Stand-Mixer on charalambous.uk

Arkatena

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Arkatena

overnight poolish, 50 min bake, 165°C, makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

Spiced water (night before)
water 350g
bay leaves 3
black peppercorns 3g
ginger 15g
sugar 4g

Poolish (night before)
chickpea flour 60g
strong white flour 90g
spiced water 200g
fast action yeast 1g

Dough
strong white flour 300g
spiced water 90g
salt 8g
olive oil 30g
ground mahlepi 1g
ground mastic 0.5g
nutmeg 0.5g
fast action yeast 1g

To top
white sesame seeds 20g
black sesame seeds 5g

Recipe

Night before

Bagels

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bagels

55% hydration, 22/25 min bake, 190°C, makes 7

Ingredients

Makes 7

flour 500g
water 275g
salt 10g
yeast 2g

Boiling pot
water half full
honey 1 tbsp
bicarb 1 tbsp

Strong white bread flour only. Barley malt syrup in the pot instead of honey if you can find it.
The bicarb is what gives the crust its colour and chew. Don’t skip it.
Dough water should be lukewarm, around 35°C, to activate the yeast.

Bourekia

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bourekia

Cypriot sweet cheese pastry, makes 25

Ingredients

Makes 25

Dough
plain flour 350g
vegetable oil 50ml
warm water 125ml
salt 5g

Filling
anari 250g
caster sugar 50g
ground cinnamon 3g
rose water 2ml

To finish
vegetable oil for frying
icing sugar to dust

Anari is a fresh Cypriot whey cheese, similar to ricotta. Ricotta is a good substitute but has a wetter texture.
Deep fried, not baked. Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar.

Brioche Buns

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Brioche Buns

16 min bake, 160°C, makes 8

Ingredients

Tangzhong
strong white flour 20g
milk 100g

Dough
strong white flour 400g
caster sugar 40g
fast action yeast 7g
salt 8g
milk 140g
egg 1
unsalted butter 60g

To finish
egg 1
sesame seeds to top

The tangzhong, a cooked flour paste, is what keeps them soft for days.
Warm the milk to lukewarm, not hot.

Brownies

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Brownies

45 min bake, 160°C, 23cm square tin

Butter

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Butter

5–10 min whisk

Buttermilk Pancakes

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Buttermilk Pancakes

fluffy, makes 10, 20 min

Ingredients

plain flour 220g
sugar 2 tbsp
baking powder 2 tsp
bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp
salt 1/2 tsp
buttermilk 400ml
eggs 2
melted butter 45g

The bicarb reacts with the buttermilk for lift, the baking powder adds extra. Don’t skip either.
A good use for the buttermilk from making butter.

Carnitas

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Carnitas

3 hr 30 min, Dutch oven, serves 6

Carrot Cake

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Carrot Cake

25 min bake, 160°C, three 24cm tins, serves 12

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

70 min bake, 140°C, water bath, 23cm springform, serves 12

Ingredients

Base
digestive biscuits 180g
brown sugar 55g
cinnamon 1/2 tsp
unsalted butter 85g

Cinnamon swirl
brown sugar 220g
plain flour 40g
cinnamon 1 tbsp
unsalted butter 75g

Filling
cream cheese 900g
brown sugar 220g
caster sugar 50g
sour cream 120g
eggs 4
vanilla 1 tbsp
salt 1/2 tsp

Frosting
cream cheese 85g
icing sugar 125g
vanilla 1 tsp
double cream 240ml

Full fat cream cheese and sour cream, the low fat ones will not set.
Cream cheese and eggs at room temperature or the batter goes lumpy.
Nearly a kilo of cream cheese in the filling, so five tubs in total.

Confit Byaldi (Ratatouille)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Confit Byaldi (Ratatouille)

2.5 hr bake, 115°C, serves 4

Ingredients

Piperade (base sauce)
red pepper 75g
yellow pepper 75g
orange pepper 75g
onion 75g
tomatoes 340g
olive oil 15g
garlic 3g
fresh thyme 1 sprig
fresh parsley 1 sprig
bay leaf 1

Vegetable layer
courgette 85g
aubergine 85g
yellow squash 85g
tomatoes 225g
olive oil 15g
garlic 2g
fresh thyme 2 sprigs

Vinaigrette
olive oil 15g
balsamic vinegar 5g

Use the KitchenAid slicing attachment on the 2mm disc for the courgette, aubergine and squash. Slice the tomatoes by hand with a sharp knife as they are softer and can get crushed.
The thinner and more even the slices, the better it looks and the more evenly it cooks.

Cookies

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Cookies

~10 min bake, KitchenAid paddle

Ingredients

Makes ~24 cookies

unsalted butter 225g
light brown sugar 220g
granulated sugar 150g
eggs 2
vanilla extract 10ml
flour 312g
bicarbonate of soda 5g
salt 6g
toppings ~250g

Crispy M&Ms, chocolate chips, or whatever you like.

Croissants

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Croissants

20 min bake, 180°C then 160°C, two-day recipe

Ingredients

Makes 12

plain flour 600g
whole milk 170g
water 150g
unsalted butter 50g
sugar 60g
instant yeast 14g
salt 12g

Butter block
unsalted butter 300g

Egg wash
egg 1
whole milk 14g

This is exactly the same dough as the pain au chocolat, just doubled. You can run one batch and split it between both.
Use European butter with at least 82% fat for the butter block. Kerrygold or Anchor work well.
Read all the steps before starting. Temperature control is everything.

Farata

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Farata

60% hydration, 1 hr, Mauritian flaky flatbread, makes 6

Ingredients

Makes 6

plain flour 400g
ghee for layering
warm water 240g
oil 2 tbsp
salt 6g

Almost the same dough as flour tortillas. The difference is the ghee folded through, which makes it flaky.
Ghee is traditional. Melted butter works.
Serve with cari poulet.

Flour Tortillas

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Flour Tortillas

69% hydration, 35 min, pan sized, makes 8

Ingredients

Makes 8 large

plain flour 360g
lard/trex 120g
warm water 250g
salt 7g
spinach 100g, optional

No baking powder. The high hydration is what keeps them soft, it will feel sticky and firms up as it rests.
Lard, Trex or Stork block (1:1) for the best result. Olive oil works for a lighter, healthier wrap, and butter works too.

Fresh Pasta Dough

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Fresh Pasta Dough

egg pasta for KitchenAid roller, 30 min rest, makes ~400g

Gingerbread Men

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Gingerbread Men

chill 2 hr, 12 min bake, 170°C, makes 18

Ingredients

Dry
plain flour 375g
baking powder 12g
ground ginger 6g
ground cinnamon 4g
mixed spice 2g
ground cloves 0.5g

Wet
unsalted butter 85g
brown sugar 165g
egg 1
vanilla extract 10ml
black treacle 170g

Golden syrup gives a milder, lighter gingerbread if you prefer.
Roll 4mm thick for soft biscuits, a little thinner for snappy. Roll between two sheets of baking paper and use barely any flour, so they do not bake with a white dusting.

Iced Fingers

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Iced Fingers

~3 hrs start to finish, 10 min bake, 200°C, makes 12

Ingredients

Makes 12

strong bread flour 500g
instant yeast 14g
caster sugar 50g
unsalted butter 40g
eggs 2
fine sea salt 10g
whole milk 150g
water 140g

Filling (optional)
whipping cream 200g

Icing
icing sugar 300g
water to consistency
raspberry jam optional

Milk and butter should be at room temperature.
For a pink icing, warm raspberry jam on the hob and sieve out the seeds. Same method as the Tottenham cake. Use the sieved jam in place of some or all of the water.
The icing must be thick enough to stay on top without sliding off. Add water a little at a time until you have the right consistency.

Lazy Boule

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lazy Boule

65% hydration, stand mixer, makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

strong white flour 500g
water 325g
salt 10g
instant yeast 7g

Recipe

1. Put in the stand mixer bowl:

Loukanika

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Loukanika

Cypriot pork and wine sausages, 6-8 days cure, 2 weeks dry

Mashed Potato

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mashed Potato

20 min, serves 4. use for anything.

Ingredients

Serves 4

floury potatoes 1kg
unsalted butter 80g
whole milk 100g
fine sea salt to taste

Use floury potatoes. Maris Piper or King Edward are ideal. Waxy potatoes go gluey.
Warm the milk and butter before adding. Cold dairy tightens the mash and makes it gluey.
For a richer result, swap the milk for double cream or add more butter.

Matilda Chocolate Cake

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Matilda Chocolate Cake

1 hr plus chilling, 160°C, three 20cm tins

Ingredients

Cake
plain flour 260g
baking powder 1.5 tsp
bicarbonate of soda 1.5 tsp
caster sugar 200g
light brown sugar 135g
salt 1 tsp
eggs 3
vegetable oil 135g
buttermilk 80g
soured cream 240g
Dutch cocoa 75g
instant coffee 2 tsp
boiling water 180g

Fudge frosting
dark chocolate 300g, 70%
golden syrup 3 tbsp
cream cheese 225g
cocoa powder 33g
icing sugar 100g
salt 1/4 tsp
double cream 300ml, chilled

Weigh the flour, too much makes it dry. Dutch cocoa and 70% dark chocolate (bars, not chips) give the deepest colour and the glossy fudge shine.

Milk Buns

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Milk Buns

16 min bake, 160°C, makes 6

Ingredients

Tangzhong
strong white flour 20g
milk 100g

Dough
strong white flour 350g
caster sugar 30g
fast action yeast 6g
salt 7g
milk 150g
egg 1
unsalted butter 30g

To finish
milk to brush

Softer and less sweet than brioche. Shape into logs for sub rolls, or rounds for burgers.
Brushed with milk, not egg, so the crust stays soft and pale.

Moussaka

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Moussaka

Cypriot version, pork and beef mince, 1 hr bake at 160°C, serves 8 to 10

Pain au Chocolat

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pain au Chocolat

18 min bake, 180°C then 160°C, two-day recipe

Ingredients

Makes 6

plain flour 300g
salt 6g
sugar 30g
instant yeast 7g
unsalted butter 22g
whole milk 78g
water 78g

Butter block
unsalted butter 150g

Filling
dark chocolate 120g

Egg wash
egg 1
whole milk 14g

Use European butter with at least 82% fat for the butter block. Président, Anchor, or Kerrygold all work.
Cut the chocolate into thick 1cm strips to use as batons.
Temperature control during lamination is everything. Read all the steps before starting.

Pastitsio

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pastitsio

Cypriot baked pasta, makaronia tou fournou, 40 min bake at 160°C, serves 8

Seeded Wholemeal Loaf

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Seeded Wholemeal Loaf

75% hydration, everyday healthy loaf, 2lb tin, makes 1

Ingredients

strong wholemeal flour 500g
mixed seeds 75g
warm water 375ml
instant yeast 7g
salt 10g
honey 1 tbsp
oil 20g

Seeds: sunflower, pumpkin and linseed (flax) is a good mix. Save a spoonful for the top.
The dough will feel sticky and wet, which is right for wholemeal, it drinks more water than white.
Sourdough version: swap the yeast for 100g active starter and hold back 40ml water. Prove longer, 3/4 hours, or shape and leave overnight in the fridge. Slower, but the ferment lowers the GI and makes it more digestible, the healthier option. Yeast is quicker if that is what you have.

Shokupan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Shokupan

76% hydration, 25 min bake, 165°C

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

Yudane (night before)
bread flour 50g
boiling water 40g

Dough
bread flour 200g
whole milk 150g
unsalted butter 10g
sugar 15g
instant yeast 3g
salt 5g

Make the yudane the night before. Milk and butter should be at room temperature.
The yudane is what makes this so soft. Don’t skip it.

Skillet Cookie

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Skillet Cookie

serves 8, 40 min, 160°C, 25cm skillet

Ingredients

unsalted butter 115g
light brown sugar 100g
caster sugar 50g
egg 1 large
plain flour 190g
bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp
fine salt 1/2 tsp
vanilla extract 2 tsp
chocolate chunks 175g

Brown the butter first for a nuttier, deeper flavour, optional.