Japanese fluffy pancakes

For ➌-➍ pancakes
2 eggs
18 cl buttermilk
½ ts vanilla
¼ ts salt
60 g flour
1 ts of yeast
¼ ts baking soda (or baking powder)
2 tbs vegetable oil
maple syrup

Put the eggs, buttermilk, sugar, vanilla and salt in a blender and mix at low speed for a few s.
Add flour, yeast and baking soda. Continue mixing for 15/20 s.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and spread the vegetable oil inside a crown mold*.
Pour the remaining oil into the pan and place the pan in the center.
Heat for a few m before pouring the pancake dough halfway up the pan.
Cook until bubbles form at the top of the pancake.
Use a spatula to gently flip it over and cook for another 3 m.**
Serve (with maple syrup if wanted. Or ice cream. Or put some butter on top before dripping the syrup].

*Make the form yourself: cut a thin sheet of cardboard into two long strips about 4 cm wide and 31 cm long. Do the same with parchment paper. Then staple the parchment paper onto the cardboard, form it into a circle shape, and staple it closed (with the parchment paper on the inside).
**Another method suggests cooking over really low heat, covering the pan with a lid, and slowly cooking for 20 m. When bubbles appear, flip over, put the lid on aigain and cook for 20 m more m.

Read about the Japanese cotton soft cheesecake.

El pagnon boregne (Borinage sugar cake)

For ➑
300 g flour
100 g butter
30 g of fresh yeast
2 eggs
pinch of salt
2 tbs granulated sugar
150 g blonde caster sugar
black coffee

Crumble the yeast in 20 cl warm water and stir vigorously. Melt the butter in the microwave.
Whisk the eggs.
Put the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour it in the melted butter, beaten egg, granulated sugar and the dissolved yeast. Mix together with a whisk into a homogeneous dough. Add salt and mix again.
Form a ball of dough and let rise for 1.5 h in a warm place.
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.
Brush the tin with butter and pour the dough in it. Let it rise for 30 m.
Make holes in the dough with your fingers, without touching the bottom. Spread the caster sugar over the dough, avoiding the edge.
Sprinkle with coffee, spread some in the holes as well.. Put in preheated oven and bake for 35 m.
Serve warm or cooled, with black coffee.

In the North of France and in the Belgian region of the Borinage, tartes au sucre (sugar cakes) are very popular as a simple and inexpensive dessert. In the Borinage and Mons this pagnon (argot for 'compagnon', French for 'company', is a traditional treat.
It is made with cassonade, a blonde or brown rough sugar, that is used in several Belgian desserts and cookies, such as speculaas and spread over pancakes, bread, strawberries... The best known is the Graeffe brand, founded in Brussels in 1848.

Pâte levée

For ➊ tart
200 g flour
1 egg yolk
1 pinch of salt
1 tbs sugar
15 g yeast
10 cl milk
30 g butter, all at room temperature

Mix all ingredients into a large ball. Cover, and let the yeast do its work for 20-30 m at room temperature.

Roll out and line a buttered pan with the dough. Prick some holes with a fork. Leave to work for 10 m before adding filling.

A light dough using yeast to leaven the pastry for a lighter crust. It is used in the North of France for pies.
Use f.i. in Belgian rice tart.

Pizza bianco (white pizza)

For ➋
300 g all-purpose flour
1 ts salt
¾ ts sugar
1 ts instant dry yeast
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
25 cl water
some cornmeal

Mix flour, ½ ts each of salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer, and slowly add 25 cl of cold water. Mix on low speed until ingredients begin to combine, increase speed to medium-high, and continue to mix for about 10 m until the dough is smooth, elastic, and cleanly pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, and allow to rest for 2 to 4 h until it has doubled in size. Split the dough into halves, and form each into a log. Place each log on a generously floured surface, and allow it to rest until the formed dough doubles in size again, at least 1 h.
Put dough on a lightly floured baker’s peel. Dimple dough by pressing it down with your fingertips. Work the dough outward toward the edges of the peel until you reach your desired size and thickness, about 5 mm. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, rosemary and sprinkle with remaining salt.
Put a baking plate, with holes or some undulation relief in it, to allow hot air to spread under the dough, in the lower part of the oven. Set oven to broil, about 270°C (or as warm as you can get). Slide pizza onto the plate with the back of a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake until the bubbles range from golden to deep brown in color, 10 to 12 m. Serve with some salad or eat lukewarm with a tasty glass of summer wine.

This, in fact, is a variation on the traditional Tuscan schiacciatta or flat bread, which often is rather sweet and served as a dessert or sweet-bread such as schiacciata con l'uva or even a sweet cake such as schiacciata alla Fiorentina, but it is popular in the USA by this, slightly misleading, name.
There are more complicated, and more Italian-like, recipes for pizza bianco, making a white stuffing with cheese. Pizza bianca uses no tomato sauce, often substituting pesto or dairy products such as sour cream. On the East Coast of the USA, the toppings may consist of mozzarella and ricotta cheese drizzled with olive oil and spices like fresh basil and garlic. In Rome, the term pizza bianca refers to a type of bread topped with olive oil, salt and, occasionally, rosemary leaves. Or even with summer figs.
Instead of figs, use tomatoes and basil to add some colour to this appetizer.

Schiacciata con l'uva (Etruscan grape-filled bread)

For ➏
1 kg blue grapes (or blueberries)
500 g flour
1 package dry yeast
100 g sugar
4 tbs olive oil
1 branch rosemary
25 cl warm water
honey
grape juice

Heat the rosemary branch in olive oil. Let it cool.
Dissolve the yeast in 25 cl of warm water.
Place the flour in a large bowl. Pour yeast mixture into the center and stir.
Remove the rosemary from the oil. Add the cooled oil to the dough.
Add 4 tbs of sugar and knead until smooth, for 10 m.
Put in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and divide in half.
Roll out half of the dough to fit in a round or rectangular pan.
Cover with half the grapes, removed from their stems.
Sprinkle with half the remaining sugar and drizzle with olive oil.
Roll out the other half of the dough to fit. Cover the grapes, sealing the edges with the bottom layer of dough. Push down to crush the grapes. Cover top layer of dough with remaining grapes and repeat the process. Sprinkle with sugar, drizzle with olive oil, and crush the grapes.
Sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with olive oil. For an Etruscan touch, drizzle with honey.
Bake at 180°C until golden. Baste with some grape juice while it's baking. Bake for 45 m.

Nowadays, this is traditionally served as a dessert bread, or a nice comfort bread, and some special treat during the Tuscany wine harvest season. As is often the case in Tuscany, it is said to have already been popular with the Etruscans, well known for their lust of life. Schiacciata comes from the Italian verb 'schiacciare' meaning 'flattened' or 'crushed'. The recipe is related to the American pizza bianco and to the schiacciata alla Fiorentina.
Image shows dancing Etruscans with a wine flask on a tomb wall in Tarquinia.
Read more on 'Etruscan' food: Etruscan tuna fish.

A savoury cake with ham, mustard & lager

For ➏
3 eggs
150 g flour with yeast (or self-raising flour)
10 cl sunflower oil
12,5 cl milk
100 g grated Gruyère
150 g boiled or baked white ham
50 g Cheddar*
1 ts mustard**
5 cl lager beer**
salt & freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Get eggs out of the fridge.

Cut ham and Cheddar in chunks.

Add mustard, beer, salt and pepper. Leave for 30 m.

Heat milk. Let cool a bit.

In a salad bowl, whip the eggs. Incorporate flour. Gradually add oil, then the milk.

Add the Gruyère. Mix in the ham and Cheddar* mix.

Pour in a non-greased cake mould. Put in the oven for 45 m.

Serve warm or cold with a green salad. Drink a cold lager** with it. Or present small slices as appetizers.

*Use a semi-firm Belgian cheese, like Chimay instead.
**Use a good Belgian blond beer, and tasty Belgian mustard.

Green tea cake

For ➏
175 g soft butter
125 g sugar
3 eggs
250 g flour with yeast
100 g ground almonds
5 cl milk
2 ts matcha green tea powder

Preheat oven to 180°C. In a salad bowl, mix soft butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix. Add the flour and mix. Add the almond powder and mix. Heat milk without boiling, infuse the green tea for 3 m. Add this mixture to the paste and mix. Pour in a cake mould, smooth surface and put in oven. Bake for 15 m at 180°C. Bake for 40 m at 160°C.

Darjeeling tea cake

For ➍
120 g salted butter*
100 g sugar
2 eggs
150 g flour**
1 packet of yeast**
5 cl milk
1 bag/1½ ts of Darjeeling tea***

Take eggs and butter out of the fridge 1 h before preparation.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Beat butter and sugar until white. Add eggs. Mix. Add flour, yeast, milk and broken tea leaves. Stir until smooth.

Pour into cake mold. Bake for 40-50 m.

Serve at room temperature with a cup of tea.

*Mix some ½ ts salt through the butter .
**Use self-rasing flour instead of yeast. Heat milk and let tea brew for 5 m. Pour in milk and broken leaves.
***Use (bergamot perfumed) Earl Grey black tea for a more citrus like aroma. Always use a good quality black tea.

Overijsese plattekaastaart (Belgian cheesecake)

For ➑
20 g yeast
15 cl milk
1 egg, beaten
250 g flour, sifted
50 g butter, softened or melted
4 sweet apples, peeled & sliced*
100 g sugar
250 g cream cheese**
2 egg yolks
vanilla sugar
50 g speculaas***
25 g almonds, shaved
3 tbs cream
salt

Mix yeast with milk. Knead with flour, butter, egg and butter into dough. Cover with a wet towel and let rise for 1 h.

Put sliced apples in a skillet, add a few spoons of water and cook. Add 25 g sugar and let cool.*

Mix cheese**, 75 g sugar, egg yolks, vanilla sugar, almonds, speculaas***, cream and a pinch of salt until creamy.

Butter a cake tin, and cover with the dough. Let rise for 45 m.

Preheat oven to 225°C.

Cover the bottom of the dough with apples*. Pour in the mixture. Bake for 30 m or until golden brown. Let it cool.

Serve with a white beer or a half-sweet white wine.

*A variation can be made with rhubarb.

**Use a low-fat cheese instead.
***Speculaas are Belgian candy cookies. Subsitute with bitter-tasting cookies.

This recipe for plattekaastaart comes from a small village near Brussels, Overijse.