Grace Tang ‘21
Foreign Correspondent
Since returning home for winter break, I have been in quarantine, then in a province-wide lockdown. Being stuck indoors meant getting creative and finding new recipes to try. I am obsessed with carbs, so I had to rise to the occasion and make all my favorite items at home. After months of whipping-up goodies in the kitchen, these are my three go-to recipes. They are all very versatile, easy to make, and not too sweet. So, without further ado, let’s get rolling!
Pictured: While not Bodo's, these bagels are equally as delicious. Photo Courtesy of Grace Tang '21
BODO’S APPROVED BAGELS
When I posted my bagels on my food Instagram, foodventures_with_grace, Bodo’s Bagels complimented my bagel (I’ve peaked, proudest moment)! For most of my life, I thought bagels were extremely difficult to make. However, after looking up recipes, I realized they’re easier to make than normal bread, and they taste amazing fresh or toasted.
Six medium sized bagels – Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-bagels/
Bagel Ingredients:
● ¾ cups warm water around 100 °F
● 2 teaspoons of yeast
● 2 cups of bread flour + more to dust
● 1 tablespoon of sugar (white or brown)
● Pinch of salt
● 1 egg white
● 1/8 cup honey for boiling
Bagel Instructions
Combine warm water and yeast; leave for 5-10 minutes to dissolve. Make sure the temperature is not over 110 °F or it will kill the yeast.
Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt and incorporate with the yeast and warm water. Knead the dough on a lightly-floured surface until smooth, ~10 minutes.
Grease a bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with towel, foil, or wrap, and leave in a warm room for 90 minutes until it doubles in size.
After the dough rises, shape the bagels by dividing the dough into 6 pieces and shape the dough appropriately.
Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
Boil water with honey and reduce to medium-high. Boil the dough by adding 3 bagels at a time for 1 minute on each side.
Remove bagels from the water bath and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
Pictured: If your mouth doesn't water at the sight of those bagels, you're wrong. Photo Courtesy of Grace Tang '21.
KOREAN MOCHI BREAD
These babies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside—like mochi—and they are also dangerously irresistible. Mochi bread is more like a dessert than real bread. The great thing about this recipe is the endless flavor possibilities—original, sesame seed, and matcha are variations I have tried so far and they all taste great.
Pictured: This donut-hole look-a-like will leave you wanting more. Photo Courtesy of Grace Tang '21.
Note that the recipe must be followed closely or the batter will not be thick enough to pipe. For best results use a food scale for measurements.
For Twenty-Four Mochi Breads (Three-inch each)
Mochi Bread Ingredients:
● 46 grams of egg – about one and a half
● 30 grams of flour
● 130 grams of tapioca flour or starch (they are the same thing)
● 150 grams of milk
● 30 grams of sugar
● 2 grams of salt
● 1 teaspoon of matcha powder or 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds (optional)
Mochi Bread Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a saucepan, add milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Melt on medium heat until the mixture boils, then turn down the heat to very low.
Add in flour and whisk quickly to incorporate, otherwise the mixture will be lumpy.
Once the mixture thickens and becomes smooth, add in the tapioca flour 1/3 at a time. Fold in the tapioca flour slowly.
Once all the tapioca flour is incorporated, add in the beaten eggs 1/3 at a time. Add in matcha or sesame seeds after the eggs are combined. The batter should be thick but liquid.
Transfer batter into a piping bag or ziplock bag and cut the corner. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Pipe the batter into two-inch mounds, this recipe should make ~24 mochi breads.
Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. The mochi bread will rise, become very round, and form a crispy shell on the outside. Eat while warm; they taste best fresh out of the oven.
FOOL-PROOF CINNAMON BUNS
Cinnamon buns are the classic comfort food. They are truly an unbeatable combo when topped with cream cheese frosting, and the whole house smells AWESOME when they bake. Pro tip—I actually use cinnamon bun dough to make bread (just add in an extra egg and half a cup of flour for a slightly denser dough). I think cinnamon buns make a great breakfast or snack, and they go well with coffee and tea!
Pictured: Heaven in a pan. Photo Courtesy of Grace Tang '21.
For Eight Cinnamon Buns- Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/1-hour-easy-cinnamon-rolls-recipe/
Cinnamon Bun Ingredients:
● 1 cup milk
● ½ cup butter softened – ¼ cup for dough and ¼ cup for cinnamon sugar
● 3 ½ cup flour – 3 cups for dough and ½ cup for dusting
● ½ cup of white sugar – ¼ cup for dough and ¼ cup for cinnamon sugar filling
● 1 teaspoon salt
● 3 tablespoons of yeast
● 1 egg
● ¼ cup of brown sugar
● 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
● ¼ cup of chopped walnuts (optional but highly recommended)
Cinnamon Bun Instructions
Heat milk and ¼ cup of butter until it reaches 100°F. Pour into a mixing bowl, then add yeast and combine the ingredients. Leave the mixture for 10 minutes.
Add in 3 cups of flour, ¼ cup of white sugar, and salt. Add in the egg. Stir ingredients well for 10 minutes. This is best done with an electric mixer as the dough is sticky, or use a spatula and stir by hand.
Once the dough is smooth, form a ball and put into a greased bowl and cover for 1-2 hours until the dough doubles in size.
For the cinnamon sugar filling – combine ¼ cup of brown sugar, ¼ cup of white sugar, ground cinnamon, and walnuts together.
After the dough rises, remove the dough and place onto a floured surface and roll the dough into a large rectangle (approximately 8 inches by 15 inches). Spread the remaining ¼ cup of softened butter over the dough surface and sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar filling.
Roll the dough into a large log (along the shorter side of the rectangle) about 15 inches in length. Use dental floss (recommended) or a knife to cut dough into 10-12 equal pieces.
Place the cinnamon rolls into a greased baking dish and rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F. After cinnamon rolls rise, place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through. Cool for 5 minutes after removing them from the oven.
Drizzle with icing and serve warm!
Pictured: The final product, enjoy at your own risk. Photo Courtesy of Grace Tang '21.
Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients – Combine ingredients and mix until smooth
● ½ cup of softened cream cheese (4 ounces)
● 2 tablespoons of softened butter
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
● 1 cup of powdered sugar
● 1-2 tablespoons of milk if necessary
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