Whole wheat bread - Easy Peasy

I was scared reading all the articles and posts about bread. So much so, that I thought it's perhaps the most difficult thing to bake. Knead -> rise -> knead -> rise -> bake is the process. And of course, there's the yeast.

Few things to note when baking bread

a. It's not as difficult as you think it is.
b. Read point a.
c. Use good quality flour.
d. Follow recipe to the T
e. Read point a.

This recipe is adapted from here. I halved the recipe and had to adjust the baking time too. But pretty much I stuck to recipe.

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour
salt - to taste
1/2 tbsp - honey
1.5 tbsp active dry yeast (or 1 tbsp instant yeast)
Water - about 1 cup or more.

Method:

a. If you are using the active dry yeast, proof the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and sugar.
b. I used a food processor to knead the dough. Dump the flour, salt, honey and proofed yeast in the processor and pulse a few times. It will sort of come together. Just let it rest for about 10 mins.
c. Now, add water (slowly) and run the processor to knead the dough.
d. The dough should be soft, pliable, not too sticky.
e. Take the dough in a bowl, cover and let rest and rise for an hour.
f. This wouldn't rise or double in volume like the all purpose flour. After an hour, punch down the dough and shape it like a loaf or free-form. (Gather the sides and sort of pinch the center).
g. Place the seam side down.
h. Cover and let it rise again for an hour.
i. The recipe says to be careful so the dough doesn't rise too much. But I don't how how to check that. I just went with my instinct. (Well, don't we all use a lot of that while cooking :D ) I timed this for around 45 mins.
j. After this, score the bread with a sharp knife. There's no particular way to do it. Just make slashes or patterns.
h. Place this in a pre-heated oven at 200 C and bake for 30 mins. When you tap on it, it should be hollow. That's a sign of the bread baked well.
i. Let cool (if you can resist).
j. Slice and enjoy with butter!

This is my first attempt and I am mighty happy with it, although I feel I could have baked this for a minute or two extra.

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Have a break - Have a Kit Kat (Cake)

As you all know, I've begun baking recently. And amid all the crazy work schedules and weekends spent at parents', there's hardly any time except those evenings when I suddenly find myself full of energy, looking up pages and pages of recipes and as usual getting super confused over what to bake!

And then, first time bakers like me need guinea pigs to try what we make. And the perfect opportunity arrived. R's housewarming and S' company's 5th anniversary. I didn't need a better motivation as I found myself plenty of guinea pigs.

This tried and tested (by others) kit-kat cake seemed to be the perfect beginning! I kept it simple - vanilla (and a dash of coffee) cake with a spicy chocolate ganache and an array of kit kats and gems (M&Ms for the NRIs). Simple as it sounded, I was nervous, almost memorized the recipes and kept thinking a million times as how this would eventually look and taste.

I adapted the recipe from here. I didn't change anything, except for the baking time, knowing very well how my oven behaves. I also loosely covered the cake with foil to avoid too much browning and to cook evenly (else the center doesn't bake)

This recipe yielded two 6" round cakes (2" tall) and 12 cup cakes. The cake and 6 cup cakes went off to S' office and 6 cup cakes went to R's house warming.

Vanilla cake

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Method:

Step 0: Pre-heat the oven to 170 C

Step 1: Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Step 2: Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft.

Step 3: Add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. I used my whisk and hand-beat this mixture. I would have beat it for around 10 - 15 minutes.

Step 4: Beat the eggs, 1 at a time.

Step 5: Add flour and milk alternately (beginning and ending with flour) in 3 additions and beat slowly. At this stage, I also added some coffee (instant coffee mixed with hot water).

Step 6: Pour in a parchment lined cake pan and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes.

I baked 2 cakes like this and also did 12 cup cakes with the same batter. 

The 2 cakes were layered with a layer of ganache and some crushed nuts, decorated with kit kats on the sides. 

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

Fresh cream - (I used milky mist) - 200 ml
Chocolate - 350 gm (I used Morde compound)

Method:

Step 1: Finely chop the chocolates and place in a bowl.

Step 2: In a heavy bottomed pan, add the cream and let it boil. Ensure the gas is on low flame. It took quite a while for me as the pan was real heavy and the cream was heating through slowly. This is fine, so long as the cream doesn't split. The cream has to boil and bubble for a minute or so.

Step 3: Pour this cream over the chocolate and leave it for a min.The heat from the cream will melt the chocolate.

Step 4: Slowly mix the cream and chocolate using a spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and mixed with the cream.

Step 5: At this stage, you can add some flavoring if you want. (I added some chilli powder :D )

Step 6: Cover with cling and set aside. I was going to cover the cake only the next morning; I let it sit at room temperature.

You can put it in the fridge if you are going to use it later. This will keep well for a few weeks.  You can whisk it well before decorating or just use a spatula and spread it. Either way this is delicious - it's chocolate after all! I just slathered the ganache on the cake and cup cakes. I am still learning the techniques.

And these cakes and cup cakes traveled with me to Bangalore and behaved quite well during the course of the journey and later.

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Bitten by the baking bug

It's been a while since I wrote on this blog. There was hardly any inspiration. I just went about my regular routine. And then, I saw Tasneem Aunty bake lot of breads. Naturally, I was curious and interested. I used to do some baking in the microwave but nothing too fancy. And then, of course, being part of the Home Bakers Guild makes you fall in love with the array of creative cakes and breads and cookies the talented bakers make. And that's not just to eat but to learn to make.

And I wouldn't have done it but for S. When I was wondering if I should buy an oven, will I bake, will it be a waste of money and if I was getting too carried away by all that I see around me, S just told me go ahead and get it, for even if I bake just one, I'd have done with a lot of love. That sealed the deal for me. One fine evening, I went to a nearby super market to pick up a Bajaj 15L oven. It was small but I thought, if I can put this to good use, then I can perhaps get a bigger one later on.

For all those beginners out there, I am three months old into baking. I do not own any fancy equipment. I do not have a hand mixer / stand mixer. I use the good old whisk but then I really haven't done any SMBC, ABC or any of those butter creams. I haven't dabbled in meringues, macarons or complex flavours. I have bought more butter and sugar in the last three months than I have in the last 3 years.

If you are in Chennai, your best source for baking equipment is Viveka Essence, Currimbhoys & Passionate Baking and Sama Home Store.

Alright, I'll reserve the stories for another blog post. Now I'll post a recipe. I haven't quite experimented much and have stuck to tried and tested recipes. That said, I've made minor changes or used substitutes where applicable.

Herb and cheese pull aparts

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 3 cups (approx 375 gm)
Butter - 20 gm
Warm milk - 1/2 cup (approx 120 gm)
Milk - 1/2 cup - (approx 120 gm)
Salt - 1 TSP

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Instant Dry Yeast - 2 TSP
Sugar - 1 TSP

Filling

Your choice. I used chopped coriander, chili flakes and parmesan cheese.

About 1 tbsp melted butter

Method

Step 1: Tame the yeast. Yep this step can be bitchy and is the root cause of all failed breads. Add the sugar and yeast in warm milk and set aside for about 10 mins. It will stink. Ewww. Bear with it for that's what makes your bread soft. The yeast should froth nicely. Else the yeast has shown its ugly face; so buy a new box.

Step 2: This can be done by hand or if you are lazy like me, use a food processor. Add the flour, salt, ginger garlic paste and butter and pulse a few times. To this add the yeast mixture. Mix well. Add the milk in small quantities. You may not need all the milk. The dough should come together nicely. (Knead well if you are using your hand). If its sticky, add a little flour. The dough should be elastic and pliable.

Step 3: Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and roll it around so it gets coated with the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel or cling and keep in a warm place.

Step 4: It has to rest for an hour. So make yourself a cup of tea or filter kaapi and eat some murukku.

Step 5: By now, it would have doubled in volume. Punch it down.

Step 6: Now, make 4 balls out of that dough.

Step 7: Roll each ball into a rectangle. After having years of practice of making rotis, I can't seem to make a rectangle but managed a look alike. It should be about 1/2 in thick.

Step 8: Brush with melted butter. I don't have a brush, so used some tissues. Make sure you don't get the paper on the dough. Spread the chopped coriander, chili flakes and parmesan.

Step 9: Tightly roll from the shorter end like a log and pinch the ends to shut it. Cut into equal pieces. Repeat with the other 3 dough balls.

Step 10: Arrange these babies, cut side up on a baking dish - square, round, oval - doesn't matter. Leave some space between the pieces as it has to rise again and will expand in volume.

Step 11: Cover with the kitchen towel and let rise for another 30 - 45 mins.

Step 11.5: Go drink more tea.

Step 12: Pre heat the oven to 180 C.

Step 12.5: Brush the top of the breads with some milk and bake for about 30 mins until the top turns a nice shade of brown. My oven took 30 mins. Do keep an eye after 20 mins. Remember they'll continue to cook even after you get them outta the oven.

Serve warm. I have stored them outside for 5 days in airtight container. You can apparently freeze them too.

Recipe adapted from various sources on the internet.

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