[BakerAunt]

I guessed wildly and incorrectly.

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday, I baked Spiced Pumpkin Bread, which is a whole wheat, rye, pumpkin yeast bread that is on Stanley Ginsberg’s blog at The Rye Baker (Nov. 1, 2016). I had this pumpkin frozen just for this bread, which I baked for the fourth time.

I always proof the yeast with a tiny bit of sugar. (I love to see it foam.) I then mixed in the pumpkin with the paddle attachment. I added the combined dry ingredients and mixed, then let them rest for ten minutes. I added the oil, then mixed with the paddle. I switched to the dough hook. It was still difficult to knead in my 7-quart mixer, but at least it came together faster. I also decided to knead on my Cuisinart mixer’s second speed, and I did have to keep stopping the mixer and re-adjusting the dough. Near the end of 8 minutes, I added an additional tablespoon of whole wheat flour, and then another. I added one more tablespoon and kneaded for an additional 2 minutes. (Pumpkin can vary in terms of water content,)

My husband had started the wood stove, so I put the mixer bowl (covered with saran) in the front room for its 75-minute rise. When it was time to de-gas, I followed his direction to use the dough hook and knead at lowest speed, but I cut that to 1 minute. My shaping was better this time—more of an oval, although one end turned out a little low. After 20 minutes, I slashed it and put it into the oven for 55 minutes. It’s a lovely looking loaf, and I am looking forward to cutting into it tomorrow for lunch.

[BakerAunt]

I had a Bakers Bucks from KAF that was expiring today. I emailed asking if I could get an extension, as they are out of a lot of what I would buy, but I hadn't heard back by yesterday evening. I assume they are just far too busy. I'm a member of the Bakers Rewards program, so I needed to have at least $35 in products, so that when the $10 coupon comes off, I have the required amount of $25 to get free shipping as a BR member. So, I went to the website and found three items that I could buy and knew I'd use: another jar of Vermont Cheese powder, the baker's blend of dried fruit, and a 2 lb. bag of their Pompanoosuc Porridge, which I figure that I can eat when the steel-cut oats run out and could also use for bread.

I actually have two unopened jars of the cheese powder, and am getting down on the opened jar, but at the rate my husband eats cheese crackers, I'm not worried about using it, although I am worried about running out of whole wheat flour.

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--switching from butter to oil not only reduced the saturated fat but it makes the crackers MUCH easier to roll out. I let it warm up for about 15 minutes, and I set the next piece on the counter to warm up while I roll out the first piece.

I've played with the recipe. In addition to the oil substitution, I add 1/3 cup flax meal and 4 Tbs. milk powder. I can post the revised recipe if that would be helpful.

I have some wooden pie wands, one set is 1/16th inch that I use to roll out the crackers. The dough usually covers most of a parchment half sheet (what KAF sells), with about 3/4-1 inch around the sides.

[BakerAunt]

I knew this because I knew how much the recipe I used to bake used and how large a bag I needed. Bags actually used to be bigger--which gave some "testing" room.

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

[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I made a quarantine shortage version of Maple Granola. I substituted 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill 5-grain rolled cereal for that much rolled oats, as I am trying to ration my old-fashioned BRM oats. I also only had 1/3 cup wheat germ, and the local store has been out of it for several weeks. The recipe calls for 1 cup, so I used ground flax meal for the remainder.

On Monday I also mixed up dough for my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers. I’ll bake those in about five days.

[BakerAunt]

The Bon Appetit e-mail newsletter just "helpfully" gave out websites for some small mills. I clicked on a couple and noticed that they too are sold out of a lot of flour.

I agree that it is good to support the small food producers where we can. That's one reason that I shop at the local farmers market for produce when possible.

When we went to the Covered Bridge Festival in the fall of 2018, I'd wanted to stop at a working mill located near one of the rebuilt (original was destroyed by arsonists) bridge. We had not realized what a mob scene the festival was and couldn't get near it. Our plan is to go back in the non-festival season, at which time I hope to be able to check out the flour they sell.

[BakerAunt]

I also knew this one.

[BakerAunt]

Thank you for posting the link, Aaron. I enjoyed reading the article. I did think it sad that the author is not baking bread anymore. He could investigate some of the small mills working with different wheat varieties in the U.S. Have you read Samuel Fromartz, In Search of the Perfect Loaf? Supporting those is important. I wish that some of those in the link you posted were closer to me. I'd like to check out the one in Grand Rapids (once the social distancing becomes a memory). The cornmeal that I bought from the mill at Indiana's Spring Mill State Park is a revelation as to what cornmeal should be. Part of it is the old mill but some of it is the local Indiana sweet corn.

I wouldn't swear off of Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur. Their flour is still better than a lot of flour out there. Neither is as easily available where I live as the generic flours, which I do not use. I do buy Gold Medal or Pillsbury for cakes, although finding unbleached here is surprisingly difficult even when times are not difficult, as in our time of pandemic anxiety.

[BakerAunt]

Ah, but can she eat the chocolate while wearing a mask?

[BakerAunt]

For Easter dinner, my husband roasted a 14 lb. turkey that we found at the market a few weeks ago for a good price. I put the Oxo silicone racks underneath it, and they kept the turkey above the liquid, and the clean-up was much easier than scrubbing a metal rack.

I made mashed potatoes and gravy from the turkey drippings. We microwaved frozen mixed vegetables to complete the meal.

[BakerAunt]

I didn't bake today, but I frosted the Lamb cake with 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted), 1 1/2 Tbs. melted butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 2 Tbs. Half and Half. It was a bit thick, but it worked in a way that made a "rustic" looking lamb cake--and I successfully used it to re-attach the broken ear.

[BakerAunt]

I had no idea and picked the one I thought most likely, and I was correct. I also learned something. Double Win!

[BakerAunt]

On Saturday evening, I experimented with adapting the recipe that came with my lamb cake mold (bought from King Arthur, perhaps eighteen years ago) from butter to oil. I replaced 1/2 cup butter with 1/3 cup canola oil. I also substituted a scant quarter cup of half and half, combined with 1% milk for the 1/2 cup milk in the recipe, and I replaced 25% of the AP flour with barley flour. I used The Grease on the pan. I used a mixing method that I've developed for oil-based cakes and was very careful not to overmix once the wet and dry ingredients were combined. I filled the bottom half of the mold to barely from the top. I had about 3/4 cup batter left over, so I put it into a single 1 cup Bundt mold to bake alongside the cake (20 minutes). I always put the lamb cake mold on a baking sheet, and once it is in the oven, I put an iron pan on the top to hold the top down and encourage the batter to fill the mold. I've not used my Wolf oven for this mold, but I've noticed that Bundt cakes bake better slightly above center (three racks from the bottom), so that is what I did. I baked it for 50 minutes. There was the usual minimal amount of batter that dripped onto the baking sheet, which always happens with this mold.

The top of the mold lifted off cleanly, and I was pleased that the cake had indeed filled the pan. While I let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the bottom of the pan, I used a small knife to cut away any batter that may have stuck around the outside. However, I missed around one ear, so while the cake came cleanly out of the pan, one ear broke off. Sigh. I'll try to use glaze to attach it tomorrow.

I won't be frosting it with that lovely simple buttercream frosting tomorrow. I may try the simple glaze that I used on the Hot Cross buns, or else a reduced butter frosting.

I'm very pleased at how the cake came out, even with the damaged ear. I hope that the taste is good.

[BakerAunt]

Dinner on Saturday was Salmon and Couscous with Penzey’s Greek seasoning. We had microwaved frozen mixed vegetables with it. The frozen vegetables are from the Gordon Food Service 2.5 lb. package that appeared this week in our local grocery, as the manager finds sources who sold to restaurants. These are quite nice, as they have FIVE vegetables: carrots, corn, peas, green beans, and baby lima beans. There were still a bunch of bags when we went again later in the week, so we bought another at $3.99 per bag.

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

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