Despite doing a science degree at university (or maybe because of it), I find regular moments of magic in cooking.
Egg whites stiffening into peaks, eggs and oil transforming themselves into mayonnaise, sugar melting into caramel – these things bring me genuine, uncomplicated pleasure.
Watching pita breads blowing themselves up like little balloons through the glass door of the oven is another one.
Chapatis are such an easy and satisfying thing to make, and so much better than the ones you buy. I make up the dough while my curry is simmering, then cook the chapatis when it’s almost ready to serve.
A basic chapati is made with just two ingredients – flour and enough water to turn it into a dough. I prefer to add a pinch of salt to the flour, and use milk instead of water, which produces a softer chapati. I also work a bit of oil into the dough while I’m kneading it to make the dough more pliable.
Baking the ultimate loaf of bread is an ongoing quest – and something I am a long way from attaining. Mostly, I make sourdough loaves, with varying degrees of success, depending on how long I’ve neglected my starter for. When I opt for the (relatively) instant gratification of a yeasted loaf, this Finnish rye bread (or ruisreikäleipä) is one I often go for. Continue reading
