BakerAunt
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We ate the last of the rye bread on Sunday, and as I had planned a dinner that requires the oven, I decided to bake a single loaf that I could do in the morning and early afternoon. I had bought some Six-Grain Blend from KABC, so I decided to try the recipe on the bag. I read the reviews on the website before starting. I made a few changes in that I used 2 cups of white whole wheat flour and substituted Bob’s Red Mill Artisan bread flour for the remaining 1 cup of AP. I replaced 1 Tbs. vital wheat gluten with 1 Tbs. First Clear flour, and I added 2 Tbs. special dry milk. I replaced 1 cup of the water with buttermilk and soaked the grains in it before starting. I replaced the sugar with 2 Tbs. maple syrup (and cleaned out an empty jar with the water in which I proofed the yeast). I used canola oil. I found that I needed about ¼ cup more water, perhaps because the grains absorb the buttermilk but also because I used more wholegrain flour. I mixed in the bread machine. The dough rose both times in about an hour. I baked for 35 minutes, then needed about 3 minutes more. It looks nice and smells delicious. We will cut into it tomorrow at lunch.
Interesting video. I would not have thought to put the ice cubes in the pan with the breads. I'm still not willing to try dropping a loaf into a hot pan. I do want to try a loaf in my ceramic Dutch oven which does not need the pre-heating.
Chocomouse--the low amount of gluten in the the Italian-style is supposed to make it easier to roll out the dough so that it does not fight back, I would guess that the pizza flour KABC sells has a little more gluten in it, since it uses some hard red wheat? I have never bought either flour, but since my sister gifted me the Italian-Style, I wanted to find a way to use it. At the KABC site I found a recipe for bread sticks that uses it, and the bag has a focaccia recipe.
I'm wondering if the cracker recipe was originally developed with a different kind of flour--which would explain the odd inclusion of the dough relaxer, which should not be needed (and indeed is not needed) with such a low gluten flour. It's puzzling, since PJ apparently uses the Italian-Style in her blog for the crackers. However, my dough looked nothing like the pictures of hers. I wonder if the recipe originally used that mellow pastry blend--which I never tried.
I talked to the KABC Baker's Hot Line about the recipe. She suggested reducing the water to 2 Tbs., which I already planned to do next time I bake these, but she too thought it odd that the dough had been so goopy. She said that she would send it in for a re-test. She did not think that there had been a flour mix-up.
The crackers are still in the pan in the still warm oven and have crisped nicely. I tried a couple warm ones, and these crackers are good--think superior Saltines--and I will definitely make them again, especially as I have the Italian-Style flour to use. I did not put any topping on them, but they are good plain and would also be nice with a topping. (I would put the topping on, and press it into the the crackers BEFORE cutting into squares.) My husband keeps opening the oven and sneaking some. It made about 48 2-inch crackers. I plan to try these with some quick guacamole tomorrow.
Now I need to look at the pita chip recipe.
Some of the best meals are born of necessity, Navlys!
An update on the Gourmet Soda Crackers. Here's the link to the recipe:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/gourmet-soda-crackers-recipe
When I took out the dough on Saturday morning, it had risen, but it was a gloppy mess, not the "clay-like" the recipe states. There was no way that I could roll it out. I ended up stirring another half cup of the Italian-Style flour into it, and with what I put down on the mat, I probably added an additional ¼ cup before I had a dough that I could roll out. After the first rolling and folding, I did the second roll out directly onto the baking parchment, cut the crackers, and did not try to separate or move them. I dispensed with seeds or more salt on the top.
I used the convection bake on my oven, so I reduced the temperature from 425F to 400F and baked on the third rack up, as I do with my other crackers. I turned the pan around at the halfway point. After 10 minutes, I took them out, turned off the oven, removed the crackers from the parchment and lined them back up on the pan, then put it back into the oven. KABC calls for opening the oven door, but my oven immediately vents excess heat once it is turned off, so I left the door closed and kept an eye on the crackers. They are drying out and not overbrowning. I will see how they are when completely cooled.
I am wondering if the flour is not the Italian-Style Flour that the bag states. I do not think that replacing the 2 Tbs. melted butter with 1 Tbs. oil, using active rather than instant yeast, and not using the 1 Tbs. dough improver can account for the gloppy dough. All the reviews are glowing, and the blog shows a completely different dough to be rolled out. I know that my flour measurement was accurate because I measured into the bowl with measuring cups, but I also had the bowl on the scale to check the grams. Indeed, I had a few grams over what the recipe states.
I plan to call the KABC hotline. I have not had much luck with the hotline in the past, but I will see if the person who answers can offer an explanation.
On Friday (another busy day in the kitchen), I baked Skeptic’s Pumpkin Biscotti, using some pumpkin I froze last fall. As always, I slightly reduce the sugar to 2/3 cup and use white whole wheat flour rather than AP. I also sprinkle the log with demerara sugar before the first bake.
I also made dough for another batch of my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers. I will bake them later next week.
My final project was to try KABC’s Italian-Style flour, which was a part of a Christmas present from one of my sisters. I found a recipe on the KABC site for Gourmet Soda Crackers. The dough is mixed the night before and rests in a covered bowl in the refrigerator (a dough bucket in my case) for up to 17 hours, so I will shape and bake them tomorrow. I am concerned, since it was a very wet dough, almost like a thick batter. However, I looked at the recipe reviews, and people rave about the crackers, so we shall see.
I made turkey broth on Friday from the remnants of our Easter turkey dinner. I had used up all the chicken and turkey broth in the freezer, so it is a welcome addition.
April 8, 2021 at 3:52 pm in reply to: Uses for left over egg yolks or egg white based on the number of them you have #29418Alas, it is behind a paywall.
Italian Cook--I also cannot judge "half the batter." What I do now is I have the weights written down for my good set of mixing bowls. After I mix up a batter, I weigh the bowl with the batter, subtract the weight of the bowl, then divide the batter weight in half. I add that half weight to the bowl weight, and then I know when I have removed half the batter.
On Thursday, I baked Deep Dark Brownies, a recipe that came from King Arthur years ago. I delete the chocolate chips (sigh). I used white whole wheat flour in place of AP and added 2 tsp. Bob’s Red Mill milk powder. I scattered chocolate sprinkles over the top before baking in a 10x10-inch ceramic square dish (works much better than the 9x9 pan specified). These will rest overnight and be dessert beginning tomorrow.
I am pleased with the rise and the texture of the Spiced Rye Bread. I worried that the bread machine might alter the crumb, but it is just as good, if not better than when I made it with the mixer. It may help that my used Zo is an older one, as a friend told me that newer ones might actually do too good of a job kneading on some wholegrain breads.
Wednesday night's dinner is more leftover roast turkey, a mixture of brown and a wild rice blend to have with leftover gravy, and mixed vegetables.
Our weather has also been warm, although not in the 80s. The weather is supposed to cool down, and we are hoping for some more rain.
On Wednesday, I baked Ginsberg’s Spiced Pumpkin Bread (on the website, not in his rye book). I have baked it at least five times over the past two years, and I have noted that it is hard to mix and knead in my 7-qt. Cuisinart stand mixer, as I must keep stopping it to adjust the dough, and I do not think that the stopping and starting is good for the mixer, not to mention my patience. Today, I decided to make the dough in the Zo bread machine, then move it to a dough bucket for the rise. I still added 2 Tbs. more of whole wheat flour. It is a sticky dough and must be shaped on a floured surface. (I use white rye for that surface.) It baked well. I look forward to slicing it tomorrow—and to using it for turkey sandwiches.
Glad to help, Italian Cook and Aaron!
Italian Cook--As you are not using baking powder, I suggest that you omit the 5 minute resting period before putting the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Baking powder is more forgiving about the slight delay.
Sometimes the simplest food is the tastiest!
Aaron--I have posted the Quaker Oats Applesauce Muffin recipe.
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