[aaronatthedoublef]

Those do look good. And probably easier for people to master as they do not have do cut in butter.

I give my scones a couple of turns as it helps them develop layers.

Like the recipe I pat them into a circle and cut the circles into wedges and push the wedges together. This prevents dried out scones.

[aaronatthedoublef]

CT was just talking about the number of cases and, according to CDC guidelines it is not an increase in cases that should be concerning so much as an increase in cases in relation to the number of those tested. Our testing here has ramped up dramatically so of course the number of cases we find has risen. But the CDC's guidance is that 5% or less testing positive is acceptable for reopening.

Of course the percentage will go down some too because in March and even April tests were only available here to people who had good reason to be tested so most were coming back positive.

For example, our neighbor is an anesthesiologist at a local hospital and they now test EVERYONE before a procedure. They've setup their own testing lab and typically have results in four hours or less. And they are now performing elective procedures again. So they are testing more and seeing more infected people but as a percentage of the total tested the number is down.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Scones are funny. I have my modified recipe that my family knows and loves (it has been modified again to sub the raisins with chocolate chips - I prefer the raisins). When we took our boys to Scotland (before Violet was born) the boys were eager to try scones there and did not like them. Then they put lots of stuff on them and did.

I tried to avoid making them for Kate's grandmother because she grew up in Scotland but I had to one Thanksgiving and she became a big fan. Not that Granny would have said they were bad. She just wouldn't have eaten them.

Wish I had her teach me how to make her biscuits.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks BA. Not sure if I could use a 50 lb bag of first clear but their 5 lb is about the same as three lbs from KAF.

My bakery books - and some are new - say the same as yours Mike. First clear used to be a by-product according to them. I was working with a distributor here who worked with "dozens of artisan bakeries in CT and NY" and he had never heard of it. He was shocked and it became a mission for him. I can order a 50 lb bag from him but unless it is batched in with other, bigger deliveries the shipping is prohibitive.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Mike, what do you use first clear for? I've only used it for deli rye and I feel like it makes a difference from bread flour. But buying it from KAF is too expensive. I'd purchased it from NY Bakers but they appear to have stopped selling it.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Not all scones have butter. There are cream scones. Granted they have dairy (and high fat dairy) but they don't contain butter.

Unless you want to draw attention to the fact that they have oil and not butter just call them scones.

Skeptic would probably loan you a frying pan for people who want to argue.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Things are usually eaten before they go bad in my house. I had a loaf of whole wheat bread go moldy because my boys like the sourdough better. But then we were out of sourdough and the whole wheat went in two days - it was a 2+ lb loaf.

I make pancakes on Sundays. My middle usually eats six - two batches of three - and eats half a pancake at a time. I am slowly increasing the diameter because I want to see how big a piece of pancake he will put in his mouth. His nickname in the family is Snake Jaws.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Meant to reply about English muffins vs bread. I've seen two types of recipes - batter and dough. I have a friend who swears by his batter recipe. And they are great but too messy for me - pouring the batter into rings on the griddle.

I like my dough recipe. I've never made a loaf of bread from it but I've used it to make dinner rolls which were well received.

You can probably use either to make either.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Happy birthday Cass!

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks. I came close w/my 4.5 quart. It still smells like smoke when I turn it on. That's why they gave me a 5 quart. I wanted an 8. 🙂

[aaronatthedoublef]

Well, I went back to the original recipe for this test and only made a single batch. So now I need to go back to my changes (I reduced the hydration a little) and increase it to a double batch and see how that goes.

Ultimately my goal is to get it to where I can do it by hand unless/until I can buy a bigger mixer. My is a 5 qt so it is overwhelmed pretty quickly. The engine can handle more than the bowl can hold.

[aaronatthedoublef]

This looks like a good source. A fifty pound bag of white whole wheat would be good. It's about a three month supply. And they have unbleached cake flour which I need too. Their 5 lb bags are not cheap but their 50 lb ones are pretty good.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I knew this. Not sure how but I did.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Yesterday I made Stella Parks whole wheat bread. I used my KitchenAid instead of the food processor. Much easier as the mixer could hold the entire batch at one time and clean up was much easier.

I know Ms. Parks says the food processor is faster but if I need to divide up a batch into two or four it ends really being faster in the mixer where I can do it all. And I used the mixer bowl for the autolyze so I did not have a bowl and the food processor to clean. I haven't cut into it yet but will today. From teh outside everything is good.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I've only used the food processor for the Stella Park bread and it works well there. But getting the dough out without cutting my finger is a huge challenge. Ms. Parks wants to cut the ingredients together quickly so the metal blade is required. But it also heats up the dough in a way a stand mixer does not. So far it has not hurt the dough but my kitchen has been cool (65) each time I made it. Now it is at 75.

I will make some this weekend with my KitchenAid just to see how it comes out and because I think I can handle a bigger volume.

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