Skip to main content

2 kilograms of Whole Wheat Pandesal


SOME OF THE DOUGH PROOFING INSIDE THE OVEN WITH THE PILOT LIGHT ON.

Got to use some of the this Whole Wheat Flour i got from the Pennsylvannia Amish Store in New Jersey last March so i took it upon myself to tell my friend Anabelle that we would be making half a kilogram of Pandesal on her visit.

Half a kilogram gone in just half a day, my nephews were asking if there were some more left the following day but i had to send Anabelle home with about 7 pieces, upon my insistence of course (nobody goes home from our house without a bag of bread if we have some). She ate 5 on the spot while the breads were still warm with coco jam my mother just brought from the Philippines. It was fun, she came over to look at the mixer although i felt sad thinking she would somehow like it eventually and buy the mixer altogether.:(

Anyway i promised the boys and my Mother i will make them 2 kilograms of the same bread formula before i leave for Manila, and so i did, videotaping the whole thing with Marc my nephew. I was even surprised hearing from Marc that he wanted me to teach him how to, with John (who already knows some basic baking) helping out as well. Hey, if these guys are out to help me, i am up for it anytime...


I would sorely miss this mixer if Anabelle decides to buy it, it kinda grew on me after spending heavy lifting times with the huge bowl (so big i think i could fit my tiny body in it). Some of this bread will go to my sister to Manhattan, the rest will be frozen of course.

Dough almost done, at this stage i will remove them from the oven, preheat it at 325 F for about 15 minutes and bake them until golden brown. This dough is made with brown sugar so it will naturally darken fast.

I want to show you what happens when you prick the dough when it is fully proofed, the dough collapses and deflates naturally. My thumb caught the corner dough because i was busy chatting with my mother while i was pulling the trays off the oven.

See the photo below to compare what it would look like when it is baked, still incredibly edible of course but a tad bit different from its neighbors.

Just like a true show and tell, the front corner bread is smaller than its cousins, no visible signs of torture but you can see the slightly rough top crust. Who cares right?

Baking the first two trays. Boy, was i glad i shipped some plancha (baking sheets) through Johnny Air when i left, they came very handy when you make big batches such as this one.

Using my baker's rack to cool them a bit, although you should use a rack to stop the steam from collecting at the bottom, i already stored mine at the basement so i will probably flip this bread, that's bread clearly not bird.

Below is a photo of the inside crumb, nice and fluffy, slightly nutty and sweet from the brown sugar, there is such a thing as heaven on earth and if this wasn't that, what is?

Got any questions for me, shoot!

Not a week warm, i have been asked by my niece, two nephews and a brother the ubiquitous question, "when are you going to bake"? uugh. Still reeling from the bad airplane food (wonder if i could bring my own), i was not consciously looking forward to it yet, but had to after the 15th and still counting.. I swear my niece is probably pre-programmed to ask me that question. Fine, let's get to it then.

Perks of being a baker, you will be sorely missed and not be "kulang sa pansin" :)

Next post will be about the latest prices of baking supplies from my favorite local supplier, will write down the list of the basic ingredients so you will have an idea at the least. I am pleasantly surprised to find some ingredients staying cheap still. Not bad at all.




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3rd Class Flour, What's It All About

For starters i cannot make this Hard Monay if i did not bring any 3rd class flour or soft weak flour to New York. Once i ran out of 3rd class and tried Cake Flour, it turned bad, do not even think of using All Purpose, it will be soft but not chewy as this one made with yes, 3rd class indeed. So third class is hard to find here in the US if you will use that term. You have to say or look for soft wheat flour, that's it, not hard wheat flour, not cake or All purpose but something in between these two. It is easy to find in the Phil., just ask your local bakery suppliers and they know it is Tercera. Tercera is not for bread, bakers use it basically for cookies, cakes and other pastries, but we bakers know how to create bread recipes using part of this flour with the bread flour or hard wheat flour. It makes a softer version of any of your fave breads, with a cheaper price tag. Plus if i own a bakery, i get to use the third class for my cakes and cookies, lowering my food cos
19 comments
Read more

Cutting Pandesal, Baston Style

So how do we really do the Baston style "singkit" cut? First start with a slightly stiff dough, if your dough does not have eggs or eggyolks, a hydration of around 55% is ideal. I have seen bakers use less water, but that will make your Pandesal too dry and dense after 1 day or so so try to keep it slightly on the soft side, but not too sticky. Why? If you use a sticky dough for the Baston style cut, the dough will spread and will have a flat look rather than a rounded shape we are all familiar with. In Tagalog, "lalapad" ang dough so medyo flat ung Pandesal. So after you mix the dough, divide it into 2 to 4 portions if you are mixing  kilogram. Experienced bakers divide their dough into 500 gram portions, i do mine the same way. Flatten the dough, focusing more on the length and not on the height. The height of the dough should be around 2 to 3 inches only. Next, fold the dough while pinching the edges making sure the dough surface
3 comments
Read more

Kape at Pandesal

When someone emailed me about Kape at Pandesal, i suddenly felt home sick. Just these two words. Dipping Pandesal in coffee. Who got this phenomenon or practice started? We all know the colonial Spanish era and Gregorio Zaide mentioned our fondness for idling around in the history books (Juan Tamad and siesta), but for breakfast? Who wants to jump up and down when you wake up? This is the answer. Dunking the warm, crispy Pandesal into hot, steaming coffee. How did this thing start? Who invented it? What made the Pinoys dunk their Pandesal? Maybe the Pandesal in those days are rock hard, or maybe it is one way to sweeten the bread. Baka may alamat dito. Is it because the Pandesal is salty in those days? After all, sal means salt right? The Italians love to dunk their Biscotti in coffee, but the Biscotti deserves it. Seriously, Biscottis if not dunked in coffee can give you a free tooth extraction. But the Pandesal? Okay to some, it cools down the coffee. Don't tell me they
Post a Comment
Read more