at last...

My most favorite bread is 'Hard Bagel'.
I tried to bake it a few times before, but those are not really successful.



Since I'm learning baking, I should to try bake it again, I thought.
Refer the recipes from [Cookpad] and [Cuoca].



* Bread flour (used Haru yo koi)...250g
* Instant Dry Yeast...1/2 tsp
* Sugar...1 tbsp
* Salt...1/2 tsp
* Water (about 40 degrees)...140cc


Bagel is very lean bread and use less water than normal bread.
Just concentrate for Kneading, Knead, Knead knead knead for 15 mins or more...

After finish kneading, make 4 portions and take 15 mins for bench time.
Make bagel shape and then 1 st proofing for 35 - 45 mins in 35 - 40 degrees.

And then boil both side for 30 - 40 secs each, pre-heat oven 210 degrees and then bake it for 25 mins (my microwave oven. baking time and temperature may differ)


And then,


Complete baking,


Come out...




Plain and Green tea flavour. first time to bake such nice looks too!!



BAGELS!!!!!




This is the nicest bagels I baked ever!!!





Out side is crusty and inside is chewy.
Not to soft, need to use ur jaws well =P




Felt sooooooooooo happy!!!






I can't wait to bake it again soon =)




recipe refered from :
Cookpad - cooking recipe community
cookpad.com
Cuoca - everything about baking & cooking
www.cuoca.com

Simple & mochi mochi

Baking at home,
Practice practice....=P



Baked 'Pain de mie'.
Previously I baked this bread at home but that time due to my ovensize, top of the bread got charred...
I asked baking teacher for advice and try it again today.



Still not well taken off bread from the mould,
Bread is well done! =)





I wish I could let shiu-chan try...



This time round used Japanese Bread flour 'Haru yo koi',
as many Japanese who do baking like to use Japanese flour, I really understand why.
Bread is really chewy and having nice wheat smell and mild taste.



I think I will try to bake pain de mie more often.


It is imple yet very good for practice.

Recent quality

My mum suddenly felt like eating pizza so she ordered pizza.


They say they use Panettone (italian natural yeast, known as use for Christmas bread, Panettone) and they do proofing at the shops.




autumn is tasty season for eggplant =)


What she ordered was Half & half for Eggplant with roasted chicken miso and Colourful vegetables pizza.
20cm size and bread crust. just nice for one person, she finished all with tasty smile =)



Looked tasty too, I think Pizza quality getting much better compare to few years back.



Pizza Royalhat
http://www.royalhat.com

Full of onions

Today's bread is contains half of onion for 300g flour.


It was first time to knead 300g flour and while kneading, I felt so good...
The dough well fit to my palm, got better feeling than when I knead 150g - 200g dough...


I heard that there is a beker who everyday keads 20kg flour of dough by hand, it must be very hard but I wish I can knead and handle like that baker...
Maybe, at least more than 1kg...




By the way, the bread I baked,
tasty but something is not enough...



look like a warm or kind of enemy like tt...haha =P


I think not enough kneading and because added raw onion,
I should handle dough more carefully...



Not chewy enough thou...=(

Veteran Bakers

Attended long waited trial baking lesson at Andersen Bakery.


Due to the length of lesson schedule, used pre-kneaded doguth.
However, even it was just a trial lesson,
They taught us proper way of brushing eggs,
how to shape dough nicely, how to handle dough,
even told us how to bake well with your microwave oven.


I was so impressed about that baking lesson.


Teachers are professional bakers,
The way they teach is quite different from my baking studio.


Regretably I am not able to take their course because of time,
but there is one-day baking lessons, I decided to tanking that =)


Different schools do their own way,
Bread and baking is such a really very deep and difficult thing...



dun brush eggs to whole bread, bottom white line makes bread more tasty, they pointed.


If their breads are more reachable for my dubget,
I will buy more breads from their bakery...
Most of their breads are so expensive!!! =O



Bakery corner at Andersen. Simple breads and its simbole, stone oven behind.


Hiroshima Andersen
www.andersen.co.jp

peak season soon...

Getting peak season for...






Autumn flavours...






simple is the best of best! grilled.



Recently Sanma (pacific saury) can be sold as Sashimi,
Just a few years ago, it wasn't eat this way at all.
(this kind of fish is very weak and need to be very very fresh)







crunchy and juicy pears


from left : La-france, bottom : 20 Century pear and right : Housui pear,
Frankry speaking, I only like to eat 20 Century pear.

anpan, please?

It must be returned to usual life after having such vacation.


Went to baking lesson,
learned An pan (bean paste bun).


what you usually find anpan in Singapore is too sweet red bean paste or oily bean paste as I think they made read bean paste with chinese style (use oil).
I don't really like those, still prefer Japanese red bean paste.





green tea an (an = bean paste) and red bean an.



An pan is known as invented by Kimuraya bakery,
which established in 1869, it was first bakery opened by Japanese.
their Anpan, placed sakura flower in centre was gifted to Meiji Emperor in 1875.
(noted from Kimuraya bakery website : www.kimuraya-sohonten.co.jp)

till now, the bakery is still famous for original Anpan.



Someday I must try, true original Anpan!!! =P

there is...

My dearest, left for his country.


He left nice memories,




and




gained my weight...





hahaha =P




On the way back home,
I was already felt miss him so much.



life is not that smooth always,
not easy to get what you want,
we have to be parted sometimes...



just 5 hours away by flight,
but still miss him so much.




Thanks to shiu-chan.













hope to see him very soon...

Kyushu UMAKA (tasty)

It is last day for Shiu-chan's visit to Japan.
We just don't want to rush down to airport, stayed at hotel near by .

The hotel is just opened for about 2 years,
clean and well designed with comfortable beds and amenities.


the bed was really comfortable.


complemently water is not so common in Japan's hotel.

Had lunch hotel's Japanese restaurant as they offer Kyushu local food promotion.
It was nice lunch and price was reasonable!
At first we thought of having dinner outside but ended up we turn back to the restaurant for dinner.


Kagoshima beef, Hyuuga Chicken, Mentaiko etc...

Of course not to forget, our hotel stay event,
get some cakes from Crown Plaza hotel Fukuoka, too =)


Foret Noir : liquar soaked cherry was really strong taste! adult black forest...=P


Irish : layers of sponge, feullitine, mousse and caramel, oishii~~ =)

We brought Delaware grape wine from my house,
It we bought for my mum when we went to Beppu 2 years ago, but she forget about it.
luckily still drinkable...hehe =P


sweet wine, is it tasted like ice wine?


Hotel Leopalace Hakata
2-5-33 Hakataeki-higashi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
http://www.leopalacehotels.jp/

Lunch @ Japanese Dining Com
Hotel Leopalace Hakata 2F

Jap + French

I wanted to treat him for lunch, to celebrate him for passing all 2nd exams for his uni.


Invited him for
[Mikuni Nature]

It's casual french restaurant under Mikuni's restaurant.

I recommended him its original signature dish,
Foie Gras Don (Fore gras on the rice).


5 - 6 varieties of mushrooms they use

the taste was fantastic!
really nice combination of Balsamic Vinegar, mushrooms, rice and foie gras.
foie gras was really melt on your mouth, crunchy sauteed mushrooms and
grain rice will make it different texture.


I ordered fish of the day, it also nicely grilled and matching with
essence of prawns sauce and molokheiya sauce =P


fish name i forgot but armpit or something funny name...

the course ends up with dessert platter,
all those also nice taste...I will be willing to come for their dessert buffet next time!!!



even macarron also my liking kind!!


Mikuni Nature
http://www.oui-mikuni.co.jp

2 years talk

Visited Shiu-chan's host family,



Had alot of chit chat =)



somehow, many times she talked to me in Japanese.
supporse shiu-chan talk with her most I thought???




they ordered nice varieties of Sushi for shiu-chan


Anyway, it was really a great time with them =)







....I think she should be surprised that shiu-chan Japanese getting more lousy although his wife is Japanese...our conversation is in Singlish then!! =P

Fruits & Meat Day

We went to Fruits farm with my cousin.



Autumn, it's the season for nice food!!



Shiu-chan was so fascinated about grape picking.
I could only finish 3 banches of grapes but he finished 5 banches!
maybe he could eat more amount than what he ate when we went to strawberry farm.


this time round, grape eat-all-u-can was Kyoho grapes.

My cousin choose [Fruits basket] couse,
which you can pick 1 or 2 fruits from 3 - 4 varieties of fruits.
It is quite fun to walk around the fruits farm, and interesting experience too =)


fruits farm, where u can enjoy fruits picking all year round.

After enjoying the fruits picking and eating,
we headed to Yakiniku (Jap BBQ) restaurant for dinner.


Surprisingly, it was shiu-chan's first time try Yakiniku.
Recommended him for Beef tangue and Cartilage.


full of meat!!

The beef were tasty and quite good quality,
today we all the way eating like buffet!!! =P


Shiu-chan liked their Yakiniku Sauce



Hirata Fruits Farm
http://www.marumero.com

Yakiniku Galbi Daifuku
http://www.yaknic.co.jp

Autumn autumn autumn

There is a good lunch promotion,
found quite interesting Japanese course then.

The course come with :
Small appetizers (sesame tofu, seasoned fish and tofu),
Katsuo no tataki (Slightly roasted bonito),
Vegetable sushi (lotus root, mushroom, myouga harb, yamaimo (sticky yam) and takuwan),
Miso soup with Japanese salmon and mushrooms and vegetables,
grilled Sanma (pacific saury),
deep fried Ichijiku fig with prawn, grated white raddish and clear soup,
pumpkin mousse with yellow peach.
(this is september menu)


There were my fav, sesame tofu..=P =P

It was first time trying vegetable sushi,
overall, just nice quantity and able to enjoy seasonal flavours.


After having nice meal, we jalan jalan for exercise =P



I bought cake witch I wanted to introduce to Shiu-chan,
green tea mousse and also bought mont blanc.


I think more custard cream in middle layer is better.

Mont blanc had thick chestnut cream on top,
we enjoyed the cake =)
And good to know that, shiu-chan also found green tea mousse =D


Lunch @ NANIWA
Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima

Cakes from Y's Tei
Yokogawa Main Branch

Bread & Sausage &...

It is good thing that Shiu-chan feels like try baking.


We play play did baking,
he knead and shaped his own bread =)



shiu-chan original shape, not bad hor =P


We jalan jalan seaside to went down to supermarket in the evening to meet my graduated poly's vice principal as she invited us for dinner.

We had nice italian cuisine and had very nice time with them.



They just visited Singapore recently and
We are already looking forward to see them in Singapore next year =)



she gifted us such a beautiful flower shaped jelly =D

Go Go! Wine!

Weekday, but friends organised dinner gathering for shiu-chan.


So great to have good friends =)

Went dinner for wine bar,
offers 300-500 varieties of wines and nice galettes.
their wine menu was so interesting to take a look...=P


Drink cidre with cup is original style, sommelier told us.

We had galetts, and sommelier recommended apple cidre.
One of friend, ordered buckwheat beer (he likes beer...)
Cidre was really tasty, although it just 2% alchol but I felt a little bit got drunk...


Galette Epinard (spinatch), with poached egg and bacon.


Galette...forgot...anchovy? parma ham and anchovy...

Nice ambience and cosy restaurant,
friendly sommelier and tasty galetts...


Caramel Crepe, salty caramel and ice cream...very tick taste!

It was really a great time with friends...


Allez-Allez! Du Vins!
B1F 1-14 Horikawa-cho,
Nakaku, Hiroshima

Trial day

Went trial baking lesson at one of baking school.


Its trial lesson was rice flour bread,
which I am very interested in.

Rice flour is low gluten and not easy to use for bread but
people with wheat allegy able to enjoy the bread.
Nowadays contains rice flour bread is getting more popular in Japan.

In the lesson, only mix a small amount of rice flour, but it enough to make the bread quite chewy and tasty.

chestnut shape bread contains chestnut chunks and maron paste. very nice!!



After this lesson, also joined Japanese sweets trial lesson.
Traditional Japanese sweets is always looks needs alot of skills and not easy to make.
Made steamed mantou with red bean paste and white bean paste.

I think this is very beginner level for Japanese sweets. size is 4-5cm, standard size.

It was very wonderful experience for me, and shiu-chan.
If I have time, I will definitely willing to take this Traditional Japanese sweets course.


Yup. I asked shiu-chan to accompany me for these lesson...
till the today, I kept secret...=P



Hope shiu-chan found baking is such interesting thing!!

island jalan jalan

Seeing nice sunrise though sea horizontal line in the morning...





really very nice...







had early lunch and we jalan jalan beach around the hotel.


shiu-chan looked so enjoy finding limpets and oysters.
Regretably he couldn't find any abalone or sea urchin...hahaha =P



shiu-chan found his favorite, jelly fish...

It was really a very relaxing short trip...



Island looked small from the map but actually it was quite big island...
famous for tasty seafoods...=)



Suo island belongs to Yamaguchi Prefecture.

star lighting island trip

Went a small island for short trip with shiu-chan.

It was his second time to travel to Japan,
and it was first time to visit this small island.


The island located southern setouchi-sea,
Just an hour plus from my place but the sea was so beautiful.


nice fine beach and cute fishes swiming near beach

there were small surprises for shiu-chan,

one is to do fishing.
we rent fishing rod from the hotel and did 'Sabiki' style fishing.
'Sabiki' style is to hang bait basket either bottom or top of hooks to attract fishes.



looks pro?? =P u know how to do fishing or not??

It was my first time for me to do 'Sabiki' fishing as usually I do rock fishing or beach fishing.


both us blur blur prepare and anyhow did.

Surprisingly we fished quite number of fishes.
Small sardines, small horse mackerels, seabreams and some other small fishes.


stucked sea bream, wild and so nice body colour.

Got interesting thing, a greedy fish, stuck into bait basket,
little sea bream, stucked fishing line between basket and hooks...
WHAT KIND OF FISHING IS IT??!! =P


After enjoy fishing, there were another surpise for shiu-chan, all squid dinner.
It was also my first time to have whole squid sashimi.


this squide known as queen of squid. mild taste.

both us enjoyed the meal, include following dinner courses.


In the night, enjoyed salty hot spring and looking up beautiful stars in the sky =)



Hotel & Resort Sunshine Sazanseto
Katazoegahama, Suo-ooshima-cho, Yamaguchi
http://www.sunshine-jp.com

more like normal Japanese Restaurant

had lunch with the couple who hold wedding ceremony in Singapore last year.


We went to Ryoutei (kind of formal Japanese Restaurant) near by our place,
as this restaurant offers reasonable lunch course.


The course includes 9 small seasonal appetizers,
Chawan mushi, Dobin mushi pot, a few Sushi and dessert.


Appetizers got new potato, poached oyster, simmered Anago (sea eel),
simmered Ayu fish...etc.
All these are small, just like one or two bite sized but enjoyable looks and taste.

many Japanese restaurant offers this kind of set lunch course.

Dobin mushi, it's clear soup with Matsutake, Hamo (Pike conger),
It was my first time to have Dobin mushi pot actually, it should be poring soup from pot and drink it first and then, eat the ingredients.

Dobin mushi is served in something like tea pot.

Sushi was just 5 pieces, simple and quite tasty.
It was also my first time to have Sanma (pacific saury) sushi, and it was surprisingly tasty =)

just nice quantity of sushi =) not too big or not too small size too.


We had nice lunch time and chit chatting!
After that they brought us to their love nest to be.
they must be happy planning their new house...=D


Hina no ryoutei Jigozen
5-19-14 Jigozen, Hatsukaichi-city,
Hiroshima 738-0042
http://www.hinanoryotei-jigozen.com

hint of lemon essense

Today baked 'Melon Pan', Japanese original bread.


I am not sure is it easy to find in Singapore.
make biscuit dough while proofing the bread dough.


Shiu-chan, finally tried just maccha baked bread! =P



don't forget to make cross border.


The bread is consider rich dough, but because of that,
Quite chewy and rich taste.



nice with english tea....

not easy to eat but,

This is Amaebi (Sweet prawn) I like most.








With EGGs!!! =D


eggs are jade colour and a little bit of sweet taste.
have to suck it before taking of shells as I am not good in eating this kind,
but enjoyable like that.


These are from Norway and it's very reasonable price.
(200g for 300 yen = about S$4.50)



Maccha finally introduced this to Shiu-chan as
this one not everytime can be found at supermarket.




yup, my dear shiu-chan came to see me!! =D =D

Get drunk by bread?!

Felt like baking bread although I got baking lesson today.


Tried to bake 'mochi mochi' bread,
using milk instead of soya milk.

I added green tea powder, and because of that,
I should add slightly more water.
Dough was quite dry, knead quite some time but
seemed too dry or something.


Bread was quite 'mochi mochi' but not like what I baked at the baking lesson.



I think need to add more green tea powder to get more taste of it.

Still need to practice more to defferentiate dough condition,
Whether is it well knead or so.




In the afternoon, attended a baking lesson.
I was quite interested about the bread since I saw the bread.


The bread is called 'Beer bread'.

I thought just use some beer with water, but come to make,
the bread only use beer. furthermore the beer was stout.

Teacher said stout can get more aroma and tick taste for bread.


whole process of making this bread was very beer smell...



cute look but truly adult taste... hahaha


After tried this bread, I was surprised that the bread has very strong beer smell.



Inside of this bread got Camambert cheese and hint of black pepper.
It's something like 'tasting beer with comlements'...



quite matching anyway =)



Really!!! you don't trust?
you should try this bread if you like to drink beer =P



Ends up somehow I feel like get drunk...
(I dun like beer, sake, shochu or wine...hahaha)

it's interesting taste

my mum bought figs.




this kind is not so big. about 5cm round. some peoples cannot take the taste.


It's season for late summer to early autumn fruits.
getting lesser and lesser summer fruits like melon and water melon,
while getting more and more autumn fruits like chestnut and pear.


Fig tree has a kind of juice that makes feel itchy.
somehow I never felt itchy or got rush by touching it.



Soon my neighbour's fig tree will also have many riped figs...=)

first experience

Attended trial baking lesson at different baking school.


This course learn all breads with natural yeast.
I know what natural yeast is, and how difficult and sensitive it is.


It was my very first time of touching for natural yeast.


the bread at least need to proof for 2 hours for 1st proofing,
due to that, we only did bench time, deviding and 2nd proofing.

While waiting for 2nd proofing to be done,
we did mixing of ingredients and kneeding as a group work.



Too sad to say, the lesson style was not what I was expected.
and too bad, this course needs to take at least 3 months to complete
just 1 course (part 1 - 4 + master course)...

If I have the time, I will like to go for this course...
(but if I really have time, I rather go for culinary poly for 1 year....hahaha)



apricot fig noix bread. smells more like sourdough. tasty! =)

Natural yeast bread taste was really what I expected. very different from dry yeast.
Further more, this school is using 100% Japanese wheat flour, which they said super low or null post harvest and more tasty.

Common bread flour in Japan is mostly imported from U.S, I think I should try to use Japanese flour.
Wheat makes big difference for bread taste then =)


After the school, jalan jalan dept store and found bakery from Ishikawa prefecture at the food fair there.
I bought a Green tea *Dainagon red bean bread.
Green tea + Dainagon red bean...it's popular combination for alot of thing.
I like both and just feel like trying that.



quite light texture bread. outer is quite crispy.

A little bit of regret,
green tea taste was not very nice...but red bean was just nice.



*Dainagon red bean is bigger size than Azuki red bean. it's good for long hour cooking.


Trial lesson @ Homemade Association
http://www.homemade.co.jp

bread from Bread & cake & coffee Biron
27-1 jounan, komatsu-shi, Ishikawa
http://www.biron.jp