Ang Ku Kuih

I used to think that making Ang Ku Kuih is not for the faint-hearted.  That was why I had never attempted to make them.  However, thanks to Sonia who kindly shared this wonderful and simple  Ang Ku Kuih recipe, I decided to give it a go and the results?  I was very happy with the outcome.  The dough was very soft and the filling was not overly sweet.  

Made 24 pieces

Fillings:

250g split yellow mung beans, washed, soaked for 2 hours and drained
140g sugar
3 tbsp Rice Bran oil
2 pandan leaves

• Steam mung beans with pandan leaves  over high heat for about 30 minutes or until beans are soft.
• Immediately place the cooked mung beans  into a food processor together with sugar and oil.  Blitz until fine.
• Press the mashed mung beans through a sieve with a spatula to get a smooth texture.
• Set aside to cool.  
• When filling is cool enough to handle, divide and roll into balls of 24g each. (Adjust the weight to suit the size of your mould).

Dough:

300g sweet potatoes (kumara), whole with skin on
240g glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp Rice Bran oil
70g hot water, or adjust accordingly

• Steam the sweet potatoes until soft, then peel off the skin.  Push the sweet potatoes through a sieve.  Set aside to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, combined mashed sweet potatoes, glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar and oil.  Gradually add in hot water and knead into a soft dough.  Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide and shape the dough into balls of  27g each.

To shape Ang Ku Kuih:

• Dust the mould with glutinous rice flour and knock out excess flour.
• Flatten a ball of dough and place a ball of filling in the middle and seal the dough.  Roll gently into a round ball.  Place into the mould and press gently to flatten.  Knock out the kuih from the mould and place on greased banana leaf.
• Steam kuih over medium-low fire for 6 minutes.
• Remove from the steamer and immediately brush  oil over the kuih.

Walnut Bread

Source:  Alex Goh's Magic Bread

Ingredients:

(A)

80g bread flour

55g boiling water

(B)

240g bread flour

80g plain flour

65g sugar

5g salt

20g milk powder

6g instant yeast

(C)

130g cold water

1 cold egg

(D)

60g butter

(E)

120g toasted walnuts, chopped

• Add the boiling water from (A) into flour, mix until well-blended to form dough.  Cover and set aside to cool.  Keep it refrigerated for at least 12 hours.
• Mix (B) until well-blended.  Add in (C) and knead to form rough dough.  Add in (A) and knead until well-blended.  
• Add in (D) and knead to form elastic dough.  Add in (E) and mix until well-blended.  Cover the dough with cling film and let it proof until doubled in size.
• Divide the dough into 150g each and mould it round.  Let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Mould it round once again and slightly flatten it.  Make four cuts at the side.  Let it proof for 45 minutes or doubled.
• Brush with egg wash and bake at 190 deg C for 18 minutes.

English Cottage Bread

Adapted from  The World of Bread by Alex Goh

Ingredients:

400g bread flour
100g whole meal plain flour
55g caster sugar
3 tsp instant yeast
20g milk powder
1 egg
260g cold water
1 tsp bread improver
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp pepitas
60g olive oil

• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flours, sugar, yeast, yoghurt and egg together.  Knead to form into a slightly sticky soft dough.  Add in salt and continue to knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).

• Add in oil and continue to knead until fully incorporated.   
  [At this stage, the dough should be able to stretched to form a window-like thin membrane without breaking].

• Shape the dough  into a smooth ball and place in a greased  bowl.  Cover with lightly oiled clingfilm.  Then place it in a warm, moist and draught-free place to allow the dough to rise until at least double or nearly triple its original size.
  [To determine if the dough has risen long enough, poke a floured finger into the  dough.  When you remove your finger, the dough shouldn't spring back at all.  If the dough springs back immediately, it is underproved and needs more time to proof further.]

• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down by pressing the dough out evenly with your hands.

• Roll the dough into a ball. Rest for 10 minutes.  
• Flatten the dough and roll it up like a swiss roll.

• Place the roll into a greased loaf pan and cover with lightly oiled clingfilm.  For final proofing, leave it to rise in a warm, moist and draught-free place until it nearly doubled in size.   

• Bake in a preheated oven of 175 degrees C for about 20 -  25 minutes or until golden brown.

• Brush the bread with melted butter.