Foodie excerpt - Chapter 5. When traveling, better to do so with friends than with foes.
She stopped inside a medium-sized room with nothing more than what seemed to be the basis for a kitchen, a few crates and a rounded seating area. Kai headed towards the bag she had placed on one of the crates that morning and grabbed something from inside it. With another look at the lonesome furniture, Elis turned to Brin with a criticising glare. The other ignored him.
“Here,” she said as she handed them a small container. “No charge. You look a bit pale,” she clarified as an answer to their quizzical faces. “I bought them fresh this morning. Now strap-in and enjoy,” she added and headed out.
Brin did a quick inspection of the small bread buns and picked one out. He pressed it slightly to assess the fluffiness and took a generous bite. “The taste of comfort,” he said with a nod.
Brin looked at Elis, extending the container towards him. “Want one?”
Elis stared back at Brin, bewildered, not really knowing what to say or what to make of the situation. Ignoring Brin’s offer and suppressing the sense of nausea that had just resurfaced, he sat down, his arms resting on his legs just as he felt the ship start to move. It looked like he was going to Jakku.
Bread buns
Makes 8 buns
Preparation time: 18 minutes
Blooming time: 10 minutes
Rising time: 1.5 hours
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Total time: 2 hours and 10 minutes
Ingredients
60 ml water
1 tbsp sugar
5 g active dry yeast
100 ml oat drink
280 g wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
30 g margarine
Instructions
In a small pot, warm the water with the sugar. Do not overheat the water, as it may kill the yeast. In a medium bowl, add the water with the sugar and the dry yeast. Cover and let bloom for 10 minutes somewhere warm. The mixture will become foamy at the surface as the yeast activates.
Heat your oven at 50°C for 7 minutes for it to warm slightly then turn it off.
Warm the oat drink in a small pot, making sure not to overheat it. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and form a crater in the center. Pour the yeast mix, oat drink and margarine in the center of the crater. Combine all the ingredients with your hands. Transfer to a flat surface and knead for 7 minutes, adding a sprinkle of flour to the surface if the dough is too sticky. The dough will become smooth and elastic. Form a ball with the dough.
Lightly grease the surface of a large bowl. Place the dough ball into the bowl and cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Make sure the oven is turned off and place the bowl in the warm oven to sit for 1.5 hours.
Once the dough has finished rising, it should have doubled in size. Take it out and preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place the dough on a flat surface and divide it into eight equal balls. Create a smooth surface for each ball by folding the sides of the balls underneath.
Grease a baking sheet. Place the balls on the greased baking sheet leaving room between them as they will expand. Bake for 12 minutes.
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