The Good Life Breakfast
Little things gives lot of joy. One of them is starting the day with a relaxed breakfast and a good cup of coffee, or tea if you prefer.
This breakfast doesn't take much time to make in the morning for most of it you can do the day before or even days before if you have a freezer. I made the bread several days before and put it in the freezer when it was cooled down. Just thaw when you need it by putting it in the fridge the evening before. The infused water I made the day before and only the toast and the eggs I made in the morning.
This breakfast doesn't take much time to make in the morning for most of it you can do the day before or even days before if you have a freezer. I made the bread several days before and put it in the freezer when it was cooled down. Just thaw when you need it by putting it in the fridge the evening before. The infused water I made the day before and only the toast and the eggs I made in the morning.
Making Syrup
For this breakfast you need some syrups, you can buy them but they are easily made. I made ginger syrup and lavender syrup.
For the ginger syrup you need
200 gr. Sugar
100 ml. Water
Some fresh ginger, I used about 50 gr, shredded one part of it and cut the other part in tiny pieces.
For the lavender syrup you need
200 gr sugar
100 ml water
1/3 cup dried lavender
Tool: a tick bottomed pan, wooden spoon, measuring cup, glass bottles, knife, tbsp, sieve and a scale.
WARNING: BOILING SUGAR WATER IS EXTREMELY HOT. It gives very nasty burns, do not make it when little children are around! Better be save then sorry!
Both syrups are made the same way:
Put ingredients and water together in a pan with a thick bottom, bring it to boil while stirring. As soon as it boils the sugar water starts foaming and comes up. Take the pan quickly of the heat source (still keep stirring) and wait till the foam goes down. Put the sugar water back on the heat source and repeat this step 3 times. Then turn of the heat source and let completely cool down. When cooled down pour the syrup through a sieve. You can keep the ginger for something else or use it, as I did, to get a more pronounced ginger taste of the lemon water. Throw away the lavender and store both syrups in a bottle. You can keep the syrups for a few weeks in you fridge.
I used the ginger syrup for the sugar bread and the lavender syrup and ginger syrup for the lemon water.
For the ginger syrup you need
200 gr. Sugar
100 ml. Water
Some fresh ginger, I used about 50 gr, shredded one part of it and cut the other part in tiny pieces.
For the lavender syrup you need
200 gr sugar
100 ml water
1/3 cup dried lavender
Tool: a tick bottomed pan, wooden spoon, measuring cup, glass bottles, knife, tbsp, sieve and a scale.
WARNING: BOILING SUGAR WATER IS EXTREMELY HOT. It gives very nasty burns, do not make it when little children are around! Better be save then sorry!
Both syrups are made the same way:
Put ingredients and water together in a pan with a thick bottom, bring it to boil while stirring. As soon as it boils the sugar water starts foaming and comes up. Take the pan quickly of the heat source (still keep stirring) and wait till the foam goes down. Put the sugar water back on the heat source and repeat this step 3 times. Then turn of the heat source and let completely cool down. When cooled down pour the syrup through a sieve. You can keep the ginger for something else or use it, as I did, to get a more pronounced ginger taste of the lemon water. Throw away the lavender and store both syrups in a bottle. You can keep the syrups for a few weeks in you fridge.
I used the ginger syrup for the sugar bread and the lavender syrup and ginger syrup for the lemon water.
Making Crumbled Sugar
For the sugar bread I needed crumbled sugar, if you can get sugar pearls they are even better! For the crumbled sugar you need:
1 tsp cinnamon
200 gr. Sugar
Just a little bit of water
Tools: bowl, tray, scale, spoon and airtight container.
Mix the cinnamon with the sugar and spread the mix on a large tray. Sprinkle some water over it and stir till you get little sugar lumps. Let the lumps completely dry. When dry store in an airtight container till you make the sugar bread.
1 tsp cinnamon
200 gr. Sugar
Just a little bit of water
Tools: bowl, tray, scale, spoon and airtight container.
Mix the cinnamon with the sugar and spread the mix on a large tray. Sprinkle some water over it and stir till you get little sugar lumps. Let the lumps completely dry. When dry store in an airtight container till you make the sugar bread.
Making Sugar Bread
In the country were I come from we have different kind of sugar breads but the most tasty one is the Frisian sugar bread. Living abroad sometimes makes you longing for food you use to have when living in your homeland and which you can't buy in the country you live in now. Because of all the bread recipes I read, suddenly I longed for sugar bread. So I decide to bake one for breakfast.
What you need for sugar bread:
450 gr bread flour
200 ml milk
10 gr yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp ginger syrup
50 gr melted real butter
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
Extra butter for the bread pan size 14x25 cm
Tools: bread pan, bowls, tsp, tbsp, scale, towel, a food cover, wish, wooden spoon and your hands.
Heat the milk till 40 degrees Celsius, stir in the yeast, 2tbsp sugar and set aside for 10 minutes. The yeast should be foamy after 10 minutes. If not do not use it and start again. Maybe the milk was to cold or to hot or your yeast to old.
Meanwhile whisk the egg with some water.
After 10 minutes, take the yeast solution and pour in 2/3 of the egg (keep 1/3 for the top of the bread for finishing before baking) 3 tbsp ginger syrup, cinnamon and the melted butter and set aside.
Mix bread flour and salt.
Mix the bread flour mix an yeast mix together and knead into a smooth dough. Do not over or under knead the dough, the dough is right when it behaves like elastic and springs back when pressed with your finger. Put the dough in a greased bowl and let rise under a damp cloth at a warm spot for an hour.
Take a bread pan, grease it with some butter and pour in some sugar lumps.
After an hour, take the dough and stretch it to a rectangle not wider than the bread pan. Cover the dough with sugar lumps and roll up. Put the roll in the bread pan, cover with a food cover and a damp cloth again and let it rise for two hours. I use a food cover so the dough can rise freely and avoid the dough will stick to the damp cloth.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Take the risen bread en brush the egg on it, then sprinkle some sugar lumps over it.
Place the bread in the middle of the oven and bake for 30/35 minutes till done. You can easily check if your bread is ready, if you knock on it with a wooden spoon and you hear a hollow sound your bread is ready.
As you can see further on in the pictures I also made roasted toast. For the toast I used the perfect recipe Easy Amazing White Bread Recipe by In The Kitchen With Matt. https://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Amazing-White-Bread-Recipe/ Not only delicious just as bread but also perfect for the toaster, thank you Matt.
What you need for sugar bread:
450 gr bread flour
200 ml milk
10 gr yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp ginger syrup
50 gr melted real butter
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
Extra butter for the bread pan size 14x25 cm
Tools: bread pan, bowls, tsp, tbsp, scale, towel, a food cover, wish, wooden spoon and your hands.
Heat the milk till 40 degrees Celsius, stir in the yeast, 2tbsp sugar and set aside for 10 minutes. The yeast should be foamy after 10 minutes. If not do not use it and start again. Maybe the milk was to cold or to hot or your yeast to old.
Meanwhile whisk the egg with some water.
After 10 minutes, take the yeast solution and pour in 2/3 of the egg (keep 1/3 for the top of the bread for finishing before baking) 3 tbsp ginger syrup, cinnamon and the melted butter and set aside.
Mix bread flour and salt.
Mix the bread flour mix an yeast mix together and knead into a smooth dough. Do not over or under knead the dough, the dough is right when it behaves like elastic and springs back when pressed with your finger. Put the dough in a greased bowl and let rise under a damp cloth at a warm spot for an hour.
Take a bread pan, grease it with some butter and pour in some sugar lumps.
After an hour, take the dough and stretch it to a rectangle not wider than the bread pan. Cover the dough with sugar lumps and roll up. Put the roll in the bread pan, cover with a food cover and a damp cloth again and let it rise for two hours. I use a food cover so the dough can rise freely and avoid the dough will stick to the damp cloth.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Take the risen bread en brush the egg on it, then sprinkle some sugar lumps over it.
Place the bread in the middle of the oven and bake for 30/35 minutes till done. You can easily check if your bread is ready, if you knock on it with a wooden spoon and you hear a hollow sound your bread is ready.
As you can see further on in the pictures I also made roasted toast. For the toast I used the perfect recipe Easy Amazing White Bread Recipe by In The Kitchen With Matt. https://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Amazing-White-Bread-Recipe/ Not only delicious just as bread but also perfect for the toaster, thank you Matt.
Infused Lemon/mint Water With a Hint of Ginger and Lavender
You need:
1 lemon
2 sprigs of mint
Ginger syrup
Lavender syrup
1 bottle water, you can use tap water if your tap water is save to drink.
Optional
Ginger (the one you used for the syrup, I used the extra ginger because I like a stronger tast of ginger)
Stevia or other sweetener if desired.
Tools: cutting mat, brush, knife and pitcher.
Clean one lemon with a brush under lukewarm water, dry and cut in slices, thrown away the outer slices.
Wash the mint and pull the leaves of one sprig, keep the other one in the fridge till breakfast for decoration.
Put lemon slices and mint leaves in a pitcher and top up with water.
Let rest over night.
Just for breakfast bring up to tast with some ginger syrup (and extra ginger) and a few drops of lavender syrup. Be careful with the lavender syrup for it has a strong taste. I used 3 tbsp of ginger syrup and 2 tsp of lavender syrup.
Serve with ice cubes.
1 lemon
2 sprigs of mint
Ginger syrup
Lavender syrup
1 bottle water, you can use tap water if your tap water is save to drink.
Optional
Ginger (the one you used for the syrup, I used the extra ginger because I like a stronger tast of ginger)
Stevia or other sweetener if desired.
Tools: cutting mat, brush, knife and pitcher.
Clean one lemon with a brush under lukewarm water, dry and cut in slices, thrown away the outer slices.
Wash the mint and pull the leaves of one sprig, keep the other one in the fridge till breakfast for decoration.
Put lemon slices and mint leaves in a pitcher and top up with water.
Let rest over night.
Just for breakfast bring up to tast with some ginger syrup (and extra ginger) and a few drops of lavender syrup. Be careful with the lavender syrup for it has a strong taste. I used 3 tbsp of ginger syrup and 2 tsp of lavender syrup.
Serve with ice cubes.
Oven Fried Sunny Side Up Eggs
For this you need (for 2 persons):
1 banana leave
2 eggs
2 slices smoked ham
Some slices tomato
Some slices red and green pepper bell
Salt and pepper
Tools: 2 small round aluminum trays, knife and spatula
Preheat the oven till 200 degrees Celsius
Clean the banana leave with a damp cloth
Cover the aluminum tray with banana leave, you do not need grease
Place the ham on the leave
Carefully break the egg above the ham, do not damage the yolk
Place some pepper bell and tomato around the egg
Fried for 10/15 minutes (or longer for a firm yolk) in the oven
Remove the eggs from the aluminum trays with a spatula
1 banana leave
2 eggs
2 slices smoked ham
Some slices tomato
Some slices red and green pepper bell
Salt and pepper
Tools: 2 small round aluminum trays, knife and spatula
Preheat the oven till 200 degrees Celsius
Clean the banana leave with a damp cloth
Cover the aluminum tray with banana leave, you do not need grease
Place the ham on the leave
Carefully break the egg above the ham, do not damage the yolk
Place some pepper bell and tomato around the egg
Fried for 10/15 minutes (or longer for a firm yolk) in the oven
Remove the eggs from the aluminum trays with a spatula
Time for Breakfast
Cover the table with your finest tablecloth. Put your dishes on the table, I served on the leaf sheath of the Christmas palm, fill the glass, serve some fruit, have some, or a lot, coffee and enjoy life.