Basic Bread Making ( No Knead / White Bread )

Is a wonderful knowledge to know more about Basic Bread Making, really thankful that I took up this module and learn a lot about bread making. Never think that bread can be so interesting and so much thing to know and learn about.

I still remember during my first day of lesson I'm still quite worry, scare and excited about it. Worry and scare is because I have never make bread before not sure if I can do it a not ? Excited is definitely because I get to bake and learn new thing and make new friend.

First lesson we learn how to make No Knead Bread/White Bread.

Is quite easy and straight forward, just need a few simple ingredients and you can make bread with this method and receipt shown below at home too and you have it for your breakfast. ( :

As you can see from the picture above that's the ingredients we use and on the right is the step and process of doing it. I didn't expect that with just this four simple ingredients we can make a bread .
Picture below is taken after the final proof and ready for baking.

No Knead Bread / White Bread ;

Ingredients : 

• Bread Flour - 250g 
• Yeast - 4g 
• Salt - 5g 
• Water at 35℃ - 162g 

Method :

1. Place sieved flour, salt and yeast into a small mixing bowl
2. Weigh the water ( tap will do for this dough * to achieve  35℃ at home you may at some ice cube in the water stir it till the temperature turn 35℃ * )
3. Pour the water onto the flour and mix until all is incorporated. ( You may mix it manually.) 
4. Round it up to a ball and leave it in the bowl and cover with cling wrap.
5.  Allow to stand for at least 1 hour for first fermentation to take place
6. Take the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured table and gently form into a ball shape. ( Boule). ( Divide it into two and round it )
7. Give another intermediate proofing for at least 10 - 20 minutes
8. Shape it and round it properly  
9. Place onto a suitable baking tray, cover with a damp cloth or a plastic sheet and allow to ferment for up to 1 - 2, hour ( dough will raise in size is be at least half as big again). test dough reediness by a gentle press with your finger so it springs back. 
10. Dust the dough piece with flour and score with as Sharpe knife.
11. Finally Place into hot oven, bake at 215 - 220℃. Baking time will be approx, 30 - 35 minutes. Until it turn brown to check the bread is bake the bread temperature after baking should be at 96℃ if not give another 5 - 10 minutes bake.  

First Post in 2017

Hello Everybody, I know it has been quite a while since I last posted anything and now finally I get sometime to post something short and simple.
Just let me share with everyone of you what I'm up too lately.

Starting of January, other than my usual normal 9am - 6pm job on every Monday to Friday. Now every Monday, Wednesday and alt Friday I'm attending some baking course too.

It has been quite long on making decision and finally I decided to go for it. Happy with the decision I made because is one step closer to my goal and dream, is not easy to study and work at the same time, can be super tiring but I always believe that when you're doing or learning something you're deeply interested with or full of passion with, you can do it and pull it through and do it no matter how hard it is.
For the first month of January I'm learning about Preparing of Basic Bread.
Honestly, before I start attending this module I totally have zero knowledge about bread making and have no interest in baking or making bread at home. I find it troublesome, lots of time needed to be spend to let it rise and bake that's why I never once ever think of baking it at home.
But after attending the first module I start to understand a little bit more about Bread making. Such as making a bread you will just need 4 ingredients ( Bread Flour, Water, Salt and Yeast ) and you can start making a basic bread all by yourself at home of cause have to know the floor time ( Rise ).
Probably, next time I should write a post on my baking experience. Stay Tune ! :)

Other than attending my baking class, during chinese lunar new year I baked some Pineapple Tart for my lovely family member and friends too. Pineapple Tart is one of those Chinese Lunar New Year must have cookies to have at home.

This year is my second time baking pineapple tart for my family member and friend and really thankful that they like it a lot. I always feel happy when people around me like and enjoy eating what I bake or cook. 

After long weekend for chinese new year, everyone got to go back to work and school as for me on top of both of that I have to prepare for the 1st module assessment, which mean one module down for me. But it's mean 2nd module is starting.
Picture below is taken during my first assessment.

Time files and now I'm left with two more module to go and I will be taking a break from it and proceed with preparing other thing in life. ( :

Stay tune for more upcoming blog post can be about Travel or Baking. ( :

Yogayakarta / Jogjakarta Adventure

This time round let's travel with me to Yogayakarta or you may know as Jogjakarta in Indonesia.
Is my first time traveling to Yogayakarta, why this time round I choose to go Yogayakarta? Is all because of my partner, is like a birthday trip for both of us and I let him choose where he want to go as he mention before he want to climb Mount Merapi and that's how we ended up decided to travel to Yogayakarta.

I will touch up on my experience climbing Mount Merapi but for now let me share with you on other thing that I have done during the time I was there.

Basically, when I arrived is already noon time and we both are hungry. But we decided to take a taxi and head to our hotel and check in first.

From the picture above you will know that I will be going to stay in this hotel Grand Zuri / Yogyakarta for the next few days of my trip. Their service is nice and staff is super friendly and helpful, room wise is simple, cozy yet clean.

While doing our check in at the reception counter at the side they have welcome drink for the guest. I like their tea is super nice there's ginger taste in it but not to strong.

This is how the room look like simple yet cozy.
After checking in and settled down we head out straight a way for late lunch. So we decided to just walk down the street from our hotel to the tourist area Malioboro because we're staying quite near is about 20 to 25 minutes walk ( If I didn't remember wrongly). During afternoon there's nothing much to see or shop for because most of the stalls only open during evening time and they sell lot of craft items if you're a person that like craft or something different you might like it but is not really a shopping paradise.
There's a shopping mall and that's where you can find food court and most people will go during lunch. So our first meal in Yogayakarta is at the shopping mall food court.

This is how the food court look like although you might think that is nothing different from our food court over here but the only different thing is that the food court is not crowded you can always easily find seats.
After taking lunch we just walk around the mall and after that head back to the hotel and rest as we need lots of rest for this trip. Why do we need lot of rest for this trip ? You will find out soon by just continue reading my blog.
So stay tune and continue to read ok  !

Siam Reap Motor Tour

Exploring Siam Reap with motor bike is what I do on my 3rd day in Siam Reap. Is a different kind of experience always love to create new memories and gain different experience when I travel.

We booked a private bike tour with Sabai Adventures Cambodia - Siam Reap tour, they have a few type of tour like Moto Tour , Jeeps Tours but for us we choose moto tour. We choose to go with their Forgotten Treasures Tour which cost - US$75,  pillion passenger is - US$35 so for us we only took 1 bike and I'm the pillion. Duration for this tour is a full day 8 hours which include all entrance fees and lunch. For this price we find it reasonable and they bring us to a few place explore and visit such as Beng Mealea Temple, Chau Srei Vibol Temple, Pagoda visit, Eco Lake Swim (optional), Countryside roads, Traditional villages.

If anyone of you plan to go Siam Reap for a different kind of experience you may want to try out a day tour with them.

After you confirm the tour with them on the day itself in the morning they will go to your hotel and fetch you up. As for us we choose Moto tour so they came with two bike to pick us up for our tour, I still remember is raining on that day but the rain didn't stop us to explore we just put on our rain coat and let's go. The boss of this tour and one of his man each ride one bike pillion us to their workshop and from there Jerome started to ride. I believe this is for safety purpose too due to city roads might be more complicated and we're unfamiliar with the road.

As you can see in the video the road is wet because is raining that day and I took this super short video when I'm been pillion by the boss on the way to the work shop. 

Once you arrive at their work shop the boss will ask if you know how to ride or ever ride before. If you don't know how to ride they will teach you how to control the bike and stable it and if you know how to ride then it's so much easier for both you and the boss and you can get ready to go and explore. 

Waiting for them to get ready. For the information only the guide will follow and bring us to explore the other part of siam reap. 

Let's start our journey now. This was taken when we're on the road way is all muddy, slippery and wet, plus is still raining. But it's fun. ( : 

On the way, you will get to see how their local life style is for example those small little village and houses. The guide bring us to the little house where all the farmer making basket out of cane and they are nice enough to let me try out. 

This is how they did up the basket, hat or food cover from scratch.

This auntie is nice enough to teach me before letting me try it.

I even took video of it and in the video you can see the auntie keep on laughing and smiling I guess she must be finding me funny. But after trying, honestly its not as easy as it seems. Its like so simple just up and down in and out but when you try it is not easy you must make sure it's tight enough every step.. 

After that we continue our journey, 

let's take a picture with the cow. 

After that we heading for our lunch before continue our journey to Beng  Mealea Temple.

This is where we had our lunch. There's quite a number of group tour having their lunch here most of them will be heading to Beng Mealea Temple.

Amok is one of the dish we order. It taste a bit green curry, I believe most of you will know how green curry taste like.

This is dish is taste and look a bit like our Chinese sweet & sour fish but over there what they name it I can't remember but the taste is nice have lots of peanuts, capsicum, onion etc etc.
From where we had our lunch we just need to ride up a bit more and we will reach Beng Mealea Temple.

This is the entrance of Beng Mealea Temple. Yes this is how it look like. This is a very old temple no different from other temple most of their structure is man made bit by bit in the olden day, after many years later it became ruins. As compared to more maintained Angkor, you have to climb and walk on the rock to able to see and explore the temple.
So come on let's follow me and the guide in there to explore the temple.

Let me roughly share with all of you about the experience I have in Beng Mealea. This temple is a Hindu temple but there's some carving is Buddhist. Such as tortoise

 Inside there you also get to see this  

From what the guide told me this use to be one of their library in the olden day but after so many years of being exposed to the elements, here is it lying in heaps of ruins.

As you walk further in you will see this. I think this is the center area of this temple if I'm correct. As you continue to walk it will lead you to a under ground tunnel.

After walking out from the tunnel you have to be very carefully of all this stone is very slippery and is uneven. I even have think which stone should I step.

After coming down from this our guide introduce us a natural swing.

Look at how much fun we have playing with the swing. But when you arrive at this spot which mean you're half way through the temple.
After the temple the guide bring us to the lake and at that moment the rain start to pour again.

This was taken when we're on the way to the lake side.

Look at the rain and I'm all wet. Haha.. We can't do much but just to stay at the little shelter area near the lake resting and relax while waiting for the rain to stop.

they even have hammock for us to lay back and relax. Actually over there their local will sleep on the hammock to catch some afternoon nap. But honestly is a nice and relax place to take a short nap.
Once the rain become lighter we start to move on ride back to their work shop and from there the boss is nice enough to offer sending us back to the hotel with his jeep.

It was my first time taking a ride on a Jeep. It's kinda of cool.
By the time he send us back to hotel is almost evening time so we when back to hotel and wash up after that we when out for dinner.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Hello Eveybody it's been quite a while since I post about baking. Therefore, this time round I'm back with Chocolate Chip Shortbread is my first attempt baking it and I bake it is just to stop my craving for baking.

On one Sunday afternoon, I suddenly feel like baking and I'm not to sure what to bake but on the other hand I'm a bit lazy to think of what to bake, just feel like relaxing on the Sunday afternoon.
In the end I still decided to take out all my baking recipe book and flip through each page and see which recipe I can try baking which don't require me to take a long time to do so.

After flipping through a few book I finally decided to bake Chocolate Chip Shortbread. Got to thanks to my sister and friend for buying all this book for me as they know I love baking and always wanting me to try out something new and different. When I first read through the recipe for Chocolate Chip Shortbread and by looking at the picture of it I didn't know whether is a cookies, bread or cake I totally have no ideal but that doesn't stop me from trying.
So I proceed to prepare all the ingredients that is needed. Thankfully I have plenty of flour at home, I believe most baker at home will have lots of flour or other baking needs at home because we always bake and buy different ingredients and that's why we will have lots of it at home.

This is how my Chocolate Chip Shortbread look like. The actual type that shown in the book is long in rectangular but I do not have tray in that shape so I bake it into this shape, Anyway to me I always think that is not necessary to follow exactly the same shape shown in the book be more creative and play around with it and remember ( Never try never know..)

I use a square tray for this but you can try out with different type of tray to get different shape if you want too.

This is how it's look like in the book they bake it into a rectangular shape but for me I cut it into a square shape.( Sorry if the picture is a bit blur. )
This tine round I decided to share this receipt with all of you.

As you can see on the above picture the ingredients needed and step of how to do is shown. I hope the picture is not blur for those that want to try out this recipe. Do try it out and feel free to share with me on your outcome of your shortbread or if you have any other great recipe to share with me feel free to do so. I will be glad to see it and try it out as I always like to try out new thing. ( :

Stay tune and continue to read for more post. (: Love :)

Cambodia - Siam Reap Day 2

Time for Part 2 of my trip in Cambodia - Siam Reap.

Remember the previous post I posted about Cambodia - Siam Reap ?? That's just basically my first day that I arrived in Siam Reap. Also remember I've mention the very next day morning I'm going to visit AngKor Wat Temple ?

I am to share more about it with you on Angkor Wat temple and other temple that I have visited on my second day in Siam Reap.

Let's Go....

After taking breakfast in the morning, we went to the hotel waiting area and wait for the driver to come and pick us up to our day tour at Angkor Wat and few other Temples.

This is my very first time visiting Angkor Wat last time only happen to see how it look like on TV shows and to be honest I never thought that I will be going there one day.

Angkor Wat is the largest and heritage temple in Siam Reap that exhibits the most unique religious architecture in the world and is one of the attraction that everyone will visit when they're in Siam Reap even the located taxi driver, hotel staff or tour agency will recommend, so you will not only see the local people there but also lots of tourist.

Picture of Angkor Wat

Before entering to Angkor Wat you'll need to buy a pass which cost USD $20.00,

( Little note : In cambodia they use USD, their local currency will be use as their small change most of the time. So please change more USD. )

Entrance pass for Angkor Wat is so different from other entrance ticket or pass I have seen in other place or country that I have visited before. For the Angkor Wat pass, is like a normal ticket but with your passport size picture on it they will require you to take it on the spot when you buy the ticket.

We are standing at the entrance of Angkor Wat taking picture of our Angkor Pass.

From the picture above you can see that's how the Angkor Wat pass look like with your picture on it. Also as I mention above this pass cost USD $20.00 as it's shown in the picture above and it also states the date of entry & date of expiry because they have more than just a day pass you can buy for two days but we didn't choose it because we have other plans for the rest of the days in Siam Reap.

I'm trying to take a picture nearer to the first entrance. Look at this picture this is what I meant by the place being filled up with tourist. Even when you're trying to take a nicer picture with the entrance, You will inevitably include a photobomb in your picture. 

Let's take a picture together before we proceed further.

Let's begin the journey with me in Angkor wat temple. Where you see me standing in the above picture is where the first entrance is after a long walk from the passage way.

Inside or outside of Angkor Wat you will get to see lots of different hidden structure from different angles.

The locals will sit at the corner and rest and so happen I saw this little boy standing there so I did the same thing. Haha

Look at those structure like I mention earlier when you step into Angkor Wat you will get to see different kind of structure at the different angle and this is one of them.

After visiting Angkor Wat we move on to the next temple.. the next temple is quite a distance from the first so our driver have to drive us there. Half way through we arrived at this gateway.

So the driver told us that we can alight and slowly walk over and take some picture at the same time while he will drive to meet us ahead shortly.

Take a closer look all this brick or I should say stone. It is very old but is still quite strong after so many years. All this structure is hand crafted bit by bit, day by day for the locals living there during that era does not have the luxury of modern machineries like we do. 

From this picture you should know which temple I'm heading to right?

If you have guess it correctly, I'm heading towards Bayon Temple but this is not Bayon this is just the gate I've mention earlier the car have to driver pass this gate to be able to bring us to another temple. From the picture you can see its only a one way road so even the elephant going pass this gate have to stop and give way to temple just like normal traffic vehicles from the other side have to give way to the oncoming traffic.

I remember at that point of time there's 5 or 6 elephant walking through this gate and when I saw it I quickly took out my camera and snap it and ask my bf to take picture for me and the elephant walking. Haha.. Yes I know its an elephant nothing special but when you're over there is different kind of feeling and you see the way they trying to walk through the small gate with other vehicle waiting behind. 

 

Their elephant also look different from what we see in Singapore Zoo. 

Okay back to the top on Bayon Temple.

Bayon is one of the largest Mahayana Buddhist temples in Angkor complex, was built in the heart of Angkor Thom. Bayon's most distinctive feature is the stone faces that grace its many towers.

The overview of Bayon temple.
How to go up to the top of it to have a closer look of the feature stone face?

Saw this stairs ? Yes this is the only way up there to the top and the only way down from the top.

Don't just base on the picture and think that the step is easy to walk up infact the step is small and narrow. 

Yeah We're up there. 

Let's take a picture together with the face " Say Cheese " 

I find that Bayon is nicer than Angkor Wat maybe is because of the way they build this temple, mentioning of building this temple is actually build as a square, which have North South East & West. Oh if you notice the faces is all Smiling face no matter you look at which side of it is all smiling face. There's actually smaller tower surrounding Bayon and each of them have 4 sided face too. 

When you walk town from the top, you will get to see two long walls with all the different hand craft on it and each of them has it own meaning. 

 Look at it how details it is and can you believe that all this was hand craft on bit by bit in the olden days. Can you imagine how much effort the local use to do all this and stack up the stone one by one. 

You will see this in the center of Bayon which you will see the local sitting down doing their offerings and prayers. After walking at Bayon, its lunch time! We have to walk out of Bayon while we were walking out, we saw some monkey nearby playing among themselves.

Now let's go for lunch and continue our temple journey after that.  

The restaurant we went to was rather popular with tourist. I believe they are commission based.

we enjoyed the tranquil setting furnished with local Cambodian interior.

 It was love at first sight when they served my noodles, my first impression was of our local Mince Meat Noodle which we call it " Mee Pok " but this tasted so much different. One thing I always notice when I travel is that their food that I have ate always have lots of vegetables to compliment the meat so it gave us a more holistic diet.

Look at the portion of the food, its a lot and I can't finish it but i think that I can share it with one more person because for me I'm not a big eater. But its delicious!.. We also order something that look like chicken chop but sadly I can't remember the name of it anymore.

Oh I still remember when our food came, a fellow tourist diner which sat next to us saw what we're eating and they asked us what did we order and they ordered the same food as us.

After our lunch, we when to this temple that was chosen as a movie setting for a film, Jerome showed it to me on youtube then I realise it. Haha..

Any Ideal yet ???

Yes, Next temple we were visiting is Ta Prohm. I believe those that watch this movie " Tomb raider " inside there's a scene was film over there.

The Journey begins here at Ta Prohm.

But before you're able to reach this area you have to walk a long way inside before reaching this area and of cause before that you need to know the rules and regulations of Ta Prohm.

Ta Prohm is a mysterious temple. A temple with lots of tree growing naturally on top and around it.

This big tree you will see it when you first walk in and I remember one of the tour group leader use this as a drum and made music out of it for his tour group. I try to hit on it after the group left and when you hit on it, it feels hollow.

After that when you walk in further you will see this picture shown below

Each stone is carved with an intricate pattern.  If you notice most of the temple have a sort of little craft on it and as I mention each artwork represents something.

See that's what I mean by the tree growing naturally out of the roof, on top of the temple and its almost every where. During the time when they build this temple they never cut down any trees. Until now the trees are still growing.

We hiked further in to see what other thing we can see. But when walking there please be careful and I will advise to wear a shoes instead of slipper. The algae footpath is slippery!

Look at all this stones that fell naturally centuries after it was abandoned.

After walking up till here we completed half our Ta prohm tour.

About to walk out of Ta Prohm before that let's take a selfie together .

After that we walk out to find the driver and send us back to the hotel. BUT we walk the wrong direction I saw the signage showing a shortcut and I thought it was really a shorter way out but the shorter way exit is not where our driver is waiting for us so at the end we still have to walk back in the other direction. Haha And is a long walk.

After back at hotel we rest for awhile around early evening at 6.30pm Cambodia time we head out for our dinner at the night market and at the same time have a walk at the night market.

We ate at the road side stall and the food is super appetizing. Yummy..
As I mention after dinner we have a short walk at the night market after that head back to hotel to have an early night because the next day we will be heading out for motorcycle tour. Woohoo. Motorcycle tour...

Stay tune for more on my motorcycle tour experience in Siam Reap. Will post it soon to share with all of you. ( :