What are you Baking the Week of January 24, 2021?

[Mike Nolan]

I'm thinking of making bagels today.

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[BakerAunt]

On Sunday, I baked the Apricot Oatmeal Bars recipe found at Nebraska Kitchen, but I used fig preserves, as the fruit spread. The jar held about 12 oz., and it was thick, so I used it all. It is from Italy, and I had bought it at T. J. Maxx a long time ago, intending to use it as a spread for a walnut scone recipe I planned to try, back before I had to give up most butter. As usual, I cut the brown sugar in the oat-flour recipe to ½ cup and halved the salt. I used up the rest of my white whole wheat flour in place of most of the AP flour. I used some of the cherry fruit juice my husband drinks instead of cranberry juice in the oat-flour mixture. These are delicious, rather like an upscale fig newton but without as much sugar and with better crust.

I am forever grateful to S. Wirth for calling our attention to that recipe for Apricot Oatmeal Bars. I have baked it so many times with various kinds of jams, and it always hits the spot.

[aaronatthedoublef]

BA, the apricot oatmeal bars sound good. I have to find the recipe. It might be something I can make my kids instead of the store bought bars.

I made snickerdoodles with Violet for one of her friend's birthdays. This friend's family are bakers and have left us treats a few times so it will be nice to return the favor. They are from Duff's book. We made two batches because the first did not come out right. Duff says to chill the dough before using but that led to 1) the cinnamon sugar not sticking and 2) the cookies not spreading but staying in balls. I also think our measurements were off in the first batch as my scale appears to be wonky when it's next to the stand mixer mixing. Any way the second batch came out very nice. I am not sure how they tasted because one of the boys ate TWO (not one) so there were no extra cookies to test. My son has lost his kitchen privileges!

I made more sourdough bread and rolls. My shaping is coming nicely but my rolls were higher and I wanted them wider. But they are more consistent.

This morning I made BA's crackers. I used some fancy sea salt with lemon my wife gave but I don't taste any difference. I also mixed in some garlic, oregano, and cayenne pepper.

[cwcdesign]

Aaron, can you share what you are doing that is improving your shaping? I know its an age old problem, but I was wondering if you had any words of advice for Will.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I've been doing some of what I did in the bakery. I only worked for about a month and decided to try some of the things I was doing there.

I've also added a boule-shaped rise before I do the final shape and that seems to help.

There is a technique I started doing with my bench knife (scraper) where I push the dough towards my opposite hand then give it a quarter turn, then push... I'm not good or fast but I'll get better with practice.

For pan loaves I flatten the boule, then fold the two sides into the center, then roll it away from me while pulling towards me to tighten the loaf.

The thing that works for me is to create surface tension.

BA - can you point me to the apricot-oatmeal bars?

[cwcdesign]

thanks, Aaron! I'll pass the info along

[BakerAunt]

Here you go Arron:

Apricot Oatmeal Bars by hickeyja

Usually, with my jam, the bar cookies are too soft to be picked up by hand, but this time, we could do it, maybe due to the thickness of the preserves.

I bake it in a glass baking dish, just below the oven center for 30 minutes or so. Be sure to spray the pan. It is best to use the quick oats rather than the old fashioned for this recipe.

[Joan Simpson]

I baked the KAf Sandwich Rye Bread today and it really turned out well.I was skeptical because my rye had been in freezer a long time and caraway seeds were old.I went by recipe except didn't add dill seeds(I didn't have any) and I used spicy brown mustard with the dill pickle juice.I mixed as said then waited 30 minutes to absorb then knead it well.I placed in a 9x5 pan.It had a good rise and was so tender but cut so easy.I had a piece with butter to try,then had a ham sandwich on some.

[RiversideLen]

I made brownies from a box mix with many changes. I had a container of buttermilk I needed to use up so instead of water, I used it. I also subbed half of the oil called for with buttermilk. Then I added a half cup of old fashioned oats and an equal amount of buttermilk (I used up the buttermilk!). Finally, I added in some dried fruit mix I had from KAF. It baked nicely. They are not very fudgey, more cake like, (because of the oats) but I like them like this.

I also made my sandwich buns, half with dried onion topping and half with sesame seeds.

[BakerAunt]

Your bread sounds so good, Joan.

Aaron--in case you want the homemade fig newton recipe as well, here is Deb Perelman's adaptation of Stella Parks' recipe:

fig newtons

For me, the butter in the recipe is prohibitive, but I am tempted to make the filling and to try it on the oat bar recipe.

[Italiancook]

Joan, I'm going to try the KAF Sandwich Rye Bread. I like their Classic Sandwich Bread recipe you recommended. My husband has been asking for a softer rye bread for roast beef sandwiches. I don't have the pumpernickel or potato flours called for in the recipe, but I'll order them. So the bread is a ways off. I also don't have dill seeds. I assume I can buy them at Walmart. My Walmart has the best spice aisle in the area.

[Mike Nolan]

Keep in mind dill seed, dill weed and fresh dill are not quite the same things, though they have similar flavor profiles. Dill seed is just the seeds, dill weed is seeds plus leaves and stems, both are generally dried. Fresh dill is immature dill weed.

The seed is more pungent and works better in something that is cooked for a long time, like a bread. Dill weed can get bitter if cooked too long. Fresh dill is very volatile and should usually be added to a dish towards the end of cooking, if not afterwards.

[chocomouse]

Joan, that rye recipe is my favorite for basic sandwich rye bread. I now sub dill pickle juice for the liquid in most all of my rye breads. I think it contributes to the flavor and also helps the rise. I sometimes use pumpernickel flour, but a medium or dark rye works fine too. And I always substitute instant potatoes for potato flour.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks for the recipes and tips BA. I'll have to buy some quick oats as we only have old fashioned. But it looks good. I may try the Stella Parks fig newtons as well.

[BakerAunt]

Enjoy, Aaron (and family)!

With snow and sleet outside on Tuesday morning, I decided to bake my Trail Cookies recipe. I reduced the brown sugar from ¾ to 2/3 cup. I kept my molasses and ginger substitution. One reason that I chose this recipe to bake today is because it uses regular whole wheat flour. I am out of the white whole wheat I use for my other cookies, but I have ordered more from King Arthur, and applying a $10 coupon helped lower the price. I adapted this recipe from the Bob's Red Mill Oregon Trail Cookies. I replaced the flax seeds with a tablespoon of flax meal and added 2 Tbs. sunflower seeds. These are hearty cookies, and my husband does not scarf them as fast as some of the others I bake, and the recipe produced 27.

The afternoon schedule includes baking my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers (aka Bakeraunt's Crackers) from dough I made up last week.

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