Soft Fluffy Wholewheat Chia Bread

Soft Fluffy Wholewheat Chia Bread

For TangZhong: 
30gm bread flour 
150ml water/milk 

For Bread: 
190g bread flour 
120g wholemeal flour 
3tbsp+2tsp caster sugar 
1tsp salt 
3 tbsp chia seeds 
1 large egg 
1tbsp+1tsp milk powder (optional) 
120ml milk
120gm tangzhong (use the tangzhong from above) 
2 tsp instant yeast 
3tbsp softened butter 

Making TangZhong: 

• Whisk flour in water and make sure mixture has no lumps.
• Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring consistently with a spatula to prevent burning and sticking while you cook. The mixture will thicken and when you notice some “lines” appearing in the mixture with every stir you make, remove from heat. 
• Transfer into a clean bowl. Cover mixture with a cling wrap ensuring that the wrap sticks onto the surface of tangzhong. (This prevents it from drying up.)
• Let cool to room temperature before use. (You may also chill in fridge for several hours but make sure you let mixture rest at room temp. for a while before use. 

Making bread: 

• Combine all the dry ingredients: flours, salt, sugar, chia seeds and instant yeast in a bowl. 
• Make a well in the center. 
• Whisk and combine all wet ingredients: milk, egg and tangzhong and add them into the well of the dry ingredients. 
• Knead until you get a dough shape and gluten has developed, then knead in the butter. (I use a bread machine in this stage adding the wet ingredients first and then followed by the dry.) 
• Keep kneading until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Knead the dough into a shape of a ball. Place it in a greased bowl and cover with a wet towel or cling wrap. 
• Let it proof till it doubles in size, about 40 minutes. 
• Transfer to a clean floured surface. 
• Deflate and divide the dough into three equal portions. Knead into ball shapes. 
• Cover with cling wrap and let rest for 15 minutes. 
• Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape then roll from the upper, shorter end down to the bottom (as picture shown). 
• Flatten the dough with your rolling pin. Then roll once again. The seals face down. 
• Arrange the rolled-up dough in a greased or non-stick loaf tin.
• Leave it for about 40 minutes for the 2nd round of proofing, or until the dough rises up to 3/4 of the height of the tin inside. Brush whisked egg on surface. 
• Bake in a pre-heated 180C oven for 35 to 40 minutes. 
• Remove from the oven and tin. Transfer onto a wire rack and let cool completely. 

SERVE.

The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love brown butter and the alluring nutty aroma that fills the kitchen as it sizzles on the stove.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

225g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
150g light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
70g granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
270g all-purpose flour
10g corn flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
150g bittersweet chocolate chips

• Lace half the butter (113g) in a medium skillet. 
• Melt the butter over medium heat, swirling it in the pan occasionally. Once the bits are amber brown (about 2 minutes after the sizzling stops), remove the butter from the burner and pour it into a small bowl, set aside to stop the butter from cooking.  Cool for 20 minutes.
• Beat the remaining (112g) butter with the brown sugar until the mixture is smooth.
• Add in the vanilla extract.
• Pour the cooled brown butter into the bowl, along with the granulated sugar. Beat for an additional 2 minutes till smooth and fluffy.
• Add the egg and egg yolk to the mixture, and beat for one minute.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour, salt, and baking soda until just combined.
• Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips.
• Scoop the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• About 15 minutes before you’re ready to begin baking, preheat your oven to 170 degrees.
• Scoop the dough in 2 tablespoon-sized balls onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. 
• Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until they’re golden brown.
• Remove them from the oven, and allow them to rest for at least 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
• SERVE~~