Doughnuts - Japanese gelatinised-dough method

I'd been searching high & low for Alex Goh's Magic Bread in bookshops here in Singapore as well as in Malaysia ever since I made the Chicken Floss Buns. Finally, I found it at a Popular branch recently. Didn't have to think much.... I just took a quick browse & paid for it. 

All the recipes in this book use the gelatinised-dough method in which part of the dough is cooked in boiling water & left overnight before adding to the rest of the ingredients. It was introduced by the Japanese chefs & like many Japanese bread, the texture of the bread using this method is supposed to be soft & springy without having to add bread improver & chemical food additives. I was quite surprised there's also a doughnut recipe using this method. Naturally, I became quite curious with how the doughnuts would turn up. 

So last weekend, I made a batch of sugar doughnuts using the recipe in the book. As expected, the doughnuts turned out very soft, especially when eaten within a few hours from frying them. After almost 24 hours, the texture of the doughnuts was denser but they were still delicious.

Doughnut 

Gelatinised dough:
100g bread flour
70g boiling water

Pour boiling water into flour & mix until well blended to form a dough. Cover & set aside to cool. Then keep it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

Dough:
250 g bread flour
150g plain flour
10g milk powder
1 tsp baking powder
50g sugar
8g instant yeast
1 whole cold egg
160 g cold water
50g butter
6g salt
cooking oil for deep-fry

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine bread & plain flour, milk powder, baking powder, sugar & instant yeast & mix well. 
2. Add in egg & cold water & mix until  a rough dough is formed. Add in gelatinised dough & mix until well blended.
3. Add in butter & continue mixing well. 
4. Finally, add in salt & continue mixing to form a smooth & elastic dough. Check for membrane.
5. Remove from bowl & mould into a smooth round dough.  Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains.
6. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface,  mould into a smooth round dough & leave to rest for 10 minutes. 
7. In the meantime, cut grease or baking paper into pieces, each slightly bigger than the doughnut cutter. Sprinkle with flour. 
8. Gently roll out the dough to 10mm thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Place cut doughnuts onto the grease or baking paper. Place on a tray. Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Leave to proof for about 30 minutes.
9. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large frying pan. Slide doughnuts into the hot oil.  Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil & drain on a wire rack.
10. Leave to cool slightly. Then sprinkle doughnuts with sugar or decorate top with chocolate.

Recipe by Alex Goh from Magic Bread, with some modifications to the method.

I'm linking this post to the Cook-Your-Books No 9 event hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

Nestum Pinky Cookies

There's just one  more week to go before the month of March... Time really flies when you are so busy. So this is my first post for February. Actually, this one has been in my folder for months....

I learnt to make these Nestum Pinky Cookies during one of the weekend baking classes  a few years ago. Love them a lot & I've made them a few times for Hari Raya. There's just one extra step for these crunchy cookies, you need to bake them twice! And just be warned, the dough is very dry, so we need to press it into cookie moulds to shape the cookies. This is certainly not the straight forward type of cookies to make, but definitely one worth a try!

Nestum Pinky Cookies

Ingredients:
60g ghee (clarified butter) - I used QBB.
140g butter (softened)
160g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
40g egg yolk (from 1-2 eggs)
30g sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp strawberry paste/emulco
1/4 tsp pink colour
*1/4 tsp baking soda
*30g tapioca flour
*100g plain flour (I used top flour / pastry flour)
*150g self-raising flour
* combine & sift these ingredients
240g Nestum Cereal Original

Topping:
egg white
Nestum Cereal Honey (I used  Nestum Cereal Original.)

Method:

Diameter of base is 2cm.

1. Combine butter, ghee, sugar & salt  in a mixing bowl & mix thoroughly. 
2. Add in egg yolk, condensed milk, strawberry paste/ emulco & pink colour & mix well.
3. Add in the flours & Nestum Cereal. Mix well. (Note: The dough is quite dry but DON'T add anymore butter.)
4. Take some dough & press it into the cookie mould (diameter of base is 2cm). Place the mould on a baking tray. Continue until finish.
5. Bake at 150 deg C for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Do not switch off the oven.
6. Remove cookies from the moulds. Brush the top of each cookie with egg white & dip it  onto the Nestum cereal. Arrange the cookies on a baking tray. Bake them again in the oven for about 30 minutes. 
7. Remove from oven & transfer cookies onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Recipe by Nurul Imah.

Crispy Crab Sticks

As usual, as the Chinese New Year is drawing nearer, I notice bottles of cookies & snacks here & there at the workplace.... I also hear updates of what's baking, frying & buying for the celebrations. 

My colleague, Sharon, has been raving about the crispy crab sticks she made. I was not aware of such snack before she told me about it. She encouraged me to make it because she emphasised, confidently, that it's not only delicious, it's also very easy to make! It's also way cheaper to make it at home because, apparently, it's on sale for more than $10 per bottle! So I made it two nights ago & again this morning. Sharon is right, it's one of the easiest snack to make! But beware, like any delicious snack, it's very addictive!

Before I leave you with the recipe, I would like to wish all Chinese readers Happy Lunar New Year! Have a joyous & safe celebration!

Crispy Crab Sticks

Ingredients:
imitation crab sticks (thawed, if frozen)
vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Shred the crab sticks into thin strips.
2. Heat oil over medium fire.
3. Place shredded crab sticks, a small amount at a time, into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown.
4. Once brown, remove & place on paper kitchen towel to drain.
5. Leave to cool down completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes:

• Fry over medium fire, not high, as the crackers will turn brown quite fast.
• Don't fry too much of the shredded sticks at one time so that it's easier to separate & turn the shredded pieces when frying in the oil.

I’m submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers No. 39: CNY Rock & Roll! (Jan 2014) hosted by Food Playground.