Semolina Bread

 

This is an Algerian bread called "homemade bread" because it's made by housewives. It is soft with brioche like texture. It can be served with any meal but I prefer having it for breakfast with real butter and honey! I like to sprinkle it with nigelle seeds, but you can substitue sesame seeds or fennel seeds. 

Ingredients

3 cups semolina
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg and 1 egg white
1 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons oil
Egg wash: 1 egg yoke and 1 teaspoon milk
Nigelle seeds (around 2 teaspoons )

Directions

1. In a stand mixer (or bowl), combine the flour, semolina and salt. Add the yeast and sugar
2. Whisk the egg and egg white, oil and milk in a separate bowl.
3. Gradually add the egg mixture and the water to the mixer and knead for 5-6 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 
4. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hour until doubled or until your finger leaves an impression when you poke the dough gently.
5. Turn onto a slightly floured surface, gently deflate and divide in 2 equal pieces. 
6. To make round bread, shape each piece like a ball and place it in a cake pan lined with parchemin. Press it gently to give it a nice round shape. If you prefer log shape, pat dough into a rectangle then gently roll and stretch it out into a log, sealing the edges with your hand. Transfer to a pan lined with parchemin paper. 
7. Score the loaves with a sharp knife (see pictures or any pattern of your choice) then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again 30-40 minutes.
8. Whisk together the yolk and milk and lightly brush egg wash over the top of the loaves. Sprinkle nigelle seeds.
9. Bake for 25 minutes at 425°F (220°C), until until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes
Every oven is different and convection-ovens are even more different. The baking time provided here is for my conventional oven (not convection), which maybe longer or shorter than it would take in yours, so you will have to watch.

My Lemon Bundt Cake

This week I bought a big bag of beautiful lemons so I couldn't resist making a good lemon cake!
I changed my usual recipe to take it to another level by soaking it lightly with lemon syrup and  spreading a thin layer of apricot jam on top prior to adding some lemon glaze. It was absolutely delicious! 
Oh! I made a small change: I did't have any cream so I used coconut cream instead.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups ((300 g) granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 big lemons or 3 small (use 1/2 of the juice for the cake and the rest for syrup and glaze)
1/4 cup cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter (70 gr) melted and cooled
1 3/4 cup (180 g) icing sugar
4 tablespoons apricot jam

Before glazing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Butter and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
3. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
4. Beat 1 cup and 1/4 of cup (250 g) of the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.
5. Add the zest of the 2 lemons and the juice of 1/2 a lemon (2 tablespoons of juice) and mix.
6. Add the cream and mix.
7. Gradually add flour mixture while continuing to beat.
8. Finally incorporate the butter.
9. Pour into the pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
10. Let cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack.
11. While the cake is cooling, prepare the syrup:  place the juice of 1 lemon (4 tablespoons) and remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) of sugar into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until all the sugar has dissolved. 
12. Poke the cake with a skewer and pour the syrup with a spoon.
13. Heat the jam in a small saucepan on lower heat to melt it then spread all over the cake with a brush.
14. Combine 1/2 lemon juice (2 tablespoons) and the icing sugar and stir until fully combined. Allow the cake to cool completely, then drizzle glaze over the top.

Note:

After few tests I found that beating the egg whites makes the cake fluffier. This is what you do:

In step 4 beat the egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar, then in a separate bowl, the egg yolks with 1 cup of sugar.

In step 8, once the butter is incorporated, incorporate the egg whites.