Bread Nuggets

I remember before the Christmas' holidays started, the weather in many European countries were very bad. Everyone told me how many hours or even a day they got stuck at the airports, or how worry they were as their plan for vacation might be cancelled anytime.

After we came back, the people told me that they had so much fun during the holidays, even their bone got frozen in the snow.

We are well adapted, aren't we?!

These bread nuggets are very adaptable also. You can add hard cheese or herb to vary the flavor, or make them long like breadsticks, or bake a longer time for crunchy interior.

Recipe for basic bread stick/nugget

(yield 40 nuggets)

• 300 g flour (for bread)
• 5.5 g dry yeast
• 3 slices of wrapped cheese (e.g Kraft American cheese), soften in room temp
• 1 egg (whisk, but spoon out a bit for eggwash)
• 100 ml milk, lukewarm
• 25 ml water (add little bit more or less according to the dough's consistency)
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 Tbp of sugar
• (optional: coarse salt, or dry herbs, or grate hard cheese for topping)

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, dry yeast, the cheese, the milk, the water, the egg, the salt and the sugar until a dough is formed. Knead the dough on the work surface until it's smooth and elastic. The dough shouldn't be too wet.
2. Pre-grease a large bowl and place the dough inside, cover with a plastic wrap. Rest the dough in the fridge for half-day or overnight.
3. In a room temp of 25 - 27C, take the dough out and knead it a few minutes. Divide it into 8 equal portions. Roll each one to a long log (the same length as your large baking pan). Remember to let the dough rest 3 or 4 times (cover) during rolling, so that the gluten can relax and you will find shaping much more easier.
4. Line the baking pan with a baking paper, place the eight logs on the pan, use a scissor to cut each one to 5 equal pieces. Cover, and let them rest for 10 minutes while the oven is pre-heating to 170C.
5. Eggwash (a bit of egg + a bit of water) the dough, sprinkle coarse salt or other topping of your liking, bake the nuggets for 15 minutes or until they're golden brown. Loosely cover with a piece of foil if they turn brown too soon.

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