Thai chicken with cashews and chilies

Don't mind the basil in every photo . 

I told myself to blog more often and this month is my not too lazy month .

8 post in total - I need a pat in the back lol 

Maybe I should try to post at least 4 times a week ....

Ha ! 

If only there's 3 of me - one to cook and wash all the cooking/baking paraphernalia , one to take photos and one to write the effin blog post *sigh*

Well , at least if you're just a one-woman show , you'll be the only one to eat all the goodies , right ?!

I've got loads of recipes that I want to try and only a month left before we say good bye to this eventful year .

Thai food is my current favorite , besides its wonderful flavor , it is easy to cook as well .

Take this dish for example , it'll take you under 15 minutes to cook it , preparation is the key - no using any mobile device while cooking or if you're using it to check the recipe , no detour to any other sites ^_____^'' 

About this dish , 'twas not spicy at all , you would think that with 8 whole chilies in there , it'll came out spicy , I should have cut it in half , good thing that there's always my dependable standby , homemade chili sauce .

So , what's your favorite Thai food ?

Recipe adapted from Quick and Easy Thai


My modification in green

2 large dried red chilies , each cut into 4 pieces or 6 to 8 small dried red chilies
3/4 pound boneless chicken thigh or breast , cut into bite-sized chunks 350 grams 
1 medium onion , cut into chunks , about 1 cup 1/2 cup 
1 small yellow bell pepper , cut into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk spring onion , cut into 1 1/2-inch slices 
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce + 1 teaspoon kecap manis ( sweet soy sauce )
1/2 teaspoon homemade chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar omitted this 
1/2 cup dry-roasted salted cashews DIY pan-fried cashews 

To cook cashews ( Prepare this few hours ahead ) :  Soak cashews  in a cold water for 15 minutes then rinse and drain . Put in a colander and let stand for an hour . You can either deep-fry or pan-fry it with about 3 tablespoons of oil depending on how much cashews you're going to cook , I used 3/4 cup cashews , just adjust the oil  , until golden brown , drain in a paper towel . Extra cashews can be stored in an airtight jar for future use .

* In a wok or a skillet , heat some oil , over medium heat , for 1 minute then add chilies , cook and stir for 1 minute , letting them to darken a bit . Scoop out chilies and set aside .

* Increase heat to medium-high and add chicken , cook until it changes color , 1 to 2 minutes ( 4 minutes ) . Add the onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes ( 3 minutes ) until onion softens a bit and chicken is cooked through . Toss in bell pepper and cook for few seconds . Add fish sauce , water , soy sauce kecap manis and sugar  , mix well . Add the cashews , chili sauce , sliced spring onion and chilies and cook for 1 minute , stirring well to combine . Transfer to a serving platter , sprinkle with extra cashews and serve hot or warm .

This post is linked to the bloghop event Asian Food Fest : Thailand hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings


                                                       

Also at Cook your Books hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours


                                                      

Karaage ( Japanese fried chicken )

I've been mooning about fried chicken for a while now .

You'll ask , how come you you haven't made it yet ? Nobody's stopping you ?!

The same way  most people are hesitant to deep-fry - copious amount of oil .

Of course , you can just shallow fry it then baked it in the oven ....

Trust me , it wouldn't taste the same .

The craving stops here .

 I used about 800 ml of oil in making these tasty morsels .

Too much oil , right ?!

Boy , it was really worth it !

Yeah , I did enjoy it , so much , that I've been thinking of making deep-fried Vietnamese chicken wings -___-''

Waste not , want not - such a shame not to use the oil again , right ?! 

I tried the recipe of one of my favorite Malaysian  food blogger Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover and also lurked @ No Recipes' site to get some much needed pointers .

As you can see , some of my fried chicken are not really fluffy , I've shaken off too much coating before frying it  tsk tsk ! 

Using potato starch in this makes sense , since the fried chicken wasn't greasy after it gets cold . Note that potato starch is different from potato flour , okay ? Just Google what's the difference .

A generous drizzle of lemon or in my case , lime is a must for this !

Guess who've eaten all of it ?

Can you hear the crunch ? Buuurp ! 

Recipe adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover and No Recipes

450 grams chicken thigh , deboned , with skin on and cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin ( Japanese sweet rice wine )
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
generous 2 teaspoons grated ginger
generous 2 teaspoons grated garlic

1/3 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Lemon or lime for serving
steamed rice if desired 

* In a medium mixing bowl , combine the chicken , soy sauce , mirin , salt , ginger and garlic . Mix well to combine and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes . I've added  1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes but not enough of it so it was not spicy at all , need more I think or maybe cayenne or chili sauce is much more better .

* In a small bowl , combine the starch and ground pepper and mix .

* In a saucepan , pour oil , the oil is ready if you dip the bamboo chopstick vertically and it sizzles vigorously . Or use a deep-fat frying thermometer , if available .

* Dip a handful of chicken pieces into the starch mixture until each piece is covered well . Drop into the hot oil and when the chicken pieces floats on top , it is done . Repeat  with the rest .

* Once all the chicken is done , heat the oil again , add the chicken pieces in small batches and fry until golden brown . Transfer into the paper towel and continue with with the rest . Serve immediately .

Thai-style chicken sliders / Homemade burger rolls with Tangzhong starter

So I tried another bread recipe from the Bread Doctor book . Initially , I was thinking of adding some whole wheat flour but after watching French kneading technique on You Tube , I decided to give it a go .

After 5 minutes of of kneading a very sticky dough , I was , darn , I should have left my flour container open and put it beside me lol 

Since I'm not fond of adding extra flour whenever I bake bread , I usually put back the flour container out of my reach ..... least I'll be tempted to use it .

If you're a regular lurker of this site , you'll see that almost all of my bread except my first pullman bread were made with some whole wheat flour . Kneading is so much better especially with sticky dough  , if you substitute some of the bread flour with whole wheat . It absorbs more water , thus making the dough easier to knead . Besides , I love the texture and taste when bread is made of bread and whole wheat flour combo .

Well , as you can see , the bread turns out great , the crumbs look good , so soft ! I never thought that I could knead a very sticky dough without spouting some French words , the gorgeous weather that day , certainly helps hee hee 

This is the second time that I made these Thai-style chicken patties . The recipe is from Bill Granger , though the original name is lemongrass and lime chicken burger but the name's a mouthful .

I added some lime juice to chicken mixture since there's not enough tanginess for my taste if using only the zest .

The patties are also good as an appetizer , just shape it into small balls and pan-fry them . Of course , eating it with steamed rice is a no-brainer  ^___^ 

For the burger buns / rolls :

Makes 9 ( 60 grams dough ) I made 9 ( 40 grams dough / about 3-inch each ) and 3 ( 60 grams dough ) 

Recipe adapted from 65° Bread doctor ( Translation by Yanyan ) 

210 grams bread flour
56 grams cake flour
20 grams milk powder
42 grams caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 grams yeast
30 grams egg
85 grams water
84 gramsTangzhong ( cooked water-roux mixture )
22 grams butter , melted

* In a large mixing bowl , combine the 2 flour , milk powder , sugar , salt and yeast , stir well to combine . Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the egg , water , Tangzhong and the melted butter , use a wooden spoon to combine all ingredients to form a shaggy dough . Tip in dough to a clean surface , and knead for at least 15 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic . The dough will be very sticky but try not to add any extra flour , just throw it back and forth /or stretch and fold , after 10 minutes the dough will still be very sticky . After 15 minutes , it will come together , still tacky but so much easier to handle and by that time , your dough is ready for proofing .

* Put dough into a lightly-greased mixing bowl , cover with plastic wrap and proof until double in size , at least an hour , depending on the warmth of your kitchen .

* Divide dough into several pieces ( according to your preference ) and let rest for 10 minutes .

* Shape dough into rounds , spray or brush the top with water and dip or sprinkle with sesame seeds ; put into a lightly-greased baking sheets . Cover and let proof until double in size .

* Meanwhile , preheat oven at 180°C .

* Bake rolls for 15 minutes .

Please check original recipe at GoodFood channel

140 grams shallots , finely chopped

10 grams garlic , finely minced

5 grams lemongrass ( white part only ) , finely chopped

400 grams chicken , minced
30 grams breadcrumbs
10 grams coriander stems and leaves , coarsely chopped
zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice

* Combine all ingredients together and mix well to combine . Shape into patties ( size according to preference ) and chill for at least 30 minutes .

* Pan-fry patties on both sides until done .

To serve : 

burger buns
mayo and Thai chili sauce , mix together
some greens

This post is linked to the bloghop event Cook like a Star , this month's feature chef is Bill Granger and organized by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids , Mich of Eat a Piece of Cake and Yen of Eat your Heart Out 



                                                  

Also linking this post to the Cook your Books event hosted by Joyce of Kitchen flavours

                                                 

Khao soi / Chiang Mai curry noodles

Tina of Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner is hosting an online Bake Sale for the Philippines until November 22 , US time . Proceeds will go to the people back home in the Philippines who were badly affected by typhoon Yolanda ( Haiyan ) . If you want to join the bake sale , please check out Tina's site and if you want to donate whether in cash or in kind , please do so !  Make sure you're giving away your hard-earned cash to a reputable charity like the Philippine Red cross .

                                                                        ********

Weather has been good lately in this side of the world .

A good excuse to whip up a batch of piping hot noodles .

Note that I'm not really fond of soupy noodles er with some exceptions .

If that soup is made with peanut/sesame paste combo or it has some coconut milk/ spices in it , I'll say , yes , please !

I never knew that you can make khao soi paste from scratch - I just saw the recipe from Bon Appétit after I made my khao soi  -___-

Okay ,the sauce may look like a yellow curry , it does look like it actually , and it tastes wonderful ! Just imagine the taste by looking at all those ingredients below . Heck , even just the lime and soy sauce combination taste fantastic lol

I tweaked the recipe a bit , added 1 chopped shallots , more lime juice and some fish sauce to the soup /sauce . I marinated the chicken pieces with some lime juice , fish sauce and ground white pepper for 20 minutes before frying . I also added a drizzle of chili oil on top .

Recipe adapted from Quick and easy Thai

Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons red curry paste
3/4 pound boneless chicken , cut into bite-size pieces (or boneless beef or flank steak , thinly sliced into 2-inch strips )
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce or soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 pound fresh Chinese-style egg noodles or 1/2 pound dried ( or angel hair pasta or spaghetti )

To garnish : 1/3 cup coarsely chopped shallots , 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro , 1/3 cup thinly sliced spring onions

* Heat some oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat , fry shallots until soften then add in garlic , fry until garlic turns lightly brown . Add in the curry paste , stir and cook for 1 minute . Add in the chicken pieces and cook for 2 minutes . Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth , stir in the turmeric , soy sauce , sugar and salt , mix well . Bring to a gentle boil and adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer . Cook for 10 minutes , stir in the lime juice and fish sauce , give it a thorough stir and remove from heat , cover and keep warm . The sauce is thick and if you like it soupy just thin it out with warm water or broth , don't forget to adjust the taste .

* Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water (or after 5 minutes of cooking the sauce , start boiling the water ) cook fresh noodles for 2 minutes  and for dried noodles , cook according to the back label instruction . Drain and rinse well , divide noodles into individual bowls , ladle on hot sauce , sprinkle with shallots , cilantro and spring onions . Serve immediately .

No-bake mini strawberry Oreo cheesecakes

Now , now , stop that eye-rolling !

I know , it's cheesecake again .

You wouldn't want more than half a kilo of cream cheese to get moldy , right ?!

Ha !

Is there a strawberry creme Oreo minis in your side of the world ?

No ?!

Well , not here either lol

DIY strawberry creme Oreo minis .

I've used this recipe when I first made my first no-bake cheesecake , I think that was more than 4 years ago .

If you're looking for an easy and simple , don't let the gelatine how-to stress you out , dessert to make , these minis will surely please !

Recipe adapted from Lisa magazine

Makes six 2 1/4 x 1 1/4-inch minis and two 4-inch cakes .

* Lightly butter six  2 1/4-inch loose bottom tins and two 4-inch loose bottom cake tins . Or use a cupcake liners . Or you can use an 8- or 9-inch springform cake pan .

For the base : 

12 pieces Oreo cookies I used the cookies without the creme filling
50 grams unsalted butter , softened 30 grams 

* You can either use a food processor or put the cookies in a plastic bag and bash it with a rolling pin . Combine the cookie crumbs and butter together and mix well . Press mixture about 3/4 tablespoon for  the small tins and a generous 2 tablespoons for the 4-inch pans . Put in the freezer until needed .

For the filling :

250 grams cream cheese , at room temperature
125 ml  whipping cream
10 pieces strawberry creme Oreos , coarsely chopped 14 pieces
2/3 cup condensed milk scant 2/3 
3 teaspoons / 1 tablespoon gelatine powder 3 ( 5 grams ) gelatine sheets  
2 tablespoons hot water

The recipe doesn't specify on how to melt gelatine powder , please refer to this link How to melt gelatine powder  

* Soak gelatine sheets in a bowl of cold water for 5 to 10 minutes until soft . For every sheet of gelatine , use 250 ml of cold water . 

*  Pour cream in a medium mixing bowl , using a handheld beater , beat until soft peaks form , put in the fridge to chill ( if it is too hot in your side of the world ) .

* In another mixing bowl , whisk cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth .

* Take out gelatine sheets from the cold water and wring gently to remove excess water . Put in a small bowl and pour 2 tablespoons of hot water , stir until dissolved and pour immediately into the cream cheese mixture , stir until well incorporated . Add in the whipped cream and the chopped Oreos , use a spatula to mix in everything . Pour the filling into the prepared tins and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours , preferably , overnight .

* If using a small tins , best way to remove the cheesecake is to use a hair dryer , move it around the tin for few seconds , the cheesecake will easily pop out . Or use a clean small kitchen towel , soak it in a bowl of warm water , wring off excess water and wrap it at the sides of the tin for few seconds .

Thai coconut curry rice with salmon

I don't really know how to cook rice in the stove top . I've been using rice cooker here and sometimes even using it , I can't seem to get it right tsk !

I had to check several sources on how much is the ratio between Jasmine rice and water .

1 part rice to 1 3/4 parts water .

The last time I've made curry rice , t'was delicious but the grains were a bit mushy , too much water , methinks .

This time , it is just right , in my opinion .

Initially , I'm going to cook it using the rice cooker and actually started cooking it right there . I was surprised that after less than 5 minutes , the power button turns to "warm" , meaning it's done . I checked the mixture and it was barely simmering . Fearing that the rice cooker will explode if I keep pressing the power button back to "cook " , I immediately transferred the uncooked curry rice back to the pan *sigh*

By the way , I cooked plain rice the day after and the freakin' rice cooker is okay  -___- 

Better use a non-stick pan for this dish , for sure the rice won't stick at the bottom , though you still need to stir it from time to time . Cook it in a very low heat after the initial simmering or else the liquid will evaporate fast and the rice is still uncooked .

Not much flavor inside the salmon but the curry rice compensates for it .

This dish goes really well with the easy and refreshingly spicy salsa that I've made or you can just make a simple vegetable salad instead . Don't forget to make the simple lime and soy sauce dressing as recommended in the GoodFood's site . I've forgotten to make it tsk ! 

This month Lena of Frozen Wings is hosting the Asian Food Fest and the theme is Thai cuisine . Do check out her site if you want to join .

Please check original recipe at BBC Goodfood 

Makes 2 servings

2 small shallots , finely chopped
10 grams coriander stalks , finely chopped
zest and juice of half a lime
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
200 grams Jasmine rice
50 grams / 1 packet Thai red curry paste
200 ml coconut milk
175 ml water
2 pieces kaffir lime leaves
2 salmon fillet , about 150 grams each ( I used frozen ) use any fish that you like

* Defrost salmon in the fridge several hours before using . Scale salmon and rinse , pat dry with kitchen towel , sprinkle with ground white pepper on both sides ; set aside .

* In a large non-stick pan , add a generous tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil , add shallots and cook over low heat until lightly golden . Add the curry paste and cook for a minute . Take off pan from heat , add rice , lime zest , lime juice , coriander stalk , salt and fish sauce . Mix everything together until well incorporated . You can prepare this for up to 2 hours ahead .

* Pour coconut milk and water over the rice and curry mixture and stir well to combine . Over medium heat , let mixture simmer then add in the lime leaves , stir and adjust taste . Turn down heat to the lowest setting of your stove and cover the pan . Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes , stirring from time to time to prevent the bottom from scorching or until rice is cook through . In the last 10 minutes of cooking add salmon fillet , depending on the thickness of the fillet , check after 5 minutes and  flip the fillet , if necessary . Take off pan from the heat and leave to rest for five minutes . Dish up and serve immediately .

Spicy Cucumber and corn salsa ( Make this before cooking the curry rice )  

Makes about 2 cups 

1 small cucumber , scrape off some of the bumpy skin , rinse , deseed and cut into small dices
about 3/4 cup of steamed fresh corn kernels
1 small shallots , finely chopped
1 small bird's eye chili , scrape off some of the seeds and finely chopped
about 30 grams palm sugar , use a cleaver or a knife and chop finely
2 limes , use half of 1 lime for the curry recipe above
some coriander leaves , snipped
some fish sauce

* Mix ingredients above and adjust taste . Chill for at least 30 minutes before using .

For the lime-soy dressing : juice of 1 lime, some soy sauce and brown sugar . Mix and adjust taste .

This post is linked to the bloghop event Asian Food Fest . This month's theme is Thai cuisine and is being hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings .

Yaki-udon ( Fried udon noodles )

With all the books that I've carted from the library lately , I  ask myself  ( Yeah , I'm fond of talking to myself , good thing that I'm only doing it at home heh ! ) what's the purpose of it all if you won't try even one simple dish ?

Some of those books were a tad heavy and sometimes my right shoulder has been complaining incessantly . Still , I just can't resist to carry one , okay , three every time I go to the library .

I even asked my friend last time to borrow 2 more since I used up my 8 book limit ugh !

I borrowed one Japanese cookbook two months ago and been meaning to try at least one dish from it . The book has several simple and easy dishes and since I love stir fried noodles ......

I'm not really impressed with it though .

It's the color of the noodles , I think .

I love to add dark soy sauce to most of my stir fried noodles , so this yaki-udon doesn't look impressive to my eyes .

Let's be honest , it tastes so-so ! 

I should have tweaked the recipe . 

It certainly needs a good lashing of homemade chili sauce .

To each their own taste .

I'm used to adding some seasoning I have on hand every time I cook my version of stir fried udon . Beside light and dark soy sauce , I usually add chili sauce , fish sauce , even brown sugar .

I was really tempted to add dark soy to this dish ! Well , I did after I've taken several photos of my pale udon lol

Don't get me wrong , I love every Japanese dishes that I've eaten so far and adding more seasoning to your own homemade version to suit your own palate  makes you a happy camper .

I've made half of the recipe , used different veggies I had on hand and instant udon instead of dried udon .

Recipe adapted from Hiroko's American Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

10 ounces dried udon noodles
1/2 pound Boston lettuce
2 scallions
1/2 cup peeled carrot , cut into thin 3-inch-long slices
1/2 cup green bell pepper , cut the same as the carrot
1 cup stemmed and thinly sliced shiitaki mushrooms
canola or vegetable oil for frying
1 pound medium shrimp , shelled and deveined , about 26 pieces
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 medium eggs
1/4 cup dashi stock or low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons shoyu / soy sauce

* Boil dried udon 1 minute shorter than the suggested cooking time or if using instant udon , blanch for few seconds , drain well and set aside .

*Cut lettuce into 1 x 2 1/2 -inch strips , cut scallions diagonally , separate the white and the green part . Divide the vegetables into 2 portion . The author recommends to cook two servings at a time as adding too many ingredients to a heated wok will slow down the cooking process .

* In a wok or a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tbsp oil , add half of the shrimp and cook for about 4 minutes . Add half of the garlic and the white part of the scallion and cook for 20 seconds . Transfer to a bowl . Add more oil and when it is hot , add 2 eggs to the wok , turn up heat to medium high and give eggs several large stirs, breaking the yolks and briefly cooking the eggs . When the eggs are fluffy but still undercooked , transfer to to the bowl with the shrimp . Turn down heat to medium , add one portion of the vegetables , cook , stirring from time to time until they are wilted . Add half of the udon , stock , black pepper , salt and soy sauce . Cook the mixture , stirring from time to time until sauce is almost absorbed . Adjust taste and add more seasoning , if desired .

* Add the cook shrimp and eggs , the green part of the scallion to the wok and stir mixture until well incorporated . Transfer to a large platter and keep warm while you do the remaining half of the ingredients .

* Serve immediately .

Hokkaido 3.7 % milk loaf / mini cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto rolls ( using a Tangzhong starter )

I've been eyeing the recipe of this bread for quiet sometime at Christine's Recipes' blog . Months ago , I kept checking out the local library's online catalogue whether there's a listing of the popular book by Yvonne Chen . Nothing then but when I checked again last week , there are more than 10 copies of the book !  

Sadly , no bilingual edition of 65° Bread Doctor , so I had to check Christine's blog for reference .

This bread is really popular to all bread loving bloggers since the book came out years ago .

With soft and fluffy texture , bread that will stay soft for days - this bread owes its texture and height to the method called Tangzhong . Well , the name of the bread itself comes from Hokkaido milk , one of the ingredients in making this bread . Hey , any milk will do !

I was quiet hesitant at first to try this recipe since the dough is quiet wet . I'm only using elbow grease when making breads , so I use my tried and tested method to combat the sticky dough .

Last time , I went to buy a loaf of bread in one of the bakeries here and saw Hokkaido 3.6 % milk loaf . The percentage is a reference to the fat content of the milk , the higher the percentage the creamier the milk is . Most whole milk has 3.6 %  fat content .

I seldom buy UHT milk produced in Japan since it cost double than the ones we have here in Hongkong . But when I saw the loaf bread from that bakery , I immediately check the newly-opened Japanese supermarket near us to check their milk products .

Yup , I've seen 3.6 % milk but there's 3.7 % milk as well .

Have you baked bread lately ?

You gonna ask , what the heck is Tangzhong ? For those who bake bread from time to time , I'm sure you already know what it is . For the uninitiated , Tangzhong is basically a flour and water cooked together to form a paste or roux . This mixture is to be added to the main dough , the same way you use a sponge or  a starter . According to Yvonne Chen the author of Bread Doctor book ( from what I've read at Christine's blog )  , this technique is the secret of those soft and fluffy Japanese bread . Mind you , I haven't tried any authentic Japanese bread yet but if this milk bread is any indication , I'm all for it lol

The recipe makes two 8 x 4-inch loaves but I made the other half into mini rolls

Oh , my secret to combat a very sticky dough especially when kneading manually ? Using some whole wheat flour  , not a secret , mind , but it works for me .

Recipe adapted from 65° Bread Doctor by Yvonne Chen with reference from Christinesrecipes.com

Tangzhong :: In a small saucepan , put 1/3 cup / 50 grams of bread flour and gradually pour 250 ml water , stir until flour is thoroughly absorbed . Turn on heat and cook over medium heat , stirring constantly , until mixture thickens . Once you noticed some lines appears in the mixture as you stir it , that's your Tangzhong or use a thermometer , when it registers 65°C , it's done . Let cool before using .

Main dough :

540 grams bread flour I used 400 grams bread flour plus 140 whole wheat flour 
86 grams caster sugar
8 grams salt I used 5 grams 
9 grams milk powder I've forgotten to add this 
11 grams instant yeast
49 grams unsalted butter , melted
86 grams whisked egg
59 grams whipping cream omitted this 
54 grams milk I used 113 grams UHT Hokkaido milk , scalded
184 grams Tangzhong

beaten egg , to glaze

Filling for mini rolls :

about 5 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
150 grams gouda cheese , crumbled
about 10 grams coriander leaves , snipped

* In a large bowl , combine the first 5 ingredients , use a whisk and mix thoroughly . . Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour the remaining ingredients . Use a wooden spoon or your stir with your hands until it forms a cohesive dough . Transfer dough to the work surface , knead until smooth and elastic , at least 15 minutes . Put dough into a lightly oiled bowl , turning once to coat and cover tightly with plastic wrap . Let rise for at least an hour or so , depending on the warmth of your kitchen , until tripled in size .

* Tip in dough onto the work surface , knead for few seconds and divide into portions  , cover and let rest for 15 minutes . My final dough is 1040 grams , 530 grams for the loaf bread and 510 grams for the mini rolls . 

For the loaf : Divide dough into 2 portion , 265 grams each , with a rolling pin , shape one portion into a long rectangle shape , on the long side , fold about 1/3 of the dough from the top edge to the middle then fold 1/3 from the bottom edge to the middle and seal and using a rolling pin roll to flatten dough and shape into a spiral , place into a lightly greased 8 x 4-inch loaf tin . Repeat  with the remaining dough . Cover loaf tin with a plastic wrap and let rise again for at least an hour or until it reaches 80% of the pan .

* Meanwhile , preheat over at 180°C .

For the mini rolls : Divide dough into 2 portion , with a rolling pin , roll out to a 12 x 7-inch ( rough estimate ) rectangle , spread some pesto , top with cheese and coriander . Starting from the bottom , roll dough into spiral and seal the edges . Cut into 11 or 12 portions . Place rolls into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch pan , cover with plastic wrap and continue with the remaining dough . Let rise until double in size . Makes 22 ( about 2-inch each ) minis 

* Bake loaf for 35 minutes and the minis for 25 minutes .

* Serve warm or at room temperature .