Crusty Pandesal

hamdesal, ham and egg sandwich on crusty but soft pandesal

sausage Mcpandesal with egg and cheese

The recipe for these crusty but soft pandesal buns is adapted from the hamburger bun recipe in ADVANCED BREAD AND PASTRY by Michel Suas. It has a 12-hour pre-ferment which I thought would make the pandesal more flavorful. And they are specially with brown sugar glazed ham and moist omelet or breakfast sausage patties, egg, and a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.

Crusty Pandesal
adapted from Hamburger Buns
ADVANCED BREAD AND PASTRY by Michel Suas

sponge
4½ ounces bread flour
2 ¾ ounces water
1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature (65 to 70°F) for 12 hours.

final dough
13 ¼ ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
8 ½ ounces water
1 1/8 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ ounces soft butter
¼ cup milk powder
sponge
very fine bread crumbs

• In the bowl of a standing mixer with the dough hook attachment, mix all the ingredients except bread crumbs on low until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 5 to 6 minutes until a soft smooth dough forms.
  
• Transfer into a container, cover with plastic wrap and let ferment on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  
• Knead lightly then divide and scale to 2 ounces. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Shape into ovals and flatten slightly. Dredge in bread crumbs and place on sheet pans 2 inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap, put the pans in food grade plastic bags to proof for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  
• Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes, lower the heat to 375°F and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool on wire racks.

Pancake Puffs

yummy and fun to eat yeasted buckwheat mini pancake puffs

This pancake popper pan caught my eye not only because of the shape but also because it's made here in the good old USA by Nordic Ware. It's very rare nowadays to find kitchen tools with a mark that says "Made in the USA". While at the store trying to justify buying another cooking pan that might end up in the cupboard unused, I remembered the teeny buckwheat Dutch pancake puffs (poffertjes), the similar but slightly larger Danish apple pancake puffs (aebleskiver), and the Japanese octopus balls. Plus, I thought I could probably use it to fry perfectly round meatballs too. And so it went into my shopping cart.*Sigh*

Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancake Puffs)
1 cup bread flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
1½ teaspoons instant yeast
½ teaspoon kosher salt
10 ounces warm whole milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
powdered sugar
butter

• Whisk together the flours in a large bowl. Add the yeast and salt and stir to mix. Add the milk slowly, stirring constantly, then add the syrup and beaten egg. Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on kitchen counter to rise for 45 minutes.
• Heat poffertjes pan if you have one, or a skillet or griddle and brush with melted butter. Pour half a tablespoon, or 1 tablespoon for bigger cakes, of the batter and cook until the poffertjes become light brown and dry at the bottom. Turn them with a small fork to cook the other side (I used a tool for making/dipping chocolate candies).
• Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and put a small lump of butter on top. Enjoy while still warm.
  

Aebleskiver

slightly larger apple filled Danish pancake puffs

2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter
powdered sugar
diced apple

• Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy, then add the sugar and salt.
• Sift the flour with baking powder and baking soda, then add it to the egg mixture, alternating small amounts with the addition of the buttermilk, as you continue mixing.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold them into the batter.
• Heat the pancake popper pan. Brus each cavity with melted butter and drop batter into cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Place some apple in the center of each cavity.
  
• Cook over medium heat until browned and crisp on bottom. Turn each cake with a fork to cook the other side. The aebleskiver is done when a toothpick, or cake tester, inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove cakes from pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Best when served warm.