Bread time

I like all things quick and easy... so despite the excellent tangzhong method, I decide to use this relatively easier sponge-and-dough method.

As the sponge has to be prepared at least 1 day in advance, I got it done on friday night with the intention to bake a week's worth of bread on weekend.

Unfortunately we had a terribly busy weekend - J's colleague's wedding lunch and my grandpa's 87th birthday celebration on Saturday. Alas, a Motor Show to catch before it ended on Sunday. To cut the long story short, I didn't bake on weekend.

But the sponge must be used up in 48hours, so in between I sneak in sometime to mix the dough and knead briefly before stashing it in the fridge until my next free slot.

I have been at the regional workshop this whole week. As in such workshop, the day will not end without emptying some bottles of wine and a sinfully heavy meal... you can imagine how dead tired by the time I'm back home *whoosh*

Time and tide won't wait. So is the bread... it continues to ferment in the fridge (should've frozen it instead)... I just had to pull myself together to bake this tonight... and as I type, i am rewarded with the intoxicating bread sniff coming from my oven. It is intoxicating cos it was been left out for 1 too many days - there's a strong alcohol smell.

The recipe is quite large, and I can't live to eat the same bread everyday... so I made them into oat, raisin, cinnamon and sesame.

same old raisin... but looks better than the last one ...

Don't tell me how suggestive this look to you... it's all in your mind. *heehee*

Cinnamon

yep, the same boring oat.. you will keep seeing this until I finish up the pack of oat.

Overnight Sponge
100g bread flour
60g water, room temperature
1/4 tsp instant yeast

1. Mix the instant yeast with 20g of water until well blended. Add in the remaining ingredients and knead to form a dough. Let it proof for 30mins.
   
2. Wrap with cling film and keep in the fridge overnight or upto 48hours
   

This will yield 152g of sponge

Black Sesame Healthy Bread

Ingredients A:
600g bread flour
10g instant yeast
60g sugar
6g salt
25g milk powder

Ingredients B:
120g overnight sponge dough
370g cold water

Ingredients C:
50g butter

Ingredients D:
30g black sesame, toasted
30g white sesame, toasted

1. Mix A until well blended. Add in B, knead to form a dough.


2. Add C, knead to form a smooth and elastic dough. Add D and mix until well combined.
   
3. cover with cling film, allow it to proof for 45min in a warm place.


4. divide the dough into 50g each and mold it round. Brush the dough with water. Coat it with black and white sesame, place it into a flower-shape mould.
   
5. Allow it to proof for 50min. Bake at 190C for 15min.
   

This recipe is adapted from Alex Goh's "Baking Code".

Baker's Notes:

• This is the first time in my bread making that I did not add any more flour during kneading. I only use some sunflower oil to grease my hand and worktop lightly.



• I did not glaze my bread before nor after baking... these are extra calories which I can do without. But if you must have the glossy appearance, glaze with egg wash or milk with some sugar.



• The bread is really soft and moist.... certainly worth sacrificing the sleep :-)