This recipe is the result of several of several experiments that are still on-going. I will update this as I go along.
Ingredients
Potatoes, sliced thinly -- weighed after peeling and slicing
salt
Place sliced potatoes in a pot. Cover with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, and drain potatoes right away, reserving the water.
Make white sauce as per your normal recipe, starting with the milk and then following up with the reserved potato water.
Make gratin as per usual.
Notes:
I used water only this time, as it was an experiment. If you usually make a 100% milk white sauce, you can use the milk portion of the recipe to cook the potatoes.
There will be starch in the water, and it will thicken up more than you think. Of course, the starchier the potato that you use, the thicker it will get. So you may want to reduce the amount of flour you use in the sauce.
Most recipes that have you boil the potatoes have you cook them for much longer, until the potatoes are almost cooked through. Even worse, they may have you cook them whole and then slice or cut them. I find that doing it that way makes it difficult to get the potatoes into the pan easily. The potatoes may be slightly sticky to handle this way, but they are almost as solid as raw.
This method also allows you to preserve more flavor, as the potato water goes back into the sauce.
It is important to drain the potatoes right away, especially if they were sliced thinly. Once the slices are cooked through, they are a pain to position in the gratin pan, and letting them sit in the water is potentially enough to cook them all the way.
I also find that there is much less slumping when cooking a gratin this way, so if you do not want a short gratin, this is an excellent way to do it.
Saturday 29 December 2018
Tuesday 18 December 2018
Flaky Lard Dough
This pastry is very similar to my pie dough. Mainly, I have adjusted the water and flour proportions to reflect that the same weight of lard as butter has much less water.
Ingredients:
400g all-purpose flour
250g lard
3/4 cup ice water
1tsp salt
Cut up lard into a dozen pieces or so, and stick in the freezer.
Put lard, flour and salt into food processor and pulse until pea-sized. Check that the pieces of lard can be squished with your fingers easily. If not, wait 5 minutes.
Add water, and processor until the dough comes together in one large blob.
Hand knead for about 1 minute, and cut into the sizes that you need. Knead each piece into a smooth ball without cracks, wrap and chill for at least half an hour.
Notes:
The lard dough comes together more nicely than the butter version does. I recommend this one over the butter pastry, as it is easier to control.
This recipe is just nice to cover top and bottom crust on a quarter-sheet pan.
I did not add sugar, but you can add up to 50g, depending on your requirements. I would add it in with the flour in the first step.
It does not puff as much as the all-butter pastry, which is a lifesaver if, like me, you always forget to prick.
Ingredients:
400g all-purpose flour
250g lard
3/4 cup ice water
1tsp salt
Cut up lard into a dozen pieces or so, and stick in the freezer.
Put lard, flour and salt into food processor and pulse until pea-sized. Check that the pieces of lard can be squished with your fingers easily. If not, wait 5 minutes.
Add water, and processor until the dough comes together in one large blob.
Hand knead for about 1 minute, and cut into the sizes that you need. Knead each piece into a smooth ball without cracks, wrap and chill for at least half an hour.
Notes:
The lard dough comes together more nicely than the butter version does. I recommend this one over the butter pastry, as it is easier to control.
This recipe is just nice to cover top and bottom crust on a quarter-sheet pan.
I did not add sugar, but you can add up to 50g, depending on your requirements. I would add it in with the flour in the first step.
It does not puff as much as the all-butter pastry, which is a lifesaver if, like me, you always forget to prick.
Sunday 2 December 2018
Pie Dough
350g all-purpose flour
250g butter
1/2 cup ice water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar -- optional
Cut up the butter into about 12 pieces. Stick in the freezer for an hour or so.
Dump half the flour and the sugar and salt into the food processor. Scatter the butter chunks and the rest of the flour in.
Pulse until the butter pieces are pea-sized. Make sure there are no more very large chunks of butter that are frozen solid. If there are, wait 5 minutes, and pulse again.
Pour the water, and pulse again. The dough should feel cold to touch (even in tropical Singapore) and moist, almost wet, but still very crumbly. Turn out onto your work surface.
Hand knead the dough for about 2 minutes. It is ready when you are able to form a fairly smooth ball of dough, with very minimal cracks.
Roll into a square or round block, depending on your intended use, and chill for at least half an hour before you roll it out.
Make sure to prick the pie dough before baking, as it will puff up otherwise.
Notes:
You can use frozen butter from the freezer just fine. It is just much harder to hack up.
Do use European-style high-fat butter. I personally don't use any other kind for baking.
If you are making something savory, I would increase the salt a little.
I do really mean ice water. I put a cup with some ice cubes and water into the freezer while I weigh the flour and things.
This dough has a relatively high flour and water to butter ratio. It makes it easier to roll.
You do have to knead the dough. Too light a hand will make a dough that is difficult to roll, does not transfer to a pie tin well, and may break in the oven.
For a more buttery pastry, reduce the flour by 50g.
250g butter
1/2 cup ice water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar -- optional
Cut up the butter into about 12 pieces. Stick in the freezer for an hour or so.
Dump half the flour and the sugar and salt into the food processor. Scatter the butter chunks and the rest of the flour in.
Pulse until the butter pieces are pea-sized. Make sure there are no more very large chunks of butter that are frozen solid. If there are, wait 5 minutes, and pulse again.
Pour the water, and pulse again. The dough should feel cold to touch (even in tropical Singapore) and moist, almost wet, but still very crumbly. Turn out onto your work surface.
Hand knead the dough for about 2 minutes. It is ready when you are able to form a fairly smooth ball of dough, with very minimal cracks.
Roll into a square or round block, depending on your intended use, and chill for at least half an hour before you roll it out.
Make sure to prick the pie dough before baking, as it will puff up otherwise.
Notes:
You can use frozen butter from the freezer just fine. It is just much harder to hack up.
Do use European-style high-fat butter. I personally don't use any other kind for baking.
If you are making something savory, I would increase the salt a little.
I do really mean ice water. I put a cup with some ice cubes and water into the freezer while I weigh the flour and things.
This dough has a relatively high flour and water to butter ratio. It makes it easier to roll.
You do have to knead the dough. Too light a hand will make a dough that is difficult to roll, does not transfer to a pie tin well, and may break in the oven.
For a more buttery pastry, reduce the flour by 50g.
Sunday 9 September 2018
Gluten-Free Banana Oat Muffins
4 egg yolks
1 egg white
2 bananas -- mashed or pureed
60g beet syrup
vanilla extract
100g oat flour
3 egg whites
Whisk egg yolks and white together, then add bananas, beet syrup and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Whisk egg whites until hard peaks.
Whisk oat flour into banana mixture, then fold in egg whites.
Spoon into muffin tins, and bake at 180C for 18 minutes.
Notes:
To be gluten-free, all ingredients need to be gluten-free.
I was not sure if my salt was gluten-free, so I did not add any. But it would probably be improved by about 1/2tsp.
Do not whisk the oat flour into the banana mixture too early, as it will thicken and become difficult to fold.
To achieve a fluffier texture, skip the beet syrup. Use about 60g gluten-free sugar to beat the egg whites to hard peaks.
For a more cake-like, and less sticky texture, add 3/4 tsp of baking powder.
1 egg white
2 bananas -- mashed or pureed
60g beet syrup
vanilla extract
100g oat flour
3 egg whites
Whisk egg yolks and white together, then add bananas, beet syrup and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Whisk egg whites until hard peaks.
Whisk oat flour into banana mixture, then fold in egg whites.
Spoon into muffin tins, and bake at 180C for 18 minutes.
Notes:
To be gluten-free, all ingredients need to be gluten-free.
I was not sure if my salt was gluten-free, so I did not add any. But it would probably be improved by about 1/2tsp.
Do not whisk the oat flour into the banana mixture too early, as it will thicken and become difficult to fold.
To achieve a fluffier texture, skip the beet syrup. Use about 60g gluten-free sugar to beat the egg whites to hard peaks.
For a more cake-like, and less sticky texture, add 3/4 tsp of baking powder.
Friday 7 September 2018
Chocolate Banana Muffins with Herman
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Cocoa Banana Bread, which is already an excellent recipe. I just happened to have an excess of Herman poolish and egg whites on hand.
Herman poolish
5g Herman starter
180g milk
90g flour
45g sugar
170g egg whites
Vanilla extract
240g all-purpose flour
90g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 bananas -- mashed or pureed
100g white sugar
100g raw sugar
114g butter
Make Herman poolish the night before.
On the day of baking, whisk the egg whites, poolish and vanilla extract together.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cream butter and sugar.
Beat in the remaining ingredients by alternating wet and dry. Start with half of the egg white mixture, then flour, then the egg white mixture again, and so forth, finishing with the flour.
Bake at 170C.
Makes 24 muffins.
Notes:
The Herman Poolish has only half the sugar of the normal Herman starter, mainly because I would like to reduce the amount of sugar.
I adapted the mixing method from Rose Levy-Beranbaum's Two-Step method.
This version is much fluffier and lighter than the original.
Herman poolish
5g Herman starter
180g milk
90g flour
45g sugar
170g egg whites
Vanilla extract
240g all-purpose flour
90g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 bananas -- mashed or pureed
100g white sugar
100g raw sugar
114g butter
Make Herman poolish the night before.
On the day of baking, whisk the egg whites, poolish and vanilla extract together.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cream butter and sugar.
Beat in the remaining ingredients by alternating wet and dry. Start with half of the egg white mixture, then flour, then the egg white mixture again, and so forth, finishing with the flour.
Bake at 170C.
Makes 24 muffins.
Notes:
The Herman Poolish has only half the sugar of the normal Herman starter, mainly because I would like to reduce the amount of sugar.
I adapted the mixing method from Rose Levy-Beranbaum's Two-Step method.
This version is much fluffier and lighter than the original.
Saturday 18 August 2018
Bienenstich
Adapted from Luisa Weiss's Classic German Baking
90g Herman Starter
180g all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/8 tsp salt
30g sugar
50g butter
Topping:
150g butter
100g sugar
70g honey
45g cream
1/2 tsp salt
230g sliced almonds
Blitz Herman, flour, 1 egg and salt in food processor to develop gluten. Rest for 15 minutes.
Blitz with sugar. Check that the sugar crystals can no longer be felt with your fingers.
Blitz in the butter.
Tuck into ball and let rise in the fridge.
Remove about 3-4 hours before baking. When pliable, roll out it out to approximately 23cm by 33cm, and let rise again.
When the yeast base is fully risen, make topping by lightly caramelising all ingredients except for almonds. While still hot, pour over almonds and mix.
Spread over yeast base.
Bake at 230C.
Notes:
The base came out a little dry. I will add more milk next time. I think between the cold rise and also Herman, it requires a little more moisture.
This recipe is too small for my Magimix.
I sliced it, then allowed my guests to split the pieces at will, and I served it with pastry cream.
Pastry Cream
Adapted from Brave Tart
Ingredients:
950ml milk
4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
250g sugar
75g cornflour
1/2tsp salt
Whisk everything but the milk until smooth in a large bowl.
Heat milk until it starts to foam. Turn off heat.
Temper hot milk into the egg mixture.
Pour resulting egg and milk mixture through a fine sieve back into the milk pan.
Cook, stirring constantly, until custard bubbles sluggishly.
Notes:
Vanilla extract: should be added to milk before heating for maximal flavor.
I recommend tempering as much as 50% of the hot milk into the eggs. This will allow you to get the mixture through the sieve much more quickly.
Eggs: Sometimes I just use 5 eggs instead of 4 whole + 3 yolks. This is usually when I already have way too much excess egg white in the freezer.
Ingredients:
950ml milk
4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
250g sugar
75g cornflour
1/2tsp salt
Whisk everything but the milk until smooth in a large bowl.
Heat milk until it starts to foam. Turn off heat.
Temper hot milk into the egg mixture.
Pour resulting egg and milk mixture through a fine sieve back into the milk pan.
Cook, stirring constantly, until custard bubbles sluggishly.
Notes:
Vanilla extract: should be added to milk before heating for maximal flavor.
I recommend tempering as much as 50% of the hot milk into the eggs. This will allow you to get the mixture through the sieve much more quickly.
Eggs: Sometimes I just use 5 eggs instead of 4 whole + 3 yolks. This is usually when I already have way too much excess egg white in the freezer.
Thursday 14 June 2018
Herman Starter
Proportions for refreshing:
60g milk
30g sugar
30g flour
Starter is 25% sugar, 25% flour and 50% milk by weight.
Notes
I have found that Herman is sensitive to overheating. Basically, not more than 28C, which basically means, if you live somewhere hot, you should probably move it out of your kitchen when you are baking the whole day.
If you are in a hurry to ripen Herman for use, giving it a stir every 2 hours seems to help. You should especially consider stirring if Herman has separated.
60g milk
30g sugar
30g flour
Starter is 25% sugar, 25% flour and 50% milk by weight.
Notes
I have found that Herman is sensitive to overheating. Basically, not more than 28C, which basically means, if you live somewhere hot, you should probably move it out of your kitchen when you are baking the whole day.
If you are in a hurry to ripen Herman for use, giving it a stir every 2 hours seems to help. You should especially consider stirring if Herman has separated.
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