Ciabatta

Sun dried tomatoes and basil Ciabatta rolls

"Where do we spend our vacation this time Honey?"

Oh I love that question! As I was busy preparing our dinner last night, my hubby popped that question to me. I have no idea yet, I replied. The truth is, after our common passion for food we both love travelling. And who doesn't? Travelling is always the best way to discover and meet people, their culture, their cuisine and their way of life. When we were students we were backpackers who would stay, eat and travel the cheapest way. Oh you wouldn't imagine how severely I haggle just to have discounts. :-) But gone are those days. Not that we have more money and we have grown older now. I guess it's just different now because we have a kid. Our perspective in life changes to a new dimension. No more risky travel I guess.

As I continue to contemplate our next destination, I couldn't help but remember one of the best places I have been, Italy. The spectacular monuments, churchers, museums and plazzas and their delectable cuisine. Do not blame me if I ended up baking some ciabatta.

This is my entry to Grow Your Own a blogging event created by Andrea and is being hosted by Bee of Jugalbandi. You have until July 30 to send your entries.

Sun dried Tomatoes and Basil Ciabatta Rolls
(there exist a lot of recipes in making this Italian slipper bread and this recipe is one of them)
460 g of flour
250 ml of warm water
1 sachet (about 1 teaspoon of dry yeast)
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of chopped Sun dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon of chopped basil (you can use fresh or dry ones)
(you can add more or less of the tomatoes and basil )

Dissolve the yeast on the warm water and add about one cup of flour on it. Let this stand for about an hour. Once little bubbles are formed on your yeast you can start putting the rest of the flour on your working table. Make a whole in the middle and add your dissolved yeast. Add the salt and olive oil. Work this dough for about ten minutes. Do not hesitate to put flour if it becomes too sticky. Add your chopped tomatoes and basil. Form a big ball and let this stand for an hour, cover it with wet towel. After the first rise cut the dough in six equal parts. To form the ciabatta bread, with the aid of your rolling pin flatten each ball of about 1 cm thickness. Fold from top to the center and the lower part to the center. You will now have long rectangular shaped dough. Fold again from right to the center and the left to the center. Imagine it will be like a folded square towel that is a little bit plumpy on the top. Powder it with flour and let it rise for another hour directly on your parchement papers. Preheat the oven at 200° celsius and bake the bread for about twenty to twenty five minutes. You can put a ramekin with a water inside the oven while baking the bread to have a crusty bread.

Believe me its delicious!!!

My other bread recipes:

Caramelized Onions, Roasted Tomatoes Foccacia Bread
Rosemary and Black Olive Fougasse
Mini-flute Bread

Zuccini and Parmesan Bread

Zuccini and Parmesan Bread

I have one word to describe my post absences for the past days: virus! My computer unfortunately contracted an "unidentified virus" that wouldn't let me surf the net if my firewall wasn't down. It was a total headache for I never realised that it was indeed a virus. I thought it was the wifi captor that wasn't working very well. Anyways, it pays well to have a hubby that loves repairing computer :-) And thank God for his patience, for it wasn't the first time I caught a virus. :-)

Lesson learned: bake a good bread before announcing to your husband that your computer is broken. You have more chances he'll repair it.

I'll be sending this over to Aparna of Diverse Kitchen hosting the 12th edition of Bread Baking Day an even created by Zorra. And this is for Susan's weekly Yeastspotting.


Zuccini and Parmesan Bread

1 sachet of dry yeast (about 7 g or 1 tablespoon)
500 g of flour
40 cl of water
10 g of salt
1 small zuccini washed and grated
half a cup of grated parmesan cheese

I used a bread machine to knead this recipe. Put the flour, water, salt and yeast and press the button applicable for making bread. At the first beep of the machine add zuccini and parmesan. It will continue to knead the dough. Wait until after the first rise to get the dough and handle it on your floured table. Shape it accordingly to the forms you want and let it rise for the second time. Spray some water on the surface of the dough if you want a crispy bread on the top. Let it rise for an hour. Preheat the oven at 200° celsius and bake them for 30 minutes. Let them cool completely before enjoying them. You can serve them with salad or hot and cold soups.




Enjoy my other bread recipes:

Caramelized onion and Roasted Tomatoes Foccacia
Home-made Croissant
French Bread

Apple Multicereal Milk Bread with Streusel Toppings

Apple Milk Bread with Streusel Toppings

One thing I hate so much in the kitchen is wasting food. For whatever reason, I always try to come up with solution to avoid dumping them. When I used to babysit for my nieces and nephew back in Philippines, I remember how often I would try to explain to their young minds that there is so much poverty and hunger in this world everytime they refuse to finish their meal. Of course it doesn't do magic all the time. Sometimes I am resorted into blackmailing them :-).

Anyways, with this thoughts in my head as I meticulously pour the apple purée in the empty gerber bottles for my daughter I realized that I cooked too much. I tried to look everywhere to see if there is still some empty gerber bottle hiding somewhere, but it was in vain. I could very well make some pattisserie with it like "chausson aux pommes" but I already promised my hubby to only bake patisseries only once a week. He is just concern about our calories intake :-). In other words we are getting fatter since I've been hooked up into blogging. So I thought why not milk bread it won't be so bad with some apples on it.

I'll be sending this over to Susan for her weekly Yeastspotting. If you love bread you should check that out :-)

Apple Multicereal Milk Bread with Streusel Toppings

250 g of flour
250 g of Multicereal flour
30 g of sugar
1 teaspoon of dry yeast
10 g of salt
20 cl of milk
3 tablespoons of apple purée
1 egg
50 of melted butter

Toppings :
30 g of butter
30 g of chopped any nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc)
30 g of sugar
30 g of flour

In your working table combine your two flours. Make a whole in the middle put your melted butter, egg, sugar, yeast and half of the milk. Add also the salt but avoid having direct contact with the yeast. Start mixing them with your hands little by little. Add the rest of your milk. Be sure to check if you need to put less or more milk depending on the consistency of your dough. You can also use your bread machine to do this bread by putting all your ingredients except the apple, just ad dit up after the first beep indicating that the dough’s well mixed. Once the dough becomes elastic add your apple purée and continue mixing. Leave it covered and let it rest for about an hour. Grease your loafbread pan and put the dough gently. Let it rise again for another one hour and a half. Preheat the oven at 200° celsius and bake this for about twenty minutes. You can put or not put the streusel depending on your preference. For the streusel toppings mix all the ingredients and half it halfway the cooking time.

I swear this milk bread is great for breakfast!

You can also try my other bread recipes:

Almond Coconut Honey Brioche
French Bread
Mini flute bread

Danish Braid Cranberry Coconut Streusel Toppings

Cranberry Coconut Danish Braid in Streusel Toppings

How sweet is the taste of freedom?

After my self-prescribed one week hibernation in the mountain of alpes due to overblogging diagnosis (zero internet access was the only solution to detox me :-)), I never realised of the jubilant news that was waiting for us when we returned back to the civilization; Ingrid Betancourt, was finally freed.


Her name might be obscure to most of you, but this former colombian senator was kidnapped at the height of her presidential campaign and spent six years of captivity in the jungle of Colombia. Far away from her family and friends. Six years of her life was stolen from her. I hate politics so the reason why I am writing about this has no tinge of political color in it. Just a simple feeling of happiness for someone who has gained back her liberty. Specially when it was taken brutally and inhumanly like that.

How sweet is the taste of freedom? I guess we will never really know until someone takes it away from us. But one thing I am sure of is that a crumb of its sweetness is close to a slice of this freshly baked Danish Braid Cranberry Coconut in Struesel topping. :-)

I hope my bread is not too late fellow DB'ers. By the way a big big thanks to Kellypea and Ben for hosting this challenge! I love it!

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough
Ingredients For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar Zest of 1 orange,
finely grated 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 vanilla bean, split and
scraped 2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH

Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK 1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature. 2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. 4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Cranberry Coconut FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
1 cup of cranberries 1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons of shreaded coconut

Toss the cranberries and sugar in a large bowl. then let it stand for about an hour Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the cranberries-sugar mixture, 10 to 15 minutes. Cook it until it becomes thick over low fire.Let it cool.


Streusel toppings:
50 g of butter
50 g of sugar
50 g of flour
50 g of chopped walnuts

Mix all the ingredients and use as toppings for your danish braid.

Assembling:

Spread over some cranberry filling on to your uncooked dough, pour over some pastry cream then sprinkle the top with coconut. Close the dough by making an alternate braid like gest on the dough cuts on the sides. Then top it with your struesel toppings. Bake at preheated oven at 200°celsius for about twenty to thirty minutes.

DANISH BRAID Makes enough for 2 large braids Ingredients 1 recipe Danish Dough (see below) For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk 1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet. 2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made. 3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends. Egg Wash Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid. Proofing and Baking 1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch. 2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. 3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Crumbly on the outside....

Oozingly delicious from the inside

My other Daring Baker Challenges Recipes:

Yulelog Cake
Lemon Pie

Homemade Burger Buns

Home-made Burger buns

Yay, Its Wednesday again! Time for my Wordless Home-made Recipes although this time it won't be wordless.

Food sometimes intertwined with memories.

You open a box of chocolate it reminds you of your first kiss. You pour a glass of wine it recalls your first date. Savor your gelato and you’ll remember your last vacation to Italy. Food awakens our senses, comforts it, heals and nourishes it.

As my teeth greedily touch my burger last night, I couldn’t help but reminisce my first misfortunate encounter with this sandwich. You know, when we were kids my dad made a pact to bring each one of us every day of his payday to eat any food that we want. Let’s call this a father and daughter food tripping. His salary wasn’t enough to bring the three of us together so we really need to take turns. When it was my turn I thought so hard what I wanted and so I decided that day I wanted to have my favorite soft ice-cream. I don’t know what happened that day, but probably all my guardian angels were sleeping. That day there was a nationwide power interruption in Manila. We walked for hours desperately trying to find an ice-cream house that has generator. But it was in vain. Before the sunset, our feet and body ceded the crusade. I was crying on our way back home. My dad insisted that I choose another food that I would want to replace the ice-cream with. I was really stubborn on having ice-cream but as we passed by a small makeshift “cheapish” hamburger stall, my hungry stomach did not resist to its calling. It was so good from the first bite and the second one. And as I put the last bite of this burger the electricity went back.

Home-made Burger buns
for about 4 big buns or 8 mini-buns

350 g of flour (about 3 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 teasepoon of salt
5 cl of warm water
10 cl of milk
1 tablespoon of dry intstant yeast (about 10 g)
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I used colza oil)
some sesame seeds
1 egg for brushing the surface

Start by dissolving the yeast in the warm water. Let this mixture stand for about ten minutes. Then on your working table put your flour and make a small well put your milk, salt, sugar and add your dissolved yeast. Mix with your hands gently until its well mixed. Add your oil and continue working the dough. Knead the dough for about ten minutes until it becomes elastic and doesnt stick to your hand. Do not forget to put flower on your hands and on the table to help you kneading the dough. It is advisable to weigh your dough, in that case you will have even sizes for your buns. Cut the dough depending on the number of buns you want and size. Shape them like a buns by getting sides of the dough and tucking it under. Let this dough rise for about an hour and half. Cover them with a towel. Before baking brush them with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds on the top. Bake them at 200° celsius for about 15-20 minutes for the big ones and about ten minutes for the small one. Cool them in rack.


My other home-made recipes:

Home-made Apricot Cinnamon Jam
Home-Made Croissant
Home-made Yogurt
Home-made Walnut Wine

Banana Nutella and Maple Syrup Bread

Hungry no more, Banana Nutella Maple Syrup Bread

A banana a day keeps the doctor away.

I know that it should have been apple a day, but growing up from a tropical country where there are tons of variety of bananas that exist (small, medium, large, yellow, red, green you can use your imagination, it does exist! ) and at an affordable price a kilo, It is hard to imagine a day without savouring the delectability of this fruit. At least in our family.

I remember when we were kids, at home bananas are so abundant everyday that we often get tired of it's taste. My dad would use all his power in the kitchen by concocting different banana recipes: banana tempura, banana spring rolls, banana ice-candy, banana choco muffins. But our biggest all time favorite was dad's version of Banana brown sugar bread. Really scrumptious!

When I heard that Nigella is hosting an event on Banana Bread, I know this is my time to share this recipe. Today is the deadline, so you can check out the round up now.

Banana Nutella Maple Syrup Bread

2 cups of flour
1 pack of baking powder (about 1 tsp)
a pinch of salt
50 g of butter
3 eggs
3/4 cups brown sugar
3 tbsps of maple syrup
4 tbsps of nutella spread (more or less depending on your chocoaddiction)
about 4 large over ripe bananas

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, mix together butter, maple syrup and brown sugar until it becomes creamy. Fold in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; then add delicately the nutella spread. Put batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for about an hour at 180°C until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Feed your imagination...

French Bread à la Julia Child, Daring Bakers' Challenge

"El pan fora de casa, xe massa salà o desavio"
The bread outside your home has either too much salt or too little
time to bake our own :-)

Man does not live by bread alone.

When I published this post of mine I really wanted to do a post on bread series. Little did I know, that for the month of February, the challenge hosted by Mary (Breadchick) and Sara (I Love to cook) is on making Julia Child's French bread. As I am not a good baker I have always been scared in making bread. But the wonderful moment I spent chatting with an old woman living in Alps who makes her own bread everyday (for simple reason there is no boulangerie in their area) changed the way I look at this kitchen experience. It is true that sometimes no matter how hard we stick to the recipes the end result is never successful. But one thing she imparted me in improving my baking skills is that when it comes to bread, humidity, amount of water and temperature counts a lot in making the dough rise. Without forgetting the right geste in preparing the bread. This old woman I am talking about is keeping a sort of a diary where she writes regulary the exact details of the bread she made: how much water, how long, at what temperature, at what exact time and during which season. Which means she could bake a baguette with the same goodness under different conditions noted on her diary. And her tips worked for me.

Of all the DB challenges I have done I would say this is the one that I enjoyed the most. For I made this challenge not once, not twice but three times. I had so much pleasure baking the french bread that I frolicked in making some long ones, round ones and some adorned with pavot grains. My next agenda is to make some perfect brioche that will wake us up with its goodness on our morning table.

Here is a short cut version of the recipe but I suggest you go and check out the step by step procedure and long version of the recipe here.

Making French Bread:

(Warning: the recipe is quite complicated but worth it :-)

1 cake (0.6 ounce) (20grams) fresh yeast or 1 package dry active yeast
1/3 cup (75ml) warm water, not over 100 degrees F/38C in a glass measure
3 1/2 cup (about 1 lb) (490 gr) all purpose flour, measured by scooping
dry measure cups into flour and sweeping off excess
2 1/4 tsp (12 gr) salt
1 1/4 cups (280 - 300ml) tepid water @ 70 – 74 degrees/21 - 23C


Stir the yeast in the 1/3 cup warm water and let liquefy completely while measuring flour into mixing bowl. When yeast has liquefied, pour it into the flour along with the salt and the rest of the water. Stir and cut the liquids into the flour with a rubber spatula, pressing firmly to form a dough and making sure that all the bits of flour and unmassed pieces are gathered in. Turn dough out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be soft and sticky.

Start kneading by lifting the near edge of the dough, using a pastry scraper or stiff wide spatula to help you if necessary, and flipping the dough over onto itself. Scrape dough off the surface and slap it down; lift edge and flip it over again, repeating the movement rapidly. In 2 -3 minutes the dough should have enough body so that you can give it a quick forward push with the heel of your hand as you flip it over. Continue to knead rapidly and vigorously in this way. If the dough remains too sticky, knead in a sprinkling of flour. The whole kneading process will take 5 – 10 minutes, depending on how expert you become.

Let dough rest for 3 – 4 minutes. Knead by hand for a minute. The surface should now look smooth; the dough will be less sticky but will still remain soft. It is now ready for its first rise.

Slip the bowl into a large plastic bag or cover with plastic, and top with a folded bath towel. Set on a wooden surface, marble or stone are too cold. Or on a folded towel or pillow, and let rise free from drafts anyplace where the temperature is around 70 degrees

After the first rise, with a rubber spatula, dislodge dough from inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface, scraping bowl clean. If dough seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour.

Lightly flour the palms of your hands and flatten the dough firmly but not too roughly into a circle, deflating any gas bubbles by pinching them. Let it rise the second time until it is dome shaped and light and spongy when touched.

After the second rising divide the dough into:
3 equal pieces for long loaves (baguettes or batards) or small round loaves (boules only)

While the dough is resting, prepare the rising surface; smooth the canvas or linen towelling on a large tray or baking sheet, and rub flour thoroughly into the entire surface of the cloth to prevent the dough from sticking

Working rapidly, turn the dough upside down on a lightly floured kneading surface and pat it firmly but not too roughly into an 8 to 10 inch oval with the lightly floured palms of your hands. Deflate any gas bubbles in the dough by pinching them.

Fold the dough in half lengthwise by bringing the far edge down over the near edge. Roll the dough a quarter turn forward so the seal is on top.

Flatten the dough again into an oval with the palms of your hands.

Press a trench along the central length of the oval with the side of one hand.

Fold in half again lengthwise.

This time seal the edges together with the heel of one hand, and roll the dough a quarter of a turn toward you so the seal is on the bottom.

Now, by rolling the dough back and forth with the palms of your hands, you will lengthen it into a sausage shape. Start in the middle, placing your right palm on the dough, and your left palm on top of your right hand.

Roll the dough forward and backward rapidly, gradually sliding your hands towards the two ends as the dough lengthens.


The covered dough is now to rise until almost triple in volume; look carefully at its pre-risen size so that you will be able to judge correctly. It will be light and swollen when risen, but will still feel a little springy when pressed.

It is important that the final rise take place where it is dry; if your kitchen is damp, hot, and steamy, let the bread rise in another room or dough will stick to the canvas and you will have difficulty getting it off and onto another baking sheet. It will turn into bread in the oven whatever happens, but you will have an easier time and a better loaf if you aim for ideal conditions.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees about 30 minutes before estimated baking time.

As soon as the dough has been slashed, moisten the surface either by painting with a soft brush dipped in cold water, or with a fine spray atomizer, and slide the baking sheet onto rack in upper third of preheated oven. Rapidly paint or spray dough with cold water after 3 minutes, again in 3 minutes, and a final time 3 minutes later. Moistening the dough at this point helps the crust to brown and allows the yeast action to continue in the dough a little longer. The bread should be done in about 25 minutes; the crust will be crisp, and the bread will make a hollow sound when thumped.

If you want the crust to shine, paint lightly with a brush dipped in cold water as soon as you slide the baking sheet out of oven.

I suggest you check the complete long version and step by step guide of this recipe here.

"Love is sweet but tastes best with bread"
specially the one with pavot grains :-)

Miniflute Bread: Men do not live by bread alone Part 1

Bread with rock salt, sesame, cumin and pavot seeds

If rice is to Asian, bread is to French.

Before being married to my french hubby, I have always believed this to be true. I remember that the first thing that strucked me visiting France for the first time was seeing them precipitating in boulangeries to buy their baguette for the day. Some would come out with one, others with two, or interestingly some were already consuming what they bought when they just been out of the boulangerie. You wouldn't imagine too how easy it is to find a boulangerie, for you will surely see on in every block.

French people love affair with bread dates back in history when majority of France were peasants and that eating soup and bread was the only means of survival. To note in their history was an interesting anecdote when people were rallying against scarcity of bread to eat against the monarchy and Marie Antoinette's naive reply was, "why they don't just eat cake.." This relationship is also something they take very seriously. French laws are very much strict in preserving their bread and the artisans behind them. Baguette for example should only contain water, flour, yeast, and common salt The addition of any other ingredient to the basic recipe requires the baker to use a different name for the final product.

This weekend, I had a wonderful experience to have a chat with a grandmother living in Alps making her own home-made bread. When we went back home, I didn't wasted time in baking this magnificent and equally delicious bread adopted from Sandra Avital's Mini-flute bread. In the original recipe there was water included but I took it off I was too scared my dough will be too sticky. I was quite satisfied with my version despite it's the first time I baked a bread. I advise you go and check her site for it's a very good source for all those wonderful baking goodies. Well explained and wonderful photos. :-)

(I'm sending over this photo too for Click's february theme: flour)
.

Mini-flutes Bread with rock salt, sesame, pavot and cumin seeds

500 g of flour
10 g of dry yeast
125ml of milk
20 g of butter
egg yolk wash
rock salt, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and pavot seeds

In a bowl, mix the flour with the dry yeast and salt. Add the warm milk and mix .Transfer immediately in your working table lightly floured. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes until it becomes elastic and non sticky (you can always add a little bit of flour to facilitate this task). Let this dough rest for about ten minutes covered by a towel to avoid drying. Continue again kneading the dough until it becomes really non sticky. Form a round shape and leave the dough in a bowl lightly oiled and cover. Let the dough rise for 1 hr. Cut about 12 to 14 triangles of about .5cm thick. Roll them from the largest side towards the smallest side. Brush with egg yolk and powder with rock salt and seeds. Cook for about 15 minutes at 200°celsius. Put a ramekin with water inside the oven while baking to add humidity.

Bread, alone........

A delicious Coco-bread and a murder story

Delightful childhood memories of freshly baked Pan de Coco

Mysteries and murder stories never fail to captivate audience whether on big screen or in boob tube. The more intricate and the more impossible the stories with twists and gory endings the more it will make audience. Is it an innate behaviour among us to feel that way? Or writers are really running out of better ideas?

Do not be disappointed to know that you won't find anything like this on this post. Not even a single blood has been shed but a real murder story really happened. The story started few weeks ago, hopping around for a cooking inspiration in the delicious blogsphere world. Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook bewitched me with her recipe of a Coconut sweet (you can check the recipe in here). Seeing the photo of a "real" coconut (you know what I mean not just dried dessicated coconut) and her delicious cake, awaken my deep yearning for this tropical fruit. How I long to drink its oozing juice from a newly opened fresh coconut and scrape it's soft and creamy fruit inside. The taste was so long ago that I have almost forgotten about it.

Unfortunately, satisfying this cravings for fresh coconut will not be that simple considering where I live. For finding fresh coconut in the supermarket isn't that easy. But heaven must have heard my lament that day, for my chase over this precious nut didn't last that long. I didn't have much choice, as there was only one left in the exotic fruit section. Rest now to do, is how on earth will I open this up? I knew I needed something strong and sharp the same bolo (machete) my grandfather uses to open a coconut back in the province. I knew I wouldn't find this at home so I went and desperately looked for in my in laws' kicthen. But to no avail, for the sharpest thing they have was an electric cutter for meat.

So delectably innocent.......

Hopelessly I went outside with my coconut in the garden. I stared at this thing and decided to defy all what grandpop taught me on the proper way of opening up a coconut. Without batting an eye I took the biggest and the most piercing stone I could find and started breaking this thing up.

It took me 5 minutes to brutally assasinate this poor thing.



I'm sending this recipe to Lasang Pinoy 24 on this month's theme:Loco over Coco.

Coconut Bread (Pandecoco)

For the brioche
4 cups all- purpose flour 4 eggs, beaten 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 package active dry yeast 1 cup lukewarm milk (scalded them cooled) ¾ cup sugar ¾ pound butter or margarine ¾ tablespoon salt

Coconut Filling
150 g shredded coconut 5 tbsp of coco jam

Egg Wash
1 egg yolk

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients except the yeast. Add slowly the melterd butter, warm milk and eggs. Then dissolve the yeast in one tbsp of warm milk and add in the dough. Work on the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Keep covered in a warm place about 40 degrees Celsius until it sizes doubles. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Place the coco jam in a pan and cook over medium heat. Mix in the shredded coconut thoroughly. Soften the consistency by adding few tablespoon of water if coco jam is too sticky. Remove from the heat and allow cooling. Set aside. When the dough is ready; knead again for the second time. You can add some flour to facilitate the task. Make some balls of about 2 inches in diameter and flatten slightly. In the center of dough, place one tablespoon of the coconut filling. Fold the dough over the filling and seal the edges. Let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes under the same condition. Brush with egg yolks the top to give a golden crispy touch and bake for 20-30 minutes at 190 degrees celsius.

After I brutally assasinated

Resting peacefully over a fluffy dough

Yummy......