400 grams all-purpose flour

100 grams granulated sugar

130 ml lukewarm milk

1 egg

70 grams butter

7 grams dried yeast

1 pinch of salt

Tang Zhong

125 gr water

25 grams strong flour

The Tang Zhong grants softer and fluffier bread for a few days. At 68°C, the gluten in the bread flour and water mixture would cook a little and absorb the moisture, become lighter and leavened. When you add the Tang Zhong into the other ingredients it will help leavening and produce a bread you will not believe.

To make the Thang Zhong: in a small saucepan whisk the water into the flour and mix well until smooth.

Put on fire medium-low heat and keep on stirring, after a couple of minutes the mixture will thicken. (the right temperature should be 68°C). Never bring to a boil, as soon as it reaches the consistency you see in the picture, retain from fire, put in a container, cover with cling film (as it dries), and let cool down at room temperature.

In a container (or in your food processor), put all dry ingredients.

In another container add the tang zhong, the milk and the egg and mix well. Add this to the dry mixture.

Start kneading. When the dough is starting to get together, add the melted butter (lukewarm).

Knead for at least 10/15 minutes.

Start now with the first proofing, in a warm place, for 45/50 minutes into a container (i twill double it size).

Coat with butter and flour a tin.

Break the first proofing and put the dough into the tin, start the 2nd proofing for 1,5 hours.

Bake for 30 minutes at 180° C.

400 all purpose ‘strong’ flour

200 gr milk

water 50 gr

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp dry yeast

a pinch of salt

half tsp baking soda

30 gr vegetable oil

Note: Use corn flour (polenta) to roll out the dough.

Put all dry ingredients in a container and mix.

Warm the milk, the water and the vegetable oil in a microwave oven for 30 seconds. Add to the dry ingredients mixture above.

Knead well for at least 10 minutes, or until the dough is soft (if it is too hard, make your hands wet with water and continue kneading).

Let rise for 2 hours covered with a wet cloth.

Knead again and roll out the dough about 1 cm thick. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter of 8-9 cm diameter.

Let rise again in a warm place for 1 hour. Cook muffins on griddle for 7/8 minutes per side.

Before serving, split and toast them. English muffins are great with butter and jam. You can deep-freeze them (they will be good for 2 months).

Bread

500 gr farina (bianca, integrale o per pane nero) / 500 gr. flour (white or wholemeal)

1 bustina lievito secco per pane / 7 gr. dry yeast

3 cucchiai di olio / 3 tablespoons olive oil

300 gr di acqua tiepida / 300 gr warm water

1 cucchiaino di zucchero / 1 teaspoon of sugar

Sale / salt

Altra farina per il tavolo / Some more flour for the table

Mettere in un recipiente la farina con il lievito secco, il sale, 1 cucchiaino di zucchero, unire l’olio, e versa l’acqua tiepida. Impastare rapidamente e amalgamare tutto. La consistenza deve essere molto soffice e umida. Mettere nel recipiente e far riposare una mezz’ora in luogo tiepido.

In a container put all ingredients together. Add the water and mix well. You will obtain a dough very soft and quite humid. Put it back into the container, cover with a dishcloth and store in a warm place for 30 minutes. It will double its size. 

Rompere la prima lievitazione reimpastando nuovamente e a questo punto mettere nello stampo (uno grande da plum cake), ben oliato.

Break the first leavening by mixing the dough again. Put into the mould (a big one for plum-cake is good), greased with olive oil.

Fare lievitare per un 2 o 3 ore in luogo tiepido finché non raddoppia e oltre.

Let rise again for 2 or 3 hours until it doubles (or even more) its size.

Infornare a 200° per circa mezz’ora. Estrarre dallo stampo e finire la cottura direttamente sulla griglia per altri 8/10 minuti.

Put into the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. turn out from the mould and finish the cooking for other 8-10 minutes.