[aaronatthedoublef]

Most people are terrified to experiment with baking. They think if they change something even slightly it will wreck the whole dish. They don't realize that this is how new things are created. I had a mom who improvised regularly as well as working for a pastry chef who did the same. That gave me the confidence to try it myself.

That's the one thing I dislike about the whole "baking is science" movement. It scares a lot of people away.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Most people are terrified to experiment with baking. They think if they change something even slightly it will wreck the whole dish. They don't realize that this is how new things are created. I had a mom who improvised regularly as well as working for a pastry chef who did the same. That gave me the confidence to try it myself.

That's the one thing I dislike about the whole "baking is science" movement. It scares a lot of people away.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll look for a bagel/bialy class.

And I am always happy to go to Chicago. Thanks for the heads up.

[aaronatthedoublef]

This reminded me of an old episode of "Friends" where Monica was trying to figure out Phoebe's secret family chocolate chip cookie recipe. Phoebe finally relented and told her and it was some weird pronunciation of "Toll House" cookies!

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks. I have some experimenting to do. Also I don't have a book by Ginsberg but by George Greenberg and he does have a rye starter in it. So in addition to that and what's on KAF and what you've given me here I should be able to has something out.

Thanks again

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Mike. Thanks BA. I have a different Stanley Ginsberg book on Jewish Deli baking so I'll look in there to see what they have.

I'd like to make this a couple times a week. A few of us here are trying to start an old fashioned deli where we make our own meats and at least some of our own breads. Rye bread would be key to that. Also, no one here really makes a real rye with the right taste. The best bakery in town doesn't use starters for many breads and even their sourdoughs are very mild. If the starter is already made and already sitting and it doesn't require 12-18 hours we can produce more loaves in less time without compromising flavor.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Wow. This is amazing. I didn't know you could make pastry crosses. I haven't made hot cross buns in years.

The only yeast bread I've made with oil is challah. In that I add the water/cider mix to the yeast and mix. Then I add the eggs and mix. Then I add the oil and honey and mix. After this I add the flour and salt. I mix all of this by hand.

It does not separate out.

But lots of quick breads use oil. We make banana, pumpkin, and zucchini breads and they all use oil not butter.

But BakerAunt may be onto something with the solid elements of butter.

Don't know if this will help.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I have a 6 quart KA and while the motor could handle this it would over flow the dough hook (don't know about the spirals). It really depends on the motor size more than the size of the bowl and for a while KA was shipping different size mixers without stepping up the motor.

If you're looking for restaurant mixers you can usually find decent ones used. Restaurants go out of business so often and they usually sell their gear at a discount. There used to be special auctions but now most of this stuff is auctioned on ebay according to my bankruptcy lawyer.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I love Ottolenghi's cookbooks. They are great reads in addition to having some fantastic recipes.

We have two and while they were gifts they would have been worth the price just for the pictures and stories. He likes lots of ingredients, usually in the form of spices.

I have had a crush on Dorie Greenspan for years. I have a chocolate cookbook the she wrote with Pierre Herme' that I used to use quite a bit but not so much recently (although I've a rekindled interest in pate choux). I also have the first cookbook she wrote for herself which is a fun read but nothing earth shattering in terms of original recipes.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I've hand-tossed (Do Not Put extra flour on the dough before tossing it!), I've hand-stretched, and I've rolled it. Part of the reason I roll it now is that it makes it flatter.

In college we would have hand-tossing competitions to see the different ways and tricks people had for tossing pizzas. I was never good enough to compete.

We are actually having Giordano's tonight. I ordered heart shaped stuffed pizzas. I was going to let them sit outside last night but my we had a bear tip over a trash can Sunday so I kept them in the garage.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Wonky, your apple pudding looks tasty. Any recommendation on apples to use?

[aaronatthedoublef]

This being Valentine's Day week my baking has revolved around that.

Sunday my daughter had a Valentine's party so I made heart-shaped chocolate meringue cookies. It's a new recipe and I have been promising one of my boys I would make meringues so I made both kids happy.

Today, Feb 14, I made heart-shaped scones. I supposed if I'd been more creative (it was 4 AM) I might have dyed them pink and subbed out the raisins for chocolate chips. But it was 4 AM and pink is a color I have trouble seeing...

I am supposed to make some more challah but I may decide not to and wait until later in the week.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I stretch my pizza first by hand then finish by rolling it with a rolling pin. I do this on butcher block with flour. Then I put the pizza on parchment and add sauce, cheese and toppings. I take the parchment out of the oven after the crust has baked and set.

As for the cost of build vs. buy we just like what we make better. Plus last Sunday we had cheese pizzas, olive pizza, pepperoni pizza, and veggie pizza (sans olives since we used them all on the olive pizza). If we tried to order all that it would be far too expensive.

I remember going to Giordano's for the first time during the Watergate hearings so that would be 73 probably. It had recently opened its first location on Kedzie. I remember because it was my first trip out of the house after being laid up for a week with the mumps - during the Watergate Hearings when the only think on television was Sam Rayburn... 🙂

I went to Nancy's many years later on a date because the young lady wanted to go there.

There used to be a place - I cannot remember the name - I think it was on Chicago Ave just on the Evanston town line. It sold pizza by the pound but they ended up on the wrong side of someone from the city who drove them out of business. They were shutdown for their scales being off even though they were under-weighing the pizza.

For years Hyde Park had two pizza places - Nicky's and Enriquo's. Nicky's is still there or has been reopened. Then came the Medici followed by Giordano's and now there are too many places to count.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I usually make it in 1 lb loaves for the Sabbath. After Friday night dinners there is not much left over. I could make a bigger loaf but I'm still not sure my kids would leave much behind. Teenage boys can eat! Teenage girls might be able to as well I just don't have experience with any yet.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I found a couple of interesting articles on salt.

One is how salt and pepper became SALT and PEPPER.

The other is about how our taste buds dull with age...<sniff>

I had another question that someone who is better at chemistry than I can answer. If I remember my high school chemistry correctly when you combine an acid and a base the reaction leaves you with water and a salt. Since baking soda is usually sodium bicarbonate when it mixes with an acid does it release sodium into your dish and if it does is it enough to be significant?

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