What are you Baking the week of December 6, 2020?

[aaronatthedoublef]

I've made white velvet cake from the Cake Bible for my son's birthday. We had white icing. Sadly Violet was in a funk (and may even have been mad at me) and did not want to help. It was less fun but went faster.

I made scones for my family and another family whose dad was celebrating his 50th. I used the new bread flour I'd ordered from the small local place and my wife noticed the difference and did not like it. The bread flour is bolted but I have not looked up what that means yet and they do not explain it well on the site. My wife said the scones were too wheaty and less luxurious.

I made a batch of KAF potato buns for the first time. The recipe seems to not have enough liquid. By the time I added the flour and potato flakes (couldn't potato flour except on order) and dry milk the recipe is about 50% hydration. I either need to add more liquid or mix it in my mixer or both. Using my hands did not get it done so I need to do a better job mixing. They were not bun like at all and did not rise very well.

I made a batch of BAs crackers. I really like the whole wheat. I am not sure if it is because it is stone ground or because of the milling process but I can see bit of bran compared to the KAF whole wheat.

I have my sourdough loaf rising in the pans and will bake that later.

Saturday is Donut Day - a made up Jewish holiday that I started when before Violet was born and the boys were little. The first Saturday of Hanukkah is Donut Day. Now though, they want me to make them and they cannot agree on baked, yeasted, or cake. I have created a monster!

[BakerAunt]

My guess is that the bread flour, because of its gluten, would produce a less tender scone. I have substituted half whole wheat pastry flour (stone ground from Bob's Red Mill) with good results. Also, using half of the KABC Irish wholemeal flour produces a tender scone.

I stopped using KABC whole wheat flour in favor of Bob's Red Mill because the stone grinding seems to me to improve the taste. It also has those specks of bran.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I have always used bread flour or patent flour to make scones, it has just been KAF flour. This flour has about the same protein. I found this description at a site called Breadtopia. I wonder if there is more wheat germ and that is what my wife is tasting. It would make the scones less bad.

[Mike Nolan]

Bolting is the process by which they sift out larger pieces from the milled flour, usually these are bran and germ.

The term comes from the fact that they used to use cloth for this, which comes in bolts.

If you look at a picture of a Wheat Berry, you can see how a roller mill works. As the rollers get closer together, they begin to strip off most of the bran. The germ is kind of tucked into one end of the berry, so it comes off after the germ. The crease in the berry complicates matters, the reason some of the rollers have grooves in them is to help orient the berry.

In a large roller mill, bolting occurs in several places, each producing two streams, one of the finer material that passes through the bolting screen, one of coarser material that does not.

Stone ground flour can also be bolted, that's where the process originated.

The germ has most of the oil, which can develop a bitter taste. The germ also has enzymes that break down the starch into simple sugars, mostly maltose, which a newly sprouted germ uses as food. These enzymes also affect the gluten matrix. I used to add germ to several breads, but it always seemed to affect how much the dough rose, so I stopped doing it.

[rottiedogs]

Aaron - do you mean the soft dinner roll recipe from King Arthur? I make these all the time and I use potato flakes not the potato flour. I am not allowed to say no to bringing them when there is a big family gathering. Alas not a big gathering this year but I will still make them for Christmas dinner.

I make them in the bread machine and they have never failed me. You may have to add a touch more water but the dough comes out soft and smooth after the machine runs through the dough cycle. They bake up nice and fluffy. They freeze well too. They are worth another shot.

[skeptic7]

I used to use potato flakes instead of potato flour. Its the same by weight, but by volume 2 tbsp potato flour = 1/4 cup potato flakes. When I found I could get BRM potato flour easily at the store, I stopped using potato flakes; it took up less space in the freezer and was easier to measure.

[skeptic7]

I like the idea of donut day. Are there Jewish Donut recipes?

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks for the words of encouragement about the potato buns! But I won't give up. I measure by weight. It called for 43 g of potato flakes or flour. I may try them again this weekend.

There are two main ethnic groups of Jews - eastern European and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern. Latkes or potato pancakes are traditional for eastern European Jews. Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Jews have sufganiyot which are jelly doughnuts so they are a very traditional Hanukkah treat which is why I created Donut Day. Hanukkah is a great holiday that features gambling - what did you think a dreidel is? - and fried food!

Violet wants chocolate donuts which are easy. I have batter sitting in the freezer and all I need to do is let it thaw. Henry wants Spanish style yeasted donuts which would be more authentic but are much more work.

[Joan Simpson]

Aaron the Amish dinner rolls are great also from KAF.

Only baking did today was a small pan of cornbread.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday, I baked my Cinnamon Apple Barley Quick Bread to use the last two Jonathan apples. I adapted this recipe from a Bob’s Red Mill one that was gluten free. I am irritated with myself that I forgot to sprinkle the second layer of apples with the cinnamon sugar, which I only noticed after it was in the oven, although even then it would have been too late, as I had put the batter atop the apples. I sprinkled the top with red and green crystal sugar, so it made a festive presentation. I may adjust the baking powder and baking soda in the recipe, as I think the baking soda loses too much of its oomph as I am layering in the apples and cinnamon sugar.

Aaron--You might check the weight vs. volume measurement for the ingredients in that recipe. I have found in some of the KABC recipes that they must have done a formula conversion from volume, and it is not necessarily accurate. It was why the Spelt bread I made from their recipe always worked with volume but was a disaster when I used their weights. Once I weighed the volume amounts, I realized the difference was substantial. (And yes, I do stir the flour and use a spoon to put it into the measuring cup.)

[kimbob]

I made 8 loaves of stollen during the past week and a half and have enough fresh yeast for 4 more. This time I'm putting marzipan in 2 of them.
My friend knows a professional baker who makes a lot of gingerbread houses each Christmas season -- 300 last year but only 150 this year due to covid. She gave me 1.75 lbs of gingerbread dough! All I have to do is roll it out, cut out cookies, and bake. Works for me!! I love gingerbread. My nephew sent us a gluhwein kit which had big gingerbread cookies in it. I've been enjoying the heck out of them.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by kimbob.

[skeptic7]

I just did a double batch of pumpkin biscotti. I think I'll continue to make double batches in the future. I could get all the dough on one baking sheet for the first baking, and while I needed an extra small pan for some of the biscotti on the second baking, the whole batch fitted nicely in the oven. Also a double batch uses 1 cup of pumpkin puree which is easier to handle than 1/2 cup. I freeze in 2 cup containers and so one container will make a recipe of pumpkin bread and a double batch of biscotti.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron has Donut Day. I'm preparing for Saint Lucia's Day tomorrow, as a nod to my Swedish heritage. On Saturday, I experimented with my standard recipe for Lucia Buns, based on notes that I made last year. I decided that I would try them with 1/3 cup oil replacing the ½ cup of butter. (Last year, I used half butter and half oil.) I let the bread machine do the kneading. They baked well. Tomorrow we will have some with breakfast.

[cwcdesign]

On Friday I made maple pecan biscotti which came out great and the dough for today’s pizza.

This morning I made a loaf of the KABC Savory Cheese Bread which is meant to be baked in the Zo. I ran the dough cycle and baked it in the oven, much better that way

[aaronatthedoublef]

For Donut Day I made not one but two kinds of donuts to make everyone happy. I had baked chocolate donut batter in the freezer so I thawed it out and baked them. I made pate' a choux and fried that, filled them with jelly, and sprinkled them with extra fine granulated sugar.

It was fun. I used to make choux all the time but haven't made it in years. And I needed to dig out my pastry bag and tips to fill them. Lots of stuff I have not tried in forever. When we lived in Seattle Kate had several French friends and always had me make them profiteroles which was terrifying.

Keeping the oil at the right temp for frying donuts is the big challenge. I'm wondering if a sous vide would work with oil. The sweet spot seems to be between 365-375.

Friday I made sourdough sandwich bread. I tried a few different things and the bread is different. But I changed too many things at once so I do not know what had which affect. Oh well, I'll make more!

[Author]

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