1. Sift the flour in a mixing bowl, add in baking powder and salt and stir together. Add in butter and water and mix until soft and smooth. Cover with a plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir ingredients A and B for the dough at slow speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed and continue to mix until a rough dough forms, about 3 minutes. Stir in butter until the dough has become smooth and elastic. Add in almond and apricot. Mix at slow speed until well-combined.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container and cover closely with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof till doubled in size. Remove and divide the dough into 3 equal portions and allow them to rest for 10 minutes. Cut the pastry dough into 3 equal portions too.
4. Flatten each pastry dough lightly with your hand. Round each dough and place them in the center of each pastry dough. Seal the dough by pinching all sides together to make a neat package of each. Arrange the rolls, pinched side down, on a baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Slash the loaves diagonally 2 or 3 times with a razor blade, deep enough to see the matcha dough. Sprinkle the top with some seeds if desired. Bake in the preheated 175C/350F oven for 30 minutes.

Rich, buttery, sweet or savory brioche is a French bread and often served for the breakfast. A classic brioche has a fluted bottom and an upper protruding knob, and is made in a special flute-shaped brioche pan. The bread can also be baked like a regular loaf, or braided (same as we do the Challah) or made in muffin cups. Sweet brioche is filled with chocolate or candied fruit while cheese, vegetables or meat are very often found in the savory version.

1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add in the eggs. Mix in, then work together with a fork to make a soft dough.
   
2. 
   Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until you have a shiny and smooth dough, about 10 minutes. Pound the butter with the side of a rolling pin until it's pliable. Add the butter to the dough and knead until it's fully incorporated. Cover with a plastic wrap, then a towel. Place the bowl in an oven (DO NOT HAVE THE OVEN TURNED ON ) with the oven light turned on and allow to rise for 1 hour.
   
   
3. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press down the risen dough to release air. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions. Fill each with some chocolates and wrap up. Place them in prepared muffin cups.
   
   
4. Cover them with a few layers of plastic wraps and refrigerate the dough overnight. The volume should be doubled and it crowned well over the top of the pan. Preheat the oven to 210C/410F. Brush the brioches tops with the milk and bake for 15 minutes in the middle of the preheated oven until golden brown.

1. Soak the raisins in a bowl filled with warm water for 20 minutes until soft. Drain.
2. In a mixing bowl put flour, sugar, pinch of salt, butter, egg and lukewarm milk. Crumble the fresh yeast on top of the ingredients. Using a stand mixer blend all the ingredients at slow speed until a dough forms. Then adjust to middle speed and knead for about 5 minutes until dough comes off easily from bowl and smooth. Add the thoroughly drained raisins and lemon zest. Knead for another 30 seconds until well-combined.
   
3. Cover the dough and let rise for 45 minutes. Punch down and divide the dough in 3 equal pieces and roll into ropes. Loosely braid the ropes and put on a greased baking tray. Let rise for another 30 minutes until braid is plump and doubled in size. Brush with milk and bake for about 30 minutes at 190C/375F.

Croissant...This delicious pastry originated in Budapest in 1686, when the Turks were besieging the city. To reach the centre of the town, they dug underground passages. Bakers, working during the night, heard the noise made by the Turks and gave the alarm. The assailants were repulsed and the bakers who had saved the city were granted the privilege of making a special pastry which had to take the form of a crescent in memory of the emblem on the Ottoman flag.
Alan Davidson, the author of Oxford Companion to Food, expresses his doubts. Culinary mythology--origin of the croissant According to one of a group of similar legends, which vary only in detail, a baker of the 17th century, working through the night at a time when his city (either Vienna in 1683 or Budapest in 1686) was under siege by the Turks, heard faint underground rumbling sounds which, on investigation, proved to be caused by a Turkish attempt to invade the city by tunnelling under the walls. The tunnel was blown up. The baker asked no reward other than the exclusive right to bake crescent-shaped pastries commemorating the incident, the crescent being the symbol of Islam. He was duly rewarded in this way, and the croissant was born.
The story seems to owe its origin, or at least its wide diffusion, to Alfred Gottschalk, who wrote about the croissant for the first edition of the Larousse Gastronomique [1938] and there gave the legend in the Turkish attack on Budapest in 1686 version; but on the history of food, opted for the 'siege of Vienna in 1683' version."

1. In a mixer with a dough hook, place the yeast, flour, sugar, salt and the milk and mix for 2 minutes until a soft moist dough forms on the hook. If the dough is not moist, add more milk, half tablespoon at a time until it is moist and smooth, using not more than 2 tablespoons. Increase speed and mix until the dough is very smooth and elastic, about 2-3 minutes. Cover the dough and rest for 30 minutes in fridge.
   酵母，面粉，砂糖，食盐和牛奶放入搅拌盆，揉成较湿润且柔软面团。如果面团稍干的话，可适量添加一些牛奶，每次加入半勺将面团揉成稍微湿润即可，用量不要超过2大勺为宜。提速继续搅打面团至光滑有弹性，2-3分钟。面团盖上保鲜膜冷藏松弛30分钟。
   
2. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board to a 9 by 16 inch rectangle. Soften the butter by beating with a rolling pin. Place the butter over two-thirds of the length of the rectangle. Starting from the the unbuttered third, fold the dough, like a business letter, into thirds. Turn the dough a quarter degree, so that the open sides are at 12 and 6 o'clock. Roll again the laminated dough to a rectangle and fold into thirds. Wrap the dough with plastic film tightly and chill over night to ease the gluten.
   工作台洒些面粉，放上面团擀成9x16寸的长方形。用擀面杖将牛油捶打至软身，将其铺放在三分之二的面团上。从未铺牛油的三分之一面团入手，折信般将面团三折。将面团转90度，让开口两端朝6点和12点。擀成长方形后再三折。面团包入塑料保鲜膜隔夜冷藏，松弛面筋。
   
3. Remove from the fridge and perform the 3-fold three more times. Or two more times of 3-fold and a 4-fold turn for the final, which is to fold both ends into the center and then fold to close, like a book. Chill for 30 minutes to relax the dough between each turn. After the completion of the final turn, relax the dough in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight to fit your schedule. At this point the dough can be frozen until needed. Thaw the dough overnight in the fridge before shaping.
   取出面团后重复3次3折或是2次三折后，然后四折收尾。所谓四折就是将擀开的面团头尾两端折向中心，然后再对折。每次折好后要冷藏松弛面团30分钟。完成最后一折后，面团需要至少2小时或是隔夜冷藏。这时面团可以冷冻保存，使用前必须提前放到保鲜柜退冻后才能使用。
   
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle with about 4mm in thickness. Trim irregularities and divide the dough with a pizza cutter or knife (using croissant cutter if available) into triangles, about 4-inch wide, or wider if you prefer croissants more curved. Gently stretch the base of the triangle to widen it slightly, while one hand holds the base, pull the dough with the other to lengthen the dough, so that a quality croissant with multi layers. Roll up starting at the wide bottom to make a curved cresent shape and place them on a baking paper lined pan.
   将面团放到铺了少许面粉的台面上，擀成4毫米左右厚度的长方形。 用皮萨饼轮刀或刀子（要是有专用羊角包割面刀就更佳了）将其切成4寸宽三角块。如果喜欢面包两角更有弯度的话，可以宽一些。轻轻将三角面团的底部拉宽一些，一手按住底部，另一手轻轻将面团拉长，这样面包的层次会更加清晰。从宽底部将其卷起成新月状放入铺放了烤纸的烤盘上。
   
5. To proof the croissants, place them in an oven that is warm but not turned on, with a pan of hot water in the bottom to create a moist environment, which is beneficial to the proofing. Let rise until croissants puffed up and spongy to the touch, 2-3 hours. Remove from the oven. Preheat the oven to 200F/400F. Mix egg and milk together in a bowl. Brush with the egg wash and bake the croissants for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow them to cool on a rack before serving.
   烤箱不要通电，并且在底部放入一大盘热水营造湿润温暖的环境，有利于醒面。将整形好的面包胚放入烤箱进行发酵。2-3小时后，面包明显膨胀，手触面团有弹性。取出面包后，预热烤箱至200C/400F。牛角包表面刷上鸡蛋和牛奶混合液，入预热后的烤箱烘焙至金黄色，22-25分钟。取出后放到架上晾凉。

1. Place the starter, water and flour in a mixing bowl. Stir for a minute at low speed. Allow it to rest for 20 minutes. Add salt in and knead for about 7 minutes to form a firm but slightly sticky dough.
2. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let proof for 45 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly-floured surface, gently pat down flat and fold like an envelope, all four sides being brought over the center of the dough.
3. Return the dough into the bowl, cover and let ferment for another 45 minutes. Pat down, fold and round up. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and let ferment for 35 minutes. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Shape each into a baguette by stretching each dough into a rectangles, then folding the bottom and top thirds to the center, pinching the seam together and allowing them to rest for 10 minutes. Fold the dough over lengthwise and press the ends together. Roll each dough back and forth to elongate it to the desired length and taper the ends.
4. Use perforated baguette pans if available, otherwise place the shaped dough either in the floured folds of a large linen, or a baking sheet dusted with flour. Cover and let rise until slightly under proofed, about 35 minutes. Place a shallow pan in the bottom of the oven and start preheating to 250C/500F.
5. Use tiles or stones on the oven rack. Using a razor knife, make 2-3 shallow slashes across top of loaves and slide the loaves onto the heated baking stone. Pour a cup of very hot water into the water pan. Close the door and bake for 12 minutes. Lower the temperature to 200CT/400F and continue baking the loaves until golden, about 22-25 minutes. Cool them on a rack.

Poolish or pouliche was a term created by the French in the 1700s-1800s after the way the Polish made their bread with a "starter". Starters, do make a differences. If you are, like I, a fan of European-styled bread, then use a starter in bread-baking to create that wonderful crumb, crust, aroma, and flavours. Either a complex sourdough starter, or a simple poolish, the complexity of the bread flavour will be enhanced.
I prefer to use weight to volume as weight gives me a rather precise measurement of all the ingredients. During the holiday season, there are lots of inexpensive digital scales or even digital spoon available in supermarket.

1. Mix ingredients for the poolish starter with a spoon in a non-reactive bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for at least 36 hours.
   将法式酵头的材料混合放到一个不会起化学反应的容器里。混合后盖上保鲜膜室温存放36小时。
2. Combine together water, yeast, flour and poolish and let stand for 20 minutes until the water is fully absorbed into the flour. Add the salt and knead at the low speed to disperse the salt all over the dough. Increase the speed and mix until a smooth dough forms.
   水，酵母，面粉和酵头混合后静置20分钟，让面粉充分吸收水份。加入食盐低速搅拌至盐均匀分布到面团。提速将其搅打成均匀光滑的面团。
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof the dough for about 40 minutes. Remove the dough and place on a lightly-floured board. Pat it down flat and fold four sides over the center to shape it again into a ball. Return the dough into the bowl, cover and let rise another 40 minutes. Repeat the folding and let rise until doubled in size.
   容器抹上少许油脂，放入面团盖上保鲜膜。醒40分钟左右，然后将面团放到洒了少许面粉的台面上。用手将其轻轻拍扁，四边往中间翻入揉成球状。再放回容器内，盖好后松弛40分钟。取出后再将面团拍扁，四边往中心收成球状。放入容器醒发至大约双倍大。
4. Divide dough into three equal parts. Do not knead the dough if you want a airy loaf. Shape each dough into a baguette by stretching each dough into a rectangles, then folding the bottom and top thirds lengthwise to the center, pinching the seam together and allowing them to rest for 10 minutes. Fold the dough over lengthwise and press the ends together. Roll each dough back and forth to elongate it to the desired length and taper the ends.
   面团分成三等份。如果你喜欢带有不规则洞状组织的面包，那么切割时尽量避免过多的揉搓面团。每份面团各自扯拉成长方块，面团纵长两端各折入1/3，捏紧收口。在桌面上来回揉搓成两头稍细的长棍状。
5. Use perforated baguette pans if available, otherwise place the shaped dough either in the floured folds of a large linen, or a baking sheet dusted with flour. Cover and let rise until slightly under proofed, about 35 minutes. Place a shallow pan in the bottom of the oven and start preheating to 250C/500F. Use tiles or stones on the oven rack. Gently slide the loaves onto the heated baking stone. Pour a cup of very hot water into the water pan. Close the door and bake for 12 minutes. Lower the temperature to 200CT/400F and continue baking the loaves until golden, about 22-25 minutes. Cool them on a rack.
   长棍放到专用的带孔法棍烤盘，抑或用大帆布巾或烤纸洒上面粉，放入整好的长棍面包，每条长棍间要留出间距，然后捏起间距成栏。长棍醒八分，大约35分钟。烤箱底部放入一个浅盘，预热烤箱和石板至250C/500F。长棍放在石板上，往烤箱底部的浅盘冲入一杯开水，立即关上烤箱的门烘焙12 分钟后将烤箱温度调至200C/400F，继续烘焙面包至金黄，大约22-25分钟。置于架上晾凉。

1. Slice the stale rolls into cubes. Place the cubed bread in a bowl and pour the milk evenly over. Toss well and let stand for 20 minutes. Pour off any extra unabsorbed milk. Add in shallots, parsley, egg, flour, salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly until the whole mass is smooth and paste like.
   
2. Damp both hands to shape the mixture into four dumplings, each about 2 inches in diameter. Bring half pot of water with a bit of salt to a boil. Using a slotted spoon ease dumplings into the boiling salted water and let boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and gently cook for 10 minutes. They taste best with rich and creamy gravy.

One of the best things I find about Germany is her widest variety of bread. All sorts of forms, shapes, styles and tastes. Most German bread varieties are Mischbrote/mixed bread and two thirds contains rye flour. Rye flour is rather dark and usually blended with wheat to make a hardy rye bread loaf, which frequently baked with a wild yeast rather than commercial yeast. Rye is high in carbohydrates and provides small quantities of protein, potassium, and B vitamins. So it's very nutritious, healthy and delicious!
A very hot stone or brick oven is a necessity to bake the artisan bread.
The knife/razor blades I have bought from the supermarket is not the lamé, with which those professional French bakers use to slash the loaves before putting them into the hot oven, but with its snap-off blade, is perfect for the job.

1. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir it with a fork until foamy and set aside for 10 minutes. Add in rye and all-purpose flour. Stir at the low speed for about 1 minute. Tear off the old dough into smaller pieces and drop them in the bowl. increase the speed, stir and knead until the dough has become soft and elastic. Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for 35 minutes. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board and knead in the salt until well-dispersed. Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover and let rise for 35 minutes.
   温水放入搅拌盆，洒入酵母和砂糖。用叉子拌化后静置10分钟。加入黑麦粉和中筋粉。低速搅拌约1分钟。老面撕小块加入搅拌盆，提速搅拌揉搓至面团柔软有弹性。放到一个抹了少许油脂的大盆里，盖上保鲜膜醒35分钟。取出面团放在洒了少许面粉的台面上，加入食盐慢慢揉匀。面团揉圆后放回盆里，盖上保鲜膜醒发35分钟。
   
2. Flatten the dough by pressing the air out, fold and round up into a ball. Cover and proof until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Prepare a large baking tray lined with a parchment paper. Dust the paper with some rye flour. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each small dough and shape each into an oval. Place them on the prepared tray. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled.
   面团拍扁排出气体，将面团四折，揉圆后放回大盆，醒发45分钟至双倍大。准备一个大烤盘，铺上烤纸，洒些黑麦粉。将醒好的面团分割成12小块。每块面团拍扁排气揉成椭圆状。放入备好的烤盘，盖上餐布醒发至双倍大。
   
3. Place a shallow pan at the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 210C/425F. Brush the tops of rolls with a little water. Slash the top with a razor blade. 5 minutes before baking the bread, pour one cup of hot water into the shallow pan. Close the door of the oven and let boil for 5 minutes to create steam. Bake the bread for 18 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on the rack.
   烤箱底部放入一个浅盘，预热至210C/425F。在面团表面刷上少许水后，用刮胡刀片划痕。面包送入烤箱5分钟前，打开烤箱，往浅盘内倒入一杯热水，关闭烤箱门，让热水沸腾5分钟以产生蒸汽。面团入炉烘焙18分钟直到金黄。取出置于架上晾凉。

They are known in Germany as Brötchen, Semmeln, Broodje, Schrippen, Wecken or Rundstücke depending on the region. Brötchen can be found in small bakeries all over Germany. They have a crunchy crust and a soft interior.

• 280 g All-purpose flour
• 175 ml Warm water
• 3 g Active dry yeast
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 Egg white
• 2 tbsp Milk

1. In a small bowl, mix yeast, sugar, and 35 ml water. In a large mixing bowl pour into flour and form a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour well but do not mix with the flour. Cover the mixing bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Add in remaining water and mix at the low speed for 2 minute. Sprinkle in salt and blend at low speed. Increase the speed and continue to knead the dough until smooth. Put dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Set aside for 45 minutes in a warm corner. Turn out the dough and lightly press to flatten out the large air bubbles. Fold four sides of the flatten dough over into the center. Round up and place the dough back in the bowl and 45 minutes later, repeat the folding. After folding, let the dough rise covered until doubled in the bowl.
3. Divide the dough into 6-9 equal portions and form into oval rolls. Place on a baking tray with parchment paper dusted with some flour. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with the milk to make the egg wash. Lightly brush the risen rolls with the egg wash. Just before baking, make a cross in top of each bun by snipping dough with scissors. Bake for about 18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool.

Okara or soya pulp is the fiber remnant of soya milk or bean curd making. This high fiber and protein contained Okara
angiesrecipes has been just used to feed the pigs in China (well....at least some parts of China) or even worse, treated as waste. Its nutritious value starts attracting attention of consumers...well....not enough though....so here is another simple recipe for those who love bread......and of course okara too.

1. In mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water. Sprinkle in yeast and sit for 10 minutes. Add in flour, starter and egg. Stir until combined. Add in the rest of the ingredients, except 50 g of peanut butter, and knead at medium speed until a smooth, elastic and moist dough forms, about 5 minutes.
2. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl, turning to coat completely on all sides with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set to rise in a draft-free warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
   
3. Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and shape into a smooth ball. Cover and et rest for 10 minutes. Flatten to remove air bubbles. Roll into rectangles about 2cm thick. Spread 50 grams of peanut butter over the dough. Fold the bottom third of the rectangle up toward the centre, and the top third down to make a neat square. give the square a quarter turn to the left. Roll out the dough into a long rectangle. Again fold into thirds. Turn again and roll out into a 14x8-inch rectangle.
   
4. Now roll into a log and seal the ends. Slice the roll into 14 equal pieces and place one in each greased muffin tin or paper muffin cup. Cover and let rise 45 minutes until doubled. Brush the top with whole egg wash and bake in a preheated 180C/350F oven for about 20 minutes until golden. Remove and cool on rack.

1. Add dough ingredients A and B in a mixing bowl. Mix with dough hook at slow speed for 1 minute. Change to the medium speed, and continue mixing for 3 minutes until dough is formed. Add butter gradually and mix for approx. 5 minutes on medium speed until gluten is fully developed, i. e. elastic, smooth, non-sticky and leave from sides of mixing bowl.
   
2. Ferment the dough in a lightly greased plastic bag for 1 hour, leave in a warm place until dough is double in volume. Punch the dough down to release gases produced in the fermenting process. Divide dough into 9 portions, each 60 grams, and round up. Let stand for 10 minutes at the room temperature.
   
3. Press down each small dough to release gas. Using your hands, gently roll and form each into a narrow loaf, similar to olive, about 20-25 centimeters long. Let rise for about 40-60 minutes.
   
4. After rising, brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with some Gouda shreds. Bake in a preheated 175C/350F oven for about 15 minutes. Taking out and sprinkle with parsley and paprika powder.

Inspiration: Dan Lepard (the handmade loaf), and Baker's Manual

Sourdough breads take advantage of the unique tangy flavors produced by “wild” yeast and bacteria. Once you get to understand your own sourdough starter, the results would just get better and better....hmmm...that chewy, tangy, crusty....sourdough bread.

1. Put the starter, bread flour, half of AP flour, and one cup of water into a large bowl of mixer attached with dough hook. Mix well and let proof 2 hours at room temperature in a covered plastic container. Then transfer it into the refrigerator to ferment overnight.
2. Next morning you take the dough out and return it to the mixer. Add in salt, remaining water and flour, one fourth at a time, until you have a smooth dough ball. Put the dough in a large bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap and a damp cloth to follow. Let rise in a warm place for 3 hours until doubled in volume.
3. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into three or four pieces. Shape each into a ball and let the dough rest, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes. Form each of dough ball into an oval and place them on the prepared tray lined with a linen cloth or baking paper dusted with flour. Sprinkle the loaves with flour and cover them loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let rise for 45-60 minutes.
   
4. Place a small pan for water on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat the oven with baking stone. (I placed a layer of bricks at the bottom of my old oven. It works very well. If you need bake more bread, just place one more layer of bricks on a baking tray. ) to 220C/425F. Make a couple of slashes on the top of each dough. Five minutes before baking, pour 1 cup of hot water in the pan to form steam and provide a moist environment for the bread. Place the dough on a baking tray, brush with some water and bake for about 35-40 minutes on the middle shelf of the hot oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the rolls from the oven and cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.