Petit Pains Au Lait (Milk Breads) - We Knead to Bake # 17

The bread for this month for the We Knead to Bake group chosen by Aparna is a simple but classic french bread. Petit pain au lait means little milk breads/ rolls. The rolls are mildly sweet and they bake to a beautiful golden brown. They are slightly rich and are soft and almost flaky on the inside because of the way they are shaped and rolled.

This is a wonderful and very easy recipe making it perfect for beginners. I stuffed about four rolls with some chocolate and left the others plain. All of us at home preferred the plain ones and I will surely be baking these again.

Do take a look at these videos to get an idea of how the bread is cut to create the pattern. Link1/ Link2.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet by Kat

Petit Pains Au Lait

Ingredients:

2/3 cup warm whole milk (plus a few teaspoons more if needed)

1 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup bread flour*

1/4 tsp salt

60 gms butter, soft at room temperature

extra milk for brushing

Method:

*If you don’t have bread flour, put 2/3 tsp vital wheat gluten in your 3/4 cup measure and top up with all-purpose flour. Mix this well. 

Or if you don’t have vital wheat gluten, then just use 3/4 cup all-purpose flour.

**This topping is optional. The pearl sugar looks pretty and adds a little crunch. If you can’t find pearl sugar, use large crystals of sugar or even regular granulated sugar. 

I used my stand mixer to knead the dough, you can also use the food processor or knead by hand. Put the warm milk, yeast and sugar in the bowl. Mix on low speed. Then add all the flour and the salt and mix until the mixture looks crumbly. Add the butter and knead until you have a soft, smooth and elastic dough that’s not sticky. Add a little more milk (in teaspoonful at a time), if your dough is dry, until you have the required consistency of dough.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Turn it over to coat with oil. Cover loosely and set aside to rise until double in volume, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. The dough will be easy to work with and not sticky, but if needed, just lightly dust your palms with flour. Deflate the dough gently, and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Let them rest for 15 minutes.

Roll out each piece of dough, one at a time, into a circle of about 4” in diameter. Slowly roll up the circle from one end, Swiss roll/ jelly roll style into a cylinder. Pinch the seam closed neatly, and place them on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet with the seam side facing down. Cover loosely and let them rise for an hour or so till almost double in size.

Brush them lightly with milk and using a pair of sharp scissors, make diagonal cuts (not too deep) on the top of the rolls. Sprinkle pearl sugar/ granulated sugar. Bake them at 200C / 400F  for about 15 minutes or so until they’re golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve them warm or at room temperature.

This recipe makes 10 Petit Pains au Lait. They’re best eaten the same day, though you could warm them up and serve the next day.

My Favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut Bread

I can never eat an overripe banana, even a small black spot or mushy texture is a big no-no. So all such bananas are usually used up in shakes and I also love them caramelized.

But such overripe bananas are of course best suited for baking and I love banana bread especially when it is loaded with chocolate and nuts.

I have tried a lot of recipes in search for the perfect one and this is my favorite, the best one so far! I first baked this bread last October and its the fourth time that I've baked it again. It's just what I have been looking for and everyone who has had it has loved it! The banana flavor is prominent without being over-powering, it's super moist and it has a ton of chocolate and nuts making every bite absolutely heavenly!
Recipe from Food52.

Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut Bread

Ingredients: 

3 medium overripe bananas

1 cup light brown sugar (packed)

10 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

Grease and line a 9"x5" loaf pan. Preheat oven to 180C/ 350F.

Beat bananas with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the banana mixture and mix just until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The top of the cake browns rather quickly, so I tented it with foil after about 25 minutes and then baked until it was done.

Let it cool completely before slicing. To get neat slices use a serrated knife and cut using a sawing motion.

Focaccia Caprese - We Knead to Bake # 13

Though I do not have a lot of bread recipes on the blog, I do bake them often and rather enjoy the whole process.  'We knead to Bake' is a group started by Aparna last January and I've been following all the breads that they have baked through the year. I'm super excited about being a part of the group and this is the first bread of the year.

I was really happy to see the bread we would be baking, first of all focaccia is a wonderful bread and secondly this one had all my favorite things on it. I wanted to bake the bread the day it was announced, but it took me a while to find really good mozzarella and fresh basil. And for the first time I did not cut down on the oil, rather used it quite generously and it made such a difference.

This time I used a shortcut and used my Kitchen Aid to knead the dough. I can't believe I never did that before. Making bread has never been easier! 

The bread baked beautifully and it was fabulous fresh out of the oven. It was soft and spongy and the cheese all melted and gooey and the flavors were just amazing.
Recipe has been adapted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen from The Kitchen Whisperer.

Focaccia Caprese

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 tsp instant yeast

1 1/2 tbs sugar

3 1/2 cups bread flour/ all purpose flour

 (I used all purpose flour and added 1 tbs vital wheat gluten to it)

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup oil (preferably olive oil)

1-1 1/2 cups warm water

A little more olive oil for brushing the dough

For the topping:

4-5 tomatoes, sliced thin

1 6-7" round piece of fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

For the herbed oil:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/4-1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1/2 tsp finely minced garlic/paste

salt to taste

Basil leaves for garnishing

Method:

Herbed Oil:

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. Keep aside.

Dough:

Take the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and oil in a bowl and mix to combine. Add 1 cup of warm water and mix with your fingers to form a dough. Add  more water if needed. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until you have a soft elastic dough, that us just short of sticky. Shape into a round and place in a well oiled bowl turning the dough around so it is coated. Cover and let it rise till almost double in volume. This should take about an hour.

**I kneaded my dough in my KA mixer using the dough hook. I set it at speed 4 and mixed for about 8 minutes until I had a smooth dough. You can also use a food processor.

After the dough has risen, divide it into two equal portions. Place the dough into a greased pan and press and spread the dough with your fingers until they are approximately 11” by 7” in size. The shape does not really matter as the focaccia is a rustic bread, but try to get it evenly thick. Cover and let rise for about 20 minutes.

Generously brush the surface of the bread with olive oil and use your fingers to create evenly spaced 'dimples' all over the surface of the dough.

Bake at 210C (410F) for about 18 to 20 minutes till it is almost done and is beginning to turn golden brown. Take the Focaccia out and turn up the heat of your oven to 230C (450F).

Lightly drizzle some of the Herbed Oil over the Focaccia and then evenly arrange some slices of mozzarella all over the bread, leaving very little space between them. Top the cheese with the tomato slices and sprinkle the chopped basil over this. The topping should cover most of the surface of the bread.

Drizzle some more Herbed Oil over the topping and return the bread to the oven. Bake the Focaccia for 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese has just melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Cut the Focaccia into slices and serve while it is still hot. 

This recipe serves 4 if served alone or 6 if served with a side.

This bread is being yeastspotted!

Eggless Chocolate Mango Marble Cake

Chocolate and mango are on the top of my list of favorite flavors and they pair up beautifully too. This was the second dish we baked as part of the Homebaker's Challenge and the recipe was chosen by Sangeetha of Spicy Treats.

We had two recipes to chose from, with or without eggs and I went eggless this time. I usually prefer baking with eggs but this recipe did not disappoint. The cake was moist and the  two flavors really stood out. Like most eggless cakes this one too had a dense crumb, but the taste more that compensated for it.

The only change I made was adding a little bit of coffee to the chocolate batter and that really helped to enhance the chocolate flavor.

Chocolate Mango Marble Loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

11/2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

5 tbsp oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mango pulp

1/4 milk

1/4 cup buttermilk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C. Grease and line a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

Mix the cocoa powder with 3-4 tbs of warm water and keep aside.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.

In another bowl mix together the sugar, oil, vanilla, mango pulp, milk and buttermilk.

Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold gently until well combined.

Divide the batter into two and gently fold in the cocoa mixture into one half.

Pour the two batters alternately into the prepared pan and run a knife through the batter to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until done.

Pav Bhaji with Homemade Whole Wheat Pav (Mixed Vegetable Curry with Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls)

Pav Bhaji is a spicy mix vegetable curry served with buttered and toasted bread rolls. One of the most popular street foods in Mumbai, there are many restaurants and food stalls all over famous just for their Pav Bhaji. When I was working and during college days I probably visited all of them and I've loved every dish I had. And yet I firmly believe that nothing tastes as good as home made pav bhaji and I still think my mom's is the best. It was one of the meals my brother and I would so look forward to! She always made a huge batch on Saturdays that we would relish through the weekend.
I make pav bhaji about once a month and have started making pav at home too. This recipe is mostly adapted from Vaishali's Holy Cow and it's one I really like and I love the flavor of the bread when using some whole wheat flour instead of all white.

Whole Wheat Pav

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp active dried yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbs oil

Method:

Mix 1/2 cups of water, sugar and yeast in a bowl and keep aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture turns frothy. Sieve the flours together and add the to the yeast mixture. Add the remaining water slowly as needed while kneading the mixture until you have a smooth but slightly sticky dough. Add the oil and knead for another couple of minutes.

Transfer the dough into a big greased bowl and roll to coat all over with oil. Cover with a kitchen cloth and keep aside for about 2 hours in a warm place until the dough has risen to almost double.

Punch the dough and knead lightly. Divide into 9 portions and shape into balls.

Place in a greased pan in rows, close together but not touching.

Cover with the kitchen cloth and place in a warm place for them to rise. They will join at the ends and touch each other forming a slab.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check if done.

Take the pan out of the oven and brush the tops with some melted butter. Return the pan to the oven for 5 more minutes so the tops get browned.

Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

To serve with the bhaji, split each pav into half, spread some butter and toast until golden. Serve hot.

Bhaji

Ingredients:
1 big potato, about 350 gms
half cauliflower, about 250 gms
1 small carrot
1/2 cup green peas
3 big tomatoes, blanched and peeled
6 whole dry red chilies, I used half kashmiri chilies, for their color, or to taste
1 big onion, finely chopped
1 small capsicum, finely chopped
1 tbs ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 1/2 - 2tbs pav bhaji masala
salt to taste
2 tbs butter

Method:

Cook potato and all the other vegetables and mash them all together into a coarse mixture.

Grid the tomatoes and chilies into a smooth puree.

Heat 1 tbs oil in a big pan and saute the onions and capsicum and until the onions are golden brown.

Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.

Add the turmeric, garam masala and pav bhaji powders and fry for a few seconds.

Stir in the tomato mixture and cook until the water evaporates and the oil separates.

Add the vegetable mixture and salt and mix well. Add some water to adjust the consistency.

Bring to a boil. cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Uncover and check the seasonings. Stir in the butter and remove from heat.

Serve hot with toasted pav and some lemon wedges, chopped onion and cilantro on the side.

Whole Wheat Focaccia

I made this Focaccia bread for the fourth time last week and realized that I never posted about it. I usually buy Focaccia from the farmers market and it is one of the best I've had, but its all white flour and has lots of oil. This one on the other hand is a much lighter and healthier bread and I don't feel so guilty if I have one extra serving. Plus, baking your own bread is so much fun!  This one makes a wonderful sandwich, pizza and is great with curries and even on its own!.

Whole Wheat Focaccia

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 packet active dried yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 tsp cumin seeds

6 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped

1tsp salt

3 tbs olive oil

Toppings:

cumin seeds

thinly sliced onions

Method:

Combine warm water and yeast. Stir in olive oil, cumin seeds, chopped garlic, salt and flour and mix to form a dough. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes in a folding motion until the dough is smooth.

Grease a large bowl with olive oil and plop the dough into it. Roll around a few times to coat the dough in the oil. Cover the bowl with a warm cloth. Place the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise for about an hour.

After the rise, punch the dough once and place it on a floured surface and knead gently for a few minutes. Roll out the dough to about 1" thickness. 

Place dough on a greased baking sheet. Poke holes all over the surface with your finger.

Brush the top of the dough generously with olive oil. Top with cumin seeds and sliced onions.

Cover with the towel and let rise again for 20 minutes, in a warm spot.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 30-35 minutes or until you see a light brown crust. Check the bread for firmness with a toothpick. Cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Sending this to Yeast Spotting.
Recipe adapted from Healthy Happy Life.

Challah Bread

Last weekend we had been to NASA, something I've wanted to do ever since I got here, but it was such a disappointment. We had to wait in the car for over an hour to get through the gates and there was nothing to see. There were some games n all for kids, lectures about space missions and I could not catch a word of it, there was so much commotion in the tent. I was basically in a sour mood with it being so hot n all, I'm sure I've mentioned that I cannot stand the sun. But the day ended well, we were a big group and went to one of our homes and played games and stayed till dinner.We were really tired at the end and although I had promised I would get back to blogging by Monday I couldn't bring myself to write a post until today.

The oven in this apartment is even bigger that the previous one and I could not wait to use it. So it's great that I have been paired with Tania of Love Big, Bake Often for Taste n Create this month. She has got amazing recipes for baked goods, but the one thing that caught my eye was the Challah. It's been ages since my last bread and this was a braid, something I have seen in so many blogs.

I finally baked it yesterday and everything went so smoothly. The dough was easy and the braid was a breeze....lots of practice with my hair:-). You can get the recipe here.

I used rapid rise yeast as that was all I had and so I could avoid the first rise. I really wanted to take step by step pictures but the camera was still in the car after the weekend trip and so this was all I could manage after Manoj got back from work.

My bread browned within the first 15 mins, so I had to cover it with foil. Baked for 40mins and it was perfect. My home smelled heavenly for hours.

I prefer the bread warm and had some as soon as it had cooled down a bit.

Had some for breakfast today with some chole...Yumm!

Also sending this to Susan's YeastSpotting.

Walnut and Date Teabread

I always have a stock of walnut and dates in my pantry, the two things I love to snack on at any time. When BBD#18 - Quick Breads was announced I just knew what I wanted to make. Had this recipe bookmarked since long.

The dates, walnuts and the spices together give the bread an awesome flavor and texture that's just hard to resist.

Recipe from Cakes and Bakes

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pitted dates

3/4cup boiling water

1/4cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4cup soft dark brown sugar

1/4cup caster sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

2tbs brandy

1 1/4cup generous all-purpose flour

2tsp baking powder

1/2tsp salt

3/4tsp freshly grated nutmeg

3/4cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Method:

Place the dates in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 350˚F/ 180˚C. Line and grease a 9x5in loaf pan.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and brandy and then set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together at least three times.

Fold in the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the dates and water.

Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45mins. 

Cool in the tin for 10mins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Sending this to BBD#18 - Quick Breads event hosted by Mansi. 

Potato Bread

Finally baked my first bread!! Can't tell you how excited and anxious I was. I spent most of the day in the kitchen staring at the dough, waiting for it to rise:) and even throughout the baking.

It's true, 'Nothing compares with the aroma of freshly baked bread'.

Ingredients:

4tsp active dried yeast

1cup lukewarm milk

225gms potatoes, boiled (reserve 1cup of the cooking liquid)

2tbs oil

4tsp salt

7-8cups strong white bread flour (I used about 7 1/2cups)

Method:

Mix the yeast and milk in a large bowl and keep aside till the yeast has dissolved and become frothy, about 15mins.

Mash the potatoes well. Add the potatoes, oil and salt to the yeast mixture and combine thoroughly.

Stir in the reserved cooking water. Add the flour in six separate batches to form a stiff dough.

Transfer to a floured surface and knead till well combined and smooth, about 10mins.

Return to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place till almost double in size, about 1 1/2hrs.

Knock back (punch down),cover and leave to rise again for 40 mins, or till doubled in size.

Grease two 9 x 5in loaf tins. Divide the dough into two parts and arrange in the two tins.

Leave the dough uncovered till it has risen above the rims of the tins, about 1 1/2hrs.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/ 400˚F. Bake the dough for 10mins, then lower the heat to 190˚C/ 375˚F.  Bake for about 40mins or till done. Cool on a wire rack.

Verdict:

The bread looked perfect, had a great crust and was soft on the inside.

My only complain was that I could not taste any potatoes, the bread tasted like simple white bread. Nevertheless we enjoyed every bite.

P.S.: I did build some muscle kneading the dough :).

Note:

Recipe is adapted from Cakes and Bakes 500.

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Sending this to Susan's 'Yeastspotting' and to 'BBD#17- Bread and Potatoes' hosted by Lien.