Medjool Date Whole Wheat Bread with Cracked Wheat

This bread has an interesting combination: medjool date provides a hint of natural  sweetness, whole wheat flour and cracked wheat add more nutritional values and anise seeds give the bread an unique aroma.

                 

Ingredients to make one 13x4x4 loaf:

Day one:

Preferment:
132g all purpose flour
43g whole wheat flour
111g water

½ tsp instant yeast

Mix all the above ingredients. Cover and let it sit in room temp overnight.

Soaker:
83g water
83g cracked wheat, toasted in a skillet until slightly browned

Mix water and cracked wheat. Cover and let it sit overnight.

Day two:

Main Dough:
207g whole wheat flour
119g all purpose flour
1 tsp instant yeast
223g water
25g sugar
25g unsalted room temp butter
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
10g salt
100g dried date, pitted
1½ tsp anise seed, toasted in a skillet until lightly browned
All of the preferment and soaker

1) Mix and knead all the ingredients together for the final dough, by hand or stand mixer. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
2) Let it rise in a warm spot until it is at least one and a half times of its size.

3) Shape and put in an oiled loaf pan and let it rise again at least one and a half times of its size. Or almost to the rim of the pan.

4) Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45 mins.

100% Whole Wheat/Grain Sandwich Bread 全麥/穀麵包

I think most of us know eating whole grain is beneficial to our health. However, making 100% whole wheat/grain bread is really a challenge. The sharp edge of the bran cuts short the gluten and makes the bread dense rather than soft. One way to tackle this is to allow the whole wheat flour to soak enough liquid so the bran is softened.

Oatmeal Bread (No Knead Method) 燕麥麵包(免揉)

"Most bread produced in factory bakeries in the industrialized world is made without the critical step of fermentation.....Dough conditioners, flavorings, processing aids, gums, fats and additives are used in an attempt to save one precious thing, TIME....They mix, shape, and bake a loaf in less than an hour. A baker using traditional methods and actual fermentation may take up to 72 hours."  by Martin Philip, head baker of King Arthur Flour, "Breaking Bread" (emphasis added).

Molasses Oats Bread 燕麥麵包

Molasses is a thick and sticky by-product of the sugar refining process. It is more nutritious than granulated sugar because it contains iron, vitamin B, calcium, and magnesium. Usually unsulfured molasses is used in baking or other cooking recipes. Avoid blackstrap, which can make the baked goods bitter. Oats are a common breakfast staple. Besides using it to make oat meal, it is widely used in baking such as bread, cookies, granola, etc. The molasses lend the bread a sweet flavor, moist crumb, and crunchy crust, and the oats compliment the bread by giving it a hearty texture. It is great toasted and spread with butter or used as sandwich bread.

Seeded Whole Wheat Bread 全麥種子麵包

Since I started making my own bread a few years ago, I have almost exclusively been using the Tong Zhong method. It gives me consistently soft and fluffy bread that lasts up to four or five days at room temperature. However, I learned this is not the only method for soft, long-lasting bread.

I have been exploring new ways to make bread with a higher percentage of whole wheat. Most breads that are labelled as whole wheat in the market are made with only 30% whole wheat flour while the majority is white bread flour. I think the main reason is not so much the cost but the nature of wheat flour.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce 全麥班戟配鮮士多啤梨醬

Ahhh... a cup of silky milk tea, a few whole wheat pancakes with fresh strawberry sauce and today's newspaper. This is my way to relax on a weekend morning.

Pancakes are one of those foods that are super simple and easy to make. It really cannot go wrong. It calls for the most basic ingredients that every family should have in their pantry. There is no excuse not to make it because you cannot find the ingredients in your local supermarket, nor does it require any special gadgets for assembly. Finally, this recipe is super healthy, using whole wheat, buttermilk, olive oil (another great way to use the whole wheat flour and buttermilk beside using them in 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Buttermilk.)Furthermore, instead of sugar-loaded syrup, it is paired with a sauce made with fresh fruits.  OK, let's go!

100% Whole Wheat Bread with Buttermilk 百份百全麥麵包

Tong Zhong is a widely used method to make soft fluffy bread that has long shelf life. But it is not the only way. Today I share with you how to make healthy, fluffy 100% whole wheat bread that remains soft for more than 4 days.

Many people would like to incorporate more whole grain in their diet as recommended by nutritionists and health experts. But they do not like to have whole wheat bread mainly because of its texture. I admit that it is like chewing a piece of cardboard. Is there a way to make it more palatable?

Whole Wheat Bread with Chia Seeds 奇異籽全麥麵包

You should be familiar with chia seed if you are health-conscious or you follow health-related news. According to the newly published book called The Chia Seed Cookbook by Emily Morris, these tiny seeds can help you lose weight, balance blood sugar and prevent constipation. Adding them to your diet boosts healthy omega-3 oil and anti-oxidants in your body as well, and these are just a few of the health benefits they offer.

How can you incorporate chia seed to your day-to-day diet? Besides adding it to your bread, they can be incorporated into salads, soups and beverages as well (for details check out the cookbook mentioned above).

Whole Wheat Bread with Goji Berries 全麥湯種杞子包

Goji berries, or wolfberries, have been around for centuries; even longer in China. It is prized as the anti-aging food. It has properties to improve vision, boost the immunity system and even to help fight cancer. Goji berries' health benefits are endless.

There are many culinary uses. They can either be used in savory or sweet dishes. I usually use goji berries in Chinese soup. It is also good for making jello-like desserts or pudding. Now instead of using raisins in bread, why not make it even more nutritious and healthy by using goji berries?

Whole Wheat Bagel

There's some thing different about bagels that set them apart from bread. Instead of using regular 12% protein bread flour, it uses the highest percentage of protein: high gluten flour contains 14% protein. That is the highest gluten content in wheat flour available as far as I know. This high protein content lets it have the distinctive chewy texture that I love. Another factor that contributes to its special texture is the boiling before baking. It takes a bath of boiling water that contains some baking soda in it for about 20 seconds. The longer it boils, the chewier the skin.

Whole Wheat Tong Zhong Bread with Pumpkin 南瓜全麥湯種麵包

This is a super nutritious daily bread. It is good for breakfast by slightly toasting it and spreading on either butter, almond butter or jam, or making it a sandwich for lunch. For the pumpkin, you can either use fresh, or canned for convenience. If you prefer to completely make it from scratch, just steam and smash with a fork. With canned pumpkin, look for one that has no added sugar.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins with Oats and Ground Flaxseed

This is an ultra-healthy muffin with whole wheat flour, oats, ground flaxseed and mashed sweet potato. They are so moist, soft and filled with healthy stuff that they are good for breakfast, snack...or eaten any time of the day. Did I mention that they are super easy to make, too?

Soft Pretzels with Whole Wheat

After shopping at a mall during the President's Day's long weekend, there were requests to make soft pretzels at home today thanks to the aroma that filled the whole mall by three or more pretzel stalls. These pretzels are so easy to make that I bet you'll never want to pay a hefty price at the mall to get one again.

Chocolate Cinnamon Twist Whole Wheat Bread 朱古力肉桂全麥麵包

I make bread at least once every week. Bread for breakfast, sandwich for school lunch and sometimes for dinner. I try to find different flavors and shaping methods to make it more fun to make, delicious and nutritious to eat. This chocolate cinnamon twist is a variation of cinnamon rolls. I modified it from the original recipe and made it my own by using whole wheat and tong zhong method.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Buns using Tong Zhong

Cinnamon buns are another favorite enriched bread for my family. I used whole wheat to make the bread more nutritious. Once again, this is the advantage of DIY.

Ever attracted by the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon buns or pretzels at the shopping mall? It is hard to resist, right? I think those stores are strategically placed, not in the food court, but all throughout the mall so that the aroma can easily reach the shoppers.

Baked Char Siu Bao 焗叉燒包

Baked Char Siu Bao

Every time I make char siu, usually I make more so that there will be leftover for char siu bao. My hubby likes savory bao more than sweet bun. It is very good to have it for breakfast or afternoon snack. I made whole wheat tang zhong with flax seed as the dough to add more nutritional values.

Whole Wheat Tong Zhong Bread 全麥湯種麵包

Tong Zhong Bread 全麥湯種麵包



What is Tong Zhong ? There are many ways to make bread: straight dough method, sponge method, pate ferment, biga, poolish, etc., but Tong Zhong is almost never heard of in the world of bread making (especially artisan bread making). This type of bread making originates from Japan. It means a warm or dilute batter. This soft texture suits Asians' palette. Besides its soft pillowy texture, it has a very long shelf life as well. Yvonne Chan wrote a book called "65⁰C Tong Zhong Bread" (in Chinese only).

Whole Wheat Pizza with Flaxseed

A few years ago, before I start playing with yeast, I went to my son’s friend's birthday party. One of the party foods served was pizza, not ordered but homemade pizza. I remembered my first reaction was, "wow, you made pizza!!" The mom responded,"it is not that difficult to make." I did not believe her…until I made my own. And now I understand why there are so many pizza parlors/take outs. Easy to make and most people just save the hassle by picking up the phone to order it. But by making it on my own, I can put anything, I mean anything, on it. I’ve tried putting some leftover roast duck meat and BBQ pork on it. Kind of like fusion food, Chinese and Italian.