[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike. I'm trying to figure out how to add starter to my formula. I'm still not sure about how much of a percentage of the whole it should be.

Google and Microsoft (and others too, probably) both host online forms that can link in their spreadsheets. I don't know how easy it would be to pull that into the BBGA website but that would be a neat way to go. Build a form that queries you for ingredients and percentages and then fills in the recipe in the right format.

But the BBGA is tech challenged and not great about taking members up on their offers of assistance, I think.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike. I appreciate it.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike. I figured this had to exist. I was building it myself to push my Excel skills.

Skeptic, we use pasta sauce for pizza, omelettes, and even pasta.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike.

I really like baker's math. It makes scaling easier, especially if I can automate it in a spreadsheet. I can just put in a number for the flour and everything adjusts itself and I can see how much dough I'll have at the end. I adjusted my formula for challah until it would yield four loaves and I had a little over four loaves!

Also, measuring by weight reduces the amount of things to wash after making something.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks BA!

I just mixed up ciabatta. I'll use some for pizza tonight.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Can I use baker's math for everything? For example, now that I've converted my shortbread to weights from volume can I measure all ingredients as a percentage of the flour for scaling the recipe up or down?

[aaronatthedoublef]

How goes the bread baking? Any attempts?

[aaronatthedoublef]

Your cake sounds good BA. Apparently yesterday was National Chocolate Cake Day. How do you like avocado oil? Is it taste neutral? I used it for cooking last night but I made cheesesteaks so it would have had to be pretty strong to break through the steak, cheese, onions.

The challah is coming along. I didn't overcrowd the pan this time. And I've put my recipe into a spreadsheet so I can adjust the amount of ingredients to see how many 18 oz. loaves it will make. I want to add some formulas to it so I can have both weight and volume measurements there. I also need to have it do reverse calculations. Right now I put in the amount of flour and it gives me the number of loaves. But it would also be nice to put in the number of loaves and have it calculate the amount of ingredients.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Mike - your cinnamon rolls look great. I need to start working on mine again.

For us small is probably better so we don't eat too much! KAB has a recipe for a giant cinnamon roll baked in a cast iron skillet. It would be fun for a party.

Challah is out of the oven. I made three loaves and four rolls. I had enough for four loaves but I wanted some rolls for sandwiches.

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[aaronatthedoublef]

Not sure what I will bake this week yet.

I've been buying BRM lately from Vitacost. Prices are good (at least compared to local shops), the shipping is reasonable, and the service is good.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Re-reading about the acid...

Is that why milk powder helps? Does it add lactic acid without adding liquid?

[aaronatthedoublef]

The shortbread bar I want to make is Millionaire shortbread which is shortbread with caramel with chocolate on top. Maybe it was the inspiration for KitKats. When it is good it is great. It's made it over to the US but I had it in Scotland in 1999 (first trip there with my then girlfriend Kate!). Now it's easy to find recipes. I think they used to use it as an enticement to have kids eat their haggis.

Made regular sandwich bread yesterday. I've stopped working on batards and gone back to pan loaves. And I cut the time down from three days to one to try and tame the sour which most of my family doesn't like.

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[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike. Not sure I want to buy yet another flour. 🙂 And I am not sure where I would keep it. We're out of flour storage space so something would need to go.

I have white and whole wheat pastry flour too.

Kate's granny said the Scotts used rice flour when she was growing up.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I have always just used them interchangeably.

But based on what Mr. Reinhart says below you might need a little more Active Dry than Instant because more of the Instant yeast is alive. The conversion you found sounds more like AD to fresh.

My searches say you need about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp more of AD.

Peter Reinhart quoted in Epicurious:

Active dry yeast consists of dehydrated granules that must be rehydrated and activated in warm liquid prior to being used--that's called proofing. Peter Reinhart, author of Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day, says, "Active dry yeast has about 6 to 7 percent moisture, and about 25 percent of the yeast cells are inactive (dead) due to processing during drying." This yeast is unstable and inconsistent, so you should always proof it to ensure it's still alive before using. If the yeast is alive it will begin to foam after a few minutes in water--if not, throw it out. On the upside, active dry is the most common type of commercial yeast--and when it is alive, it works great in almost any recipe that requires yeast.

Instant yeast consists of superfine granules, and is the "most concentrated and driest of the yeast varieties, containing about 3 percent moisture," says Reinhart. Because of the way it's processed, all of the yeast cells are alive and viable--so there's no need to proof prior to using. Additionally, the fine grain size means it easily dissolves and does not need to be rehydrated; you can add it directly to your dry ingredients. This yeast is stable and has a shelf life of at least six months when kept dry, or even longer if kept in the freezer. (Note: Fleischmann's RapidRise is a common brand of instant yeast; you might also see this yeast with a label saying it's for bread machines.)

[aaronatthedoublef]

Progress!

250g bread flour (instead of 130)
040g cornstarch
228g unsalted butter
140g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

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