A challenging weekend part 1

This weekend my Husband and I challenged ourselves by baking and cooking 2 recipes at the same time. These are pandesal and a steamed pork bun (siopao) which we have been craving for weeks. We've decided to take these up as both recipes involve the same base ingredients and procedures [mixing-kneading-rising-cutting] in the preparation of the dough.

We were banking on my new KitchenAid (KA) for this experiment and also wanted to test a few items like:
(1) the Mayer representative said that the stand mixer model I have can knead dough at max speed of 4.
(2) bread making efficiency as we'll have the KA to do the heavy lifting (kneading) for us.

We started the experiment Friday night. We've used between 1-2 speed for both the mixing and the kneading process. Mixing involved using the paddle attachment while the C hook was used for the kneading. We then left the dough to rise overnight inside the fridge.

The next morning, we punched the air from the dough and sliced them into pandesal buns. They were left to rise for a few minutes before they were put in the oven for baking. I let it bake in the oven a tad bit longer for a crunchy bite. And they turned out to be beautiful! The pandesal buns were so soft inside and there was consistency (no gaping holes and perfectly dense). Our breakfast was perfect. The pandesal hot from the oven paired with mocha coffee. Delish! We went nuts over pandesal and had them together with cheezewhiz, nutella and cheezewhiz-pesto spreads. It felt like we were having breakfast home  (PH). The pandesal were so perfect that the excess pandesal we stored (air tight container) still remained their texture the following day. Pandesal making is so easy breezy and so simple thanks to all the hard work done by the KA.

Pandesal Recipe
adapted from Panlasangpinoy and Pinay in Texas Cooking

• 2 envelopes active dry yeast (0.25 oz)
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar (for activating the yeast)
• 4 cups bread flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• ¾ cup bread crumbs
• about ¾ cup all purpose flour for dusting

Instructions

1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm milk and stir until the yeast and sugar are fully dissolved
2. In the mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients starting with the flour then the sugar, salt, and baking powder. Use speed #1-2 of your stand mixer using a paddle attachment.
3. Add the egg, butter, cooking oil, and yeast-sugar-milk mixture in the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients then mix again until a dough is formed. 
4. Change the attachment to a C hook and knead dough for 20 minutes at speed number #2.
5. Mold the dough until shape becomes round then put back in the mixing bowl. Cover the mixing bowl with damp cloth and let the dough rise for at least 1 hour
6. Put the dough back to the flat surface and divide into 4 equal parts using a dough slicer
7. Roll each part until it forms a cylindrical shape
8. Slice the cylindrical dough diagonally for the buns.
9. Roll the buns over the breadcrumbs and place in a baking tray with wax paper (makes sure to provide gaps between dough as this will rise later on)
10. Leave the buns with breadcrumbs in the tray for another 10 to 15 minutes to rise
11. Pre heat the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes
12. Put the tray with dough in the oven and bake for 15 minutes
13. Turn off the oven and remove the freshly baked pandesal.
14. Serve hot. Share and enjoy!

 to be continued...