Ciabatta

A ciabatta, is an Italian bread which is rather flat and full of holes. Since the ciabatta dough is wet, baking the dough in a cake pan or baking dish will hold its shape better. Also, it is easier to mix the dough in a mixer than by hand.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 3 cups
Barely warm water - 11/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons
Active Dry Yeast - 11/2 tsp
Extra Virgin Oil - 1/4 cup
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Butter - a little at room temperature, to grease the baking dish

Method of Preparation:


Making the Starter: Put 3/4 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of water in a bowl and combine with a whisk and sprinkle the yeast over it. Wait for about 3 minutes, for the yeast to moisten and stir again until the mixture has a consistency of a thick batter. Cover this mixture with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours, until doubled or tripled in volume.

Mixing: Combine the started with the remaining flour, water and oil. Mix with a stand mixer fitted with dough hook for about 2 minutes or by hand for about 2 minutes. Cover with a moist towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Kneading: Add the salt and knead with a stand mixer on medium speed for about 7 minutes or by hand for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and stretches without breaking.

Fermentation: Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a moist towel. Leave the dough for about 2 hours at warm room temperature for a faster rise or for 30 minutes at room temperature then overnight in the refrigerator for the slowest rise.

Shaping: Transfer the dough gently into an oiled 11 inch cake pan, don't punch it down.

Proofing: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours or about twice its original volume.

Baking: Preheat the oven to 450F. Place a sheet pan on the bottom rack of the oven and pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the sheet pan (Be careful not to drop any water on the hot glass of the oven). Slide the baking dish with the ciabatta dough onto a rack over the pan with water. Turn down the oven to 425F. Bake for around 35 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool for 5 minutes before turning the ciabatta out onto a cooling rack.

Let the ciabatta cool down completely, before slicing it.

Eggless Orange Banana Cake

I wanted to use up an over ripe banana and few oranges, which were sitting around in the kitchen for quite sometime now. Searched over the internet and found some interesting recipes, finally came up with my own version, in which I used self rising flour and whole wheat flour. I also added shredded coconut, walnuts and raisins. I didn't realize that the self rising flour I had bought recently, already contained salt and baking powder.

Ingredients:
Overripe Banana - 1
Orange Juice - 3/4 cup (I used fresh orange juice)
Self Rising Flour - 1/2 cup (The one I used, had salt and baking powder already)
Whole Wheat Flor - 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup, firmly packed
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1 tsp
Dry Shredded Coconut - 1 tbsp
Chopped Walnuts - 2 tbsp
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Oil - 3 tbsp

Method of Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a cake pan with oil. Mash the banana with a fork and it to a mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar to it and mix well.
2. Add the dry ingredients, self rising flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder to a sieve and sieve them twice.
3. Add them to the mashed banana mixture and mix well, ensuring no lumps are formed.
4. Now add the orange juice and mix well. Then fold in the shredded coconut, chopped walnuts and raisins.
5. Finally add the oil and mix well so that it gets incorporated into the batter.
6. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool down before slicing. Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar/powdered sugar.

Sending this to Champa's 'Bake-off'

Testing Baking Soda and Baking Powder

Here are simple methods to check if your baking soda or baking powder still has power left to make your baked products rise.

To Test Baking Soda:
Stir half a teaspoon or 2.5gm of baking soda into 2 tablespoons or 28 ml of lemon juice or vinegar. If the baking soda is still working it will bubble and fizz, if not then it is the time to buy a new box of baking soda.

To Test Baking Powder:
Stir half a teaspoon or 2.5gm of baking powder into 2 tablespoons of hot water. If the baking powder is still working it will bubble and fizz, if not then it is the time to buy a new box of baking powder.

Home Made Baking Powder

If you ever realize that you have run out of baking powder or that the one you have has lost its power, you do no have to rush to the nearest grocery store. You can make your own baking powder at home.

Ingredients:(equivalent of a teaspoon or 5gm)

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp (2.5 gm)

Cream of Tartar - 1/4 tsp (1.2 gm)

Method of Preparation:

1. Just mix together both the ingredients to get your very own baking powder.

Tip: Both baking soda and Cream of tartar are easily available in most of the grocery stores and both these ingredients keep indefinitely when stored separately. So it is a good idea to have them at hand for any emergencies