[BakerAunt]

I've read that using "old dough" is a technique that many European bakers use. Sometimes they use some old bread. I have a hazy recollection that Germany limits how much old bread can be included in a batch of new bread.

[BakerAunt]

Joan--Good innovation with the cheese! I have a feeling we are all going to become more creative before this health crisis ends.

We have been happily eating turkey since Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday, we still had mashed potatoes and gravy, but we varied the vegetables, with microwaved fresh broccoli the first night and mixed vegetables again the next. Tonight we again had turkey and the rest of the gravy and microwaved peas, but we had pierogis with them. Why pierogis? There was a large freezer case of bags of them at the local grocery, probably originally intended for commercial use. Monday was "Dyngus Day," a celebration on the day after Easter of Polish-American heritage, and it is a big deal in South Bend. Celebrations had to be canceled this year, so that is a lot of pierogis. I was pleased that a serving of four regular cheese has only 0.5g saturated fat. (We bypassed the 3-cheese one which is double, and the onion one because of my husband's current issue with onion). I haven't had pierogis in a long time, so it is a nice treat, and we have enough for a few more meals.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--I don't make the round circles with the holes in the center--too much work for no real reason these days. I also have a fair amount of plastic containers, although lids on the Tupperware seem to be cracking and breaking. I particularly like crispbread for trips, but is great to have as a munchie just sitting at home. My husband is consuming the Barley Crispbread (actually has more rye flour in it) a bit fast, but due to its density and size, it slows him down a bit.

I'm going to try a more oil-based version (possibly keeping a bit of the butter) of Ginsberg's rye crispbread at some point. We'll see how well the KAF Rye Chops do in it.

[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, 11 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.

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