French Pains aux raisins

French Pains aux raisins
 
Author:
Makes: 24 pains
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
The dough
  • 200 gr milk
  • 100 gr water
  • 14 gr instant yeast
  • 40 gr sugar
  • 500 gr white flour
  • 12 gr salt
  • 250 gr butter
The pastry cream
  • 250 gr milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 30 gr white sugar
  • 25 gr custard powder
Extra
  • 200 gr dried raisins
  • 1 egg
Instructions
The dough
  1. Combine and mix the milk, water, the yeast and sugar. Let the yeast wake up for 5 min.
  2. Add white flour and the salt. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth, about 10 min.
  3. Warp the cold, unproven dough in cling film, and store in the fridge for at least an hour (or overnight).
Shaping the butter.
  1. Remove the butter from the fridge.
  2. Roll the butter between two sheets of baking paper into a rectangle about 20x 25 cm. Store in the fridge for later or allow it to become somewhat softer and pliable.
Folding the dough
  1. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 20x50 cm. Put the butter (not too soft nor too hard) on one end of the dough and fold the top over the butter to fully encase it. Seal the edges. The dough should now be about 15x15 cm but higher than when you started. You now have three layers.
  2. Turn the dough so that the fold is at your left. Roll the dough gently again into a rectangle like the one you started with.
  3. Brush away the excess flour, moisten with a little bit of water the dough and fold the upper third of the dough again to the centre and fold the lower third on top. This completes the first turn. You now have nine layers. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 min.
  4. Turn the dough counter clockwise a quarter to get the fold at your left-hand side and repeat the rolling and folding. This completes the second turn. You now have twenty-seven layers. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 min.
  5. Turn the dough counter clockwise a quarter get the fold at your left-hand side and repeat the rolling and folding. This completes the third and last turn. You now have eighty-one layers. Store the dough in a plastic bag (overnight) in the fridge.
The pastry cream and raisins.
  1. Mix some of the cold milk with the egg yolks, sugar and custard powder.
  2. Warm the remainder of the milk.
  3. Pour in the cold milk and bring to a gentle the boil while stirring until the pastry cream thickens.
  4. Transfer it to a clean container, cover with cling film, allow to cool down and store in the fridge until fully cold.
  5. Soak the raisins for at least 30 min in lukewarm water and drain.
The assembly
  1. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it stand 10 minutes to warm up and become more workable. Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring about 30 cm by 50 long. Brush away excess flour.
  2. Spread a thin layer of pastry cream all over the dough leaving an inch free at the bottom nearest to you.
  3. Divide the raisins evenly.
  4. Roll the dough up into a cylinder shape, seal the seam and cut slices about an inch thick. Place them on a tray lined with baking paper.
  5. Let the swirls proof in a draft free sport about 90 min or until doubled in size.
  6. Brush the top with the beaten egg and bake the swirls in the oven preheated at 160 ˚C for 15-20 min or until puffed up, golden and filly cooked.
  7. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Stuff to know
This recipe will yield 24 pains aux raisins.
Use cold milk and water to avoid rising when you start making the dough.
If the butter is the cold, it won’t roll and destroy the dough. If it is to soft, it will ooze out of the dough.
Resting the dough in the fridge between turn allows the butter to firm up and the dough to relax.
Don’t let the pains aux raisins proof at a too high temperature or the butter will melt.
It is possible to store the uncooked and unproven pains aux raisins in the fridge overnight. Place them on the baking tray and cover them with cling film. The next morning, allow them to come to room temperature and to proof normally before baking.
This dough is essentially the same as the one used for croissants.

 

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Dutch cinnamon bolussen

Dutch cinnamon bolussen
 
Author:
Makes: 10 bolussen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 10 gr dried yeast
  • 300 gr milk
  • 50 gr white sugar
  • 25 gr butter
  • 500 gr white flour
  • 8 gr salt
  • 250 gr moscovado sugar
  • 50 gr white sugar
  • 2 tlpl ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 ºC.
  2. Place in a bowl the lukewarm milk, white sugar, soft butter and dried yeast. Stir and allow the yeast to wake up for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add the white flour and the salt and knead for 10 min or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  4. Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl, cover with cling film or a dry cloth and allow to double in size in about an hour in a draft free spot.
  5. Divide the dough in portions weighing 85 à 90 gr and roll each one into a long strand.
  6. Mix the moscovado sugar, white sugar and ground cinnamon.
  7. Brush the strands with a little water and roll them in to sugar mixture to coat them evenly. Tie a knot and place the bolussen on a tray lined with baking paper. Allow to double in size again.
  8. Bake the bolussen for 25 min or until they are golden Brown and cooked through.
  9. Remove them from the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Stuff to know
The bolussen are done when they sound hollow when you tap the bottom.
The milk in which the yeast is dissolved can’t be warmer than 50 °C.
The name blos is derived from the Jiddish, the language spoken by the European Jews and that has itself taken quite a few words from other languages. The bolus or boles is the plural form of bole, which is derived from the Spanish bollo meaning ’fine bread bun’.

 

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Raisins and pecan nut buns

Raisins and pecan nut buns
 
Author:
Makes: 8 buns
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 300 gr water
  • 10 gr dried yeast
  • 20 gr soft butter
  • 10 gr white sugar
  • 100 gr wholemeal flour
  • 300 gr white bread flour
  • 10 gr salt
  • 70 gr raisins
  • 70 gr pecan nuts
  • 1 egg
Instructions
  1. Pour the lukewarm water in a bowl, add the yeast, butter and sugar and mix well. Let the yeast wake up for 5 min.
  2. Add the white flour, wholemeal flour and the salt. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth.
  3. Let the dough rise, covered with cling film, in a lightly floured clean bowl, in a draft free spot until doubled in size, about 90 min.
  4. Soak the raisins for 10 min in hot water and drain. Knead the raisins and chopped pecan nuts into the dough.
  5. Divide the dough in 8 portions. Shape them in to a bun and place them on a tray lined with baking paper.
  6. Let the buns prove, in a draft free spot and covered with cling film, until doubled again in size, about an hour.
  7. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
  8. Brush the buns with the egg and bake the bread for 25 min or until golden and done.
  9. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Stuff to know
The water is at the right temperature when it is not hot nor cold to the touch.
To test to see if the buns are done, tap the bottom. A hollow sound should occur.
Preferably, use special bread flours when making bread.
Top the bread with seeds of your liking like sesame seeds, oats or poppy seeds after the egg wash.
Make 1 large loaf rather than individual buns.

 

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Raisins buns

Raisins buns
 
Author:
Makes: 10
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 500 gr flour
  • 20 gr dried yeast
  • 25 gr white sugar
  • 7 gr salt
  • 25 gr butter
  • 280 ml milk
  • 1 egg
  • 200 gr raisins
  • ½ egg
Instructions
  1. Warm the milk until lukewarm. Pour the milk in a bowl, add the yeast, butter and sugar and mix well. Let the yeast wake up for 5 min.
  2. Add white flour, egg and the salt. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth.
  3. Let the dough rise, covered with cling film, in a lightly floured clean bowl, in a draft free spot until doubled in size, about 90 min.
  4. Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 min and drain.
  5. Knead the drained raisins through the dough, adding extra flour if needed. Divide the dough in 10 portions.
  6. Shape them in to a bun and place them on a tray lined with baking paper.
  7. Let the buns prove, in a draft free spot and covered with cling film, until doubled again in size, about an hour.
  8. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.Brush the buns with the egg and bake them for 25 min or until golden and done.
  9. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Stuff to know
This quantity will yield 10 buns.
The milk is at the right temperature when it is not hot nor cold to the touch.
To test to see if the bread is done, tap the bottom. A hollow sound should occur.
Preferably, use special bread flours when making bread.
Replace the raisins by dates.
Add chopped mixed peel for a different flavour.

 

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Cinnamon swirls

Cinnamon swirls
 
Author:
Makes: 9 swirls
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 10 gr dried yeast
  • 310 gr milk
  • 7 gr white sugar
  • 25 gr soft butter
  • 500 gr white bread flour
  • ½ tspn cardamom
  • 7 gr salt
Filling
  • 50 gr soft butter
  • 40 gr ground almonds
  • 40 gr brown sugar
  • 1 tbspn cinnamon
  • 50 gr pecan buts
  • 25 gr raisins
  • 1 egg
Instructions
  1. Warm the milk until lukewarm. Pour the milk in a bowl, add the yeast, butter and sugar and mix well. Let the yeast wake up for 5 min.
  2. Add white flour and the salt. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth.
  3. Let the dough rise, covered with cling film, in a lightly floured clean bowl, in a draft free spot until doubled in size, about 60 min.
Filling
  1. Mix the soft butter with the ground almonds and brown sugar. Chop the pecan nuts.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line the spring form tin with baking paper.
Finish
  1. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread the filling on top and sprinkle the chopped pecan nuts and raisins on the filling.
  2. Roll the dough up like a swiss rol and slice into swirls. Place them snugly in the spring form tin cut side down.
  3. Let the swirls proof until doubled in size, in a draft free sport, about 60 min.
  4. Brush the top with the beaten egg and bake the swirls in the oven for 35 min or until golden and filly cooked.
  5. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Stuff to know
This quantity will yield 9 swirls.
The milk is at the right temperature when it is not hot nor cold to the touch.
To test to see if the bread is done, tap the bottom. A hollow sound should occur.
Preferably, use special bread flours when making bread.
Replace the raisins by dates.
Use walnuts instead of pecan nuts.

 

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Buns

Buns
 
Author:
Makes: 16
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 184 gr milk
  • 416 gr beer
  • 20 gr dried yeast
  • 30 gr soft butter
  • 15 gr white sugar
  • 1000 gr white bread flour
  • 20 gr salt
  • 1 egg yolk
Instructions
  1. Warm the milk and beer until lukewarm. Pour the milk and beer in a bowl, add the yeast, butter and sugar and mix well. Let the yeast wake up for 5 min.
  2. Add the white flour and the salt. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth.
  3. Let the dough rise, covered with cling film, in a lightly floured clean bowl, in a draft free spot until doubled in size, about 90 min.
  4. Divide the dough in 16 portions, each weighing about 100 gr. Shape them in to a bun and place them on a tray lined with baking paper.
  5. Let the buns prove, in a draft free spot and covered with cling film, until doubled again in size, about an hour.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
  7. Brush the buns with the egg yolk and bake the bread for 25 min or until golden and done.
Stuff to know
The milk and beer are at the right temperature when they are not hot nor cold to the touch.
To test to see if the buns are done, tap the bottom. A hollow sound should occur.
Preferably, use special bread flours when making bread.
Top the bread with seeds of your liking like sesame seeds, oats or poppy seeds after the egg wash.

 

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Bagels

Bagels
 
Author:
Makes: 8 bagels
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Dough
  • 260 gr water
  • 12 gr dried yeast
  • 10 gr butter
  • 5 gr honey
  • 500 gr bread flour
  • 9 gr salt
Finish
  • 1 litre water
  • 20 gr honey
  • 2 elpl sesame seeds
Instructions
Dough
  1. Pour the lukewarm water in a bowl, add the yeast and butter and mix well. Let the yeast wake up for 5 min.
  2. Add bread flour, honey and the salt. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth. It will be quite a stiff dough to work with.
  3. Let the dough rise, covered with cling film, in a lightly floured clean bowl, in a draft free spot for about an hour.
  4. Divide a dough in the required amount of portions. Make a hole in the centre and shape it like a bagel.
  5. Place the bagels individual and lightly floured little squares of baking paper on a tray and let them proof for half an hour or until doubled in size.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Finish
  1. Bring the water with the honey to the boil. Gently lower each bagel in the poaching liquid using the baking paper, trying not to deform the bagels.
  2. Poach each bagel for 1 minute on one side, flip it over to poach the other side for again a minute.
  3. Take them out of the water carefully with a slotted spoon and place them on baking paper on the baking tray.
  4. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
  5. Bake the bagels in the oven for 15 minutes or until fully cooked and golden.
  6. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Stuff to know
Poach the bagels carefully to avoid them deflating.
Tap the bottom to see if the bagels are fully cooked. A hollow sound should occur.
Preferably, use special bread flours when making bread.
Coat the top with seeds of your liking: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc.
Use white flour for white bread and granary flour for granary bagels. For wholemeal bagels, use 3 parts brown flour to one part white flour.
Add herbs to the dough or chopped dried tomatoes for a savoury version.

 

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Dutch oliebollen

Dutch oliebollen
 
Author:
Makes: 50
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
Batter
  • 14 gr dried yeast
  • 50 gr white sugar
  • 1000 ml milk
  • 50 gr butter
  • 1000 gr white bread flour
  • 14 gr salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 gr cinnamon
Filling
  • 250 gr currants
  • 200 gr raisins
Instructions
  1. Soak the currants and raisins in ample hot water for 5 min and drain.
  2. Mix in a bowl the dried yeast with the sugar, the lukewarm milk and the butter. Allow the yeast to wake for 5 min.
  3. Add the white bread flour, salt, eggs and cinnamon.
  4. Stir this until the batter is smooth and lump free.
  5. Add the drained currants and raisins to the dough and incorporate.
  6. Allow the dough to proof in a draft free spot until doubled in size, about 90 min.
  7. Heat a deep-fat fryer to 180°C.
  8. Using two tablespoons or an ice cream scoop, scoop a small portions of the batter in the fryer (like a dumpling) and allow to cook for a few minutes. Turn over to cook the other side until done and golden.
  9. Drain on kitchen paper. When cold, dust with icing sugar and serve.
Stuff to know
This recipe will be enough for 50 to 60 oliebollen.
Add diced apple to the batter.
Add candied peel to the batter.
Oliebollen are a Dutch speciality that is typically eaten in the winter. Oliebollen literally means oil spheres. They are typically eaten on New Year’s Eve and are sold in the street at mobile stalls throughout the winter.
If the oil is too hot, the oliebollen will burn rather than cook through. If the oil is too cold, they won´t cook but absorb the oil.

 

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Pain au chocolat

Pain au chocolat
 
Author:
Makes: 12 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 200 ml milk
  • 14 gr instant yeast
  • 100 ml water
  • 40 gr sugar
  • 500 gr white flour
  • 12 gr salt
  • 250 gr butter
  • 200 gr dark chocolate
  • 1 egg
Instructions
The dough
  1. Warm the milk and water until lukewarm. Pour the milkwater in a bowl, add the yeast and sugar and mix well. Let the yeast wake up for 5 min.
  2. Add white flour and the salt. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth, about 10 min.
  3. Let the dough rise covered with plastic wrap and at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 90 min.
  4. Remove the butter from the fridge .
  5. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 15x30 cm. Roll the butter between two sheets of baking paper into a rectangle about 15x 20 cm.
  6. Put the butter on one end of the dough and fold the top 10 cm (the part without the butter) over to the middle to cover the butter. Seal the edges. Fold the bottom 10 cm on top and seal the edges. The dough should now be about 15x10 cm but higher than when you started.
The turns
  1. Turn the dough so that the fold is at your left. Roll the dough gently again into a rectangle similar to the one you started with.
  2. Brush away the excess flour, moisten with a little bit of water the dough and fold the upper third of the dough again to the centre and fold the lower third on top. This completes the first turn. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 min.
  3. Turn the dough counter clockwise a quarter to get the fold at your left-hand side and repeat the rolling and folding. This completes the second turn. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 min.
  4. Turn the dough counter clockwise a quarter get the fold at your left-hand side and repeat the rolling and folding. This completes the third and last turn. Store the dough in a plastic bag overnight in the fridge.
  5. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it stand 10 minutes to warm up and become more workable. Roll the dough into a long, thin strip 18 cm wide. Brush away excess flour.
The pain au chocolat
  1. Cut squares measuring 10 by 10 cm.
  2. Place some chocolate at one end and roll them onto themselves.
  3. Put them on baking paper with the seam down.
  4. Let them rise, uncovered, at room temperature until grown in volume by 50%, about an hour.
  5. Brush them lightly with the beaten egg and bake the croissants in the oven at 200 ˚C for 10-15 min or until they are golden brown, puffed up and done.
Stuff to know
Use lukewarm milk and water to improve rising.
Resting the dough in the fridge between turn allows the butter to firm up and the dough to relax.
If the butter is the cold, it won’t roll and destroy the dough. If it is to soft, it will ooze out of the dough.
Don’t let the pains au chocolat proof at a too high temperature or the butter will melt.

 

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Croissants

Croissants
 
Author:
Makes: 12 portions
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 200 ml milk
  • 14 gr instant yeast
  • 100 ml water
  • 40 gr sugar
  • 500 gr white flour
  • 12 gr salt
  • 250 gr butter
  • 1 egg
Instructions
The dough
  1. Warm the milk and water until lukewarm. Pour the milkwater in a bowl, add the yeast and sugar and mix well. Let the yeast wake up for 5 min.
  2. Add white flour and the salt. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth, about 10 min.
  3. Let the dough rise covered with plastic wrap and at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 90 min.
  4. Remove the butter from the fridge .
  5. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 15x30 cm. Roll the butter between two sheets of baking paper into a rectangle about 15x 20 cm.
  6. Put the butter on one end of the dough and fold the top 10 cm (the part without the butter) over to the middle to cover the butter. Seal the edges. Fold the bottom 10 cm on top and seal the edges. The dough should now be about 15x10 cm but higher than when you started.
The turns
  1. Turn the dough so that the fold is at your left. Roll the dough gently again into a rectangle similar to the one you started with.
  2. Brush away the excess flour, moisten with a little bit of water the dough and fold the upper third of the dough again to the centre and fold the lower third on top. This completes the first turn. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 min.
  3. Turn the dough counter clockwise a quarter to get the fold at your left-hand side and repeat the rolling and folding. This completes the second turn. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 min.
  4. Turn the dough counter clockwise a quarter get the fold at your left-hand side and repeat the rolling and folding. This completes the third and last turn. Store the dough in a plastic bag overnight in the fridge.
  5. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it stand 10 minutes to warm up and become more workable. Roll the dough into a long, thin strip 18 cm wide. Brush away excess flour.
The croissants
  1. Cut triangles measuring 15 by 18 cm.
  2. Make a small incision at the bottom of the croissants and roll them onto themselves.
  3. Put them on baking paper with the seam down.
  4. Let them rise, uncovered, at room temperature until grown in volume by 50%, about an hour.
  5. Brush them lightly with the beaten egg and bake the croissants in the oven at 200 ˚C for 10-15 min or until they are golden brown, puffed up and done.
Stuff to know
Use lukewarm milk and water to improve rising.
Resting the dough in the fridge between turn allows the butter to firm up and the dough to relax.
If the butter is the cold, it won’t roll and destroy the dough. If it is to soft, it will ooze out of the dough.
Don’t let the croissants proof at a too high temperature or the butter will melt.

 

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