Chia Seed Crackers...Gluten-free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free

Onion Flavored Chia Seed Crackers...Gluten-free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free. I love crackers.  And even though I haven't posted a new cracker recipe in quite a while, I've actually made a few new recipes... just haven't posted them. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the recipes that come out of my kitchen:). But this particular cracker recipe I just had to share. The recipe came about one day when I realized I had a large bag of chia seeds in my fridge. I've been using the chia seeds in lots of dishes, but that day I decided to turn the chia seeds into healthy crackers... with minimal work.

I noticed most whole food stores sell these raw gluten-free crackers. They're crackers made mainly from flax seeds... with minimal ingredients. And they're sold in small snack packs that are quite expensive. I'll admit it's convenient to buy them ready made, and they're actually a better option when you want a quick snack to munch on. Yes, you do pay for convenience, but I'm always looking to see if I can eliminate the high price tag and make the product myself. So that's when I decided to make my own crackers at home... 

I had seen plenty of recipes for raw flax seed crackers online, and knew I could substitute chia seeds instead of the flax seeds. They both work to thicken liquids as they release this gel-like substance when soaked. So even though I couldn't  really make my crackers raw( no dehydrator)  I could still make them healthier than other crackers. The lowest heat I could go with my oven was exactly 170 degrees F, so that's the temperature I used. But if you have a dehydrator, it would probably be the way to go.

When making my cracker recipe, I chose to sort of use what I had on hand. Ingredient amounts were pretty much measured out to my liking. I had plenty of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, so I used more of those. But I am sure you can play around with amounts to suit your preference. And while I made the crackers nut-free, I am sure you could even add a variety of nuts. I also decided to flavor the crackers with onion, just because I love the onion flavor. But you can use whatever spices you like, and you can even make them spicy. It is important to note that the crackers do need a bit of salt, because if too little salt is used, then the crackers can be quite bland. I simply loved these crackers. Sturdy enough for any dip. Hope you enjoy...

Tip: Since you are using the oven for 2 hours of heating time, it's nice to double, or triple recipe. The crackers stay crisp for days.  

  

You will need:

1 cup chia seeds

1 cup water

2 TBS sesame seeds

2/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds

2/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

2 tsps onion powder

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 170 deg F...  for a raw version use a dehydrator.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper 

1. Mix chia seeds and water... it will thicken rather quickly.

2. Add rest of the ingredients and mix to combine thoroughly.

3. Using wet or oiled hands spread mixture unto parchment paper and spread thinly and evenly... as thin as you can get it... maybe 1/4 inch thickness. 

4. Place in preheated oven and bake for 60-70 minutes.... turn cracker "sheet" over and bake another hour or so... depending how thin you spread the cracker.  If you find it difficult to turn the cracker(in case it breaks), use another cookie sheet to help you turn it over... as you would use a plate to turn over a big pancake in a skillet:).  

5. Turn heat off and allow cracker to dry out in the oven.  I just left mine overnight in the oven.

6. Break cracker sheet in smaller pieces. Serve as a snack or with dip of choice...   

NY-Style Pizza Crust( BEST EVER!)... and a quick pizza sauce.

New York Style Pizza Crust(BEST EVER!)... and a quick pizza sauce. Ever since my husband and I visited NYC earlier this year, my mind has been thinking about the possibilities of replicating our last meal there... a New York style pizza. Right on the last day of our vacation, my brother and sister-in-law chose Grimaldi's for the taste test. We had been wanting to try the New York Style pizza for such a long time... even before we went on our trip. So imagine our excitement when the pizza exceeded our expectation. Simply loved it. 

I had come across Cook's Illustrated New York Style thin crust pizza some time ago. At the time I remember thinking, "not another pizza crust to try". So I didn't attempt to make it then, mainly because I have several favorite recipes I use.  But when I came back from NYC, I thought I'd give the recipe a try. I figured, why not? 

Well it happened to be a wise decision, because this pizza crust proves that you can indeed make amazing pizza at home... using a regular oven! The crust is crisp, light and chewy. It's thin( that is, if  you stretch the dough thin enough), but most of all flavorful. The long refrigeration is key. And the darker "caramelized" crust, which comes from baking the pizza close to the heating element, gives the pizza that almost wood-fired taste.   

As a plus, I've included a super quick pizza sauce that also comes from Cook's Illustrated... but feel free to use any pizza sauce you like... you can even try a bbq sauce or white sauce version. Just try not to over-sauce the pizza... and use minimal toppings. Even though this pizza crust requires a long overnight rest, it's totally worth it. The nice part you can make the dough in advance and use it in 3 days....and  you actually don't need to bake them both on the same day. I baked one pizza on the frst day and another on the third day. So you have some flexibility. 

But this has got to be my absolute favorite pizza dough! And one my husband says outdoes any pizza chain:). Love how quickly the dough gets kneaded in the food processor. Makes it super simple. You'll just need a bit of patience for the dough to rest in the fridge. 

Was the pizza exactly like the one I had in NYC? Well, nothing tastes exactly... I think the NYC pizza used fresh mozzarella cheese and of course their own signature sauce. But in the end, this homemade version was pretty close! One of the best pizzas I've made thus far... and the reason for the big bold "BEST EVER":). Hope you enjoy...

Note: You can use semolina flour or bread flour when stretching the dough... I prefer the taste/texture of the semolina flour, but bread flour will also work.

When shaping the pizza, it is important NOT to use a rolling pin. Use your hand to stretch the dough.... this will give you the necessary "bubbles " and airiness in the dough.

Tip: Keep an eye on the pizza as it's baking... every oven is different, so you may need to turn the pizza several times to bake evenly.

You will  need: adapted from Cook's Illustrated via seriouseats

For the dough:

3 cups (16 1/2 ounces) bread flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 1/3 cups ice water (about 10 1/2 ounces)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for work surface

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

1/2 tsp dried onion powder, optional(my addition)

Cheese: for 2 pizzas

1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)

8 ounces whole milk mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)

Additional: for work surface

semolina flour or bread flour as needed to spread out pizza dough 

Directions:

1. To a food processor fitted with metal blade, add the flour, sugar, and yeast. Process until combined... a few seconds. 

2. With machine running, add ice water slowly through feed tube. Process for about 10 seconds or so... or until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains.

3. Allow dough  to rest for 10 minutes.

*******************************

4. After the resting period, add the oil and salt to the dough.

5. Process dough for about 30-60 seconds... dough forms a satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of work bowl.

6. Lightly oil countertop. Remove dough from bowl and place on countertop...  knead briefly until smooth, about 1 minute. 

7. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 18 hours( 24 hrs ideal)... and up to 3 days. 

One Hour Before Baking Pizza:

• adjust oven rack to top third... or second rack position. Cook's Illustrated says about 4-6 inches from broiler rack, but I find with my oven that distance can burn my crust, so I place it where the crust is more like 8-12 inches from the heating element.
• set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees F. 

1. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. At this point, you can bake only one pizza and leave the second half in the fridge for the following day or two. I  baked one pizza after 18 hours fridge time and baked the second half  a couple of days later.

2. Shape each half into a smooth, tight ball. Place dough ball on lightly oiled baking sheet/plate...  if baking both the same day, space them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with oil coated plastic wrap.

3. Let stand for 1 hour... at this time the oven is preheating. In the meantime, get your toppings ready. Do the pizza sauce. 

****************

4. Flour the counter top well, and place dough on top. Sprinkle top of dough with more flour.

5. Using your fingertips, gently flatten the dough into 8-inch disk...  leave about 1 inch of outer edge to  be slightly thicker than center. 

6. Using hands, gently stretch the disk into 12-inch round... you will need to turn disk as you stretch, working evenly.

7. Transfer the dough to well-floured peel( you can use semolina or bread flour... I like semolina) and stretch the dough another inch to make a 13-inch round pizza crust. 

Note: The first time I made the dough I floured  the countertop and floured the peel. The second time I used  a floured parchment paper (14-16 inch)  to stretch dough... and baked the pizza on the parchment paper. Just allows for easier maneuvering of pizza unto the hot stone. The parchment paper does get rather dark, so try not to leave too much of an overhang... you don't want it to catch on fire.

8. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in thin layer over surface of dough, leaving  about 1/4-inch border around edge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan evenly over sauce(I found you could skip this, if you don't have),  then add about 1 cup shredded mozzarella.

9. Slide the pizza carefully onto stone. Bake  for 5 minutes. rotate, then bake until until crust is well browned and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown... this can be another 5-7 more minute... a total of 10-12 minutes baking time. 

You will need to watch the pizza carefully as all ovens heat differently.... mine took about 9 minutes total baking time... and you can see how dark it got. So keep a close eye...

10. Remove pizza and place on wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. 

11. Repeat with second half of pizza, if baking both on the same day.

Quick Pizza Sauce:

You will need:

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and liquid discarded(keep for another use... or make some BBQ sauce with it)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

pinch of sugar, optional

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients(except the reserved tomato juice) in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. 

2. Transfer the sauce to a bowl/jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Use the reserved tomato sauce for another use... or freeze for later.

Japanese Milk Bread... using the tangzhong method.

Japanese Milk Bread... using the tangzhong method.  Happy Easter! I haven't baked bread in such a long time, and I've  been missing it a lot. For me, baking bread has got to be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable tasks in the kitchen. I just love baking bread. But for the past few months I've slowly moved away from using too much flour in my baking. Thankfully, I don't have a gluten intolerance, so I can still use flour from time to time....

But recently my husband has been asking for pizza:)... and while I was making the pizza, I realized how much I enjoyed working with doughs. I had forgotten how good it felt to hold the soft dough in my hands, to stretch it, to see it rise and eventually taste the result. So I got in the bread making mood, and didn't stop with the pizza. I ventured to try out a recipe I had been wanting to make for years. A super-fluffy and soft milk bread that uses a water roux called tangzhong. 

The Japanese have been using a water roux to make super-soft and fluffy bread for years.  But the Chinese and Taiwanese(and other Asian countries) have borrowed this method to make all sorts of soft breads and rolls. Bread that stay fresh for longer without the use of chemical preservatives....  found in many Asian bakeries. 

In the 1990's, author Yvonne Chen popularized this water roux method in her book called 65 deg Bread Doctor . From there, many home cooks began using the formula to make all sorts of breads... be it sweet or savory, and in various shapes and sizes. The water roux method was truly a success... it gave breads an undeniably soft, fluffy and tender texture. 

I was really eager to try my hand at baking a Japanese milk bread. There are plenty of recipes online, but the one I adapted came from Christine's site. She also has a few other recipes(with beautiful photos) that use the tangzhong method. But the result gave me the softest and fluffiest bread I've ever made or eaten! Similar to the American version of Wonder Bread, but oh, so much better. Soft, velvety and so tender... I loved this bread. Simply amazing. Sometimes pictures don't do justice. Hope you enjoy...   

Note: I ended up baking two loaves at one time... one I left unfilled, the other I filled with a sweet walnut and cocoa rum flavored paste. I'm wanting to implement this technique for making the Romanian cozonac. This was just a trial in that direction. But possibilities are endless...

Tip: Feel free to shape the dough in various ways...  

You will need a VERY sharp knife to cut slices without compacting the bread. Or freeze, cut  and defrost. You can also just pull the rolls apart.    

Extra Note: I made this recipe using two (2) methods.... using the stand mixer (kneaded for 15 minutes), and the food processor (dough processed for about 2 minutes). Both yielded the same result. The food processor was a bit trickier in that some of the dough(being quite sticky) has the tendency to get underneath the blade, making the processor struggle a bit. You'll just have to stop and check on it... you'll also need a powerful processor.

You will need: inspired by Christine's Recipes

Tangzhong roux:    for two(2) loaves

1/3 cup bread flour

1 cup water (could be replaced by milk, or 50/50 water and milk)

Dough:   for one(1) loaf

2½ cups bread flour

4 TBS sugar  

1/2 tsp table salt (original uses 1 tsp)

1 egg, at room temp. 

1/2 cup milk, warm 

1/2(scant) cup tangzhong (use half of the tangzhong you make from above)

2 tsp instant yeast

4 TBS butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature)

flavorings/ extracts of choice can be added(vanilla, lemon/orange peel, rum almond etc.)

Filling: of choice... can be sweet or savory... you might end up getting"tunnels" with some of these fillings, braiding the dough might be another option.  These are just some suggestions...

sugar/cinnamon...and ground nuts

sugar, ground nuts, cocoa

raisins, dried fruit

turkish lokum

nuts

maybe spreads: nut butter, nutella, biscoff, preserves?

cheese, ham, bacon

Additional:

1 egg, beaten for brushing unbaked loaves

butter for brushing baked loaves, optional

Directions:

Make Tangzhong:

1. Mix flour in water well so you don't have any lumps. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring consistently with a wooden spoon, whisk or spatula to prevent burning and sticking while you cook it.

2. The mixture becomes thicker and thicker.... similar to a creme patisserie (thin pudding-like ). You will notice some “lines” appear in the mixture every time you stir and the roux should fall slowly off a whisk ... the temperature should be at 150 deg F.   Remove from heat.

3. Transfer the tangzhong into a clean bowl. Cover with a cling wrap. Let cool. The tangzhong can be used straight away once it cools down to room temperature.  If making only one loaf, the leftover tangzhong can be stored in fridge up to 3 days... as long as it doesn't turn grey. If so, you need to discard and cook another batch. Bring the chilled tangzhong to room temperature before adding to other ingredients.

Knead Bread Dough:

1. Combine all dry ingredients, flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a your mixer bowl. Mix to combine... a few seconds. 

2. Add all the wet ingredients, milk, egg and tangzhong (remember to use only 1/2 of the tangzhong if making only 1 loaf)... and any flavorings of choice, if you desire. 

3. Knead until you get a dough shape and gluten has developed(about 5 minutes), then add in the butter while mixer is still kneading.... continue kneading for an additional 10-12 minutes. 

4. Remove dough from bowl, and form the dough into a ball shape. Place in a greased bowl and cover.

5. Let proof till doubled in size, about 40 minutes... though the time will vary depending on the weather and warmth in the house. I like to place mine in a cozy oven.

6. Deflate dough and divide into four equal portions. Form into ball shapes. Cover with plastic wrap, let rest for 15 minutes.

7. Form rolls....

For non-filled: Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Fold 1/3 from top edge to the middle and press. Then fold 1/3 from bottom to the middle and press. Roll flat and with seal upward, roll into a cylinder. Place the roll with seal facing down in greased and parchment lined loaf pan... Repeat with rest of the dough. 

For filled: Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Spread/sprinkle filling of choice evenly over the rolled out dough and fold jelly-style, pinching  the seam to seal. Place the roll with seal facing down in greased and parchment lined loaf pan... Repeat with rest of the dough.

8. Leave rolled dough to proof, about 30-40 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. The filled dough tends to rise slower, about 40-50 minutes or so.

• Preheat oven to 350 deg F

9. Brush  risen dough with whisked egg on surface. Bake in a pre-heated (350 deg F) oven for 35 to 40 minutes. ... you may need to cover the bread lightly with foil, especially if bread is coloring too fast. I found myself covering it after 10 minutes... and then removing the foil later on to get the bread fully brown.

10. Remove from the oven. and remove bread from the pan. I like to brush the top of the loaves with some butter to soften the crust, but it is optional. Transfer onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Slice to serve or place in an airtight plastic bag or container once it's thoroughly cooled.... you can freeze and reheat later to get it to be just as fluffy.

Homemade Croissants... ATK/Cook' s Illustrated version.

Homemade Croissants... ATK/Cook' s Illustrated version... Memories of Paris. Freshly baked croissants in bakeries everywhere. Some filled with chocolate, some plain... but all of them flaky with a buttery goodness. Though it's been a few years since visiting Paris, I've kept many a memory of the times my husband and I would have breakfast together, stopping at a local bakery and ordering a delicious breakfast treat to go along with a cup of espresso. It seemed croissants were always available in the early morning hours....and you could smell the butter in the air as you entered the bakery shop.

Croissants. I've always wanted to make croissants... but could it ever be doable... you know, to make at home? And I mean the real croissants. The ones that are airy, flaky and buttery.... with a delicate crisp shattering outside "crust". Not the somewhat flaky pie crust/crescent type... where the butter sort of combines with the flour and has no layers. Those are good too, ... but I wanted the croissants to be like those in Paris.

I have to admit I've tried making croissants before... quite a few years ago. And as much as I wanted them to have been a success back then, well... they really weren't. And truth be told, I tried making croissants a few more times after that... with different recipes... until I gave up. Somehow, I felt I would never be able to get the dough to bake up like a real croissant.... like those in Paris. So I stopped trying to bake the "perfect" croissant. Figured the home cook can't... just don't have the right laminating machine, the right oven, etc. But recently, I decided to try again... after all these years. And this time... from a recipe by the folks at Cook's Illustrated. 

I've always had great success with Cook's Illustrated/Cook's Country/America's Test Kitchen's recipes. Many of their recipes are personal favorites. So when I came across their croissant recipe video, I felt I could try making croissants again. I mean, they sure made it look simple!  But before trying out the recipe, I made sure to have the right ingredients....  which meant european-style butter(less water and a bit higher fat%) and King Arthur's flour(has a bit higher protein%).  I hardly ever buy european-style butter, but in this case, I was willing to buy it. I wanted my croissants to come out... without blaming myself that I didn't follow the recipe exactly.  The butter was the only new ingredient I had to buy... because for the past few years, I've been using King Arthur flour for all my baking... so the flour wasn't an issue. 

In any case, I basically followed their recipe without any changes of mine (well, except as noted in the last tip). The result was unbelievably amazing. You truly can make croissants at home! They were just what I had been wanting to make all these years... and I wouldn't change a thing about them. Even the butter was well worth the investment... you can actually taste the difference. And you know what?... the croissants weren't really that difficult to make. 

Ok, I have to admit it might not be an easy recipe... especially for a beginner. And I must mention, since trying out my very first croissant recipe years ago, I've had plenty of experience with laminated dough(or puff pastry).... so I didn't attempt this recipe without knowing the basics. Over the years, I've learned through trials and errors, that a laminated dough must be kept cold at all times... otherwise, the dough won't have those distinct layers.... you'll just get a buttery dough. And since croissants are similar to puff pastry, I wasn't going into something foreign. The only difference in making a croissant dough is that you add yeast and milk. 

This recipe is what a croissant is all about... I don't think I''ll  be trying another recipe. For me it was a winner, and will definitely be making again.  By the way, did you know the croissants were first invented in Austria?... at least that's what they say. Could have very well been. I wouldn't know. However, I do know the Austrians make amazing desserts... as do the French. But regardless who invented the croissant... this recipe is worth making. Just give yourself some time, don't rush and be as precise as possible... oh, and enjoy your hard work:). They're totally worth it. Hope you enjoy...            

Update: I much prefer to bake ALL the croissants when freshly made and freezing them baked... rather than freezing the unbaked rolled croissants and then defrosting to rise and bake later.... the wait is too long, and they never seem to rise as high as the original.     

Note: Though it looks like the longest of posts, the process isn't really that long... just lots of waiting in between folding, refrigerating and rising.

Tips: 

• It really helps being precise... use a ruler to measure. Oh, and read the recipe/watch the video a couple of times to understand the process before proceeding.   
• Keep your butter cold at all times... when folding dough, if you notice the butter getting soft, refrigerate/freeze dough until it firms up.
• Work in a 70 deg F kitchen... ideally no hotter. A couple of degrees above won't matter much, but when the kitchen is too hot, the croissants will suffer. 
• While folding and rolling, use a straight edge(I used the side of a large knife) to bring the dough to the proper measurements. 
• Allow the  croissants to rise in a 68-72 deg F... ideally no colder nor much hotter. If it's too cold, the yeast will take much longer to activate... and if it's too hot, the butter in the dough will melt.  
• While Cook's Illustrated/ATK does not say to lightly cover croissants with aluminum paper half way through baking, I find it essential to do this. This way you don't have croissants that are burned/overly browned.... and at the same time have the insides cooked through.

You will need: from Cook's Illustrated(Jan/Feb 2012 issue), or the ATK's video clip(not sure how long this link will be valid), or Food. com 

Dough:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups whole milk 

4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast 

4 1/4 cups (21 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour ( King Arthur is preferred, what I used)

1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar 

2 teaspoons kosher salt 

Butter Block:

12 oz (24 tablespoons) unsalted European-style-butter, very cold (I used Plugra, recommended)

Egg Wash:

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon cold water

pinch of salt

Directions:

DOUGH:

1. Over low heat, melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Remove pan from heat and immediately stir in milk (the temperature should be lower than 90 degrees F ). 

2. Whisk in yeast and transfer milk mixture to bowl of a stand mixer. 

3.  Add the flour, sugar, and salt  to the bowl with milk mixture. Using dough hook, knead on low speed until a cohesive dough forms... which should take about 2 to 3 minutes. 

4. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead for 1 more minute. 

5. Remove bowl from mixer and cover with plastic wrap. 

6. Let dough rest at room temperature 30 minutes.

7. Transfer dough to parchment paper–lined baking sheet(I just placed a parchment paper on the counter and then placed the dough on the parchment paper)

8. Shape(using your fingertips) into 10 x 7-inch rectangle about 1 inch thick.

9. Wrap dough tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

BUTTER BLOCK: 

1. While the dough chills, fold a 24-inch length of parchment paper in half to make a 12-inch rectangle. 

2. Fold over the 3 open sides of the rectangle to form an 8-inch square with enclosed sides. 

3. Crease folds firmly. Set aside.

4. Cut and place 24 tablespoons (12 oz) very cold butter directly on counter (or leave on butter paper) and beat with rolling pin for about 60 seconds (or so) until butter is just pliable but not warm. You can  then fold butter on itself using bench scraper, but I didn't... I sort of cut a few pieces of butter and added them to the sides to make the corners. 

5. Beat butter into a rough 6-inch square... 

6. Unfold parchment envelope you set aside earlier. Using bench scraper(or butter paper), transfer butter to center of the parchment paper, refolding at creases to enclose. 

7. Turn packet over, with flaps underneath, and using a rolling pin on top of the parchment paper, gently roll until butter fills the parchment square. Make sure you have an even thickness. 

8. Refrigerate  butter packet at least 45 minutes.... or longer.

LAMINATE: 

Before making the laminate dough you will need to transfer the dough from the above DOUGH directions, step 8,...  and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

1. After 30 minutes in the freezer, transfer dough to lightly floured counter and roll into 17 x 8-inch rectangle with the long side parallel to edge of counter. 

2. Unwrap butter packet and place the butter in center of dough. 

3. Fold both sides of dough over butter so they meet in center. Press seam together with fingertips. 

4. With rolling pin, press firmly on each open end of packet( top and bottom) to seal edges. 

5. Roll out lengthwise into a 24 x 8-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a business letter ... so you get an 8-inch square. 

6. Turn dough 90 degrees counterclockwise. Roll the dough out lengthwise again into 24 x 8-inch rectangle and fold into thirds.... like a business letter. 

7. Place dough on a parchment paper (or cookie sheet), and wrap it tightly with plastic. 

8. Return dough to freezer for 30 minutes. 

Repeat folding after 30 minute freezer time:

1. Transfer dough from freezer to a lightly floured counter ... so that top flap opens on right. 

2. Roll out dough lengthwise into 24 x 8-inch rectangle and fold into thirds. 

3. Place dough on sheet, wrap tightly with plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours. I left mine overnight.

SHAPE:  

Before shaping you will need to remove the laminated dough from the fridge after it's been in the fridge for the 2-24 required hours.... and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

1. After the dough has been in the freezer for 30 minutes, transfer it to a lightly floured counter and roll into 18 x 16-inch rectangle with long side of rectangle parallel to edge of counter. 

2. Fold upper half of dough over lower half. 

3. Using ruler, mark dough at 3-inch intervals along bottom edge with bench scraper (you should have 5 marks). 

4. Move ruler to top edge of dough, measure in 1 1/2 inches from left, then use this mark to measure out 3-inch intervals (you should have 6 marks). 

5. Starting at lower left corner, use sharp pizza wheel or knife to cut dough from mark to mark. You will have 12 triangles and 5 diamonds; discard scraps.... place scraps(next to each other) in a small tart pan to rise.

6. Unfold diamonds and cut into 10 triangles (making 22 equal-size triangles in total).

7. Position 1 triangle on counter. (Keep remaining triangles covered with plastic.) 

8. Cut 1/2-inch slit in center of short side of triangle. Grasp triangle by 2 corners on either side of slit and stretch gently, then stretch bottom point, again gently. 

9. Place triangle on counter so point is facing you. Fold down both sides of slit. Roll top of triangle partway toward point. Gently grasp point with 1 hand and stretch again. Resume rolling, tucking point underneath. 

10. Curve ends gently toward each other to create crescent. Repeat with remaining triangles.

11. Place 9 shaped croissants on a parchment lined sheet (or 12 croissants on 2 parchment-lined sheets)... at least 2 1/2 inches apart. 

12. Lightly wrap with plastic. Let stand at room temperature( 70 degrees F is ideal) until nearly doubled in size, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

( The rest of the shaped croissants can be refrigerated for up to 18 hours. Remove from refrigerator to rise and add at least 30 minutes to rising time.... I personally haven't yet tried this. 

Or you can freeze the rest of the shaped croissants (what I ended up doing).... see Make Ahead Note at the bottom of this post. ) 

13. After croissants have been rising for about 2 1/2 hours(or until croissants have almost doubled)...

•  adjust oven rack to be in the middle... if making only 9 croissants and using 1 sheet.
• adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions... if making 12 croissants and using 2 sheets. 
•  heat oven to 425 degrees F. 

14. In small bowl, whisk together egg, water, and pinch salt.

15. Brush croissants with egg wash. Place croissants in hot oven and reduce temperature to 400 degrees F. 

16.  Bake for 12 minutes, then switch and rotate baking sheets if making 12 croissants. If making only 9 you don't have to worry about rotating pans.

17. After about 12 minutes baking time, loosely cover croissants with aluminum paper and continue to bake until deep golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes longer. My total baking time was close to 20 minutes. Do watch so as not to burn. 

Note: Covering the croissants with aluminum paper was my idea to keep the croissants from not burning on the outside, and yet still cooking completely inside.... you can skip it if you like, but the croissants have a tendency to burn rather quickly .

18. Transfer croissants to wire rack and cool about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

TO MAKE AHEAD: see step 12 above. 

1. After shaping, place 10 croissants( or the remainder if you've baked only 9) 1 inch apart on parchment-lined sheet. 

2. Wrap with plastic and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. 

3. Transfer to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. 

4. Bake frozen croissants as directed from step 8, increasing rising time by to 2 hours, or as needed to double in size.

Brazilian Pao de Queijo....or Cheese Bread Rolls(Gluten-Free)

Brazilian Pao de Queijo....or Cheese Bread Rolls( Gluten-free). I've been meaning to make the Brazilian Pao de Queijo for SUCH a long time...probably a couple of years now. Recently though(well, not so recent, as this post is long overdue), I bought the tapioca starch and meant to make them...had a few projects I needed to do and somehow didn't get the chance to even think about them. The tapioca starch was sitting in my fridge... for a few weeks...and then I saw Susy, from Cooking In The Desert, post the exact recipe I had meant to make. After seeing her beautiful photos, I just knew I couldn't wait any longer... made the rolls the following day.

The inside of the cheese rolls remind me of the Japanese mochi... with that chewy, spongy texture. If you've had mochi ice cream, you'll know what I mean...or maybe even those fried spongy sesame balls found at Chinese restaurants. In any case, they aren't exactly a typical bread roll. While the outside may be misleading, the inside is far from having a bread-like texture...expect a moist and chewy texture when making these rolls... with a cheesy flavor. The flavor sort of reminds me of a soft cheese cracker...or a cheese quiche. That's the best I could do in describing them. But we really, really liked them... actually, we found ourselves eating more than our share:). It's probably best to make these when you have a large group of people to share them with...

But, regardless, I am thinking of making these again... for a New Year's appetizer. Thought it best to post this recipe now, in case some of you are entertaining... and would like to try it. Hope you enjoy...

~~~~~~Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year!~~~~~~

Note: The rolls deflate a bit after they cool down...

Tip: You can refrigerate some of the dough and make a new fresh batch a day or two later... if making for guests, bake them the first day for best results and serve them straightaway.

I've even frozen the dough(though the texture suffers a bit...still good, but not great).

Though probably not traditional, you can opt to add some herbs of choice.

You will need: adapted from Cooking In The Desert and makes a pretty large batch...maybe 40-50 rolls?

500 grams tapioca starch

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1-2 tsps salt, or to taste( I used a few pinches)

350 grams mozzarella cheese*

3 eggs

*or other cheese, such as Parmesan, queso fresco, or a mixture...I used 300 grams mozzarella and 50 grams of Mexican blend grated cheese, because I ran out of mozzarella. Traditionally the matured Minas cheese is used...

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350 deg F:

1. Place the tapioca starch in a large bowl...or a mixer bowl.

2. To a saucepan, add milk, water and oil. Bring to a boil.

3. Pour hot milk liquid over the tapioca starch. Mix with a spoon until well incorporated....you could use a dough hook, as well. The mixture is quite thick and sticky.

4. Allow dough to cool..and then add the cheese. Knead until the cheese is incorporated....I ended up kneading the cheese by hand...it takes a bit for the dough to fully incorporate the cheese....

5. Add salt and mix to combine. If using a salty cheese, you may want to cut down on amount of salt... taste and adjust.

6. Add the eggs, one by one, until well incorporated...sort of like when making choux pastry. You can knead the dough using your hands...or using the dough hook from the mixer. I used my mixer to do this part of the kneading.

7. Form balls measuring around 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. I oiled my hands a bit when forming the balls as the mixture can be quite sticky.

8. Bake in pre-heated oven until puffy and lightly brown...18 or so minutes. Do keep an eye on them...as you want them to just get a tinge of color...but not too brown. The rolls deflate a bit after they have cooled....and have a mochi-like interior texture... moist and chewy.

Crusty 10-Grain Sourdough Bread Loaves... using a starter.

Crusty 10-Grain Sourdough Bread Loaves... It was one of those days when I needed a break... what better way than to relax in the kitchen:). Love to bring out the flour and bake bread.

I confess I wasn't planning on making this particular bread... nor posting it. It was just that I really needed to use my starter as I was going on vacation for a few weeks... wanted to use most of it, if I could. I hoped the rest of the sourdough starter would somehow survive in the back of the fridge until I came back.

As I looked at my starter sitting on the counter from the night before, all fed and ready to be used, I thought of all the possible ways I could use it. I could of course make bread. But what kind of bread? I suppose the possibilities were endless... rolls would be easy to do, as well as flatbreads, or pizza doughs... even sweet breads could be made. But you see, I had this 10-grain hot cereal mix sitting in my fridge... could I possibly use it? It would be fun to come up with a new recipe. I really wanted to experiment... didn't want to rely on a specific recipe from a bread book. Sort of wanted to be on my own...

Truth be told, I wasn't expecting a stellar end-product... neither was I expecting something fabulous. At least most times when I experiment, the end result isn't always something to be proud of. But I knew the worst that could happen was to have some really dense flat breads with a crumbly, coarse crumb. I wasn't really worried as I could always turn it into breadcrumbs:)... but deep down I wanted my loaves to be successful. So I forged ahead and combined the ideas/techniques I learned from the Almost No Knead Bread, the Multigrain Sandwich Bread, and the Sourdough Walnut Bread to bake bread.

As I started getting all my ingredients out, I decided to get a pen and paper, along with my camera:)... just in case the loaves would be a success. I've made plenty of other recipes where I didn't write down measurements... and wished I had! Needless to say, I was thrilled with the final result....the bread loaves were fantastic! I could hardly wait to cut through it and see how the crumb was... springy, soft and well, you can see it in the photos. The crust was nice and crispy with a nice crunch. Wonderful for making hot or cold sandwiches, or next to a soup or saucy entree... or simply topped with some butter and jam. Loved the sunflower seeds and the various grains throughout the bread. Interestingly enough, I was planning on adding a bit more whole wheat flour to the dough...but found out last minute, that I only had 1 cup of spelt flour in the house. Ended up making the bread with what I had in the house. Next time, I'll add more whole wheat flour.

Years ago, I received quite a few Corningware casserole dishes as wedding gifts... at the time, I thought, "When would I ever use them all?".... How thankful I am for those dishes! They really come in handy... especially when baking bread. I know other folks use dutch ovens for baking bread, but I like to use the Corningware. I can make smaller loaves, and freeze some for later. Plus, the bread gets just the right kind of crust...golden and not too crusty.

In any case, I am posting the recipe for my own personal reference...and for those of you who care to try it. By the way, the sourdough starter survived in the back of the fridge until I came back... ended up making this bread again, except a sundried tomato/basil version. Hope you enjoy...

Note: While I used a 10-Grain Hot Cereal( Bob's Red Mill), you can easily use a 7 or 8-Grain Hot cereal.

Tip: You can use any baking dish/es that are oven-proof to at least 450 deg F(just decrease the pre-heating temp).... the lids must be oven-proof as well.

You will need:

2 1/4 cups sourdough starter, fed from the night before

1 cup 10-grain cereal

2 cups boiling water

2 1/2 tsps kosher salt

2 TBS honey

1/4 cup olive oil( or meted butter)

1 cup whole grain spelt flour

3 1/2-4 cups bread flour, or as needed

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds( or other seeds of choice)

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, boil water, remove from heat and add 10-grain cereal, honey, and oil,(or butter if using). Mix and set aside until mixture reaches 120 deg F. I just stir the mixture continuously so that I speed the cooling.

2. To a mixing bowl(with a kneading hook), add the sourdough starter, salt, the cooled 10-Grain mixture, the spelt flour, and 3 1/2 cups bread flour.

3. Knead mixture using a dough hook for 5-6 minutes...at this time check to see that the dough isn't overly wet...it should release from the sides of the bowl as it is kneading, but stick to the bottom. The dough will start out very sticky, then gradually start to come away from the sides of the bowl. You can stop midway through, scraping the sticky dough off the sides, and then continue kneading. The dough should climb the hook for the most part. If it is still sticking to the sides, continue adding more flour, 1 TBS at a time, until the dough releases from the sides... I needed the whole 4 cups. But be careful as you don't want to add too much flour.

4. Continue kneading for an additional 3-4 minutes for a total of 9- 10 minutes. During the last minute of kneading, add the sunflower seeds and knead to combine.

Note: The dough is still a tacky sort of dough, expect it to stick to the sides as you stop the mixer from kneading.

5. Oil your hands and divide dough in 3 equal parts... shape the dough in 3 balls.

6. Place each dough ball on it's own parchment paper( you will need the parchment paper to help you place the dough in the baking dish...) and lightly cover with an oiled plastic wrap.

7. Allow to proof for 2 hours...

8. After 1 1/2 hours of proofing time, place 3 Corningware casserole dishes(with lids) in oven( big enough to allow the bread to rise inside when baking)....and pre-heat oven to 475 for 30 minutes.... the Corningware is in the oven during the preheating of the oven...the full 30 minutes.

9. After 2 hours of proofing(and 30 minutes of preheating) slash the loaves( 1/2 in deep)... you can make one slash in the middle or 2 as I have done.

10.Using oven mitts, remove the corningware from the oven. Remove lid and place proofed bread loaves(along with the parchment paper) in each of the 3 Corningwares. Cover with lids and place in hot oven.

Decrease oven to 450 Degs F

11. Bake loaves for 30 minutes. Remove lids and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes...or until the inside of the bread registers about 205-210 Deg F. You may need to cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent the loaves from burning.

12. Allow bread to cool completely(preferably 1- 2 hours) before slicing... Wrap well and freeze, if you like.

Stromboli...

Stromboli...I recently received an email from a reader who wanted to know if I would ever make Stromboli. Well, I've made Stromboli before...but it's been a long time. I didn't promise my reader that I would post a Stromboli recipe, rather I explained the process to her in the email. But I ended up making the Stromboli recently:)...

So this is for "M " .... and for those of you who would like to try it as well:). Hope you enjoy...

Note:

• I ended up using a Bagel recipe... just because the dough is easy to work with and can handle all the heavy filling. It's a bit sturdier than a normal pizza dough and you can roll it much easier. It's just a great dough.... and tasty. You will need a strong mixer to do all the kneading...
• This recipe makes 2 LARGE Stromboli loaves. I ended up freezing one of the loaves(the pesto one) just to test out the "freezing" idea....it took me most all day to defrost the filled Stromboli and get the dough to room temperature....so I would suggest freezing the dough only.... defrosting it, and then bringing it to room temperature before proceeding to fill it. I ended up baking the pesto Stromboli in the evening... therefore not the best photos.
• The Stromboli will have "tunnels" throughout...it is normal as the cheese melts and leaves a gap.
• You can fill the Stromboli with whatever meats you prefer... I did a more traditional version. But feel free to even do a vegetarian version... using sauteed vegetables.
• Deli meats and Parmesan cheese can be quite salty... so try not to add too much of it. You can of course use just one type of deli meat.
• You can cut the slices in squares...use them as an appetizer for entertaining.

You will need: makes 2 very large Stromboli loaves... or you can make one Stromboli and use the rest of the dough to make pizza...or freeze the dough for later.

1 recipe for Bagels, or use your favorite pizza dough

deli meats of choice...salami, ham, prosciutto, etc.

roasted red bell peppers, blotted dry

mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

pesto, optional

Italian seasoning

egg for brushing loaves

pizza sauce for dipping

Directions:

1. Make bagel dough recipe.... to step 5 of the Best-Ever Bagels.

2. After dough has risen...divide into 2 pieces of equal size.(if you like, you can actually divide them into 4 pieces and make smaller Stromboli)

3. Roll out dough in a rectangle to about 1/2 inch thickness....my rectangle was 14x17 inches.

4. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over dough( 1 -2 cups...I used about 2 cups)...leaving a 2 inch border. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese( 1/4 cup or so).... not too much, as the filling can get over salty.

5. Top with thin slices of deli meat... ham and salami( I used about 9 each). Don't overdo the meats...as they too can be salty.

6. Blot the roasted red bell peppers of all moisture...and then cut into strips and add on top of the meat....I used about 2 roasted bell peppers per loaf. You can use store-bought roasted bell peppers.

7. Add a few strips of prosciutto... I used about 4 slices per loaf, cut in strips.

8. Sprinkle a couple of pinches of Italian seasoning all over.

9. I made the second loaf with some pesto, Havarti cheese, roasted bell peppers, Parmesan and deli meats. You can substitute the pesto with a bit of pizza sauce instead...not too much or it will make the filling soggy.

10. Roll the dough over the filling just as you would a jelly roll/cinnamon roll....at this point you can brush the outside edge with a bit of egg wash (the same egg wash you will be brushing the rolled loaves with). I didn't as I plumb forgot... taking too many photos:).

11. Pinch the ends and the seam.

12. Place the loaf/loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet and let rise for 25-30 minutes or until puffed a bit.

13. Brush with egg wash...beaten egg and 2 TBS water. Make sure to brush the entire loaf.

14. You can cut small slits on top of the dough to let the steam escape...it probably isn't necessary. I made my slits a bit too big, and in the end some cheese oozed out. I just scooped it back inside.

15. Bake in a preheated 400 deg oven....center rack... for about 25-30 minutes or until nicely browned. I left mine for 30 minutes...just to ensure the middle was cooked through.

16. Allow to cool and rest for about 10 minutes or so before cutting into it. Cut using a sharp serrated knife. Re-heat leftovers in a toaster oven/oven.

17. You can serve the Stromboli with a side of pizza sauce for dipping.