Vanilla Plain Roll

This is my second time make this branch of 微波面包 and I simply love it. This is a easy, simple and delicious recipe. It does not required a lot of ingredient and step are easy but the only thing that I trying figure out is how to fold and shape a nice small cute roll.

The first time when I made this, I got a long shape like a hot-dog bun. So I went google and search from other blogger who share how they shape the roll. I really thanks those blogger who make an extra mile to snap down the step by step method. I don't think I can do that.. Heehehe mainly because I lazy.

Finally I manage to shape a decent plain roll. At least much much better and improve compare to previous attempt. I hope to get a more beautiful and cute roll like other blogger did, yes it require practice to achieve that. 

This time round I added 2 tsp of vanilla extract into the same recipe, the actual ingredient is vanilla pod but I change it to extract. I really love ♥ love ♥ this recipe, it always never fail to cheer me up because I got a branch of soft, fluffy and fragrant bread roll. 

*Recipe source: http://siewhwei80.blogspot.sg/2012/11/vanilla-bean.html

The Plain

Went on a off peak weekday with my bff and enjoy our branch. I borrow my dad car and we drove to there, looking for a parking lot is not a problem over there because opposite the cafe has a multi-car park.

Latte S$3.90

Espresso S$3.00 + Ice Cream S$1.50

The cafe doesn't have a individual menu for the customer, the big menu board is pinned on the wall. I order a cup of Latte taste pretty good. My friend order a cup of espresso and scoop of ice cream to mix it together, the combination taste like ice blended coffee. 

The time we arrived the cafe are quite quiet but when it hit the lunch time the cafe slowly getting crowded. I notice majority of the diner are Caucasian perhaps due to the area environment?

Turkey Ciabattas S$6.00

Smoked chicken whole wheat cut sandwiches S$9.00

We order 2 sandwiches and share. I order the turkey sandwiches, I find the ciabatta is over toasted and is kind of hard to chew. My friend order the smoked chicken which is a better choice. At least the bread is not over toasted and the portion is much bigger than mine. Overall, I would said perhaps Subway make a better sandwiches.

Apple Pie

I thought making a pie is quite a difficult and challenging task so it has always not in my baking list. But when I go through of my baking list, I realised that I have been baking the similar thing like cake, cookies, bread and muffin most of the time. So should I try something more challenging, isn't? (I thought to myself)

So I decided to give a try to start with the pastry dough (Tart). I search through my book and found one that teach the step by step of making basic pastry dough recipe. The important part of making the dough is to make sure that all the ingredient is cold especially the butter must be really cold (not in room temperature). I measure it out all the ingredients and place in the fridge to chilled for a few hour before I start making the dough.

In the book step guide, the chef use both hand to knead the dough but I'm using the food processor to do the job as I afraid using the hand might increase the heat. And also I do not have confident using hand to knead the dough as this is my first attempt, in order to reduce the risk of failure is better for me to work on with the machine.

Using the food processor only took a few minute to finish the job and actually making a pastry dough is not that difficult though. I chilled the dough in the fridge overnight. If you really have no time to make the dough, there are ready chilled dough you can find in the supermarket.

Next for the filling, I choose green apple (granny smith apple). I cut the apple into small bite size and cook under the stove with the brown sugar and cinnamon, switch off the heat when the apple turn slightly soft. Add in more sugar if the apple is too sour to taste.

For that quantity of dough, I make into 2 mini pie.  There are 2 types of pastry dough, sweet crust and non sweet crust. I choose the non-sweet crust and it turn out pretty good and crisp. As for the filling (apple) is a little bit sour, I did not increase the sugar because I afraid that it will be too sweet. If you prefer the kind of more sourish and less sugary person, go ahead with this.

Something to note that, to prevent the bottom base crust turn soggy after the bake due to the liquid from the filling when you pour into the pie dough. You can spread a layer of crushed digestive biscuit to allow the biscuit to absorb the liquid. I found this helpful key ingredient in a video tutorials at youtube.

*Makes 2 mini pie.

Ingredients:

Pastry dough (non-sweet crust)

• 100gm cake flour
• 50gm unsalted butter (very cold and dice it)
• 20gm eggs (beaten)
• Pinch of salt
• 15gm cold water
• 3 pieces of digestive biscuit (crush it) 
• Some egg wash

Filling (Apple)

• 3 granny smith apple (cut into small cube size)
• 1/4 cups brown sugar 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp of unsalted butter (cut into small cube size)

Method:

Making the filling (Apple)

1. Place the apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice into a pot and cook under the stove. 
2. Cook until the apple turn soft. (Add more sugar if the apple is still too sour to taste)
3. Side aside to cool.

Making Pastry dough (non-sweet crust)

1. Place the sift flour and cold butter in a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal and no large pieces of butter remain visible.
2. Pour the ice water, egg and salt to the dry ingredients and pulse a few times. The dough will be crumbly, but should begin to hold together when a small amount is picked up and pressed together. Do not over process or the pastry will be tough, not tender and flaky.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (It will be good to work on a marble pastry board because it can stay chill longer)
4. Press the dough together into a ball and gather the dough into two evenly-sized mounds. Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator, to chill for 1 hour or overnight. 
5. Roll the dough out large enough to cover the pie tin. Fill the crush biscuit on top of the dough evenly and follow by the apple filling and dot the 1/2 tbsp butter randomly on the filling for each pie. Roll out the remaining dough to cover the pie. Cut a few slashes on the top to let steam escape while baking. Brush top with the egg wash. 
6. Preheat the oven and bake at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. 

Cinnamon Roll

I'm a bread lover, I can eat bread everyday without feeling sick of it. Haha.. I not use to like baking bread due to the kneading part because is a wiped out task but after I started using the electric hand mixer to do the job, and so I start to experience more on making bread. Using mixer take about 15 to 20 minute to finish the kneading part. Having a bread machine will be a bonus.

This cinnamon roll has been pending in my to do bake list for quite a long time until recently I decided to give a try. This time I using the Tang Zhong (water-roux) method making the dough. This is my first time using tang zhong method and I see many blogger praised tang zhong method give a fluffy and soft texture. However..

The result I received did not have the kind of fluffy and soft texture that I wanted. None-the-less the batch of bread taste yummy, especially the combination of cinnamon and brown sugar give a punch. Traditional cinnamon roll should topped with a layer of icing or glaze but I did not, without the glaze is sweet enough too.

*Recipe Source: http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.sg/2010/07/whats-your-reason.html

Ingredients:

Tang Zhong (water-roux)

• 25g bread flour
• 125ml water

Bread Dough:

• 210g bread flour
• 56g cake flour
• 20g milk powder
• 42g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6g instant yeast

Filling:

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 30g brown sugar
• 25g unsalted butter (melted)

Prepared:

• 30g egg, lightly beaten (about half an egg, reserve the leftover for egg wash)
• 85g water
• 84g tang Zhong (water-roux)
• 22g unsalted butter

Method:

Making Tang Zhong (yields about 90g tang zhong):

1. Place 25g bread flour in a saucepan. Add 125ml water, mix till smooth, making sure there are no lumps of flour.
2. Cook over medium to low heat, stirring constantly with a hand whisk to prevent it from burning. Within 1 to 2 mins, the mixture will start to thicken, stop when you see traces in the mixture for every stir you make with the hand whisk.
3. The 65degC tang zhong is ready. Immediately transfer the hot tang zhong into a bowl and cover it with a cling wrap, making sure the cling wrap sticks onto the surface of the mixture. This is to prevent a film from forming on the surface.
4. Leave to cool completely before using it.

Making the Dough:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre and add in the egg, water and tang zhong. Mix to form a rough dough.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough till smooth or using a electric hand mixer to do the job.
4. Knead in the butter. Continue to knead the dough until becomes smooth and elastic. Do the window pane test, pinch a piece of the dough, pull and stretch it. It should be elastic, and can be pulled away into a thin membrane without tearing/breaking apart easily.
5. Place dough in a lightly greased (use vegetable oil or butter) mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof in room temperature (around 28 to 30 degC) for about one hour, or until double in bulk.
6. Mix cinnamon powder and sugar together. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of the mixture.
7. Remove the dough from the bowl and give a few light kneading to press out the gas in the dough.
8. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 30cm by 25cm, 1/2 inch thick. Brush surface with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the dough surface. Roll over the surface with a rolling pin, this is to make sure the fillings will stick onto the dough.
9. From the longer end (30cm), roll up the dough to form a long log (30cm in length). Pinch the edges to seal. Place the log seam side down, trim off the two ends.
10. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 9 equal pieces, about 3cm each. (To get even rolls, use a dental floss to slice the log. Position a long string of dental floss under the log, hold the two free ends, criss-cross over the top of the log, pull the two end to cut the roll.
11. Arrange the rolls cut-side up in a greased (or lined with parchment paper) square pan or any suitable baking tray. Leave some space in between the rolls to allow them to expand.
12. Cover with damp cloth or cling wrap and leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 45mins, or until double in size.
13. Brush top with egg wash (mix leftover egg with 1 tbs water) and sprinkle the reserved cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180°C for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Remove from oven and once cool store immediately in an airtight container.