For my second blog post for the Blogging A to Z Challenge, I would like to write about bread, one of my favourite things to bake.
B is for Bread
When I started out baking in 2011, the first thing I baked all by myself was a banana cake. I got the recipe from the Internet and baked the cake in a loaf tin. However, I was always intrigued by bread. Over the years, after attending quite a number of baking classes, I have learnt and practised the art of making bread, much to my enjoyment. In fact, the first bread-making class I ever attended was at the Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus. I bought a Groupon for the class. At that time, it was the second Groupon I ever bought. The first Groupon I bought was for a macaroon making class, also at Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus.
When I have the time, I like to make bread entirely by hand, from mixing the dough to kneading, to forming the loaf or buns, and finally baking the bread in the oven. There is a sense of satisfaction that words cannot begin to describe about being able to make my own food from scratch. At one point in time, I even made my own sourdough starter and then my own sourdough bread. I was overjoyed when it turned out well. You can read the article by clicking here.
I like to use unbleached bread flour, and also wholewheat flour. However, it is not only about the flour. Did you know that commercially made bread is full of additives and preservatives? There is a chemical for everything – a chemical to prevent your bread from becoming mouldy too soon, a chemical to make your bread soft (it is called a softener), a chemical to prevent your risen dough from falling, etc., not to mention all kinds of flavouring.
Although making our own bread takes time, there are ways to simplify the process, or make our lives easier. When I do not have the time to make it entirely by hand, but still want to make my own bread, I cut short the process by using the mixer to knead the bread. If I want to cut down the time required even further, I will use my trusty Kenwood Breadmaker BM260. I just need to weight and put all the ingredients into the breadmaker, turn it on, select the program and press start. When the bread is ready, the machine will beep to inform me, just like a washing machine. Nobody ever said we should ditch healthy eating when we are busy.
We can also make a large batch of bread and freeze some of it for later. For example, the two baguettes in the photo mosaic above were baked at the same time, but I froze one to eat the following week. We can do a lot with bread that has been frozen. We can slice and toast the bread. I also like to steam the slices. They become soft and fluffy.
Hui Min's Kitchen 