Dan Lepard's wholemeal bread

I should say, this is the best wholemeal bread I have ever made and tasted, too good.
Thanks, Dan!

    Recipe: Dan Lepard (The Guardian)
   Ingredient
   400g strong wholemeal flour
   50g strong white flour
   2 tsp easy blend yeast
   Half a 500mg vitamin tablet, crushed
   2 tsp salt
   3 tsp brown sugar
   400ml warm water
   50g melted butter

   Lots of Oat bran as toppings

     Method

     1.  Flour, yeast, vitamin powder, salt and sugar goes into a bowl and mix well.   Add in 300ml water and stir well.  Pour in butter and mix into a soft sticky dough (add a little more water if you need to).
Cover and leave for 10 minutes.

    2.  Oiled hand and working area, knead dough for 10 seconds and return to bowl, cover for 10 minutes.  Repeat twice more at intervals of 10 minutes.  Leave dough for 15 minutes rest.

   3.  Flatten dough and roll in up tightly, seal seams up, lay in a greased pan.  Cover, leave to rest in warm area until it has doubled in height ( at least 1 and 1/2 hours).

   4.  Pre-heat oven to 220C. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, turn temperature down to 200C, cook for further 15-20 minutes until the crust is a deep brown and sounds hollow when tapped.  Let it cool on rack.

Pumpkin steamed meat buns

 I love these gigantic steamed buns, they make you feel satisfied, every bite of it.  I can still remember when I was a little girl, whenever I got to choose I would always want a bigger size steamed bun rather than the usual char siew bun size.

Dan Lepard's Spelt and Corn batch rolls

We lived for awhile in Oslo a couple of years back.  I remembered when I did my daily supermarket shopping, there were many kinds of Spelt bread or Rye bread on the shelves.  I thought Norwegians are really lucky as they are able to find such good quality bread.



Back in Melbourne, Spelt flour is a pricey product.  A loaf of Spelt bread may cost a bomb in the local Supermarket.

Spelt is actually an ancient cereal grain. It gives you a nutty, slightly sweet flavour.  Compared to wheat flour, spelt flour is richer, has many nutrients such as proteins and minerals.  Spelt can also be used as a substitute for wheat or white flour when used in baking.

      Recipe: Dan Lepard ( The Guardian)
     Ingredients
     75g cornmeal / polenta
     200ml boiling water
     300ml cold water
     1 tbsp honey
     1 tsp yeast
     300g spelt (or wholemeal)flour----I used wholemeal spelt flour
     200g strong white flour
     1 tsp salt
     Oil and flour, to finish

     Method

     1.  Pour boiling water onto the cornmeal and stir, leave it for 15 minutes.  Whisk in cold water, honey and yeast.  Add in flours and salt, mix to a soft dough.  Let it rest for 10 minutes.

     2.  Scrape dough out on oiled working surface, knead 10 seconds, return dough to the bowl, cover and leave for 20 minutes, let it rise slightly.

     3.  Divide into 8 pieces on a floured surface, roll them into balls.  Place them into two rolls of four, just touching.  Flour the top, cover and leave for about 45 minutes or, until it has risen by half.

     4.  Flour the top again, bake at pre-heated oven 240C (220C Fan assisted) / 465F /gas mark 9 for 20-25 minutes.  It's done if it just coloured on top.  Let it cool on rack.

note: I placed a pan with boiling water at the lowest shelf of the oven throughout the baking session.

Cream cheese bread

I have quite a bit of cream cheese left from the homemade blueberry cheesecake I made the other day, so I used it to make the daily bread for my children.

        Cream cheese bread doesn't just give you a soft, fluffy, moist texture for days,  the beautiful aroma is forever on your tastebuds from the moment you bite on it.

       Recipe from: Pureenjoyment
    Ingredients
    160g lukewarm water
    250g bread flour
    50g cream cheese, softened
    10g skim milk powder
    15g castor sugar
    3g salt
    20g butter
    3g dry yeast
    (note: I made a bigger loaf by doubling the ingredients above)



     Steps:

Ready to be baked

   Method 

   1.  Prepare sponge.  Yeast, sugar well dissolved in lukewarm water for 5 minutes until it become frothy.  Flours, skim milk, salt mix to combine.  Gradually pour in yeast mixture and stir.  Add in cream cheese and butter and mix until everything comes together as a soft dough.  Cover and leave for 10 minutes.  Light knead and fold for 10 seconds, cover and leave for 10 minutes.  Do it twice more every 10 minute interval.
Cover and leave for one hour or, until dough has doubled it's size.

   2.  Deflate air bubbles, roll it ( I decorated it) and lay in the greased pan.  Let it rise to it's height.

   3.  Brush with milk and bake in pre-heated oven 170C for 30 minutes, insert a skewer to the deep end, if it comes out clean, it's done.

Rose Levy Beranbaum's basic soft white sandwich loaf

    I bought this " Bread Bible" book awhile months ago, only now I get to bake Rose's bread.
    This is a very soft, moist, light, airy large bread.
    It was quite a long process making this but a good experience by the end.

     You may like to check out Epicurious for the recipe and method, it is just too long to put into words here.

Dan Lepard's Bagels

Following Dan's advise, I reduced the yeast by half as I intended to let it get risen overnight in the fridge.  In that way, bagels will turn out more even and chewy texture.



The recipe is good, the kind of saltiness is just right.  We loved it so much!


       Recipe: Dan Lepard ( The Guardian)
     Ingredients (6 bagels):
     400g strong bread flour
     1 and 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
     2 tsp salt
     2 tbsp castor sugar


     For boil:
     2 tbsp malt extract or brown sugar
     Seeds or salt flakes, for the top

Ready to get boiled

5 seconds... flip over further 5 seconds

bring it up and let it sit on oiled tray.
 Sprinkle seeds or salt flakes

Bagels are good stuff!!

  Method:
  1. Combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl, add 225ml very warm water ( 38C).  Mix into a dough, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.

  2. Flour the working surface, knead dough gently for 10 seconds.  Return to bowl, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes again.

  3. Repeat the light knead twice more at 10 minutes intervals, return dough to the bowl, cover and rest for 10 minutes.

  4. Divide dough into 6, each just over 100g.  Shape into ball, cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

  5. To shape bagels, stick finger in the centre and stretch dough outwards with your fingers.

  6. Pre-heat oven tp 200C/400F.  With 2 litres boiling water on a pot, add malt extract.  Drop in each bagel, leave for 5 seconds, flip over for further 5 seconds, bring it up and let it sit on oiled tray. Sprinkle with seeds or flakes on top, bake for 15 -20 minutes.

Seeded cinnamon mini loaf ( 5 types flour)

I made a mini loaf for myself, using whatever flour that I have in the pantry.  It turns out pretty good bread and I loved it.


              Soft, fluffy, airy, moist with lots of sunflower seeds as toppings.
              Soy milk and soy flour has done something good to the bread so much.

    Ingredients
    100g bread flour
    50g rye wholemeal flour
    50g soy flour
    50g sorghum flour
    50g wholemeal flour
    1 teaspoon salt
    2 tablespoons honey
    1 teaspoon yeast
    200ml soy milk ( lukewarm )
    2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

    Filling
    1 tablespoon flaxseed
    1 tablespoon walnuts
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    1 tablespoon Sultanas/ raisins
    1 tablespoon Sunflower seeds

    Lots of Sunflower seeds for toppings

    Method

    1.  Prepare the sponge.  Mix lukewarm soy milk, honey and yeast  in a jug until well dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes until it become frothy.

    2.  Gradually add yeast mixture onto the flours, oil and salt mixture.

    3.  Stir to bring everything together into a soft dough.  Let it rest 10 minutes.

    4.  Add all seeds, cinnamon, sultanas in and knead for 10 seconds.  Let it rest 10 minutes.

    5.  Do it one more time, gentle knead 10 seconds.  Lastly, roll into a ball, let it sit in a oiled bowl to rise for an hour or, until it has doubled it's size.

    6.  Deflate gas and roll into a ball and let it rest for 10 minutes.


    7.  Roll like the way you would do to swiss roll, let it rise in a mini loaf pan.
    8.  When it has risen almost to the top of the pan, quick water spray and bake in pre-heated oven of 200C for 15 to 20 minutes.  Insert a skewer deep centre, if it comes out clean it's done.

Steamed radish cake ( fried version)

Cut into these sizes for fried version

This is a plain simple radish treat for fried version, the texture is good.

Low-fat mini banana muffin

                                     I just like a simple low-fat treat for myself today :)

Pumpkin chiffon cake

           A very moist, not overly sweet, very light and healthy tasty cake.
           What else can I ask for?

        Recipe from: The Kitchen ( slight alteration)
     Ingredients (9" chiffon pan)

     Yolk batter
    120g pumpkin ( steamed and mashed)
     50g vegetable oil
     50g milk
     1/4 teaspoon salt
     6 egg yolks (130g)
     120g cake flour
     1 tablespoon baking powder
     1 teaspoon vanilla extract



     Meringue batter
     6 egg whites (240g)
     2 teaspoon of lemon juice
     120g castor sugar

I took one small portion out from the yolk batter, mixed with one tablespoon cocoa powder.

     Method

     1.  In a mixing bowl, beat together egg yolks, oil, milk, salt until light and pale.  Add in baking powder, mashed pumpkin , flour and vanilla extract until all well combined.   Set aside.

     2.  In a clean mixing bowl of egg whites, add in lemon juice and beat with sugar in 3 batches. Beat until it reaches stiff peak.

     3.  Use 1/3 portion of beaten whites, mix to lighten the yolk batter.  Fold in 2 more batches of whites to the yolk batter until all is done.

     4.  Pour batter in the pan and bake at pre-heated oven 170C for 35 t0 40 minutes.  Insert a skewer to see that it comes out clean, it's done.

     5.  Invert the cake and let it cool completely.  Run through the edges round the pan, slowly release it from the pan.

Goji Berry Walnut artisan bread ( sunflower seeds)

People here loves Artisan breads,  local supermarket bakeries were selling all kinds of Artisan styles.  It is easy to make, just to make sure you get the dough well fermented for 12 to 18 hours.  I made some 'No knead crusty bread', 'No knead pumpkin seeds crusty rolls, No knead Onion and poppyseed crusty bread, now I am using the recipe and method again to make this Goji berry walnut bread.  This is so good, good enough to eat on its own without anything, or just a bit of light butter good enough to go with your coffee.


I have always loved goji berries, it is packed with lots of antioxidants.  Plump good quality types does deliver a sweeter juicy taste.

Oh yes, don't forget to use all kinds of healthy raw seeds for toppings!

Lots of good toppings here.., moist inside, crusty outside.

     Steps

Walnut and gojiberries added in the dough 

Leave it to ferment overnight

Overnight 18 hours fermented dough 

Yumm!

   Ingredients
   For the dough (refer links above)



    Filling
    Gojiberries  100g ( rinsed with boiling water and soaked with a few tablespoons of red wine, just enough to cover it)
    Walnuts  80g ( break into bite size)

Just warm it up a bit and it is still good even after a few days.

Pumpkin Crepes

My daughter decorated hers

These Crepes are good, not overly sweet and I like the idea of adding a bit of cornstarch,  gives a very nice texture in the end.

Bread pudding

I have learnt not to waste food, with the leftover bread, I made this simple yet delicious bread pudding.

Dan Lepard's Peanut and rosemary cookies

Very yummy cookies, you just keep on eating non stop, the rosemary...peanuts, oh my!
Loving it.

Onion poppyseed crusty bread

I have been making artisan bread quite a bit lately, they loved it so much.  To prepare the dough, you may like to go to my Crusty bread-Amazing bread,  No-knead Pumpkin seeds crusty rolls,  I just add in poppy seeds and onions for filling this time. Really good tasty bread.

For filling (inspiration from Artisan 5 minutes):

I used 3 medium size of onions, cut them into very small pieces, using 2 tablespoons oil, fried them until they turned brown and fragrant.  Let it cool, mix with lots of poppyseeds.  Set aside.

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 230C. I used a baking stone, keeping a pan filled with hot water underneath the oven.

2.  Spread generous flour on the working surface, oil your hands and scraper.  Get ready parchment paper with lots of cornmeal on top of it, large enough to sit the dough on. 

3.  Avoid deflating gas too much, roll the dough out.  Spread the ingredients evenly. Roll it like the way you would do to a swiss roll.  Now, cut the long dough into half, plait them fully, make a ring, seal the 2 ends in nicely. Transfer to the prepared parchement paper ( refer first picture below here). Let it rise, it usually takes 30 minutes.  

4. Bring the dough to the oven, quick water spray, bake for 30 minutes ( quick water spray again after first 5 minutes again). 

Steps:

Spread ingredients evenly.
 Get prepared the parchment paper spread with lots of cornmeal.

Baked on baking stone.

The aroma of onions...., crusty outside, moist springy inside.

Dan Lepard's Simple Walnut Tin Loaf ( red wine)

This is an interesting bread, it has a lot of walnuts, I also loved the red wine aroma...
So beautiful, I took one look after I sliced it....I just did not want to ruin it by eating it, hahaha.

I have adapted Dan's amazing kneading technique for most of my dough now, my food processor, Bread machine and Mixer are sitting there untouched.  It is so easy and relaxing, 10 seconds gentle manipulation of the dough and 10 minutes rest and do that for 3 times. Basic Technique Would you believe it or not? Thanks Dan!




Recipe from: Dan Lepard ( The Guardian)
Ingredients:
200g strong white flour
100g strong wholemeal flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 sachet easy- blend yeast
1 glass red wine (125ml), plus water to make 200ml
50g whole walnuts, plus 100g coarsely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Method:
1.  Mix flours, salt and yeast in mixing bowl. Blend wine, water, whole walnuts and oil until smooth, pour onto the flour. Add in chopped walnuts, stir and mix to form soft sticky dough.  Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
2.  With oiled hands, remove dough and knead on oiled surface for 10 to 15 seconds.  Return to bowl, cover to rest for 10 minutes.  Last, repeat the light knead, return dough back to bowl and let it rest for 45 minutes or until it ias doubled it's size.
3.  Oil and flour the 1 lb loaf tin. Roll the dough tightly ( roughly 15cm to 20cm) and fit into the pan.  Press down firmly, cover, let it rise for an hour until doubled it's height.
4.  Lightly dust the surface top with flour and make a criss cross cuts in it with a knife.  Bake at pre-heated oven 200C/400F for 40 minutes until it turns brown colour and the loaf pulls away from the tin. ( I normally insert a skewer deep down, if it comes out clean, it's done).  Remove from the tin and cool on a rack.

A very good bread !