Bacon Loaf and Coffee & Almond Bread Rolls @ ABC Cooking Studio

Bacon Loaf

Judy, Fei and I have signed up for a total of 6 bread and cake-making lessons at ABC Cooking Studio (SWFC branch) so we were there before Christmas to make a Bacon Loaf and Coffee & Almond Bread Rolls. We have been having the same instructor from the last session whom we are pretty fond of, for she's an expat housewife like us (Taiwanese married to a Malaysian) only she has no kids so she had loads of time to kill. Otherwise I suppose one wouldn't want to work for peanuts.

Coffee and almond rolls

I realise that the members of my family prefer savoury breads to the sweet ones. The kids still rave about the bacon loaf and ham rolls, but refused to touch the coffee ones. I am unfortunately not much capable of sitting through the proofing periods required for making bread, so they haven't been seeing much of it at home.

The proofing and baking ovens at ABC cooking studio

We are still left with 2 cake-making sessions and should be going for them in March, in between mosaic and Chinese calligraphy workshops.

Bacon Loaf :

A

125g high gluten bread flour

1½ tsp dried yeast

1 tbsp sugar

165ml water

B

125g high gluten bread flour

⅔ tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

C

1 tsp dried basil leaves

⅓ tsp garlic powder

Garnishing

2 tbsp parmesan cheese (grated)

2 bacon slices

Method :

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Combine ingredients A in a bowl taking care to place the yeast next to the sugar.

Combine ingredients B in another bowl.

Our Taiwanese instructor and my 2 neighbours

Combine doughs A and B. Knead till smooth. Roll the dough into a rectangle.

Sprinkle ingredients C onto it and roll it into a log bottom up. Fold the log into 2 and knead it to mix everything well together.

Form a ball, cover with clingwrap and proof in a warm environment (e.g. 41°C) for 25 minutes.

Poke a floured finger into the middle of the dough. It should come out clean. Gently punch the dough 3 times to remove the air in it, form it into a ball, cover with a wet cloth and proof it on the table for 10 minutes.

Using a rolling pin gently press the shape of a cross on the surface of the dough.

Roll out a 24cm by 15cm dough. Garnish with the cheese and bacon. Roll into a log bottom up.

Slice ⅔ of the roll into 2. Holding on to both strips, plait the dough, overlapping each strip alternatively.

Gently put it into a loaf tin. Cover with the wet cloth and proof for 20 minutes.

Bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes.

If planning to store the loaf, let it cool completely first.