After having inaugurated my work horse KA, cake making started becoming a breeze. Go walking around, pick up stuffs, drop them in and let it do its work. Whoaa!!
So how would it be to let it work out the yeast ? I know I have only been doing my workouts with kneading. It is physically not a great deal for me to let my KA do the job. But it is also unfair if I had to knead my dough on the counter while my bright KA sit on my counter and look at me with a dazzle

It was a pleasure to watch it spin. I know its a dream of every baker to own a stand mixer. I just got lucky early. It doesn’t mean bread baking always needs one. I was happily kneading them with my hands and was watching it change texture and the formation of gluten. I also hope the same will work good with a hand mixer and a dough hook, though I have never tried it when I was just using it for cakes and cookies but never tried a bread with it.

What I made this week is a simple bread recipe and I added some spice into the dough and topped the bread with sesame seeds. It was very soft and the sesame seeds added a nice crunch to every bite. I also tried to make a simple braid with one quarter of the dough

1. Add flour, yeast, salt, sugar, spices and olive oil into a large bowl. I have added into the bowl of my mixer. Mix them all together.1. Add flour, yeast, salt, sugar, spices and olive oil into a large bowl. I have added into the bowl of my mixer. Mix them all together.

2. Warm up the water. To test if the water is the right temperature for the yeast to react, dip in your index finger and count till 5. If the 5th count is the highest point of heat you could bear, then its the right temperature. If it was easy for to bear the heat, then it is not hot enough. If its too hot to bear before you finish 5 counts, then its too hot. Temperature is key to let your yeast react. With the beater whisking, pour the water and let it beat for 7 to 10 minutes on medium speed.

3. Alternately you could mix the flour with water and take it down to your counter and knead for 15 to 20 minutes with your hands by stretching and folding.3. Alternately you could mix the flour with water and take it down to your counter and knead for 15 to 20 minutes with your hands by stretching and folding.

4. Here is the check for gluten formation. The dough stretches without breaking.4. Here is the check for gluten formation. The dough stretches without breaking.

5. Scrape the dough from the bowl. In the same bowl, or a different one, spread some oil and place the dough back coating with oil on all sides.

6. Cover the bowl with the dough with a damp cloth and let it prove in a warm, dry place for 2 hours until double in volume.

7. As beautiful as it can get!!

8. Punch it down. Probably for few times, to release the air that is locked inside.

9. Knead the dough roughly and place on your work counter.

10. Divide the dough into 12 pieces equally using a dough cutter.

11. Roll out each piece into a sausage and pinch the ends to join and form a ring.

12. Make 9 rings and place them on your baking tray that has been lined with a silicon mat or butter paper.

13. Brush the top gently with beaten egg.

14. Sprinkle each rings generously with sesame seeds. Let it prove for 10 more minutes to increase in size.

15. Bake in the pre-heated oven at 200 degree C for 15 to 17 minutes until the top is just golden brown. Remove from oven and place on wire rack. While it is still hot, brush the top with oil. Basting with oil will soften the crust considerably. Let cool for 5 minutes. And then its all yours

Below is series of pictures in order for making the braid. With the remaining 3 portions, make 3 long sausages of same length. Place them next to each other but not too close. Pinch one end of all the three sausages and straight braiding them. Pinch the other end of the three sausages, sealing them completely. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds. Prove for 10 minutes and bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and bast with oil. Let cool or serve hot.

How cool is that ?! I loved the braid, looked very cute :). And so the spice was not over powering, I also served it with butter and jam to kids and it was really amazing. You could increase the spice if you want it a real savory version. But this was just right and some tomato sauce should just do fine as an accompaniment.

Here is one more

It’s rare I get a shot like this, so its good I showcase it when I have one
This has been baked for Fondbites, Bake Along, a group of enthusiastic bakers, bake one recipe every week along with me. To join the group, send a join request in the facebook group and I will add you to the group.
Recipes of previous Bake Along can be viewed here
Members – Once after you finish baking, post the link of your finished picture below using the linky tool.