February 3, 2018 - 9:51am
Travelling to Mexico; need advice
We're heading away from the grey wet February here on Canada's West Coast, and going to sunny Nuevo Vallarta for a couple of weeks. Last time I was there I found it difficult to get good bread (no, I don't count Walmart's bakery bread as 'good'), so would like to take a few supplies to bake my own. However, I don't believe we have an oven in our apartment. I was thinking of something like a cross between dampfnudeln, English muffins and Chinese steamed buns, but I'm not sure. Any advice? I think we have a 3 burner (solid burners) stove top and a microwave.
I plan on taking a bit of yeast and some salt; not much else. Don't want to lug a bunch of Canadian flour with me. :(
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Have a nice trip. I live in Mexico. Sourdough in Mexico is not very popular. I am a bakery instructor and bakery advisor and there are few bakeries that make sourdough bread, just in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey. I don't know in Vallarta.
See you
Do you bake any bread on a stovetop there?
on the stove top in a larger fry pan, comal or cast iron.
Yes, flat breads are on the list of possibles too. I'm thinking of things we can have for breakfast, to make sandwiches for lunch and to have with dinners (we do a lot of our own cooking there so we don't have to eat out all the time), so a variety of possibilities is nice!
while in Taiwan with no oven. I also carry pre-mixed spices to add to ground pork so I have a egg, pork & cheese sandwich ala McDonalds. This is based on a bhatura recipe which is deep fried. I just use some oil in the frying pan and pan fry them. They are very similar to biscuits. About 10 with 3 inch diameter.
This was a note to my son.
FRY BREAD (Bhatura recipe adapted)
Ingredients:
1 tsp of yeast
1 tsp of sugar
1 cup lukewarm water (20 seconds in my microwave)
500 grams of all purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
2 tbls of butter (unsalted)
4 tbsp plain yogurt (use the Fage 6 oz cup-might be a little extra but is very convenient)
Procedures:
1. Mix the yeast and sugar in the water. Let sit for 20 minutes - so do this first then get your other stuff ready.
2. place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and stir. Rub in the butter. (this is easier if you cover the butter in flour first. Squeeze the butter bewtween the thumb and forefinger.)
3. Add the yeast water and yogurt and mix to a dough. (If it's too sticky add some flour. If the if flour doesn't incorporate add small (teaspoon) amounts of water) Mix until dough no longer sticks to fingers.
4. Spray another larger bowl that will hold the rising dough with oil. Place the dough on the oil and then flip over so both sides are oiled. Cover (I use a large plastice reusable bag) and set on a heating pad on low for about and hour. When apporximately doubled it it ready to shape.
Notes: I like to roll it out in a log the divide. Log is roughly 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Then I cut (don't tear-not good for gluten and second rise) into 1 1/2 or 2 inch sections. Want more = 1 1/2. Want bigger = 2 inch. Place on cookie sheet with silpat or flour for non-stick. Cover,place on heating pad for maybe 1 hour til risen again. Then fry.
P.S. Recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsp of salt but I'm low sodium
I go to Puerto Vallarta every other year in March. Stay at the Sheraton so I can walk downtown. Started that in 1997 when I lived in dark snowy Anchorage.
Good stuff! Thanks for the son-level instructions, Tom. :)
made from wheat flour or corn (masa) flour should available fairly readily, I would guess. Usually super-cheap and very versatile. But if you want to make your own, the recipe is simple and they can be cooked on the stovetop.
When in Rome...