What are you Baking the Week of November 19, 2023?

[Mike Nolan]

I need to make semolina bread today.

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[chocomouse]

I made 2 loaves of Harvest Grains bread.

[BakerAunt]

I baked lime pecan biscotti on Monday. They go well with tea.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I did an unintentional experiment when making challah. My recipe calls for 2% yeast which for my 14 loaves is 75g. I thought I had a lot more yeast with me than I did which was only 17g. 17g is about .45%.

I could have driven home and picked up more (I had a new, unopened 1lb package of SAFInstant yeast) but I just decided to see what would happen (kind of stupid in hindsight considering the cost of the other ingredients). But you all have talked about the strength of modern yeast and how we use more than we need so I wanted to see what would happen.

So I mixed it all and put it in the fridge for its usual overnight rise. I gave it a couple extra hours before I came in to cut and pre-shape it.

When I came in there was some rise but definitely nothing close to normal. I then cut the dough and shaped into balls. Normally these rest to loosen up but since I go back home for the rest I refrigerate them for a couple hours. This time I left them at room temp for three hours - more rise.

Then I came back for the braiding but turned on the oven first. I let them rise at room+oven temp for about 1 hour 45 minutes.

They might be a little denser than normal but they not so anyone other than I can distinguish - an advantage I suppose of not having regular "customers".

I think if this happens again I will go grab more yeast. I realized after the fact that I was only about five minutes from a Whole Foods. But it is also nice to know I can make this work if I have to.

[Mike Nolan]

I've been told proofing IDY with just a pinch of sugar or flour improves performance. Haven't tried it.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I have cut back yeast in recipes and had the bread do fine, but I have found that cutting back too much creates a denser bread, so my experience lines up somewhat with yours. However, I usually cut back on salt as well.

I do think that a lot of modern recipes are designed for a 1-hour rise, and so more yeast is used than would be needed if someone is comfortable with allowing longer rises.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike. Thanks BA.

Mike - I used to us a pinch of sugar in my pizza dough for the yeast. I've stopped and haven't noticed a difference. That may also be partly from shifting from ADY to instant. Challah has sugar in the recipe so adding a pinch wouldn't make a difference I suspect.

BA - One of the good things of the sourdough movement is slower, longer rises. My ciabatta from Jim Lahey uses .3% yeast. The rise is refrigerated for 18 or so hours. The rise after shaping really needs two or more hours. I'm not usually that patient but I still have a good, open crumb just not huge holes (which I don't like anyway).

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I add 1/4 tsp. honey to the water in which I proof the ADY for my sourdough pan pizza. I use just 1/4 tsp. yeast to help along the sourdough, which still has a long rise.

I also proof yeast in water I have used to clean out a honey, molasses, or maple syrup jar. No waste!

I have been told by Cass that even ADY does not need to be proofed, but I feel better seeing it foam.

[skeptic7]

Just did some dinner rolls with 1/4 cup potato flakes to help it keep moist and an eggwash to give it a brown top. Its came out a little crispier on the ottom as the extra egg glaze ran over the sides of the bread to the bottom.
I mixed it the stand mixer which saved a lot of time. I think I've got the hang of this now.

[Mike Nolan]

I will be making pie crusts tonight so I can make pies tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday. I baked Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins in the morning for breakfast today and throughout the rest of the week. A quick breakfast for Thanksgiving morning is particularly desirable.

At lunch, my husband pointed out to me that we were almost out of bread. I keep underestimating how much he and the dog will devour. So, I baked Rye Semolina bread, as it will go well with turkey sandwiches on the days after Thanksgiving.

Due to the need to bake bread, baking a pumpkin pie has been bumped to this evening.

[chocomouse]

This morning I made several mini-breads using some of my candied orange peel, coconut, and frozen mango chunks. I have not tasted yet, but most of one loaf is gone, so I guess my husband thinks they're OK.

[Mike Nolan]

I made a sweet potato pie today, and will make a cherry pie either later tonight or tomorrow, depending on when the cherries are defrosted enough.

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[RiversideLen]

That looks good, Mike. I haven't had sweet potato pie in a long time.

Last night I made an apple pie. I used a refrigerated Pilsbury pie crust, the kind that comes rolled up. 2 pounds of Honeycrisp apples, seasoned with some cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, a little granulated and brown sugars. Flour as the thickener. For the topping I used a half cup of rolled oats, 1/4 cup of AP flour, a cup of chopped pecans, half cup of brown sugar, a pinch of the same spices used in the pie, and 1/3 cup of walnut oil. I baked it at 375f on a preheated pizza stone set on the lowest oven rack, on a sheet of parchment in case of any spill over, loosely covered with a sheet of aluminum foil for most of the baking time. The bottom of the crust is perfectly browned, I'm very happy with how it turned out.

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[Mike Nolan]

I also made a cherry pie last night. If it looks a bit 'loose', that's because it was baked in my non-stick metal pan then transferred to the glass one for cutting and serving, since I don't want the non-stick metal pan scratched. The glass pan is apparently just a bit wider.

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