Saturday, December 14, 2013

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread ~ We Knead to Bake #10

Time flies..and how!I thought I missed baking only the whole wheat loaf,but I see I've missed the Cinnamon rolls and time's running out for this month's WKtB as well.What better way to kick start the bakes than with this good ol' sandwich loaf.I'd be lying if I told you I didn't find the steps too long.I mean,it's after all a sandwich loaf right,wrong!
Whole wheat sandwich loaf
We love our bread loaf at home.White,spongy and melt in the mouth bread from the local bakery.Whenever we've tried to switch to whole wheat bread,we've come right back to the white bread.Either the loaves are too dry and tasteless or they are just white bread in brown colour(with caramel added).Ever since I've started baking breads,the thought of baking with atta/whole wheat flour has always been there at the back of my mind.

Somehow,breads baked with atta/wwf tend to be a little dense,tasty nevertheless but for someone who's been accustomed to super soft bread made with APF all their lives,this one is a bit hard to digest(no pun intended!)
Whole wheat Sandwich Loaf
When Aparna suggested a 100% Whole wheat sandwich loaf for WKtB,I was apprehensive to try it.But when I read through the recipe,there was an option for adding 50-50 combination of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour and I knew I had to try it.The recipe intrigued me,using a soaking procedure and a Biga/Sponge which is the secret to the softness and texture of this bread.
Whole wheat Sandwich Loaf
Though the steps seem a bit daunting at first,all you require to make this bread is a little planning.Make the soaker and biga a day before you plan the bread.Rest of the procedure is simple.I used my food processor to knead the dough but you can knead it with hand as well,though I have to warn you-the dough would be a little messy to knead by hand as it is a lot stickier than regular bread dough.

My bread looks a bit flatter and wider because of the size of my loaf pan.I had initially planned to make two loaves but ended up making one big loaf.Wait for the loaf to cool down completely before slicing to get neat slices.With a chewy crust and a soft inside,this one was a successful bake.We had some plain,some sandwiched in Nutella and some toasted as well.If you are not consuming the bread immediately,keep it refrigerated.
Whole wheat Sandwich Loaf Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread - We Knead to Bake #10
Recipe source - Aparna;Original Recipe from  Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads


Ingredients: 

For The Soaker:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour(I used 1 cup all purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 to 1 cup water at room temperature
1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider or plain) 

For The Biga/ Sponge:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour(I used 1 cup all purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour)
1/4 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup milk (or a little more)
1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider or plain) 

For The Final Dough:

All of the Soaker
All of the Biga/ Sponge
1 1/2 tsp Vital Wheat Gluten (optional)
1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup whole wheat flour (and a few tbsp. more if required)
2 tsp instant yeast
1/8 cup oil (or melted butter if preferred)
2 tbsp honey
Method: 
First make the Soaker. 
Whole wheat Sandwich Loaf Mix all of the Soaker ingredients together in a bowl until all of the flour is hydrated.Depending on the flour,you might need more than the original 3/4 cup of water suggested. So I would suggest using 3/4 cup water and then adding a little at a time, until you have the desired consistency. Your Soaker should be somewhat like reasonably firm bread dough in consistency. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours. 

Now make the Biga/ Sponge. 
Whole wheat Sandwich Loaf Mix all of the Biga/ Sponge in a bowl and knead together well till a soft ball forms. Again you might need more than the originally suggested 3/4 cup of liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. This will keep for up to 3 days.
Two hours before you plan to mix your dough for the bread, remove the Biga from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. You might find your Biga rising a little during this time. 


Divide the Biga and Soaker into small pieces (about 12 pieces each) using a sharp knife or scraper and put them in the food processor bowl (or stand mixer). You can knead this by hand too, but the dough will be tacky and a little difficult to manage. Do not be tempted to add more flour, when it is time to, than necessary.
Add the remaining ingredients for the dough, except the 1/3 cup flour) and knead for about 3 minutes.  Let it rest for 5 minutes, then add as much flour as needed (if necessary) to the dough and  knead for another 3-4 minutes. Your dough should now come away from the sides of the bowl but still be a little sticky but somewhat manageable. It’s really important to not add too much extra flour during this step. 
Whole wheat Sandwich Loaf 
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until almost doubled (about 1 1/2 hours). Then turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat the dough out into a rectangle with a width that just a bit less than your loaf tin. See that you do not tear the dough. Roll it up and shape into a loaf (see the video, if you need it).

Whole wheat Sandwich Loaf Place your loaf in a greased and floured loaf tin  and let it rise until it is just higher than your loaf tin. Bake the loaf at 180C (350F) for about 40 to 45 minutes until the top is a nice deep brown colour and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
Whole wheat Sandwich Loaf
Let the loaf cool completely (at least for about 2 hours), before slicing it. Refrigerate the loaf if not consuming immediately.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Orange Cream Biscuits | Christmas Baking

So how are preparations going on for Christmas,have you soaked the fruits for the fruit cake?Have you decided what you're adding to the home-baked goodie boxes to gift or like me,are you still wondering where to start.I hope at least some of you are like me and yet to decide on the course of action for the upcoming festival season,it'll make me a bit relieved.
Orange Cream Biscuits
Christmas for us is indeed a festival of joy.Though we don't celebrate it in its full splendour,things like hanging the star up and baking a fruit cake and gifting goodie boxes of baked stuff among friends has become a small tradition of sorts.Just like Diwali.

This year somehow,everything is in slow motion.I am still chopping up fruits and nuts for the fruit cake,now got to soak and then bake.The blog has never seen so much of silence as it has in the last couple of months.Every post I seem to promise I'll come back with a bang but it doesn't seem to happen.
Orange Cream Biscuits
To cheer up the blog as well as my blog readers who never fail to visit the blog and leave comments,I decided to bake one of my favoritest-est biscuits-Orange Cream biscuit.I can finish up a packet of cream biscuits(only Orange)in record time and for the same reason,rarely stock it up.So when I saw the recipe for the same,it excited me.Never in my dreams I thought I could whip up cream biscuits from scratch..so hey never say never again..:)

The recipe is very similar to Yo-Yo biscuits,but this one uses egg yolk for added richness.Folks like me who worry about the eggy smell,let me assure you there is none.Flavorful Orange Zest completely takes over and you can taste only Orange flavor in this and nothing else.
Orange Cream Biscuits
Orange Cream Biscuits

Ingredients(makes 14-16 pairs)

Butter - 100 gms,at room temperature
Caster Sugar - 100 gms
Golden syrup - 2 tbsp
Orange zest - of one Orange
Egg yolk - 1
All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
Custard powder - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Cream of tartar - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

For the filling/cream

Butter - 40 gms
Icing sugar - 2/3 cup/75 gms
Juice and Zest of one Orange
A pinch of Orange food colouring(optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 160C.Grease and line a cookie tray.
Orange Cream Biscuits 
Sift together flour,custard powder,salt,cream of tartar and baking soda.
Orange Cream Biscuits 
Cream butter,sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy.
Orange Cream Biscuits 
Mix in the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat well.Work the sifted flour mix into the creamed butter mixture and mix till you get a smooth dough.(I started mixing with a wooden spoon and then kneaded with hands)
Orange Cream Biscuits 
Roll into balls the size of a small walnut and put onto the baking sheets allowing room for spreading.Dip a fork into some flour and make small markings on top of the cookies.Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cookies turn golden brown.Remove carefully to a wire rack and let it cool completely.
Orange Cream Biscuits 
For the cream filling-cream together the butter,sugar and orange zest.Mix in enough orange juice to give a thick spreading consistency.Add a ppinch of orange food colour.
Orange Cream Biscuits 
Use the orange cream filling to sandwich the cookies together.

Orange Cream Biscuits

Recipe source - Cakes & Cake Decoration by Rosemary Wadey

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Mushti Polo / Fistful measure Dosa | Easy Breakfast Recipes

Mushti Polo/Fistful measure Dosa
I've mentioned this before,I'll say it again.I sleep well if there is dosa batter in the fridge.Somehow,it makes me tick off one main decision for the day.Having a box of grated coconut ready is an added advantage.Earlier,I used to grind the dosa batter in my mixie and still it yielded me enough batter for use throughout the week.Now I grind the batter in my 'most prized possession' in the kitchen,my Ultra grinder and needless to say,the batter lasts for a while and more.

Few days back,amma told me of this jhatpat dosa batter.This is no instant dosa,it does need soaking lentils and fermenting.In her words,jhatpat means,soaking the rice and urad dal together and grinding it together in a mixie.I found it fascinating because of the way ingredients are measured.Except for the rice,everything else is measured in mushti/fistful measures.
Mushti Polo/Fistful measure Dosa The dosa is spongy and soft and pairs perfectly well with coconut chutney or some spicy side dish.

Mushti Polo/Fistful measure Dosa

Ingredients

Raw rice - 1 1/2 cups
Urad dal - 1 1/2 fistful
Methi/fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 1/2 fistful
White beaten rice/poha/aval - 1 1/2 fistful
Salt to taste

Ghee/oil for dosa

Method

Mushti Polo/Fistful measure Dosa 
In a bowl wash and soak together raw rice,urad dal and methi for 3-4 hours.
Mushti Polo/Fistful measure Dosa 
Mix in grated coconut and poha and grind to a smooth batter.Add enough salt to taste and water,if required,and close with a lid and let it ferment for 8-10 hours.
Mushti Polo/Fistful measure Dosa 
Heat a dosa tawa and pour a ladleful of batter.Spread it lightly into a round.Don't spread too much,it should be slightly on the thicker side.
Add ghee/oil on top and cover and cook for a minute.Do not flip over.
Mushti Polo/Fistful measure Dosa
 Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake #internationalbundtday

One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake
There was a time when I used to hoard cake pans.In whatever shapes and sizes it fancied me during that time.Later on I realized,whenever I was up to baking something,I turned to the same set of pans.The 'bundt pan' is definitely one of them.I've always wanted a bundt pan and during the times it wasn't available here,I bookmarked a bunch of recipes for those times when I owned a bundt for myself.

I got my bundt pans through a giveaway and haven't looked back since.Though I rarely use the bigger pan(12 cup bundt),the smaller one(6 cup)gets used at least once in a fortnight.I love the pan for the beautiful shape it lends to the cake without much effort from us,excluding the greasing and flouring of the pan.
One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake
Few times,I've had disasters where the cake stuck to the pan or refused to come out despite greasing.Over a period of time,I've learnt a few tips and tricks which ensure the cake comes out of the pan in one single piece each and every single time. 
  • Grease and flour your pan well.Use a pastry brush or a tissue and cover every nook and cranny of your pan with melted butter or shortening.Add flour to the pan and tap well so that every part is coated with flour.Discard the excess flour and make sure no chunks of flour remain.
  • After baking,place the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool in the tin for 30-40 minutes.Use a knife to loosen the edges and center of the pan.
  • Invert the cake pan onto a wire rack and let the cake cool further before slicing.
One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake November 15th is National(International)Bundt Day and I've posted my bundts for the event in the last few years.Mary,the Food Librarian is the one who's been hosting the event.If ever you feel stuck for bundt recipes,hers is the blog to check out,with over 100+ bundt cake recipes.

I didn't want to miss posting a bundt for the event,so decided on trying this simple one-bowl mocha cake.I'm always on the look out for simple(and small!)cakes for pairing with coffee and tea and this one is perfect for that.Though it tastes great on its own,I drizzled the top with some ganache and chocolate chips.
One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake
One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake

Ingredients

Brown Sugar - 1 cup
Butter - 60 gms,at room temperature
Egg - 1
Milk - 1/3 cup
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp
Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp

Method

One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake 
Preheat oven to 170C.Grease and flour a 6 cup bundt tin.
One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake 
In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients and beat well for 3-4 minutes 
One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake 
or until the batter is smooth and no chunks of sugar and flour remain.
One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake 
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the tin,on a wire rack for 30 minutes.Loosen the edges and center and invert the cake on to the wire rack and let it cool further.
Drizzle some chocolate ganache or chocolate syrup on top,slice and serve.
One-bowl Mocha Bundt Cake

Recipe source - Australian Family Circle-Favourite Cake Recipes

Friday, November 8, 2013

Sitaphal/Custard Apple Milkshake

Sitaphal/Custard Apple Milkshake
So we've stocked up on some smooth custard apple pulp,now what next.I wish I was creative enough to come up with ideas to use it other than eat it on its own or pulse it into a milkshake.I tried making a phirni out of it,using a basic phirni recipe and mixing a few tbsps of fruit pulp into it.Before it set properly we ate it up so it never made it to the blog.

Next on my list was a mousse,but to be honest we've been on a sweet high since Diwali and the thought of making something with sugar really put me off,however delicious that might have been.A milkshake was a quick and easy option,the sitaphal is sweet on its own so no need to add much sugar also,win-win!
Sitaphal/Custard Apple Milkshake
As I was making the milkshake,another thought occurred to me which was to freeze the pulp in ice cubes and store in a ziploc for further use.Next time for sure!

Sitaphal/Custard Apple Milkshake

Ingredients

Sitaphal pulp - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Ice cubes - a few,optional

Method

Sitaphal/Custard Apple Milkshake 
In a mixer blend together the sitaphal pulp,sugar and milk.
Sitaphal/Custard Apple Milkshake 
Blend some ice cubes and serve chilled.

Sitaphal/Custard Apple Milkshake


Thursday, November 7, 2013

How to make Sitaphal Pulp | Custard Apple Pulp

How to make Sitaphal Pulp
If there is any fruit which I love,but hate the way I have to work to enjoy the 'fruit' of labour,it has to be Sitaphal/Custard Apple.It is so very delicious but pretty difficult to eat since with every bite there would be a couple of seeds to spit out.Whenever it is in season,our house sees kilos after kilos of this sweet fruit.I've never ventured into making anything with it other than to eat,it is pretty difficult to eat,leave alone making anything with it.

After tasting Sitaphal ice-cream in Naturals,I think the flavour just got more prominence in my mind.I've also tasted milkshakes and kulfis with a predominant sitaphal flavour.I wanted to try a phirni with it for Diwali for which I needed sitaphal pulp.I remember how in juice shops,they just pulp the fruit and seeds together and then sieve it.I followed the same method.
How to make Sitaphal Pulp
Having a stash of the pulp in the fridge gave me a lot of ideas.I did make a super small batch of phirni which we ate up before it had time to properly set,so made milkshakes with the rest of the pulp.I think the no-churn ice-cream would be a safe bet too,if I don't eat up the pulp on its own :)

How to make Sitaphal Pulp

Ingredients

Sitaphal/Custard Apple - 5-6,big or 7-8 medium
Milk - 1/3 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp,optional

Method

How to make Sitaphal Pulp 
Scoop out the pulp with the seeds into a bowl.Into a mixer,add the pulp along with the milk and pulse for 5-10 seconds.

How to make Sitaphal Pulp 
In a wide bowl,place a fine meshed sieve and pour the mix into it.
Using a spatula sieve the pulp.Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.You can add sugar at this point or skip it.
It is necessary to use milk as it aids grinding.If not,the seeds may get ground into the pulp and make it grainy and bitter.
How to make Sitaphal Pulp
Works best for ice-creams,kulfi,milkshakes and phirni.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Quick Rasmalai | Diwali Recipes #diwali

I know I've been gone for a while.In fact,this month has seen the least number of posts on this blog and I apologize profusely to all those unanswered mails and comments.Please bear with me till the weekend and hopefully,I'll be back with a bang by November :)
Quick Rasmalai
Blogosphere all over the world is filled by Diwali sweets and snacks and though I haven't cooked up anything this year as yet,I couldn't let the festival go without a sweet recipe here.I'm posting a much loved sweet Rasmalai,which I tried last year for Diwali and my friends were not let in on the secret that it was an instant version,shhh!

As is the norm,I always make a batch of Gajar ka halwa and Gulab Jamun for distributing to friends and family.Last year I made Rasmalai as well and all of our friends couldn't stop beaming about how hardworking and meticulous I am when it comes to Homemade Diwali sweets.Of course,they don't know that carrot is grated in the food processor,gulab jamun is made with a trusted ready-mix and rasmalai is a cheat's version,ha!
Quick Rasmalai
I am all for homemade versions and all that but when something is readily available and 'good',why not try it?

Traditionally,Rasmalai is made using curdled milk,which is then rolled into small balls and flattened and then cooked in a sugar syrup.Then it is added into a reduced milk syrup and chilled before serving.This version uses ready-made Rasgullas from the can and the 'ras' is made quickly using condensed milk.I love it!

Happy Diwali!
Quick Rasmalai Quick Rasmalai
Recipe source - MyJhola

Ingredients

Rasgulla - 1 large can[around 15-17]
Condensed milk/Milkmaid - 1 can[400gms]
Milk - 1.2 litres
Saffron - a few strands,soaked in warm milk
Crushed cardamom - 1 tsp

Method

Quick Rasmalai 
In a thick bottomed pot,heat together milk and condensed milk for 5-7 minutes.
Quick Rasmalai 
Squeeze out the syrup from the rasgullas and mix into the milk mix.
Add saffron strands and cardamom and let it infuse for about 3-4 minutes.Switch off flame and let it cool down to room temperature.
Chill and serve.
Quick Rasmalai

Top 5 Diwali Sweets on Easycooking