Sourdough Crackers

Adapted this cracker recipe from San Diego Artisan Bread School. 

Ingredients

100g Sourdough discard 

21g Olive oil

32.5g Plain flour 

35g Whole wheat flour (I use Annapurna Chakki brand)

1g Herb of choice

1.5g Baking soda

1.5g salt

15g sesame seeds (white and black) - can use sunflower seeds

Method:

1. (optional step) Bloom the herbs in olive oil for 5-10  minutes. The fat in the olive oil will pull the flavours out of the dried leaves, making the crackers much more fragrant.

2. Mix discard with olive oil in a mixing bowl until smooth and emulsified.

3. Weigh flour, salt, baking soda and herb in a separate bowl. Mix to combine using a dough scrapper. 

4. Add flour mixture into the discard mixture and knead briefly in the mixing bowl until a cohesive dough forms.

5. Shape the dough into a 6-7cm log, wrap tightly in a cling wrap and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours (or up to 3 days). This prevents the dough from shrinking back when you roll it.

6. Preheat oven to 170C, no fan forced mode.

7. Cut the dough into 3 pieces for easier handling. 1 piece after rolling can fit into my baking sheet pan (26cm x 35cm). Cover the remaining dough while working in batches.

8. Place the dough onto a parchment paper, spread the cling wrap (used to wrap the dough) over the dough and roll a little. Spread the sesame seeds and continue to roll the dough flat and thin (between 1.5 to 2mm thick). 

Watch the San Diego Artisan Bread School youtube on how to add the sesame seeds to the dough whilst rolling. Once the desired thickness is reached, lightly brush water on dough to dampen the surface and sprinkle some Maldon sea salt over the dough. Cut the dough into desired size/shape.

9. Bake at 170C 12 to 13 minutes, middle rack, no fan, turning the tray halfway, until the crackers are light golden in colour. 

10. Transfer to a wire colling rack to crisp up the crackers. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Lasagna

This recipe calls for a 21cm square oven-proof glass dish. 

Meat sauce ingredients:

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

300g minced beef

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 bottle of 400g pasta sauce (I use Barilla's  bolognese base)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 dried bay leave

salt and black pepper

30g milk

Bechamel sauce ingredients:

16g butter

16g flour

200ml milk

Pinch of salt

13g Parmasen cheese

Other ingredients:

Cheese e.g. Mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar

10 lasagna sheets

Method:

1. Make the meat sauce.

Heat oil in wok over medium heat.

Add onion and cook until softened, stirring constantly.

Add the meat and cook until it changes it colour, break up any lumps of meat. Don't overcook the meat. Remove from wok.

Add tomato puree, paste, sugar, oregano, basil, water/wine, salt and pepper to taste.

Return the meat to the wok and mix into the tomato mixture.

Cover with lid and bring to a boil.

Simmer over low heat for an hour. Stir in milk to balance the acidity. Set aside.

2. Make the bechamel sauce. 

Pour milk into saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 4-5minutes until the flour has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Add butter, a pinch of salt and parmasen cheese. Whisk until mixture thickens (thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but not too thick that it won't pour).

If not using the sauce immediately, cover the sauce with a clingwrap, pressing directly onto the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming. Alternatively, give the sauce a stir from time to time to prevent a skin from forming over the sauce.

3. Cook the lasagna sheets.

If the sheet requires cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1 lasagna sheets at a time and cook until al dente. Remove the cooked sheet from the pot and put in a pot with cold water to stop the cooking. Then lay them on a lightly oiled tray (no overlapping) and cover with a cloth.

4. Assemble

Watch this video. Spread meat sauce into the base of the baking tray. Then add lasagna sheet, followed by meat sauce, bechamel sauce and cheese. Repeat for next 4 to 5 layers of lasagna sheets, ending with bechamel sauce and cheese. 

5. Baking

Preheat oven to 200C (180C with fan). Cover loosely with aluminium foil and bake it in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Remove the aluminium foil and bake for another 10-25 minutes until the cheese has the desired golden brown look.

6. Resting

Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the bechamel to firm up, the layers settle and you will get clean slices instead of the meat sauce running across the plate.

Baguette

法棍

Ingredient:

225g bread flour 

25g whole wheat flour

187.5g water (cold)

2g instant yeast

5g salt

Method (refer to Note 1 for stand mixer method):

1. Mixing & Autolyse

​In a large bowl, mix the bread flour with whole wheat flour using a dough scrapper. Add water and mix using dough scrapper or by hand until no dry flour remains. Using hand (wet it first) is recommended as you can feel whether there are lumps or dry flour. Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes to allow the whole wheat bran to absorb the water and fully soften without starting to degrade the gluten structure.

After 20 minutes, sprinkle the yeast salt over the surface of the autolysed dough at the same time. Add a tiny bit of water (3 to 5 ml) of water over the top of the dough to help dissolve the salt crystals and yeast granules instantly so they blend into the dough smoothly. Use wet hand to dimple, pinch and fold the dough over itself for 1 to 2 minutes until you no longer feel any gritty salt grains under your finders and the dough feels completely uniform. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

2. Stretch & Fold

Over the next 1.5 hours, perform 3 sets of "stretch and folds" every 30–40 minutes. Reach under the dough, pull it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat 4 times per set. After the end of the 30 minute rest for the 2nd stretch & fold, perform the windowpane test to confirm that the gluten structure is ready. 

- if it passes, do the 3rd stretch and fold to build final shape tension, then cover the dough and chill in the fridge.

- if it fails, do the 3rd stretch and fold, rest for 15 minutes (to let gluten relax slightly), test again, and then put it into the fridge.

3. Long Rest

​Chill in the fridge 17 hours (overnight). The dough should double in size and show small bubbles on the surface.

4. Pre-shaping

Watch this video (3 folds) or this video (2 folds) on shaping.

Remove the dough from fridge. Lightly flour the dough surface and gently tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and pop any large air pockets. Eyeball the dough into 2 parts. For each dough, fold the dough 1/2 over itself and again. Cover the folded dough and rest for 30 minutes.

​4. Final Shaping

After 30 minutes, degas the dough by gently patting it to form a neat rectangle and pop any large gas bubbles (to create a more even honeycomb-like open structure rather than isolated giant pockets). Shape into a cylinder:  

- ​​Fold the long side of the dough towards the center, and press the folded edge to seal the dough.

- Turn the dough and fold the other long edge towards the center, and press the folded edge to seal the dough.

- ​Fold the dough in half lengthwise and seal the seam with the heel of your hand.

- ​Gently roll the dough from the center outwards until your desired length.

5. Proofing

​Place the baguettes seam-side down on a parchment paper. Proof at room temperature for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven at 250C, no fan, with a baking stone on the rack (2nd rack from bottom). Place a cast iron skillet/an empty baking tray at the bottom of the oven. Note: Cast iron skillet is the preferred choice as it retains heat and water that is poured into it turns quickly into steam.

6. Baking with Steam

​Lightly dust baguettes. Score the baguettes with a sharp razor blade making slashes that are almost parallel to the long edge (tilted only about 10-15 degrees off center), overlapping each other by roughly one-third. If the cuts are angled too diagonally, the baguette tends to expand wide instead of springing upward into a round cross-section. Also watch this useful video on scoring.

Transfer the baguettes into the oven.  

​Pour 150ml of boiling water straight into the empty cast iron skillet/baking tray and quickly shut the oven door. This creates an immediate dense cloud of steam.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the water tray.

Rotate the baguettes. 

​Lower oven temperature to 220°C and switch to fan mode. 

Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until deep mahogany brown.

{Optional} In the last 2 minutes, use a spray bottle to lightly mist the baguettes to give it a nice sheen.

Once baked, transfer the baguettes to wire rack for cooling.

Note 1 (stand mixer method):

Mix flour and water at low speed for 3 minutes, then rest the dough for 1 hour.

Add starter/yeast, salt, and mix at low speed for 8minutes and 2minutes. Do a windowpane test to check gluten development. Transfer to lightly oiled container, do a stretch and fold, and rest the dough for 1 hour.

Do another (second) stretch and fold and transfer to fridge. Rest for 15hours.

Follow the pre-shaping, final shaping, proofing and baking steps for hand mixing method above.

Note 2:

To make commercial-style par-baked (partially baked) baguettes at home, you bake the loaves until they are fully set and structurally sound, but completely pale with no browning. You then freeze them and finish the final bake straight from frozen whenever you want fresh bread.

​Here is the exact workflow adapted for your hybrid recipe and Bosch oven setup:

​Step 1: Par-Baking (The Initial Bake)

​Follow your standard recipe through shaping, final proofing, and scoring. The only change is in the oven settings and timing:

1. ​Preheat: Set your oven to 200°C Top/Bottom static heat (lower than your normal 240^\circ\text{C} to prevent premature crust browning) with your baking stone and steam pan inside.
2. ​Steam & Bake: Load the baguettes and introduce heavy steam (boiling water in the pan) as usual.
3. ​Bake for 12–15 Minutes: Bake just until the gluten structure sets and the loaves hold their full shape and height. The crust should feel firm to the touch, but the exterior must remain completely pale and white/cream-colored.
4. ​Cool Completely: Remove the par-baked baguettes and let them cool on a wire rack at room temperature for at least 1 to 2 hours. They must be 100\% cool down to the core before freezing, or residual steam will make them soggy.

​Step 2: Freezing & Storage

1. ​Pre-Freeze: Place the cooled baguettes uncovered on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour so the outer skin firms up.
2. ​Wrap Airtight: Double-wrap each baguette tightly in plastic wrap (cling film) to prevent freezer burn, then place them inside a large zip-top freezer bag or wrap them in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
3. ​Storage: Keep in the freezer for up to 1 to 2 months.

​Step 3: Baking Fresh from Frozen

​When you are ready to eat, do not thaw the baguettes beforehand—baking directly from frozen gives the best oven spring and crispest crust.

1. ​Preheat Oven: Set your Bosch oven to 220°C Top/Bottom static heat (or 200^\circ\text{C} Fan mode) with your stone inside.
2. ​Optional Moisture Mist: Lightly mist or brush the surface of the frozen baguettes with a tiny bit of water to keep the crust supple as it reheats.
3. ​Final Bake (8–12 Minutes): Place the frozen baguettes directly onto the hot stone. Bake until the crust turns a rich, deep golden-brown and becomes shatteringly crisp.
4. ​Rest: Let them rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before slicing.

Note 3:

To incorporate sourdough starter, refer to this recipe:

180g bread flour 

20g whole wheat flour

137.5g water

2g instant yeast

100g active starter

5g salt

Method is the same - add the sourdough starter together with the yeast and salt after autolyse.

Note 4:

Chocolate Baguette (sourdough)

165g bread flour

15g dutch processed cocoa powder

20g whole wheat flour

100g active starter

145g water

12g sugar/honey

2g yeast

5g salt

50-60g dark chocolate chips (to add during stretch and fold)

Chocolate Baguette (Yeast)

210g bread flour

15g dutch processed cocoa powder

25g whole wheat flour

187.5g water

12g sugar/honey

2g yeast

5g salt

50-60g dark chocolate chips (to add during stretch and fold)