[BakerAunt]

I recall the packages being about the size of a matchbox, although perhaps more square, in an open box with perhaps a dozen.

[BakerAunt]

I have a special issue "magazine" from America's Test Kitchen that is baking for two. One day I shall try their cheesecake, since I should confine myself to just a slice.

For me, the issue is that if I'm going to make a dessert, I usually want at least two day's worth if it's something like a cake or quick bread. With quick breads, I use small loaf pans and freeze some.

[BakerAunt]

I also recall seeing the yeast cakes in the "dairy" section, probably in the 1980s. I also haven't seen them for a long time.

[BakerAunt]

I also got it.

[BakerAunt]

I made a batch of yogurt on Thursday.

For dinner, I made a soba noodle-vegetable-shrimp stir-fry with carrots, celery, mushrooms, and broccoli.

[BakerAunt]

Ah, is this the blog, kimbob?

https://www.dessertfortwo.com/

[BakerAunt]

I have leftover potato water from Sunday’s mashed potatoes, so the Soup du Jour for luncheon, beginning on Thursday makes use of it. As usual, I sautéed chopped onion, celery, and carrots. I added some minced garlic before adding the potato water, a 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes with juice, about ½ cup black beans that I found in one of the freezers, and 1/3 cup of farro. I added ½ tsp. sugar and ¼ tsp. of Penzey’s Pico and Salsa seasoning. I brought it to a boil, then simmered for 30 minutes. It needed something, so I added ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce, then dissolved ½ tsp. Penzey’s beef base in ¼ cup of hot water and added it.

[BakerAunt]

The starter recipe I used avoided the "throw away" or discard by refrigerating the starter, then directing to let it come to room temperature (bubble), stir, take out what is needed, then feed. The issue with these directions is that unless the starter is being fed frequently, it won't have enough oomph without some yeast. I find it better, if I want to bake bread with it (even with a bit of yeast), to time the bread making so that it is the day after I've done my sourdough crackers and fed the starter.

The recipes that came with the starter specified an overnight sponge that mixed some of the starter with flour and water.

So, until I started reading up on sourdough, I'd never heard of "discard."

[BakerAunt]

I answered correctly. What I miss in waffles is all that luscious butter, although I have worked out a wholegrain recipe that we like that uses canola oil.

[BakerAunt]

I don't know if we met, Kimbob. I joined when there was a new Baking Circle. Welcome, and please post often!

Aaron, I looked up what I did when I baked the 100% Whole Wheat Bread:

What are You Baking the Week of April 14, 2019?

I didn't have the side problem, but there was a slight sinking in the center. What I see from my post is that I reduced the amount of salt. I also added the oil later. Cass told me once that the yeast needs to get going before adding the oil, so I put it in through the feed tube as the processor was running.

I'm glad to hear that your starter is bubbling along.

[BakerAunt]

I seem to recall that we did some discussion here (cannot recall what thread) about how many older recipes call for more yeast than is necessary with modern yeast. Thus, I can usually cut back a bit on the yeast in Bernard Clayton's recipes in his bread book. It can get tricky.

I'm very glad that I bought that 2 lb. package last December.

[BakerAunt]

I don't know how long it will last, but Bob's Red Mill actually had whole wheat flour available. I bought two bags of it, two bags of steel-cut oats, and 2 bags of wheat germ. They are doing a flat rate of $9.99, it seems, but it will take about two weeks to arrive. That, along with what I have on hand should hold me for a couple of months for baking, breakfast, and making granola, then I'll see where the world is at.

[BakerAunt]

Have you ordered from Honeyville before, Mike? If their flour is good, that would be worth it.

I tried googling "bulk flour Indiana," but google likes to bring up some places that are actually salvage places. The one nearest to me, Harvest Moon, had ok but not spectacular prices when I went there with a friend a few years back. I think that they were more interested in selling baked goods. Still, it might be worth a trip over to check out whole wheat flour.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for asking, Aaron.

I have looked at two sites:

Home

https://www.bakersauthority.com/

The shipping is the expensive part, although it would actually be cheaper to buy a 50 lb. bag and pay shipping from these places than pay the Walmart price for a 50 lb. bag with free shipping. I don't know anything about these two sites or how backed up they are on shipping. I'm going to keep looking for a closer location to north-central Indiana.

A 50 lb. bag of whole wheat flour would be a storage challenge, but I could probably stuff the refrigerator with individual bags.

I wish that KAF and BRM could let us know when they might have flour back in stock to ship.

I put an order (not for flour) into KAF last Monday, so as not to lose my Bakers Bucks which was expiring, and I have yet to receive a notice that it has shipped. All items were supposedly in stock. I would have waited on the order, but KAF never managed to answer my question as to whether they would consider extending the expiration dates on Bakers Bucks, so I went ahead and ordered.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I knew this answer.

[Author]

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