[BakerAunt]

Actually, there is a Gordon Food Services in South Bend, although it seemed limited in what it carries.

[BakerAunt]

Enjoy your time in Florida, Navlys. We're not going this year.

I never got to that Penzey's, as it was not close to where we traveled or stayed, but I still dream of getting to a real Penzey's. Until then, there is always mail order, and I have gift cards to use.

With their pre-made blends, I found that the Tuscan Sunset is one my husband is able to eat--unlike the spices I would use for my spaghetti sauce--so that one I do buy. Curiously, he and his daughter do not do well with the "frozen pizza" blend, which I don't buy but was in some gift boxes I received, so I have to eat it up by myself. I also got hooked on the Greek Seasoning and the Sunny Paris, like Chocomouse, when those were included in a gift box. And I like the Bouquet Garni and the Herbs Provance.

Otherwise, I stick to single spices.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Our snow seems to have ended this evening. My husband estimates we got about 2 1/2 inches, although it's hard to tell because it's the wet snow. For dinner, I made comfort food: my healthier version of my mother's hamburger stroganoff over brown rice and a wild rice medley, along with fresh broccoli steamed in the microwave.

[BakerAunt]

I used to make my own yogurt all the time, beginning in the late 1980s. I went through two yogurt makers because I used them so frequently. I also have one packed away that makes a large quart container. I may pull it out and give it another go as well.

Yogurt was inexpensive for a while, and so was not worth my time to make it, but now that milk prices are relatively low, and I live in a rural area where it is hard to get what I consider healthy yogurt--i.e. no added sugar, no thickeners, live cultures, and low or nonfat--it makes sense to make my own. It will also cut down on the number of non-recyclable yogurt containers I have to throw away. I can only find uses for just so many of them, although a small string of Christmas lights packed nicely into a quart-sized Chobani yogurt container, and its clear lid makes it easy to find them in the decorations. We also used some of those containers when we were painting.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I know this one. One of my college roommates was from India.

[BakerAunt]

Mike and Arron--Thanks for your comments on the mixer bowl size's relationship to the amount of dough. I've always thought that an ideal home mixer would have attachments that allowed for smaller and larger projects. It would save money and precious kitchen space. When I brought home the second used bread machine, I initially had no idea where I would put it, but I was able to stash it on the counter in a long narrow space that I'd not find a way to use. I still have to move it to use it, but at least it's out of the way.

Aaron--none of the Ginsberg recipes that I've baked require steam. The last bread said to brush the top with water. I settled for spritzing it well with water.

I did in the past bake some breads with steam, but I'm not sure that I did it properly, and a pan that I used developed a problem from the salt in west Texas waster. I'd like to try the steam again. I had bought a set of iron barbecue steamers (long narrow--about 2 inches wide--cast iron with grilled tops. These were recommended by someone on the now defunct KAF baking circle, but I didn't get a chance to try them. Maybe it's time to see how well they work. I also recall someone who would throw ice cubes into a hot iron pan. Ice cubes might work well with these.

When I was trying to use steam, I was also letting the bread rise in a basket and turning it out onto a cornmeal lined paddle, which I would then try to get it to slide off onto a pre-heated stone in the oven. I became tired of 1)deflating the loaf, even a bit, and 2)cleaning up the mess that the cornmeal left in the oven, especially after I had an oven that could not have a liner on the bottom.

What I would do now is use parchment, as I do for pizza. I'm going to have to try all of this again, although I've decided my next bread is going to be two loaves in regular pans so that I can stick one in the freezer.

[BakerAunt]

I'm in a peculiar position, as the kneading spiral on my 7-qt mixer works better with big batches. (I'd love to know if someone with the small Cuisinart mixer has better success.) The used bread machine--for mixing and kneading only, as I don't let the dough rise in it--gave me a cheaper option than investing in a smaller mixer. I preferred the texture of the bread that was kneaded in the Zo than the first loaf, where I was constantly having to stop the mixer and adjust the dough.

I might try mixing with the paddle before switching to the dough hook, which is what I do with all of the other breads I bake.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

For dinner on Friday, I made salmon and couscous, using dill as the seasoning, as I’ve not done that for a while. We had it with microwaved fresh broccoli.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday, I again Baked the Yogurt Rye Bread from Ginsberg’s book, but this time I used full-fat Stonyfield yogurt that I bought on our grocery run yesterday. I also mixed and kneaded it in the Zo bread machine, which worked much better than my mixer for this smaller amount of dough. The dough baked into the same size of loaf, still about 3 ¾ inches high. I’ll slice it tomorrow, as we have already eaten the first loaf I baked.

Note from the next day: The bread has much better flavor and texture with the full-fat yogurt. It is still a firm bread, but the crumb seems softer to me. That may be the yogurt, but I also think that my bread machine contributed to the better texture. The bread is mild, but it does have flavor.

[BakerAunt]

I also know this answer, but I appreciate Mike's detailed explanation.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday, I again Baked the Yogurt Rye Bread from Ginsberg’s book, but this time I used full-fat Stonyfield yogurt that I bought on our grocery run yesterday. I also mixed and kneaded it in the Zo bread machine, which worked much better than my mixer for this smaller amount of dough. The dough baked into the same sized loaf, still about 3 ¾ inches high. I’ll slice it tomorrow, as we have already eaten the first loaf I baked. (As I noted, it is a small loaf.)

[BakerAunt]

It's good to have you back, Joan. I'm glad that your husband is recovering and that he is persevering to quit smoking. Food should start tasting much better to him now.

[BakerAunt]

I have one of those thick liquid sourdough starters. Like Joan's starter, I can ignore it for weeks--or over a month. It may need an extra feeding or two to get it back up to power, but that is one reason I started doing the sourdough crackers, and it's good in pancakes. This starter is a milk-based one.

I have the same question you have about rye starters, which is why I've resisted starting one.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

If you are going to bake, you should know butter weights.

[BakerAunt]

That bread looks great, Mike, and it's good to know that it tastes great as well.

I'm going to try toasting a piece of my Yogurt Rye Bread and see if that gives it more flavor.

I have two of the deli rye pans, and I use them for some breads, particularly my Limpa bread.

I plan to bake the Yogurt Rye again today. I bought full-fat Stonyfield yogurt yesterday on our shopping run to the next town. I was surprised that Walmart had it. At 7g saturated fat per cup (250g), I won't be snacking on it, but I will use the remainder to try making my own yogurt with 1% milk, so the remainder won't go to waste. I have a yogurt maker (the little jars).

I'm curious to see if the added fat makes a difference. Ginsberg did not specify a type of yogurt or what its fat content should be. The bread has no additional added fat. I'm also wondering if the buttermilk I'm buying does not have enough of the LAB to give the tang. The buttermilk that I cultured, using 200 ml of it to 600 ml 1% milk never thickened. I prefer Dean's, but I cannot get it in a half gallon. I also note that it now is 2% fat per cup rather than the 1.5% it was.

I'm also planning on using the Zo, since as I noted above, I had to keep stopping the mixer to pull the dough together, and that got aggravating over a 10-minute kneading session.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

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