXTURE

Just like storing pastry cream, you have to put a cling film on the surface of the water roux mixture to avoid the 'skin' from forming and you also must keep it refrigerated. It will last 2-3 days.

HOW TO USE WATER ROUX IN A RECIPE

-ALWAYS bring your water roux mixture into room temperature before incorporating it into the recipe that already states how much it needs and don't forget to measure it. If you need more than 135gr, all you have to do is double the recipe.

-If you want to convert a non-water roux recipe to a recipe that contains water roux mixture, all you have to do is take the 1/2 cup of the liquid and 25 gr of flour in the original recipe, cook a water roux mixture, cool in the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature, then incorporate it in the recipe you've chosen.

So, that's all folks! Feel free to talk about bread baking with me and I hope this post is helpful to you.

Happy baking bread!

Amy

Sausage Caterpillar Bread

2014-02-28T15:42:00.002+07:00

A very dear friend of mine who is also a great chef, Yana, made some sausage bread that looked wonderful and totally mouth watering. She wouldn’t normally bake bread because kneading has never been her cup of tea. So after lots of bantering and throwing loving insults on each other’s cooking, she told me that the bread doesn’t require a preliminary kneading nor it is a no knead bread.

Hmm, that does spark my curiosity.

I’ve never tried making bread in that fashion before so I reckon it would be nice to give it a go. This recipe is originally called Sweet Roll Bread and is currently trending on NCC Facebook group. I modified the recipe to make it higher in fiber and easier to work with. See note for the use of flour.

Let’s head straight to the recipe shall we J

Ingredients

225 ml warm milk

2 tsp instant yeast

1 egg, room temperature

50 gr butter, softened

1 tsp salt

50 gr sugar

175 gr whole wheat flour

25 gr wheat bran

150 gr all purpose flour

100 gr bread flour

*Extra flour for kneading

*Your fave sausages

*Dried herbs

*Cheddar Cheese

Note: You can use solely all purpose flour in place of the whole wheat flour and wheat bran.

Directions

-Dissolve the yeast in warm milk.

-Put the egg, sugar, salt, and butter in the milk.

-Mix the flour all together in a big bowl then pour the milk mixture in.

-Stir. Just stir. No need to knead.

-Cover the bowl with plastic and wait until it doubles in size, about an hour.

-Now it's kneading time. You DEFINITELY need more flour because the dough is very sticky.

-Knead until it's supple and elastic.

-Divide the dough into ten if you have a family with big appetite, like mine, or fourteen if they don't get hungry easily.

How To Shape Your Sausage Bread

1. Get a ball of dough and roll it just a bit bigger than the sausage's size. Put the sausage in the middle

2. Fold and seal the edge of the dough

3. Using a sharp knife, cut ONLY the dough which covers the sausage

4. Like braiding in reverse, pull the ends of the sausage filled dough out and twist it a bit to reveal the sausage.

-Let your caterpillars sit for another hour covered in plastic, then squirt some tomato ketchup and chili sauce, grate some soft cheddar cheese, and sprinkle some dried herbs such as oregano or thyme, or both.

-Bake in 200C oven for 12 minutes if your using all white flour, 15 minutes if your using my recipe.

-Brush with melted butter right after they're done

Whoa.. I have to say I'm very happy with the result!

These caterpillars are people pleaser. The aroma is powerful enough to lure someone out of their dieting zone.

It is nice to learn something new everyday. This bread is fairly easy to make and won't take too much of your time. If you have a weekend off, do double the recipe and refrigerate them. Pop them in the microwave for breakfast, for fast supper, or just whenever you feel like eating something savory J

Happy baking,

Amy

Nutella Overload Bread

2014-02-12T17:38:00.001+07:00

With the recent appearance of the sun, I took my time doing the laundry, enjoying the early morning breeze, daydreaming of beautiful events in the past, while feeling thankful that I am still standing after so many raging storms. I can’t help it. My thoughts and moods seem to be in accordance with the weather. With Louis Armstrong singing La Vie En Rose for the morning alarm, I really do feel like the sun is lounging around a bit longer this time.

To celebrate the good weather, well.. actually I’m treating myself something rich and chocolatey because PMS is kicking and screaming and chocolate sure calms it down significantly, I shall be making chocolate bread. I assure you it is not your average chocolate bread. I call it Nutella Overload Bread.

Chocolate + Hazelnut = Nutella

Well, it isn’t necessary to use that particular brand as the answer. Saying chocolate hazelnut spread is way too mouthful and has more syllables. Be it comes in a jar or you make it yourself, that combo is a shortcut to cloud number nine. It is weed for the soul and you won’t get arrested for possession. The only thing that you’d compromise is your jeans size though I’m definitely sure that thought won’t stop you from licking another spoonful of Nutella after you generously smear it on your bread.

Let’s bake it!

Nutella Overload Bread

Adapted from Handimania

Ingredients:

420 gr bread flour

30 gr wheat bran (can be replaced with bread flour)

250 ml warm milk (if using wheat bran. Use 220 ml if not)

1 ½ tsp vanilla essence

2 egg yolks

1 ½ tsp instant yeast

30 gr vegetable oil

35 gr sugar

pinch of salt

Water, if needed

As much Nutella as you want, baby!

Directions:
-Mix all the ingredients except the Nutella.
-Knead well. Add more water if your dough is fighting you back and feels dry.
-Oil a bowl, put your dough in, and let rest until it doubles in size.
-Divide the dough into 5 pieces.

-Roll your dough until it's 2-3mm thick.

-Use the base of a round pan or pretty much something round, thin, and flat to simply mark the dough as a border. I use my 22cm pie pan base.

-Spread the Nutella within the border.

-Roll another dough and gently stack them up.

-Cut the excess dough using the pan as the template.

-Make 8 incision and twist the lower edge of each one in.

-Brush the bread with some egg whites.

-Bake it right away in a preheated oven, 175C for 15 minutes. There is no need to wait for the second rise.

NUTELLAGASM!!

I am so giggling like a little girl because of the softness and the deliciousness of this bread. You may find a marbled or layered chocolate bread at the store but the chocolate filling will never be as extreme as this one. Come to think of it, the extremity of this bread reflects how extreme you are with the amount of Nutella you spread between the layers.

Shall we take a closer look?

Simply pull one layer at a time and the oozing chocolate will make you melt with happiness. Such utter bliss.

Why make something like this when you can just spread the Nutella on a slice of bread?

WHY NOT.

Mediocrity is just an option as greatness is.

Here's for life, may it brings us happiness

Here's for imagination, may it sets us free

Here's for family, may it keeps us grounded

Here's to fun, may it eradicates everything banal

Cheers,

Amy

Extreme Garlic Loaf

2014-02-07T14:52:00.003+07:00

If you still buy your garlic bread, truly, you must have never been to garlic bread paradise.

There are so many garlic bread recipes out there and 80% of them taste better than store bought or even from ones you get from restaurants. Even a simple white bread slathered with butter, sprinkled with garlic powder, and quickly toasted tastes better than opening your wallet and paying for something less than mediocre.

When I was a kid, spending money on treats was fun. Stale bread slathered with cheap chocolate when bought with my allowance at school and shared with friends tasted like the ultimate chocolate bread. But now, yes I admit I'm a snob when it comes to bread, I reject the idea of spending hard earned money for food that taste so-so. We live today, so we should eat well. Even if it's just an egg, be it one that's poached properly. Even if it's just a piece of brownies, be it one that will take you to heaven and back.

Savor every bite.

Since I have some leftover marinara sauce in the fridge, having it as a dipping sauce would be nice. It isn't enough for even two portions of pasta and it's so good I don't wanna throw it away. So garlic bread it is. Well, in this case, loaf. Anyhow, it is based on the recipe I found at Taste of Home. Garlic Bubble Loaf. The title seemed fun, so I clicked it, read the ingredients list and came up with my version which has more garlic and more fiber in the dough.

Ingredients

The Dough

350 gr all purpose flour

25 gr wheat bran*

7 gr instant yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tbs sugar

2 tbs poppy seed, optional

2 tbs garlic infused olive oil**

1 cup warm milk

Warm water, if your dough feels too dry

*Substitute wheat bran with flour if you don't have it

**Finely chopped 3-4 garlic cloves and heat them in olive oil. Just heat, not fry. Leave until cool.

Melted Garlic Butter

50 gr unsalted butter, melted

1 clove of garlic, crushed

3 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

-Mix and knead the dough ingredients well.

-Oil a bowl, leave it to proof until it's doubled in size, about an hour.

-Divide the dough into eight, or more, and form a ball out of each.

-Prepare your melted garlic butter, dip, and coat each ball in the butter.

- Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan and put the dough balls in the pan. Pour the rest of the butter on the dough balls.

-Cover your dough with plastic and let rest until it doubles, approximately one hour.

***My picture has olive and cheese between each balls. That's because Amiko decided to interfere and make the loaf 'her style'.

-Bake the loaf in 185C oven for 40 minutes.

-Wait 10 minutes before you take the loaf out of the pan.

Oh THE SMELL!

You will hear a 'frying' sound while the loaf is being baked. No worries, that means you're doing it right. The excess butter, the one you pour on the loaf after you dip the dough balls, will literally fry the bottom and make the bottom extra crispy and oh so yummy!

But the crumbs.. Oh so cottony soft...

So cheap, so easy to make, and a whole-lot-of wonderful. The only advice I can give you to make the cotton crumb is to always knead well. No mixer, no cry. Think of it as exercising at the gym, but you get bread afterwards and you don't need to look good to feel good.

Give it a go and tell me what you think.

Cheers,

Amy

Submitting this on Yeast Spotting

Homemade Kaya Jam

2014-02-03T18:50:00.003+07:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

It’s the year of the horse! Even though we don’t believe much in zodiacs and what the stars say about us based on the day we were born, the little pagan girl inside of me that loves to peek out and see the world once in a while does get excited.

Even though I have family and friends that celebrate Chinese New Year, I did not go anywhere because it still rains cats and dogs and blanket sounds like a heck of better idea than putting make up and dress up for a party. Even free food failed to seduce me. That says a lot about how unfriendly the weather is, right?

Anyhow, having a little daughter that was born in the year of the rooster makes me unable to sleep through the sunrise. She is like a chatty, cock-a-doodle-dooey small rooster that wakes up before 5am everyday including weekends. I was in the middle of dreaming about David Gandy and me having a date when Amiko gently woke me up just to say good morning. Lord knows I wanted to go back dreaming. I had a slight craving though in a moment between being fully awake and straining hard to go back dreaming. I crave for fresh bread and Kaya Jam. But I have none at home and it was 4:30am and it was raining.

Make it then.

With my eyes still sore and my back still ached, I put some taro in the steamer, took my umbrella, and pull two pandan leaves from its bushes. I reckon Kaya jam and Vegan Taro Buns will add color to my gloomy, rainy morning. Kaya Jam is actually sweet coconut custard cooked into jam consistency. You can find different version of kaya Jam across South East Asia but the main ingredients will always be eggs, coconut milk, sugar, and pandan leaves. The best Kaya Jam I’ve ever tasted is from North Sumatra, the one with 8 yolks, but I am not that crazy to cook something like that. Not ever.

So here’s my version with less eggs but of course oh-so-damn yummy and it is a Ya Kun Kaya Toast's Kaya Jam copycat.

Homemade Kaya Jam

adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover

350 ml fresh thick coconut milk*

150 gr sugar

100 gr sugar, for making caramel

2 chicken eggs

1 duck egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 pandan leaves, knotted

* If you do not have fresh coconut milk ready, you can use the ones in small UHT box and thin it with fresh milk.

Directions:

-Mix the coconut milk, 150 gr of sugar, and eggs. Set aside.

-Make caramel syrup with the 100 gr of sugar. Be careful to not overcook your caramel lest your jam will be bitter.

-Pour the caramel in your egg mixture. If it gets hard, do not worry. You will cook it later and it will melt.

-Prepare a bain marie and cook the egg mixture with low heat. Use a whisk to stir. Keep the heat low.

-Put the knotted pandan leaves in.

-Just keep stirring.. stirring.. stirring.. stirring *Dory sings to Nemo*

-Pour the vanilla in.

-Stir until its thickness resembles lemon curd's thickness and you see traces of your whisk after you stir.

-Strain your Kaya Jam. You want no lumps.

-Cool and pour in sterilized jar.

Okay.. my taro loaf is also ready...

Instant Summer!

Look at the color *happy*

Now all you have to do is spread the lovely jam and enjoy!

If patience has a form, then it would appear as bread and jam. It is always easier to buy them, but when you have a little time to spare and you choose to make them, I promise you you can even taste the fruit of your patience.

Cheers,

Amy

Homemade Vanilla Chai Syrup

2014-01-25T23:14:00.002+07:00

I procrastinate.

I even begin this year by procrastinating in so many different levels and if it was a job then I would be a certified professional procrastinator. After a mind blowing, gut wrenching final test last semester, I reckon I deserve myself a good rest from baking bread, studying, and spending money on social life, which I actually don't have but I'm just saying it to make me sounds less nerdy, before the new semester truly starts. God knows the books I shall be reading next semester will be heavy enough to be door stoppers.

With the heavy downpour in Jakarta lately and lots of games and books on sale in the appstore, this nerdy mother really doesn’t want to go anywhere except when she really needs to. So all I have to do is make sure my pantry is well stocked emphasizing on the ingredients to make hot, steamy, comforting dishes and hot, steamy, comforting drinks.

One of my daughter’s favorite hot, steamy, comforting drinks is milk tea. Not the artificially tasting, icky, and sugary milk tea that comes from sachets. Ever since her dad introduced her to Starbucks milk tea, she has always said that Starbuck’s milk tea is really good. Only really good because I happen to make super good chai milk tea and for a little girl who grows up with spices, homemade chai wins.

I have to admit that to make a superb cup of chai, one needs to provide a little more time for brewing. So when I came across this life saving, express way to make chai milk syrup, I make sure that this syrup is available 24/7 in my house.

We will start with the sinful thing that everyone loves, condensed milk.

Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod, grind the cardamom, grate the nutmeg, and add other spices. Now, breathe the scent and tell me you're not happy.

Stir.

There you have it! A heavenly concoction.

Vanilla Chai Syrup

Adapted from Food52.com

1 can white condensed milk

3 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground clove

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

A pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, scrape the seeds

Oh, dont forget.. brew your black tea...

Then stir a spoonful of syrup or two or just as much as you like into your tea.

You can keep the syrup in a jar, refrigerated, for up to six month. But who are we kidding? It will even take you a serious willpower to not lick the spoon that you used to stir the syrup with.

Is it better than Starbucks? Do you really have to ask?

Do I help you save money? Then help me with my homework.

Keep your family warm,

Amy

Jim Lahey's No Knead Pizza

2013-12-18T13:47:00.000+07:00

I’m a pretty quiet person.

Until I talk about books and baking, bread in particular.

So it’s only natural that I love collecting books about bread. My recent purchase is My Pizza by Jim Lahey. The whole book is about pizza making. Even though I already have American Pie: My Search for The Perfect Pizza by Peter Reinhart, another perception in preparing and baking one of the most loved dishes in the world is always appreciated. Besides, what Peter Reinhart stated in his book about the quest of finding a perfect pizza has ingrained, embedded in my prefrontal cortex. There will always be somebody who makes better pizza. The thing is even though we like the better ones, we will always cherish and savor the memory of the great pizza we’ve had earlier in life. It’s like nicely behaved ex lovers, really. Except that I have no need to revisit them.

There are so many wonderful pizzeria out there, it truly depends on what mood we’re in at the moment we want them. Right now I am into Jim Lahey’s but who knows what will be my favorite three months from now? One thing I know is that even if I find another killer pizza in the future, I will always love Jim Lahey’s dough, Peter Reinhart’s, Jeff and Zoe’s from the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and many others whose pizza recipes I’ve tried and tested.

No knead trick in Jim Lahey’s recipe is basically the same as in other no knead recipes except that his does not require refrigeration but if you do not want to bake all at once then you can store some of the pizza dough in the fridge for later use.

To get the crispy and charred crust, a very hot oven is crucial. Traditionally, Italian pizzas are cooked on bricks in a wood-fired oven. This ensures the crispy crust, but also cooks the rest of the pizza “properly” as well. Now a brick oven is not something one can have inside an apartment or a lawn-less house in the city, right? That is why we have baking stone. Baking stone, especially one that has been used over and over again, gives a bit of that charred flavor as well. The crust cooks more evenly and moisture is drawn out of the dough rather than steaming the dough. But if you don’t have it, it’s okay. Just make sure your oven is really hot.

Okay.. I actually don't feel comfortable in showing you the inside of my oven. No, it's not dirty. It's just.. stained. Anyhow, that's my baking stone which has definitely seen better days. But like most of the best humans, the stained are the most interesting ones.

Okay, let's get to the recipe.

Ingredients:
500 gr all purpose flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup water
Note: You can substitute half of the amount of flour with wheat flour

Directions:
-Mix all ingredients in a bowl, stir with a spoon, cover it with plastic, and let it sit for at least 18 hours.
It is best if you do it at night if you want to have pizza for lunch. This is what the dough looks like after 18 hours:

-Flour your work surface, place your dough on it, then divide it by four.

-Make a ball from those pieces of dough.

-If you choose to keep some for another day, a two days refrigeration will yield a lovely tangier taste, wrap the dough individually. Otherwise, cover loosely with plastic while you prepare the topping.

-Preheat your oven to 250C. If you have a baking stone, preheat it along with the oven. If you don't, preheat your oven anyway.

-Take a ball of dough and flatten it on a baking sheet however thin you wish your pizza to be.

-Slide the pizza on the baking paper with the baking paper as well onto the baking stone if using. Otherwise use any pan and bake for 5 minutes.

-Take your pizza out, put any topping you want, then bake it again until the mozzarella melts. If your using baking stone, remove your baking paper.

ALWAYS!

Drizzle your pizza with olive oil before you bake it again and after for an out-of-this-world oomph. I use my pizza peel here. That is a great tool for sliding anything to the baking stone.

Here's the result...

Would you look.. at.. THAT!

This meatless pizza is better on the palate and for your health than any pizza you would call for a hungry night delivery. It saves you lots of money, too. Of course you can have a carnivorous pizza. I would as well, if somebody would be kind enough to give me some cold cuts.

What I am asking you is to not be afraid to attempt pizza or bread baking if you don't have a baking stone. Having it is a plus, sure, but it's not a done deal. This recipe ensures you two days of lunch or dinner and what can be better than made with love made at home meals? A pair of Louboutin shoes would be the right answer but we're talking meals here.

So don't bother kneading. Just mix, sleep, wake, and bake!

Cheers,

Amy

French Onion Muffins

2013-12-04T22:51:00.003+07:00

What's better than caramelized onions? MORE caramelized onions!

I have just enough love for raw onions as a cat towards a bath. But when caramelized, we’re talking about Gone with The Wind passionate love. It’s a matter of simple science, actually. The chemical process that occurs when you are caramelizing onions, or baking, is called Pyrolysis. You have Pyro; fire and Lysis; to separate. What are we separating here? The sugars from the onions. So basically, we use the heat to break down the sugar contained in onions into smaller units of sugar and the reaction caused by breaking down larger sugar molecules into small singular ones causes the onions to brown, soften, and develop a subtle sweeter flavor. Very neat, right?

I reckon that is another reason why I love cooking. It’s simple but it allows curious minds to dive deeper and try to find the core of its magic which indeed is explainable.

But let me not put the burden of boredom on your shoulder and get to the recipe straightaway. I’ve been making these wonderful muffins when (1) I want French Onion Soup but the weather is too hot for soup or, (2) I’m going to a potluck or, (3) I just feel like having savory muffins. I like cupcakes but I love muffins more and these muffins, though they contain cheese, taste very light. Just like French Onion Soup should be.

Recipe adapted from the book Muffin Magic

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 Onions, caramelized

1 cup milk

2 eggs

Fresh thyme from 1 sprig (or 1/2 tsp dried)

100 gr cheese, shredded

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats/quick cooking oats

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs baking powder

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

-Preheat your oven to 200C

-Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and oats. Set aside.

-Mix the caramelized onions, eggs, milk, thyme, a dash of freshly ground black pepper, and 80 gr of cheese. Keep the rest of the cheese for topping.

-Mix the dry and wet ingredients until just combined.

-Fill your muffin liners with the batter, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and some freshly ground black pepper.

-Bake for 20 minutes

Mmmm... Mmmmuuffiinnss...

A single rosemary leaf put on top does give a lovely finish. Bring these muffins to a potluck party, pack some for breakfast or lunch, but be sure to share because the real joy is the unbelievable sweetness yet mellow taste given by the combination of simple and humble pantry staples.

Or we can also put some Italian twist on this French inspired treat..

-----Put a teaspoon of pesto sauce inside the muffin.

So instead of filling the muffin liners with just the batter, fill it with a little batter, a teaspoon of pesto sauce, and cover it with more batter. If you decide to use the pesto, you might wanna skip the thyme in the batter to let the basil in the pesto shine.

Another note from me is use yellow onion. Not only because it's cheaper than the red but also because the yellow ones contains more lachrymator which produces a more complex flavour when caramelized. What's a lachrymator? Oh, it's only a compound of non-importance that makes you cry when you cut the onion.

Lacrima.. tear.. Oh whatever, Have fun baking:)

Amy

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

2013-11-20T18:30:00.002+07:00

I did promise you a great pumpkin recipe, right?

Here I have donuts. Just a couple of down to earth humble donuts. With pumpkin mixed in the batter.

I have to admit that as much as I avoid eating deep fried food, I would at least once a month go to Dunkin Donuts for a donut or two. Usually when I have PMS. I just need something less bad than my behavior to make me feel good about myself. PMS aside, donuts are easily everyone’s feel good food. Take Homer Simpson or just about every beer-bellied policeman in the States for example. Got a bad day? Have some donuts.

Of course I do not have an intention to clog my arteries and I don’t wanna give my daughter a bad example. So I was pretty lucky to come across some donut pans two years ago. Yes, you can bake donuts and that means less fried food to eat! I used to sell baked donuts, you know. But not anymore because I find it utterly liberating to be able to have more free time to do things I like such as going back to school myself and waking up late. Baking donuts daily was me derailing from my main path. I much prefer to take pie orders because it’s not an everyday treat.

These beautiful Baked Pumpkin Donuts are a cinch to make and it’s packed with fiber. The texture is cakey because it is using baking powder to fluff it up instead of yeast. These are something that you would wanna serve to your beloved family on weekends or any other drab day; sweet and fragrant and fulfilling. The taste improves with time. So don’t be surprised to wake up the next morning to find them taste even better than the day before.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes 12 Donuts

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbs wheat bran

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup pumpkin purée (see Directions)*

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg and

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

Fine donut sugar, for dusting

Note: You can use just all purpose flour if you don't have whole wheat flour and wheat bran though the texture will be different but not less tasty.

*Directions:

*Prepare the pumpkin puree by steaming the peeled and seeded pumpkin. I strongly recommend you to buy a small pumpkin. The reason is the original recipe requires canned pumpkin. Yes, it is sold here in Indonesia but I don't eat canned foods and we surely have no problem in finding pumpkin anytime of the year.

*After you steamed your pumpkin, mash them, and cook them in low heat so the water contained evaporates. This is a crucial step because steamed pumpkin contains a lot of water and if you use it in this recipe, you will have a runny batter and your donuts will be rubbery.

*Keep stirring to avoid burnt pumpkin. You are looking for a very thick consistency and do prepare yourself for a divine smell while doing it.

*Cool the thick pumpkin puree and measure 1 1/4 cup. Freeze the rest. You would wanna have this in your freezer.

Now let's get on the mixing...

-Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.

-Add the flour and wheat bran and stir just until smooth.

-Lightly grease two standard donut pans and fill with the the batter.

-Bake the donuts for 15-18 minutes at 175C. Do insert a toothpick into the center of one of those donuts. If it comes out clean, they're done.

If that is not divine enough for you, I don't know what is...

-After about 5 minutes, gently loosen their edges with a toothpick and transfer them to a rack to cool.

-While the donuts are still warm, roll them in fine donut sugar. Note that donut sugar is different with icing sugar. You can find it in baking supply store. it's less sweet and finer than icing sugar. Of course icing sugar is okay. But why be okay if you can be perfect. Beside, its price is just the same as icing sugar.

Gorgeous!

If you don't have the luxury of having donut pans, you can still make muffins with this batter. I can promise you they are going to be one of the best muffins you'll ever have. Just remember to add more baking time if you're making them in muffin tins or liners.

Now who wants some coffee with this?

Cheers,

Amy

Sun-dried Tomato, Smoked Beef, and Cheese Bread

2013-11-17T14:23:00.001+07:00

I woke up this morning with an unbearable desire for bread.

I am extremely grateful that Taiphoon Hayan did not pass Indonesia and being in the same region where it stroke, we still have downpours several times a day. But who am I to complain. I still have a dry bed to sleep on though it’s way passed its prime ten years ago and sturdy roof with leak spots bonus courtesy of a self proclaimed brilliant architect my sister in-law recommended. Life is good.

Getting my chia seeds out of the fridge I saw a half full jar of sundried tomatoes and it just might be the perfect match for the bread I was about to make; rustic and bursting with flavors. Since I have absolutely no plan to go out and zero intention to cook lunch, the bread itself has to be dense and fulfilling enough to qualify as lunch. So, modifying the bread base of my Braided Pesto Bread I present you Sun-dried Tomato, Smoked Beef, and Cheese Bread.

Bread Ingredients:

285 gr bread flour

15 gr wheat bran
3 tbs golden flax seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs sugar

2 tsp instant yeast

-/+ 1 cup water

70 gr sourdough starter, optional

For The Filling:

8 sun-dried tomatoes, mashed
4 slices smoked beef, thinly sliced

Cheddar cheese, preferably old, grated
Dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, or rosemary
---
Egg wash, optional

Note: If you don't have wheat bran, just use all flour

Directions:
-Combine all the bread ingredients. Knead well, oil the bowl, and leave it to proof until the size is doubled about an hour or so.

-Lightly oil your work space and roll your dough into a 12x18 inch rectangle then cut into three pieces on the long side.
-Spread the mashed sun-dried tomatoes evenly, scatter the smoke beef slices, grated cheese, and finish by sprinkling it with your herbs of choice.

-Roll each piece individually so you have three long rolls and braid them like you do the Challah then round them up together.

-Let the dough rise covered in cling film for 30 minutes then bake for 25-30 minutes in 215C oven.

I am not jumping with glee with the braiding this time because I put too much filling in one of the braids ;p that's nothing new. But nevertheless, the taste.. is impeccable!

The flax seeds in this bread give a nutty taste, lovely texture, and provide no argument about the health benefits they offer. The crust is so crispy and the crumbs are out of this world soft and delicious with a nice sourdough tang. This is also a kind of bread which taste improves overnight because the oil from the filling will be absorbed by the bread. So left overs are intentional.

SMELL THE LOVE!

You know you can always make a simple sandwich with the same filling combo of sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, and meat. But why take the simpleton way of eating if you can build layers and layers of flavors with the exact same ingredients?

Interesting things come when you're willing to take a journey further from your comfort zone. That being said, I'll brew some coffee because I'm off for some interesting adventures myself this afternoon with my books.

Have a dazzling rainy afternoon,

Amy