The Writers

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

The past week's mantra was rest and easy because I wanted to press a pause button before the working life begins. It took me a while to unwind myself from the events that happened within the last 3 months. I remember breaking down and cried when I was frustrated and feeling discouraged due to the challenges faced. I was afraid for not possessing enthusiasm for a career in food industry. These emotions were kept raw in my journal, and as hard as they once seemed, I have overcame them.

I tried not to bother my family too much but my boyfriend was the least fortunate who became a victim of this. Nevertheless, he always encourages me to keep my passion alive. He was right about not rushing into workforce just because of the fear of unemployment. 

Thank you for joining me in writing these stories. Thank you for kissing my salted cheeks in the darkest days.

Fougasse

This week's bake is the leaf-shaped French bread known as Fougasse! This is the perfect bread for people who love crunchy bread over soft bread like I do because it has relatively higher crust to crumb ratio. When it is fresh, Fougasse is really crispy! I made it walnuts and sesame seeds as I have a handful of them in my kitchen. I would really love to attempt savoury Fougasse next time as I received some lovely dried Oregano I from bb.

The finished product did not have a beautiful appearance because I did not brush my dough with any egg or oil prior to baking (ran out of both materials in the kitchen). Also, the amount of molasses added probably was not sufficient to support caramelization (reaction responsible for the browning of baked products). Nevertheless, I am still happy with it :)

I never expect them to become this big! I am so amazed by the magic of fermentation.

Ingredients (make 3)

High gluten wheat flour 200g (plus more for dusting)

Whole wheat flour 45 g

Instant dreid yeast 3g

Sea salt 5g

Molasses 6g

Unsalted butter 5g

Water 155g

Lightly roasted, crusted walnut 40g

Lightly roasted, roughly ground Black sesame seeds 10g

Crusty Bread

3rd June 2014

When plan does not meet change, it is up to us to define whether it is blessed or otherwise. I did not think like this at the very beginning but at some point, I came to realize that it is a better take for the mind and the heart; it is helpful, perhaps in coming up with new plans.

Tuesday was another that-kind-of-day. My appointment for the day has been postponed and the weather was too cold and wet to go out. I decided to spend the morning baking because I think that's the only physical activity that I'm interested in doing (all the kneading, rolling and cleaning works are no joke!).

I make something simple and healthy for this week because I can hear my arteries protesting for the amount of cheesecakes I've eaten in the past few days (shhh).

These are my crusty breads (think french baguette) with walnuts and black sesame seeds, 30% whole wheat. I made them in different shapes because I wanted each of them to be uniquely handcrafted. 

The cuts were made with a conventional knife because I don't own a scoring blade yet, I can only adore the beautiful cuts on artisan breads at the moment hehe. I increased the proportion of whole wheat flour to high gluten wheat flour in the recipe of walnut and cranberry bread. They turned out fine to my personal liking!

Ingredients (make 4)

170 g milk

180 g high gluten wheat flour

70 g whole wheat flour

9 g molasses

4 g active yeast

1 g sea salt

13 g butter

30 g walnuts (lightly roasted)

10 g black sesame seeds (lightly roasted)

Happy baking! 

I shared some of the fresh breads with my neighbor and the rest were my breakfast for three days :) The reason why I embrace cooking is that it is a simple and practical way to deliver the message of love. By preparing wholesome meals using healthy ingredients, we can nurture and support our love ones with energy they need in pursuing their own goals.