Wednesday, February 24, 2016

BROA DE MILHO (Portuguese Corn Bread)



Broa de Milho ( pronounced as - Bro-aa De Meelyo) is a slightly sweet crusty Portuguese bread made with a mix of wheat or rye flour and corn flour (not cornstarch). In Brazil, a former Portuguese colony, Broa is sweeter and traditionally seasoned with fennel. The origin of the name Broa is from the Gothis word word “brauth” which means bread. Broa is a somewhat dense bread with a fine crumb and is excellent as a dipping bread with soups and stews.
 In Portugal it is traditionally served with Caldo Verde, a potato and kale/ spinach soup but it goes well with most hearty/ rustic soups. This method of making this bread is a little different because it involves cooking the cornmeal/ corn flour in boiling water and letting it cool before adding the other flour and ingredients and kneading to a dough.



Ingredients:
Fine yellow cornmeal - 1 cup
Hot water ..................    3/4 cup
Warm milk ..............     1/2 cup (use little more if needed)
Instant yeast ............. 2 tsps
APF (maida) ............. 2 and 1/2 cups
Salt ............................. 1tsp
Honey or sugar .......... 1 tbsp
Olive oil ...................... 1 tbsp
Extra flour for dusting.

Method:

Put the cornmeal in a bowl and add the hot water to it. Mix together with a whisk or a fork.




 Add 1/2 cup of the warm milk. Mix everything till you have a paste like dough. Let it sit until the mixture cools a little and becomes lukewarm.





Now you can knead by hand or machine. Put the cornmeal dough and all the remaining ingredients Mix together the cornmeal and hot water in a small bowl. Stir in the warm milk, and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.




Now mix all the remaining ingredients and knead well to form a somewhat sticky dough.





Shape the dough into a smooth ball.







Place it in a greased bowl covering with a foil and allow it to rise until double.





It takes about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours in summer. In winter it may take longer.







Remove the dough on a floured surface and knead it lightly for a couple of times.






Shape into a round ball and place it on a greased and lightly floured surface.






 Allow it to rise until puffed up.








Before baking if you wish you can make 3 or 4 slashes about 1/4 inch deep and bake at 240 C (450F) for 10 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 200C (400F) and bake further for 15 to 20 minutes until it is done and golden brown in colour.




Allow it to cool before slicing. This recipe makes one loaf (12 slices)







Note :
If you’re in India, use “makkai ka atta” or the flour that is used to make “Makkai ki Roti”. You can also use the slightly coarse “Corn puttupodi” you get in Kerala. You can substitute half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour if you want, but know that your bread will be a little more dense.

We Knead to Bake # 36 - Broa de Milho
Linking to My Diverse Kitchen
 

Pin for later


You may also like :
















Saturday, February 6, 2016

KRENDL (Pretzel Shaped Russian / Ukrainian Fruit Filled Bread)


This is a long pending bread that I was supposed to bake in the group "We Knead To Bake" during Christmas but got delayed as we were moving back from Brazil to Mumbai. Krendl was the bread chosen for the month of December.

The Krendl, like a lot of European celebratory yeasted breads is made from enriched dough. The filling is typically fresh apples and dried fruit like apricots and prunes cooked to a jam like consistency with some spice. After baking, the Krendl is lightly covered with a sugar glaze and an optional sprinkling of sliced almonds or else a simple dusting of icing sugar.

Pretzels were supposed to have been invented in a medieval monastery to be given out as rewards to children who said their prayers, and were generally small in size. The crossed arms of the Pretzel are said to represent crossed or folded arms of Jesus. The shape of the Pretzel has endured over time as has the belief of baking it into breads for religious and celebratory occasions. Krendl is thought to be of German origin and from the late 13th century when there were many German bakers in Russia. There is a suggestion that the name could be a corruption of the German Kringle which is a cookie.


( Recipe adapted from - Taste of Home )

Ingredients:
(For the Dough)
All purpose flour ... 3 to 3 1/4 cups
Instant yeast .......... 2 tsps
Sugar ..................... 1 tsp ( to ferment the yeast)
Luke warm water ... 1/4 cup
Cream ................ 1/4 cup
Butter .................. 50 gms
Egg ...................... 1
Vanilla extract .... 1 and 1/2 tsps
Salt ................... 1/2 tsp

(For the Filling)
Apple juice ..... 1 cup
Apples ............ 2 (peeled and chopped)
Dried figs ...... 1/3 cup
Dried apricots .. 1/3 cup
Prunes ............. 2/3 cups (chopped)
Butter ............. 15 gms (about 1 tbsp)
Sugar ............ 1 tbsp

(For Spreading on the Dough)
Butter ............ 25 gms (soft at room temperature)
Sugar ........... 1 and 1/2 tbsps
Cinnamon .... 1/2 tsp

(For the Glaze)
Butter .... 8 gms (1/2 tbsp)
Hot water ... 1/2 tbsp
Icing sugar .. 3/4 th to 1 cup
Lemon rind ... 1/4 tsp
Sliced almonds .... 1/4 cup for garnishing.

Alternately you can also just sprinkle icing sugar instead of glazing.

Method:


Take luke warm water and spoon the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast and leave it to become frothy.
Put all the ingredients for the dough in the bowl of the processor and knead well to form a soft, smooth and elastic dough that is somewhat sticky. You may knead it with hand too in a big bowl if you don't have a food processor.



Remove the dough on a floured surface and knead adding a little more flour until the texture is soft and smooth.






Shape it into a round ball and place in a greased container. Leave it covered until risen to double. It takes about 1 and 1/2 hours. In winter it takes more time..





Meanwhile prepare the filling. Put all the ingredients for the filling  in a large saucepan, Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally,




Simmer until the mixture reaches a jam-like consistency.

Let it cool.





Now remove the risen dough and  deflate it.






 Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it lightly.







Roll it into a rectangle.







 Brush the soft butter all over the dough rectangle to within 1” of edges. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon powder.





 Spread the filling over this.







 Roll up the dough jelly/ Swiss roll style as tightly as you can from the long side of the rectangle.






Seal the seam well and pinch together the ends as well so that the filling will not escape.







Place the dough roll, seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Shape it into a pretzel pinching the ends to the side or tuck them under. Loosely cover and let it rise for about 30 to 45 minutes till it has risen and looks “puffy”.




Bake the Krendl at 180C (350F) for about 30 to 45 minutes till it is done and golden brown in colour. Cool the Krendl on a rack. Dust with icing sugar.





 If using the sugar glaze, mix the ingredients for the glaze to a slightly thick pouring consistency and then brush the Krendl with the glaze. Garnish with the sliced almonds and let it set. Beat together all the ingredients for the glaze to make it to a smooth, runny consistency. Add a few more drops of water if needed, to thin it out to desired consistency. Brush over the warm Krendl. Garnish with sliced almonds.

 This recipe makes about 20 servings.

We Knead to Bake # 34 - My Diverse Kitchen

Pin for later


You may also like:
















Thursday, February 4, 2016

SINDHI POTLI PICKLE / AMBRIYUN JEE KADUKASH JO ACHAAR


It is summer time in Brazil and I am back into making pickles again. The city I live in is full of mango trees and Brazilians do not use raw mangoes. We Indians have a gala time plucking them and making mango dishes and pickles. Last summer I made quite a few pickles and was wondering what to make now.
I remembered a traditional Sindhi pickle that I had eaten during my childhood in my nani's place. "Potli Pickle".. grated mango is pickled in small bundles of muslin cloth. I still can remember the day when nani (mom's mother) opened a bundle and served a spoonful to all of us (me and my cousins) It was so much fun. Those were the days.. I wonder if kids ever eat pickle these days ??? However you must try out this pickle for your family. Open one potli and everyone shares a little at each meal. Interesting one isn't it !


Ingredients:
Raw mangoes ... 6 -8
Mustard oil ...... 1/4 cup
Kalonji / onion seeds .. 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds .............. 1 tbsp
Crushed fenugreek seeds .. 1 tsp
Turmeric powder ..... 2 tsps
Red chilli powder .... 1 tsp
Asafoetida ............. 1/2 tsp
Jaggery or sugar ..... 1-2 tsps
Salt .................... to taste
Garlic pods ...... lightly crushed or whole (one for each potli)
Vinegar ........... 1/2 cup
Boiled and cooled water .. about 2 cups ( or as per the capacity of the jar )
Muslin cloth ........... cut into 5" x 5" squares.
Use a sterilized jar with a plastic lid.


Method:
Wash the mangoes and wipe them with a kitchen cloth.
Peel and grate the mangoes.
Mix all the ingredients mentioned in the list except garlic. Also mix half the quantity of mustard oil.
In a jar take the boiled and cooled water and add the vinegar, remaining oil and some turmeric and salt.
Now take a piece of muslin cloth and spoon a portion of the grated pickle mix that you have prepared.
Place a garlic piece either whole or lightly crushed in the center.
Tie the bundles by bringing the corners together or use a thread. Do not make a tight bundle.
Immerse these bundles into the jar and cover the lid.
Keep them in the sunlight for 2-3 weeks.



Pin for later


You may also like:
















Sweet Tomato Pickle

Print Recipe