What are you Baking the Week of April 25, 2021?

[Mike Nolan]

Still planning to make the Ginsberg Boston Brown Bread this afternoon.

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[chocomouse]

This morning I made Lemon Blueberry muffins with lemon streusel.

[BakerAunt]

I made another batch of my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Cracker dough on Sunday. I will bake the crackers at the end of this week.

[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I baked Wheat Oat Flax Buns, a KAF recipe from a long time ago that I have adapted by replacing the water with buttermilk and the orange juice with water. I have found it works better if I cut the AP flour by 2 Tbs. I also use a whole egg and do not brush the tops with egg white. I add 2 Tbs. special dry milk. I cut the yeast by ½ tsp., and cut the salt from 1 ½ to 1 1/8 tsp. These got slightly overbrowned at the lowest baking time. Next time, I will put them on the third rack up to bake.

I also baked a double recipe of “Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies No Butter” from Jenny Can Cook. I added 2 Tbs. Bob’s Red Mill milk powder and 2 Tbs. flax meal. I reduced the brown sugar slightly to 2/3 cup in the doubled recipe. In addition to the raisins, I added ½ cup chopped walnuts.

Note: The cookies are ok with the lesser amount of sugar, but I will go back to the full 3/4 cup for a double recipe next time I bake them.

[Italiancook]

I won't be baking bread or making pizza dough for 4-6 weeks. As I mentioned a few days ago, my stand mixer developed a problem with bread and pizza dough. The lift head jumps up and down when mixing. I called the manufacturer. Since it's under warranty, they're sending me a new one. But, it will take 4-6 weeks to arrive. Out of desperation, I asked if I could downgrade to the model below mine. That's also on backorder. The rep didn't blame the delay on the pandemic, but given all I've read about manufacturing problems during the pandemic, I'm thinking it's pandemic-related. I just hope it's here before 6 weeks.

[chocomouse]

I baked 2 loaves of buttermilk whole wheat bread.

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook--can you make the pizza dough in your food processor?

[Mike Nolan]

4-6 weeks without baking would be a challenge here, though I do have a few breads I make that require little mixing or that I knead by hand.

A food processor, a cheap mixer or bread machine from a second-hand store, maybe?

[BakerAunt]

Garage sales can also be a good source of used bread machines. Both of mine came from different sales, the first from a sale in Texas, and the second from a sale here. I keep the first one because it is small enough to travel. I think the second, a Zo, kneads more efficiently and can handle a little more dough.

[cwcdesign]

Italiancook you could use a version of Jim Leahy’s No-knead pizza dough. The one I use from Baking Steel is a version - a long ferment in the fridge. Will’s sourdough pizza dough is from Alexandra Cooks and it’s a stretch and fold method. So you you could have pizza in the meantime.

I found my food processor at an estate sale here.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, all, for your suggestions to my stand mixer dilemma. BakerAunt reminded me that I can use my food processor for pizza dough. I've used it for Vienna Bread, so I know I can do one loaf of bread in it. I was so involved with "woe unto me" that I forgot I had an option. cwcdesign, I've never before baked a no-knead pizza or bread, and you have a good idea. Thanks to both of you! Mike, I have a friend nearby who has access to a website for people giving away things for free. I probably could pick up a bread machine through the friend's contacts. Alas! I have no where to store it, so I can't look into that. But thanks for the suggestion!

BakerAunt, I took the plunge: I bought the bunny pan. It'll be my first and probably last cakelet pan, but it's too cute to pass up. KABC has it on Clearance. I don't know if that means clearance until next Easter or clearance forever, but I thought I better grab it while I can. Right now, I have no where to store it. But I have a new household ladder that I can use to clean out the shelves in the coat closet. That should net me a bunny pan space. I don't even own a bundt pan because of storage.

One or two of the reviews complained about the paws not coming out of the pan. How do you grease your bunny pan? You didn't mention a problem with the paws or ears coming out of the pan, so whatever you've used is what I want to do. Another complaint was cleaning the paws and ears, because residue is difficult to reach. So I bought the bundt pan cleaning tool they sell.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Italiancook.

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook--I use the Grease--and bless S. Wirth, who first posted the recipe, and Miss Cindy, who drew attention to it by writing effusively about it after I joined the Baking Circle.

The recipe is on this site, but let me quickly repeat it: combine equal volumes of flour, oil (I use canola), and Crisco. (Note: do not use weight.) I use my hand mixer and mix it well. I usually use 1/4 cup of each and store the leftover in a plastic take-out container that I reserve for that purpose. I use a fork to mix it up well each time before I use it. I have a silicone brush that works well for coating the wells of the pans. I also use the Grease when I make layers for cake.

I find that it helps not to let the cakes cool too long in these pans. A couple of minutes, and I invert them onto a rack. Rap the pan down, on the rack for any that initially seem to hold back.

Cleaning: First of all, do not soak the pan. It comes with a warning that prolonged soaking can damage the finish. I have soft sponge that I use to clean the pan. If there are spots that are hard to get to, I do use that tool--pointed end and the brush--to dislodge it. You can also use the tool before you get the pan wet to wash it.

I probably have far too many specialized Bundt pans, due to good sales at T.J. Maxx and Tuesday Morning over the years. I have a similar pan to this one that is ducklings. I have the seasonal Bundt pans in plastic tubs--two of Christmas, one for Thanksgiving and Halloween, and one for Valentine's and Easter. That does not even count the others, some of which I inherited from my Mom, who didn't use them but could not pass up a good deal and the idea that she COULD use them if she wished.

As my dessert options have shrunk since I eliminated almost all butter from my diet, it makes me feel good to be able to bake an oil cake in a fancy pan.

I suspect that the Bunny pan will continue to be available, but getting it on sale when you can is a good idea. I've noted that prices tend to increase from year to year. My Bunny Pan was $19,99 at T. J. Maxx after Easter. Williams Sonoma also often has good after holiday sale prices.

[Italiancook]

BakerAunt, should I store the Grease in the refrigerator or at room temperature?

Thanks for telling me not to soak the pan. That would have been my first inclination. You bought your bunny pan at a good price. I think I paid $26.00 + change, but I'm not positive. I rationalized it because I saved $12.00 plus change. My TJ Maxx never had the great things you've found there. Must be a locale situation. Not that I would have purchased a specialty pan; I just haven't seen them there at all. Thanks for letting me know that Williams-Sonoma has good sales after the holidays. I've never thought of checking them out after the holidays. I'm glad you posted the Grease recipe. It saved me the effort of searching for it. Others may also benefit from you posting it. My child had Type 1 Diabetes, so I didn't bake when he was growing up, because he couldn't eat sweets. I didn't start baking regularly until 2011, so I appreciate all the tips you all give on this site.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Italiancook.

[Mike Nolan]

I'm making semolina bread again today. We've reached the time of year when bread goes moldy a lot faster, and we've been eating a lot of breads other than the semolina bread lately (challah, pumpernickel, Boston Brown bread, etc.) so I'm probably going to cut these loaves into 3 parts rather than 2 for freezing.

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook--I keep my Grease in the pantry, but others on this site refrigerate it. I go through mine quickly, as I have been doing a lot of cakes. I do not make a huge batch at a time.

I've noticed that the Grease is not a good choice for a cake that is left in a pan, or for brownies. For those purposes, I use Crisco, as I do for loaves of bread.

Like, you, Italian Cook, I have learned A LOT from the people on this site. We have a great community of bakers and cooks.

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