Stay at home with homemade bread and a healthy cup of Arissto coffee

Sunrises are the best; enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with loved ones because this day is yours.

A bad day will always have a good day, hope all your worries are gone and everything you wish could find a place. 

Nothing is in your hand except your Karma. Do good without any hope and desire.

Have a wonderful day ahead!🌹🌹🌹

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How to make Purple Sweet Potato Chinese Steamed Buns/Mantou (馒头) which are pillowy soft, fluffy and has a sweet aroma of sweet potato

Mantou (馒头) or Chinese Steamed Buns is a type of steamed bread which is popular in Northern China.

There are many variations of mantous be it plain, sweet or savory. You can even try out my steamed scallion flower bun.

Steamed Scallion Flower Buns

For this post, I am sharing with you a sweet purple coloured mantou. Don't worry, this is a natural purple colour from purple sweet potato.

This recipe is adapted from Boon's Secret Recipe 2 under 'My Wife's Signature Pumpkin Mantou'. I substituted the pumpkin with purple sweet potato as I happened to have it. 

Well, overall, this mantou is pillowy soft and very delicious.

Purple Sweet Potato Mantou
Recipe adapted from Boon's Secret Recipe 2 with minor modification

For those who are interested in simple and easy budget meals, local kuih-muih, desserts and snacks, you should get all his 3 series which come in handy whenever you want a comfort and warm meal for your family.  I have no regrets adding these 3 series to my existing cookbook collection.

Ingredients A:
- 500g purple sweet potato (pared off the skin and cut into small pieces)
- 480ml water (keep this water after boiling it with potato)
- some pandan leaves
Ingredients B :
- Sweet potato water from ingredients A
- 250g caster sugar
- 1 kg all purpose flour
- 1 sachet dried yeast
- 3 tbsp softened butter

Method for ingredients A - mashed purple sweet potato :-

1) Boil ingredients A over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and discard pandan leaves. Keep the sweet potato water (for ingredients B).

2) Remove sweet potato into a basin or big bowl and mash it.

Method for ingredients B dough - (please take note I used bread machine):-

1) Put in mashed sweet potato and all the ingredient B except butter as per your bread machine instruction.

2) Press dough function and let it knead.

3) When the dough is smooth, add in butter and continue the kneading process.

4) Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

5) Take out the dough and lightly hand knead it. Divide the dough into pieces according to your preferred size.

6) Roll and shape the dough any shape you like. I shaped it into buns.

7) Place the shaped buns on a greaseproof paper and let it rest for 15 minutes.

8) Steam over rapid boiling water over high heat for 13 minutes.
9) Serve warm.

Serve warm for breakfast or tea 

These mantous have sweet aroma of sweet potato 

This is recipe is a keeper. Try it and you will know what I mean. 

Note :
1) If dough is too dry, add a bit of water or if too wet, sprinkle some flour onto the dough.
2) You can freeze the steamed buns and re-steam the frozen buns (about 3 minutes) whenever you crave for it.

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Sorry to inform that for the time being, I have disabled comment box as I won't be able to return visit to my fellow bloggers who are kind enough to drop me a line or two. The comment box will be enabled when I am not so tied up with my work schedule. However, you may contact me by leaving your message or comment at SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING FACEBOOK. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a nice day :) 

An impromptu add-ins enhances the flavor of this fluffy and cottony soft bread

This fluffy bread is the result of my impromptu add-ins.

Hi all, finally I am back to my blogging world and hope everyone is fine out there.  Today I am going to share with you an impromptu bread recipe which turned out to be very fluffy and cottony soft. 

While my bread machine was about to mix the necessary ingredients for a basic loaf bread dough, suddenly it came across my mind that I still had a sample sachet of instant coco mix drink in my pantry.  No one in my family seems to be interested in this drink. Why let it go to waste, right?  So, I just tore open the sachet and added it into the bread machine pan which was kneading the dough away.  Then, at the spur-of-the-moment, my mind told me to add some sunflower seeds too!  So, down it went into the kneading pan! Later, while shaping the bread, I told myself why not shape it into buns instead of a loaf!!  So, from loaf to buns.  After shaping the buns, I had this urge to top the bread with some sesame seeds!!! My mind was especially 'creative' on that day!!!  

Finally, this is the result of my impromptu bread : from basic white loaf to Chocolate Sesame Sunflower Seeds Buns!  Not bad eh...  

So, here's the proper recipe of the so-called impromptu Chocolate Sesame Sunflower Seeds Buns.

Ingredients (A) :
- 330 high protein flour
- 1.5 tbsp milk powder
-1/2 tsp salt
- 60g caster sugar
- 1 sachet of instant coco mixed drink of any brand

- some sunflower seeds 

Ingredient (B) :
- 1 egg (grade B)

Ingredients (C) : Mixed together
- 120ml water
- 10g instant yeast

Ingredient (D) :
- 40g butter

Glazing :
-1 egg (beaten)
Topping :
- some sesame seeds

Method :
1) Combine ingredients A together in a mixer except the sunflower seeds. Slightly blend it before adding ingredients B and C.

2) Beat approximately 5 minutes to form a dough.  Add in sunflower seeds.

3) Add butter and continue to beat until the dough is smooth. To check whether the dough is fully developed, stretch a small piece with your fingers to see if it can be stretched into thin layer without tearing it. If it does not stretch, continue beating again until it passes the stretch.

4) Remove dough and leave it in a big bowl, cover with a piece of damp cloth. Leave bowl in a warm place and proof dough for about 30-40 minutes till doubled in size.

1-4) I used bread machine to knead the dough. Just put the ingredients as per your machine instructions and let it proof. After the 1st proofing, take the dough out from the machine.

5) Divide the dough into 6 or 8 (your preference) equal portions . Shape them into small balls and let them rest for 5 minutes.

6) Flatten and roll each ball of dough into oblong shape. Repeat the same method with the rest of the dough.

7) Place them on a greased baking tray or lined with baking paper. Allow them to rise for another 1 hr or until doubled in size.

8) Once they are doubled in size, glaze with egg wash and sprinkle top with some sesame seeds.

9) Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 12-15 minutes (or until golden brown) depending on individual's oven. So, do adjust the temperature and timing accordingly.

10) Remove and cool on wire rack.

See how fluffy it is...........

Very rich in chocolate flavor too...

nutty and cottony soft as well....

This impromptu added ingredients recipe is a keeper

Hope you like this recipe and have a great week ahead !

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Sorry to inform that for the time being, I have disabled comment box as I won't be able to return visit to my fellow bloggers who are kind enough to drop me a line or two. The comment box will be enabled when I am not so tied up with my work schedule. However, you may contact me by leaving your message or comment at SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING FACEBOOK. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a nice day :) 

Soft and Fluffy Healthy Wheat Bran Oat Bread

This soft and fluffy wheat bran oat loaf is another one of my new creations which my family quite enjoy it.  To those who have yet to try making your very own homemade bread, I can tell you that it's super easy especially when you use bread machine and understand your basic dough.  Once you have mastered the technique of bread making, there's no turning back!  From there, you can experiment and try something new that suits your family taste buds. What I usually do is to do some minor adjustment or variations and experimenting with flour, water and adding family's favorite ingredients.

This wheat bran oat bread is based on my previous Raisins Oat Bread and I am glad that this experiment is quite a success.  It's soft, light and fluffy, has a good amount of fiber and delicious!  

Now let me show you how easy it is to have your very own homemade bread which is healthy and enjoyed by your family.  

Healthy Wheat Bran Oat Bread

Ingredients for 2 loaves

- 290ml water

- 5tbsp wheat bran

- 5tbsp rolled oat 

- 4.5tbsp sugar

- 1.5tsp Himalayan salt

- 3tbsp olive oil

- 350gm unbleached wheat flour (all-purpose flour)

- 150gm unbleached bread flour (high protein flour)

- 5 tbsp milk powder

- 1.5tsp tsp instant yeast

- 1.5tbsp softened butter (add in when smooth dough is formed)

Method :

1)  Put all measured ingredients except butter in the bread machine pan in accordance to the above sequence or in the order recommended by the bread machine manual .

2)  Select dough if you are baking the bread in the oven.  (I used dough method function).  Otherwise, select basic white bread.  Please take note different machine has different functions.

3)  Add 1.5 tbsp softened butter when smooth dough is formed but kneading is still in the process.

4)  Remove dough from bread pan when you hear beeping sound.

5)  Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin into an oval shape.  Then, roll from the top to the bottom. Flatten and roll again into oblong shape.  Pinch the seals at both ends and bottom.

6)  Place the shaped dough into greased and lightly floured loaf pan.  Cover with damp cloth and let it proof for another 1 hour or more for a second time proofing.

7)  Once they are doubled in size, bake in a preheated oven at 170°C - 180°C for about 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown; depending on individual's oven.  Do adjust the temperature and timing accordingly.

8)  Remove and cool on wire rack.

Isn't this wheat bran oat bread is better than the commercial wholemeal bread and all white bread ?

It has higher content of fiber than some of the standard commercial bread and best of all, it's without any preservative!!

The texture suits us perfectly; it's a bit chewy, light, soft and fluffy

The texture and flavor suits our taste buds too

This healthy bread recipe is a keeper and should you have any doubts, you can leave your message at  simply beautiful and healthy living Facebook page and I will try my best to assist you in your homemade bread making.

~Happy bread making and have a fabulous week ahead~

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To receive new updates, do LIKE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING FACEBOOK. Sorry to inform that for the time being, I have disabled comment box as I won't be able to return visit to my fellow bloggers who are kind enough to drop me a line or two. The comment box will be enabled when I am not so tied up with my work schedule. However, you may contact me by leaving message at SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING FACEBOOK. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a nice day :)