Bread with my Buddies

It was bread making day today. Of all days we chose today to make bread when it was cold, and rainy - perfect conditions for bread to rise (mmm hmmm). Anyhow, not rain nor sleet or snow can dampen me and my gals when we decide to do something. The venue was BL's apartment, and in the absence of a breadmaker, we went the old fashion way and kneaded by hand. Somehow, it didn't seem as difficult. Maybe because we were chatting away (what else?), or maybe because it wasn't me who was kneading!

There was no 'warm corner of your kitchen', so we let the dough proof under the heater lights (hey, we think outside the box!). At the end of the day we had some delicious sausage rolls and a huge loaf. And to top it off, an absolutely sedap Hokkien Mee lunch prepared by BL and equally yummy pandan-santan jelly made by BLi.

Fun day as usual, enough to keep my spirits up till the sun peeks through the clouds again.


The recipe we used today :

Dry ingredients-
Bread flour 3 1/4 cups
Salt 1 tsp
Sugar 3 tbsp
Dry yeast 1 1/2 tsp

Liquid ingredients-
Egg 1 plus enough warm (27C) water to equal 1 cup
Oil 3 tbsp

Mix all the dry ingredients on a work surface. Make a well in the center and slowly pour the liquid ingredients, mixing as you go. Mix well and knead till the dough is 'elastic'. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or double in size. Knead again. Form into a ball (or wrap around sausages) and let it rise again till double in size. Brush with beaten egg. Bake in preheated 180C oven for 25-30 minutes.