HOMEMADE POPPY SEEDS BREAD

Is it ever possible for a person to wake up in the morning with the only idea of baking some bread? Well I don't know if it is, but it happened to me!

I was dreaming of  nice, fragrant bread, just popped out of the oven, with a gorgeous crunchy crust and a soft inside; so soon after my breakfast I found myself kneading with all my energy.

It isn't "just" bread, because I sprinkled some poppy seeds into the dough to make it even crunchier and to add a touch of romantic femininity and because I used no ordinary flour but Molino Manitoba flour which is indeed of a superior quality!

Ingredients

1 kg of Manitoba flour

400 ml of milk

300 ml of water

25 g of brewer's yeast

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of poppy seeds

Pour flour into a large salad bowl and, little by little crumble the yeast in with your fingertips.

Add milk, water, oil, sugar, salt and mix well.
Finally work the poppy seeds in, kneading the dough quite quickly.

Form a ball, cover it with clingfilm and let it stand for 10 hours at room temperature.

Then take your dough and knead it in order to obtain few loaves, about 4 or 6, depending on the size you want to get.
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Lay the loaves on a baking tray covered with baking paper and cook  for about 40 minutes.

RAIMBOW CAKE

Sometimes kids ask for unusual stuff, but now and then their requests can be really inspiring.
My three years old daughter Isabella asked for a supercoloured cake with loads of pink in it; well, few days ago I baked something similar to her description and despite the genetically-modified look it was delicious!
It can be a great idea for children birthday parties or even for halloween if you just pick the right colours...lots of orange and extra dark cocoa powder.
Here's trhe recipe.

200 g plain flour
100 g caster sugar
60 g icing sugar
100 ml sunflower oil
100 ml fresh full fat milk
2 and a half teaspoons of baking powder, about 14 g
food colours

Turn the oven to 180 degrees then butter and flour your tin.
Beat the egg whites with the icing sugar until stiff, apart beat the yolks with the caster sugar and add to the whites very gently. Pour the other ingredients one by one, mix carefully and add the sieved flour at last. Mix again until smooth.
Divide the mixture into 4 or 5 parts (or more if you really want a raimbow effect!) and colour them with food colours.
Pour the coloured mixtures in the tin one by one, put in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes.

NUTELLA AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS MUFFINS

There's nothing better than a muffin for breakfast. And what are the two things that children and grown up most loves? Without a doubt Nutella and chocolate!
Here's the delicious recipe for the muffins I've baked this afternoon. For the very first time I have weighed the ingredients in order to write down the exact quantities required.

240 g of flour
140 g of caster sugar
24 g of baking powder
half a teaspoon of baking soda80 g of dark chocolate chips
200 ml of lukewarm milk

60 g of melted butter    
2 eggs

1 good scoop of Nutella

for the icing

100 g of dark chocolate
120 g of icing sugar
2 tablespoon of water

a handful of chopped hazelnuts to garnish

Turn the oven on to the temperature of 180 degrees.
Put about 14 to 16 muffin cases on an oven tray.
In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and chocolate chips. In another bowl mix well the milk with the eggs, the butter and the scoop of Nutella. Then add the wet mixture to the dry one and blend with a spoon until you get a lumpy batter.
Scoop the batter into the muffin cases and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Take off the oven and allow to cool.
Apart prepare the chocolate icing, this is my way and it always work!
Put the chopped chocolate and the water into a bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, allow to melt then take off the heat, let cool then add the icing sugar and stir carefully.
Spread the icing on the top of the muffins, then sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts on top of the icing and finally...enjoy your creation!

PANCETTA AND PECORINO CHEESE MUFFINS

Savoury muffins: I think they are absolutely gorgeous and mouth-watering. Just the right idea for parties!
I have used pecorino cheese, but don't get frustrated if you can't find it...cheddar would equally do a great job!

for 14 medium muffin cases

dry ingredients:

250 g  flour
50 g of grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
100 g of non smoked diced pancetta ( preferably diced non smoked bacon)
100 g of diced pecorino cheese (not the mature type)

wet ingredients:

200 ml of milk (room temperature)
60 g of melted butter
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Put the muffin cases on a large baking tin.
Put the dry ingredients into a large bowl and the wet ingredients into a jug.
Mix them all together until you get a lumpy but smooth batter.
Using a spoon put the batter into the muffin cases and pop in the oven.
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
Nothing easier and tastier!