Cloud Eggs

Cloud Egg

Cloud eggs is the new kale/black or whatever the new trend is. So I had to try it. Normally I'm not a big fa of baked eggs. The rubbery texture of baked eggs do not agree with me. So the fluffiness of the cloud eggs could be the solution for a baked egg in my world. Plus adding cheese and ham to the egg, makes it a home run in my book.

Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, divided in yolks and whites
• ½ cup (1 dl) grated parmesan
• 4 thinly slices of ham, diced
• chives
• salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450℉ (230℃) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

When I divide the eggs, I place each yolk in its own little prep bowl, making it easier to place the yolks on their own little cloud.

Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks. Gently fold in cheese, ham, and season with a little bit salt and pepper. 

Place the 4 mounds of the egg whites, making the mounds so they look like little nests (clouds), with an indentation in the center.

Bake for 3 minutes, and remove from oven. 

Carefully place a yolk in each cloud, sprinkle with a little pepper. Bake for another 3 minutes, until the yolks are just about to set.

Serve immediately with a sprinkle of chives on top.

Enjoy!

Homemade Sandwich Bread

Homemade Sandwich Bread

I have missed a great sandwich bread. One with seeds, and some bite to it. Most sandwich bread in stores around here are plain white bread, not worth the calories. 
With all my baking experience, I should have taken the regular bread I bake, into a loaf pan. But apparently I needed another Dane to make this connection for me. Thank you very much Charlotte.

Makes 1 loaf.

Ingredients:

• 500 ml lukewarm water

• 5 g yeast (1 teaspoon dry yeast)

• 50 g flaxseeds

• 50 g rolled oats

• 70 g sunflower seeds

• 3 teaspoons salt

• 100 g whole wheat flour

• 425 g all-purpose flour

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, the dough should be on the wetter side. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 4-6 hours. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold the dough into it self and shape a loaf. Place the loaf in a greased dish, sprinkle with flour and let it raise covered for another 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 500℉ (250℃), with your loaf pan inside.

Gently pour the dough into the hot loaf pan, put a lid (made of foil) on the pan, and bake the loaf covered for about 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and bake the bread for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Let the loaf cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy!

Crispy Baguettes

Normally I buy baguettes if I need them. But why not bake them myself? When I have a passion for bread baking, I need a good baguette recipe. And here it is. Not a classic white baguette, but with a little addition of whole wheat and rye for extra flavor. It turnt out to be fantastic. 

Getting the perfect crust on bread is a science. But I think I cracked the code. Steam we need steam, and folding the baguettes and you will get the perfect perfect oven spring and crust.

Makes 3.

Ingredients:

• 30 g live yeast (3 teaspoons dry yeast)
• 420 ml water, lukewarm 
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
• 50 g whole wheat flour
• 50 g dark rye flour
• 450 g all-purpose flour

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add flours and salt, and knead the dough for about 8 minutes. 

Let the dough rise covered in room temperature for about 1½ hours.

Divide the dough into 3. Fold the dough into it self and shape it to a ball, building up the surface tension. Place the ball smooth surface down on a flour dusted surface. Let the dough rest covered for 10-15 minutes.

Fold it a third over and seal the edge with a light press with the lower palm. Flatten again. Fold the other edge over and seal again.

Repeat this. Turn the seal downwards. Gently roll the baguette from the center and out. Tempering the ends a bit. 

Place baguette on a parchment paper lined baking sheet or on a baguette baking sheet.

Let the baguette rise for another 20 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 450℉ (230 ℃). Place a old baking sheet on the lower rack in the oven.

Make 3 diagonal slashes in each baguette with a wafer or a sharp knife.

Bake the baguettes in the middle of the oven.

Splash about ¼ cup of water in old baking sheet, and close the oven quickly. You need the steam to get the best oven spring and crust. 

Bake the baguettes for about 15-18 minutes, until golden.

Let the baguettes cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Overnight Oatmeal

Overnight Oatmeal

I have been wanting to make this for the longest time. Why it has taken me so long, I do not know. This is an easy, delicious, and healthy breakfast, to just grab and go in the morning. So, so much better than classic warm oatmeal. The overnight oatmeal will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The longer it sit, the more soggy it will become. I always make overnight oats for 2 days. 

You can change this up in so many ways. Overnight Oats pretty much have no rules, you can use whatever you like. But as a rule of thumb use twice as much liquid as oats. If you do not add any thickening seeds like chia or flax seed, use a little less liquid.

Liquid: You can use pretty much any kind of milk you prefer, but if you use a sweetened milk, you might have to skip adding any additional sweetener. For a tangier flavor you can use or add buttermilk or thinned yogurt. 

Seeds: I personally like flax seeds in my overnight oats, but you can use chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or again use your favorite seeds.

Sweeteners & spices: I use brown sugar in my overnight oats but feel free to use maple syrup, honey or whatever you like. Spices give you more flavor options. Use vanilla, cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa or cardamom or keep it plain and simple.                                                                                   

Toppings: I like to have fresh berries or fruit and chopped nuts as topping. But yet again it's all up to you. By adding cocoa nibs you get good texture and a chocolaty flavor for a new twist.

Makes 1 portion.

Ingredients:

Oatmeal:

• ½ cup (45 g) old-fashioned oats

• 1 cup (240 ml) milk

• 2 tablespoons seeds (like flax, chia, pumpkin, sunflower)

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 pinch salt

• 1 pinch lemon zest

Topping:

• chopped almonds and pistachios

• mixed berries and/or fruit.

• a drizzle of honey

Directions:

Mix the ingredients for the oatmeal in a maison jar or another sealable container, stir it well. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. 

Stir the oatmeal, heat it or not, and add the toppings of your linking. 

Enjoy!

Overnight Bread

Overnight Bread

Bread will always be my kryptonite. After a long pause in my bread baking, I started up again with this simple overnight bread. 

Great tasting bread with a good crispy crust. An easier take on a sourdough bread, when you don't have time to bake a Basic Country bread a la Tartine. 

Makes 2 small round loafs.

Ingredients:

• 150 g whole wheat flour
• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 500 ml water
• 5 g live yeast (about ½ teaspoon dry yeast)
• 50 ml sourdough (leaven)
• 15 g salt

Directions:

Leaven:

Feed your sourdough or leaven the night(about 8-10 hours) before you want to start making the dough. 

To test leaven's readiness, drop a spoonful into a bowl of room-temperature water. If it sinks, it is not ready and needs more time to ferment and ripen. If it floats, it's ready to use. As it develops, the smell will change from ripe and sour to sweet and pleasantly fermented.

Bread:

Mix water, yeast, sourdough and whole wheat flour in a stand mixer. Add all-purpose flour and salt, and knead the dough for 10-12 minutes, to build up the gluten in the dough.

Grease a dough-rising bucket  with a thin coat of olive oil. Let the dough rise in the prepared bucket, lid on, for about 90 minutes at room temperature. Place the dough overnight in the refrigerator.

Next take out the dough, and pour the dough on a non-floured kitchen table, divide the dough in 2 and shape them into rounds.

Line 2 baskets with clean kitchen towels, generously dusted with flour. Transfer each round to a basket, smooth side down and let to rest, covered, at room temperature, about 1 hour before baking. Meanwhile preheat oven with the dutch oven to 500℉ (260℃).

Gently flip one bread into heated dutch/french oven. Score top twice using a razor blade matfer lame. Cover with lid. Return to oven, and reduce oven temperature to 450℉(235℃). Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove lid and continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Transfer loaf to a wire rack, and let it cool completely.

To bake the second loaf, raise oven temperature to 500℉ (260℃), wipe out dutch/french oven with a dry kitchen towel, and reheat with lid for 10 minutes. Repeat the bake.

Enjoy!