Delectable Dough Balls
For me, a daily non-negotiable is dinner with my family. And let me tell you, this is not an easy thing to achieve. All three of us have profoundly busy lives. But I seem to find that being busy brings a balmy feeling. It keeps an idle mind at bay.
So when all of us arrive at home in a spent heap, that warmth has somewhat vanished. But that’s what’s so great about my family. When something is absent, we make it ourselves. But in a hot country like Singapore, a nice fire burning in a fireplace doesn’t do the trick. And we aren’t looking for heat anyway.
How do I kindle that spirit in our bodies? Well I’m glad you asked. It all comes down to one of the most basic human needs. Nutrition. While my husband and daughter have been busy writing reports and tumbling at gymnastics, respectively, I’ve been no less busy, working wonders in the kitchen.
All foods are delectable, but our ultimate comfort foods are some dough balls with tomato soup. You simply cannot beat the literal and figurative warmth the soup brings, and there’s no way to find fault with these adorable dough balls.
Ingredients -
Dough balls- 450 gms plain white flour
1 level table spoon dried yeast 300ml warm water/ use as per requirement
6 table spoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Garlic butter-
100gms butter
2 cloves of garlic minced
Salt, pepper as per taste
Fresh parsley finely chopped
Method
1. In a large bowl , mix together the flour, yeast & salt and stir thoroughly to combine evenly.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the water slowly with 5 tablespoons of the oil. Stir with a spoon, adding more water if needed until the dough comes together.
3. Then turn out on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
4. Do not overknead it. You want to keep the dough fairly moist.
5. Place the kneaded dough in a large bowl lightly greased with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a cling film. Keep a napkin below and above and leave to prove in a warm corner for about 60 to 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
6. Once the dough has doubled in size turn it out again onto a floured surface and knead again for a couple of minutes.
7. Cut the dough in half and continue cutting in halves until you have 32 equal pieces.
8. Shape them into little balls and place on a flat baking tray lined with baking paper.
9. Cover again with oiled cling film and place to prove for another 30 minutes.
10. After 30 minutes brush the top of each dough ball with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt.
11. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown at 190 degree C on the middle rack.
12. For the golden top , I like to keep the dough balls an extra 3 minutes on the top rack.
13. For the garlic butter , soften the butter and mix it with minced garlic, salt, pepper and parsley.
14. Serve dough balls warm with garlic butter.
