BreadLoaf – The Secret Ingredient

Air Fryer Recipes

Sausage Pigs in a Blanket with Pizza Dough | Pigs in a Blanket, Easy 2-Ingredient Recipe

By anshu May 22, 2017

So I have this constant itch to play with pizza dough or bread dough. Its like playing with clay and moulding it into different shapes to create something mesmerizing. Last time when I was getting adventurous I ended up making Soft Pretzels. My son and husband both loved them. This time I had some friends coming over for drinks and I wanted to make something quick and yet something they will remember for a long time. I had some cocktail sausages in my freezer which came in handy. I made the dough and simply rolled it over all those thawed sausages. This is actually not even a recipe… I’ll call it a no brainer! But yes it gives you ideas the possible ways we can use this forgiving pizza dough.

This is a healthier twist over traditional Pigs in a Blanket recipe which uses pastry dough which is laden with lots and lots of butter. Once you have your dough ready you can roll them on your sausages and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and bake in oven till they get that golden sheen.

Directions:

1. In a container take some lukewarm water. It should neither be hot nor cold, just hot enough to comfortably put your finger into it . The right temperature of the water is very important for yeast to activate. Put yeast into it.

2. Along with yeast add some sugar.

3. Give it a gentle stir with a fork and let the mixture sit and activate for 10 minutes or until you see some bubbles on top and mixture has become frothy and milky.

4. Take all purpose flour in a bowl and add salt and olive oil.

5. Add the proofed yeast to the flour little by little and mix till it comes together.

6. Bring the dough to a flat counter or your kitchen platform and knead for good 10 minutes till it becomes soft and supple. Read more about Bread baking techniques in “Basic Steps to Bake a Perfect Bread“

7. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. And cover with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Let it sit for an hour or so to double up in size.

8. Punch it down and deflate the dough. Knead for another 5-7 minutes.

9. Divide the dough into 6 or 12 equal parts using a scraper. I have used half of this dough to make my regular White Sandwich Bread and the other half for these pigs in the blanket. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius (Learn more about Oven Temperatures and Conversions)

10. Roll each dough bite into a rope.

11. Roll this role around the sausage like a serpent.

12. Repeat the same with rest of the sausages and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or Silicon mat. You can buy both of them at our online store, The Gourmet Shop.

13. Brush them with an egg wash. You can use egg whites with little water and whisk them together . sprinkle with Sesame seeds.

14. Bake it in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes of until it gets golden brown in colour. Serve hot with some Schezuan Sauce or even sweet Red Chilli Sauce.

[whohit]PiginBlanket[/whohit]

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Baking

Soft Pretzels | Crunchy Pretzels with Soft Centres with Cheesy Chives Dip

By anshu May 12, 2017

Making these Soft Pretzels on my bucket list for such a long time. I had seen this recipe of my Guru Laura Vitale ages back and I wanted to give it a try. So I was doing my weekly bread baking and made some extra dough which I could utilize for making soft pretzels for tea time. They were fairy easy and the out come was just mind blowing. They where crunchy on the outside but soft and gooey from the inside. If you are looking for snacking options to impress your guests your search ends here. Its the best snack ever. My kiddo tried them and says Mumma they are strange but quite nice! What else would you like to hear from your 5 year old sunshine.

I am making this soft pretzels which is different than those hard baked ones. This is to be consumed right after they are baked. However, the hard ones have a longer shelf life.

I did a quick cheese dip to go along these soft pretzels. It was easier and tastier than your imagination. I mean posting a separate recipe of this recipe is pure crime. So I’ll be writing in this post only.

I have also been thinking to do a post where I can make a collective of recipes which can be made just with your pizza or bread dough. How cool would that be na? Write to me if you think I should go ahead with that!

Directions:

1. In a container take some lukewarm water. It should neither be hot nor cold, just hot enough to comfortably put your finger into it . The right temperature of the water is very important for yeast to activate. Put yeast into it.

2. Along with yeast add some sugar.

3. Give it a gentle stir with a fork and let the mixture sit and activate for 10 minutes or until you see some bubbles on top and mixture has become frothy and milky.

4. Take all purpose flour in a bowl and add salt and olive oil.

5. Add the proofed yeast to the flour little by little and mix till it comes together.

6. Bring the dough to a flat counter or your kitchen platform and knead for good 10 minutes till it becomes soft and supple. Read more about Bread baking techniques in “Basic Steps to Bake a Perfect Bread“

7. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. And cover with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Let it sit for an hour or so to double up in size.

8. Punch it down and deflate the dough. Knead for another 5-7 minutes.

9. Divide the dough into 12 parts depending on the size of pretzel you are looking for. I divided the dough into two parts and with one I made my regular White Sandwich Bread and the rest I further divided into six. Cover them with a lint free kitchen towel till you work on them one by one.

10. Take one lump of dough and roll it into a thin stick or rope using your finger tips. You can dust your counter with flour so that nothing sticks to the surface. It should be relatively uniformly thick all over.

11. Place it on the counter and make a U shape. Take both end of the U and cross them in the center. Refer the images below. Repeat the same with rest of the dough.

12. Line a baking tray with Parchment paper and place them on it. Cover them with kitchen towel till you give them soda water bath.

13. In a flat bottom pan add some water and give it a boil. Add Baking Soda and let it come for a boil again.

14. As soon as the water comes to a boil, drown pretzel dough into the soda water and give it a bath for 30 seconds each. You can do two pretzels at a time. This Soda bath will give it that crusty exterior and soft center.

15. With a pair of tongs you can carefully remove the pretzel from the pan and place it back on the parchment paper. The quality of parchment is very important because a bad quality parchment will stick to the pretzel and will make everything messy. I use Oddy Uniwraps . It just doesn’t let anything stick on it while baking. You can buy this from our online store, The Gourmet Shop.

16. Add little water in the egg and whisk it well. Apply egg wash with a silicon brush.

17. Sprinkle the top with coarse pieces of sea salt or himalayan salt.

18. Bake it in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until it turns dark brown in colour. For the dip take cheddar cheese in a microwave proof bowl add some milk and microwave it for a few minutes until it has melted. You can add chopped chives for additional flavour.

19. Serve these pretzels hot with these yummy Cheesy dip and you will be in heaven! You can thank me later 😉

Other Bread Recipes you can try are:Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Pan De Muerto, Peter Reinhart’s Potato Rosemary Bread, Italian Focaccia Bread with Strawberries, Pumpkin Buns, Stuffed Mushroom Cheesy Crack Bread, Stuffed Mushroom and Spinach Braided Bread, White Sandwich Bread, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe, Strawberry Walnut Babka.

[whohit]SoftPretzels[/whohit]

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Apples

Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread | Spiral Apple Bread with a Kiss of Sugar

By anshu December 6, 2016

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It was an ordinary day when I was finishing my chores which involved baking a loaf of bread for the next three days. The creative part of me decided to do something offbeat therefore I kneaded some extra dough of my regular White Sandwich Bread . I let it proof till it doubled up. Then suddenly craving for apple pie set inside me. I knew making an apple pie meant a lot of extra calories and labour 😛 So I sliced some apples and rolled them into spices and shaped them into a rose flower along with the dough. This technique I had seen once on pinterest from Inspired by Charm. I did not follow this recipe to the T but tweaked it a little to make it easier and healthier.

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The result was just divine!! After I finished the shoot this bread was gone in minutes nd I managed to get a tiny miny slice for myself. This was the best sweet bread ever! If you are baking your bread next time do ensure you knead some extra dough and make this baby. You will thank me later 🙂

Directions:

1. Wash, Peel and Core Apples and cut them into thin slices. Place these slices in a bowl.

2. Add Cinnamon Powder, Brown Sugar and squeeze out a juice of lemon.

3. Mix everything thoroughly that the apples are well coated with the spice and sugar. The lemon will prevent the apples from turning brown and help coat the apples.

4. Take a White Sandwich Bread dough and after first proof deflate the dough. Shape it like a ball and with the help of a rolling pin , roll it in a flat disk like a pizza or roti.

5. With the help of a pizza cutter cut the circular disc into 1/2 inch strips.

6. Grease a pie pan with oil. I have used a removable bottom pie pan which makes things easier to remove. You can always place your order with The Gourmet Shop and buy this pie pan.

7. In the centre of the greased pie pan add the smallest strip of bread dough and curl it with your hands.

8. Now curl the other strips around it by placing a slice of apple in between each strip. The pictures below will give more clarity. Cover the entire pie pan with apples and dough strips. It will resemble like a rose flower.

9. Cover the pie pan with a lint free kitchen towel and keep it in a warm place to rise until doubled.

10. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius (Learn more about Oven Temperatures and Conversions) for ten minutes. Now place the bread inside the oven on middle wrack and bake for 20-25 minutes till the top has become golden brown.

11. Remove it from the oven and brush it all over with melted butter. and sprinkle some caster sugar on top.

12. Remove the Bread from the Pie Pan and transfer it to a serving plate. Drizzle some Caramel syrup. Slice and serve hot with a hot cup of Coffee and enjoy the winters.

If you are looking for more bread recipes you can try: Vegetarian homemade Pizza, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks, Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread and Focaccia Bread with Fresh Cherries, Rosemary and Sea Salt.

appleswirlbread_featured3

[whohit]AppleSwirlBread[/whohit]

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Baking

Pan De Muerto | Mexican Traditional Bread of the Dead for Dia De Muerto

By anshu November 6, 2016

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Being a mother of a Mexican boy, I hold the burden to keep his Mexican traditions alive. October 31st – November 2nd is observed as Dia de Muertos or Day of the Dead in Mexico. Its an ancient Aztec Festival where the deceased are fondly remembered. Its very similar to Sharaad in India. Each household decorates an Altar called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

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One such food being offered is Pan de Muerto which means ‘Bread of the dead’. It’s a delicious sweet bread with flavours of Orange or Anise or even cinnamon. The bun shaped bread is decorated with bone shaped phalanges. The bones represent the deceased and there is a ball on top of the bread which is like a teardrop representing Aztec goddess Chimalma’s tears for the living. The bones are represented in a circle to portray the circle of life. When we were in Mexico we used to relish. A person from our office would collect money from everyone and get each one of us a loaf of this bread around the festivity. Those memories are so fresh in my mind and make me nostalgic.

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And this year when Dia de Muerto returned I so wanted to eat it. So I decided to make it at home. After reading many recipes in Spanish I managed to make this gorgeous loaf . It tasted just the way we found in Mexico. I just cannot contain my excitement. This is dedicated to all my friends in Mexico who gave us so much love. You must try this delicious bread and become a part of the tradition.

Directions:
1. In a jar add some lukewarm milk and add instant yeast.

2. Also add some sugar and a spoonful of flour.

3. Combine everything using a spoon and let there be no lumps. Let the mixture proof for 5-10 minutes. There will be bubbles and froth all over the top.

4. On a counter place the All Purpose Flour and make a well in the centre.

5. Add the proofed yeast liquid in the centre of the well.

6. Now using your hand start taking little flour from the side and keep mixing with the water. Don’t do everything in one go. Little by little is the key. Add sugar in the well and combine till the sugar has mixed.

7. Add eggs in the well and continue to add little flour little by little. Also add vanilla essence.

8. Keep mixing flour and then knead everything together. The dough will be very very sticky. Do not panic! That’s how it should be.

8. You can use a bread scraper to scrap out sticky dough. Spread it like a disc and add butter at room temperature.

9. Also add zest of an orange and and continue to knead. The dough will still be sticky but you just have to keep kneading for good ten minutes.

10. At this stage add just a little flour to make it less sticky and keep kneading til you get a pliable dough. Do not add a lot of flour. Add a few spoons first then knead and see if you need more.

11. Place it in a greased bowl which has room for rising. Cover with a cling wrap and let it rise for an hour or so or until it has doubled in size. The time will vary on how hot or cold is your kitchen.

12. After 1 and a half hours the dough looks doubled. You need to place it on the counter and deflate it and knead it for a few minutes.

13. Separate 1/4th section of the dough and keep it aside for making bones and tear.

14. Divide rest of the dough into more or less six equal parts for shaping them in a bun. Place the rolled buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper leaving gap between each of them for second rise.

15. Make small six balls which represent tears with very little dough from the reserved dough and we will utilize the rest of it to make bones. Cover these balls with a kitchen towel till we use them.

16. Divide rest of the dough into more or less 12 equal parts, you need two bones per bun. Start making thin cigars shapes with your palms with each one of them.

17. Using your three fingers as in the picture make indents in the cigar shaped dough to represent a bone.

18. Place this bone shaped dough over a bun and another one across making it a cross.

19. Press the cross section just a little and place the ball on top.

20. Repeat the same with rest of the buns. Cover the baking tray with a lint free kitchen towel for second rise. This should again take about 45 minutes to one hour depending on the environment.

21. After they have doubled in size preheat the oven for 10 minutes to 180 degree Celsius (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversions). Bake them in oven for 20 minutes or until you see them turned golden brown.

22. Let them come to room temperature and now brush each one of them with melted butter and ghee roughly sprinkle on them castor sugar.

23. Pan de Muerto is ready to be served. You can use them for the offering if you are following the tradition or just eat it like a pan dulce or sweet bread. Goes best with a hot cup of Coffee. Thats exactly I remember eating it in Mexico.

Other Mexican dishes you can try are: Chilies en Nogada, Fresh Mexican Black Bean and Mango Salad, Huevos en Cazuela, Sopa De Frijol.

If you are looking for more bread recipes you can try: Vegetarian homemade Pizza, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks, Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread and Focaccia Bread with Fresh Cherries, Rosemary and Sea Salt.

pandemuerto_featured6 [whohit]PanDeMuerto[/whohit]

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Baking

Peter Reinhart’s Potato Rosemary Bread | Potato Boule with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary | Potato Rosemary & Garlic Bread with Biga

By anshu August 1, 2016

BigaBread_Featured1

I have spent enough time in doing regular yeast breads. It was high time I started experimenting and coming out of my comfort zone. I mustered the courage to make my own Sourdough starter and guess what after a lot of effort finally my starter is ready and I am soon gonna bake a sourdough bread with it. But in the meanwhile I came across this monthly challenge in my bread baking group. We were asked to make Peter Reinhart’s Potato Rosemary Bread. It was to be made with biga. Now many of you must be wondering what is biga? Its a pre ferment technique used in baking breads which imparts it a slight sour taste.

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Interestingly, biga techniques were developed after the advent of baker’s yeast as bakers in Italy moved away from the use of sourdough and needed to recover some of the flavor that was given up in this move (Ref.Wikipedia). I was intrigued to try this recipe for my favourite Rosemary and Garlic flavours were involved. How can I ever give it a pass. The bread was delightful. It had an amazing texture and taste. Do try this fabulous recipe.

Directions:

1. For biga add All purpose Flour, Instant Yeast and lukewarm water in a bowl

2. Mix everything together and bring it to the counter to knead it into a soft paliable dough. The dough should not be sticky so adjust the water accordingly. Make a ball of dough and place it in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with cling wrap or lint free towel and let it rise till it doubles up. The weather plays an important role in the time required for proofing it. The hotter the environment the earlier it rises.

3. After it has risen degas it with your hands and place it back into the same bowl. Cover and put it in the refrigerator overnight for fermentation. You need to use this biga within 3 days or else freeze this to be used later.

4. Take the biga out of the refrigerator and let it rest for an hour at room temperature before using it. Divide it into small pieces.

5. In a bowl add All purpose flour, salt and pepper.

6. Also add instant yeast, rosemary and biga.

7. Add Olive oil, mashed potato and lukewarm water.

8. Mix together to bring it together. Take it to the counter and knead well for 10 minutes till it becomes soft and paliable.

9. In a pan add some oil and saute them chopped garlic till its roasted well. You can even roast it in your oven.

10. Roll the dough and spread the garlic all over and form a ball again. Place it in a greased bowl and cover it. Let it rise till double in size.

11. Remove it from the bowl and place it on the counter. Divide the dough into two and shape them into boule following the technique by Peter Reinhart. Place them in a basket lined with a kitchen towel and dusted with dry flour.

12. Brush it lightly with olive oil and cover loosely with a towel and let it rise to double.

13. Once it has doubled in size. Invert the basket on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. I liked to score it on top. If you wish you can do the same or ignore.

14. Bake it in a preheated oven on 200 degree Celsius for 40 minutes or until done. If the bread looks too soft turn off the oven and let the loaf sit in the warm oven for another 5 to 10 minutes to firm up a bit. Slice it when completely cool.

Other bread recipes you can try : Vegetarian homemade Pizza, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks, Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread and Focaccia Bread with Fresh Cherries, Rosemary and Sea Salt.

BigaBread_Featured4 [whohit]BigaPotatoRosemary[/whohit]

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Baking

Italian Focaccia Bread with Strawberries | Strawberry Focaccia with Maple Caramelized Onions, Basil and Rosemary

By anshu April 4, 2016

StrawberryFoccacia_Featured1

My steal from Delhi were a few boxes of Strawberry, I utilized half of them to make my ultra delicious 3 ingredient Strawberry Jam and a few strawberries for Strawberry Cookies. I was left with handful strawberries so decided to do this Strawberry Topped Focaccia Bread. The topping also had some caramelized onions slowly cooked with Maple syrup and Balsamic Vinegar. I know I know you are drooling. But this is not over yet. It also had rosemary and Fresh Basil for that additional kick.

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The baking time was the toughest time.. you know the wait was difficult. The entire house was intoxicated with the divine aroma of bread combined with rosemary and basil. When the bread cake out we pounced on it like hunger stricken kids and finished it in no time.

Directions:

1. In a container take some lukewarm water. It should neither be hot nor cold, just hot enough to comfortably put your finger into it . The right temperature of the water is very important for yeast to activate. Put yeast into it.

2. Along with yeast add some sugar.

3. Give it a gentle stir with a fork and let the mixture sit and activate for 10 minutes or until you see some bubbles on top and mixture has become frothy and milky.

4. Take all purpose flour and Whole wheat Flour in a bowl and add salt and olive oil.

5. Add the proofed yeast to the flour little by little and mix till it comes together.

6. Bring the dough to a flat counter or your kitchen platform and knead for good 10 minutes till it becomes soft and supple. Read more about Bread baking techniques in “Basic Steps to Bake a Perfect Bread“.

7. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. And cover with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Let it sit for an hour or so to double up in size.

8. Punch it down and deflate the dough. Knead for another 5-7 minutes.

9. Grease a baking tray or pan with some olive oil.

10. Place the dough on the oiled pan and spread it with your finger tips. Make indents with your fingers so that it can trap olive oil.

11. Place on top sliced Strawberries and cover it with cling wrap to rise. It should take about 20-30 minutes, depending upon the weather.

12. When the dough rises, that’s how it will look. In the meanwhile Preheat your oven to 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes. (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversions).

13. Pour more Olive oil on top and also sprinkle some rosemary.

14. In order to caramelize onion add little oil in a pan and add sliced onions.

15. Let it caramelize for 15-17 minutes until it turns dark brown in colour. To this add Balsamic Vinegar and Maple Syrup. Keep cooking till the liquid has evaporated.

16. Once the caramelized onions have cooled down. Sprinkle them on the bread along with thinly sliced fresh Basil. Also sprinkle some sea salt on this. Bake it in a preheated oven on 180 degree Celsius for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown in colour.

17. Serve hot with more Balsamic Vinegar.

Other Foccacia Bread you can try here are: Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread and Focaccia Bread with Fresh Cherries, Rosemary and Sea Salt.

Other bread recipes you can try : Vegetarian homemade Pizza, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks.

StrawberryFoccacia_Featured5

[whohit]StrawberryFocacciaBread[/whohit]

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Baking

Stuffed Mushroom Cheesy Crack Bread | Cheesy Mushroom Pull Apart Bread

By anshu November 6, 2015

I needn’t say more about my obsession with mushrooms and breads. Clearly it is getting out of control. At least twice a week I want something mushroomy something bready in my meals. After doing the Mushroom Spinach Stuffed Braided Bread I bring you this Cheesy Mushroom pull apart bread. This was not planned but on my search I found this recipe which was like Love at First Sight. I happily baked a bread in the evening and stuffed it with Mushrooms and Cheese. Ohh man! It was pure indulgence. I served the bread with my mommy special Tomato Soup. I happily skipped my dinner for the sheer love of this bread.

This is more like a idea than a recipe to make something incredible with bread specially for Super Ball or Cricket Matches or may be catching up a flick late night on recliners with comfy cushions. I am just saying! Or be like me. You don’t need a reason to eat Mushrooms and bread..do you?

Directions:

1. Take a loaf of french bread or any bread other than sandwich loaf. I have used the same recipe as White Sandwich bread for this but simply placed it on a baking tray without using a pan for second proof and baked it. You can also use Sourdough bread for this. Using a bread knife cut the bread lengthwise and widthwise without cutting through all the way. You will notice cavity between the bread pieces. Place it on a Baking sheet lined with Aluminium foil. Set aside. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes on 180 degree Celcius.

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2. In a pan melt some butter.

3. Add finely chopped mushrooms and saute them them till they release their water. Let the water evaporate.

4. Add Thyme, I used dried. Add salt and combine. Set aside.

5. Finely chop some onions and add them to a microwavable bowl. Add butter to the onions. Microwave for 2 minutes or until the butter melts. Set aside.

6. Cut strips of cheese. I have used Mozzarella because that is what is easily available here. You can use Provolone if you lay your hands on it. Insert Cheese sticks or strips inside the cuts or cavity both horizontally and vertically.

7. Top up the cheese laden cavity with sauteed mushrooms.

8. Drizzle the bread with the onion butter all over. Sprinkle the top with some poppy seeds and garnish with fresh Coriander leaves.

9. Now cover the bread with the aluminium foil and bake it in the preheated oven on 180 degree Celsius (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversions) for 15 minutes and uncovered for another 10 minutes or until you see the cheese melting.

10. Serve hot and relish each bite.

Other recipes with bread you can try are: Cheesy Garlic Bread, Stuffed Mushroom and Spinach Braided Bread.

More Bread recipes you can try on The Secret Ingredient: White Sandwich Bread, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cherry Focaccia Bread with Rosemary and Sea Salt, Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks, No Knead Light Wheat Bread.

[whohit]MushroomCrackBread[/whohit]

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Baking

Stuffed Mushroom and Spinach Braided Bread | Mushroom Spinach Stromboli

By anshu August 30, 2015

Ever since I have perfected the art of baking a simple sandwich bread I like to experiment with my bread dough. I love to braid it, stuff it and do all sorts of crazy things with it. It is not just fun but the experience is both pleasing and delicious . I had been eyeing this braided bread – Stromboli for a long time but the last time I had mushroom and spinach on hand I simply went ahead and baked this beauty.

As I said you can do anything with your bread so you can choose any stuffing of your choice. You can braid it or shape it like a Bread Loaf with inside layering, just as I did it with Cinnamon Raisins Bread. Its your Bread you are the master. Simply give it a pinch of love and loads of patience and you will have a beautiful bread making experience.

For this recipe I have used the bread dough for White Sandwich Bread. Its extremely light and has a beautiful texture. If you like you can substitute Half all purpose flour with whole wheat flour to make it more healthy.

Directions:

1. For the dough, take some lukewarm water in a vessel. It should neither be hot nor cold, just hot enough to comfortably put your finger into it . The right temperature of the water is very important for yeast to activate. Put yeast into it.

2. Along with yeast add some sugar.

3. Give it a gentle stir with a fork and let the mixture sit and activate for 10 minutes or until you see some bubbles on top and mixture has become frothy and milky.

4. Take all purpose flour in a bowl and add salt and olive oil.

5. Add the proofed yeast to the flour little by little and mix till it comes together.

6. Bring the dough to a flat counter or your kitchen platform and knead for good 10 minutes till it becomes soft and supple. Read more about Bread baking techniques in “Basic Steps to Bake a Perfect Bread“

7. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. And cover with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Let it sit for an hour or so to double up in size.

8. Punch it down and deflate the dough. Knead for another 5-7 minutes.

9. Chop some spring onions along with their greens and Garlic and set aside.

10. In a pan heat some butter and olive oil.

11. Add garlic and onions and saute them till they are soft and translucent.

12. Add Red chili Flakes and saute.

13. Add sliced Mushrooms and chopped spinach. Saute the mushrooms till it releases its water and cooks.

14. Season it will salt, freshly ground black pepper and dried oregano.

15. Add whisked cream cheese to the mushroom spinach mixture and combine. Turn the flame off and let the mixture come on room temperature.

16. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Work on each dough one by one.

17. Roll the dough with a roller pin into a rectangular circle. Place the rolled dough in a baking tray lined with aluminium paper or parchment paper. I did it after braiding and it was difficult to transfer at that stage. Don’t commit the mistake I did 🙂

18. Place half of the mushroom cheese filling in the centre. Leave out place to braid the bread. Take a sharp knife and make inclined cuts about 1 inch wide on either sides of the filling. Ensure there are equal number of cuts on both sides.

19. In order to braid the bread, take one strip and cross it over the filling and press it on the other side. Alternatively take the adjacent strip and cross it over the previous one and press on the other side. Keep doing this until your full bread is braided. Cover the bread with a lint free towel and let it rest for 20 minutes or so on room temperature. It will rise the bread.

20. Brush the braided bread with Egg wash or Milk. Sprinkle the top with poppy seeds or sesame seeds or you can completely leave it out.

21. Bake it in a preheated oven on 180 degree Celcius for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden. Let the bread cool down completely on a wire rack and then slice and serve.

Other Bread recipe you can try on The Secret Ingredient: White Sandwich Bread, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cherry Focaccia Bread with Rosemary and Sea Salt, Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks, No Knead Light Wheat Bread.

[yumprint-recipe id=’163′]Sending this Bread to YeastSpotting

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Baking

No Knead Light Wheat Bread

By anshu July 11, 2015

My obsession for baking breads continues. I feel its a short life and so many breads to bake 😉 yeah clearly I have lost it. Last I shared my White Sandwich Bread recipe with you. In my article “Basic Steps to bake a Perfect Bread Loaf” I have mentioned how important it is to knead a bread dough properly for the soft and fluffy bread crumb. But here is an exception.

It doesn’t mean that you cannot bake a bread without kneading. Here is why I say this. This method uses no kneading and still the gluten is developed by the process of slow fermentation or proofing which happens overnight in the fridge. If you don’t understand all this, don’t worry. Simply follow the recipe and let science do its own thing 🙂 This recipe is great if you cant bake right away. The dough proofs up overnight and complex and interesting flavours are developed. This is a fine example of bread which uses less yeast and more time.

Directions:

1. In a bowl add All Purpose Flour and Whole Wheat Flour.

2. Add to the bowl sugar and salt and combine with the flour.

3. Add yeast and combine.

4. Pour oil and water on top.

5. Whisk is together using a whisk or mix using a wooden spoon. Do not knead just mix.

6. Take some oil in your palm and spread on the surface of it. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and let it rest.

7. After 12 to 18 hours the dough should have proofed up and doubled in size. At this stage grease a 10×5 bread loaf pan or tin.

8. Stir the dough together gently and you start on one side, push your wet hand under the dough and pull up the dough all the way to fold over the top.

9. Now fold the dough in half, lift it out of the mixing bowl and place it in the loaf pan seam side down.

10. Make the surface levelled and smooth by applying some oil in your hands .

11. Sprinkle some dry flour on top.

12. Make three slashes or cuts using a sharp knife which is known as scoring the bread.

13. Cover the baking pan with a lint free kitchen towel or loosely with plastic cling wrap and let it rise for couple of hours somewhere between 1 to 2 and 1/2 hours depending upon the weather conditions, until it is barely above the tin pan.

14. Bake it in a preheated oven on 190 degree Celsius for 50-60 minutes in the centre rack of your oven. If at any stage you feel the bread is browning too fast tent it with an aluminium foil and continue to bake.

15. Let it cool down completely before slicing. You can place it on a wire rack to cool down. This will help with air circulation and will not make the crust soggy.

16. Slice it and smear some butter or jam or chutney on top. Enjoy this indulging home made bread.

Other Bread recipe you can try on The Secret Ingredient: White Sandwich Bread, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cherry Focaccia Bread with Rosemary and Sea Salt, Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks.

[whohit]No Knead Bread[/whohit]

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Baking

White Sandwich Bread

By anshu July 9, 2015

Its been more than a year that I have bought a store made commercial bread. Its my husband who loves home made breads and detests those commercial ones. This started when I perfected the art of making this gorgeous bread. I have posted so many bread recipes before, but I wonder why I didn’t post my regular white bread recipe. Anyways better late than never.
I recently posted an article about yeast ” All you ever wanted to know about yeast“. Often I found people asking me why their yeast would not proof. This article talks about basics of yeast. I am sure you will get a good insight into it.

This is the most moist soft bread I have ever baked. Its my go to recipe for all types of sandwiches. Most of the time I dunk a slice in my Chai and eat! Dont Judge me 😛

Directions:

1. In a container take some lukewarm water. It should neither be hot nor cold, just hot enough to comfortably put your finger into it . The right temperature of the water is very important for yeast to activate. Put yeast into it.

2. Along with yeast add some sugar.

3. Give it a gentle stir with a fork and let the mixture sit and activate for 10 minutes or until you see some bubbles on top and mixture has become frothy and milky.

4. Take all purpose flour in a bowl and add salt and olive oil.

5. Add the proofed yeast to the flour little by little and mix till it comes together.

6. Bring the dough to a flat counter or your kitchen platform and knead for good 10 minutes till it becomes soft and supple. Read more about Bread baking techniques in “Basic Steps to Bake a Perfect Bread“

7. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. And cover with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Let it sit for an hour or so to double up in size.

8. Punch it down and deflate the dough. Knead for another 5-7 minutes.

9. Grease your bread pan with oil and dust with some flour.

10. Roll the dough into a circle using a roller pin.

11. Take one end and roll it together . Fold in the sides and pinch the seam.

12. Place the rolled dough in the baking pan with seem side down.

13. Cover the dough loosely with a towel or cling wrap and let it rest again for 30 minutes till it rises again. Pre heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.

14. If you wish you can score the bread with a sharp knife.

15. Brush the top gently with glaze.

16. Sprinkle the top with flax seeds or seeds of your choice.

17. Bake it in the centre rack of your preheated oven for 35-40 minute. Change sides half way for even cooking. If you feel your bread is browning too fast tent it with aluminium foil and continue to bake.

Other bread recipes you can try : Vegetarian homemade Pizza, Russian Bublici, Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Chinese Black Sesame Steamed Buns, Cherry Focaccia Bread with Rosemary and Sea Salt, Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread, Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Beetroot Bread with Garlic and Thyme, Honey Oats Bread, Domino’s Garlic Breadsticks.

[whohit]WhiteBread[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’146′]

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