Sourdough Bagels

“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

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Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

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

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Szechuan Chili Oil

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

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Flax & Oat Sourdough

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

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Chocolate Coated Coffee Beans

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

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Thin Crust Pizza, No Proofing Required

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

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