[ Fast Focaccia ]

 Truth?  I can make a mean same-day focaccia  Thanks to this recipe.

Prep Time5minutes mins

Cook Time25minutes mins

Proving & cooling2hours hrs 55minutes mins

Total Time3hours hrs 25minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups (300g) bread flour (or plain/all-purpose flour, Note 1)
• 1 1/8 tsp (3.5g) instant yeast (aka rapid rise yeast) (Note 2)
• 3/4 tsp (4.5g) cooking salt / kosher salt (-50% for table salt, + 50% for salt flakes)
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp (280 ml / 280g) very warm water (1/3 cup boiling water then top up with cold tap water) (Note 3)

Topping:

• 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp (heaped) sea salt flakes (or regular salt, couple of pinches)

Instructions

ABBREVIATED:

• Mix dry, then mix in water. Rise 2 hrs to double. Drizzle EVOO into pan, pour into pan, rise 45 min by 50%. Oil surface, very lightly dimple, sprinkle with salt flakes, bake 25 min at 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan).

FULL RECIPE:

• Very sticky dough - Put the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl, mix to combine with a rubber spatula. Make a well in the centre, pour the warm water in then mix until you no longer see flour. It should be like a thick muffin batter - way too sticky and loose to knead.
• Rise #1 (2 hrs) - Cover with cling wrap then put in a very warm place to rise for 2 hours or until doubled in volume (Note 4), or do Rise #1 in the fridge 24 - 48 hrs (Note 5).
• Line pan - Use a 26.5 x 20 x 5cm (10.5 x 8 x 2") rectangle pan (metal, not glass or ceramic) or a 22cm/9″ square pan. Lightly grease with butter (not oil). Scrunch up a sheet of baking paper, un-scrunch then press into the pan, ensuring you have overhang to lift the focaccia out later. (Note 6)
• Dough in pan - Drizzle and spread 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan on the paper. Pour the dough batter in, then use 2 rubber spatulas to coax the dough out into the corners as best you can. Don't get too hung up on this, it will fill the pan as it rises.
• Rise #2 (45 min) - Cover with a cutting board (or similar - flat - but make sure there's enough space for the dough to rise!! Note 6), then put in a very warm place for 45 minutes or until it rises by 50 - 70% (you should see some nice big bubbling on the surface). Halfway through, preheat oven.

Bake!

• Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan-forced) with the oven rack in the middle.
• Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil across the surface. Rub a little oil on your fingertips then use your fingers to spread the oil lightly across the surface. (Note 6 for Toppings)
• LIGHT dimpling - Use your fingers to LIGHTLY press dimples into the surface of the dough, only pressing down about 1cm/0.4" into the dough, not all the way down like traditional focaccia else you will deflate the dough.
• Salt flakes - Sprinkle all over the surface.
• Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan at the 15 minute mark, until the surface is deep golden.
• Cool 10 minutes - Lift the focaccia out of the pan using the excess paper onto a cooling rack, then slide the paper out from underneath. Cool for 10 minutes then attack! Always best served warm.

[ Creme Brulee for 2]

For date night

Ingredients:

3/4 cups of heavy cream 

1 teaspoon of vanilla 

2 egg yolks 

1/2 cup of sugar

Directions:

Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt; cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)

Step 2
In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the vanilla cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Step 3
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.

Step 4
When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer.

Step 5
Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within 2 hours.

[ Yorkshire Puddings ]

 

Haven't tried these ... but maybe over the Christmas holidays.

Ingredients:

• 140g plain flour (this is about 200ml/7fl oz)
• 4 eggs (200ml/7fl oz)
• 200ml milk
• sunflower oil for cooking 

Directions:

• Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8.
• Drizzle a little sunflower oil evenly into two 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or two 12-hole non-stick muffin tins and place in the oven to heat through.
• To make the batter, tip 140g plain flour into a bowl and beat in 4 eggs until smooth.
• Gradually add 200ml milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the batter into a jug, then remove the hot tins from the oven. Carefully and evenly pour the batter into the holes.
• Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned.
• Serve immediately. You can now cool them and freeze for up to 1 month.

[ Naan ]

Prep Time20minutes mins

Cook Time10minutes mins

Dough rising:2hours hrs

 

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tsp instant / rapid rise yeast (Note 1)
• 1/2 cup warm tap water (~40°C/105°F in temperature)
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp milk , full fat (low fat ok too)
• 1 1/2 tbsp whisked egg , at room temp (around 1/2 an egg, Note 2)
• 1/2 tsp salt , cooking / kosher
• 1 3/4 cups bread flour , or all-purpose/plain (Note 3)
• 30g / 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter , melted (Note 4)

Finishes:

• 30g / 2 tbsp tbsp ghee or butter , melted (Note 4)
• 1 small garlic clove , for Garlic Butter option (Note 5)
• Nigella seeds
• Coriander/cilantro , finely chopped

Cheese Naan:

• Shredded cheese (for cheese naan) – Monterey Jack, cheddar, tasty, colby, anything that melts (shred yourself) (Note 6)

Instructions

• Bloom yeast: Mix yeast with warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Cover with cling wrap, leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
• Egg and milk: Whisk milk and egg together.
• Flour: Sift flour and salt into a separate bowl.
• Add wet ingredients: Make a well in the flour, add yeast mixture, and butter and egg mixture. Mix together with a spatula. Once the flour is mostly incorporated, switch to your hands and bring it together into a ball. No kneading is required.
• Proof 1: Cover the bowl with cling-wrap, then leave in a warm place for 1 - 1.5 hrs until it doubles in size. (Note 7)
• Cut into 6 pieces: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 6 equal pieces, then shape into balls into spheres with a smooth surface by stretching the surface and tucking it under (see video).
• Proof 2: Place balls on a lightly-floured tray or plate. Sprinkle lightly with flour, cover loosely with a lightweight tea towel. Put in a warm place to rise for 15 minutes until it increases in size by about 50%.
• Roll out: Place a round on a lightly-floured work surface, flatten with your hand. Roll out into 3 - 4mm / 0.12 - 0.16" thick rounds (about 16cm / 6.5" wide).
• Heat skillet: Rub a cast iron skillet with a very light coat of oil using 1/2 tsp oil on a paper towl (unless already well seasoned). Set over high heat until you see wisps of smoke. (Note 8 for other pans)
• Cook naan: Place a naan dough in the skillet and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the underside is deep golden / slightly charred – the surface should get bubbly. Flip then cook the other side for 1 minute until the bubbles become deep golden brown.
• Cook remaining naan: Remove, set aside, and repeat with remaining naan, taking care to regulate the heat of the skillet so it doesn't get too hot.
• Finishing: Brush freshly cooked naan with melted butter or ghee (or garlic butter, Note 5). Sprinkle with nigella seeds and coriander. Serve hot!

Cheese Naan:

• Roll out a naan per above directions. Brush with plain butter or garlic butter. (Note 5) Place a mound of cheese in the middle - about 1/4 cup, lightly-packed. Bundle it up, money bag-style, then twist to seal.
• Turn upside down so the smooth side is up. Roll out to 6-7mm / 1/4" thick rounds.
• Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet preheated over high heat, but not until the skillet is smoking. Cook naan for around 1 1/2 minutes on the first side until golden – it will puff up! Turn and cook the other side for around 45 seconds.

Notes

1. Yeast – This recipe works with dry active yeast too, but the naan is not quite as soft. Follow recipe as written, including yeast quantity. Also note, rapid-rise/instant yeast normally does not need to activated in warm water but it's a very specific step for this recipe because it yields a softer naan than adding the instant yeast directly into the dough. (Yes, we made a LOT of naan to try out all the various combinations to figure out the best one!).

2. Egg – I know this sounds strange, but we need 1/2 a large egg for one batch of this naan! Any more and it dries out the inside too much.

Just crack an egg in a bowl, whisk, then measure out 1 1/2 tbsp. OR just make a double batch of this naan so you can use one whole egg!

3. Flour – Bread flour makes the softest, fluffiest naan. But all-purpose/plain flour is very nearly as good. I wouldn't make a special trip to the supermarket just to get bread flour. But if you've got it, use it!

4. Ghee is clarified butter, one of the traditional fats used in Indian cooking. It is simply butter without the water and milk solids, so you have pure butter fat. It has a more intense flavour than butter. Either buy it, make it (it’s easy and keeps for months) or just use normal butter!

5. Garlic butter: Place 2 tbsp/30g salted butter or ghee and 1/2 tsp crushed garlic* in a small bowl. Microwave until butter has melted (do it in bursts so it doesn't explode!!). Stand for a couple of minutes to let the garlic flavour infuse before using.

* Garlic crushed using a garlic crusher or microplane

6. Cheese – Any melting cheese works fine here, though bear in mind if you use mozzarella it doesn't have much flavour. Monterey Jack is a good option that has flavour and stretches nicely!

7. How to promote dough rising – One of my favourite places to proof dough is in my dryer!!! Draught proof, easy to heat up a small space. Just run it for a couple of minutes, put the bowl in, close the door and leave it. Just don't turn it on!

8. Cooking pan – If you don't have a cast iron pan, you can use another type of skillet. Pour 1/2 tsp oil on a paper towel then lightly rub the base. DO NOT use a non-stick pan – the high heat required to properly cook naan will destroy the non-stick coating!

Here is the cast iron skillet I use - it's a Lodge (excellent value, indestructible!)

9. Make ahead naan – A last-minute discovery was that naan is great for making ahead! In fact, the bread flavour improves overnight, which is typical of most breads.

Make the dough up to the end of Step 5 - Proof 1. Then after the dough has doubled in size, put the bowl with the dough it in the fridge overnight (I've done 24 hours). Do not punch dough down or touch it – just put it in as is. The fridge stops the dough from rising any further.

Take the bowl out of the fridge at least a couple of hours before cooking. We need to take the fridge chill out of it completely otherwise the dough won't rise for Proof #2 (Step 6). Cut into 6 pieces, then proceed with recipe from Step 6 onwards. 

[ Pad Thai ]

 

Prep Time15minutes mins

Cook Time15minutes mins

Total Time30minutes mins

 

Servings: 4

Equipment

• oven-safe skillet
• wok

Ingredients

• 8 ounces flat rice noodles
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 8 ounces uncooked shrimp, chicken, or extra-firm tofu , cut into small pieces 
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1 red bell pepper , thinly sliced
• 3 green onions , chopped
• 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 2 limes
• 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro , chopped

For the Pad Thai sauce:

• 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 5 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar , or Tamarind Paste*
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce , or more, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter*(optional)

Instructions

• Cook noodles according to package instructions, just until tender.  Rinse under cold water.
• Make sauce by combining sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. 
• Stir Fry:: Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a wok or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, chicken or tofu, garlic and bell pepper. The shrimp will cook quickly, about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until pink. If using chicken, cook until just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes, flipping only once.
• Push everything to the side of the pan. Add a little more oil and add the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs, breaking them into small pieces with a spatula as they cook.
• Add noodles, sauce, bean sprouts and peanuts to the wok (reserving some peanuts for topping at the end). Toss everything to combine.
• Garnish the top with green onions, extra peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately!
• Store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days.