A Good, Honest Sandwich Bread : Cookbook Countdown #6

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

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I'm using one of my favourite baking books for Cookbook Countdown #6 this month, Home Baked Comfort by Kim Laidlaw. She has a few bread recipes in the book, and I wished that she had more! This is the third bread recipe I've tried and so far I like them all, especially the soft and fluffy Cranberry Bread which I've made before. 

I like how she called this bread, "A Good, Honest Sandwich Bread". While I was making this bread, with the book opened on this recipe page, my son took a peek to see what bread I was making, and he had a good laugh at the name of the bread, as he thought it was funny calling a bread "honest"! But just as the author said, this is really "A Good, Honest Sandwich Bread"! 

The recipe makes 2 loaves, but I've made only half a recipe for one loaf. I've replaced both the flours in the recipe with bread flour. This is an easy, straight forward bread to make, nothing fussy about it. The dough is easy to work with. 

This bread, as the author describes, "is both moist and lightly dense and is superb for anything from turkey or grilled cheese sandwiches to cinnamon toast and eggy French toast".  I agree, this is a very nice bread, with light dense crumbs, yet soft in texture. I ate a piece on its own as it is quite tasty! We had it for breakfast with some tuna spread, and a mug of hot coffee. 

A Good, Honest Sandwich Bread
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma : Home Baked Comfort", by Kim Laidlaw)
Makes 2 loaves
7 tbsp (3-1/2 oz/105gm) unsalted butter
1 cup (8fl oz/250ml) while milk
2-1/2 tsp kosher salt (for half a recipe, I used scant 1 tsp)
2-3/4 cups (11oz/340gm) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2-1/2 cups (12-1/2 oz/390gm) white whole-wheat flour
1 package (2-1/4 tsp) instant yeast
1 tbsp sugar

In a small saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons (3oz/90gm) of the butter over low heat. Add the milk, 1 cup (8fl oz/250ml) water, and the salt, and stir until the mixture reaches 120F (49C). Remove from the heat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flours, yeast, and sugar and mix together on low speed. Add the melted butter mixture and mix together on low speed. Raise the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes, adding a little more all-purpose flour if needed for the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be a little sticky.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1-2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, place it in the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm draft-free spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

Butter two 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13-cm) loaf pans. Dump the dough onto the lightly floured work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into an 8-1/2-inch (21.5-cm) square. Roll up each piece of dough, pinch the seam to seal, and place the dough seam side down in a loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375F (190C). Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and gently brush the tops of each loaf with it. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes. Turn out onto racks and let cool completely before slicing.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Peach and Vanilla Sorbet

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), the theme is "Monthly Featured Chef : Donna Hay".

The weather has been unbearably hot, and the thought of a cold dessert is so tempting. Found the perfect cold dessert from Donna Hay's website that I'm sure my family would love, Peach and Vanilla Sorbet. What better treat than a generous serving of smooth, luscious, sweet delicious sorbet to enjoy on a hot afternoon or anytime of the day! 

Donna Hay's, Peach and Vanilla Sorbet uses canned peaches. I did not have any vanilla bean paste, so I have replaced with the seeds of one moist vanilla pod. The peaches, its syrup, vanilla seeds are pureed in a blender till smooth. Word of advice, for a smooth pureed texture, use the blender instead of the food processor. A blender would do a better job for a smoother puree. Add the lemon juice of which I've used about 3 tablespoons, and I have added about 2-3 tbsp of icing sugar as the mixture is really not sweet at all. Pour into a baking tray and freeze for several hours until set. I left mine overnight in the freezer. Cut the frozen sorbet into squares and process in a food processor until smooth. You will see the change from a frozen sorbet to a luscious smooth sorbet. Pour into a container and freeze until set. 

The sorbet is easy to scoop, as it is smooth, soft and so yummy! And so easy to make! No excuse not to make this again!

Peach and Vanilla Sorbet

(from donnahay.com)

Makes 1 litre

1 x 1kg can peach slices in syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice

Method

Drain the peach slices, reserving 1-1/2 cups (375ml) of the syrup. Place the peaches, reserved syrup, vanilla and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a 20cm x 30cm metal tin and freeze for 3-4 hours or until set.

Cut sorbet into squares and in batches, place in a food processor and process until smooth. Return the sorbet to the freezer for 1 hour or until ready to serve. 

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week
Monthly Featured Chef : Donna Hay

Chicken Fried Rice with Egg and Buk Choy

This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) is Local & Seasonal!, "Make any Curtis Stone recipe from his books or online that includes or features ingredients that are growing in your geographic area and/or are locally produced where you live." Well, I've used my homegrown pak choy to cook his simple fried rice for lunch. 

A quick and simple fried rice. I've used leftover cooked jasmine rice from the day before and have used frozen mix veggies (carrots, corn and peas) instead of canned corns. 

Pak Choy and fresh coriander leaves, both from my garden pot. Definitely one hundred per cent locally produced! :)

Chicken Fried Rice with Egg and Buk Choy
(adapted from coles, Curtis Stone)
1 cup long grain white rice, rinsed, drained
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 medium brown onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
1/2 x 400gm can corn kernels, drained (I've used frozen mixed veggies)
1/2 bunch buk choy
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 bunch coriander leaves, to serve
4 chicken thigh fillets, skin removed, cut into bite sized pieces
salt & pepper

1. Cook the rice in rice cooker or according to packet directions with approximately 1-1/2 cups water (375ml) until tender. Transfer to a baking paper lined tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and stir with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds, or until just cooked. Remove fromthe wok and set aside on a plate.
3. Return the wok to the heat and add another tbsp of oil, season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 4-8 mins, or until golden and cooked through. Remove cooked chicken to a plate.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot to the hot wok and stir-fry for 2-3 mins to soften. Add the cold rice and stir-fry for 2 mins or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs, chicken, corn and buk choy.
5. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer the rice to a large serving platter ; sprinkle with the coriander.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week, 

Local & Seasonal!