Button Mushroom-shaped Blueberry bread

Keeping up with my purple colour bakes, I made a purple tone bread. It is a button mushroom shaped bread. I wanted it cute so I left it in a slightly narrower tin to proof so it will hang over the sides when proofed.  Soft, fluffy bread to die for. I love how the loaf shape was. Love the colour tone. Nom... nom... nom... yums~

I had always wanted to do a purple loaf. And I wanted one with no artificial colourings added, so I adapted Kimmy cooking Pleasure's coffee loaf bread, made slight changes to it and came up with a loaf I longed for.

Homemade bread works best for me.

Button Mushroom-shaped Blueberry Bread with Chia seeds

Ingredients for Sponge Dough
75m bread flour
75 gm plain flour
2 tsp instant yeast
100ml water
Mix all ingredients into a soft rough dough.  Cover and leave to proof for at least 1-2 hours or put in plastic bag, tied up without proofing and keep in fridge for at least 4 hours.  Thaw for 15 minutes before adding bread dough ingredients.

Ingredients for Bread Dough
150 bread flour
1.5 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 egg (keep the balance for egg brushing)
50g blueberry sauce
25ml water
30g butter
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

1. Blueberry sauce was made with 100g fresh blueberries, splash of water, 1/4 of lemon juice and a 1.5 tsp of caster sugar. Cook all the ingredients in a medium low heat until it become a not too thick consistency. Cool and ready to use. You can run it through a sieve and use just the sauce. (I used the sauce with blueberry pulps) - weigh out 50g before use.
2. Add all the ingredients [except butter] to the sponge dough.  Knead until well combined and dough is soft for about 10 minutes then add in butter.  Continue kneading until soft, smooth and elastic.   Knead a further 10  minutes and dough does not stick to the fingers.
3. Shape into a ball and cover with a clean cloth to proof for 15 minutes or until double in size.  

4. Punch down dough. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Roll and fold each portion into thirds, then roll from 2 ends of the dough into the centre.  Place in baking tin [Pullman's tin] and leave to proof in oven for more than an hour or until double in size.

5. Add some drops of water to the balance half of egg, mix it well and egg brush the dough.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes.  Remove to cool on rack immediately after baking.

The loaf on the left looked ugly to me! Fortunately, it was a happy ending when sliced :)

Yoghurt Wholemeal loaf with Chia seeds & Raisins (Straight dough method)

Yet another loaf of bread. Baked 2 loaves and delivered one to my parents. 

Love how soft this loaf is even when it was made using the straight dough method.  I made this yoghurt loaf before and did this again, with some changes to the recipe.  Added a tablespoon of wholemeal flour, threw in chia seeds and raisins to give it some bite. Yummy!

Had it on the 3rd day and it was still soft.  I love pairing it with coffee and jam :)

Yoghurt Wholemeal loaf with Chia seeds & Raisins 

(Straight dough method)

240gm bread flour 

60gm + 1 tbsp wholemeal flour 

4.5 tsp skimmed milk powder 

1.5 tbsp castor sugar 

3/4 tsp salt 

2 tsp [12gm] instant yeast 

2 tbsp chia seed

raisins (as desired)

125ml warm water 

70ml yoghurt 

1 tbsp [15gm] butter

1. Using a food processor or mixer, pour in water and add in yeast in the mixing bowl.  Leave for about 5 minutes to froth.  Then add sifted flour, milk powder, salt and sugar.  Start machine to knead ingredients on medium speed into a soft dough [about 5 minutes].  Add in yoghurt, continue kneading for another 5 minutes.

2. Then add in the butter.  Continue kneading till dough is soft and smooth [takes about 20 minutes].  Remove mixing bowl and cover to proof for about 20 minutes or until double in size.

3. Punch down dough and roll into a ball.  Roll flat in rectangular shape, fold to centre from left and right, then roll flat into a long rectangular shape.  Roll up swiss roll, seal the edges and put into a greased Pullman's tin.  Leave to proof for 40-50 minutes [or until it rises to 80% of the tin]. 

4. Preheat oven at 180 degrees C and bake bread on lower rack for about 25-30 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and baking tin immediately to cool on rack before storing.

Off it goes to my parents!

Pumpkin Wholemeal Bread with Chia Seeds and Rolled Oats

These loaves of bread were done and baked and sent over to my Dad. Trying to get them to eat healthier bread and lesser of store bought white bread. We all know how bad white bread are to health if consumed long term right? So start influencing your loved ones on eating healthier bread!

Chia seeds are great source of Omega-3 fats and fibre. At the same time, it stabilizes blood sugar, combats diabetes and lower cholesterol. Many more benefits to consuming chia seeds, so go read up and then start incorporating them into your daily diet.

I add these goodies into my oats and bread. Hubby who did not used to be into such health food is now gradually accepting these positively :) I share what I read about these good stuff and let him know what I'm feeding him.  We are what we eat, so let's start being healthy together!

I made these Pumpkin Bread using the scalded method (Recipe by Alex Goh), but I substituted part of the recipe with wholemeal flour, added chia seeds and topped it off with a layer of rolled oats.

Pumpkin bread (Scalded method)

(A)
100g bread flour
85g boiling water

(B)
400g bread flour (I used 80g wholemeal flour and 320g bread flour)
40g sugar
1 tsp salt
15g milk powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder (I left this out)
8g instant yeast

2 tbsp chia seeds

(C)
120g pumpkin (cooked and mashed)

(D)
150g cold water

(E)
60g butter

(F)
80g pumpkin seeds (I used rolled oats instead, just enough to top the loaf)

1. Add the boiling water from A into bag flour, mix until well-blended to form a dough. Cover and set aside to cool.  Keep in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
2. Mix B until well-blended. Add in C and D, knead to form rough dough. Add in A and knead until well-blended.
3. Add in E, mix to form a smooth and elastic dough. Add in F, mix until well combined. (I left out F for filling and used it as topping instead.)
4. Cover it and let it proof for 40 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and mould it round. Place 6 pieces of dough into a 24 x 13 x 7cm pan. Makes 2 loaves. (I divided dough into 6 equal pieces instead to make 2 loaves, with 3 pieces of dough in 1 tin). Let it proof for 45 minutes or until double in size.

6. Egg wash the surface and sprinkle some rolled oats on top. Bake at 180 degree for 30 minutes.

Soft healthy bread for breakfast!

Pumpkin Bread (Scalded Method)

Past weeks were hectic ones for me and my family. Mum had an op 2 weeks back and my family juggled between home, hospital and work.  it might have been tiring for us, but with Mum's speedy recovery, nothing else matters!  This explains the lack of updates and yes, I have alot to follow up on and I will need to put in extra effort to blog soon.

Have been into anything pumpkin some 1 month back (yeah, I am still stuck at makan cooked and baked that long back hehe!). So, allow me to present this loaf of pumpkin loaf using the scalded method, adapted from Alex Goh's Magic Bread book. Bread is a staple for me and hubby. Simple to do, easy to eat. No fuss.

Pumpkin bread (Scalded method)

(A)
100g bread flour
85g boiling water

(B)
400g bread flour
40g sugar
1 tsp salt
15g milk powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
8g instant yeast

(C)
120g pumpkin (cooked and mashed)

(D)
150g cold water

(E)
60g butter

(F)
80g pumpkin seeds

1. Add the boiling water from A into bag flour, mix until well-blended to form a dough. Cover and set aside to cool.  Keep in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
2. Mix B until well-blended. Add in C and D, knead to form rough dough. Add in A and knead until well-blended.
3. Add in E, mix to form a smooth and elastic dough. Add in F, mix until well combined. (I left out F for filling and used it as topping instead.)
4. Cover it and let it proof for 40 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and mould it round. Place 6 pieces of dough into a 24 x 13 x 7cm pan. Makes 2 loaves. (I divided dough into 8 equal pieces instead to make 2 loaves, with 4 pieces of dough in 1 tin). Let it proof for 45 minutes or until double in size.

6. Egg wash the surface and sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top. Bake at 180 degree for 30 minutes.

Scalded dough produces a soft and fluffy loaf that has a little QQ bite to it. I like!

Overnight Oats with Blueberries, Kiwis, Raisins & Sunflowers

While the food-blogsphere have earlier had the overnight oats craze, I only just got myself started now.

True enough, this overnight oatmeal thingy can really be quite addictive. Best of all is that this convenient quick meal is packed with high fibre, protein and calcium.

For this first try, I made 2 servings enough for Hubby and myself using kiwi and blueberries. I read that kiwi causes overnight oats to taste slightly bitter, well I think that is probably due to the acidic nature that the fruit has. Yes, mine turned out a little bitter tasting, but I added a teaspoonful of honey and slightly more milk, gave it a good stir and I thought it tasted quite good after that.

I am now thinking about other different combi I can come up with to make my weekday breakfast or lunch more interesting, yummier and of cuz healthier.  Try it! You will like it too :)

Overnight Oats with Blueberries, Kiwis, Raisins & Sunflower seeds

(Serves 2)

10 tbsp of rolled oat/ old-fashion oats (not quick-cook)

Enough milk to cover the oats

1 Kiwi fruit (cut into cubes)

5 tbsp of blueberries

4 tbsp of greek yoghurt (low fat types work well too)

2 tbsp Sunflower seeds

2 tbsp raisins

1 to 2 tsp honey (optional)

1. Wash blueberries and gently pat dry with a kitchen towel.  Cut kiwi fruit into cubes. Leave aside.

2. Put rolled oats into a clean and dry container (with a tight lid), followed by yoghurt, sunflower seeds and raisins.

3. Pour milk over, with just enough to cover the oats and all. (You may add a little more milk if you prefer a slightly more watery consistency). Give it a thorough stir.

4. Add in kiwi fruit cubes and blueberries and do a quick stir.

5. Cover and leave it overnight in the fridge.

6. Drizzle with honey the next day and dig in!

Chocolate Cinnamon Wholemeal Bread

Needed a chocolate fix, hence I made a chocolate loaf bread with some extra bites.

The cranberries and almond flakes were actually not meant to be the bread toppings. I had wanted to incorporate them inside the bread!!! Guessed it right? Yup, I was too engrossed with punching down the dough and rolling it up for final proof that I forgot to add the dried fruits and nuts.  Laziness got the better of me, and so I decided to just make do with it and sprinkle them on top after a milk glaze and finally sent it to bake. I thought the "decorated" loaf looked good! Heehee!

15 minutes into the baking time, I took a peep. The heavily laden loaf top sank. My heart sank too!  Oh well, not my day. Fortunately, the end product did not look too bad especially for one with a sunken top.  Softness stayed till the 3rd day, and this was all that matters, at least to me :)

Lesson learnt. Never use dried fruits on loaf tops!

Recipe by Kimmy-cookingpleasure
I made some variations (in blue) to it though.
I halved the recipe to make 1 loaf.

Cinnamon Walnut Loaf Bread

Ingredients for Overnight Dough

150 gm bread flour

150 gm plain flour

3 tsp instant yeast [actual is 3.5 tsp]

250 ml water

• Mix all ingredients in a mixer bowl into a soft rough dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave to proof for several hours or overnight at room temperature. 

Ingredients for Bread Dough

300 gm bread flour [I used 270 gm bread flour and 30 gm wholemeal flour]

2 tbsp milk powder (I used cocoa powder)

1 tsp cinnamon powder

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp  salt

80 gm chopped toasted walnuts (I used 2 tbsp almond flakes and 2 tbsp of dried cranberries)

150 ml water [keep some first, if all is used, the dough may be sticky and difficult to handle]

60 gm butter [I used about 50 gm]

Soak the dried cranberries in water for 5 minutes, drain and leave aside for use.

1. Add all the ingredients [except butter and walnuts] to the overnight dough.  Knead until well combined and dough is soft for about 10 minutes then add in butter.  Continue kneading until soft, smooth and elastic.  Knead a further 3-5 minutes and dough does not stick to the fingers when touched or window pane stage.
2. Shape into a ball and cover with a clean cloth to proof for 15 minutes or until double in size. Punch down dough.
3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Roll and fold each portion into thirds, then roll into a rectangular piece.  Sprinkle all over with chopped walnuts (almond flakes and dried cranberries) then roll up  tightly like swiss roll style into a roulade.  Seal the edges well.   Place in baking tin [Pullman's tin] and leave to proof in oven for an hour or until double in size [almost reaching the rim of the baking tin]. 
4. Bake in preheated oven at 170 degrees C for 30 minutes.  Remove to cool on rack immediately after baking.

Pumpkin Loaf bread with Pumpkin seeds (Sponge dough method)

After making the pumpkin cake and pumpkin loaf bread the last 2 rounds, I still have some pumpkin left which was just nice for another loaf. I do not like to bake the same thing consecutively in a row, but in order not to waste the leftover pumpkin, I made another loaf of bread with it, with some variations though :P

Chanced upon Carol's honey pumpkin toast some months back and I like how she used pumpkin seeds to adorn the loaf crust. I decided to follow suit since I have a pack of the healthy seeds in my fridge.

Pumpkin Loaf Bread

Ingredients for sponge dough
150g bread flour
1 tsp instant yeast
125ml water

Mix all ingredients into a soft rough dough.  Cover and leave to proof for at least 1-2 hours or put in a plastic bag, tie up and without proofing, keep in fridge for at least 4 hours (I left my sponge dough to proof in the fridge overnight, about 14 hours). Thaw for 15 minutes before adding sponge dough into bread dough ingredients.

Ingredients for bread dough
125g bread flour (I used 150g bread flour and did not use wholemeal flour)
25g wholemeal flour
1.5 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Half egg
100g pumpkin puree
25ml water [did not add]
25g butter

Pumpkin seeds (for exterior garnishing use)

I like using nuts and healthy seeds in bread to give the extra crunch.

1. Add all ingredients except water and butter to the sponge dough. Knead until well co,bined, then gradually add in water (if necessary) while kneading untik a soft dough is formed. Knead for about 10 minutes then add in butter. Continue kneading untik you get a soft, smooth, elastic dough and it does not stick to the fingers, or to window pane stage (to test, try stretching a small part of the dough till a thin membrane is formed without having holes formed).
2. Shape into a ball and cover with a clean cloth to proof for 15 minutes or till double in size. Punch down dough.
3. Roll out dough into a rectangle shape and fold into thirds, then roll dough into a log like a swiss roll. Place in greased baking tin and leave to proof for more than an hour or double in size. (I used a Pullman tin with lid instead to get a square loaf. Do remember to grease the lid too!)

             

See how my dough proof in 45 minutes.

4. Bake in preheated oven at 180deg C for 25 minutes.  Remove to cool on rack immediately after baking. (After the 25 minutes is up, I remove the lid from the tin and let it bake a further 10 to 15 minutes to get a darker top.)

Ta-daah! My orangey square loaf :)