Sunday 27 October 2013

Apple and Cinnamon Bagels


Apple and Cinnamon Bagels
I said it wouldn't be long until I made bagels again, and here they are!

I made them using some flour my Gran gave to me, she has previously made loaves and rolls with it, but I thought I'd try something a bit different! If you can't get hold of flour like this you can just add a couple teaspoons of cinnamon to your dough and a grated apple to get a similar effect.





Special flour

Apple and Cinnamon Bagels


Makes 8

Ingredients

450g apple and cinnamon bread flour (or strong white bread flour as discussed above)
4tbsp sugar
1tsp salt
7g/2tsp dried yeast

3tsp sugar
Activated yeast
1tsp cinnamon (both for dusting)

190oC fan oven/200oC other ovens


Method:

1. In a large bowl add 100ml of warm water to 1tbsp sugar and the sachet of yeast. Leave for 10 minutes to activate the yeast - you'll start to see bubbles appear on the surface of the liquid.


2. Add another 200ml of warm water to the bowl, followed by half the flour and the 1tsp salt. Mix into a dough, and add the rest of the flour in stages until you get a soft, but not sticky dough, you might not need all of the flour.
Ready to proof

3. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. (See this previous blog about the best kneading technique.)

4. Once smooth put the dough into an oiled bowl, covered with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size - approx. 1 hour, but don't be afraid to leave it for longer.

5. Turn the doubled dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into eight equal portions. Knead each into a smooth circle and then roll between your palms to get a smooth ball.

6. Put a large ban of water onto boil and add the remaining 3tbsp sugar. Bring to a rapid boil.

Shaped and boiling
7. Meanwhile, to make the bagel's characteristic hole press your thumb into the centre of each dough ball, then pick it up, work your other fingers into the space, making the hole bigger by gently pulling the dough outwards and cycling it around between your index fingers. Make the hole approx 3cm across. Repeat for all 8 dough balls.

8. Now your sugary water should be boiling, so add the bagels to the water (do as many in a go as you can fit in the pan without them touching each other or the sides), boil for 1 minute on each side and then remove from the water onto a wire rack with a slotted spoon.

9. Once you've boiled all of the bagels dust with caster sugar and cinnamon and place onto a greased and floured baking tray.
Sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon

10. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they're dark brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

11. Cool on a wire rack. These will keep for 3-4 days if kept in an airtight container, but they're best enjoyed whilst still warm from the oven, or toasted with loads of butter, and more sprinkled cinnamon and sugar!

These were just as easy as the poppy seed variety I made a few weeks ago, so give them a try!


Finished bagels!
Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx


















Pesto, Basil and Mozzarella Couronne

Finished Couronne
I saw this type of loaf made a couple of times on the Great British Bake Off, and I love making stuff that looks as good as it tastes, so I thought I'd give it a go!

I didn't use a brioche dough, just a white loaf dough which I stuffed with pesto, basil and mozzarella, but you could add anything you fancy, maybe ham, cooked chicken or smoked salmon?






Dough before...


Pesto, Basil and Mozzarella Couronne

Ingredients:

500g/1.1lb strong white bread flour
25g/1oz marg or butter
2tsp salt
7g/2tsp dried yeast
350ml warm water

190g jar of pesto (any variety)
3 large handfuls of basil
Dough after...
50g/2oz grated mozzarella

11in diameter springform baking tin
200oC oven/180oC fan

Method:

1. Rub the marg or butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then add the yeast and salt (to separate sides of the bowl) and mix.

2. Add the warm water in stages until the dough comes together but isn't sticky.

Ready to roll
3. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

4. Place into an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (at least 1 hour).

5. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface, knead gently for 30 seconds to knock it back and then roll the dough out into a rectangle (approx. 1m x 50cm).

6. Cover the rectangle with the fillings of your choice, tack one of the long edges to the work surface and then roll from the opposite long edge like a swiss roll - do it as tightly as you can.

Mid-twist
7. Cut the ~1m long roll of dough lengthways down the centre of the roll, twist edge half individually until it has an even twist all the way along, then twist the two halves together, to effectively reform the ~1m long roll.

8. Starting at one end of the dough, roll the dough into a flat spiral, like a snails shell. Continue to the other end of the dough and then place your spiral into the greased circular baking tin.

9. Cover again with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise again in a warm place for approx. 30 minutes.

10. Brush with milk and bake in the centre of a preheated oven (200oC) for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and makes a hollow sound when the base is tapped.
Spiralling

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm with lots of butter, or part of an epic sandwich! It's really good to pull it apart along the layers when it's warm, it's delicious!

It will keep for 3/4 days in an airtight container, depending upon the fillings you've used!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx
Before second proofing
Finished couronne, with all the layers

Monday 7 October 2013

Cheat's Triple Millionaire's Shortbread

My Gran's Millionaire's Shortbread is my absolute favourite thing (although it is a close contest with Cheese Scones...). These are a bit of a cheat's version; they're made with Dulce De Leche, instead of the home made caramel which makes Gran's extra delicious, but they're a fantastic quick fix - waiting for them to be properly chilled is the hardest part!

You can get Dulce De Leche from any good supermarket, so give these a go!


Breadcrumbs

Cheat's Triple Millionaire's Shortbread


Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients


12oz plain flour
8oz butter/marg
5oz caster sugar

450g jar of Dulce De Leche
250g chocolate (I used 75g white, 75g milk and 100g dark chocolate for the triple effect)
Baked shortbread base

9x13in tin
170oC fan oven/180oC other ovens

Method


1. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then mix in the sugar.

2. Press the shortbread mix into a greased and lined baking tray, doing it this way makes the shortbread extra crumbly, which goes perfectly with sticky caramel.
Chocolate and Dulce De Leche

3. Bake the shortbread base in the centre of a preheated oven until very light golden brown, approx. 20/25 minutes.

4. Whilst the shortbread is baking weigh out the chocolate.

5. Once the shortbread is baked, leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then put in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill properly before you add the caramel.

Caramel layer before chilling
6. Once chilled spread the caramel over the shortbread, then put the whole thing back in the freezer for at least another half an hour or until the caramel feels solid enough to spread chocolate over.

7. Melt the chocolate (in a microwave is fine if you do it for 15 seconds then stir and microwave again if needs be), spread gently over the caramel - if you're using three types of chocolate start with the white first so you don't get any colour contamination. 

8. Chill in the freezer for another hour/fridge for at least 3 until the chocolate is completely hard.

9. Cut into 24 pieces; do this in the tin as it stops any slightly soft caramel escaping out of the sides of your Millionaire's. 

These are best enjoyed with a cup of tea, perfect for elevenses or afternoon tea! They'll keep in the fridge for up to a week, if they last that long...
Triple Chocolate!

This really is a great little cheat, it's not as good as Gran's, but when is anything ever as good as when your Gran bakes it?! 

Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx




Finished Trio