Basic No Knead Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

260g water

90g sourdough starter**

390g bread flour

9g sea salt

5g diastatic malt (optional)

Directions

• 
  in a large bowl add water and salt and stir using a spoon
• add in the sourdough starter and mix till all combined
• add in the flour (+ malt) and mix using a spoon and once it comes together use wet hands to mix
• cover bowl and leave for 10-15min
• transfer dough into workspace and turn it over and round it (it will still be sticky)
• leave for 5-6hrs fermentation
• after the bulk fermentation, transfer the dough onto the workspace dusting with just a little flour so it doesn't stick
• fold the dough gently to fit into the prepared banetton
• cover the banetton with plastic and leave it at the workspace for 45min
• keep the dough in the fridge for a total of 18hrs
• remove the dough from the fridge and pre-heat oven to 250°C
• baking with dutch oven: place dutch oven in oven while pre-heating. Transfer bread to parchment paper and score. Gently put bread with parchment paper into dutch oven and spray with water. Bake for 30min covered and bake again uncovered or another 15min with oven fan
• baking on tray (no dutch oven): transfer bread to baking tray with parchment paper and score. Spray bread and surrounding with water. Leave a stainless steel bowl with cold water at a side of the bread. Bake for 20min at 250°C. Remove the bowl of water and bake for another 20min with oven fan
• cool the bread on a rack before cutting and enjoy (just love mine with a spread of butter yummeh)

**Prepping and feeding my sourdough starter: My starter is kept in the fridge for months. I will let it out to room temperature for about 30min-1hr and then will take a scoop of what is available about 1 tsp and add equal amount of water (Perrier) and bread flour. Make sure that the total weight of starter will be more than needed. I will let it rest at the kitchen counter for 24hours and by then it will double up and ready to bake. Whatever balance starter, I will add and mix back with my precious starter to keep for next bake.

Foodnote: Been a while since I last bake sourdough bread. Saw the starter in the fridge. Since I am too lazy with many steps and process, now trying this recipe instead. Happy that my starter is still active. 

This inspired me to bake more sourdough bread again hehe. I don't have a dutch oven and don't intend to get one because it is very heavy. Hot+heavy... eerrr no thank you. I am using The Pioneer Woman dutch oven because it is very light and so pretty. I think my sourdough bread making skills have improved. Now my bread have nice ears and blisters on the skin which is very good. Hopefully next time I have better oven spring. Will practice again soon...

I usually enjoy eating sourdough bread with just butter but the next day since I have prawns and cheese, I just make a simple pizza bread in my air fryer. Yummy treat and not so sinful I think hehe.

Martabak Manis

Ingredients

250g all purpose flour

40g sugar

1/2 tsp salt

300ml water

1 egg

50ml water

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

Toppings of choice: shredded cheese, rice chocolates, nuts, condensed milk etc.

Directions

• mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl
• whisk in the water (300ml) bit by bit till batter is smooth
• add in egg and whisk again till even
• cover and let it sit for 1 hour and put aside
• After one hour... in a small bowl with 50ml water, add baking powder and baking soda
• mix the solution (it should be bubbly) and add to the flour batter
• preheat the apam balik pan or non-stick pan (heat should be low)
• pour in the batter and cook till bubbles/holes forms then sprinkle with sugar
• cover the pan and cook till top is fully cooked and remove from pan
• brush surface with butter, and add toppings... cut into two and fold
• brush the top with butter to keep it soft and moist

Foodnote: First time I tried martabak manis it is just so so. But the other day I tried a famous one at Funan and it is quite nice. So now trying to make my own since it looks easy enough. Recipe is from here. Turns out very good and soft. The pancake itself is not very sweet so the sweetness will come from the fillings or sprinkle of sugar while cooking. Love this! No need to buy hehe.

Easy Ice Cream

Ingredients

400ml whipping cream

150-200ml condensed milk

any chopped or pureed fruits, nuts etc. 

(for this I use mangoe puree and added cubed)

Directions

• fold condensed milk with mango puree
• in another bowl, whisk whipping cream till medium peak
• fold in the condensed milk mixture (or any flavour of your choice eg. nuts, raisins, chocolate chips etc.)
• transfer into clean container and freeze for minimum 8 hours

Foodnote: My friend gave me 2 large and ripe mangoes so I tried to make ice cream! Super easy, creamy and delicious. I also make ice cream when I have leftover whipping cream when making bread. Seriously so yummy and I can add any other balance ingredients that I wanted to clear.

Easy 3 Ingredients Banana Bread

Ingredients 

3pcs over ripe bananas (330g) 

1½ cup self-raising flour 

¾ cup condensed milk 

optional: 

½ tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup chopped nuts etc.

Directions

• mix mashed bananas and condensed milk in a bowl till well incorporated
• add sifted self-raising flour and mix well till no traces of flour
• pour into a greased pan lined with parchment paper
• bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 45-60min (depending on the baking pan)
• test with a skewer to make sure that bread is fully baked
• remove from pan, peel off the parchment paper and cool on a rack

Foodnote: A good friend gave me lots of over ripe bananas. I made some into jemput-jemput and the rest I bake into this easy banana bread recipe that I got from youtube. Turns out nice and moist... not bad at all. I did reduce the condense milk a little. Will shrink wrap and keep in the fridge. Any other day can toast and eat with butter... yummy!

Tart Nenas Daun (2022)

Ingredients

1 ½ cup butter (340g and I use Lurpak salted)

2 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence (I use vanilla butter)

500g plain flour

1 egg

2 tbsp cold water

pineapple paste filling

Directions

• scoop 1 tsp of pineapple paste and form balls with a lightly oiled teaspoon and put aside or keep in fridge
• in a large bowl mix together butter, ghee and sugar with a spatula followed by vanilla till smooth and even
• add the flour bit by bit and mix by hand
• in a separate small bowl mix egg with cold water
• add the egg mixture to the dough and mix again till the texture can be shaped (do not over mix)
• take 1 tbsp of dough and form a bowl... fill with pineapple fillings and cover to form sort of a teardrop/leaf shape
• using a makmur pincher, create the vein of a leaf (will get about 35-36pcs)
• once all ready, brush the surface of each leaf with egg yolk (+ a bit of yellow colouring)
• bake at 180ºC for 20min

Foodnote: Initially I wanted to make the usual tart with the love borders but then I came across this tart that looks like makmur. So I tried this recipe instead since it looks easy, I have all the ingredients and I am not making makmur this year. This is a traditional old school pineapple tart that people hardly make anymore. Since I am an ol skool person... so hey why not make this for 2022!

The recipe is good... the ingredients is quite spot on just like the video. Next time I will flatten the leaf more. Overall love this recipe.

For the pineapple filling, I actually use ready made. Bought Singlong brand and cook it again adding in a bit more orange coloring (because I find it too pale) and also cinnamon powder. Add a bit of water and cook till the paste don't stick to the pan. I let it cool down and keep in the fridge before using. There's a lot of paste left... enough to make another batch for Hari Raya Haji hehe.

Update 13 April 2023: Using the recipe to make open pineapple tart with "love mould", filling is about 1/2 tsp and baking is 165°C for 12min.

Sea Salt Caramel / Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Ingredients
250g soften butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
2 1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate soda

6 tbsp oil
2 cups any choc chips (1 packet)

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

50g almond nips/flakes

Directions

• 
  using a mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together until pale
• mix in flour, corn flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda and oil in until fully incorporated
• finally add in chocolate chips and nuts 
• transfer to a clean bowl with cover or cover with clingwrap and leave in the fridge for minimum 30mins (best to keep for 3 days before baking)
• scoop cookie dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper
• bake at 180°C for 10-12min 

Foodnote: This is actually adapted from Famous Amos cookie dough recipe that has been floating online. Since I have sea salt caramel chips, just substitute the chocolate chips with it. Initially I am not very confident of the cookies. But the taste ooohlala... and the crispiness... really is very much Famous Amos. Not sure is it because of the sea salt caramel baking chips that makes the taste so wonderful but this cookie is really tasty!! #sedapgiler

Update 23rd April 2022: Made 2 batches this time. Shape it into small mount and it just spread nicely. Very yummy and I will probably stick to this recipe for every Hari Raya.

Update 13th April 2023: Made 2 batches. One with butterscotch chips and another with sea salt caramel chips and almonds. This time I am going to keep it for few days in the fridge before baking. I put the batter in the same container split by parchment paper to save space,

Kueh Bakar Berlauk

Ingredients

meat fillings

ground meat (chicken, beef or mutton)

onion

garlic

ginger

chicken cube

curry powder

salt to taste

Directions

• cook the meat in little oil and put side
• sautee onion, garlic and ginger till fragrant
• add chicken cube, curry powder and mix in the meat
• add salt to taste and put aside to cool

kueh batter

200g plain flour

800ml coconut milk (350ml Kara coconut cream + 450ml water)

2 tsp salt

yellow coloring

3 eggs

Directions

• blend together all the ingredients till all are evenly mix
• pour into measuring cups for easy pouring

garnishings

cut chilli

chopped chinese celery (daun sup) + fried shallots

Directions

• season the mould by filling it with oil and cook for a while
• pour out the oil and clean... but don't use soap
• heat the mould using low heat on a stove (lined the bottom with grills to stablize the mould)
• generously pour oil on all the sections
• pour the batter into each sections, top with meat fillings, chilli and sprinkle with daun sup and fried shallots
• pour oil generously again and cover the mould with any pot cover
• once cooked, use a skewer or satay stick to remove the kueh2

Foodnote: Another kueh that I love to eat because it is savory. It reminds me of takoyaki. Need to get the mould first hehe. The kuih bakar berlauk is soft after cool down. Really yummy. Love this one.

Finally tried making this at home. Bought the mold but it is not seasoned well enough so the batter sticks to it ggrrrr. So just use my obanyaki mold. Really yum yum. Very happy and will make this more often.

Putri Salat Durian

Ingredients

bottom layer

550g glutinous rice (soak 45min and strain)

100g white coconut (optional)

420ml coconut milk (150ml Kara coconut cream + 270ml water)

2 tsp salt

Directions

• prepare 10x10 tray generously oiled and base lined with 1/2 aluminium foil
• mix coconut milk, salt and glutinous rice
• steam for 30min or till cooked
• press down the glutinous rice to slightly compact it (can use parchment paper or flat base of mug)

custard topping/serikaya

240g sugar

600ml coconut milk (350ml Kara coconut cream + 250ml water)

60g flour

7 eggs

salt

vanilla

yellow coloring

200g durian pulp

Directions

• mix all ingredients in a blender and whisk only for a while till all ingredients mix well
• cook on very low heat till warm/steaming
• add in blended durian pulp and cook till slightly thick in consistency (not too long or it will start to curdle)
• pour custard over the glutinous rice and steam for 45min
• remove from steamer and let it cool down till any moisture on the custard evaporate on its own

• once kueh is fully cooled (the sides start to detach from the tray) using a plastic knife loosen the sides
• place a bigger tray over the top and swiftly turn the tray upside down so that the glutinous rice side is above
• remove the aluminium foil and place a plastic sheet over it
• using the bigger tray, use the same technique to flip over the kueh
• cut the kueh using plastic baking knife

Foodnote: From potluck session, ended up learning to make this durian putri salat which are really awesomeness. Same recipe can be used to make the common putri salad... just replace the green coloring with pandan juice/paste. Will try that soon. Love the soft glutinuous rice and the custard is just so smooth and yummy. The recipe is also straightforward and easy. Thanks to the good chef for all the great tips.