Discover the Joy of Baking
Dumping three ingredients into a mug and popping them in the microwave for a quick-fix sweet treat is undeniably satisfying – but they don’t match the gourmet goodness of a classic recipe, leavened to perfection in the oven. If you’ve finally hit that patch of adulthood where those ‘5-minute’, ‘2-ingredient’, ‘no-bake’ fixes have finally stopped hitting the spot, this World Baking Day, kickstart your baking journey with these deceptively easy gourmet bites. These are simple and delicious enough to turn you into a bona fide home baker – so proceed at your own risk!
Flan: For if You Want to Start Fancy
Flan is a delightful dessert that brings a touch of elegance to any table. Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp corn syrup (or 1 tsp lemon juice)
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 large eggs
- 1.5 cups whole milk
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 tsp orange (or lemon) zest
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- A dash of vanilla essence
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 165°C.
- Caramelize the sugar, corn syrup and water. Immediately pour into a shallow flan mold – a run of the mill cake mould will do too.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, condensed milk, zest, cinnamon and vanilla essence until well combined.
- Pour over caramel. Set the cake mould in a larger baking tray and fill with boiling hot water, half way up to the mould.
- Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the flan.
- Cool in the water bath, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- To serve, run a butter knife around the edge of the mould and carefully invert on to a serving plate. A plate with even slightly upturned edges is recommended so as to catch the rolling caramel and not make a mess.
Focaccia: For Your Savoury Tooth
Focaccia is a perfect choice for those with a savoury tooth. Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 to 3 tsps salt
- 2 tsps instant yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water (combine 1/2 cup boiling water with 1/5 cups cold water for the perfect temperature)
- Butter for greasing
- 4 tbsps olive oil, divided
- Flaky sea salt to taste
- 1 to 2tsps dried rosemary for seasoning (optional)
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl, and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Rub the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator immediately for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Do not skimp on the olive oil here, the dough will dry out, so be generous.
- Line two baking trays with parchment paper or grease with butter. This step is necessary despite there being enough oil on the proofing dough itself – do not skip.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and use two forks to deflate and unstick from the edges of the bowl. Also use the forks to divide dough into 2 equal parts.
- Add a tablespoon of oil onto the pan and drop dough in the middle. Roll around in the oil and let it rest for 3 to 4 hours again at room temperature. Use this time to preheat oven at 218°C. Sprinkle the rosemary over the dough and use fingers to stretch it out. Keep them straight and simply push into the dough as you spread it out on the pan to create those dimples. This is more of an intuitive step.
- Transfer the pans or pan to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- Remove the pans from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting in.
Butter Cake: For an Everyday Treat
Butter cake is a classic treat that never goes out of style. Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients
- 250 gms softened, unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.25 cups white sugar (castor sugar preferred but not necessary)
- 4 to 5 eggs
- 2 tsps vanilla extract (lesser if using vanilla essence)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1/3 cup milk, room temperature
Method
- Butter a square pan and preheat oven to 165°C.
- Beat the butter and salt together till creamy. Add the sugar and whip again. The mixture should turn pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat again.
- Separately, crack the eggs and mix in one by one into the butter-sugar mix.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together and add in 3 to 4 parts. After every addition of the flour mixture to the butter mix, follow with a singular splash of the milk. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with each set of additions.
- Make sure there are no flour lumps before transferring the mixture to the cake pan. Kock the pan against the kitchen counter to remove any trapped air bubbles.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Rotate the pan once, halfway through baking.
- Once done baking, remove the pan and let it cool down for 5 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before servings. This keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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