Organic Buckwheat and Spelt bread!

For the Italian version click here!!!
I wrote the Italian post last sunday while I was in Japan.... Today I'm home...but I just heard from the news that an helicopter crashed in central London... What a sad news! I hope all of you that follow me from London are ok!
In these situations I never know what to say....  so no more words...just the recipe!




ORGANIC BUCKWHEAT AND SPELT  BREAD

INGREDIENTS

Biga/starter:

• 50g very strong flour
• 30g water
• 1 teaspoon dehydrated sour dough

Dough:

• 200g organic spelt flour
• 100g organic buckwheat flour
• 100g water
• 1 teaspoon dehydrated sour dough
• 10g salt
• 1 teaspoon barley malt

The night before prepare the biga: Simply mix the flour with water and sour dough. Cover and let rest for 10 hours. 

In the kneading machine bowl place all the ingredients with the starter and mix increasing the speed gradually.

Knead until dough is smooth and soft.

Transfer dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size. 

Transfer dough into a floured worktop, flatten slightly with the hands and form a cylinder. 

Transfer dough into mould and allow to rise until doubled in size. 

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200ºC for approximately 20 minutes. 

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Love for tea....Adagio!!!

For the Italian version click here!!!
When I moved to England I began to appreciate the "tea" .... in Italy I used to drink it quite often ... but strictly with loads of lemon and lots of sugar (usually only in the afternoon because I did not have breakfast in the morning) .....  I kept this tradition for so time in London .... I could not understand how anyone could put milk in tea ... but slowly I got used to .... and now I take my tea in the morning and afternoon with milk and strictly with no sugar! Indeed my day can not start without a good hot tea! Over the years I have tried many types of tea, such as black, green tea and spiced black tea. Whenever I’m in London ( or Japan) for business I do not miss the opportunity to have a nice Chai Latte .... with "cinnamon on top" ..... ah that goodness!

In Italy, unfortunately, I can’t find this tea .... luckily with the Christmas tea from Adagio I can enjoy a nice spicy tea at home .... 'a Cylon black tea with cloves, orange peel, ginger , cardamom and cinnamon .... perfect for cold afternoons spent at home! I like this tea quite sweet so I always take with a little milk and a teaspoon of honey .... It’s so good! The aroma when I opened the bag was so exhilarating  .... and to prepare this tea with IngenuiTEA it’s so easy! Just put a teaspoon of tea leaves, let stand for 3 minutes and strain the tea. As tmany would say Christmas is just inside the cup ....

I recommend you to visit ADAGIO TEAS website to better understand how this convenient teapot works.

I tasted several teas from the "Holiday Cheer" selection ... like the candy cane tea: black tea, candy cane flavour, peppermint leaves and pieces of candy cane. I’ve also had ginger bread and tea with pumpkin! I must say that they are one better than the other and my favourites are the ones with cinnamon, I simply love this spice!

I haven’t still been able to taste "Citron Green", green tea with orange peel, orange flavour, lemon flavour and sunflower petals. But I will try it very soon!

I really recommend you to visit the ADAGIO TEA website, if you love tea like me definitely you’ll be amazed by the quality and selection of teas they sell!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Second round: Pandoro cake!!!

For the Italian version click here!!!
Happy new year everyone!!! Let's hope it's a good one, full of serenity..satisfactions and everything we wish to have! Those who follow me for quite some time they may know that if something doesn't come right on first try I have to try until it is perfect or almost. In the last post I wrote about my failure with the Pandoro cake  ... of course I have not given up and after a couple of days I tried again just trying to correct the mistakes I've made the first time, that I increased the dose of yeast, I left the dough to rise at a maximunm temperature of about 22 º C and reduced the amount of butter when folding the dough.
Still it's not 100% perfect ... should have been a bit more golden brown ... but I'm very happy with the result! I brought the Pandoro at work on Boxing Day and my colleagues loved it!
But here's a recipe I gave you last week with the latest changes.




PANDORO: ITALIAN CHRISTMAS CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

Biga:

• 70g of strong flour (Manitoba)
• 
15g of dried yeast
• 60g of water at room temperature

 final dough:

• 90g of flour
• 155g strong flour (Manitoba)
• 2 egg yolk (about 30 g)
• 
2 small eggs (100g)
• 25g butter, softened high quality
• 70g of caster sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• Vanilla extract

Final preparation:

• 80 g of butter quality
• 1 g of flour 

Better if you start the night before to prepare the biga that should rise about 12 hours.

Mix the ingredients quickly, cover the bowl with cling film  and let rise in a warm place for at least 12 hours. The next morning start to prepare the pandoro dough.

Mix well the two flours and icing sugar with the biga. Add the eggs one at a time, then a pinch of salt and vanilla essence.When the dough appears smooth add the butter at room temperature. Knead until you have a smooth and elastic dough. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and let rise until doubled in size.

Mix the butter with the flour and roll it into a very thin rectangle with a rolling pin. 

Store in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to start making the folds.

Roll out the dough  with a rolling pin to obtain a rectangle with a 2cm thickness 

Put the butter in the center of the dough and fold the dough 3 times.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin again and make fold again 3 times.. Practice this procedure for 3 times.

After you make each fold put the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and 10 minutes in the freezer.

The butter must be cold.

At this point form a ball with the dough and arrange it, with the fold upwards, in the greased and floured pandoro mould .

Let rise until it reaches the edge of the mould.

Bake it in a pre-heated oven at 155 º C for about 40 minutes. Do the toothpick test.

Let cool Pandoro in the mold.


Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving! 


reade more... Résuméabuiyad