Elsie_iu's blog

Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner! In Hong Kong, lotus seed mooncakes (and other non-traditional varieties e.g. egg custard mooncakes and snowy mooncakes), stuffed glutinous rice dumplings in sweet soup and fruits like pomelo and star fruits are served. In case you’re wondering…No, we don’t celebrate it with pineapple char siu buns! The thing is, this Chinese festival triggers my craving for Chinese food.

HK Style Pineapple Char Siu Buns

Dough flour:

150g   100%   Whole wheat flour (I used extra finely grinded Indian atta flour)

For homemade char siu:

~250g   167%      Pork, cut into 3 pieces (pork shoulder is traditional but I just bought regular “lean pork”)

50g      33.3%      Store-bought char siu sauce

10g      6.67%      Shaoxing wine

-g              -%       Honey for brushing

For filling:

~120g    80%        Char siu (1/2 of homemade char siu above or sub with store-bought), cubed

~70g      43%        1/2 onion, finely diced

5g          14%        1 tsp cooking oil (I used peanut oil)

-g              -%        Reserved marinate

~70g   46.7 %       1 fresh pineapple ring, cut into six chunks       

For tang zhong:

15g        10%        Whole wheat flour

75g        29%        Water

For pineapple crust:

55g    36.7%      Whole wheat flour

30g      20%       Sugar

20g    13.3%      1 large egg yolk

20g    13.3%      Ghee (or 25g butter)

15g       10%      Water

-g             -%      1 tsp baking powder

For bread dough:

135g        90%      Whole wheat flour

37g       24.7%      1 large egg white

42g           28%     Water 

~90g         36%      All of the tang zhong

15g          10%       Sugar (optional. I don’t like sweet bread with sweet filling and crust so I skipped it)

2.5g      1.67%       Salt

0.79g    0.53%      1/4 tsp instant yeast

For egg wash:

-g               -%       Egg yolk

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150g      100%     Whole Grain (bread dough part only)

150g      100%     Total hydration (including tang zhong)

Marinate the pork overnight or for at least 6 hours. Remove the pork from the fridge, letting excess marinade drip off. Reserve the remaining marinade. Preheat the oven at 400°, bake the pork on a rack in the middle/top layer depending on the size of your oven. Place an aluminium-foil-lined baking sheet at the bottom layer to collect any drip off. After 10 minutes, flip the pork and brush the side facing up with honey, bake for 5 more minutes or until charred on the edges. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Make the filling. Cube the char siu into your desired size and finely dice half an onion. Heat oil in a pan/wok. Fry the onion at medium heat until lightly caramelized. Pour in the reserved marinade and cook until thickened. Dissolve 1 tsp of corn starch in 1 tbsp of water and add to the pan to thicken if necessary. Mix in the cubed pork then remove from fire. Refrigerate the mixture until needed.

Mix together the flour and water for the tang zhong and heat over medium-low, stirring continuously until thickened, about 2 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Mix thoroughly all dough. Combine roughly all dough ingredients except for salt and yeast, autolyse for 30 minutes. Mix in the reserved ingredients then slap and fold the dough until gluten is developed, around 10 minutes. Let ferment for 2 hours at room temperature then retard for 8-14 hours.

Make the pineapple crust by combining all ingredients and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes at a minimum. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Divide the cold dough into 6 equal pieces. Let them rest for 20 minutes. Place 1/6 of the filling into each dough piece then top with a chunk of pineapple. Bring the edges together and lightly pinch to seal. Let proof on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

5 minutes before baking, take the pineapple crust dough out of the fridge and divide it into 6 equal balls. Working quickly, flatten each ball with you palm then place it on top of the buns. Brush the crust with egg yolk.

Bake the buns at 400°F in the middle rack for 15 minutes or until the crust is browned to your liking. Let them cool for 15 minutes before serving.

The crust is quite crumby but not as much as those sold in Chinese bakeries. I guess that was the consequence of leaving baker’s ammonia, which traditional recipes call for, out of the formula. Another change I made for the crust formula was subbing ghee for lard, shortening or butter. I love the aroma of ghee but feel free to use the alternatives listed above.

Since I didn’t seal the dough properly, much of the juicy sauce leaked out onto the sheet pan…I’m certain that most of you can do a better job to yield an even juicer centre!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

This bread is similar to another bread I baked some times ago. However, this version is, without a doubt, at least 10 times better than that one!  

5-Grains Black Sesame Parmesan YW Sourdough…with a Kick

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

75g       25%       Whole red fife wheat flour

75g       25%       Whole spelt flour

60g       20%       Sprouted white wheat flour

60g       20%       Sprouted durum flour

30g       10%       Toasted buckwheat flour

For leaven:

5g        1.67%       Starter

20g      6.67%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

20g      6.67%       Yeast water

For dough:

280g     93.3%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

168g        56%       Water

100g     33.3%       Whey

45g          15%       Leaven

9g              3%       Toasted black sesame seeds, coarsely ground

9g              3%       Vital wheat gluten

6g              2%       Alt altus, powdered

5g         1.67%       Salt

Add-ins:

30g         10%       Parmesan, cubed

4g        1.33%       Black mustard seeds, popped

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302.5g      100%       Whole grain

290.5g     96.0%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 20g for leaven. Soak the rest (I got 7g) in equal amount of whey taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 3 hours.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven, and soaked bran, autolyse for 20 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients than ferment for 15 minutes. Fold in the add-ins and ferment for 3 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 11 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F.

Score and spritz the dough then bake directly from the fridge at 250°C/482°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

The crust is extra crispy thanks to the fats of the cheese. The bread bloomed well in the oven since it was not over-proofed this time.

Considering the addition of parmesan and powdered black sesame, the crumb is relatively open. It is moist and chewy with some crunchiness from the mustard seeds.

Using my favourite combo, cheese and black sesame seeds, the flavour doesn’t disappoint. Mustard seeds add a pop of spiciness that keeps things interesting. Toasted buckwheat flour, especially when freshly milled, contributes a ton of flavour to this bread. It’s highly aromatic even when it accounts for 10% of total flour only. Sprouted white wheat, durum, spelt and red fife all provide sweetness, which pairs nicely with the slight bitterness of black sesame seeds.

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An Indian meal comprised of potatoes and peas pulao, eggplants, cabbages and tomatoes saute and baked tandoori chicken drumettes

Stir fried glass noodles with cabbages, eggs, fried shrimps and pickled red onions

My parents stayed home for lunch today because of the attack of super typhoon. Spicy Daoxiao Noodles 刀削麵 with mixed veggies, mussels and sausages.

A simple formula that’s perfect for busy days.

20% Germinated Red Rice Oat Porridge Sourdough

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

150g      50%       Whole spelt flour

90g        30%       Whole white wheat flour

60g        20%       Germinated red rice flour

For leaven:

5g        1.67%       Starter

20g      6.67%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

20g      6.67%       Whey

For porridge:

15g          5%       Extra thick rolled oat

30g        10%       Hot water

For dough:

280g     93.3%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

165g        55%       Water

100g     33.3%       Whey

45g          15%       Leaven

9g              3%       Vital wheat gluten

5g         1.67%       Salt

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302.5g      100%       Whole grain

287.5g     95.8%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 20g for leaven. Soak the rest (I got 19g) in equal amount of whey taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 3 hours.

Pour the hot water over the oats and leave it aside, covered, for at least 2 hours.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven, and soaked bran, autolyse for 20 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and oat porridge. Ferment for 3 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 10 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F.

Score and spritz the dough then bake directly from the fridge at 250°C/482°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

The crumb is pretty open for 100% whole grain porridge bread though the dough was probably over-proofed. 

This bread has a nice balance between sweetness and sourness, with the unique aroma of red rice coming through. It is moist and soft thanks to the porridge.

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Stir fried glass noodles

Pea pesto pasta salad

I love sticky rice! No matter it is cooked whole in a savory dish or made into rice cake or mochi. Fried, steamed, baked or boiled, it is so versatile. After coming across bread recipes that suggested using up leftover rice cake from Chinese New Year by stuffing it into bread, I decided to create my own version of rice cake bread.  

Purple Rice Cake Sourdough with 20% Millet and 20% Sprouted Durum

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

180g      60%       Whole white wheat flour

60g        20%       Sprouted durum flour

60g        20%       Whole millet flour

For leaven:

9g           3%       Starter

18g         6%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

18g         6%       Whey

For dough:

282g        94%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

160g     53.3%       Water

100g     33.3%       Whey

45g          15%       Leaven

9g              3%       Vital wheat gluten

5g        1.67%       Salt

For purple rice cake:

25g         8.3%       Purple rice flour (glutinous black rice)

25g         8.3%       White glutinous flour

50g       16.7%       Water

5g         1.67%       Coconut cream powder

5g         1.67%       Sugar

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304.5g      100%       Whole grain

282.5g     92.8%       Total hydration

Make the rice cake. Combine all ingredients then steam for 15 minutes (I cut the time to 5 minutes since pressure cooker was used). Let cool completely and refrigerate until it firms up. Cut it into cubes. Sprinkle it heavily with flour to prevent sticking. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 18g for leaven. Soak the rest, if any, in equal amount of whey taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 2.5 hours.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven, and soaked bran, autolyse for 15 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and ferment for 15 minutes. Fold in the purple rice cake then ferment for 3.5 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 11 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F. Remove the dough from fridge 30 minutes before baking.

Score and spritz the dough. Bake at 250°C/482°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

The bread has a rather close crumb, which I think both durum and millet played a role in. Moreover, it is a bit cakely and not chewy enough for my taste…On the bright side, I like that the rice cake added some nice stickiness and chewiness. Also, the yellow-purple contrast is just stunning!

The millet and sprouted durum gave this bread plenty of sweetness and there is very little sourness. I think the subtly sweet and aromatic rice cake makes the bread perfect for when you want dessert for breakfast :)

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Time to try a red fife version of half sprouted red wheat bread.

100% Red Fife Sourdough with 50% Sprouted

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

150g      50%       Whole red fife flour

150g      50%       Sprouted red fife flour

For leaven:

10g        3.3%       Starter

40g      13.3%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

40g      13.3%       Whey

For dough:

260g     86.7%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

160g     53.3%       Water

100g     33.3%       Whey

90g          30%       Leaven

9g              3%       Vital wheat gluten

5g         1.67%       Salt

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305g      100%       Whole grain

305g      100%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 40g for leaven. Soak the rest, if any, in equal amount of whey taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 3.5 hours.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven, and soaked bran, autolyse for 15 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and ferment for 15 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough for a few times then ferment for 2 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 8 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F.

Score and spritz the dough then bake directly from the fridge at 250°C/482°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

As you can probably tell, I under-proofed the dough slightly. Fortunately, the bread still has great texture and a moderately open crumb.

Containing 50% sprouted flour, the bread tastes amazing. Nevertheless, its taste doesn’t differ from that of regular red wheat as much as I have hoped for. I guess sprouting the grains reduced the faint flavour contrast.

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Wow! I can't believe I made so many rice dishes within a week when rice is not even my preferred grain!

Thai pineapple minced pork fried rice

Omelette fried rice

Clear-the-fridge stir fry with minced lamb

Today’s dinner where Shanghai cuisine was the theme

 Before attempting “true” baguettes, I made these sophisticated looking yet in fact easy to make Epi de Blé baguettes.  Epi de Blé Baguettes with a Japanese Twist ( makes 6 baguettes)

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

210g      70%     Whole white wheat flour

90g        30%     Whole durum flour

For leaven:

6g          2%       Starter

12g        4%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

12g        4%       Water

For dough:

288g      96%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

288g      96%       Water

30g        10%       Leaven

5g       1.67%       Salt

Filling:

90g        30%       Shredded provolone

30g        10%       Fish roe paste

15g          5%       Wasabi paste

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303g      100%       Whole grain

303g      100%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 12g for leaven. Soak the rest (I got 27g) in equal amount of water taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 3 hours.

Mix the filling ingredients and keep refrigerated until needed.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven, and soaked bran, autolyse for 15 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and ferment for 15 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough a few times then ferment for 4.5 hours longer.

Retard the dough for 11 hours or proceed to the next step directly. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions then let it rest for 20 minutes. Stretch a piece of dough into a small rectangle gently. Place one sixth of the filling onto the central one third part, lengthwise, leavening no borders on the left or right. Shape the dough like regular baguettes. Let it proof for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F. Cut the proofed dough into Epi de Blé shape. The method I used was the same as that of David. 

Spritz the dough then bake at 250°C/482°F with steam for 5 minutes then without steam for 15 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

If you love salty food like I do, these baguettes are for you. The idea of fish roe spread filled baguettes was stolen from Japanese bakers. I fell in love with it instantly once I had a taste of it. To give it a kick, I mixed in some wasabi.

The cheese is gooey on the inside but crisped up when leaked out. Moreover, I get baguettes with lightly blistered crust and chewy centre. They’re for those who love bread with different textures.

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I adore yeasted doughnuts! However, I can’t get properly made once in where I live. They’re treats I have for one month every few years when I’m visiting my relatives in Canada. To tame the craving, I created my own healthier version.

Naked Non-fried YW Doughnuts

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

112g      80%       Whole white wheat flour

28g        20%       Whole eirkorn flour

For leaven:

10g       7.1%       Flour from dough flour

10g       7.1%       Yeast water

For dough:

130g     92.9%       Dough flour excluding flour for leaven

95g       67.9%       1% milk (I used a Hokkaido brand)

20g       14.3%       Leaven

20g       14.3%       1 large egg yolk

7g              5%       Brown sugar

2g          1.4%        Salt

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140g       100%        Whole grain

105.5g    75.4%       Total hydration (Assuming 1% milk and egg yolk are 90% and 50% water respectively)

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, 6-8 hours.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes. Slap and fold the dough until gluten is developed, around 10 minutes. Ferment at room temperature for 3.5 hours. Retard the dough for 8 hours.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Let it rest for 20 minutes. Shape the dough into a ring and proof at room temperature for 1.5 hours.

Preheat the oven at 204°C/400°F.

Bake at 204°C/400°F without steam for 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 190°F. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Honestly, my taste buds have changed as I grew up. Store-bought doughnuts become too sweet for me. I left my doughnuts plain because they don’t need anything else in my opinion. However, feel free to glaze them if you want to.

These doughnuts have a soft and moist crumb with a thin crust, all without the muss of deep frying!

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These are inspired by Caroline’s Banana YW bread.

Malty Banana SD+YW Rolls with 20% Sprouted Buckwheat

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

160g      80%       Whole spelt flour

40g        20%       Sprouted buckwheat flour, roasted

For leaven:

6g           3%       Starter

22g       11%       Bran sifted out from spelt flour (dough flour)

22g       11%       Yeast water

For banana-buckwheat mixture:

116g       58%       Banana puree (1 medium banana)

95g      47.5%       Hot water

40g         20%       Sprouted buckwheat flour, roasted (dough flour)

10g           5%       Diastatic malt powder

5g          2.5%       Assam tea leaves

For dough:

138g       69%       Spelt flour excluding bran for leaven

266g     133%       Banana-buckwheat mixture

6g             3%       Vital wheat gluten

3g          1.5%       Salt

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203g      100%        Whole grain

204g     100.5%      Total hydration (Assuming banana is 75% water. Diastatic malt and Assam tea leaves soak up a significant amount of water)

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 22g for leaven. Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 2 hours.

Mix together all banana-buckwheat mixture ingredients. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients and let rest for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough a few times then ferment for 1.5 hours longer. Retard the dough for 10 hours.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions then let it rest for 30 minutes. Shape the dough like ciabatta and let proof for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F.

Flip the dough and place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spritz the dough then bake at 250°C/482°F with steam for 10 minutes then without steam for 10 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

I thought I was biting into banana bread! The banana flavour is pretty pronounced so you must like banana to enjoy these rolls. Moreover, they have strong aroma of malt from the diastatic malt and Assam tea, which goes really well with the sweetness of banana and toastiness of buckwheat.

The crust is thin and crispy and the centre is surprisingly chewy. Thanks to the banana, these rolls have a close crumb. However, they’re also very moist so it’s not unpleasant to bite into at all.

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Airy but very chewy 71% hydration white sandwich bread (it's my first!) for mom

Who else serves khichdi with nann? (I do…) Carbs-loaded (mung beans, millet and wheat) but healthy :)

Pizza for Breakfast: Caramelized mushrooms, pickled red onions, pancetta and provolone 100% WW pizza with spicy&smoky roasted red peppers sun-dried tomatoes sauce

Although I’ve been to South Korea before, I haven’t learnt of Gyeran-ppang, a popular kind of Korean Street food, until I came across its picture a week ago. Being a soft sponge cake with a molten egg in the centre, what’s not to love?

Fancified YW Gyeran-ppang계란빵 (Korean Egg Bread)

Inspired by Maangchi from https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/gyeran-ppang

Total flour:

60g      100%      Freshly milled red whole wheat flour

For leaven:

20g      33.3%      Yeast water

20g      33.3%      Flour from total flour

For batter:

40g      66.7%       Flour from total flour

~60g     100%       1 large whole egg

40g      66.7%       Whey

40g      66.7%       Leaven

6g           10%       Diastatic barley malt

0.6g          1%       Salt

Toppings:

-g              -%       3 large whole eggs, cold from fridge

5g         8.3%       Freshly shredded Parmesan

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 5 hours.

Mix together the batter ingredients and ferment for 3 hours. Divide the batter among 3 oiled ramekins. Retard for 10 hours.

Preheat the oven at 200°C/392°F. Remove the ramekins from the fridge. Crack an egg into each ramekin then sprinkle the Parmesan on the edge. Bake for 15 minutes for molten yolks. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

I made my first yeast water starter with dried dates a week ago, which was then fed with raisins. To try it out, these cakes were leavened purely with yeast water.

Whey was used instead of water or milk to keep the bread light and moist, in the absence of butter and oil. The bread is spongy and springy with a slight chew so don’t expect a chiffon cake texture out of it.

Unlike the authentic version, the sponge cake at the bottom isn’t merely an edible container for the egg, which often gets all the attention. It is a real star on its own. Since there’s no butter to district you, the richness of the egg, and the sweetness and maltiness of red wheat and barley malt truly come through. The Parmesan added the savory factor that brought the bread to another level.

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Durum is another grain I’ve long wanted to work with other than kamut. Since the two grains share similar yellow colour, I was curious in knowing whether their taste resembles each others as well. As durum is most commonly used in pasta making, the components of this bread are some of my favorite pasta ingredients.   

50% Durum Italian Pasta SD with 25% Sprouted Durum

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

150g      50%       Whole white wheat flour

75g        25%       Sprouted durum flour

75g        25%       Whole durum flour

For leaven:

10g       3.3%       Starter

45g        15%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

45g        15%       Whey

For dough:

255g      85%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

177g      59%       Water

60g        20%       Whey

100g   33.3%       Leaven

6g            2%       Freshly grated Parmesen

9g            3%       Vital wheat gluten

3g         1.5%       Salt

Add-ins:

45g       15%       Caramelized brussel sprouts, cut into one eighths

15g         5%       Toasted pine nuts

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305g      100%        Whole grain

287g      94.1%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 45g for leaven. Soak the rest, if any, in equal amount of water taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 4 hours.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven, and soaked bran, autolyse for 15 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and ferment for 15 minutes. Fold in the add-ins then ferment for 2 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 12 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F.

Score and spritz the dough then bake directly from the fridge at 250°C/482°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

The dough was noticeably stiff but I held onto adding more water. This was because lower hydration is usually chosen for dough composed primarily of durum according to my observation. However, it happened to be a mistake, as evidenced by the closed crumb.

Not too surprisingly, durum has a flavour profile that reminds me of kamut. This bread is again, sweet and sourness is barely detectable. I was hesitant about putting brussel sprouts into bread but my worries were unnecessary: their sweetness and slight bitterness go really well with durum. Everything you can find on top of pizza would be nice in sourdough :)   

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A gift loaf: pistachio dark chocolate 100% whole spelt SD

Blending raisins into red enchiladas sauce after taking Dabrownman’s suggestion

Using half of the sauce for this plate of crisped-homemade-corn-tortillas-topped udon

Cold soba noodles with garlicly sautéed summer veggies

Focaccia is one of my favorite bread. It’s not hard for someone to understand why after learning about my love for salt.

Sun-dried Tomato Olive Spelt Focaccia with 25% Sprouted Red Wheat

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

130g      65%       Whole spelt flour

50g        25%       Sprouted red wheat flour

20g        10%       Pearl barley flour

For scalded barley dough:

20g        10%       Pearl barley flour

20g        10%       Hot water

For leaven:

8g             4%       Starter

21g      10.5%       Bran sifted out from dough flour except barley

21g      10.5%       Water

For dough:

159g     79.5%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven and barley flour

144g        72%       Cold water

50g          25%       Leaven

3g           1.5%       Vital wheat gluten

3g           1.5%       Salt

Add-ins:

20g          10%       Rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes

Toppings:

-g               -%       Olives, rosemaey, freshly ground black pepper, coarse sea salt and olive oil

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184g      90.2%       Whole grain

189g      92.6%       Total hydration

Mix together the hot water and barley flour. Set aside until needed.

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 21g for leaven. Soak the rest, if any, in equal amount of water taken from dough ingredients. 

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 3 hours.

Pour cold water into the spelt flour slowly until a rough dough is formed. Autolyse for 2 hours. Knead in the rest of the ingredients and the scalded barley dough and ferment for 30 minutes. Fold in the add-ins then ferment for 3 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Lightly oil a sheet of parchment paper that fits an 8 inches cast iron pan. Place the dough into the pan then stretch it gently into a circle. Proof it at room temperature for 1.25 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F. Poke holes into the proofed dough and place the olives into the indention. Drizzle olive oil then sprinkle rosemary over them. Top the dough with coarse salt and black pepper.

Spritz the dough then bake at 250°C/482°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 15 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

It developed a shiny and crispy crust in the oven. The coarse salt and black pepper added not only flavour but also texture and look.

Infused with the flavour of rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes, the bread is very aromatic. The kitchen smelled wonderful when it was baking. 

The crumb is moderately open and chewy. I like the balance of sweetness, sourness, saltiness and spiciness in this bread.

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After months of waiting, the grains I ordered overseas arrived! Immediately I put kamut, the grain I have wanted to try for ages, into use.

100% Whole Kamut Sourdough with 50% Sprouted

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

150g       50%       Whole kamut flour

150g       50%       Sprouted kamut flour

For leaven:

10g        3.3%       Starter

35g      11.7%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

35g      11.7%       Water

For dough:

265g     88.3%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

172g     57.3%       Cold water

60g          20%       Whey

80g       26.7%       Leaven

9g              3%       Vital wheat gluten

5g         1.67%       Salt

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305g       100%       Whole grain

272g      90.7%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 35g for leaven. Soak the rest (I got 9g), if any, in equal amount of water taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 3.5 hours. 

Pour cold water into the un-sprouted kamut flour slowly until a rough dough is formed. Autolyse for 2 hours. Knead in the rest of the ingredients ferment for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough before fermenting for 2.5 hours longer (mine was over-fermented at 2.75 hours).

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 10 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F. Remove the dough from the fridge to warm up at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Score and spritz the dough then bake at 250°C/482°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Since I returned home late, the dough was over-fermented and over-proofed. It spread in the oven and there was no oven spring. Also, the excessive proteolysis contributed to this cracked crust.

Though the crumb openness is not pleasing, the flavour is outstanding. This bread is for those who don’t like sourness in bread. It is pleasantly sweet with tanginess so subtle that I couldn’t really tell it is there. The other thing I like is its colour: the yellowish crumb lifted my mood instantly!

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Gumbo served with white basmati rice-purple rice mix

Turning cholar dal (skinned and splitted chickpeas coconut curry) into pasta sauce

Lemon curd swirl bread with 30% purple rice mochi dough

Cinnamon raspberry tang zhong bread with 50% sprouted red wheat

Charred corn is one of the foods that I look forward to the most as summer approaches. I am craving corn fritters and Thai sweet chili sauce goes perfectly with them, why not combine the two in this sourdough?

Thai Sweet & Spicy Tomato Corn Sourdough

Dough flour:

150g      50%       Freshly mille whole spelt flour

90g        30%       Freshly milled sprouted spelt flour

60g        20%       Masa Harina

For scalded masa dough:

60g       20%       Masa Harina from dough flour

90g       30%       Hot water

For leaven:

7g          2.3%       Starter

34g      11.3%       Bran sifted out from dough flour except Masa Harina

34g      11.3%       Water

For dough:

206g     68.7%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven and Masa Harina

100g     33.3%       Water

74g       24.7%       Whey

75g          25%       Leaven

9g              3%       Vital wheat gluten

5g           1.7%       Salt

Add-ins:

60g       20%       Charred corn

30g       10%       Rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes

15g        5%       Thai sweet chili sauce

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243.5g    80.2%       Whole grain

301.5g    99.3%       Total hydration (masa dough has a hydration of 150%)

Mix together the hot water and Masa Harina and hot water. Set aside until needed.

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 34g for leaven. Soak the rest, if any, in equal amount of whey taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 4 hours.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven, and soaked bran, autolyse for 15 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and the scalded masa dough and ferment for 30 minutes. Fold in the add-ins then ferment for 3.5 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 11 hours.

Preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F. Remove the dough from the fridge to warm up at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Score and spritz the dough then bake at 250°C/482°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

The crumb I got is pretty open this time. It is very moist with a slight chew at the same time. Also, the yellowish crumb is quite appealing admittedly…

It has pronounced corn flavour and sweetness from the masa harina, corn and sprouted spelt. The sourness of sun-dried tomatoes and hotness of sweet chili sauce balanced the flavour profile. 

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Pork floss is additive on its own but I am always on the challenge of eating it in creative ways other than just by the spoonful… That’s why I looked for inspiration from Taiwanese and baked these.

Taiwanese-Inspired Pretzel-Bagels

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

160g      80%       Whole white wheat flour

40g        20%       Whole Einkorn flour

For leaven:

10g        5%       Starter

20g      10%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

20g      10%       Water

For dough:

180g        90%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

107g     53.5%       Whey

60g          30%       Cooked purple rice (black glutinous rice) 20g uncooked

50g          25%       Leaven

4g              2%       Vital wheat gluten

2g              1%       Salt

For water bath:

60g       30%        Baked baking soda

-g             -%        Water

For fillings:

60g       30%       Pork floss

20g       10%       Finely chopped scallions

10g         5%       Mayo (I used 1/2 calories Kewpie mayo)

For toppings:

10g         5%       White sesame seeds

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205g      100%       Whole grain (excluding the purple rice)

132g     64.4%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 20g for leaven. Soak the rest, if any, in equal amount of whey taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 4 hours. Mix together the scallions and mayo.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients and let rest for 30 minutes. Ferment for 4 hours longer. Retard the dough for 10 hours.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Let the dough warm up at room temperature for an hour. Roll out each piece of dough into a rectangle and spread the scallion mayo mixture over the middle. Sprinkle on the pork floss. Roll and seal the dough, pressing firmly to prevent the fillings from leaking out. Pitch the two ends together. Let proof for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 250°C/482°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (around 1 L). Bring the water back to a simmer and dissolve the baked baking powder into it. Boil the dough for 30 seconds per side. Place on an oiled parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle the sesame over its surface.

Spritz the bagels heavily with water and bake the bagels for 15 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

The dough was very stiff but I resisted the urge to pour in more water successfully. It paid off as the bagel-pretzels are very chewy and easy to shape. Baked baking soda did a decent job in producing the pretzel flavour yet nothing beats lye still…

I love the combination of these bagels. The einkorn gave some sweetness and the purple rice added an interesting texture. Scallions and pork floss are meant to be together! Don’t skip the mayo since it’s not only for flavour but moisture as well.

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Wednesday’s dinner

The photo doesn’t do this plate of Korean cold glass noodles justice!

I was craving banana bread immediately after reading Dabrownman’s banana bread post so I came up with my own version. 

Parmesan Crusted Banana Bread Roll with Honey Goat Cheese Filling

For the bread:

30g       54.5%      Barley flour

25g       45.5%      Buckwheat flour

200g   363.6%      Mashed ananas

60g       109%       Egg

1/2 tsp       -%       Baking powder

1/2 tsp       -%       Vanilla

1/4 tsp       -%       Cinnamon

1/8 tsp       -%       Nutmeg

1/8 tsp       -%       Salt

20g       36.4%      Freshly grated parmesan

For the filling:

100g   181.8%      Soft goat cheese

50g       90.9%      Greek yogurt (I strained fat free homemade yogurt)

20g       36.4%      Honey

2g           3.6%      Powdered blue pea flower

5g           9.1%      Hot water

Preheat the oven at 180°C/356°F. Combine all bread ingredients except for the Parmesan. Pour into a parchment lined 20cm×20cm square pan. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the batter surface. Bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean.

Roll the bread into a log when it is still hot, with the Parmesan crusted side facing out. Let the bread cool completely, around 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the hot water with the blue pea flower powder, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Keep refrigerated until needed.

When the bread is cooled, spread the filling onto it and slice into thick slices to serve.

I swear the Parmesan crust is not a crazy thought. Its saltiness elevated the bread and contributed to depth of flavours. It was a bit tricky to roll up the bread but don’t stress over it. It would taste moist and delicious regardless of how it looks.

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After seeing Ian baking loafs after loafs of sourdough with beer, I decided it was time for me to try it out for myself.

Onion, Potato, Cheese and Beer: Sourdough that Screams Ian

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

90g       30%       Whole red wheat flour

90g       30%       Whole white wheat flour

60g       20%       Whole rye flour

60g       20%       Pearl barley flour

For scalded barley dough:

60g       20%       Pearl barley flour from dough flour

60g       20%       Hot water

For leaven:

8g        2.7%       Starter

36g       12%       Bran sifted out from dough flour except barley flour

36g       12%       Beer

For blue cheese mashed potatoes:

60g       20%       Hot mashed ppotatoes

30g       10%       Blue cheese (I used blue stilton)

For dough:

204g        68%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven and barley flour

194g     64.7%       Beer

80g       26.7%       Leaven

9g              3%       Vital wheat gluten

5g           1.7%       Salt

3g             1%        Dark barley malt powder

Add-ins:

5g         1.7%       Dehydrated onions

90g       30%        Blue cheese mashed potatoes

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244g      80.3%       Whole grain

294g      96.7%       Total hydration (excluding mashed potatoes)

Mix together the hot water and barley flour and hot water. Set aside until needed.

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 36g for leaven. Soak the rest, if any, in equal amount of water taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 5 hours.

Melt the cheese into the hot potatoes. Rehydrate the onions by covering it with a little water. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven, and soaked bran, autolyse for 30 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and the scalded barley dough and ferment for 15 minutes. Fold in the add-ins then ferment for 3 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 11 hours.

Preheat the oven at 230°C/446°F. Remove the dough from the fridge to warm up at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Score the dough and bake at 230°C/446°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

I’m not sure why the dough tended to spread instead of rise. It didn’t feel over-hydrated or over-proofed. It might be caused by the mashed potatoes, beer, barley flour or all of them. Any ideas?

Fortunately, this bread tastes really nice. The beer added some pleasant aroma to it, which goes very well with the blue cheese, rye and barley. The crumb is soft and moist thanks to the scalded flour and mashed potatoes. Thanks Ian for the inspiration!

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Pressure cooked pacific saury rice with green beans

I was on a walnut kick recently. This gave rise to these three walnut bread formulas. Turns out the simplest and most low-maintenance formula of the three, the sourdough with sprouted flour and mixed grains, is still my favourite.

Walnut Sourdough with 20% Rye and 30% Sprouted Red Wheat

Dough flour:

150g     50%       Freshly milled whole red wheat flour

90g       30%       Freshly milled spouted red wheat flour

60g       20%       Whole rye flour

For leaven:

15g        5%       Starter

15g        5%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

15g        5%       Water

For dough:

285g      95%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

282g      94%       Water

45g        15%       Leaven

9g            3%       Vital wheat gluten

7g         2.3%       Alt Altus

5g         1.7%       Salt

3g            1%       Dark barley malt powder

Add-ins:

30g        10%       Toasted walnuts

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307.5g     100%       Whole grain

304.5g    99.0%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 15g for leaven. Soak the rest (I got 32g) in equal amount of water taken from dough ingredients. 

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 3 hours. 

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven and soaked bran, autolyse for 15 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and ferment for 30 minutes. Fold in the add-ins then ferment for 4 hours longer.

Preshape the dough then let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough and put in into a banneton. Retard for 9 hours.

Preheat the oven at 230°C/446°F.

Score the dough and bake at 230°C/446°F with steam for 15 minutes then without steam for 25 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 208°F. Let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

The crumb is moderately open. It is moist and pleasantly chewy. This bread is anything but lacking in flavour. The sprouted flour contributed some sweetness, while the rye, alt altus and dark malt added sourness and slight bitterness. I love the toastiness and crunchiness the walnuts gave.

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Miso Glazed Walnuts Nori Twists

Dough flour:

200g     100%       Freshly milled whole white wheat flour

For leaven:

25g     12.5%       Starter

25g     12.5%       Bran sifted out from dough flour

25g     12.5%       Water

For dough:

175g    87.5%       Dough flour excluding bran for leaven

110g       55%       Water

40g         20%       Fat free yogurt (I used homemade)

75g      37.5%       Leaven

1.5g     0.75%       Salt

For filling:

50g       25%       Toasted walnuts

10g         5%       Honey

10g         5%       Red miso paste

5g        2.5%       Nori (in thin strips)

For topping:

5g        2.5%       White sesame seeds

For glaze:

5g        2.5%       Maple syrup

5g        2.5%       Water

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212.5g      100%       Whole grain

187.5g     88.2%       Total hydration

Sift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 25g for leaven. Soak the rest in equal amount of water taken from dough ingredients.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, around 4 hours.

Mix the walnuts (preferably freshly toasted and still hot) with the honey and miso paste. Set aside until needed.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients except for the salt, leaven and soaked bran, autolyse for 15 minutes. Knead in the reserved ingredients and ferment for 3 hours.

Gently stretch and roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread the filling onto the right half of the dough then sprinkle over the seaweed. Fold the left side of the dough over the over half. Divide crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Twist each piece of dough and place onto parchment a lined baking sheet. Spray some water onto the dough and sprinkle the sesame seeds onto it.

Let proof for an hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180°C/356°F. Combine the glaze ingredients.

Bake at 180°C/356°F for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 195°F. Brush the glaze over the bread surface. Return to the oven and broil at 250°C/482°F for 2 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.  

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Corn Custard Buns with Spiced Walnuts

Dough flour (all freshly milled):

210g     70%       Whole white wheat flour

90g       30%       Pearl barley flour

For tang zhong:

30g        10%       Pearl barley flour

150g      50%       Water

For dough:

270g       90%       Dough flour excluding flour for tang zhong

<180g   <60%       Tang zhong

110g     36.7%       Water

60g         20%       Hot water

9g             3%       Vital wheat gluten

2g        0.67%       Salt

1/8 tsp  0.15%      Instant yeast

For filling:

50g      16.7%      Toasted walnuts, coarsely ground

20g        6.7%       Brown sugar

-g               -%      Cardamom powder (seeds from 1 cardamom pods)

1/2 tsp        -%      Cinnamon powder

For corn custard:

190g      63.3%     Skim milk

60g           20%     Whole egg (1 large)

20g          6.7%     Brown sugar

20g          6.7%     Masa harina

1/4 tsp         -%     Vanilla extract

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210g          70%       Whole grain

320g     106.7%       Total hydration (including tang zhong)

Make the tang zhong by cooking the flour and water over medium heat. Stir continuously until it forms a thickened paste. Let cool completely.

Stir together the barley flour (60g) and the hot water. Combine all filling ingredients. Set aside until needed.

Make the corn custard. Dissolve the sugar in 100g milk by warming it over medium heat. Mix the remaining milk with the masa harina. Beat the egg. Pour the hot milk mixture over the egg while whisking continuously. Stir in the masa harina paste and the vanilla extract. Bring back to medium heat and stir constantly until thickened. Let cool completely and refrigerate until needed.

Combine the white wheat flour, water, scaled barley dough, tang zhong and vital wheat gluten then autolyse for 30 minutes. Knead in the salt and yeast. Fold the dough until gluten is developed. Let ferment at room temperature for 4 hours.

Stretch and roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread 1/3 of the custard over the dough, leaving the upper and lower border empty. Sprinkle the filling over the dough and roll into a log. Divide crosswise into 9 equal pieces then place into the prepared pan. Let proof for 1 hours 10 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180°C/356°F.

At the end of proofing time, spread the rest of the custard onto the rolls. Bake them for 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 195°F. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

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Pan-seared crispy skinned salmon

Anyone like a simple stir fry like I do? 1/2 tsp of oil is all you need!

Bagara Baingan (aubergines curry in sesame, peanut and coconut gravy) Please share the tip if you know any way to preserve the purple colour of aubergine skin that doesn't involve deep frying!