Tag: whole-wheat flour

Last bread of the year?

The last week in Japan for this year is just starting. As usual before traveling, the last week is a marathon: squeeze in all the appointments, meetings that require me to be physically here, prepare for packing, and here on top, prepare for Xmas presents, since we’ll follow directly with a visit to our family and friends in France. I’m quite excited to go to Florence, first because I’ve never been there yet, and A. will show me around, there will be cooking opportunities with sone local products; second because these five days there are meant for me to work on a book (not an scientific one, neither a cookbook…). A very new activity, something I don’t know where to start and how to organize myself, it is very challenging for me… I write this book with a philosopher who is used to that so that will probably help a bit… we’ll see. That said, it means that I have less time in the morning to prepare pancakes… so yesterday I baked a big black bread that would be our breakfast for the next three days. I used 1/3 of black wheat flour and 2/3 of whole wheat flour for it. It is very nutritious and tasty. And to slice it more easily and evenly, I baked it in a rectangular bread mold, something that makes it resemble pumpernickel. Simple and delicious. Have a great week!!

Baking bread

I haven’t posted any bread recipe recently but that doesn’t mean I haven’t baked any! I have baked a lit of fougasses this summer for our visiting friends. Of course for breakfast I have cooked more pancakes than ever, but bread is still one of my favorite. All warm, just out of the oven, the smells that mixes with A. freshly ground coffee is that of perfect Sunday mornings. After almost 3 years of making bread regularly now I rarely use my recipe book anymore, unless I am doing something fancy, and I just mix my various flours and seeds… in different combinations that all end up being perfectly delicious. Recently I bought a lot of organic whole wheat flour and some local spelt, buckwheat… flours so I’m enjoying making some mixes, to obtain a rich dark bread that suits very well jam, honey, butter, cheese and ham. Adding seeds: flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame; nuts or bran: oat or wheat add a lot of texture to the bread and is also very nice. This time I made a very simple 80% whole wheat-20% spelt and it was really delicious. For the rest of the recipe details please check that post, or look for “bread” in the search tool. You can also click on “bread” in the list of tags just below.

Little breads

Recently I haven’t posted much about bread making. I made a trial for a panettone which was a delicious “something”, but not a panettone the recipe I used from “journal des femmes” website was just a big scam, after more searching in some cookbooks, I think I have a nice recipe to try. I also baked less because the past weeks have been quite cold and I know I have troubles making the dough prove and raise properly in this cold everything ends much more compact than it should.  But taking this as an opportunity I wanted to make an energetic breakfast so I decided to bake to make oat wheat breads and flaxseed little breads with whole wheat and spelt flours. The result was really nice. Because of the cold the breads were very dense and compact with a beautiful golden color. The taste and texture were exactly what I wanted, so even when your house is coldd you can bake! Don’t expect to make fluffy brioche or bread loaf, but for compact and nourishing breads it is perfect!!!

Last week…

Yes! This is the last week before we take a few holidays for the end of the year. So much to do at work before then that days will be really too short and I already expect getting back home late and having little time to cook properly. So my shopping basket at the farmers market was full of easy to prepare and versatile seasonal products. A lot if simple Japanese food ahead with the lotus roots, the carrots, the sweet potatoes and the sato imo. But before that, I prepared a spinach and tofu quiche with a whole wheat flour and wheat bran dough. I used olive oil for the dough rather than butter, and soya milk, drained moendofu and fresh spinach for the filling. With eggs it gets firmer, but they are not necessary. I didn’t steam the the spinach before using them, but steaming them would make them softer. I personally like when they’re a bit crispy. Have a very good week!

Desktop lunch

I’ll never quit this habit of eating freshly prepared food in my office. No matter what the prepared food in shops don’t appeal me to much nor the cafeteria. I’ve been doing for ever and actually love it. I just get rid of some usual combination so try new ones once in a while. In summer I prefer cottage cheese rather than cream cheese, less fatty and heavy. And I replace the thick large slice of bread by slightly drier and smaller ones. Avocado and tomatoes are my always winning combination and I stick to it while tomatoes are still sweet and juicy!  I prepare this in my office and I enjoy the super fresh and mix of texture very much. What is your best lunch option at work?

Deconstructed frittata

I am really in love with this whole wheat pasta and in particular penne that can be found super easily in any good supermarket in Tokyo. This time it’s deconstructed frittata style for two with already cooked pasta, one new onion, one capsicum, three eggs all cooked in a greased pan, and a handful of raw cherry tomatoes added at the very end. Finished with olive oil, salt and pepper. An other manner to get plenty of good energy, a colorful and tasty plate and vitamins.

Little breads for breakfast

There is nothing as such as a good breakfast, prepared just in time and served just when it’s done. In particular, I can’t help but love bread that is just out from the oven, with a good cup of a hot drink and a fresh fruit (from the garden any time it’s possible). It makes the perfect start. Of course baking requires a bit of organization and time but in the end it’s not so difficult and incomparable with anything else you can buy the day before!

As you may have noticed I bske pretty much anything. Even if I am not master in making croissants yet and naad to work on that, I start to be pretty confident on making rye and whole wheat breads. So here is an other variation of the basic recipe, where I mixed 250g of flour: half rye and half whole wheat flours, 120g of water, 14g of sourdough, 3g of yeast, 6g of salt, knead until soft and smooth, then added dry raisins and chocolate chips in part of the dough only. Waited until it has almost doubled, then shaped it and leave all night in a cool place. Before going to bed I scedule a delayed start of the oven so that In the morning I just have to bake them for 10-12min and breakfast is ready!!! Have a nice weekend!

Wholewheat and seeds bread

As I told you, I back on baking breads and I am verry happy with the results I am obtaining, so I just don’t follow any tecipe anymore and use my experience from all the bread I baked to create my own recipes, and I have plenty in mind!!! This time it’s more a classic since it is a wholewheat bread with a mix of seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, barley… And this time I did it properly with grilled the seeds and then rehydrate them in water. A simple and delicious bread, easy to use anytime.

Orange and chocolate sweet bread

For a rainy morning there is nothing better than a hot sweet bread just out of the oven. It’s been some time since I haven’t baked, but this rainy weekend was just the perfect moment to start again and go with some new originsl recipes. I also bought some new sourdough and natural yeast and I’m really happy with the result. 

So for this first bread I wanted something sweet and fruity for breakfast so I used candied orange peels (recipe tomorrow!) and dark chocolate chips. For one bread I used 170g of whole wheat flour, 110g of water, 3g of natural yeast, 8g of dry sordough, 4g of salt, 40g of brown caster sugar, half a cup of candied orange peel and one table spoon of dark chocolate chips. I kneaded well until soft and smooth, then let it prove for 5hours (temperature is not really high in the house now). I then made two long sticks that I rolled together, I wanted to make breeds with it but reslized that 3 sticks wouldn’t be good. Then it prove the rest of the night and I baked it jn the morning, 10min at 230deg, then 20min at 210deg. I like to eat bread right out from the oven, so we had our breakfast right away.

And you know what?! The Parisian sister is back on tracks! Yeah!

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