Crusty Sourdough Bread (Italian Biga Method)

Ingredients 

(can split into 3 portions)

Group A

800g bread flour

10g yeast

400g water

300g levain

Group B

200g bread flour

22g salt

150g water

10g malt flour (dark malt or diastatic malt flour)

Directions

• 
  add all Group A ingredients in a mixing bowl and using a paddle attachment whisk until a firm dough is form (add levain first followed by dry ingredients and water last)
• transfer to working surface and knead the dough lightly till smooth
• transfer the dough into a large bowl and fill with water till dough is submerged
• covered with clingwrap and leave to proof for 1 1/2 hour... till dough is bubbly and double in size
• remove the bubbly mass into the mixing bowl and add ingredients from Group B
• beat on low speed for 2min and medium speed for 10min till dough reach window pane stage
• round and cover with clingwrap in an oiled bowl and let rest for 1 hour
• split the dough equally into 3 parts, round it and place on a baking tray
• proof for another 45min
• 
  using plain flour, powder the surface of the bread and use a sharp scoring knife or razor to score the surface to any pattern desired
• leave for another 15-20 minutes, spray the tray with water and bake at 220°C for 30mins (using lower tray) till desired bread color and percentage
• during baking, after 10min open the oven door to release steam and reduce temperature to 200°C... at 20min reduce the temperature to 180°C
  

Foodnote: Ok this is something really new and interesting to me. First time I see bread dough submerged in water and poof... it just gets bubbly and jiggy. The bread also turns out super soft and delicious. Yummy!!!

Note: Sponge Biga = 800g bread flour + 1g low sugar yast + 600g water (27°-30°C) mix and leave overnight 12hrs

Practice this on 16th July but instead of dark malt, I used diastatic malt. I practice shaping of sticky dough from youtube and am very satisfied with the end result. So happy...

Basic Sourdough Bread (French Method)

Ingredients

(can split to 3 portions)

400g levain (sourdough)

800g bread flour

22g salt

10g yeast

20g soya flour (optional)

600g water

Directions

• 
  weigh all the ingredients in a mixer bowl and add the water last (add levain first followed by dry ingredients and water last)
• using a pedal attachment, whisk under low speed for a while (prevent splashing) and increase speed to high till all ingredients together till dough comes together (lift from bottom of the bowl) around 3 mins  (clean up stage)
• add some oil and using low speed, whisk again just so that dough don't stick to bowl
• cover the mixing bowl with clingwrap for 1-2hrs or till dough double it's size (fermentation)
• place dough on workspace using a round scraper or spatula
• fold the dough - NSEW
• intermediate proof the dough for 10-15min (relax the dough)
• divide the dough equally into 3 parts, round it and place it on a baking tray (panning stage)
• final proof for another 40 min
• flour the surface of bread and use a sharp scissors to score the surface gently (deco, garnish & score)
• leave for another 20-30 min (max 70-80 min), spray the tray with water and bake at 220°C for 30mins (no fan) till desired bread color and percentage
• during baking, after 10min open the door to the oven to release steam and reduce temperature to 200°C... at 20min reduce the temperature to 180°C

Foodnote: This is the first class to make Artisan bread. It is so exciting and there are new things to learn. Quite exciting because I love making bread and I also love the process of learning. Our team made a mistake but the bread still turns out well. Of course can be better and I will try again once I make my own starter dough.

Milk Bread Roll

Ingredients

165ml milk

42g castor sugar

7g instant yeast

7g salt

1 egg

350g bread flour

40g unsalted butter

Directions

• in a large bowl, add milk and yeast and mix using a whisk
• add in sugar, salt and egg... whisk well
• add in flour and mix with a spatula to form a sticky dough
• cover the bowl with clingwrap and let it rest for 15min
• transfer dough into working surface
• add butter in dough and knead till butter is absorbed
• knead again till soft and elastic (about 7-10min till window-pane stage)
• transfer back into the bowl and leave dough to proof till double in size or about 1hr
• punch air from the dough and divide into 12pcs and round each dough into round balls and rest for 15min
• using a rolling pin, flatten each dough and roll (at this stage, can also add fillings)
• place in a baking tray and let it rest for 1hr
• brush with egg wash (mixture of 1 yolk + 1 tsp water)
• bake for 10-15min at 170-180°C
• once out of the oven, brush with melted butter

Foodnote: So I have some red bean paste left and trying to clear it. This recipe looks easy and simple. No need to use my mixer and I have all the ingredients. I made 6 bread rolls and 6 buns with red bean fillings. Very good recipe and I made it while WFH hehe. The dough is very easy to manage too.

Rice Cooker Milk Bread

Ingredients 

220g bread flour

2g yeast

25g castor sugar

2g salt

15g vegetable oil or melted butter

145g milk+egg mixture (1 egg + milk)

Directions

• combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl
• add egg mixture followed by oil and combine well
• transfer on working surface and knead (like washing clothes) till dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 10min)
• round the dough and placed in an oiled glass bowl to proof for 1hour till double it's size
• cut to 9 equal pieces (about 43-45g)
• take each dough and release air by flattening dough with a rolling pin and round it into a small ball
• arrange the dough in a small non-stick rice cooker
• proof again for another 30mins
• start the rice cooking mode (about 16min) until finish and repeat the start cycle one more time
• remove immediately from the rice cooker
• brush with milk/egg wash and pop in oven for 10min at 160°C to brown the top of the oven

Foodnote: Well making homemade bread is my favorite and this is one recipe that I just have to try because I love the simplicity and this is good for those people who don't have an oven. I don't know what to expect but the bread turns out well. I am too lazy to buy milk so I just use evaporated milk. Should have diluted it with water but use it whole hehe so my bread turns out yellowish. Still taste good though and I have no regrets trying this bread. I think it will be as good baked in the oven too. I ate it with butter while it is warm and the skin still crispy... yummy!!!

Coconut Butter Cake

Ingredients 

100g unsalted butter (room temperature)

100g castor sugar

2 whole eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

100g cake flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

20ml fresh milk

30g dried shredded coconut

Directions

• mix eggs with vanilla extract and put aside
• in a bowl and using hand-held mixer, whisk butter and sugar till fully combined
• add egg mixture by batches and whisk till batter is light and pale
• sieve cake flour and baking powder into the batter and fold in using a spatula
• add fresh milk and fold again before adding the shredded coconut
• transfer to a baking pan and sprinkle some shredded coconut 
• bake at 170°C for 30-35min

Foodnote: since I have dried shredded coconut to clear, decided to try this recipe since the portion is very small. This turns out very yummy & moist even though I might overbake it a bit (because... WFH). I love it and will definitely make it again.

Apple Crumble Muffin

Ingredients
2 apples chopped mix with juice of 1/2 lemon
200g self raising flour (or 200g plain flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
125g brown sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
100g melted butter

Crumble
50g plain flour
25g cold butter
15g brown sugar
(rub together till you get breadcrumbs and keep in the fridge till ready to use)

Directions

• sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and put aside
• whisk eggs and sugar till pale then add melted butter
• fold in flour mixture and chopped apples
• scoop into paper liners topped with crumble
• bake at 175°C for about 25min

Foodnote: Recipe shared by a volunteer friend when we got rescued green apples. The initial recipe calls for 3 small green apples but I only have red apples from my eldest brother. I use about 1.5 apples. This recipe is a keeper. Love the soft texture and also the rise in the muffin. Will try other muffin recipes after this. Perhaps... carrot cake muffin? Woaaah the smell of the muffin baking in the oven is really awesome.

Fried Yam Puff (Woo Kok)

Ingredients
(recipe for 4 students)
600g powder yam (peeled, cut into 1cm cube & steamed)
200g wheaten starch
160ml boiling water
5g salt
25g sugar
6g five spice powder
10g sesame oil
4g pepper powder
80g shortening
1/2g ammonia
new cooking oil for frying

Directions

• scald the wheat starch with boiling water and mix well
• add hot steamed yam and stir well till all yam hard bits are mashed
• add in seasoning (sugar+salt+5spice+sesame oil+pepper)
• once the dough is cooled, sprinkle the ammonia and add in the shortening
• mix well to form dough
• divide yam dough into 40g balls and form a deep bowl
• add filling (char siew or red bean paste)
• seal by pinching 2 sides of the opening and form a sharp seal
• heat oil to 180°C and deep fry till puffy net formed and color is golden brown

Foodnote: This yam puff is very interesting especially when the net is formed. Interesting taste too... but maybe I'd like the filling to be red bean instead of char siew. Anyway... it is quite challenging to make though the effect is very satisfying to see. Hhhmm... not very sure I'd be making this at home though but still good to learn something new.

Sesame Seed Ball

Ingredients
200g glutinous rice flour
70g wheaten starch

210g water
60g sugar
60g shortening

vegetable oil for frying
lotus or red bean paste (form into 20g balls each)
white sesame seeds

optional: meat fillings like for siew mai or charsiew

Peanut filling
roasted chopped peanuts
sugar
flour (dry fry flour till brown)

Directions

• mix the glutinous rice flour and wheaten starch together and put aside
• in a saucepan, heat water, sugar and shortening till rolling boil
• turn off heat and add in the flour mixture
• using a wooden spatula, quickly stir in the ingredients till even
• transfer on a working surface and start needing to form a dough
• divide the dough into 40g portions
• press the dough into palm of hand to flatten
• fill with lotus/read bean paste and seal
• wet the ball and roll into sesame seeds
• roll into palms again to make sure that the sesame seeds will completely stick on the balls
• heat oil to 180°C and deep fry until light golden brown (if oil exceed 180°C, remove the saucepan from heat and drop in the balls to drop the temperature)
• keep stirring the balls so that it will cook evenly
• drain on sieve and transfer to kitchen towel to remove excess oil completely

Foodnote: So happy to finally able to learn to make this. We made with red bean fillings and also with charsiew. I have never made this before (the malay style) so now I am looking forward to try to make this on my own. The trick to make the sesame seed really stick to the balls, is to wet it first, and keep rubbing/rolling in our palms till we feel the sticky starch start seeping and covering the sesame seeds. To make the sesame seed balls with consistency of mochi, just remove the wheaten starch.

During our last class (exam day) we were shown the common way of making the sesame balls... adding the boiling water to the flour and mix together. After that, knead the dough with sugar and once cooled, adding the shortening and knead till dough is formed. I prefer adding the way the chef taught us (Teo Chew style) because is easier and more straightforward.