Focaccia Caprese

 

Usually I am always late in posting for We Knead to Bake the bread baking group I am a part.
And Aparna did say in the fb group yesterday that 24 th will be the posting day as usual and in my mind I said to myself I was fast in baking the Focaccia in the begning of the month itself so I must post this time on time.

But as usual it was a very busy day today and now it is nine in the evneing and I am home alone ( Hans is gone for a rehersals and will be only back home late) so I said to myself instead of watching TV in the evneing I will sit and write the post for tommorow.

Ofcourse as always nothing goes that easy for me :-) I use laptop even though I like the desktop and when ever i use the laptop I use the mouse ( yeah yeah laugh at me) and ofcourse mouse was not working I changed the battery still not working so I took that small thinge which is plugged in to use the mouse and be my luck it just flew off while i was trying to pull it off and my luck be it I coudn't find it, so had to look around the sofa take all the pillows and mats away to see if it is in between and Voila there it is inbetween the sofa :-)

Anyway now to the Focaccia .

This month it was Focaccia Caprese Aparna choosed and one reason I made them fast was we love any kind of focaccia and this was indeed very delicious.
We ate with soup for dinner . Only minus point is that they are so good that you can't stop eating them :-)
Note from me:
I made the recipe exact just that i didn't use fresh basil leaves etc, so in the filling recipe i have not written them which was in the original recipe.

I also brushed the dough with the herb oil and also when I made the dimple shapes I slathered with the herb oil.

Focaccia Caprese
(Adapted from The Kitchen Whisperer)
Ingredients:

For the Dough:

2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil (preferably olive oil)
1 to 1 1/2 cups warm water
A little more olive oil for brushing dough

For the Topping:

4-5 larg-ish tomatoes, sliced thin
1 6-7” round piece of fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into1/4” slices**

For the Herbed Oil:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp finely minced garlic/ paste
Salt to taste

Note:
* If you cannot find bread flour, you can add 1 tbsp of Vital Wheat Gluten to 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and mix together well. Otherwise just use 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
**I don’t get fresh buffalo mozzarella where I live. So I used regular mozzarella instead, the kind we use on pizzas. I used the Kodai Diary brand of mozzarella but Amul should do as well. Otherwise, use any “melty/ stringy” kind of cheese you can find.

Method:
First make the herbed oil. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. Keep aside till required.
The dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand or machine. Put the yeast, sugar flour, salt and oil in the bowl of the processor and pulse a couple of times to mix well. Then add 1 cup of warm water (and as much more as you need) and knead until you have a soft elastic dough that is just short of sticky.
Remove the dough from the processor bowl, shape into a round and place in a well oiled bowl turning the dough around so it is coated. Cover and let it rise till almost double in volume. This should take about an hour.
You can make this as 2 medium sized Focaccia or 4 smaller ones like I did. For the rectangular Focaccia, take two rectangular pans/ jelly or Swiss roll pans (I used an 11" by 7" tins) and oil them well. Then divide the dough into two equal portions and lightly roll them (or press out) out into approximately 11” by 7”. If making 4 Focaccia, then divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion out (or press out) evenly into approximately 5” by 7”. It alright if it’s an odd shape because Focaccia is really a “rustic” bread.

Transfer the dough to the baking tins. The dough will shrink a little. Use your fingers and push it out a bit making sure it’s evenly thick throughout. Let it rise for 20 minutes. Lightly oil your finger tips and press into the dough creating evenly spaced “dimples” in it. Generously brush the surface with oil.
Bake at 210C (410F) for about 18 to 20 minutes till it is almost done and is beginning to turn golden brown. Take the Focaccia out and turn up the heat of your oven to 230C (450F).

I am sending this Delicious bread to Yeast Spotting

 

Onion Brioche with Bacon and Mushrooms

Here at home we always watch news in BBC 1 , that is our routine, while having our breakfast we watch BBC breakfast .
And the other day while they were talking in the show, that everybody is so busy in UK doing their shopping etc..
And I am like what shopping maybe we don't have a huge family etc... so here christmas is always relaxed.
No big shopping and there is not gift give for christmas, here we give gifts for Newyears, so I sitll have plently of time to buy the gifts.
But then I have started planning the Menu for the Christmas eve Dinner and I know my family expect me to come or with super delicious looking plates of food .
So I am excited at the thought of trying some new dishes and method of cooking.

This bread recipe is from the Delicious Magazine from Nederlands, I do occaisionally buy the magazine as the main reason I bought this one is because I saw the bread recipes in the magazine.
And I must say I am glad I did it as this is one Delicious looking Savoury Brioche Buns.
And While we had this yesterday with our soup Hans even said maybe I should make these for serving with the soup on christma day.

Ingridients:

For the bread

125 ml butter milk
4 gm yeast
1 large egg ( i weighed my egg and it was 70 gm) Add half the egg to the bread mix and keep the other half for brushing the buns.
1 tsp salt ( take care with the salt as thee is salt in the bacon)
40 gm unsalted butter at roomtemperature
250 gm white bread flour ( the recipe asked for flour but i used bread flour) + extra for dusting
2 tbsp of almond flakes

For the filling: Make this first and leave it to cool

80 gm good quality smoke bacon fat trimmed ( if you don't like bacon you can replace with sundried tomatoes)
1 medium onion chopped fine
75 gm of brown chestnut mushroom finley chopped (if you dodn't like mushrooms you can use this amount of more onions in the mix)
1 heap tsp of rosemay finley chopped
1 tbsp olive oil optional

Method for the filling :

Heat a non stick pan add the bacon pieced and fry them in a low heat for 6 minutes, then add the onions fry for few minutes, if you think there is no oil in the pan then you can add the olive oil. Add the chopped mushrooms and the rosmay and continue frying for futhure few minutes till the mix is cooked and looking dry. Leave to cool .

Method for the buns.

Make sure all the ingridients are in roomtemperature.
Slightly warm the butter milk add the yeast and keep for 5 minutes.
Whisk together  flour, salt in the bowl of a standing mixer (or in a large mixing bowl if kneading by hand).
 Make a well in the center of the flour and add half the egg and yeast buttermilk mix.
 Whisk these together to form a slurry, pulling in a little flour from the sides of the bowl.

With a dough hook attachment, knead the dough on low speed for 6-8 minutes. (Alternatively, turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes.)
If you want add a tbsp more butter milk but don't add to much as you still have to add the butter.

Now add the butter piece by piece and mix for further 6 minutes is you are using maching and 10 minutes if you are using our hands.
The dough will be elastic and supple.

Butter a big bown and keep the dough inside and leave in a warm place to rise (covered) for a hour.

After a hour take the dough out , sprinkle some flour on the work board and mix the cooled mushroom onion mix. Make sure the mix is well divided into the dough.
Make a ball and keep it back in the butterd bowl covered and leave for resting for 1 more hour.

Now the dough will have doubled up.
Divide the dough into egual parts I got 8 buns and each was weighing 70 gm +/-
 Shape them into a ball and keep in a butterd baking tray ( i used baking paper) cover loosely with a dry kitchen towle and keep again in a warm place for 40 minutes.

In the meantime Preaheat the oven to 180°c
Take the rested bun tray mix a little bit of milk with the left over egg yolk and brush it over the top of the buns, and sprinkle with the falked almonds and bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes.
Leave it to slightly cool and enjoy.
The buns will be soft and fluffy inside as it is a brioche dough.

Hokkaido Milk buns filled with Mozeralla and pesto

There was a time when I had so much free time, and to be honest, when I skyped or phoned with my sis in India and sis in Houston, I always used to make fun with them as they will be saying they have too much things to do and have less time etc....and I will be like hi hi look at me I have so much free time especially as Shyama only comes home in the weekend.

But as my friends in facebook will know that the situation is totally different now from February as my MIL passed away suddenly and my FIL and mostly my niece ( she live with my inlaws) come here for lunch everyday to myplace, plus in the evening I go to my fil to make fresh soup for him etc...plus there is their dog couscous whome we all adore and I have him a lot in my place till the niece is back etc.... so all together I hardly have times, especially as you know if you make a bread you need time as it has to ferment etc...

But then I had joined up the group in Facebook which Aparna started  and one always have to make it before 23rd as that day everyone post it on their blog.

So anyway last week I had a whole day to myself ( didn't had to go out at all ) so I planned to bake the bread and I am si happy I did it, it is so soft and so delicious and so easyto make.

I am sure I will be making this recipe with other fillings in the near future too.

 



Hokkaido Milk Bread With Tangzhong

(Original Recipe from 65 Degrees Tangzhong “65C Bread Doctor” by Yvonne Chen, and adapted from Kirbie’s Cravings        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

For The Tangzhong (Flour-Water Roux) 

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

For The Dough:

 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( I used white bread flour)

 3 tbsp sugar

 1tsp salt 

2 tbsp powdered milk

2 tsp instant dried yeast

1/2 cup milk (and a little more if needed)

1/8 cup cream (25% fat)

 1/3 cup tangzhong (use HALF of the tangzhong from above)

1/4 tsp salt

25gm unsalted butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature)

I made rolls so I am giving the recipe for the filling.

3 mozeralla balls shreaded  ( although hubby thought I should have used some other really flavourfull cheese)

4 table spoon of grated parmesan cheese.

Couple of spoon of pesto ( I used shop bought sweet pepper pesto)

Combine the indridients for the filling in a bowl and keep.

Method:

The Tangzhong  (Flour-Water Roux):

Whisk together lightly the flour, water and milk in a saucepan until smooth and there are no lumps. Place the saucepan on the stove, and over medium heat, let the roux cook till it starts thickening. Keep stirring/ whisking constantly so no lumps form and the roux is smooth.

If you have a thermometer, cook the roux/ tangzhong till it reaches 65C (150F) and take it off the heat. If  you don’t have a thermometer, then watch the roux/ tangzhong until you

start seeing “lines” forming in the roux/ tangzhong as you whisk/ stir it. Take the pan off the heat at this point.

Let the roux/ tangzhong cool completely and rest for about 2 to 3 hours at least. It will have the consistency of a soft and creamy crème patisserie. If not using immediately, transfer the roux to a bowl and cover using plastic wrap. It can be stored in the fridge for about a day. Discard the tangzhong after that. 

The Bread Dough:

I made this dough in the food processor. This dough can be made by hand but the dough is a bit sticky and can take some time and effort to knead by hand. If you have some sort of machine which will do the kneading for you, use it. Don’t punish yourself. And do not add more flour to make it less sticky either!

Put the flour, salt, sugar, powdered milk and instant yeast in the processor bowl and pulse a couple of times to mix. In another small bowl mix the milk, cream and Tangzhong till smooth and add to the processor bowl. Run on slow speed until the dough comes together. Now add the butter and process till you have a smooth and elastic dough which is just short of sticky. 

The dough will start out sticky but kneading will make it smooth. If the dough feels firm and not soft to touch, add a couple of tsps of milk till it becomes soft and elastic. When the dough is done, you should be able to stretch the dough without it breaking right away.  When it does break, the break should be form a circle.

 Form the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl turning it so it is well coated. Cover with a towel, and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes or till almost double in volume.  

Place the dough on your working surface. You don’t need flour to work or shape this dough. This recipe makes enough dough to make one loaf (9” by 5” tin), 2 small loaves (6” by 4” tins) or 1 small loaf (6” by 4”) and 6 small rolls (muffin tins). Depending on what you are making, divide your dough. If you are making 1 loaf, divide your dough in 3 equal pieces. If you are making two smaller loaves, divide your dough into 6 equal pieces.

I made one small loaf and 6 small rolls. So I first divided my dough into two equal pieces first. Then I divided the first half into three equal pieces to make the loaf. The other half was divided into six equal pieces for six rolls.

The shaping of the portions, whether for the loaf or the rolls, is the same.

Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape, about 1/8” thick. Take one end of the dough from the shorter side of the oval and fold it to the middle of the oval. Take the other end and fold so it slightly overlaps the other fold. (See the collage)

Roll this folded dough with the rolling pin so the unfolded edges are stretched out to form a rectangle. Roll the rectangle from one short edge to the other, pinching the edges to seal well. Do this with each of the three larger pieces and place them, sealed edges down, in a well-oiled loaf tin. Cover with a towel and leave the dough to rise for about 45 minutes.

To make the rolls fold them in the same manner described above, but before rolling them up, place some filling on the dough. Roll the dough rectangles carefully and pinch to seal the edge. Place each roll of dough in a well-oiled muffin cup and cover with a towel. Allow to rise for about 45 minutes.

Carefully brush the tops of the rolls and the loaf with milk (or cream) and bake them at 170C (325F) for about 20 to 30 minutes till they are done (if you tap them they’ll sound hollow) and beautifully browned on top. Let them cool in the tins for about 5 minutes and then unmould and transfer to a rack till slightly warm or cool. 

Serve or else store in a bread bin. This bread stays soft and delicious even the next day. This recipe makes enough dough to make one loaf (9” by 5” tin), 2 small loaves (6” by 4” tins) or 1 small loaf (6” by 4”) and 6 small rolls (muffin tins).

I did same for the rolls as described above, but instead of shaping into rectangular in the end process i just added the filling in the middles of each and shaped into a ball.