CROISSANTS

So happy with yesterday's baking. My uncles are coming from Johor. So I decided to make some for them.  This time, I would like to try a new recipe. Google searched few recipes, somehow I decided to pick this as a try  ( http://www.roxanashomebaking.com/homemade-croissants-recipe/ ).

Compared with yesterday's , I prefer this recipe. So, I would like to share the recipe here too.

• 240g bread flour
• 90ml luke warm milk
• 5.5g instant yeast
• 30g egg
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 60ml milk
• 115g pastry margarine

1. In a large mixing bowl sift the flour and salt.

2. Mix the yeast with the 90ml luke warm milk, stir until dissolved and pour it into the flour.

3. Mix a little bit (the mixture is going to be dry) and add the sugar and egg. Bring the dough together slowly adding the 60ml milk.

4. When all the milk is added the dough is going to be quite sticky. Don't panic and definitely don't add more flour.

5. Knead until doesn't stick. It's going to be around 7-10 minutes. Place the dough into a clean oiled bowl, cover with plastic foil and let it rise until double in volume.

6. Meanwhile work the margarine. Remove the margarine and place on a plastic foil. Cover with plastic foil and with the rolling pin, flatten the butter until it forms a sheet about 3/4 inch thick.Put the margarine back in the fridge.

7. When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down, cover again and place it in the fridge until double in volume again.

8. When the dough has risen for the second time, place it on a floured surface, roll it our into a 12 inch square. Place the sheet of margarine in the middle and fold the corners of the dough over the butter like an envelope, tucking the edges to completely hide the butter.

9. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 3/4 inch thick, twice as long as it is wide.Roll the upper third down and the bottom third up. Wrap in plastic foil and chill for 20 minutes.

10. Take the dough out of the fridge, turn to 90 degrees, roll out into a rectangle and fold again. Chill for 20 more minutes, wrapped in foil.

11. Roll if out again, turning the dough, and fold one more. Chill for 20 more minutes whapped in plastic foil.

12. Flour your working area.vRolls the chilled dough out into a 25X13 inch rectangle. Cut into triangles. Roll the croissants starting from the wide side toward the sharp point.

13. Place the croissants on a baking sheet, spaced well apart. Leave to rise one last time until double in size.

14. Meanwhile heat the oven to 180c. Brush the croissants with egg wash and bake until puffed and golden, for 13-17 minutes depending on their size.

Enjoy (@*@)

DANISH & PASTRY

I love croissant so much. Tried once few years ago but failed. This time I would like to give it a try with the same recipe from 面包DIY by Khoo See Yew. I watched a video from youtube ( http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nvYMnMT6eVc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnvYMnMT6eVc ).  I followed the method by folding the dough. It success. .. Yeah :-)

Here's the recipe. From this recipe, you can make different kind of croissants and danish.

• 175g  high protein flour
• 75g medium protein flour
• 7.5g milk powder
• 30g sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 25g egg
• 100g cold water
• 7.5g yeast
• 25g butter
• 125g pasrty margarine

1. Combine high protein flour, medium flour and milk powder.

2. Instant yeast mix with cold water, add in sugar, salt and eggs.

3. Pour into sifted flours and knead to a dough, add in butter.  Knead dough until smooth and elastic.  Proof for 30 minutes.

4. Flatten the dough into square. Place pastry margarine in the middle of the dough. Fold up like an envelope. Roll and flatten into rectangular sheet. Fold up into 3 layers and rest in the freezer for 15 minutes.

5. Turn to 90 degre, roll and flatten into rectangular. Repeat step 4 twice.

6. Remove from freezer and roll into 5mm rectangular thin sheet. Cut into required shape. Please watch the video for a better method and shaping. Thank you.

7. Egg wash and bake at 180c for 13-15 minutes.

Happy Mid Autumn

Today is 八月十三  in our Lunar calendar! Two more days will be 八月十五 ( 19/9 ), it is Mid Autumn Festival!!! Yeah... time for kids to play lanterns & candles. It's also a special day for families & friends to gather up.

Normally, we just had a small gathering with neighbours or friends outside the house with mooncakes & others while admire the full moon. Kids will have fun with their burning candles not lanterns!!! Haha...

What you guys did for this year Mooncake Festival? This year I'm feeling super lazy not to do any mooncakes but I wanted to try to cook lotus paste. Haha..So I decided to make traditional mooncake if my lotus paste is success! Yeah... I did it!!!!!  I just tried 300g of lotus seeds.  It turns out great & taste yummy. Not too sweet.... ngam ngam ho.... heehee.

I searched few recipes from books & online. Their recipes are almost the same. But I decided not to follow. Luckily it success!

Here's my mix & match recipe :

• 300g lotus seeds
• 1 tsp alkaline water
• 230g sugar
• 230g groundnut oil
• 1 tbsp maltose

1. Put lotus seeds into a pot of water. Bring to boil. Add in alkaline water & boil for 5 minutes. Remove lotus seeds & place ibto cold water. Rub-off skins & discard stems.

2. Cook the cleaned lotus seeds with sufficient water. Boil till lotus seeds have softened. It needs more 30 minutes. Strain & blend into paste while hot. 

3. Heat up wok ( don't use non-stick wok). Melt 30g sugar into caramel till golden with low heat. Turn off heat. Add in lotus paste. Mix well & turn on heat to medium low. Keep stirring & add in the remaining sugar.

4. Stir paste till almost dry. Add in 1/3 oil & keep stirring until even. Then add in another 1/3 oil & so on for the last portion of oil. Keep stirring until paste boil ( it takes less then 3 minutes), add in maltose. Stir non-stop until paste starts to leave the sides of wok. It should be ready. Dish up to cool well. Don't leave it in the hot wok!!!!

Here, I wish everyone 中秋节快乐!!!

Ham & Cheese Hokkaido Toast

Hello my lovely friends & followers, how's your day?  I'm feeling wonderful today without baking. Hahaha... too lazy (**.)

I baked Ham & Cheese Bread yesterday with Hokkaido Milk Toast recipe. This time I divided the dough into 2 instead of 3. Really love this recipe.  It taste fantastic!!!! The texture still soft on the next day. Do try it to those who haven't try Hokkaido bread recipe before.