Soft Pretzels

Re-post from Sept 3, 2015

I could not decide whether should I make savoury or sweet pretzels, so I made half of each!

My puffy pretzels! Looks more like buns! Haha! 

About to go into the boiling bicarbonate of soda solution. 

After boiling in the bicarbonate of soda solution for just under one minute, and they are a little out of shape after that! For the sweet pretzels, I've sprinkled a mixture of cinnamon powder and brown sugar over the top. And for the savoury pretzels, I've sprinkled a mixture of garlic powder and dried oregano. (I did not sprinkle the top with coarse salt as per instructions in the recipe).

Sweet and savoury, which one do I prefer?

These pretzels are soft, chewy and the one with the cinnamon-sugar over the top, is really nice. Makes a wonderful snack with a cup of tea.

The recipe says to serve the pretzels with some grainy mustard. I have not tried that before!

Surprisingly, it was really good eating the savoury pretzels with grainy mustard! I like them both, both the sweet and savoury.

Soft Pretzels with Grainy Mustard
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma : Home Baked Comfort", Kim Laidlaw)
makes 12 pretzels
1 cup (8fl oz/250ml) warm water (110F/43C)
1 package (2-1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed
3-1/4 cups (16-1/2oz/515gm) all-purpose flour (I use bread flour)
1 tsp kosher salt (1/2 tsp sea salt)
1/3 cup (2-1/2 oz/75gm) baking soda
coarse salt for sprinkling
grainy mustard for serving

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the 3 tablespoons oil, the flour, and kosher salt. Attach the dough hook and knead the dough on medium-low speed until smooth, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush the parchment with oil. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, then cut it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope about 18 inches (45cm) long. With each rope positioned horizontally, bring the 2 ends up and toward the center as if forming an oval, cross one end over the other, and press each end into the bottom of the oval to create a pretzel shape. Place the pretzels on the prepared pan, spacing them evenly.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450F (230C). Fill a large, wide saucepan with 7 cups (56fl oz/1.75liter) water, stir in the baking soda, and bring to a boil. Gently drop 2 or 3 pretzels at a time into the boiling water (be careful not to overcrowd them). Boil for just under 1 minute, turning once with a large slotted spoon or spatula. Return the boiled pretzels to the baking sheet, top side up.

Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt. Bake until beautifully browned, about 10 minutes, rotating the pans about halfway through. Serve warm with big spoonfuls of grainy mustard.

Cranberry Bread

Re-post from July 17, 2015

A soft and fluffy bread, that is perfect for breakfast, tea-time, and anytime throughout the day. It is not only soft, but so fluffy soft, and really, really good!

The original recipe is called Figgy Cardamom Bread, which uses dried figs and ground cardamom. I have however replaced the dried figs with dried cranberries and have omitted the cardamom. 

I've used instant yeast, so I have skipped the ten minutes step to make it foamy, but mixed it with the other ingredients and proceed with the instructions in the recipe.

The recipe makes a really huge braid! It would be a great idea to divide the dough into two halves and make two sets of braided loaves instead. 

This loaf is not only soft, but so deliciously fluffy soft.

Good to eat on its own or with a generous spread of salted butter. With a cup of your favourite tea or coffee.

Figgy Cardamom Bread (I've made as Cranberry Bread)
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma : Home Baked Comfort", Kim Laidlaw)
makes 1 large loaf
1 cup (8fl oz/250ml) whole milk, warmed (110F/43C)
1 package (2-1/4 tsp) active dry yeast (I use 2 tsp instant yeast)
1/3 cup (3oz/90gm) sugar, plus more for sprinkling
3-1/2 cups (17-1/2oz/545gm) all-purpose flour (I use 3-1/2 cups + 3 tbsp bread flour)
1 tsp kosher salt (1/4 tsp salt, as butter is salted)
1 tsp ground cardamom (omit)
3 large eggs
6 tbsp (3oz/90gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into chunks (salted butter)
1-1/2 cups (9oz/280gm) quartered dried figs (replaced with dried cranberries)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the milk, yeast, and 1/3 cup sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. (Since I've used instant yeast, I skipped the 10 minutes, and proceed with the next step).

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cardamom. Add the dry ingredients and 2 of the eggs to the yeast mixture. Attach the dough hook and knead the dough on medium-low speed until it starts to look shaggy. While continuing to knead, add the butter. Knead until the dough is fairly smooth, about 10 minutes. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and flatten into a disk. Scatter the figs (cranberries) over the dough and gather it into a ball. Knead the dough gently to incorporate the figs (cranberries). Gather the dough into a ball, transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dump the dough onto the lightly floured work surface and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 16 inches (40cm) long. Lay the ropes next to each other, touching, on the work surface. Braid the ropes together, tucking the ends underneath the braid. Place on the prepared pan, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F (180C). In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with a little water. Brush the dough gently with the egg wash, then sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Bite-Size Bacon and Cheese Scones

Re-post from Oct 24, 2014

These cheesy bacon scones are so addictive! The first sentence from this recipe in the cookbook is, "I dare you to stop eating these!",  and that is a good reason enough to bake this right away! If you love bacon and cheese, then do yourself a favour, and bake this, on one weekend afternoon, when your family is around to enjoy these scones, fresh and warm, delicious, right after baking. Perfect for an afternoon tea-time treat, of course have a pot of warm tea ready!

Firstly, fry the bacon till crisp, chop to small pieces, keep aside while you prepare the dough.

The dough is mixed in the food processor, which takes about only a minute. Dump the dough on a lightly floured work surface, knead in the bacon pieces and bring the dough into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/2" thick, use a 1-1/2" cookie cutter, cut out as many scones as you can. Gather the scraps, and repeat.

The scones may be left as it is (on the left), or add a pinch of grated cheese over each one before baking (on the right). Of course, I topped all of the scones with grated cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400F (200C), for about 12 minutes until golden. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

Freshly baked and could not wait to eat it! Smells so cheesy nice!

Just like the author says, "I dare you to stop eating these!".  How true! I could not stop at just two or three, same goes with the family! Before we know it, most of the scones are gone! They are so good! Eating them while still warm, minutes after baking is the best! These scones are buttery, tender, tastes just amazing with the bacon and cheese. Do not skip the cheese topping, it really does "take the scones over the top", as in the author's own words. We had these with some warm tea, and it was raining heavily outside while we were enjoying these scones. Such perfect tea-time treat! 

Bite-Size Bacon and Cheese Scones
(adapted from "Willams-Sonoma : Home Baked Comfort", Kim Laidlaw)
makes about 4 dozen mini scones
3 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon (use streaky bacon)
2 cups (10oz/315g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup (4oz/125g) grated Asiago or Gruyere cheese (I use Cheddar)
pinch of kosher salt (omit salt, as but butter is salted)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper (use 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup (4oz/125g) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks (use salted butter)
1 large egg
3/4 cup (6fl oz/180ml) heavy cream or whole milk (I use slightly less)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400F (200C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a frying pan, fry the bacon over medium-low heat until lightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and finely chop the bacon.

In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, cheese, salt, and pepper and pulse briefly to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream until blended. Pour the egg mixture into the processor and pulse just until the dough comes together.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead in the bogacon and then bring the dough together into a ball. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/2 inch (12mm) thick. Using a 1-1/2-inch (4cm) biscuit cutter, cut out as many scones as you can. Gather the scrape of dough, roll out, and cut out more scones.

Space the scones evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the scones are golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

Apple-Whiskey Cake

Re-post from Sept 3, 2014

I always have apples in my refrigerator. Most of the time when I buy apples, maybe two or three would be eaten, and the rest forgotten. They would be "hibernating" in my refrigerator until wake up time! Haha! I bet I'm not the only one, wink! 

There's a few apples of mixed varieties which I have in my fridge for weeks, and needed to finish them all up. The good thing about apple is, they could keep for weeks in the fridge.

I made Apple-Whisky Cake, and the name of this bake already sounds so nice! Haha! For this cake, I've made half a recipe, and have used two apples, a Fuji and Pink Lady. The apples are peeled, cored, chopped to 1/4-inch pieces and soaked in bourbon, kept aside, while the rest of the ingredients are mixed.

For the full recipe, this cake is baked in a 9x13-inch baking pan, but for half a recipe, I've baked in a 8" square pan. And it is baked at a  moderate temperature of 165C. I have baked mine for 35 minutes.

As to what the author describes "Chock-full of apple chunks and spiked with a healthy glug of whisky, this simple-to-prepare, moist cake is seriously good."  And I totally agree! I ate it while it was still warm, and love the crumbs which are soft and very moist, and the apples which have softened during baking, making this a delicious bake. 

And for a yummy treat, serve it with a scoop of Homemade Lemon Ice Cream! Or any of your favourite ice cream, vanilla would be good!

** my measurement for 1/2 a recipe, listed in blue, with some changes
Apple-Whisky Cake
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma Home Baked Comfort", Kim Laidlaw)
4 baking apples, peeled, cored and diced (2 medium apples)
1/3 cup (3fl oz/80ml) whisky (preferably something sweet not peaty), bourbon or brandy (3 tbsp/45ml bourbon)
1-3/4 cups (9oz/280gm) all-purpose flour (140gm)
1-1/2 tsp baking soda (3/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp kosher salt (omitted)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon (1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (1/8 tsp ground nutmeg)
2 large eggs (1)
1-1/2 cups (10-1/2 oz/330gm) firmly packed dark brown sugar (100gm light brown sugar)
1/2 cup (4oz/125gm) granulated sugar (2 tbsp caster sugar)
1 cup (8oz/250gm) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (125gm salted butter)
whipped cream for serving

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325F (165C). Butter a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking pan. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with a large piece of parchment paper that extends beyond the 2 sides of the pan and butter the parchment.

In a bowl, toss together the apples and whisky. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugars on medium-high speed until thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and stir together on low speed. Stir in the apples and whisky. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake until the cake is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cake by lifting it up with the parchment. Let the cake cool on a wire rack before cutting into slices. Serve with big dollops of whipped cream.

Buttery Flaky Rolls

Re-post from August 28, 2014 

I made these Buttery Flaky Rolls a week ago, and am already thinking about it again. If you love soft, fluffy and buttery rolls, then these would be a great recipe to try. Better still, get the book! This lovely recipe is from "Williams-Sonoma Home Baked Comfort" by Kim Laidlaw. I have tried three recipes from this book, and all are fabulous. And to think I almost did not get this book at the Big Bad Wolf sale last December, only got it during their second sale, a few weeks later. I have seen this book at the first sale, but thinking that I have way too many baking books, I thought I pass it on. But during the second sale, I could not help it! I just got to have it! And I am so glad I did. No matter what anyone says, one can never have enough of cookbooks! LOL! If cookbook makes you happy, go for it! That is, only when budget allows! And I have a long list ! :(

These dinner rolls are really good! Buttery and fluffy soft.

The dough is soft and a little sticky, but after the first rising, it is really easy to work with. Just flour your hands very lightly with flour and divide the dough into small balls. For constant size, use the weighing scale to divide the dough into 18 pieces. These dough balls rises really fast, with our hot humid weather, it takes only about 40 minutes. The best part of bread making for me is when the dough rises during proofing, bring a smile to me each time!

The rolls are baked in two 9" round pans, with 9 rolls per pan. According to the author, it can be baked as individual rolls, simply space the dough rounds on two parchment lined baking sheets and then let rise and bake as directed.

These rolls are really so soft and fluffy. It has a light salty buttery taste to it, as I've used salted butter, and with a hint of sweetness from the honey and sugar. These rolls are brushed with melted butter before the final proofing and again when the rolls are hot from the oven. So good! For those who are health conscious, you may skip it, but there's really not much butter used, only 3 tablespoons for 18 rolls, and it makes such a yummy soft buttery crust.

Good enough to eat it on its own. I had three rolls with a cup of coffee for my breakfast the next morning, and they are still as soft. A keeper recipe!

* notes : my changes listed in blue
Buttery Flaky Rolls
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma Home Baked Comfort", Kim Laidlaw)
Makes 18 rolls
6 tbsp (3oz/90gm) unsalted butter (salted butter)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp dark honey
1 cup (8 fl oz/250ml) whole milk
1 package (2-1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 cups (15 oz/470gm) all-purpose flour (bread flour)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt (1/8 tsp sea salt)

In a small saucepan, melt the 6 tablespoons butter with the honey over low heat. Stir in the milk and gently warm the mixture to about 110F (43C). Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt. Attach the dough hook and knead the dough on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The dough will be very soft and sticky. Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

Generously butter two 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pans. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces, each about 1-1/2 ounces (45gm). (This is when a scale comes in handy!). Roll each piece into a ball and place 9 balls in each prepared pan, spacing them evenly. Brush the dough balls generously with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand until puffy, about 1 hour.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375F (190C). Bake until the rolls are golden, about 18 minutes. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve warm.