What are you Baking the week of May 31, 2020?

[Mike Nolan]

No specific baking plans here yet.

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[kimbob]

Ciabatta again!

[Italiancook]

I made the linked chocolate chip cookies from allrecipe https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10813/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringContentType=Search

It calls for dissolving baking soda in 2 teaspoons hot water. I can't figure out the purpose in that. Anyone know?

This is the second time I've made this recipe. Next time, I'm just going to add in the baking soda and forget the hot water, unless someone knows that the water step is important. Thanks. I reduced the chocolate chips to 1-1/2 cups. Still plenty.

[BakerAunt]

For Sunday breakfast, I made my buttermilk wholegrain waffles (whole wheat, cornmeal, buckwheat flour; flax meal), with oil rather than butter. I had mine with maple syrup. My husband had his with honey.

[cwcdesign]

I have a loaf of pan de pie kneading in the bread machine - a variation on KAF honey oat recipe with half WWW and half the amount of yeast (I also halved the salt). We'll see how it goes.

[Mike Nolan]

If you don't dissolve the baking soda in the hot water, do you add 2 teaspoons of cold water? Otherwise, your moisture level would probably be off.

As I recall, baking soda doesn't dissolve as well in cold water.

[Italiancook]

That's a good point, Mike, about the moisture level. Next time I use this recipe, I'm going to add the baking soda dry and put in 2 teaspoons water. It's a mess trying to add the watery baking soda to the stand mixer with the beater on. Thanks for your input. Otherwise, I might have left out the water. BTW, the recipe calls for 1 cup butter. I used 3/4 cup butter with 3 tablespoons light olive oil. Can't tell -- still delicious cookies.

[Italiancook]

Probably, I'm the only one who hadn't already figured this out. But in case not, I'll post. After I switched to the KitchenAid Artisan mixer, I had problems with dry ingredients flying out of the bowl when mixer turned on. On the lowest speed, the Artisan beater moves faster than the KA I had before (the lower priced one). Plus, the bowl is wider on the Artisan. After cleaning many messes on the counter and floor, it finally dawned on me how to solve the problem. I pulse the mixer, on and off, when dry ingredients added, instead of just letting it whir. When the drys are somewhat incorporated into the wet, I turn the mixer on and let it run at the correct speed. No more messes. Manufacturer might say this is bad for the machine, but cleaning up floury messes is bad for me.

[skeptic7]

Italian Cook; I read in one cook book that old recipes used to have the baking soda dissolved in water because the baking soda used to be lumpy instead of finely ground, so the cook would dissolve the baking soda instead of risking soda lumps in the finished product.

[Mike Nolan]

There was an interesting discussion on the BBGA forum about the advantages of adding dry ingredients to wet ones rather than the other way around, the way most of us were taught to do it. Apparently dry into wet is common with some larger mixers.

It is less likely to cover the counter with flour, proponents say.

You can hold some of the liquid back until the end for adjustments.

I may try it the next time I do the Clonmel Kitchen Double Crusty Bread, because it often creates a white cloud.

[Italiancook]

skeptic, thanks for this helpful baking soda history information.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I made a double batch of Stella Parks whole wheat bread. I had an order from a friend for a loaf. This recipe is a pain because Ms. Parks is VERY adamant in the comments that this MUST be done in a 14 cup food processor and ours is 10. So I divided this up into quarters and then put it back together for its first rise. But the recipe is so loose that this is a sloppy, messy process and I am a naturally messy person so not a good combination.

I have sourdough on its first rise now and I'll make crackers tonight and bake off the sourdough tomorrow morning.

I have orders for whole wheat, English muffins, challah, and strawberry shortcake... And I didn't know I was even open for business.

I need a bigger food processor and a bigger stand mixer...

[chocomouse]

This morning I made hot dog buns, using the Beautiful Burger Bun recipe. I'll make a few changes next time. And yesterday I made my usual whole wheat sandwich bread and added the last of my Harvest Grains mix.

[Mike Nolan]

I've got a 14 cup Cuisinart, the Stella Parks recipe is messy in it, too.

I've tried several different recipes for hot dog buns, but the texture always seems to be more brittle than the commercial ones. Recently I've been using Jeffrey Hamelman's soft butter buns recipe, which makes great burger buns.

The other challenge with hot dog buns is they dry out very fast, and freezing them seems to make them more likely to break up when you slice them open and use them.

[Italiancook]

Congratulations, Aaron on all you orders. It's good to have the customers tell you you're in business. I wish you all the best. Have fun!

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