Bread & Butter Pudding

What does one do with bread ends and stale overnight bread? Do they normally end up in the bin?Why not turn them into a delicious and healthy breakfast that's easy to make and kids would love : Bread and Butter Pudding. Sounds like a dessert, but in fact, it is just egg, bread and sultanas.... not much difference with a piece of French Toast.

Bread & Butter Pudding ~ my favourite

Ingredients:

Bread / bread ends.........2 pcs *
Egg.................................................... 1.5 pcs
Fresh cream / milk........ 100 ml
Water............................................ 80 ml
Caster sugar............................. 20 g
Vanilla essence.................a few drops
Sultanas..............................................5 g

* Adjusting the rest of the ingredients in proportion depending on how much leftovers you have and the number of serves; this recipe serves 2

Steps:
(1) Cut the toast bread into small bite-size pieces and place them on a baking dish
(2) Mix the egg and caster sugar until dissolved; add vanilla essence for flavouring
(3) Add cream/milk into the egg mixture and pour in the water and mix well
(4) Pour (3) into the baking dish and allow the bread to soak up the egg mixture, then add sultanas to your liking
(5) Preheat oven to 180 degrees and bake for 20 minutes

吐司篇：戰勝頂角

終於成功了！真的是今個星期最開心的一件事！

正正方方

調整後的成功配方如下 (吐司模450g)：

高筋麵粉...........  320 g
無鹽牛油...........   20 g
糖..............................   15 g
鹽..............................    2 g
水............................  220 ml
酵母粉..................    3.5 g

開蓋後....嘩了一聲！

一磅方包

這個發酵滿溢的麵糰可能就是原因

第一次當導師

其實我真的很有potential 當老師，因為我真的很「囉嗦」！哈哈........同學們，下次要考試，否則要交學費！

吐司雪糕盒

今晚請了幾個相識 30載的友好回家「整包」。下午來上課至晚上: 腸仔包，Pizza dough 及自己非常滿意的吐司雪糕盒。我本見發酵程度好像不太理想而頂角會失敗，但那麵糰後勁凌厲，其中一個差不多可以頂角!! 另一個就差一點，或許因為我分份不夠均勻。真的和在餐廳 serve的都差不多吧！我自己就給自己10分…I am a happy woman today!! HaHa~女人其實好容易滿足.........

Le Creuset flower plate
~ Perfect match

Ingredients: 

高筋麵粉...........  300 g

無鹽牛油...........   20 g

糖............................   20 g

奶粉......................   10 g

鹽........................     2 g

水.........................  210 ml

酵母粉.................   3 g

Garlic Bread with Herb Butter

Trying out new flavours this weekend :

 Garlic Bread with Herb Butter

Delicious complement to a cup of tea

Ingredients:
- 250g bread dough (fully fermented for 60 minutes)
- 20g Herb and garlic butter

Steps:
(1) Prepare bread dough based on bread machine receipe. ( I would normally ferment an extra 30 minutes after the peep, so that the dough rises at least twice its original size)
(2) Seperate the fully fermented dough into 3 equal portion.
(3) Let them relax for 10 mins spraying some water over the dough and cover with glad wrap.
(4) Flatten the dough to a rectangular shape, then fold inwards to form 3 layers.
(5) Tuck in the two ends and make sure the dough is in an oval shape.
(6) Ferment for the second time for another 40 - 45 minutes until the bread rolls expand for at least 1.5 times from first fermentation.
(7) Slit the dough 4 times at the top of the roll without cutting down to the bottom.
(8) Add in slightly melted herb and garlic butter and spread over the gaps.
(9) Preheat oven 200 degrees and bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly brown.

Make good use of your tools

Given I have helpers at home, washing up after measuring all ingredients for bread making has never been an issue for me. Therefore, the digital scale I bought a few years back had only been a tool to prepare the exact measurements of the ingredients and placing each one of them on a separate container before pouring all in the bread pan.

Before

After

Returning from a late night dinner, suddenly realizing I haven't asked the helpers to get everything ready, kind of deterred me from even turning on the machine..... but I recall an "add 'n weigh" function of the scale which automatically resets measurement to zero to take out the weight of the container or dish....and decided to give it a go. I placed the bread pan on the scale and reset to zero, then repeat this every time I add an extra ingredient to the bread pan and in minutes, without having piled up dishes, all is set to go!! Easy, hassle-free, no helpers needed!

吐司篇: 再戰頂角

擁有打不死精神的我，總覺得每件事都要做得比較完美。所以昨晚為了做到吐司頂角，又用上整個晚上的時間去鑽研。(其實老公或許已經按奈不住我的執著⋯⋯我每晚一邊「改卷」，一邊等包出爐。又要定時定候幫我買麵粉，一托就托 4 kg 高筋麵粉回來，每晚深夜睡覺前要做我的白老鼠，吃些肥人的澱粉質，都辛苦他了。) 今次因回家時間久了，首次發酵發了2 小時，及鬆弛後，麵圈都脹大了不少。第二次發酵45 分鐘麵圈已經發至8 成滿，心想烤焗後應該會頂角。雖然沒有預期的頂角，但出爐後手感良好，非常軟熟。麵包香味濃厚 (或許是用了日清粉)，外在因素推測這吐司應該成功。隔了一晚後，今早切開確實如我所想，軟綿綿的，口感極佳，終於尋回一點自信！

高筋麵粉...........  300 g
無鹽牛油...........   20 g
糖............................   20 g
奶粉......................   10 g
鹽........................     2 g
水.........................  210 ml
酵母粉.................   3 g

總結今次經驗：發酵要長點時間；等完全放涼後才切片；搓平是需要拍打排氣，否則會有氣孔。

揭蓋後無頂4 角，頂角失敗......有點沮喪!!

吐司結構完整

很方啊!!!

真的像街買的但更健康

吐司篇：頂角吐司

這幾晚想探索基本麵包原理，所以還原基本步，集中做好吐司。而今次測試是用烤爐做頂角吐司。麵粉用了流淚粉。材料如下：

高筋麵粉...........  320 g
無鹽牛油...........   20 g
糖..............................   15 g
蛋..............................   30 g
鹽..............................    5 g
水............................  180 ml
酵母粉..................    6 g
芝士......................   適量

首先用麵包機的「麵糰」mode 製成 bread dough ，再發酵約40 分鐘至體積大了兩倍。再拍打麵糰作排氣，再卷成球狀，用保鮮紙包好，放在焗盤上鬆弛10分鐘。將麵糰拍打到稍微扁平，然後桿成長方形, 將芝士放在麵糰中間後將長的兩邊向內折入，再卷起放入麵包模中，不要上蓋只用濕毛巾蓋起來，發酵30至40分鐘 (溫度保持35至38度)。當發酵至八成滿模便蓋上模頂。預熱焗爐200度，烤焗30至40分鐘。

製成品味度尚算可口，但並沒有頂角，可能因為卷了芝士影響了發酵進度。但我並沒有氣餒，隔晚再試沒有芝士夾心，果然脹高了，雖然頂了蓋但還是沒有頂角，而質地比較密集。因此懷疑是麵粉過多而且又有蓋，限制了脹起的幅度。今晚會再試用300g 麵粉！屢敗屢戰，再接再厲！

芝士吐司

白吐司

吐司篇：流淚吐司

本以為過期酵母是原凶，其他因素例如份量，時間都不會有太大影響⋯⋯所以便膽粗粗開始用些貴一點的粉。今次開了包剛買入的流淚吐司粉(日本凱薩林高筋麵粉; Casarian bread flour)。麵粉的特質：吸水性高，不易老化的組織，粉質顆粒細膩，口感綿密。

實驗A: 麵包機軟式預約「過夜」mode

實驗B: 麵包機速成「即晚」mode

總結實試結果，其實用什麼mode，什麼粉，有沒有湯種都分別並不大。最重要居然是溫度！實驗A當晩發酵時間大概早上四、五點左右。當晚寒流襲港，氣溫跌至10度以下。而實驗B是晚上九點，溫度約16、17度，發酵時間比實驗A短起碼一個半鐘，但麵團發酵比實驗A成功。因此我暫時的推斷：麵包出爐成功與否，氣溫確實是十分關鍵。

吐司篇：膨脹不足之謎

疑團終於解開了! 轉換了剛買回來的日清酵母粉，吐司終於冒出"頭"來了！

烤焗剩餘 26 分鐘的模樣

新鮮出爐了!

當今晚開了新的酵母粉時，我已經知道真的是因為酵母粉過期而出事！新的酵母粉真的好像有生命般，粘貼着量羹站著般，好神奇！

冷卻切片後，更可以肯定今次快速吐司是成功的！看看吐司有多鬆軟，回彈力極強啊！明晩試試加湯種看看分別.....

麵粉：韓國

Nutella & Peanut Butter Twist

Ingredients: 

- 250g Bread Dough (fully fermented)

- Nutella

- Peanut Butter

- Bread flour & Coco powder (for garnish)

Steps: 

(1) Divide the fermented bread dough into 8 small (60 - 65g) portions and roll into balls

(2) Sprinkle a little water over the bread rolls and relax for 10 - 15 minutes covered with Glad Wrap

(3) Use a rolling pin, roll flat the dough and spread Nutella or Peanut butter over half of the dough

(4) Fold the dough in half and slit twice at the center. Do not cut through the ends

(5) Pull the dough lightly at both ends and twist fromm one end only. 

(6) Twist till the ends meet and fold into a round mould

(7) Put onto a baking tray lined with baking paper for second fermentation for 45 minutes.

(8) Sprinkle some water on the dough and sift over bread flour for garnish

(9) Preheat oven to 200 degree celcius and bake for 10 - 15 minutes.

工欲善其事 必先利其器

老公經常說我永遠三分鐘熱度。

攝影：買了一堆相機，鏡頭，filter ，大大小小相機袋，上了三個月葉清霖的攝影課.....
然後放低了，因為孭起了 BB 包和有了無敵 iPhone!

跑步：買了一堆新運動服，兩對新跑鞋，一星期跑三晚....
然後跑少了，減到三星期跑一次，因為  IT Band 弄損了!

閱讀：一口氣買了十本 novel ，可以兩日看完一本...
然後沒看完一半又擱置了一旁，因為愛上了看麵包書!

今次買了一大堆麵粉，工具，用盡了那麵包機，焗爐，蒸爐..... 只是花多了點時間在廚房.... 都好化算啦!!

The "to-be-improved" category

三文魚芝士波；蟹柳扭扭包；巧克力間條麵包；蒜蓉小餐包；粟米紫菜麵包；香腸麵包

總結過去兩星期的製成品，總是一出爐是好看好吃，隔天便實實的，硬硬的，並不軟熟，連吐司都做得不好。氣死我!!

歸根究底應該有幾個成功必備條件：

(1) 麵糰發酵 (40 - 50 分鐘) 及鬆弛 (10 - 15 分鐘) 時間
(2) 高筋麵粉質素 (蛋白質高於10%)
(3) 室內溫度  (35 - 38 度)
(4) 酵母類型 (Instant Dry Yeast)

過去的整個星期六，趁哥哥細佬上堂便研究一番，終於發現了可疑的原凶：過期的酵母!! 是真的與否，就讓我今晚揭終。

This is where it all begins.....

因為老公的一個早餐要求，重拾那連工人姐姐都遺棄了的麵包機。由半年都無做一次手作麵包，到每晚都"噗"在焗爐和蒸爐旁，看守着那些麵糰為何沒有發大，麵色為何並不均勻，氣味為何是酸酸的........左弄弄右弄弄，總會弄到半夜三更才可上床睡覺。你問我辛苦嗎，疲倦嗎？倘若你也找到一樣自己有興趣的東西，以及看見兒子們回味無窮地吃着麵包的樣子，那麼你便會知道我的答案是什麼。