Tangzhong Sweet Potato Bread - Breadmaker

I've always been fascinated by purple sweet potatoes. How it makes your food all pretty and pink and purple. So girly and pretty! The last time I baked with it was 5 years ago! How time flies! The purple sweet potato bread then turned out so wonderful, I had to do it again. But this time round I wanted to try a different method, so this is my tangzhong method sweet potato bread loaf!

I'm using the bread maker machine to do the 1st stage of kneading and proofing for me. But because my little boy likes cheese sticks bread from Bread Talk, I'm taking some dough out to make some cheese sticks.

The result was good, the bread was moist, fluffy and tasty. There wasn't any distinctive sweet potato flavour, but the bread does have this slight alcohol smell. Was it the sweet potato or was there too much yeast? I'm not sure. But more importantly, the kids loved it. :)

120 gm tangzhong
100 gm cooked sweet potato
50 gm whisked egg
150 ml milk (lukewarm)
40 gm honey
½ tsp salt
300 gm bread flour
50g wholewheat flour
2 tsp instant dried yeast
25 gm butter, melted

1. Make the Tangzhong with 120ml water and 24g flour (click here for how to make tangzhong) 
2. Using a fork, stab the sweet potato all over and microwave it for about 4 minutes. Scrape out the flesh. You need about 100g. 
3. Add all ingredients (except butter) into the breadmaker, the wet ingredients first, then followed by the dry ingredients. Select the “dough” mode, which should knead the dough and go through 1st round of proofing. When the machine kneads the ingredients into a dough, add the butter and let the machine do the rest of the work. 
4. When done, transfer the dough onto a clean floured surface. I needed to make some cheese sticks so I will divide into 4 portions. If you are only doing the loaf, deflate and divide into 3 equal portions will do. 
5. Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Roll flat and stretch, then roll into a cylinder. With seal facing down, place in a greased sandwich loaf tin. Cover up and complete the 2nd round of proofing, (about 1hr+) until it’s doubled in size.  (the dough broke when I forced open the cover! Maybe should oil the cover?)
   
6. Bake in a pre-heated 180C (356F) oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing or storing in an airtight container.

For the Bread Talk Bakery style of cheese sticks, so I took out a 1/4 of the dough to make some.

1. After STEP 4, roll the dough into small log shapes and let it proof until it is double in size. (about 1hr+)
   
2. Brush whisked egg on surface gently, sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with mayonnaise. For cheese I used the leftover pizza mix cheese, consisting of cheddar, Parmesan and mozzarella.
3. Bake in a pre-heated 180C (356F) oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Bread With Cheese

I was recently in Hong Kong and I came across this big bookstore in Hysan Shopping Centre. As usual, I headed straight to the cookbooks section and a book caught my eye. It says 麵包機新手的第一本書 (The first book for bread making machine amateurs). Hmm sounds like me. Haha.. But I do like it that the author has alot of interesting ideas for different flavours. I also like it that it has alot of step-by-step photos.

This is the 1st recipe I'm trying from the book and so far I like it. Well, I did make slight adjustments to the original recipe, but it still works.

1. Original recipe uses 40g of cream cheese instead of butter. I don't have any, so I opt for butter. Will try cream cheese next time.
2. Original recipe is actually a sandwich loaf. I divide into 12 pieces and wrapped cheddar cheese cubes in them. YUMS.

They say sweet potatoes are super food, so I guess this must be one nutritious bun! Because it's supposed to be a sandwich loaf, it's not sweet. So if you like it sweeter, you can add some more sugar. I like it as it is. Soft, fluffy and goes well with the salty cheese in the middle. Thumbs up!

110g milk
120g sweet potato mash
15g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Whole wheat flour 30g
Bread flour 220g
Butter 40g
3/4 tsp Instant yeast

Cheddar cheese cubes (about 2cm cubes)
Extra milk for brushing

1. Cut sweet potatoes into small cubes and steam them under high heat for about 10mins, or cooked through. Mash them up and set aside 120g to cool. 
2. Place all ingredients except for the cheddar cheese cubes into the bread making machine pan and select "DOUGH" function. 
3. When the dough is ready flatten it out and roll it up again into a log. Cut out 12 equal portions. (I weighed the whole dough and divided the weight by 12. Which is about 45g each.)
4. Flatten each dough, place a piece of cheese in, pinch it together to close and gently roll the dough to smoothen it. Place it seam side down into a muffin tray. 
5. Proof for 30-45mins. 
6. Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10-15mins. 
7. Gently brush milk on top of buns before baking in a preheated oven for 20mins. 
8. Remove buns from muffin tray to cool on wire rack. Best eaten warm!

Breakfast Chocolate Muffins with a warning

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!

I don't know how to post this recipe.

It started out with my daughter requesting for chocolate muffins for breakfast. The glutton in me screamed yeah! But the Mom in me frowned disapprovingly. So in order to meet in the middle, I adjusted my go-to muffin recipe and try making it healthier with whole wheat flour and oatmeals. They turned out GORGEOUS!


I posted it on the FaceBook and the members of the baking group loved how it looks. But when I took a bite, it turned out that it was a tad dry.

Don't get me wrong, it tasted DELICIOUS and I loved how the wholewheat flour and oatmeal added a little texture and flavour to it. But still, a little dry. I tried baking another batch with more buttermilk. It's softer, but it turned out like cupcakes, which defeats the point of a muffin. A muffin is SUPPOSED to be firmer than a cupcake FYI.

So. After much deliberation, I think I should just post the recipe as it is. I think people should be smart enough to adjust the recipe according to their own liking? Let me know how it goes!

1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp instant oatmeal

1/3 cup vegetable oil (try 1/2 cup instead)
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk (you can use milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar)

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. 
2. Sift all the dry ingredients except for the oatmeal. Add in the oatmeal to the sifted ingredients. 
3. Mix all the wet ingredients together. 
4. Gently FOLD the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are just incorporated. Do not overmix! 
5. Scoop muffin batter into lined muffin trays and fill it up to the brim to get a nice muffin top. 
6. Bake for about 20mins. You know it's done if you insert a skewer into the middle of the muffin and it comes out clean.

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

I think I mentioned it before, but I'm gonna say it again just emphasize my point.

I LOVE WAFFLES.

My favourite is from Geláre, and I love how it's crispy on the outside and yet soft and fluffy on the inside. Yeasted waffle like these need time to proof, and I don't think I can make the effort to wake up early just to make breakfast, so I've never made these until today.

For this recipe, you just need to do the work the night before you sleep. The next day, just take it out of the fridge for a hour or so. (go wash up and get the kids out of bed) By then the batter would be ready for you! My hubby wakes up an hour earlier than me, so I asked him to take the batter out.

The original recipe comes from here. I halved it, because there isn't that many people eating. Besides, this type of waffles is best eaten fresh! Also, the recipe ask us to leave the batter on the countertop overnight?? And add in the egg the next day. I'm afraid that our warm tropical weather would spoil the ingredients, so I add everything in a large pot and put the whole pot into the fridge. Works anyway!

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

Makes about 6-7 standard waffle squares
Note: Use a large mixing bowl to make this recipe as the batter will double in size as it rises.

1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tablespoon active-dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine the yeast and the water and let stand for a few minutes. Stir to make sure the yeast dissolves into the water. 
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients using a whisk in a large mixing bowl. 
3. Add in the warm milk, the yeast mixture, the melted butter, the egg and the vanilla. Mix well into a smooth batter. 
4. Cover up with either clingfilm or a lid and let it proof in room temperature for 1 hour. 
5. After an hour place the whole bowl into the fridge to proof overnight.
6. The next morning, place the bowl on the kitchen counter top at room temperature for at least an hour. 
7. Make the waffles according to your waffle maker's instructions, cooking until the waffles are golden-brown. Cooking time will vary with your waffle maker, but it is typically 4 to 6 minutes.

Waffles are best if served immediately, but re-heat well in the toaster. Leftovers can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. Leftover waffles can also be frozen for up to 3 months and toasted straight out of the freezer.

No time? Try my Quick and Easy Waffles instead.

White Loaf Bread

In recent years I'm starting to lose faith in cook books. I'd rather believe in the recipes from the internet, especially those with reviews. Many reviews means that it is a tried and tested recipe by actual people out there. So for my 2nd attempt for my bread machine I looked to the internet and found this recipe. This recipe is rather interesting as it defies conventional method of making bread using a bread machine. Instead of putting the yeast on top of the flour, away from the liquid, you mix the yeast with the liquids 1st, just like how you make bread by hand.

Flavour wise, I like this better than my last loaf. It uses less yeast, so the yeasty smell was less apparent. Hubby commented that it was more dense than the last one, but I don't feel it. But we both love the crust on this one. I think it will taste even better with some wholemeal flour added to it.

I wanted the bread to be ready for breakfast, but I wasn't sure if I can set the timing for this recipe due to it's unconventional method. Is it OK to let the yeast and liquid ferment for a few hours? I don't know. So I set the bread machine on just before I go to bed, and woke up at around 4am to take the bread out of the machine when it was done. By morning we woke up to the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread!

I forgot to take a picture of the whole loaf but it does look a little darker than the last loaf. I was a little too busy making tuna sandwiches for the kiddo's breakfast! I only remember after I made the sandwiches...

I think I need to buy a better serrated knife. Mine's too short and not sharp enough.. Enough talk. Here is the recipe.

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons white sugar
7 grams instant yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

1. Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. 
2. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. 
3. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

Baked eggs with cheese

So bored with the usual peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast! So just wanted to do something different this morning.

All you need is:
2 eggs
A splash of milk
Pinch of salt
1 pc of laughing cow cheese
4 slices of buttered bread

Preheat oven 180 Celsius.

1. Beat eggs, milk and salt together.
2. Trim and butter the bread and put butter side down into muffin tray. You can use a pretty cookie cutter if you have time to make the bread basket prettier. If don't have muffin tray use anything oven proof bowls.
3. Pour egg mixture into bread baskets and drop in a small piece of cheese.
4. Bake for 10 mins until egg mixture is cooked but still nice and wobbly!

This is a very impromptu dish using ingredients available in my fridge. You can jazz it up using more fancy cheese , wrap bacon or ham on the outside of the bread basket before baking. Or add some thyme into the egg mixture.

But just as it is was delicious too. Kind of like a simple cheesy egg tart. Will definitely try it again.

Jones The Grocer

Met up with an old friend the other day and she brought me to Mandarin Gallery for some lunch. We actually planned to eat somewhere else, but it was full, so she suggested Jones the grocer instead. Sigh, been a housewife homemaker for way too long! I didn't even know they have so many eateries at the newly revamped Mandarin Gallery.

Anyway, the atmosphere at Jones was quite nice. The place was almost full, but it was still quite relaxed and cosy. I also love it that the place smells of freshly baked bread and other yummy food. It's great that they have a all-day breakfast menu because I did have a craving for breakfast stuff like eggs and bread, so I ordered their club sandwich.

Very hearty! With eggs, grilled chicken, bacon and tomato slice between toasted bread. YUM! Do you notice that it's quite difficult to find places in Singapore that serves simple breakfast menu but in an affordable price? Mostly are expensive restaurants or hotel cafes. Sometimes I just crave a classic breakfast with eggs, bacon and toast, or with pancakes with a hot cuppa coffee. An American diner style restaurant. Maybe I should open one myself. Heehee...

My buddy ordered their full english breakfast.

It looks good, but I was disappointed that that their poached eggs were so small! Worst, when you cut it open, the yolk wasn't oozing out like it's supposed to. Overcooked! Tsk Tsk Tsk...

Overall it was a pretty pleasant experience, would definitely go there next time I'm in Orchard Road with a craving for breakfast items at 2pm. :P

Mandarin Gallery

333a Orchard Road
Level 4 #21-23 Mandarin Gallery
Singapore, 2328897
Tel: +65 6836 6372
Opening Hours
Daily: 9am – 11pm