I want so bad to bake a bread out of the bread machine, so I could have a nice and crusty bread. The ones that are soft and chewy inside and has a nice crunchy crust, I took a chance to play with it and luckily the bread came pretty good. I mimic how the French bread was baked by spraying the dough before placing in the oven with lots of water. Since I do not have the French bread/baguette bread pan, the bread was a little flat, but not bad…the crust was crunchy and the bread had a nice texture with holes in it. My next project is to get a French bread or baguette pan

Ingredients:

¾ cup of water
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon gluten
1 ½ teaspoon yeast

Method

I use my Zojirushi Home Bakery, the mini one, which holds approximately 1 lb.

Place the water first at the bottom of the bucket and add the dry ingredients. Select the French bread setting, and remove the dough after the second rise by placing in a floury surface.

Divide the dough in two pieces, open the dough into a rectangular shape and roll until the shape and size is secured.

Cover the dough with an oiled clear film and leave in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until the dough is double of the original size.

Just before placing the dough in the oven make small cuts and spray the dough with lots of water.

Bake in pre-heated oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes at 450F.

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To celebrate the Chinese New Year, I decided to make an Asian treat that looks somehow festive. I personally like everything that is made with glutinous rice.  The texture can be described with only one word “chewy”, so if you like chewy texture, you will be pleased with this kind of bread which consistency sits between the conventional mochi (totally chewy) and bread (yeast).

This is sure a very simple recipe for such a “cute” treat. Once steamed, these buns can be left at room temperature for up to 2 days, but if you prefer, you can store it in the refrigerator and warm them slightly again before serving. For this recipe,  I used the bread machine, but it can  easily be done without the help of it.
This recipe was adapted from Yochana.

Ingredients:

Sponge dough

1 tsp yeast
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup water

Main dough

¼ cup plain flour
¾ cup glutinous flour
¼ to 1/3 cup water
¼ cup sugar
3 to 4 drops of red coloring liquid

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for sponge dough, cover and leave at room temperature overnight.

In the bread machine bucket, add all the ingredients from the main dough and the sponge dough. Set the machine to kneading setting. Knead the dough until soft. Remove from the bucket and place the dough in a bowl and let it proof until triple its original size.

Rub the palm of your hands with a little vegetable oil and make small balls and place into the mini muffin cups. Top each bun with dry cranberry. Leave to proof until double its size.

Place the buns into a steamer over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the steamer and let it cool. Yield approximately 24 mini buns.

Did you know that glutinous flour or mochiko is made from sweet rice or glutinous rice? It is very popular in Asian dishes. Since this flour comes from rice, it is gluten free.

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This bread is very easy and simple to make. It is great just fresh out of the oven or later as a toast. I used the water roux method for the dough, it can be substitute with any sweet dough. The bread is pretty tasty, considering that the only butter in the bread is in the dough. The sweet golden raisins sure add a lot of sweetness to the bread.

I used the Zojirushi bread machine to do all the work and added the raisins after all the kneading was done.

Ingredients:

Water roux or Tangzhong
75 ml of water
15 g of bread flour

Dough
2 cups bread flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry milk
1½ tablespoon butter
1½ teaspoon dry yeast
1 large egg and complete to 100 ml with water

2/3 cup golden raisin

Method:

Water roux

Mix flour and water in a small saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until it reaches 65ºC/149ºF. The mix will turn to a paste and you can see the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, cover with a saran wrap film over the paste and leave until lukewarm.

Dough

Add the water roux and all the dough ingredients to the bread machine bucket according to the manufacture’s guideline. I let the dough cycle run for 2 times, making sure that the dough reaches a thin membrane. The dough will be slightly sticky. Remove from the bread machine if you are using one to knead the dough and manually add the raisins. Knead until all the raisins are incorporated to the dough. Let the dough rise for approximately 2 hours in a cover container or until it double its initial volume.

Punch down, knead the dough and form into a ball shape. Then split the dough into 6 little balls and with a roller open the dough and rolled it like a Swiss roll, flat it again and roll it again. Place the rolls into a bread pan and let is rise until the size has double. Bake in a hot oven for approximately 20 minutes at 350F. Serve warm or cold. The bread will be still very soft up to 3 days.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe for a tasty and cottony bread.

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These cinnamon rolls come in cups…it is easy and less messy to serve. I used the water-roux method for the dough, therefore the bun is very soft and together with the crunchiness of the walnut, the sweetness of raisins…all this together blended with a layer of cinnamon…is absolutely delicious. Not to mention when these buns are in the oven, the whole house just smell SO good.
These buns can be stores in the freezer. To serve, warm them in the microwave.

Ingredients:

Water roux or Tangzhong
75 ml of water
15 g of bread flour

Dough
2 cups bread flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon butter
1½ teaspoon dry yeast
1 large egg and complete to 100 ml with heavy cream

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnut

Method:

Water roux
Mix flour and water in a small saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until it reaches 65ºC/149ºF. The mix will turn to a paste and you can see the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, cover with a saran wrap film over the paste and leave until lukewarm.

Dough
Add the water roux and all the dough ingredients to the mixer, knead for approximately 15 minutes, the dough reaches a thin membrane. The dough will be slightly sticky. Let is rise for approximately 2 to 3 hours in a cover container or until it double its initial volume.

Assembly
Punch down, knead the dough and roll into a rectangular shape of approximately 13 x 9 inches. Spread the cinnamon, the sugar, walnut and raisins. Roll it and cut into 12 pieces. Place them in a standard size cupcake pan. Cover the buns with saran wrap film and let rise until double in size.
Bake in preheated 350°F oven for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve warm.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and have a wonderful week!

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A while ago, I posted a recipe for “mochi cheese balls”, which uses only Parmesan cheese. I adapted the previous recipe by adding Muenster cheese, which give the cheese balls more color and a softer texture due to the melted Muenster cheese. Moreover, bacon bites were added, so you can imagine the taste of these cheese balls. This is a very easy and simple recipe, whenever you want to enjoy a tasty snack or complement a meal, just place these frozen cheese balls in a pre-heated oven for about 25 ~ 30 minutes at 275F and you are ready to receive compliments.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup tapioca flour
1 ½ cup glutinous rice flour
4 eggs
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup chopped Muenster cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ cup homemade bacon bits

Method:

In a small pan add water, oil and salt, bring to boil and carefully add to the tapioca and glutinous rice flour. Mix gently until you can manage with your hands (be careful it is very hot). Alternatively add the eggs, the Muenster cheese and the Parmesan cheese until a dough is formed. Add the bacon bits (check the recipe here) and mix until the bacon is well incorporated to the dough. Make small balls (you can freeze at this point if you desire), bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 275F. Serve warm. Makes approximately 50 to 60 cheese balls.

Did you know that Muenster cheese was originally made by Benedictine monks in France? In US, this cheese in mainly used melted since it melts easily over low heat. Therefore used in grilled sandwich and hamburger.

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This recipe is very similar to the Ciabatta using bread machine, I just added Kalamata olives, and a little bit more flour after the olives were added to the dough. This bread is so tasty and great for sandwiches, and is one of my niece Erica’s favorite bread.

Ingredients:

Biga
½ cup water
¾ cup bread flour
¼ teaspoon yeast

Main dough
1 2/3 cup bread flour
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon gluten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup olive brine and complete to ½ cup with water
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon yeast

½ cup Kalamata olives cut in half
2 tablespoon bread flour

Method:

Place the ingredients of the biga in the bread machine bucket and set to mix for approximately 5 minutes, until all the flour is incorporated.

Turn the bread machine off and let the biga sit for 12 to 15 hours.

Next day, add all the ingredients listed in the main dough and set the machine to mix and knead except the Kalamata olives.

Add the Kalamata olives once the machine beeps and add 2 tablespoon of flour.

Once the bread machine stop, place the dough in a lightly oiled container and cover with a oiled plastic film. Let is rise in a warm place until the dough size double. The dough with me more in the wetter than your normal bread dough.
With a spoon gently scoop the dough in a flourly baking sheet. Shape gently the dough as desired and sprinkle with flour and let it rise in a warm place until the dough double in size.

Bake in a preheated 425F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Did you know that Kalamata olives are named after a city of Kalamata in Greece? The Kalamata olives have the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) which is a entity that protects the names of regional foods.

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I love making bread, specially when the weather is cold…it is true that takes longer for the dough to rise, but once this part is done, the smell of the bread baking and the warmth that the hot oven fills the house…is just wonderful.

This is a very simple and easy recipe for ciabatta, and for both the biga and the main dough I used my little Zojirushi bread machine. If you do not own one, you can adapt it, by mixing and kneading manually.

Ingredients:

Biga
½ cup water
¾ cup bread flour
¼ teaspoon yeast

Main dough
½ cup water
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cup bread flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon yeast

Method:

Place the ingredients of the biga in the bread machine bucket and set to mix for approximately 5 minutes, until all the flour is incorporated.

Turn the bread machine off and let the biga sit for 12 to 15 hours.

Next day, add all the ingredients listed in the main dough and set the machine to mix and knead.

Once the bread machine stop, place the dough in a lightly oiled container and cover with a oiled plastic film. Let is rise in a warm place until the dough size double. The dough will be more wetter than your normal bread dough.

With a spoon gently scoop the dough in a flourly baking sheet. Shape gently the dough as desired and sprinkle with flour and let it rise in a warm place until the dough double in size.

Bake in a preheated 425F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The Ciabatta can be stored in a freezer by wrapping in aluminum wrap and when ready to serve place in a 350 F oven for approximately 5~10 minutes.

Did you know that ciabatta in Italian means slipper?

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