Bakeries across Beijing are selling Dirty Bread. And no, we don’t mean bread that’s dirty (though surely some bakeries are selling that, too). Dirty Bread is a chocolate pastry dusted with chocolate powder, and now selfies of people eating it, their mouths dirtied from all the icing and sugar, are taking Weibo by storm.
Olympic swimmer Sun Yang also went viral after he said his recent tan had some of his fans telling him he looked like Dirty Bread. You can buy Dirty Bread in stores across China, and while Paris Baguette labels theirs in English as ‘Chocolate Pastry,’ make no mistake – this bread is dirty.
Add
175g/6oz of softened butter and 175g/6oz caster sugar to a food mixer bowl and whisk with the beatersuntil pale and
creamed. Then beat in 3 lightly beaten eggs a little at a time. Don’t add them
too fast or the mixture may curdle.
Step 2
Now sieve in 175g/6oz self raising flour
and using a metal spoon gently fold it in. The mixture should be a dropping
consistency. If it is too dry add a little water or milk and if too wet add a
little more flour.
Step 3
Grease
2 x 20cm/8inch round loose bottom sandwich cake tins and line with greaseproof
paper. Now divide the mixture between the
tins and spread evenly. Put in a pre-heated oven at gas
mark 5/190C (180C in a fan oven) and bake for about 20 minutes or until the
cakes are risen and lightly golden. They should spring back when pushed with
fingertips. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, then turn
out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Sandwich together with raspberry jam
and dust the top with sieved icing sugar or caster sugar.
CAKE TIPS
When
beating in the eggs add a tbsp of flour also as this will prevent the mixture
from separating and curdling.
Victoria sponge is made using the creaming
method. Always use the same amount of fat, sugar and flour and half the amount
of eggs (i.e 225g/8oz flour, sugar and butter = 4 eggs)
Sieve 450g/1lb
of strong white flour into a large bowl then add 25g/1oz of butter and rub it in with your fingertips. Now add a good pinch of salt, 1
tsp of sugar and 2 tsp fast action yeast and stir everything together.
Step 2
Make a well in
the centre then pour
in 300ml/1/2 pint of lukewarm water, and
stir together with a wooden spoon. Then use your hands to bring the dough
together. It will be very sticky at this point so add a little extra flour as
needed.
Step 3
Now turn the
dough out onto a floured surface and begin to knead for about 10 minutes; put the heel of your hand on the
dough and push away from you then turn the dough over and pull it back to you.
You will soon develop a rhythm. The dough should become smooth and silky.
Step 4
Sit the dough
in a clean, lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with cling film and put it
somewhere warm for it to rise for about
1 hour. It should double in size.
Step 5
Now knock back
the dough, this means to knead the dough again for a couple of minutes. This is
so the yeast is distributed evenly in the dough. Shape the dough to fit a 2 lb
loaf tin then grease and lightly flour the tin and put the dough seam side down
into it. Loosely cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave it to prove somewhere warm for 30 minutes or until it has doubled
in size.
You can slash
the loaf if you wish and dust with flour. Put it in a pre-heated oven at gas
mark 8/230C (220C in a fan oven) on the middle shelf and bake for about 30-35
minutes. Remove bread from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
BREAD TIPS
If kneading seems like too much hard work add the
mixture at step 2 to a food mixer and mix with the dough hook for about
5-10 minutes until it wraps its self around the hook.
To test whether the bread is cooked, it should sound
hollow when tapped. If you prefer the bottom of the bread to be crisp,
once removed from the tin put it back in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
Cakes and breads can be quite similar. They are both
carbohydrate heavy foods that must be baked in order to be eaten. Despite their
similarities, there are also some major differences between the two. The first
is in the ingredients used to prepare both. A bread, like a cake, will include
flour as its primary ingredient. However, it also includes a leavening agent,
usually yeast.[i] Other ingredients found in a bread could also include salt,
water, corn syrup, or even a small amount of oil. These same ingredients could
potentially also be used in a cake but a cake might also include eggs, sugar,
milk, flavored syrups or cocoa.[ii] This means that a cake will usually have
the addition of a protein source as well as a sweetener. Also, cakes tend to
also have frosting as a topping, which is something that a bread would lack.
Preparation
The preparation process for a cake and a bread are also
difference. When making a bread, you would generally mix together all of the
ingredients-a bare minimum of flour, water, and yeast. The yeast will require
activation (unless you use a self-activated yeast), which means that you must
first mix it in warm water. This is a particularly tough step because the water
temperature must be just right. If it is too warm, it will kill the yeast, but
if it is too cold, it will not activate enough which would cause the bread not
to rise. Once the yeast is activated, you can mix it with the other
ingredients. Getting the amount of water right is also important as it can vary
with the humidity level in any location, but once the bread starts coming
together that is an indication that you have added enough water. After mixing
it, the bread should set for just a couple of minutes to let the gluten form,
which is what gives it a chewy texture, and after this the bread will require
kneading on flat surface. This is arguably the most important step in the
preparation of bread and it will require constant kneading for at least 5-10
minutes. Once the bread is well kneaded, it will need to rise for approximately
3 hours. It should be covered and in a warm, but not hot, location. After this
length of time, you will want to knead it again really quickly and then return
it for a second rise for a length of 90 minutes. This step can be skipped, but
allowing for a second rise will give it a lighter texture. Finally, you can
form the dough into the bread-shape of your choosing and being baking it.[iii]
When preparing a cake from scratch, like bread, you must
first mix the ingredients together. However, this is a graduated process.
First, start with the butter or oil and sugar. These must be mixed together for
about three to five minutes until they become light, fluffy and creamy. Once
they reach that stage, you must add the eggs one at a time. They act as an
emulsifier to the batter and it is better if they are at room temperature as
cold eggs will appear curdled. Then you will add the powdered ingredients
(typically a mixture of flour, baking powder and salt) and milk. Start with
half the powder mixture, let it mix in for a bit, then add the milk, mix it for
a bit, and finally add the rest of the powder mixture. Doing it like this will
create a smoother, more integrated batter and will ensure that there are no dry
pockets. Finally, you may pour it into a cake pan and bake it for the necessary
amount of time. A good rule of thumb is that it will be done when a toothpick
can be inserted in the center of the cake and will be clean when it is pulled
out.[iv] Once it cools, frosting or icing can be added to the cake for
decoration and enhanced flavor. There can be minor variations to this process
for both cake and bread, but in general, this is the basic process for both and
it is marked by very different features.
Taste
Since the ingredients are different for both a cake and
bread are very different, their taste is quite different as well. The most
notable difference would be the level of sweetness. Cake is much sweeter due to
the sugar. Additionally, bread is often much more chewy than cake because of
the gluten content found in bread but not cake.[v]
Nutrition
Again, because of the differences in ingredients, the
nutritional value of both bread and cake varies greatly. The average amount of
calories in a regular piece of bread would be approximately 69. This is in
stark contrast to cake, which would typically contain about 235 calories per
slice if frosted.[vi] This is an almost fourfold increase.
When it is eaten
Bread, in some form, is eaten in almost all cultures around
the world and it almost always holds a position as a more significant food
source. Essentially, it is considered a staple food because it is a common item
that is consumed regularly, if not daily, by most individuals. Because of its
richness, cake is a dietary item that is usually only consumed occasionally,
often as a dessert. Many cultures even reserve cake for special occasions such
as festivals, birthdays or holidays such as New Years and Christmas. Though it
is possible to eat it more regularly, this should be done cautiously as the
amount of sugar could lead to health risks as with any unhealthy food.[vii]
From bread to biscuits, cookies to cakes, baking is the art of turning flour into (delicious) food. Flour — finely milled wheat or other grains — lends structure to baked goods, but different baked goods demand different structural supports. Choose the right flour for the right task and you're a long way toward baking success. Choose the wrong flour and you're courting trouble.
Protein content is the primary differentiator in flours. High-protein wheat varieties (10 to 14 percent protein) are classed as "hard wheat." Low-protein wheat (5 to 10 percent) are known as "soft wheat." Simply put: More protein equals more gluten equals more strength. And more strength translates into more volume and a chewier texture. Dough made from high-protein flours are both more elastic (stretch further) and more extensible (hold their shape better) — desirable qualities in bread and many other yeasted products where a firm structure is paramount, but undesirable in pastries and cakes, where the goal is flakiness or tenderness.
Unless labeled "whole-wheat," all flour is white flour: that is, milled from the starchy, innermost part of the wheat kernel, known as the endosperm.
All-Purpose Flour: If a recipe calls simply for "flour," it's calling for all-purpose flour. Milled from a mixture of soft and hard wheat, with a moderate protein content in the 10 to 12 percent range, all-purpose flour is a staple among staples. While not necessarily good for all purposes, it is the most versatile of flours, capable of producing flaky pie crusts, fluffy biscuits and chewy breads. A-P flour is sold bleached or unbleached; the two are largely interchangeable, but it's always best to match your flour to your recipe.
Cake Flour: The flour with the lowest protein content (5 to 8 percent). The relative lack of gluten-forming proteins makes cake flour ideal for tender baked goods, such as cakes (of course), but also biscuits, muffins and scones. Cake flour is generally chlorinated, a bleaching process that further weakens the gluten proteins and, just as important, alters the flour's starch to increase its capacity to absorb more liquid and sugar, and thus ensure a moist cake.
Pastry Flour: An unbleached flour made from soft wheat, with protein levels somewhere between cake flour and all-purpose flour (8 to 9 percent). Pastry flour strikes the ideal balance between flakiness and tenderness, making it perfect for pies, tarts and many cookies. To make your own pastry flour, mix together 1 1/3 cups A-P flour and 2/3 cup cake flour.
Bread Flour: With a protein content of 12 to 14 percent, bread flour is the strongest of all flours, providing the most structural support. This is especially important in yeasted breads, where a strong gluten network is required to contain the CO2 gases produced during fermentation. The extra protein doesn't just make for better volume and a chewier crumb; it also results in more browning in the crust. Bread flour can be found in white or whole wheat, bleached or unbleached. Unbleached all-purpose flour can generally be substituted for bread flour with good results.
Self-Rising Flour: Flour to which baking powder and salt have been added during milling. Long a Southern staple, self-rising flour is generally made from the low-protein wheat traditionally grown in the South. It's best for tender biscuits, muffins, pancakes and some cakes. Self-rising flour is best stored tightly wrapped in its original box and used within six months of purchase — longer than that and the baking powder in it begins to lose its oomph.
To make your own self-rising flour, combine 1 cup pastry flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Whole-Wheat Flour: During milling, the wheat kernel is separated into its three components: the endosperm, the germ (the embryo) and the bran (the outer coating). In whole-wheat flours, varying amounts of the germ and bran are added back into the flour. Whole-wheat flour tends to be high in protein, but its gluten-forming ability is compromised by the bran and germ — just one of the reasons whole-wheat flour tends to produce heavier, denser baked goods.
In most recipes, whole-wheat flour can be substituted for up to half of the all-purpose flour. Because wheat germ is high in oils prone to rancidity, whole-wheat flour is far more perishable than white. Store it for up to three months at cool room temperature, and then transfer it to the freezer.
Gluten-Free Flours: There is a wide variety of gluten-free flours available today, made from all sorts of grains, nuts and starches. Some of the most widely available are based on rice flour blended with tapioca and potato starch. A small proportion of xanthan gum is sometimes added to help simulate the chewiness normally associated with gluten. Consult the specific recipe or packaging for information on how to substitute gluten-free flour for wheat flour in your favorite baking recipes.
