baking

Fear of Yeast …. gone!

| Doyd

I’ve always wondered how to bake bread but I am a coward in terms of handling yeast. I have cooked many kinds of meals from different cultures but when it comes to using yeast, I am always intimidated. Why, you ask? I guess it’s because I never really saw how bread was made when I was young. It’s only now that we have YouTube, eBooks, Pinterest, etc. that I learned and discovered the many ways to prepare food and this trained me to cook better.

My whole grain Artisan Bread

Many years have gone but it’s only now in 2020 that I realized I wanted to try again and learn to bake bread. The COVID-19 Pandemic was actually the primary reason why I explored new ideas at home while on stay-at-home order and I courageously faced my fear (from yeast…. yes, instant yeast).

Back in March 2020, my first ever try was to make a pizza dough for my family. During the start of the COVID pandemic, I wanted to do fun things with my children and I knew that if they made their own pizzas, they would be super excited. It was a success! I usually research online for recipes and watch YouTube videos on how other people make it. Then I write down my own measurements and ingredient preferences. After which I try to make it myself.

My first pizza dough plus each family member’s pizza creation

This is the story of how I faced my fear. From that day on, March of 2020, we never had store-bought bread at home. I tried many types of bread recipes and I will share them to you on my next posts.

To all those who haven’t tried baking, try it! Baking our own whole grain bread is actually one of the greatest things that happened to our family. We used to all love to eat white bread. But now, all of us eat whole grain all the time. I still bake special treats for my family of course. That is part of eating healthy, rewarding ourselves with treats. Treats that I made myself knowing that I only use the healthier ingredients.

PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups All-purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use pink Himalayan salt)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Procedure:

Using a stand mixer, mix the flour, salt and yeast. On low speed setting using the paddle attachment, start mixing the dry ingredients then add the water. Mix until the dough forms. Transfer the dough to a large bowl drizzled with olive oil. Make sure to coat the dough in oil, knead a little bit and form into a round dough. Cover with plastic wrap and proof for 2-4 hours at room temperature (I always use my proofing oven to be precise).

After rising, you can use the dough immediately and prepare to shape into pizza sizes that you prefer or you can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (make sure to rest the dough at room temperature before using).

This recipe is enough to make 4, 8-10 inch pizzas just like what we did. Bake your pizza at 450°F for 7-12 minutes depending on how big/small, thick/thin your pizza will be. Sometimes, I pre-bake the flattened pizza dough for 5 minutes, then add my toppings and bake it for another 5-7 minutes. It really depends on your preference.

I am planning to make some dough tonight and keep it for tomorrow’s Friday night pizza. What’s your plan?

‘Til my next post…. If you enjoyed reading, please like my post and thanks for reading.

My version of Taboulleh (Tabouli)

| Doyd

This salad is one of my family’s favorite salad. It is refreshing, easy to make, very healthy and affordable. I make this salad with Bulgur . You can buy bulgur at most Mediterranean or international supermarket. I use course bulgur on mine because I love the course texture mixed with my other ingredients. If you cannot find bulgur, other alternatives can be quinoa or couscous.

Here’s my recipe, I hope you can make it too:

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Oat Bran Flax Banana Nut Muffin

Image | | Doyd

I first learned a similar recipe from my sister-in-law whom I consider to be the “best” when it comes to making creme brûlée.  I’ve made her version many times for years but after a while, I tried to change the ingredients according to what I have in my pantry, who will eat the muffins, what fruits are in season or simply depending on my mood.  Here’s one of my favorite that’s really easy to make:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Oat Bran
  • 1/4 cup Flaxseed Meal
  • 1 Tbsp Baking powder
  • 1/4 cup Raw sugar (or less if using sweetened dried fruits)
  • 2 Egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute
  • 1/4 cup Raw slivered almonds
  • 2 Ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
  • 1 1/4 cup Soy milk, unsweetened
  • 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • Baking milk chocolate chips (optional)
  • Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Start by putting in the dry ingredients into a large bowl.  That would be the Oat bran, flaxseed meal, sugar, baking powder and nuts.  Add the egg whites, olive oil, soy milk and bananas.  Mix together.

Spray your 12-piece muffin pan with olive oil spray then evenly distribute the muffin batter.  Top each muffin with raw almonds.  I put a few baking chocolate chips for my daughter’s muffin so she will enjoy this healthful muffin with a treat of sweetness from the chocolate chips.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Let is cool for a few minutes before removing each muffin from the pan.  Enjoy a minimum of 2 pieces per person for breakfast 🙂

This muffin is so easy to make, one can change the kind of nuts depending on what you like to use.  I also use other fresh fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, dates, and figs.  I also use dried or frozen fruits depending really on what I have in my kitchen.  In addition, if I am in the mood for a guilt-free muffin, I even use sugar substitute (i.e., Stevia or Splenda).  Create endless versions.  The important ingredient is to use oat bran.

Share your recipes, versions and photos to me…  Feel free to leave me a note!

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