Pumpkin Bread Rolls

This month challenge in we knead to bake #33 was Spiced Pumpkin Bread Rolls to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to Aparna for introducing this pumpkin shaped bread roll, which attracted not only the kids, also the adults.

Thanksgiving is celebrated in US, to thank for the fruits of the previous harvest. Grilled Turkey and pumpkin pie are traditional served food of the day. 

But, for a change instead of pumpkin pie, Spiced Pumpkin Bread Rolls on our lunch! This recipe adapted from Beyond Kimchee. 

Ingredients-       1/3 cup of warm milk     ;    2 tbsp honey   ;   2 tsp instant yeast      ;        1/2  cup of pureed pumpkin (unsweetened)        ;       40 gms butter melted   ;        1 tsp salt       ;     1 ¼ cup of whole wheat flour      ;     1 ¼ cup all purpose flour   ;      1 tsp spices (dry ginger + cardamom+cinnamon)      ;        6 pieces cashews (for stem)

To make pumpkin purée, peel the pumpkin and clean out the middle, then cut into small cubes and steam cook till soft. Drain the liquid. Once cooled, blend it to a fine paste.

Pour the warm milk into a big bowl. Add the honey and yeast and mix well and keep aside.

 

In a mixing bowl, add the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt and the spice powders into the bowl and mix them well.  Finally add the yeast mixture and Melted butter and the pumpkin purée.

Knead until you have smooth and elastic dough that will be somewhat sticky. Add a little flour or milk depends on the consistency of dough.

Turn the dough out to a wooden board dusted with a little flour and knead by hand for a minute. Shape it into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl, turning it around to coat it well. Cover with damp cloth; let the dough rise for about an hour or so, until double in volume.

Deflate the risen dough gently to remove air pockets and divide it into about 6 rolls equal sized portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Flatten each ball slightly and using a sharp knife or a pair of scissors make 8 cuts at equal distance from each other, from the edge of the ball towards the center but leaving the center uncut – like a flower.

Place the dough “flowers” 2” apart on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover again for the second rise for about 45 minutes. Use your fore finger or the round end of a wooden spoon (dip it in a little oil or flour so the dough doesn’t stick to it) and poke a deep hole in the center of each “flower” for the cashew as “stem” (after bake)

Brush them with milk and transfer the tray into 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Take them out of the oven and brush the rolls with melted butter and allow them to cool. As a final touch, insert the cashew in the middle as pumpkin stem.

An Orange & Cinnamon Swirl Bread

An Orange & Cinnamon Swirl Bread is this month challenge at We Knead To Bake #27.  The original recipe is from book 500 breads by Carol Beckerman.

It’s a simple American sweet bread. The uniqueness is its aroma. Yes, the orange and cinnamon combination is superb! Apart from its aroma, the bread dough is rolled with apricot preserve and baked to get the swirl effect. As usual, I go with all purpose & wheat flour combination. 

Ingredients:   1 cup of all purpose flour     ;     ¾ cup of whole wheat flour       ;       ½ tsp of sugar     ;   ¼ cup of brown sugar     ;     1/3 cup of warm water       ;      ¾ tsp of instant yeast      ;      1 tsp salt      ;       1 egg     ;       ½ orange juice & finely grated zest          ;         2 ½ tbsp. of apricot preserves        ;       1/2 tbsp of cinnamon    ;     oil for greasing

Procedure :  Dissolve ½  tsp sugar in the warm water and sprinkle the yeast and Leave it for 10 to 15 minutes till frothy.

In a bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt. Add the (liquid) yeast mixture, eggs, Orange juice and the orange zest and combine well to form firm dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it become smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and coat the dough with oil and cover the bowl with damp cloth and leave it for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch down def°late and Knead again for a few minutes until the dough feels firm. Roll into to 3” x 12” rectangles.

Spread each rectangle with apricot preserves and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up each triangle like a jelly roll and place in the loaf tins and cover the loaf tin with damp cloth and leave it for about 30 minutes or until double in size.

Transfer the loaf tin into a 200°C pre-heated the oven and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaves make a hollow sound when tapped. Transfer the bread on the wire rack and allow it to cool.

I am sure Orange & Cinnamon Swirl Bread won’t disappoint you!

Fruit Bread

I am back with another healthy and tasty Bread called Fruit bread. As the name suggest, the bread baked with Dry fruits. The original recipe source from here

For the first time, I used Malthouse Bread Flour. Its combination of wheat, Rye and Malt flours with flaked malted grains for a wholesome crunchy texture.

If you don’t find Malthouse Bread Flour, you may substitute with Whole Wheat or All Purpose Flour. 

Though the bread has got a very crispy crust but it’s very soft.  I pretty much liked is its texture and it’s Orange Flavor. 

Ingredients:   2 cups of malt flour   ;     1/4 cup of sugar      ;    25 gms of soft butter          ;       1 orange zest and  &  juice  ;     1 egg (beaten)   ;     1/2 tsp of instant yeast   ;     1/4 tsp cinnamon powder       ;        1 tbsp of honey      ;  1/2 cup of Lukewarm water      ;       100gms of mixed dried fruits.

Procedure :  Mix together the dried fruits, orange zest and set aside. 

Mix sugar,  yeast, cinnamon powder, honey and lukewarm water and kept aside for five minutes. 

Add Flour to the yeast mixture and mix well to form dough. Add egg, butter, dry fruit mixture and orange juice and combine well. 

Cover the dough with damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 2 hours. Deflate the dough and make loaf or braided and allow it for second rise, for about an hour.

Transfer the loaf into a pre - heated oven and bake it for 45 minutes at 180°c. Allow to cool and slice to desire thickness.

Fruit bread can be consumed with Cream cheese / Olive oil dip / Butter. Soft bread with dry fruits and orange flavor…..imm…….. it’s Divine. 

Mixed Cookie Tray

Winter holidays began and the festival mood is in the air. Cookies are my choice to celebrate. Also, cookie tray would be a perfect to keep my son hunger low, as he is at home.

Instead of just one type of cookie thought to bake three different kinds for different moods.

The First cookie is Gluten-free chocolate cookies.  Gluten Free?...........In other words no flour.

What is Gluten ? Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat and other grains. Gluten is responsible for elasticity of dough. hence, also for chewiness of baked product.

But, these cookies are backed without flour (Gluten) is very different. I got this recipe from here.

Ingredients : 2 ½ cups of sugar    ;     1/2 cup of coco powder    ;         1/2 tsp cinnamon powder        ;      1/4 tsp of salt          ;        3 egg whites           ;          1 tsp vanilla essence        ;         2 ½ cups of semi sweet chocolate chips. 

Procedure:  In a bowl add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt and mix with hand mixer.  Add egg whites and mix well until all combine well. 

Add vanilla extract and chocolate chips and mix them gently with wooden spoon.

Using the small spoon, scope the batter onto the baking tray and spread a bit.

Transfer the tray in to 180°C Preheat the oven to bake about 15 minutes or until the cracking on the top.

Allow it to cool and transfer them to an air tight container.

The second one is Thumbprint cookies. These are popularly known as holiday / picnic cookie. These are called thumbprint because, pressed with a thumb in the center and filled with jam.

You may refer my Coconut shortbread cookies Recipe. After brushing with milk, roll on the crushed mixed nuts instead of coconut. Press with thump in the center to make a dent and bake. Once, the cookies are cooled, fill the dent (at center) with Strawberry Jam.

  

The third one is sugar cookies. Refer my earlier post Button Cookies  prepare the cookie dough and just cut the dough with normal round cookie cutter and bake as directed.