Peach filled Walnuts Buns

Finally I have found the basic bread without using "Tang Zhong style". By using cream cheese, the bread turns out very soft even left till next day. So, am keeping the ingredients here for future use........

Ingredients: 

140 gm bread flour + 140 gm AP flour
1 pkg 7oz instant dried yeast
60 gm caster Sugar
2g salt or 2 x 1/4 tsp
40g egg (used 1 large egg instead)
60g cream cheese
120g milk or soya milk 
28g butter, soften at room temperature
Olive or macadamia Oil as shortening

Fillings: walnuts, dried fruits like cranberries, blackberries, raisins or any other fillings

Egg wash-balance egg +1tsp milk

Method (using hand knead):
1.         Large metal bowl: sift bread flour, yeast, salt and add sugar. set aside.
2.         In a Jug, heat milk and butter till warm.
3.         In a bowl: using a spoon, beat cream cheese with 2 tbsp of milk & butter mixture till soft and creamy.
4.         Large metal bowl with flour mixture: using spatula, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture -           add in egg, cream cheese and milk/butter mixture.
5.         Using spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until all come together. Wet hand with oil and start kneading by hand till dough becomes smooth.
6.         Oil the metal bowl and leave dough in bowl covered with clingwrap to proof for about 2-3 hours till dough rises to double its size. Punch down to remove air bubbles and knead gently. Weigh dough = 604 gm (For bigger bun: divide to 6 portions = 100 gm each or smaller bun: divide to 9 portions = 67 gm each)
7.         May add fillings like jam, can peaches (strain out the juices), or knead in dried fruits and nuts in each portion.
8.         Shape dough into oval shape bun or just roll into any shape. With the closing facing down, place on baking paper in a round or square pan and leave to proof further until double in size.
9.         Apply egg wash (egg + water) or just brush oil over the top.

10.       To bake, use a water bathe below the oven and bake at 160 degC for about 25-30 mins.
11.       Cool bread on wire rack and store in air-tight container to maintain softness.

Wholemeal Cranberry Walnut Bread

Was thinking of making pumpkin bread but yeast decided not to ferment in the milk. So, decided to make another batch using water instead. This will be my go to soft bread from now on:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
2 tbsp honey
1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup wholemeal flour or AP flour (or Plain flour)
1 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar (or white sugar)
1 large egg
2 tbsp macadamia or walnut oil (or any oil of your choice)

dried cranberries, chopped slightly
walnuts, chopped

Direction:

1. In a jug: Ferment yeast in honey water for around 1/2 hour or longer.
2. Metal bowl: sift wholemeal flour and bread flour. Add in salt and sugar. Using Spatula - mix all dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center.
3. Add in beaten egg, oil and yeast mixture. 
4. Using spatula, mix dry and wet ingredients together until dough forms.
5. Oil hand with knead 3-5 times. Drop some oil onto the metal bowl to grease it and leave dough inside to proof. Cover bowl with cling wrap and let stand for around 1-2 hours to proof.
6. Put baking paper in a square pan and set aside. Uses 9 x 9 inch pan.
7. Wet hand and punch dough down. Divide dough into 6 portion (Dough weigh 612 gm, 1 portion = 102 gm)
8. Wet hand agan - Roll 1 portion of dough with dried cranberries and walnuts into oblong shape. Set inside the prepared baking pan. Continue with the rest of the dough making sure to wet hand first. Once done, set aside again to let it proof to double its size, around another 1-2 hours.
9. To bake, put a ice water bath below the oven and bake the bread at 160 degC for 20 minutes

This bread is soft, very soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. May substitute any dried fruits or nuts for a more wholesome goodness. Love its texture. My girl eat this as a sandwich coz she brought it to school for lunch.

Teacher's Day 2013

Teacher's Day 2013 gifts - wtih Tag that says: 

Happy Teacher's Day

Mentors - You can count on

Theresian Mentors

2013 Happy Chinese New Year

Year of the Snake

Happy Chinese New Year to all..................Wishing Prosperity and Good Health, May this year bring slithering good fortune to all.

I have not been up and going lately. No mood and no creative juices to sew my bear nor do my jewelleries. So, beginning of this year, I have only done up some craft like this origami envelope red packet:

Hope that those people I give this red packet to enjoy them as much as I spent my lazy time making them :)

And here's the pussy willow I bought from cold storage for only $20 dollars.

I bought it 4 days before the CNY eve but it did not open even after 1 week past the CNY. So there's no spring in my house for this year. So sad :(

CNY must have all kinds of goodies at home, but with my health conscious younger daughter and changing diet of my old girl, we decided not to buy any this year. But what CNY without any pineapple tart? So, I surf the net and found this Pineapple Cream Cheese tart to bake. It was soft and delicious. Maybe if in good mood next year, will try to make more.

So, here's the link for the tart : wendyinkk.blogspot.sg

Then I came across another recipe for a green tea cookies with white chocolate

This were nice and crisp for matcha lovers: justonecookbook.com

Oh, I didn't mention that my computer refuse to power on and have to sent it in to Sony for repair and I also drop my ipad and broke the screen, this also sent for repair which I ended up with no computer and ipad during the CNY weekend. But, with the baking of cookies, I was very tired by day end and went to bed early. Lucky for me, I extended my vaio warranty and thus need not pay for the repair service which came up to a whooping over $800 as they change the motherboard. But for the ipad, I'm not so lucky. I have to pay $250 just to replace the screen :(  What a start of a snakey year.

Anyway, better pray harder and not to get any more breakage in my gadget.