Daring Baker's - Challah

This month I was cutting it a little close.  I seriously don't know where all my time goes, and its nearly the end of the month, and I just managed to bake it on the day we're suppose to release the results.  At least I made it.  


So, I must admit, I am a little over the whole bread making thing.  I think ever since I joined up for daring baker's, its consistently has been a bread/yeast related challenge.  And especially since I did inherit a bread machine, the amount of bread I've made, eaten and tried to distribute has been a record. 


Anyway, so another challenge complete, quite successfully as well.  I've never heard of Challah before. Well, given that I'm not Jewish, it's not all that surprising.  But then again, I live in the only other Jewish suburb in Sydney (out of 2), and I have never seen it at the local bakeries or anything. 


So, essentially the dough is split into 3 braids (or 4 or 6), and then plaited together like a hair braid.  Quite a cute concept, but there is religious meaning behind the braids and what each represent.  And copying out of the original post on Daring Baker's forum, the braids together is essentially suppose to represent the meaning that one will not forgot the Sabbath.  From memory, the Sabbath is a Saturday for Jewish ppl, so technically I made it on the right day. 


I did my own twist (get it?!), and filled each strand with my Nutella, hazelnut meal and choc chip formula.  rolled it up, and then plaited it all together.  Results were fantastic.  


It came out of the oven looking a little bit too black. I left it in the oven and retreated to my heated room upstairs, so didn't bother checking on it.  But, it at least it wasn't burnt.  The dough itself turned out quite hard, but once you toast it up, and with the Nutella mixture softened/melted, OMG.. quite good!! From the pictures it doesn't seem like there is enough Nutella, but when you bite, each bite just manages to reach the next plait, i.e. next Nutella spot.  

xoxo

Mich

Daring Bakers: Armenian Nazook

Another month, another challenge.  


This month we needed to make either an Armenian Nazook or a Nutmeg cake.  


I've never heard of any of these before, but I guess that was the reason why I joined the Daring Baker's challenges. 


I used the recipes that were provided by the host of the challenge, but made a few tweaks to the fillings just to make it with my touch. 


This is the first time I've used sour cream in my pastry.  I'm not sure what difference it actually makes.  But the pastry wasn't as buttery and fluffy as I would have liked.  


My 1st filling was cinnamon with brown sugar. It was nice and subtley sweet.  2nd filling was Mr A's favourite, Nutella, hazelnut meal and choc chips! 


Glad I took some photos of my prep, but once they were baked, the filling exploded and didn't look as pretty.  

Nutella version 

Cinnamon version

Overall, they were nice, but, not really my kind of thing.  I think I prefer buttery, fatty, sugary desserts! 

xoxo 

Mich

Daring Bakers March - Dutch Crunch Bread

Another month.. another Daring Baker's challenge!
This month, it was bread related again.  I recently got handed down an unused bread machine, which I'm loving.  And, in approximately 3 more hours, it will have made me a loaf of raisin bread! 
Yummo! 


But, back to the challenge.  So this month, we had to make Dutch Crunch Bread.  I've vaguely heard of it before, but never tasted it.  


Essentially its a normal loaf of bread or a roll, with a rice flour coating on top.  This is spread on the surface prior to baking, and then gives a crackly, crunch, tiger / giraffe looking like texture at the top.  


Taste wise.. its bread, so nothing different there.  But, I'm not sure if I hadn't set it properly prior to putting them in the oven, but my crackles looked a little funky. 


I used the recipe that they suggested from Baking Bites, as I'm still hesitant to stray away from suggested recipes. I'm too chicken for that.  


Anyway.. here are the results:

Well .. what do you think? 
Or maybe I just burnt them. Anyway, another month is coming around the corner. 


xoxo
Mich

My first daring bakers!!!

With the all the rules.. I think I am finally allowed to post my first daring baker's challenge. 
So daring baker's is a website/forum, where one person each month will suggest a recipe to bake for everyone else.  The new challenge is released on the 1st of the month, then we are suppose to blog our results on the 27th.  So, I purposely waited to post this on the 28th, just because I didn't read whether it had to be the 27th US time or wherever you are from. 


This month's challenge was Quick Breads.  
So it was suggested to make Banana Bread, which I made, just to keep it safe since it was my first challenge. 


I've made banana bread before, but I forgot just how easy it is. Everything required is already in the pantry, the only thing is making sure you have some overriped bananas.  Squash that in one bowl, and then in another had flour and other dry ingredients. 


Mix them together and .. bake in oven... there you have it, its banana bread.  Don't even need to use a mixer! 


And here are my results... 

Success.. It got all gobbled up really quickly!! 

Can't wait for the next challenge!!