Croissants

Homemade croissants - Perfect for breakfast.

This is goin to be a very lengthy process. so stay calm:P

Croissant Dough

3 1/2 cups flour
...1 cup barely warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups cold unsalted butter

Method:
In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup of the flour with the water and yeast just until the lumps of flour are broken up. Set the bowl aside and let rise for 1 hour.

Add the remaining flour, salt and knead the mixture for 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Knead the mixture by hand for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic by the time you finish kneading.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a 9 x 17-inch rectangle. Place the square of butter on the bottom half of the rectangle. You can use your hands to align the dough and the sides of the butter square.

Fold the top half of the rectangle of dough down over the bottom half so the square of butter is now enclosed. Press together the edges of the square to seal in the butter. Use your hands to even out the square.

Gently pound the square with a rolling pin to stretch the dough and the butter in it. Roll the dough into a 9 x 18-inch rectangle.

Repeat the process of rolling the dough into a 9 x 18-inch rectangle, then folding the rectangle into thirds by bringing the bottom up and the top down over it. Use your fingers to make two imprints on the dough to keep track of the fact that you've completed two turns.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of the dough into a 6 1/2 x 20-inch rectangle.

Transfer each large rectangle onto one of the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. You want the dough firm, but not brittle.

The next step is to cut the triangles from the dough that will be formed into individual croissants.(Please look at the picture in the blog.)

Begin to roll the triangles to form the croissants by curling the two sides of the triangle on each side of the slit away from each other.

Arrange the croissants on a sheet pan and cover them with plastic wrap to proof.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the croissants are puffed and golden brown

Pita Breads

homemade pita bread...soft and fluffy...the exact middle eastern recipe....

lukewarm water-110F-1Cup
flour-3Cup
yeast-1 1/2teaspoon
oil-1Teaspoon
salt-1teaspoon
sugar-2teaspoon

add oil,
salt and sugar to the water.
mix yeast in one cup of flour and add this to the water mixture.
add the rest of the flour and knead into a soft dough.
keep the dough in a lightly oiled bowl,cover with a cling wrap and keep in a warm place until it doubles in volume.

punch the dough down and divide into 8 equal balls.rolls the balls into 6-7 inch round circles and keep them on a floured surface covering them loosely with a kitchen towel for 35 mins.

meanwhile preheat the oven to 500F and bake 2 pitas at a time for 5 mins.
the pitas will puff up on their own...

when taken out from the oven place the pitas in a damp towel and cool.

fluffy soft pitas are ready..these are perfect as sandwich pockets....i loved the recipe..

Chicken bread

Ingredients for dough

Flour 16 ounces or 4 cups
Yeast heaped 1 tbsp
Powder milk 2 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Oil 4 tbsp
Egg 1 + 1
Castor sugar 1 tsp
Ingredients for chicken filling
Chicken boil and shredded 1 ½ cup
Onion chopped 1
Salt 1 tsp
Black pepper 1 tsp
Coriander leaves 2 tbsp
Green chilies chopped 4
All spice 1 tsp
Flour 2 tbsp
Butter 2 tbsp
Milk 1 cup
Sesame seeds as required
Method for dough
In a bowl mix together 4 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp castor sugar, 2 tbsp milk powder, 1 tbsp yeast, 4 tbsp oil and 1 egg, knead to a medium soft dough with water, leave to rise for 1 hour.

METHOD FOR FILLING

Heat 2 tbsp butter
fry 1 chopped onion till soft
add 2 tbsp flour with 1 tsp salt,
1 tsp black pepper,
1 tsp all spice,
1 cup milk,
cook till thick,
mix in 1 ½ cup shredded chicken
and add 4 chopped green chilies
and 2 tbsp coriander leaves,
remove and cool filling now roll the dough to a rectangular shape,
snipped the edges sides with scissor on knife,
put filling in the centre and fold each side so they overlap each other the filling will show slightly,
brush top with 1 beaten egg,
sprinkle sesame seeds and
bake on 200 degree C for 25 minutes.
enjoy.........

Lamb minced Pastry

ingredients

*1kg lamb mince
*2 potatoes cubed
*onion,garlic chopped
*turmeric,chilli,cumin,cori​ander powder 1and half tsp each
*garlic & ginger paste 1 TBsp each
*salt
*oil

fry onion garlic in hot oil until little brown.
add all the spices,garlic ginger pastes and mix well until oil separates.
put the mince in it and keep cooking until tender.
add potatoes and keep cooking until it is cooked.
turn off the flame when done and let it cool

pastry ingredients
*3 cups of all purpose flour
*1 sachet of instant yeast
*1 cup warm milk
*1 tsp sugar
*salt
*oil
*egg wash(whisked 1 egg+some milk)

the dough can be made before u start to make the mince mixture so it has time to rise.by the time u finish cooking the mince the dough is ready

add sugar in warm milk and then add yeast and cover for few mins.let it rise.
when it becomes frothy the yeast is ready
in large bowl put flour and salt and some oil.mix together.to this add the yeast and warm milk mixture.mix them all together until they bind and form a ball.cover and leave it for an hour in warm place.

the dough will rise and double in size.knead it softly with ur hand then make portions of small balls ( whatever size u want big or small).

take each ball and roll them in round shape.then i placed it on mould to put the mince filling in.if u dont have mould dont worry.after putting the filling just fold it in half and pince the sides with fingertips.it shud look like half moon.make all the others same way.

place in tray and brush the top with egg wash to give shiny and golden color

bake in oven at 180 c for 15-20 mins or until golden brown color.
I hv used benchtop oven so i had to flip them over half way to brown other side.
enjoy hot with ketchup or sour cream.

Stuffed Potato Naan

Ingredients:
flour(maida)
2tb oil
1 egg
1 tb or one small packet instant yeast
1 tb sugar
1/2 tsp salt
luke warm milk for kneading flour as required

Method for dough

combine all ingridients and knead it very well with luke warm water/milk.
knead dough medium soft (not very soft and not hard)after a good kneading cover your dough properly and keep it at some warm place and let it rise for 1 or 2 hours or until double in size.

FOR STUFFING:

Boil three medium sized potatoes peel them off mash.
Add salt,
red chilli flakes,
1/2tsp garam masala
1ts of lemon juiece,
roasted cumin seeds and coriander seeds,
green chillies and green coriander,
Mix everything well...........For making naan take a ball out of the dough roll it in to the shape of chapati.
Spread filling evenly over it.
Now make a cut from the centre of the circle to the edge with a sharp knife.Hold one end into ur hand and roll it like a cone.
Now press the cone down just to give it round shape like a paira.
Roll it again into a round circle like roti dusting surface with flour.
Add seaseme seeds on top.
Cook the lower side of naan on a pan and for upper side grill it in a pre heated oven for 4-5 mins or until nice golden brown colour.
At the end brush it with butter and enjoy...:).

Yummy Buns

To make the dough

• 500 g flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 20 g butter
• 25 g sugar
• 12 g fresh yeast
• 1 egg yolk
• 280 ml milk
• 50 g flour for dusting

To brush the top of the bun

• 1 egg, beaten with 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Make the dough
Start by getting the mixer ready as we're going to use it to make the dough.

Add to the bowl the flour, the pinch of salt, sugar, yeast, egg yolk, butter and finally pour in the milk and mix all the ingredients till it become tender.

Finally, dust some flour over a flat surface, put the dough in the centre and knead it with the palm of your hand. This will give it more texture and strength.
Knead for about 1 minute until the dough gets a velvety texture.

Leave the dough to rise
Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a tea towel and leave it in a warm place to rise.
This should take about one and half hours.

Make the buns
Firstly, punch the dough down into the bowl to remove the air and peel it out.
Then dust a flat surface with flour and place the dough on top
Now cut it length ways
and across four times to make 10 buns.
Now take one of the buns and roll it into a long strip. Then hold both ends and tie it into a knot.

Leave the buns to rise
Place the buns on the baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and cover them with the tea towel.
Then leave them to rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190ºC or gas mark 5.
Prepare the buns for baking
After 30 minutes have passed, or when the buns have doubled in size we need to prepare them before baking.
Using a brush, generously coat each of the buns with the egg wash.
Then sprinkle over the sesame seeds

Bake the buns
Place the baking tray in the centre of the oven and bake the buns for 20 minutes.
When golden brown, remove the buns from the oven and serve while warm.

You can enjoy them alone with butter or try an endless list of fillings, from tuna and red onion or chocolate spread.