Stuff braided bread

Yesterday, I decided to try another type of braided bread. There are a lot of type of braided bread and it's all depend on how do we braided it. This particular braided bread has caught my attention for months but I just need to find the right moment and mood to do it.

Earlier on, we went to the supermarket and I bought some ingredients for the filling. The filling is all depend on individual preference. You can stuffed it with meat..just vegetable..berries with cream cheese or anything that you want. Since it's for dinner, I decided to fill it with pepperoni, pork slices, pasta sauce and of course cheese!

Here are the ingredients for the dough. It is the same with any bread dough that I done previously and this one, I add tangzhong.

- 21/2 cup of flour
- 2 tsp of dry yeast or 20 gm of fresh yeast
- 1/2 cup of tangzhong ( 1/3 cup of flour + 1 cup of water. Whisk flour + water over medium heat until the mixture thickens and swirl lines appear)
- 3 tbsp of butter
- 3 tbsp of sugar
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of warm milk ( 30second in the microwave)

1. Mix the yeast with milk, sugar, egg & tangzhong in a measuring cup & stirred will until all ingredients are well mix.

2. Combine the flour and salt.

3. Add the wet mixture into the flour mixture by creating a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Knead the dough and adding some flour until the dough is no longer stick on your hand. Add the butter (soften) and knead the dough again. Using a floured working board, knead the dough for a few minutes until it is elastic.

4. Let it stand for few hours or until it double the size. Then start rolling the dough into a rectangular shape. Using a knife or in my case, I just use pizza cutter to cut 'strips' on the left and right of the rectangle. Leave the middle third uncut.

5. Spread the filling in the middle. Then continue to 'braid' the dough strips all the way down to the bottom. Wrap the last few strips underneath the loaf.

6. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle some cheese ( or anything you fancy). Baked for 20-25 minutes in a 185C temp oven.

And dinner is serve! It's better to eat it while it is still hot and fresh out from the oven. Enjoy your meal.

Simple chocolate brownies

Here I go again…heheh…a week without baking anything. And today, I find the time to bake since the little one refuse to take some power nap in the morning. Switch on his favourite Upin & Ipin movie and he will stay still from the start to the end of the movie.

Anyway, here is my simple recipe for the brownies;

Ingredients:

10 tbsp of butter or approx. 150gm of butter
11/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder ( I normally used Dutch- process)
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup of flour
2/3 cup of walnut or pecan (I used hazelnut)

1. Mix the butter, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Prepare a pot of water and heat it up. Place the mixing bowl on top of the pot of simmering water. Stir the mixture until the butter melting. If the butter melt too slow, you can increase the heat. 

2. Once the butter mixture is ready ( I mean dah melted and runny) add in the vanilla extract and egg ( one by one while you beat vigorously each time you add the egg). Add the flour and finally the nuts.

3. For the nuts, I roasted it before pounding it using lesung batu…yess..I have one here. Hehheh..

4. Pour the final batter into a brownies tray and bake for about 20-25 minutes in a 190C temp. Let it cool for about 10 minute then cut it evenly into squares. Sprinkle some icing sugar on top and there you go…the brownies is ready to be serve!

Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

I have made this so many time but I always forgot to update the recipe here. Hehheh..so today I told myself..I got to post this recipe or it never will..while the little man fast asleep.:)

Tried many recipe, this is one of my favourite and also hubby favourite. And today, I made it again as per requested. I cut the recipe to half though because there will only be the two of us so 5-6 pieces will be enough. This recipe will yield around 8-10 cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients: 

The dough

1 cup of milk
14gm of dried yeast or 42 gm of fresh yeast (7gm of dried yeast = 21 gm of fresh yeast)
1/2 cups + 1 pinch of granulated sugar
2 sticks (1 stick = 113gm) of butter, softened
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
41/4 cups of flour

The filling

1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Sprinkle of chocolate chip

1. Warm up the milk in a microwave for about 30second. Add the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stirred until it dissolved and leave for about 5 minutes or until it foamy. 
2. Beat 1 stick of butter with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and salt. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then add 2 cup of flour and beat at a slow speed. Beat in the warm milk mixture.
3. Gradually add the remaining flour (21/4 cups) and beat at medium speed until a soft. sticky dough forms. Scrape the dough into a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. I normally will knead the flour a little bit on a floured kitchen top for about 3-5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add dashes of flour until you get the right texture.
4. Leave the dough at least for an hour. The longer the better. Nahh...skrg dah gebuu the dough..heheh

5. After the dough double it size, floured the kitchen top before start rolling it. Roll the dough around the rolling pin into a rectangular shape. I don't measure the exact size ya. Just agak2 la. For me..since I dah buat banyak kali so I guess it goes with the experience.

6. Spread the butter all over the rolled dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar, add the ground cinnamon & chocolate chip. Some prefer to mix the butter and brown sugar first before do the spreading. So lebih kurang cam gmbr kat atas tu la..lps you add the filling. 
7. You can trim the edges to form a perfect rectangle but I won't bother to do it. :) Working from the long side, tightly roll up the dough. Place the dough in a freezer for about 20 minute.
8. Butter the pan. Cut the rolls (about 1 inch thick). Arrange the rolls, cut side up. How you want to arrange it in the pan, is up to you. :) Then cover the rolls with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel and leave for an hour. It will get a bit puffy.
9. Place it in the preheat oven for about 35 minutes in a 180C temperature. Let it stand for 5minutes to cool off then drizzle the icing sugar (for the glaze I just use icing sugar and add with warm water. I have no measurement, just get the right concentration). 

There you goes...enjoy your cinnamon rolls!

Banana Nutella Cake

Saw a friend of mine 'likes' this recipe one day and thought..hmm..that will be a great cake to have my afternoon tea with or a snack while watching movie. Since hubby also like banana cake ..I decided to give it a try. But I mix and match with other recipe in order to make it better. This recipe is extra moist...more banana taste...less sweet..here goes;

Ingredients:
 4 ripe bananas, mashed
6 tbsp of butter, melted
2 eggs
6 oz of creme fraiche
2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup of nutella

1. Mashed all the banana in one bowl. Add in the melted butter and stirred to combine. Mix the eggs, creme fraiche and vanilla extract.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet.
3. Pour half of the batter into a bread pan. Melt the Nutella in a microwave for 20 second. Drizzle half the nutella over the batter, gently swirling the batter with a knife. Pour the second half of the batter on top and repeat with the remaining Nutella.
4. Bake for 60 minutes or until the knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allowed to cool for 15 minutes.

There you goes! Simple right...anyone can do it. And it taste damn nice! Hope you guys give it a try and enjoy the cake as much as I do.

Ps. Sorry uols..this is the only picture I manage to take and post here. :)

Chocolate Strawberry Swiss Roll

I have wanting to do this for a very long time. My strawberry plant give me lots of fruits this year so why not do some swiss roll. Normally I just did a plain swiss roll but this time I decided to cover it with chocolate spread.

For those who want to try, here's it is;

Ingredients:

(The swiss roll)
5 large eggs, separated
1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp of butter, melted

2 tbsp icing sugar (for dusting)

The filling:
3/4 cup of heavy cream
2 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup of strawberry jam ( ready made or fresh)

The chocolate spread:
500gm of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of sugar
4 tbsp of butter, room temperature

Sorry that this time there will be no step by step picture because with one kid running around and in between ure feet, I have my hand full! Need to make sure he don't destroy my kitchen...or worst...hurt himself. So, one final picture will do ok. :)

1. To make the swiss roll, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar and add vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy. Scrape the mixture into the bowl and fold in the flour.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs white with salt at medium speed. Gradually at the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until glossy. Then fold the whites into the yolks mixture and add the melted butter.
3. Spread the batter in a pan and bake for 20 minutes in a 178C temperature. Let it cool in the pan on a rack.
4. Run the blade of a knife around the edge of the cake pan. Dust the cake with icing sugar and cover with sheet of plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Then place a cutting board on top before you terbalikkan the cake. That is how you take it out from the pan in order to avoid the cake koyak. Hehheh..Then slowly remove the paper.
5. In a fresh clean bowl, whip the cream, sugar, vanilla and salt to stiff peaks. First, spread the strawberry jam on the cake. Lepas tu top it with the whipped cream. Begin rolling up the cake from the long side as tightly as possible, using the kitchen towel and plastic wrap to help shape the roll. Wrap the roll tightly in the plastic and refrigerate for at least hours or overnight.
6. Now nak buat the chocolate sauce. Place the cream, milk and sugar dlm saucepan and stir under medium heat until the sugar dissolved. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate until it melted. Whisk until smooth then whisk in the butter.
7. Take the cake out from the refrigerator, place it on a rack and pour the chocolate all over the top and spread it evenly with a spatula.

And you have your chocolate strawberry swiss roll!

Crescent Rolls

It has been so long!!! I have been extremely busy that I do not have time to bake. Heck..I don't even have time to buy myself a new dress after few months of delivery, what more to bake! Anyway, now that I am on holiday...a long holiday ..I am back in the kitchen and can't wait to bake again and try my hands on different type of cake/bun/cookie/pastry.

The temperature is slowly dropping and Mr.Sun is hardly being seen nowadays. When the weather is cold..windy and raining, it is great to have some hot soup with freshly bake rolls. Tried my hand on this easy and simple to made crescent roll. Taste nice..soft..and really goes well with the soup. So here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
31/2 cups all purpose flour
25 gm fresh yeast ( approximately. 2tsp instant yeast)
1/3 cup of warm water
3/4 cup of warm milk
11/2 tbsp sugar (can reduce or omit this if you're not a fan of Sweet roll)
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp soften butter

1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
2. Dissolve the yeast in a warm water and add the mixture into the flour mixture
3. Then, add the egg and milk into the mixture and mix well.
4. Finally, add the butter and knead the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth and soft.
5. Cover the dough with clean towel and leave it for few hours until it double the size.
6. Divide the dough into small ball equally. You can measure the ball if you really want the size to be the same but I couldn't care less. Janji look same2. Hehhehe
7. Roll the dough on a floured surface counter top and shape it to a circle. Ni cara aku buat. Roll bulat like your making pizza. Then roughly cut it into triangles using pizza cutter.
8. Start rolling each triangle into crescent then place it on a baking sheet with the tip tucked down and under the roll. So x terbuka nanti bila baking.
9. Brush the roll with melted butter and bake for 14-18 minutes in a 200C temperature.

Tada...siap sudah. Slamat mencuba!