Ciabatta

Like I said in the previous post, I made some kaya and needed wanted some bread, so I made ciabatta. Ciabatta and kaya? Well, I have some passion fruit curd too, so it'll go with ciabatta right? So here! Recipe from the bread expert, Paul Hollyhood. Here'e the link:

Paul Hollywood's Ciabatta

(Makes 4 Ciabattas)

They're really nice, healthy and versatile. Fill them with tuna, egg mayonnaise, jams, anything, because they are mild in flavours and are great to make sandwiches with. 

Parmesan Bread Sticks

Weekends special shall be Parmesan bread sticks. My husband requested for savory bread, but I didn't want to bake something too heavy. Bread sticks sounds like they can keep longer and not too heavy too. 

(Makes about 20 sticks of 30 cm)

375g bread flour

10g salt

10g yeast

200g milk

50g unsalted butter

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 

Olive oil for brushing

Semolina and plain flour mix for dusting

1. Melt the butter and add the milk, heating the mixture gently. When the butter and milk mix reaches about 50 degrees (you cannot hold your finger in the liquid anymore), take it off the heat.

2. Whisk in the yeast. 

3. Whisk the bread flour, cheese and salt together to combine. 

4. Pour the butter mix into the dry mix using the hook attachment. Knead at high speed for about 6 minutes. (If you do not have the electronic mixer, you can use your hand to knead the dough till it is smooth and elastic.)

5. Press the dough into a rectangle, cover with a towel and let it rest for about 30 minutes. 

6. Press the dough with your fingertips and fold. Cover with towel and let it rest for another 30 minutes. 

7. Preheat oven at 220 degrees fan. 

8. Dust the working table top with semolina and plain flour mix. 

9. Cut the dough in half and roll each half into a rectangle. 

10. Cut each rectangle into about 10 long strips. 

11. Roll the strips from center out till you get the length you desire and twirl them together  to get patterns.

12. Let the dough rest for another 10 minutes, brush with olive oil and bake in oven with the temperature lowered to 180 degrees. 

13. There! My bread sticks. 

So there you go, bread sticks for the week. 

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. (Psalm 127:1 NIV)

Mini Apricot Couronnes

Love the apricot Couronnes I tried not too long ago and decided to try it again, mini style. All the steps are the same, but at the last step, I divided the dough into 3 portions and did the same as the previous recipe, Apricot Couronnes.

I should have measured and divided the dough equally, but too lazy to do so, ended up with 3 different sizes. I think the smallest would have been the most ideal for 1 person. The next time I try this again, I'll probably divide the dough into 4 to make 4 mini Couronnes. Taste equally delish though.

I know not what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds my tomorrow and who holds my hand. 

Apricot Couronne

Apricot Couronne 

Adapted from Paul Hollywood's recipe.

So I decided to archive my bakes and share recipes, most of which adapted from other blogs I chanced upon and love. My latest obsession is the great British bakeoff where aspiring bakers struggle with technical bakes judged by celebrity bakers, Paul Hollywood and Mary berry and show off their creativity in the show stopper rounds. And so it seems appropriate to christen this first post with a recipe adapted from the show, Paul hollywood's apricot couronne. It is so delish I couldn't wait for the sweet citrus bread to cool before I took a bite. The bread is citrusy, aromatic and mildly sweet, this recipe is a keeper. Try it!

For the dough:
250g bread flour (I used 150g bread flour and 100g plain flour because I ran out of bread flour and it worked just fine!)
5g salt
7g instant yeast
50g unsalted butter
105ml milk
1 egg

For the apricot filling:
90g unsalted butter
70g light brown sugar
120g dried apricots, chopped and soaked in the juice of 1 orange
35g plain flour
60g cranberries
65g walnut
Finely grated zest of 1 orange

To finish:
50g quince jam
50g icing sugar, sifted
25g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
To make the dough

1. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl, Adding the salt to the bowl on one side and the yeast to the other. Add the butter, milk and egg and lightly bring the mixture together with your hands, forming a ball of soft dough. 

2. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured worktop and knead for about 10 minutes. When the dough feels smooth and silky, place it in a lightly floured bowl. Cover the bowl with a dry tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

To make the apricot filling

3. Put the butter, sugar, drained apricots, flour, cranberries, walnuts and zest into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside until needed. (Keep the drained juice to make the glaze for extra flavour.)

To assemble
4. Turn the dough on to the lightly floured worktop. Roll it out to a rectangle. Spread the apricot filling mixture evenly over the dough, then roll up like a Swiss roll into a tight roll.

5. Cut the dough in half lengthwise, leaving 1 end in tact and twist them together to finish the 'crown'. Transfer to baking sheet. Prove for 30-45 minutes until the dough springs back quickly when you touch it lightly. 

6. Preheat the oven at 200 deg.  When the couronne is proved, Bake for 25-35 minutes until brown. Transfer to a wire rack.

7.   Heat the quince jam and quickly brush over the warm loaf to glaze. Mix the icing sugar with enough remaining juice to make a thin icing. Drizzle over the loaf and sprinkle with the lightly toasted flawed almonds. Leave to cool.

I will definitely be baking this again soon! Have fun baking! 

This is what is left after the first day.