Therapy for Stress

Hello Lovely Readers, 

It's been a bit of dry spell when it comes to entertainment😶. And while resorting to reading random feed articles I saw this one on 'top 10 pandemic food trends of 2020'. 

So dalgona coffee and banana bread were the obvious food leads; not so strangely I tried none. The hardcore ☕ coffee addict found the sweet n foamy dalgona an absolute blasphemy and 🍌 banana bread for some reason didn't appeal to us. 

But those sourdough breads 🥖🍞 and novice bread making were my undoing too. 

Unlike many new bakers born in 2020, I was already a good mid-way in my baking mastery😊. But I had always limited myself to making Mumbai 'Pav' or the occasional Foccacia bread. 

Fuelled by the sheer baking pics out there last year, I dialed up my bread baking variety and frequency. 

I made 'pav' more often, around Easter made my own hotcross buns, fullfilled a long time fantasy of Olive n Sundried Tomato bread-loaf; even started a new trend of baking dinner rolls everytime I make pasta (which is easily 1-2 times a month).

Hubby has taken a great shining to this custom. And now it is expected that there will be dinner rolls with a Pasta meal😏.

Today's post is an ode to my Pasta & Dinner Roll trend. 

I've made multiple flavour pairings over last year, but the two most successful ones we loved were - Spring Onion-Basil and Garlic-Oregano. 

Even if the flavour pairings don't appeal to you, you must give a hand to the basic dinner roll recipe. Then figure what type fof flavorings might appreal to you.

RECIPE:

Time Taken: 30 mins assembly + 1 to 2 hours proofing + 20 to 30 mins baking

Yield: 5 to 6 inch dinner roll wreath or loaf enough for 2

Method:

1) You obviously need the basics : All purpose flour and yeast, and then the starter trio of sugar, salt and water. Last is the flavourings you prefer or leave them simple to begin with. 

2) Take two cup of all purpose flour and mix salt about 3/4 tsp. I use sea salt which is not too salty hence the quantity. If you are using regular salt it might be prudent to go half tsp. 

3) In half cup lukewarm water mix 1tsp of sugar, 2tsp of dry active yeast. Let it froth up for 5mins to prove that the yeast is alive. 

4) If you are going to add flavourings or spices to your bread mix it into the flour now. For basil and onion bread I added 1tsp dry basil leaves and handful of finely chopped spring onion greens. For the oregano and garlic bread, add tsp of dry oregano flakes and 2 tsp of freshly chopped garlic. 

5) Mix the yeast solution to the flour. And make a shaggy dough. 

6) Using about a 1/4 cup of olive oil knead the dough till smooth and glossy. 

7) In a oil greased bowl let the dough proof in a warm place. This step can take anywhere between 45 mins to 1 hour. 

8) After the first rise, punch out all the air from the dough.

9) Brush with oil or melted butter a bundt pan or use a regular 6 inch cake round tin. Place a small tin muffin cup in center and prepare a makeshift bundt tin. 

10) Divide the dough in equal parts. I use my trusty digital kitchen weighing scale and each dough ball between 35 to 45 gms is a regular weight I follow. I get about 6 to 9 divisons depending how big or small bundt pan I use. 

11) Arrange the dough balls in bundt pan and let it proof for second time. This can take anywhere betweem 25 to 35 mins. The dough should have doubled. And when pressed with a finger the indentation should bounce back gradually. 

12) Heat oven to 190 deg C. Brush the rolls with egg wash or alternatively milk and a bit if melted butter mixture will do fine. For garlic dinner rolls you can add and extra sprinkling of crushed or chopped garlic for that divine golden garlic in the first pic. 

13) Bake for 25 to 30 mins till the bread looks golden brown. A well proofed bread should rise about half inch more in the oven. 

14) Once removed keep the whole bread tin on a wire rack, brush again with milk and melted butter. Cover with a tea towel and let it cool. This step allows the soft yet glossy bread crust form. 

15) After 10 mins remove the bread frm the tin and cool further for 5 mins on the wire rack. 

I know the steps to making bread seem too many to complex😬. But with a bit of timing and multitasking makes it easy; so rest assured any baking enthusiasts out there, you can do it🤗. Once you get the rhythm right bread baking is a breeze. 

In fact they say bread making is theraputic😌  no wonders it's in the top trends of last year. That feeling of awe that floods you when you see the bread rising and the fresh bread aroma, can beat any stress🙌🏽✌🏼👊🏽🤩

Cheers!!!