Onion & Sweet Corn Rolls

These rolls taste very good probably because of the onion. A boy couldn't resists to have one when it's freshly bake from the oven (but he was only allowed to eat after an hour when the rolls cool down). I reheat a leftover roll in the 2nd day at 100'C for eight minutes, it's still very soft and yummy :) Probably is chemistry from the potato mashed

Recipe: (A) 200g bread flour 20g plain flour 15g caster sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp yeast 20g egg whites

100g water

20g potato mashed

(B) 15g unsalted butter

(C) 5g butter

20g finely chopped onion

100g sweet corn

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

(D) Mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dried parsley

How I made it:

1. For the fillings, finely chopped the onion and fry it in a pan at low heat until soft but not caramelize. Drain the sweet corn and add to the onion fry for another minutes. Add pepper to season. Set aside to cool and ready to use.
2. Mix ingredients (A) at low speed using a dough hook mixer, then turn to medium speed until it become a smooth dough.
3. Add in the unsalted butter and knead with low speed until the butter combine with the dough. Turn to medium speed continue the kneading process until it become a smooth and elastic dough.
4. Place the dough into a lightly grease bowl and cover with cling wrap to proof for 80 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 5 portions and round them into small balls. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.
6. Roll out each doughs into a longish shape and fill with the onion and sweet corn. Roll in into a sausage shape and proof for 25 minutes.
7. Egg wash the doughs and mark few oblique line at the surface with a sharp knife at each doughs then squeeze some mayonnaise at the oblique line and sprinkle with some dried parsley. Let it continue for another 5 minutes.
8. Bake at 180'C preheated oven for 18 minutes until golden brown.

Wholemeal Bread 全麦土司

I'd failed on making this bread before until recently I'd like to give myself another try as I'm very keen about wholemeal bread. This time, I've got the right texture and better appearance unlike the failed one which was rough crumbs and the shape was rectangular rather than square.

I think I could bake this bread quite often now for my breakfast as I probably know the mistake which is insufficient kneading. The recipe extracted from 孟老师的100到面包. After reading this recipe book, I've understand some the bread making technique and that's increase my confidence on making bread. Although it's not hundred percent similar with the commercial one but it's good enough as a homemade bread. I'm quite happy with the result as I've got the soft crumbs and right texture, it could be even store until the 3rd day and yet soft.

The recipe could be extracted from Happy Home Baking, she is one of my idol chef and very experience in making bread. Happy browsing!

Tarte au Chocolat

I like this rich chocolate tart especially its smooth and creamy texture. The chocolate filling has to be produced by a good quality of chocolate in order to get a rich and cremeuse (cremy) texture. I used 85% Lyndt chocolate for the tart and hazelnut paste that I bought from Sainsbury's. Its original recipe is actually arrange some chocolate curls on the tart but I'm quite lazy to do the chocolate curls so I toasted some chopped almond, hazelnut and walnut for the toppings.

Recipe from BBC Olive magazine:

Make 4 x 10" tartlets

For the pastry:

220g plain flour

110g unsalted butter

20g sugar powder pinch of salt

2 egg yolk + 2 tbsp cold water

For the fillings:

275g hazelnut paste (or Nutella)

125g 70% dark chocolate, plus a block for brushing the pastry

300ml double cream

450ml milk

3 eggs, lightly beaten

some chocolate shavings or toasted nuts for topping

Making the tart case:

1. Mix the eggs yolks with 2 tbsp cold water stir with a fork until well combine.
2. Place the flour into the bowl of a food processor, followed by the cold butter and the salt. Turn the processor on and pulse several times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add the egg yolk/water mixture and pulse again. Be careful not to overwork the pastry. Stop pulsing when the mixture has the consistency of chunky breadcrumbs.
4. Turn the pastry out onto a clean, floured work surface and, with floured hands, bring together to make a dough, but don't knead.
5. Shape into a flattened ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. You can keep the pastry at this stage for 2-3 days if not using it immediately.
6. Remove the pastry from the fridge. On a clean, floured work surface, roll it out with a floured rolling pin until it's slightly larger than the flan ring. Using the rolling pin, lift the pastry and lay it over the flan ring.
7. With your fingers, lightly press the pastry into the sides of the ring. Run a rolling pin over the top of the ring and pull away the excess pastry at the edges. Using your fingers, gently press the pastry up to slightly build up the height of the pastry at the edges. Line the tart with a piece of parchment and chill it for 20 minutes so it doesn't shrink when you cook it.
8. Heat the oven to 200'C. Add baking beans or rice and bake it for 15 minutes, then lift out the parchment and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry is dry and a good brown colour. You must cook and colour the pastry properly, once the chocolate goes it it won't colour any further. Turn the oven down to 160'C.

Making the filling

1. Put the hazelnut paste and chocolate in a bowl. Bring the cream and milk to a boil and pour it over., mix everything together with a whisk until you have a smooth liquid.
2. Whisk in the eggs. At this point you'll find it hard to believe that the filling will set but it will end up with a beautiful creamy texture.

Putting the tart together

1. Melt a little chocolate and use it to brush the inside of the tart, this will make the pastry leak-proof and stop it from going soggy. The secret to this bit is to brush the tart while it i still warm so the chocolate soaks in and fills any little cracks.
2. Put the tart back on the oven shelf and pour in the filling right up to the top. Cook for 40 minutes, the tart should still be very wobbly but not liquid. Once its completely cool down, it'll set.
3. Top with chocolate curls or toasted nuts.

Pumpkin Cheese Buns

It's always the busiest time for me at this time of year. Dinner, birthday party, holiday and X'mas really filled up my entire day. Somehow, I always enjoy the last two months in a year. This pumpkin cheese buns was made in the last 2 weeks but I didn't manage to post it.

The recipe extracted from 孟老师的100道面包. The bread was super soft and I guess that pumpkins puree helps to produce the extra soft texture.

Recipe:

(A) 200g bread flour

60g plain flour

35g caster sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp yeast

35g whole egg

35g fresh milk

35g water

(B) 65g pumpkin puree

20g unsalted butter

(C) 90g cheddar cheese

50g mozzarella cheese for toppings

How I made it:

1. For the pumpkin puree, peeled and cored the pumpkin then cut into small cubes. Steam until just soft. Puree the pumpkin with a folk then set aside.
2. Mix ingredients (A) at low speed using a dough hook mixer follow by the pumpkin puree. Turn to medium speed continue kneading until it become a smooth dough.
3. Add in the unsalted butter and knead with low speed until the butter combine with the dough. Turn to medium speed continue the kneading process until it become a smooth and elastic dough.
4. Place the dough into a lightly grease bowl and cover with cling wrap to proof for 80 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 6 portions and round them into small balls. Then fill the doughs with cheddar cheese and shape it into a smooth balls. Let the dough proof for 30 minutes.
6. Egg wash the doughs and cut a cross at the top of each doughs then top with mozzarella cheese. Continue for another 10 minutes proofing.
7. Bake at 180'C preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Roulade

It's a great pleasure to know Jxxx recently. We've some similarities such as buying a "weird" oven which had given us lots of headache and fun too! There are some sense of humour between our conversation. The most similarities is we've a same interest, BAKING!

We just notice we're baking swiss roll in the same time without telling each other until I saw her posting. And it'd given us so much things to talk about through the comments corner. That, I feel so much interesting.

I baked two roulade days ago, they're almost the same which is rolled with chocolate sponge with oreo biscuits crumbs. It's just the decoration had a bit different which had added strawberries. The oreo chocolate roulade taste richer whereas the strawberry chocolate roulade is much refreshing.

Recipe:

5 whole large eggs 125g sugar 1g salt 100g plain flour

2g baking soda 15ml oil 50ml milk 20g cocoa powder 200ml whipping cream

20g caster sugar

1 pack of oreo biscuits (punch it into crumbs)

some strawberries

How I made it:

1. Mix cocoa powder, milk and oil until a thick paste.
2. Whip the eggs and gradually add in sugar. Whip until very light yellow and fluffy.
3. Fold in shifted plain flour and baking soda. Do this gently.
4. Fold in cocoa paste (1) until well combine. Pour into a rectangular baking pan with baking paper.
5. Bake at 200'C preheated oven for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the cake together with the baking paper onto a wire rack and quickly put the whole thing into a big plastic bag until it completely cool. (Make sure no air will go into the plastic bag. This is to prevent the cake drying and keep moisture so that it wouldn't crack during the rolling process.
7. When the cake completely cool down, whip the cream until thicken. Fold in some oreo crumbs. Spread the oreo cream onto the cake evenly and roll in carefully.
8. Spread some leftover oreo cream onto the cake roll surface and garnish with oreo crumbs.
9. Put it in the fridge for an hour before slice. Best served in two days.