My Cooking and My Garden: BERZERK!?

Working with Yeast.
Instant yeast for baking bread, that's was what I did, it was a rich bread-brioche, and along the process, I found exciting happening. The Dough has risen drastically in a short time. And it went berzerk proofing in the refrigerator, indeed almost uncontrollable.

Proofing 2
Refrigerated

The Dough

First Proofing

Deflated dough

(Left) The Dough and the first proofing in a room temperature (Right) Deflated Dough and kept refrigerated, it has risen and grown madly, reached - touched the top of the shelf.

This is what I learnt about using instant yeast.

Yeast and flour reactions

This organism lies dormant until it comes into contact with warm water. Once reactivated, yeast begins feeding on the sugars in flour, and releases the carbon dioxide that makes bread rise what does yeast do to flour?

Yeast makes the dough rise. The essentials of any bread the mixture is flour, water, and of course, yeast. As soon as these ingredients are stirred together, enzymes in the yeast and the flour cause large starch molecules to break down into simple sugars

How much yeast is in a cup of flour

Is that true? You can increase the size of most bread recipes by simply doubling, tripling, etc. all of the ingredients, including the yeast. Depending on the recipe and rising time, you may use as little as 1 teaspoon or up to 2 1/4 teaspoons (sometimes more) of instant yeast per pound (about 4 cups) of flour.

It could well be I used a little too much yeast for the brioche dough. Or the wholemeal flour has a tendency to rise faster in the mix.

THE BRIOCHE Fruit Brioche with Poached Apple in Red Wine
Sweet, a rich and light fruity bread is always a winner at my house. You could smear with butter to serve and simply enjoy a slice with cuppa tea or coffee.

Here is the making.

The Brioche Dough
Ingredients
500 g wholemeal flour
200 plain flour
14 g dry instant yeast
a pinch of salt
55 g sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup warm milk
250 butter - cubes and softened

Prepare the night before
6 tablespoons mix dried fruits added with 2 tablespoon sherry, toss it well.
3 apples, peeled and diced, poached in red wine and 1/3 cup sugar.

In the morning, prepare the brioche dough.
(Basically, beat all ingredients together (except the butter) until smooth and the mixture is soft enough
Add in the softened cube butter one at the time until they all combined. Now the brioche dough is shiny and soft. Leaf it on the bowl, rest for 10 minutes.
Beat the dough again very gently, and add the dried fruits mixture, at the last minute beat it in high speed for a couple of minutes. Scrap and clean the side of the bowl, let the dough stay in, cover the bowl with plastic, proof for two hours or until the mixture is doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down, keep it in the refrigerator until shaping time.
It is essential to have the dough cold for secure handling while you do the shaping.

The Pictures of the Dough Preparation

The Dough was Proof for One Hour and a Half.

The Dough beautifully has risen after one hour and a half.

Punch It Down, cover with plastic, and refrigerated.

After two hours in the refrigerator, I found the dough has grown berzerk, and here is the picture.

Take it out from the refrigerator, start shaping, anything you like. Place them on a lined baking tin, proof again in a room temperature (20 degrees C) until they have risen again.

Shaping the Fruity Brioches

Knead lightly, divide the dough into three equal pieces it works out at 544 gr a bit.
Work with a piece of the dough, keep the other two refrigerated if you wish to bake all in the same day. At this stage, you could freeze the brioche dough, and defrost overnight in the refrigerator, shape and proof before the baking.

I have decided to bake One Loaf. Freeze the rests for other days of baking. Cut the dough to three, make long and thin shapes sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon, and top with the apple poached in red wine.

Let the dough rise again, let it stay for 25 minutes before baking.

Baking

Set up a fan-forced oven up to 200 degrees C.

Bake the ready Brioche Bread in the preheated oven for 13 minutes

Reduce the temperature to 160 degrees C, continue baking for 18 minutes until it 's golden brown

Cool the bread-brioche on a cooling tray. Cut the brioche when it is warm, not hot.

It looks good, and the brioche is soft, sweet and moist.

Baking brioche is always delighted me, now we shall be alright. More baking can be done and also braising in the oven is excellent as the winter season is here now.

Using the wholemeal flour which readily available at the pantry was great, an accidental, as our new diet now has to avoid refined food, such as white bread etc.

Braised chicken with red wine is one of delicious cooking for wintertime, it's based on a coq au vin is a classic French stew.

What is A coq au vin?
A Coq au vin in which chicken is braised slowly in red wine and a little brandy to yield a supremely rich sauce filled with tender meat, crisp bits of bacon, mushrooms and burnished pearl onions.

In my kitchen to cook the Braised Chicken
My chicken braised with red wine was not following a recipe, but it is based on the coq au vin. Chicken pieces; leg/thig, wings marinade in wine, herbs for overnight before continue cooking by braising. Other ingredients to add were chopped bacon, small onions, mushrooms. Hot water/ Light meat stock and tomato paste. Salt and sugar too season. Cook and braised for two hours.
(the chicken has to be sealed with olive oil, not vegetable oil)

A day when I am feeling rich and ready, I will cook the coq au vin properly, using good red wine and Cognac, speck-thick bacon instead of bacon, lots of pearls onions and mushrooms, and real light stock to add. Serve with smooth and delicious mashed potato or creamy polenta.

It is just an idea for you girls-Mel, Jane and Susan. I am sure you love the flavour of it. You could use your slow cooker instead of your La Crossett pot. Using the slow cooker saves time too.