Yippee's blog

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

Easy peasy Kimchi!

Quarter the Napa (~1.3kg) and loosen/separate each layer. 

Brine the Napa.

I re-use the sauerkraut juice that I started with 3% sugar, 2.5% salt, 3% CLAS (whole rye flour + water), and 3% fresh whole rye flour. Select the "yogurt" function on the Instant Pot, soak the Napa in the juice for 3 hours. Weight the Napa down so that it's completely submerged in the juice - no need to turn it every now and then.

Cut the Napa into chunky pieces.

Mix the brined Napa with garlic chives and Korean radish, or any veggies you prefer. 

Make a Kimchi paste.

I follow a recipe that uses both fermented anchovy and fermented shrimp. I only add 4 cups of paste to keep the Kimchi relatively mild and not too salty. 

Select the "yogurt" function again on the Instant Pot. Leave the vegetables there for about 3 hours until the Napa starts to release water and soften, but is not wilted yet and is still crisp. pH ~ 4.1. 

Ready to eat - it's crunchy, tart, and mildly salty-spicy. 

Keep in the fridge to slow down further fermentation. 

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

Among the cuisines of various regions of China, there are two sauerkraut dishes that I really like, and both are made with seafood. One is called "sauerkraut squid", a popular stir-fry dish in Hong Kong, and the other is called "sauerkraut fish", a famous soup from Sichuan. In both recipes, we use sauerkraut made with mustard green, or in the absence of mustard green, a vegetable called "snow red".  We refer to sauerkraut as "Haam Shuen Choi" in Cantonese, or "Suan Cai" in Mandarin. This Choi (veggie) is both salty and sour, as the name denotes. When I was a kid, if I remember correctly, we always bought Haam Shuen Choi from the marketplace, where they were displayed in the open and sold whole. 

These days, I can find packaged Haam Shuen Choi in Asian supermarkets in the U.S. While they may look similar to the Haam Shuen Choi from my childhood, they taste terrible, probably because they are preserved with chemicals. So, I've stopped buying them and made my own with CLAS in the Instant Pot. To make pickled veggies, I've tried using mustard greens, "snow red", carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, etc. The IP-CLAS combo works perfectly for them all. In just 24 hours, I can have crunchy, sour veggies ready to go. In the past, we always had to soak the Haam Shuen Choi first and add a fair amount of sugar to balance out the flavor during the cooking process. Otherwise, it would be too sour and salty. There is no such problem with IP-made Haam Suen Choi; I can use them as-is. 

It's super easy. All you need to do is put the veggies in the Instant Pot, cover them with water (Measure how much water is used. I usually fill it close to the rim, then put a porcelain plate on top, and loosely cover with the IP lid to weigh it down so that the veggies are fully submerged.), and season the water to your liking (I usually use 2.5% sugar and 2.5-3% salt of the water used, and plus whatever spices I feel like adding at the moment). Then add some CLAS (3% (liquid + whole rye flour) ) and some fresh whole rye flour (3%). Then select the "yogurt" function (42C), wait 24 hours, and you're done. By that time, the pH is ~3.5. How easy is that! I strain the liquid and drink it daily as my "probiotic drink". I can use the filtered sediment as a second starter for the next batch, but of course, this step is not necessary. 

P.S. On second thought, I'll probably backslop the sediment, so I don't have to use my CLAS every time. I'll use CLAS initially and hope it will self-propagate in each batch as new food (fresh whole rye flour, sugar, etc.) is added. I'm hoping this is doable and not just wishful thinking.

I  my Instant Pot. It is a handy tool to have in my kitchen. I use it to make my beloved CLAS, and I also use it to simplify the process of making marmalade.

24-hr "snow red" Suen Choi

36-hr  "snow red" Suen Choi

Sauerkraut Squid

https://youtu.be/mW-WTDV58DQ

Sauerkraut Fish

https://youtu.be/h_RtbERVPg8

My simplified version of sauerkraut fish using fish filet  

I can slice the filet thinly when it's still slightly frozen. 

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

A few years ago, when I read about how a Japanese bakery called Backstube Zopf builds its rye starter, I asked myself: How is this possible? With just two builds in 24 hours, the bakery makes an active, aromatic rye starter with a pH of 3.6 to 3.8. It also seemed incredible that the bakery's typical bread production cycle is so fast. It includes no bench time or a very brief rest after mixing (e.g., 15 minutes). Then there is a 30 to 60-minute proof followed by baking. 

Backstube Zopf is located in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The bakery initially caught my attention because of its extensive rye bread menu. The bakery's owner, Yasutomo Ihara, is an artisan baker passionate about promoting rye bread to the Japanese people. 

I later learned that the secret to the bakery's operation is two industrial rye sourdough cultures: one called TK starter, made by a German company, BÖCKER; and the other one called Active Sour, made by a Japanese company, オリエンタル酵母工業株式会社. These cultures are aroma-intensive and able to sour immediately. They are not only expensive but also unavailable to individuals. Without access to these commercial cultures, having a rye starter like the one in the bakery seemed like an unreachable dream for a home baker. 

Then CLAS came into my life unexpectedly. It takes 24 hours to make. It has a pH of 3.6 to 3.8. With the addition of CLAS, the flavor of every bread recipe is taken up a notch. It allows me to make delicious, bakery-grade rye bread at home quickly and easily in a simple way that I never imagined possible. What a pleasant surprise! It's a dream come true!    Thanks to Rus, the rye baker who showed me the tricks, I'm forever grateful. 

As you know, I have a sweet tooth. I'm trying to build up my sweet bread recipes so that I have enough recipes to rotate. Lately, because of the holidays, I've been eating a lot of sweet bread made with refined flour, so now it's time to switch to whole-grain. Backstube Zopf has a sesame raisin walnut rye that looks very tempting. Here's the (65%rye35%spelt) whole-grain version I made with CLAS:

A.

35% fresh whole spelt flour, ground in the Vitamix

15% whole rye flour - CLAS

28.5% water - CLAS 

mix to autolyze as I prepare other ingredients

B. 

22% flaked rye

51% boiling water

mix to rehydrate the flakes

C.

1.5% salt

0.3% dry yeast

D.

29% fresh whole rye flour, ground in the Vitamix

E.

16% water

F.

19% golden raisins, rum-nuked

19% raisins, rum-nuked

38% walnut

Total dough weight ~ 1400g

Mix

in the Zojirushi bread machine

1. 

add A. mix ~10 mins to strengthen the gluten

2.

add B. gradually

mix until incorporated

add C. 

mix until incorporated

3.

add D.

add E. gradually until the dough feels right

4.

Transfer the mixed dough to KA 

as I don't want the sticky dough to ruin my precious Zo

5.

KA+paddle

add F.

mix briefly to incorporate

Bulk

33C x 30 mins

in the meantime

butter the bundt pan 

coat with white sesame seeds

Shape

round

poke a hole in the center

gently load into the bundt pan

load the bundt pan into a granite roaster

Proof

35C x ~210 mins

until cracks appear on the surface

Bake

cold oven 

Lid on granite roaster

set to 400F, ~20 mins

400F x 40 mins

Cool 

wrap in tea towels

put in a plastic bag overnight

See Mini's advice for more tips on cooling rye loaf.

Thanks, Mini!💋💋💋

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

It must have been nearly a decade since I bravely "declared" to take up Michael's 100% spelt @ 100% hydration challenge. I haven't forgotten about it in all these years, but I haven't done anything about it either. Well, until now. 

Back then, I was confident that, with double hydration, I could easily develop the dough with my Zojirushi, even if it's at 100% hydration. I'm still sure that will work. But these days, we all know that we can achieve similar results if we give the dough some time and a few folds. So instead of intensely staring at how my Zo is mixing, I will handle the dough (and the entire bake) with a minimalist approach. 

Nowadays, the only white flour I keep is AP because I am tired of throwing away bags after bags of rancid flour. If I need any flour other than AP, I'd grind it fresh from whole grains. So I will be using fresh, whole spelt flour to take up Michael's challenge. I specifically made a spelt CLAS for this event so that my bread is truly 100% spelt. 

So Michael, here it goes:

85% fresh, whole spelt flour, ground by Vitamix

15% whole spelt CLAS

22.5% water - whole spelt CLAS

77.5% water

2.3% salt

0.3% yeast

Mix

everything in Zo until barely incorporated; ~3 mins; DT 29C

Transfer the shaggy mass to a greased plastic container. 

Bulk

30C x 150 mins

fold every 30 mins

Shape

Batard-ish

load it into a granite roaster

Proof

35C x 20 mins 

Bake

Cold oven 

Leave the lid on the roaster the whole time

Heat to 425F; ~ 24mins

425F x 45 mins (possibly can reduce 5-10 minutes next time; I'm still new to cold oven baking)

My "crème brûlée" whole spelt CLAS.  It's so dark because I forgot I was making a new CLAS and left it in the Instant Pot for days. 

A shaggy mass after a ~ 3-min mix

The dough at the end of bulk after folds at 30-min intervals

Read to prove

Baked

The tasty pancake - flavorful with a pronounced, lingering tangy aftertaste.  Crisp and slightly "smoky" due to the charred (but not burned) bottom. 

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

After eating the entire gigantic (2.4kg) Pain de Rois I made during the holidays, neither my family nor I could stand to eat another slice of "orangey" bread. Hence, the idea of making lemon-flavored bread came to mind. Many thanks to Derek, aka yozzause, who inspired me to perfect Le Cordon Bleu's Kouglof recipe; his brilliant idea and my beloved CLAS took the recipe up a notch and transformed it into a super flavorful and refreshing lemony dessert bread that I can't wait to share with you!

Kouglof = Alsatian brioche

"OR" = original recipe

"tweak" = adjustment to OR

A.

39% eggs

3% rye - CLAS, tweak

5.7% water - CLAS, tweak

10% sugar

5% lemon juice, tweak; none in OR

0.5% lemon extract, tweak; none in OR

0.25% vanilla extract, tweak; none in OR

97% Beehive AP

B.

27% full-fat milk, boiled and cooled( tweak; no pre-processing in OR)

C.

1.6% gold yeast, tweak; OR uses fresh

1.5 % salt

zest of 1 lemon

D.

29% butter, diced

E.

40% golden raisins, rum-soaked, tweak; OR uses much less

Total dough weight ~ 1140g

Mix

by Zojirushi bread machine

1. x10mins

+ A.

then gradually + ~ half of B

2. x10 mins

+ remaining B.

develop the dough to "medium-well" 

3. x10 mins

+ C.

The dough must be fully developed before proceeding to the next steps. 

+ D. gradually

4. x5 mins

+E.

DT 29C

Bulk

32-33C until doubled ~ 60-75 mins

In the meantime

generously butter a 9” bundt pan 

Then coat it with almond slices, tweak; OR uses very little 

Refrigerate the pan, tweak; not done in OR

Make lemon syrup, tweak; Derek's idea; none in OR; 

juice of 3 lemons : sugar

1:1 by weight

microwave until sugar dissolves

Shape

round

poke a hole in the middle and dump it in the bundt pan

Proof

32-33C x 30-45 mins

Bake

preheat 350F, tweak; OR temp too high; no stone; my oven takes ~ 15 mins

egg wash, tweak; not done in OR (this part of the dough will become the bottom of the Kouglof)

sprinkle almond slices on top, tweak; not done in OR

350F x 30 mins, no steam

start checking doneness with a skewer

cover with foil

insulate the bottom of the bundt pan; I use a few pizza pans

350F x ~ +5 mins

Glaze, tweak; Derek's idea; not done in OR

Before inverting the Kouglof onto a wire rack, gently brush it with lemon syrup

Invert the bread onto a wire rack, which sits on top of a pan that collects syrup dripping

Gently brush or dab lemon syrup onto the bread

Let cool/dry overnight

Decorate with powdered sugar before serving

Glazed and dried overnight

 20210124 Kouglof 2.0

This time I used the tricks that Leigh, aka Naturaleigh, shared to enhance the lemon flavor. 

Rubbed the zest with sugar

Poked holes in the Kouglof to let the lemon syrup seep through

And I used my flower mold

The lemon flavor is more intense and the crumb is moister this time,  I  it!  Thank you, Leigh!

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

Traditionally, to make paper-thin bread (khobz marquq), Lebanese bakers thinly stretch the dough on a bread pillow and cook it on a heated convex metal disc (saj). I have neither device, so I rolled the dough out as thin as possible and baked it in the oven.

I converted Ms. Barbara Abdeni Massaad's formula in her book "Man'oushé, Inside the Lebanese Street Corner Bakery" to include CLAS and quinoa (bulgar used in the original recipe).

There are two ingredients in the recipe that I rarely use: anise seeds (whole and ground) and ground mahlab.  I did not know what to expect in taste, but it was surprisingly mellow.  The licorice-sweet aftertaste and the overall savory, rounded flavor kept me coming back for more. 

This time, only the pie's edge turned out crisp, and the middle was still soft and slightly chewy. I will adjust the oven temperature and baking time, and maybe the hydration, in my next bake to make it more crispy overall.

Dough

A.

10% whole rye CLAS

90% fresh white whole wheat, ground by Vitamix

68% water

B.

0.3% dry yeast

2.7% salt

4% vegetable oil

1.9% whole anise seeds

0.7% ground anise seeds

0.9% ground mahlab

40% cooked quinoa (Zojirushi rice cooker programmed semi-brown function)

C.

12% water

DT 31C/87.8F –ish

Mix

By Zojirushi bread machine

A. above x 10 mins

B. and C. in the next 10-ish mins

Bulk

DT 33C/91.4F –ish x 150 mins

Divide

160g @

Shape

See pictures

Proof

Room temp ~ DT 28C/82.4F –ish x 60 mins

Bake

Pre-heat 550F

No steam 

550F x 2.5 mins, middle rack

The mahlab was quite expensive - $5 for 1.5 oz!

Precooked quinoa using a rice cooker.

 Mixed in Zo.

 ~160g each.

Improvised a bread pillow...

but ended up just rolling the dough out as this way is much easier. 

I don't think I can roll it any thinner than this. 

I like to make my own Za'tar mix to include more sesame and tart sumac.

Then mix with lots of olive oil.

A Za'tar pie is a must in addition to the plain one. 

I've started growing thyme, but I wonder if it's the same type that they use in making the Za'tar. 

I kept eating ...

and eating...

and eating....  My usual main course became the dessert today for a change. 

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

I  Lebanese cuisine. Over the years, my family has enjoyed many Lebanese dishes that I cook. But I have not baked any Lebanese bread. Lebanese Man’oushé pies look so delicious, especially meat pies. I didn't have time to prepare meat toppings today, so I made several pies with available ingredients.

As you know, I have had great success in making 100% whole-grain bread using CLAS. So the Man’oushé dough I made today was also whole-grain.

My recipe is super simple, but the bread is delicious and tender. When making bread with CLAS, I take it for granted that I can expect excellent flavors no matter what bread I make. I thought of Rus when I was baking; I can't tell you how much I appreciate him sharing this fantastic technique with us.

Dough

A.

10% whole rye CLAS

(Depending on the formula, the whole rye CLAS can be replaced by other whole-grain CLAS like wheat, spelt, durum, etc. through refreshing on the night before baking, but I usually don't bother because whole rye CLAS makes very delicious bread)

90% fresh hard white whole wheat flour, ground by Vitamix

69% water

B.

8% sugar

1% salt

3% olive oil

0.3% dry yeast

C.

14% water

DT 31C/87.8F –ish

Mix

By Zojirushi bread machine

A. x 10 mins

B.+ C. x 10 mins

Shape

160g each, 8"

See pictures

Proof

Room temp ~28C/82.4F –ish x 60 mins

Bake

Pre-heat 550F

No steam

550F x 2 mins, middle rack

160g each, ~8"

Bad picture; I was in a rush to get the next pie out of the oven.  

 Homemade Za'tar.  I prefer more sumac (freshly ground) than thyme.  The pie was tart, just the way I like.

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

I rarely baked whole-grain bread in the past because my family did not like it. But the whole-grain loaves I recently made with CLAS turned out so great – they were as tender and tasty as white bread - that my family did not even notice they were whole-grain! Encouraged by my family's reaction, I made another whole-grain bread with CLAS. I converted a Le Cordon Bleu formula, which mainly uses T55 flour, to 100% home-ground whole-grain flours. The workflow is super simple – four-hour pre-dough followed by less than two hours of bulk and proof.  The smell and taste of this bread is marvelous, and my family loves it! I am thrilled that I've successfully introduced more healthy foods to them!

Pre-dough

5% whole rye CLAS

95% fresh white whole wheat, ground by Vitamix

30% eggs

40% scalded full-fat milk

0.15% gold yeast

DT 30C/86F –ish

28C/82.4F x 240mins

Dough

Pre-dough

22.5% butter

8% scalded full-fat milk

2% salt

0.5% freshly-ground black pepper

50% Comte cheese - I could not find any semi-hard cheese (except the stinky one) from the Auvergne region, which is said to be the origin of this bread.

0.6% gold yeast

Shape

9x4x4 pullman

total dough weight ~1100g; reduce the dough weight next time to prevent the dough from overflowing the top

Bulk

32C/89.6F x 45mins

Proof

32C/89.6F x 55mins

Bake

egg wash

no steam

210C/410F x 35mins

cover with foil

210C/410F x 20mins

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

Another whole-grain dessert bread! You may already notice that I  sweets. Eating wholesome sweet bread as a snack is much healthier than eating candies! Made with CLAS, this whole-grain cinnamon raisin bread is a delicacy! Try CLAS, making delicious bread has never been easier!

Pre-dough

5% whole rye CLAS

95% fresh white whole wheat flour, ground by Vitamix

60% scalded full-fat milk

16% eggs

12% water

0.15% gold yeast

DT 30C/86F-ish

28C/82.4F x 240mins

Dough

pre-dough

0.6% gold yeast

1.5% salt

2.5% Vietnamese cinnamon

10% butter

7% water

76% raisins (unsoaked; briefly rinsed right before mixing)

Bulk

32C/89.6F x 60mins

Shape

9x4x4 pullman

total dough weight ~1100g

Proof

32C/89.6F x 45mins

Bake

191C/375F x 10 mins w/ steam

177C/350F x 50 mins w/o steam

Oopsy! Just noticed some slices are "redder" than the other - I probably did not evenly mix the cinnamon in the dough cos I dumped it in the mixer all at once😛😛😛

To learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS), please see here and here. 

Thanks to CLAS (and Rus ), making this decadent dessert bread is truly a piece of . It is a fancy and thoughtful gift that will definitely wow your friends! Let the results speak for themselves.  

OR = original recipe %, and our procedures differ.

Pre-dough

(mix in KitchenAid and bulk in it's bowl and your hands will thank you)

10% whole rye CLAS

90% fresh, unsifted rye flour ground by Vitamix

(OR: white rye/medium rye 50/50)

50% full-fat homemade yogurt (OR: milk, of which I ran out)

34% water (OR: 28.6%)

0.15% dry yeast (OR recalculated: 0.37%)

dough temp 30C/86F -ish

30C/86F x 240 mins

Dough

pre-dough

3% water (Yippee +)

salt 1.8%

26% raisins, soaked with rum and water  (OR: 20% raisins, syrup 3.9%)

12% candied orange (OR: 5%)

38% toasted pecan (Yippee +)

1.8% orange zest (OR recalculated)

Total dough weight ~1500g

Bulk

30C/86F x 60 mins

Shape

9"x2" round pan

Proof 

30C/86F x 75 mins

Bake

glaze (3.8% honey + 1.9% warm water)

220C/430F x 10 mins

200C/390F x 50 mins

glaze again, let dry overnight

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