What are you Baking the Week of September 24, 2023?

[Mike Nolan]

I made a batch of peanut butter cookies today and will probably make semolina bread this afternoon. (I've been hesitant to do a lot of baking until we got the fruit fly population down, we're almost there.)

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[BakerAunt]

I have been eying Roxana Jullapat's book, Mother Grains, ever since its publication in 2021. I was reluctant to spend $40 on a book without knowing if it would work with my dietary parameters, but Barnes & Noble had a reduce price and a 20% savings for members last week, so I bought it for $25.

The book arrived on Friday, and on Sunday, I baked my first recipe, "Barley Pumpkin Bread." It made an 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch loaf. I modified the recipe by reducing the sugar from 1 1/3 cups to 1 cup and the oil from ¾ cup to ½ cup and adding a tablespoon of Bob's Red Mill milk powder. I used half the salt, since the recipe called for kosher salt. I did not include the golden raisins or the optional candied fruit, since I like my pumpkin bread without add-ins. I also did not use the optional barley malt syrup topping.

I changed the mixing instructions, since for oil cakes, etc. I now like to combine the sugar with the oil first, using my hand mixer, add the rest of the wet ingredients, and then, by hand, stir in the dry ingredients. I also did not use the parchment sling to line the pan but relied on The Grease, which worked perfectly. The bread was to bake for 45 minutes at 325, but it did not test done until 57 minutes. I let it cool for 10 minutes rather than an hour before turning it out of the pan without a problem.

In comparing my bread to the cookbook picture, I note that the one in the picture is relatively flat on top, where my loaf has the usual quick bread rise. I attribute the difference to reducing the sugar. Cass always reminded me that structure suffers when the sugar outweighs the flour.

We let it cool and had a slice for dessert tonight, although it probably would have been best to wait until tomorrow. My husband and I find it has just the right amount of sweetness. I will be baking this recipe, with my changes, again.

While some of the recipes in Mother Grains are not within my dietary parameters, there are enough other interesting recipes that are, so I consider the purchase of the book worthwhile.

[Mike Nolan]

I remember looking at the index of that book and not seeing a lot of recipes that sounded interesting to me, I'll be interested to find out which ones you try and how you like them.

[BakerAunt]

I hope to work my way through at least two more of the recipes, buckwheat banana bread and spelt blueberry muffins in the next month or so. Of course, with apple and pumpkin season upon us, seasonal baking will have the greater priority.

On Monday, I made dough for my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers. We were eating them with the soup, so we went through them faster than usual.

[Mike Nolan]

I may have to try your sourdough whole wheat crackers some time. Maybe Diane will eat them.

[skeptic7]

I finally baked something in my father's new oven. A local handyman help adjust the feet so that the drawer had clearance, and I sanded the side of the drawer front to give a tiny bit more space.
Anyway Ibaked chocolate cherry bread as rolls using my KitchenAid mixer. It turned out fluffy and soft. I am finding it a lot easier to add potato flakes than the Tangzong mixture for added moisture. This was a little underkneaded, I was trying not to overknead and compensated too much.

[BakerAunt]

Congratulations on finally being able to christen the new oven, Skeptic. That sounds like a perfect recipe for doing so!

I had hoped to bake biscotti on Tuesday, but I had too many other kitchen projects. I did make Maple Granola, as we were almost out of the last batch. It is a staple here, along with the cheese crackers and whatever bread I choose to bake.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Mike,

I can vouch for BA's crackers. Kate and Violet who "do not like sourdough" (except when they do - another story) love them. I should probably start making them again. I also need to come up with a way to store my starter other than the two canning jars I have.

I made scones Sunday. I couldn't sleep and Kate had an early flight so I was up at 1:30 to make them. Since I was hoping it would help me sleep I did not make coffee before I started so I forgot the sparkling sugar on top. I also suspect my baking powder was on its last legs so I didn't have the rise I usually have.

On Monday between services Violet and I made an almond flour cookie for Yom Kippur break-fast. I screwed up the recipe but salvaged it some. I added too much confectioner's sugar. The cookies never crisped up and I suspect this might be the reason. They had an interesting flavor profile mixing cinnamon, cloves, and lemon. They will also be good for Passover since they use almond flour instead of regular flour.

Last but not least, my brother and sis-in-law have been visiting her family in Palermo. One of her cousins owns a bakery and he has been sending photos from it. I was surprised to they were using kamut and spelt (spelled "spelled"). Everything use "biga yeast" so I am guessing that means natural starter but it could be a biga with commercial yeast. AND they have gluten free options.

[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday, I baked my Lime Pecan Biscotti. My lime tree has produced a nice little crop this year, so it is time to start using them. I was surprised that the rind on these limes is rather thick.

[Joan Simpson]

I baked 2 sugar pie pumpkins yesterday and pureed them, will make a pumpkin pie soon.I also roasted the seeds and there was a lot of seeds,when they were cleaned and dry I tossed them with oil and added some chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika and garlic powder they turned out well.

[RiversideLen]

I made a dozen blueberry muffins from a Betty Crocker box mix. The mix comes with a small can of wild blueberries. It came out good.

The instructions are to drain and rinse the berries. I drained them and retained the liquid but did not rinse them. I reduced the liquid to about an ounce with the intention of using it to make a glaze. But when I tasted the reduced juice it was pretty sweet, so I decided against making a glaze with it. The glaze would be too sweet for my taste.

[Joan Simpson]

I have a question,I mistakenly picked up low fat 2 percent evaporated canned milk for the pies I will be making.Will that be OK or do you think I need regular evaporated?I've always used regular.I'm making pumpkin pies.

[Mike Nolan]

It should work just fine, that's what I always buy.

I stopped making pumpkin pie several years ago, now I do sweet potato pie. Pretty much the same recipe and spice profile but without the taste of pumpkin, which I'm not fond of.

[Joan Simpson]

Thanks Mike, I like sweet potato pie too.

[BakerAunt]

Joan--I had to use the 2% once. It did ok, but I prefer the slightly denser texture of the full-fat evaporated milk for my pumpkin pie recipe.

I needed to bake bread again on Friday, and my husband requested a repeat of my adaptation of the Chewy Rye Semolina Bread. I used 2 Tbs. of First Clear Flour in place of the wholegrain improver last time. This time, I substituted potato flour by weight. I want to see if it affects the texture.

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