Showing posts with label Bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bread. Show all posts
Asanoya Bakery will have you tossing up between new savoury and sweet specials
Labels:
afternoon tea,
all-day-breakfast,
Asanoya,
baked goods,
bakery,
Bread,
breads,
bugis,
cafe,
croissant,
family friendly,
large groups,
must go,
orchard,
queen street,
will go
·
Having recently been caught in the crossfires of a conversation that revolved around breads at a dinner table has really made me evaluate my favourite picks. When asked which my favourite bread shop was, the answer - Asanoya. And with their recent downsizing of breads to paw sized awesomeness to abet eating on-the-go, it's easy to see why I'm so besotted.
Asanoya Bakery: [Limited Ed.] Sakura Range bakes
Labels:
bakery,
boulangerie. bakery,
bras basah,
Bread,
breads,
croissant,
hidden finds,
japanese,
must go,
rocher,
salted egg,
will return
·
Can't get enough of the Sakura season in Japan? Asanoya Bakery celebrates the romanticism of the pink blossoms with a whole range of baked goods ranging from the Sakura Swiss Roll ($15.80 for a whole and $3.50 per slice) to their traditional Karuizawa loaf in Sakura style with Cured peaches ($3.50/100g).
My favourite of the lot being the Bonjour Sakura ($2.80) buns filled with red bean paste and salt-cured sakura leaves. Cured between kombu and sea salt, these leaves have a gelatinous slimy sort of texture with hints of preserved plums in its wake. A lovely addition to the thick and sweet sakura infused red bean paste that fills the flat buns. The buns have a peculiar structure, a tad distinct from the usual pillowy fluffy soft textures of Japanese bread, instead, these are slightly dense and chewy even; quite possibly to serve as a better foil to its rich fillings.
Craftsmen Specialty Coffee: Far East bites.
Labels:
affordable,
all-day-breakfast,
Bread,
brunch,
cafe,
coffee,
family friendly,
healthy eating,
hidden finds,
may return,
sandwich,
Siglap
·
I concur that the East-siders have it better when it comes to food. It has always been an unspoken rule where nobody debates the East-siders choice when it comes to dinner options, their exposure to unearthly delicacies at a young age grooming their intelligible taste buds to ultimate snobbishness. I recall my first boyfriend (hailing from the better side, of course), who spent the first 3 days of our lives together looking at me as if I were a complete alien; our journey to the Joo Chiat area for dinner bringing an oddball glow to my face as we trod the well beaten eaten paths. Well, my ignorance has long gone, my frigidity with the eastern munchies gradually bridged over the years.
As do most cuisines, well , needless to say, the cafe scene on the flipside have a slight edge over us west-siders too. Craftsmen Specialty Coffee located at both Siglap Village and Eastwood is a contender for this myth. It's recent dabbling into sourdough on the menu pulling off a healthier image with quiet subversion.
Maggie Joan's: Backlane Dining
Hidden in a once decrepit corner on the back alley of Amoy Street facing Gemmil Lane is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, well hidden from sight but promises to wow diners with the overall eating experience exemplified by the likes of Loh Lik Peng's Hua Bee and Jack & Rai's The Flying Squirrel. Not surprisingly this location was intentionally chosen by Glen and Daniel Ballis, the father and son duo behind the successful Moosehead modern tapas a few blocks down the road. Occupying a disused kitchen space of the old Gold Leaf porridge in a century old shophouse, this small and cosy establishment retained a lot of old world charm; the bricks that were stripped bare of its paint are the original's while Victorian floor tiles restored by Maggie Joan's in the inner quarters contribute to the ambiance of the place. Owner, Daniel also specially commissioned aged metal drum shades to evoke a sense of the bygone era.
French boulangerie PAUL: New French Classics Menu
Change is a cardinal rule to ensure the sustainability of any food business, here in Singapore. French Boulangerie, Paul does so in a timely manner with Christmas just around the corner, sprucing up its menu offerings to boost the festive mood.
This season, whet your palate with 26 new items on the menu from savoury mains to sweet indulgences. Note that, the menu is available in all PAUL restaurants in Singapore which include 7 locations covering East to West destinations such as Westgate and Changi Airport Terminal 3.
{Cooking for 2}: Burger Nights
The years have fleeted by since my last attempt at a recipe post. However, due a change of circumstances, cooking has become more a viable option for me due to my 'dietary restrictions' (preferences more likely), and in order to make ends meet, sometimes one has to pick up the ole' whisk and ladle and get down and dirty.
In this edition of #SSkitchendisasters, S and I made our first attempt at our most critical subject, the ultimate burger, making everything from scratch in our tiny and insanely steamy kitchen. And this is what we came up with: Beef patty, caramelised onions, rocket, blue cheese sauce on homemade brioche buns. All this flanked by a side serve of chunky crisp spam fries and Sriracha mayonnaise.
Raising our bottles of Aspall's Imperial Cider to our lips, we ate like kings, lavishing in all the love on the plates. Then we tucked into the Hokkaido Cheesecake that I had slaved over earlier and peace was restored.
Recipe for the Brioche Burger buns are below in the case you want to go the extra mile in recreating your own Burger Night. Give it a go!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brioche Burger Buns
makes 12
2tsp (7g) Dried Yeast
1/3 cup (80ml) Warm Milk
2 Tbsp Caster Sugar
2 Cups Strong Plain Bread Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
3 eggs, lightly whisked
120g Butter, softened, cut into 2 cm pieces
1 egg yolk whisked with 2 tsp milk
1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Whisk together the dried yeast, warm milk and 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Set aside for 5 minutes till light and frothy
- Combine the flour, salt, remaining sugar in a mixing bowl and mix properly
- Pour in the yeast mixture with the flour mixture in a stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix well.
- Make a well and in the center and pour in the whisked eggs in the center.
- Work the dough for 5 minutes at low speed till gluten develops.
- Incorporate the butter cubes slowly.
- Place the dough in a well oiled bowl. Cover and place in a draft free zone and allow to proof for 1.5hrs or till it double in size.
- Preheat the Oven to 190 Degrees Celsius.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces (approx 50g each).
- Roll out and shape the dough on a floured surface and place on baking tray.
- Allow the dough to rise for 1hr or till double in size.
- Egg wash with yolk and milk mixture and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 15 minutes till golden brown and a tapping on the bottom of the bun reveals a hollow sound
P.S. there might be new in the pipelines soon about baking classes held by your truly. So stay tuned for finalised plans!
Till then. Happy Hump Day Folks!
Nassim Hill: Where I go to for my Reubens
I shall expound the truth.
The story I tell people is that the only place where I've had a decent reuben sandwich here in Singapore is at Nassim Hill. Truth is, I've only had one locally, this one, and my heart was sold on the subject matter. Period.
My partner relished in the Nassim Hill Double Decker burger ($21), one that sought special attention with a gargantuan poster beckoning from the walls but mellowed in size in reality. With a swish of house made special sauce, 2 beef patties with grilled balsamic onions, lettuce and tomatoes squished between two lightly toasted buns; this was a lukewarm attempt at a burger. Save for the bread, the entire affair was at best, homely - pedestrian.
My Hot Reuben ($18) on the other hand, satisfied all of my wildest dreams. Corned beef made even sexier with a draping of melted emmental cheese, sauerkraut galore, onions and creamy Russian dressing on the signature Asahi Kuronama beef bread. I attacked the sandwich with a vengeance so hard, unhindered by lingering negative thoughts of carbohydrate control. We'll leave that to some other day, the beer bread is just too hard to pass up. *cheeky grin*
On a side note, check out their happy hour deal which run from 8am-8pm daily. Don't say I didn't let you in on this!
Nassim Hill Bakery.Bistro.Bar
56 Tanglin Road
Tanglin Post Office #01-03
t: 6835 1128
Opening Hours:
Tues-Sun: 8am - 11pm
Bread and Hearth: Bread and Butter letters
Labels:
boulangerie. bakery,
Bread,
chinatown singapore,
croissant,
keong saik,
media event,
outram,
patisserie,
tart
·
Butter. there was butter dredged all over the walls, it enveloped me, luring me into its warm embrace. If you cringe at the smell of this yellow villain, then avoid Bread and Hearth by all means. However, my love-hate relationship with it (referring strictly to my days in the kitchen spent tackling a 25kg block of butter with a really blunt knife) draws me one step closer.
Bread and Hearth is the newest artisanal bakery to open amongst the playground of F&B riches in the Ann Siang/ Keong Saik neighborhood. Dedicated to using the best quality ingredients to set it apart from its competitors, I was keen to taste a difference.
And I did.
Working within the constantly cool realms of the fastidiously packed kitchen, staff laminate the croissant doughs from scratch. Plowing the natural levain dough, hiding sheets of French butter within, through the dough-break, book-turn after book-turn till the cross-section reveals some mind-blowing layers of alternating dough and butter. Once proofed, these babies enter the mouth of the blazing hot German oven and the water content in the butter blisters, swelling causing the pastry to puff up. There you have it, crisp, flaky pastry, the hinterland of every butter worshipper.
Here at Bread and Hearth, they take their coffee seriously. One sip of my cappuccino and my coffee nerd consensus attained a quizzical standstill, unable to establish a familiarity with the blend. The owner explains that the coffee beans used for their coffee have been 'blended' in house, a fixed ratio of arabica and robusta beans in order to balance out the tannins, acidity and nuttiness of it. The end result, a smooth, medium bodied coffee which leans ever so slightly to the more nutty side of life. Adding to the pageantry of the fancy coffee art is the subtle fairy dusting of nutmeg powder over the top that works miracles with its rich woody spice.
With a spread of goodies to conquer, we nibble our way around the table. For me, the real strengths are in the Croissant, the Raisin roll and Pain au Chocolat; shedding some light on the dark and depressing state of such boulangerie items in Singapore. Retaining a crisp crust even after the relentless shootings, the butter taste was profound, deliciously rich and salty. The chocolate batons from cocoa barry spilling its hot fudge like melty innards within those flaky layers. Frankly, though, the Matcha Orange soft roll and White Chocolate bun are not particularly tempting with a strange doughy texture.
Part and parcel of any boulangerie spread are tarts. Here at Bread and Hearth, the tart shells are made from scratch, another applaud worthy moment for the hard working folks here. That aside, the result is this strange cookie like crust that screams it's tormenting experience under the hands of an overcompulsive dough maker. The Lemon Meringue Tart, your usual suspect has a lovely bright citrusy note, let down only by the biscuit like dense tart base; whilst the Salted Caramel Tart shows up sweet with sticky caramel, jazzed up with a wee bit of sea salt (could use a lot more in there to warrant the use of the descriptive word 'salty') and nuanced by the simple addition of roasted hazelnuts speckled over the top. With a bit of fine-tuning, this combination has a lot of potential to be the unique selling point of the cafe.
Like every new kid on the block, Bread and Hearth uncovers a mixture of hits and misses throughout its menu. However, with a concise business plan and niche products on offer, this place is set to conquer the hearts and stomachs of croissant lovers with a couple of tweaks.
For now, I vouch for that Pain au Chocolat. Why not give it a go?
Fundamentally-flawed dined as a guest of Bread and Hearth. However, opinions are strictly her own. Thank you Mapwerkz for the invite.
Bread and Hearth
18 Keong Saik Road
Singapore 089215
T: 6534 7800
Website: www.breadandhearth.com
Lustings for Shashouka : Wild Honey
Labels:
all-day-breakfast,
Bread,
brunch,
cafe,
orchard,
restaurants
·
I was craving breakfast. No, to be more specific, Shashouka eggs. Lashings of bubbling savoury goodness in earthern claypots, memories of work and all that good food at Hangry Cafe in Balmain, Sydney hits me like a brick. I needed my fix... fast.
Wild Honey was my solution.
Wild Honey has been doing considerably well for itself over the past couple of years. Expanding out from it's hole in the wall venue in Mandarin Gallery to a much more spacious branch in Scotts Square. My past two visits (here and here) have been extremely well recieved by both me (the delighted consumer) and my companion. This time, a mere 2 years later (oh how quickly time zips by); I am once again floored by food presentation, portions sizes and variations of breakfasts served up.
Let's take a quick look at some of the items ordered around the table.
Breakfast Hangover
scrambled eggs, smoked speck, roasted vine ripe tomatoes, swiss cheese and smoked paprika aioli on grilled ciabatta with breakfast potatoes
this hearty dirty dish would definitely aid in some form of recovery. Essentially a made up version of the Golden Arches's Big breakfast; it's a winner for anyone looking for something simple.
Monte Cubano
pressed toasted foccacia roll with spiced pulled pork, virginia ham, dill pickles, swiss cheese, arugula, coriander mayonnaise and mustard
didn't get to taste this one. But looks wise.. a pretty neat package of delicious stuff.
Last but not least, the straw that broke the camels back. My Shashouka, which I happily dug into along with a glass of house chardonnay. Shashouka is a culinary contribution that traces its provenance to the ancient lands of Tunisia, an egg dish poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, onions and spiced with cumin; Wild Honey's version of the classic was studded with chorizo sausage and served with signature brioche and Isreali Salad. Instant gratification. Middle Eastern food cravings, done.
6 Scotts Road
Level 3 Scotts Square
Tel: 66361816
Website:http://www.wildhoney.com.sg/
Club Street Social: where we had paninis for dinner
Labels:
bistro,
Bread,
chinatown singapore,
club street,
hidden finds,
panini,
restaurants,
sandwich,
wines
·
Located along Genmill lane, a little turn off the rowdy Club Street, Club Street Social has received raving reviews and attention due to it's decor and ambiance similar to the many speakeasies in New York's west village. Having not been to that part of the world before (though I'm dying for the opportunity to creep up), I was eager to fill myself in on the experience even if it might be a make-shift one.
True enough, stepping into the vicinity on a warm weekday night, the honey tone shades of the lights overhead beckoning a sort of ease into our mannerisms, I was instantly charmed. Gorgeous outfitting, mosaic tiled floors and fashionably old fashioned varnished bar counter tops. Stunning.
A quick perusal of the menu saw the bf and I ordering a pair of paninis and Toasted Ciabatta with dips ($12) for sharing.
With regards to food, Club Street Social gives a stellar performance with premium ingredients injected into basic fun fare. First things first, the ciabatta, also used in its paninis is a major super star; with a crisp outer crust giving way to airy pockets of yeasty goodness, it was a huge success serving as a medium for such obnoxious flavor pleasures. I had the pan seared lobster with avocado and yuzu mayo ($28) whereas he settled for the more humble salami, fontina and red peppers chutney ($15). The former was a treasure of all things creamy and luxurious, akin to an occasional treat of lobster thermidore rolled into a tight package. However, in the reality that we were stripped from the intoxicating ambience, the lobster panini plainly put was overpriced. I would have been better off with a burger from &Made. The latter, the salami panini wasn't big on flavor, save for the strangely addictive carb wrapper of a ciabatta.
That being said, Club Street Social leaves one at a major dilemma. I would have loved to have fallen in love with the place. Unfortunately, the quaint establishment falls short of expectations in the food department after having built a reputation high given its daring menu on top of it's less than minimal media exposure. Not a place I'll return to.
Club Street Social
5 Gemmill Ln Singapore 069261
Tel: 6225 5043
Website: http://www.clubstreetsocial.com/
Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar: Weekend treats
It's late into the evening. Perhaps you're scouring the net for a suitable brunch/lunch place for the weekend, maybe it's by order of the merciless girlfriend or just a plain treat u want to reward yourself with after a long weeks' worth of work. Who knows? In any case, I might have a solution to your aimless search.
Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar
With a large number of establishments yielding to this concept in a bid to extend operational hours and hence profits (or so I would imagine), not many succeed in making the transition from a casual inviting bistro in the day to a swanky bar by night. One thing is for sure, Nassim Hill Bakery takes the cake when it comes to creating a cozy bistro offering brunch delights come weekend.
For starters, we had Belgian Grimbergen Beer to rake in the weekend feasting. We sampled the Blonde and Ambree options, both of which proved it's premium branding with smooth finishing and robust flavors.
that brings me to my Hot Reuben sandwich ($18) - sliced corned beef with melted emmental cheese, saurkraut,
onions and Russian dressing on their in-house signature Grimbergen Ambrée beer bread. Till now, my taste buds are excited by the mere thought of this dish. Generous in portions and extremely satisfying in terms of flavor profile; this brunch item delivers a real punch with a right combination of ingredients. What I loved best was the crazily beautiful Ambree beer bread that blew my mind. Guess the malt and hops in that beer really boosted the characteristics of it. At the end of it all (yeh, my gluttony surprises me sometimes), I emerged gratified; almost lost for words even.
I promise to be back for revisits solely for the reuben sandwich. Till we lock lips again, I propose that you guys swing by this weekend for a visit.
56 Tanglin Road
Tanglin Post Office #01-03
Tel: 6835-1128
website: http://www.nassimhill.com.sg
The post about the Cinnamon Rolls
Want to hear a joke? When you mix flour and water, you get glue. When you add eggs and sugar, you get cake. Where did the glue go? It's what makes the cake stick to your butt. Funny isn't it?
*is greeted by the disapproving stares of the thousands of cake lovers* Oh gosh... Let's move on.
this shall be a simple exhaltation to the humble cinnamon rolls.
You see, these pillowy striped wheels of spiced goodness not only resemble the scrunches of material on the front of Charlize Theron's gown for the Oscars this year *comes to a screeching halt*, which I thought really accentuated those parts of her body by the way. So... these cinnamon rolls are essentially useful in curbing the pre-lunch hunger pangs (note: having lunch at 4 30 pm everyday can get quite cruelsome after awhile), not forgetting breakfast and perhaps an after dinner treat? Want a warm sweet treat? Nothing that a quick toss of the cinammon rolls into the oven can't solve.
What I like best about this experience is the flexibility of the yeasted sweet dough that can be whizzed out in a jiffy and made into a variety of baked goods for example sticky buns, scalloped chocolate pecan strip, and the woven apricot almond strip. A quick job and a slap of dough into the fridge for some cool blasting. And when you're ready, just take it out from the fridge and roll it out,slosh the sticky mixture of cinammon, sugar and butter all over the dough (at this point, you can scatter your pecans, chocolate chips or whatever crazy ingredient you have in mind). Roll it up carefully and chop them up into even slices, place them on a buttered baking tray. Proof and bake! WAH LA! you've got bits of sticky cinnamon mix on your front tooth. Haha.
So without much further ado, here's an parade of snapshots in reverence of the bashful yet so indecently titillating cinnamon rolls.
then splashing it on. Deliriously.
Thank you Carole Walter for bringing us such a wonderful recipe!
Well, to all those raring to give these beasty treats a go. Do check out the recipe for the simple sweet dough here!
Electric Apricots
I would like to think it is the latter, for obvious reasons.
and if you're wondering what it is, yes, it's a woven apricot and almond strip (as stated.); a yeasted cake by nature. Note my trepidation when i drop the 'y' word. Despite my many years of stirring the deep realms of baking, yeast still remains as one of biggest obstacle. Wanting a taste of the forbidden fruit, I treaded on thin ice and made a pass at this recipe I spotted in Carole Walter 'Great Coffee Cakes'. Then, beginning with a sweet dough that was churned out a day before to allow it to rest in the fridge, I traced the rest of the steps with fearful precision until... disaster struck.
ah, yes, life has a way of doing a belly flop every time you smile in contention at your successful efforts. Just God's way of humbling us. But, as willed, I assembled the entire strip complete with puree and folding on the counter top, only to find out that it was nearly impossible to lift the long strip onto the cookie sheet without rupturing the structured bridges of dough over the top. I grimaced, whined, sulked and pull a hot-dog long face as I pried the dough from the countertop (that thankfully was well-floured enough) and plopped it onto the buttered cookie tray. But darn it... some of the overlapping had come undone releasing a torrent of syrupy juices from the apricot puree to flow around the base of the sweet dough. I was slumped. That was it, making a tiny mistake and having an entire days' worth of work go to waste. Ever felt like that before?
At the very least, the coffee cake emerged looking like a glorious fan of sunshine from the oven. I was elated... more so from the taste too. But be very sure that the sweet yeasted doughs deserves a revisit from me very soon!
Simple Sweet Dough
from Carole Walter's 'Great Coffee Cakes'
makes 2 pounds of dough, enough for 1 large or 2 medium coffee cake
Ingredients:
4 tbsp sugar
1/4 cups warm water (110 to 115 F)
1 package active dry yeast
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup milk
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Rinse a small bowl in hot water to warm it. Add 1 tbsp of the sugar and the warm water to the bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Do not stir. Cover the bowl with a saucer and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Stir it briefly with a fork, cover again, and let it stand for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until bubbly.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix on low speed the 3 cups of flour, remaining 3 tbsp of sugar, and the salt. Add the slightly firm cubed butter and continue to mix until meal-size crumbs form, 2 to 4 minutes depending on the temp of the butter. Stop the mixer.
Using a fork, in a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the flour, along with the dissolved yeast, and mix on low speed for about 15 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix on low speed for another 30 seconds, or until smooth dough is formed. NOTE: this is a soft dough.
Lightly butter a medium bowl for storing the dough. Empty the dough into the prepared bowl, smoothing the top with lightly floured hands. Spread a thin layer of softened butter over the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The dough may be kept in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.
For the Filling and assembly:
Ingredients:
Apricot Puree
4 ounces dried apricots (not organic)
1/2 cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp almond extract
Sugar Cinnamon Sprinkle
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped almonds, toasted
------------
1/2 recipe (about 1 pound) Simple Sweet Dough
2 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft
1 large egg white lightly beaten with 1 tbsp of water for egg wash
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 tbsp granulated sugar
TO make the apricot puree: In a heavy 1-quart saucepan, combine the apricots and 1/2 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the apricots are very soft. If too much of the water evaporates, add 1 to 2 tbsp, or more as needed to prevent the apricots from burning. Stir in the brown sugar, then simmer for another minute or two. Remove the pan from the heat. Using a fork, whip in the butter and almond extract, mixing until the consistency is fairly smooth. Let cool. (You should have about 3/4 of a cup.)
Make the sprinkle: In a small bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars, cinnamon, and almonds. Set aside.
Shape the dough: Butter a large cookie sheet and set aside. Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface. Knead five or six times, then let rest for 5 minutes. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, shape the dough into an 8 x 12 inch rectangle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and place it on the prepared cookie sheet, stretching it back into shape.
Using an offset spatula, spread a 3-inch strip of soft butter down the length of the dough. Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the butter. Spoon the apricot puree over the sugar mixture. With the back of the spoon, smooth the puree over the sugar/cinnamon as best you can. Brush both sides of the dough with a 1-inch strip of egg wash.
With a dough scraper or a sharp knife, cut nine slashes, about 1 1/4 inches apart on both sides of the dough, being careful not to cut into the strip of filling. Starting from the top, overlap the strips from left to right, pulling down slightly to cover the filling. Pinch the seams on the top and bottom so the filling will not seep out. Cover the strip with a tea towel and set in a warm place to rise for 45 yo 60 minutes, or until puffy and almost doubled.
Bake the strip: Fifteen minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350. Brush the top of the strip with the egg wash and sprinkle with the almonds and sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not overbake.
Remove from the oven and let stand on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, then loosen with a large spatula. When firm enough to handle, transfer to a cooling rack.
TWD: Brioche Pear Tart
TWD: Brioche Plum Pear Tart
(think sultry winter accompanied with warm spices..)
(think sultry winter accompanied with warm spices..)
I still live in Australia... not physically of course, but it's a mental state of mind. Winter fruits? Who am I kidding? Though I must add that it was hard re-adjusting back to life in Spore. Fire breathing parents, with a boyfriend playing a never-ending game of heart attack with the armed forces and throw in a pinch of natural adulthood derieved stresses; and you're on your way to a major catastrophe.
At the very least, something had worked itself right. Landed myself with a job as with a baking supplies shop along Bukit Timah Road which I found nothing short of a miracle. Surrounded by the likes of laughter floating thru the air everyday, jovial greetings and flurried footsteps pattering around the shop premises; I've found a piece of mind. Service, I discovered, an aspect I had yet to dwelt in but so direly crucial to any business. I knew that God had sent me for a purpose... interaction perhaps?
oh yes.. TWD! Finally arranged another rare meet up with the brilliant Dorie Greenspan for a bakeoff. This week's choice, a Brioche Plum Tart which I decidedly converted into one other bursting with the warm tones of winter spices. Swopped the plum jam with an apricot jam and the plums for packham pears covered with a handsome amount of sugared walnuts in mixed spices. The Brioche that had once broke my heart in the previous episode with the brioche snails had magically transformed into a poofed beauty of utter romance and rich bread. My face glistened with the pride as the shivering dough reach a snuggly warmth in the moist surroundings only to rise to greater heights again at it's last blasting stage. This recipe is definitely a winner. Thanks to Denise from Chez Us for picking out this lovely recipe. Do head down to her blog for the recipe and scroll down the rest of the TWD bloggers for a look of the other versions installed!
my fickled friend, the summer wind
It's been ages since I've written a decent post. And when I say decent, meaning an entry with proper content, not entirely doused in overwhelmed emotions of wretched feelings. But what if I'm nothing more than that? A barrel bursting of liquid fuel just waiting to be ignited? Perhaps mum's right, I should enroll myself in some sort of EQ class (if that even exists?), can't seem to churn out answers the way people want to hear them. Again, I take on the villainous role. Not that it was intentional or anything, but I do agree that my non-chalent attitude can be a little over bearing sometimes. oh gosh, ramblings again. So sorry, where was I? ahh.. decent entry.
So moving on to more important things, I meant to write a little short entry on the recent happenings of the past weekend. To my blessed fortune, I was given the opportunity to prepare a 'high tea' spread (or in modest terms, 'cha dien' as we would normally call it) for the young adult fellowship and our parents who had been cordially invited to grace the occasion. Essentially a program aimed at resolving the differences between parents and their children, guest speakers included ling kang and his family shared their experiences and attempt to answer the nagging queries both from parents and the 'angsty' children alike.
happy faces!
Sweet butterfly cupcakes with strawberry swirl mascarpone filling whisked across the table followed by hearty 'flat' cream scones with jam, an enormous chocolate malt cheesecake and dainty blueberry turnovers; many of which had burst and yield under the high heat of the oven, the purple juices runeth over. All good, but still, the mini burgers were the star of the show. And being the hostess with the mostest, here's sharing with you the recipe for the buns! do shout out if you guys are interested in the recipe for the burger patties though.
makes 22 small (2 inch diameter) buns
Ingredients
3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
Directions
1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—
to make a soft, smooth dough.
2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it's doubled in bulk.
3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round
1" thick (more or less); flatten to about 2" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased
baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until very puffy.
4) If desired, brush buns with melted butter. Or brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg beaten
with 1 tablespoon water), and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5) Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, till golden. Cool on a rack.
Thanks to everyone for their kind compliments. It was definitely an experience making all this food for you guys. Therapeutic for the heart yet not so much for the poor feet. Landed up with aching arch the next 2 days. Still, God provides in all his miraculous ways.
Now I pray that he sorts out the rest of the wreckage for me. Plans? What certainty can I have in life? How else can I ensure a life pure and sanctified unless I sow my seeds in the ground with his steadfast presence as my final marker? too many questions...
Itchiness creeps up my throat. Got to hit the sack folks. Goodnight babe.
Poached eggs for dinner
What's for dinner?
“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”
Mahatma Gandhi
My love affair with bread started in the later years. With my knowledge on rustic breads and traditional european breads in a gradual expansion mode. It was only a matter of time that my eager hands were put to work in an urge to master or rather, lick the thick layer of foam off the surging art of bread-making.
My personal preference for crusty wholesome loaves lead me by the nose. Experiments in creating my own sourdough levain soon ensued. Baby Belinda was the project. Consisting of a nurturing colony of bacteria in a jar that required consistent feeding everyday for an entire week before the bubbly mixture was ready for use in bread baking was indeed a mildly fascinating process for me. With Dan Lepard peering down my shoulder everyday as I cradled, strained and stirred baby Belinda, the sourdough culture grew strong and steadily, and increasingly acidic everyday. She huffed and puffed and bubbled to extraordinary heights as measured on the scale i drew on the glass jar using a temporary marker. That was my strong baby girl... And after some 6 days of constant feeding, she was finally ready for her final destination.
My onion and bay loaf.
The bread ending on my dinner platter the very next night. Grilled to crisp perfection with a fluffy crown of poached egg and a side of sauteed wild mushrooms and parsley. If I ever had the choice of 'alone food'; this would be the perfect candidate...
Onion and Bay Loaf
adapted from Dan Lepard's ' The handmade loaf'
For the Onions:
280g white onions, diced into 1cm pieces
280g whole milk
3 bay leaves
For the Dough:
100g strong wholewheat flour
400g strong white flour
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/4 tsp fresh yeast, crumbled
250g milk from onions
150g white leaven
280g cooked onions
- Place chopped onions, milk and bay leaves in saucepan and bring to boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30mins. Pour through strainer to seperate onions from milk. Keep the milk for use in the dough.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. In another bowl, whisk the yeast with the 250g milk in which the onions have been cooked. Beat in the leaven until the mixture is smooth and finally add the onions and stir. Pour the wet ingredients in with the flour and stir till you have a sticky dough. Scrape any dough from your finger and cover and leave for 10mins.
- Rub corn oil on your work space and keaned the dough on the welloiled surface for 10secs, ending with the dough in smooth round ball. Return to bowl and leave for 10mins. Remove the dough and knead once more again, returning the shape to a smooth round ball. Place it back in the bowl and leave in somewhere warm for 1 hour.
- Line a deep 20cm bowl with flour rubbed tea towel, lightly flour the work surface and shape the dough into a ball. Place the bal of dough seam side upwards into the cloth and cover it with the corners of the teatowel. Leave the bowl in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until loaf has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 210 degrees celsius and upturn your load on to a floured baking tray. Spray the surface of the dough with a fine mist of water then place in the oven to bake for 20mins. Reduce the heat to 190 degrees and bake for a further 30mins until the loaf is a good dark brown color. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Lemon Poppy Seed Plait
Fresh Bakes
Let's talk about hair. To start with, I've never had long hair as a little girl. Looking at magazines overcrawling in ladies with impeccable dress sense, flawless skin and thick tresses. I often find myself admiring these women and their incredibly beautiful manes. And as I grew older, (specifically after my ordeal with nanyang primary school which had a strict ruling of no hair below the school collar. haha) opportunity finally knocked on my door. However, as quickly as the initial notion of having long hair clinged on, it rapidly dimished as well as soon as the cool air stopped circulating my neck area. Then, I knew that maintaining long tresses, especially in the tropics was going to be a pain-in-the-ass.
Since then, my hair hasn't changed much. Fluctuating between the skimpily thinned down and almost a little limpy version to the thick helmet like structure that sticks to my head when it thickens. Although my persistance wanes in the aspect of ever reaching a longer stage, i still look to those magazines and give a sigh of envy. Once in a while at least...
Back to the lemon poppy seeds plaits. These were wonderful. Lemon scented with the crunch of poppy seeds, they were a joy to nibble on with a generous coating of butter and jam. Just the way I like it.
Lemon Poppy Seed Plait
adapted from Don Yong's 'Bread Winners'
Ingredients:
Bread Flour 150g
Plain Flour 200g
Milk Powder 12.5g
Bread Improver 4g
Instant dry yeast 5g
Sugar 20g
Salt 5g
Egg 20g
Water 125g
Butter 20g (softened)
Lemon flavor 2.5g
Poppy Seeds 12.5g
- With an electric mixer and a dough hook, mix all the dry ingredients together for 1 min under low speed. Add egg and water and mix on low speed for another min. Increase to medium speed and develop dough for 3 minutes. Add butter, lemon, flavoring and poppy seeds. Continue mixing until dough has completely developed ( passed window pane test)
- Round up the dough and leave in an airtight container for 1 hr until double in size from rising. Divide dough into 50g pieces and round up dough and allow to rest for 10min.
- Flatten dough pieces and mold the dough into strings that are thicker at the edges. Join 5 strangs of dough from left to right and plait.
- Prove the plaits in a warm place for about 1hr and brush with beaten egg over the surface gently and sprinkle with more poppy seeds over. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees celsius for 20-25 mins.
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