[BakerAunt]

Report on the Earl Grey Yogurt Cake: We cut some for dessert last night. I’m not sorry that I tried this cake, but it does not wow me or my husband. If I were to make it again, I’d use the entire 2 tsp. vanilla, but even that is unlikely to change my verdict. The texture is good, so I do not regret cutting the oil in half or using half whole wheat pastry flour. I think that those changes improved the recipe. Although the Earl Grey and the vanilla flavors are nice, it is a rather bland cake, which is not overly sweet, that would likely go best with afternoon tea. I don't plan to bake it again.

[BakerAunt]

I guessed and missed. It's interesting where the name appears to originate.

[BakerAunt]

I'm in awe of your bread shapes, Mike!

[BakerAunt]

I guessed incorrectly.

[BakerAunt]

I made my Sourdough Pan Pizza for Monday night’s dinner. I replaced the ¾ cup King Arthur AP flour with KAF’s White Whole Wheat Flour but left the semolina, durum, and dark rye flour alone. The crust was slightly dense. I’ll add an additional 1 Tbs. of water next time.

I topped it with cherry tomatoes, cut in half, cooked ground turkey, Penzey's Tuscan Sunset, Garlic Powder, and Roasted Onion Powder, mushrooms, 4 oz. cubed lower fat mozzarella, coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, and red bell pepper, which I only remembered at the end.

[BakerAunt]

I look forward to seeing those pictures, Mike.

On Monday, I baked a new recipe from the online Bon Appetit February newsletter for Earl Grey Yogurt Cake:

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/earl-grey-yogurt-cake:

I had waited to bake it until there were some reviews, as I thought the amount of oil in the recipe excessive. There were about ten reviews, and about half of them stated that the bread was oily, and a number commented on how long it took to bake and that the center did not bake well and also fell.

I proceeded to change around the recipe. I used a Kaiser loaf pan that is 10 x 4 ½", measured at the top, and 8 ½ x 3 ½", measured at the bottom; it’s 3” deep. I used the Grease and did not do the parchment sling, of which the magazine staff is perhaps excessively fond, considering that the original recipe also called for oiling the pan.

I used half AP flour and half whole wheat pastry flour. I replaced the kosher salt (not a good idea for baking, people!) with ½ tsp. sea salt and added 2 Tbs. Bob’s Red Mill milk powder. I ground the Earl Grey with my mortar and pestle, but some larger pieces did remain. I reduced the vanilla by 25% to 1 ½ tsp. (People in test kitchens with access to expensive ingredients can go wild. The rest of us like to determine if it is necessary.) I switched to my cake whisk when incorporating the flour. I baked it on the third rack up in my Wolf oven, and it tested done after an hour. I let it rest for 15 minutes in the pan, then turned it out onto a rack to cool. The batter nicely filled the pan, and I didn’t have the center sinking that some reviewers reported. I’m not planning to sample it until tomorrow, at which time I’ll comment on taste and texture.

[BakerAunt]

Happy belated birthday, Joan!

[BakerAunt]

I missed it because I don't usually remove the shells until I use the eggs. It's good to know I can do so if I have a big cooking project.

[BakerAunt]

I guessed correctly.

[BakerAunt]

On Saturday, I made another batch of yogurt. This time I used 900ml of milk, which should fill the jars evenly. I discovered that if, after heating the milk and holding it at 190F for 10 minutes on the stove, I pour it out into a large measuring cup (covered with a double-folded dishcloth, to cool, the pan in which I heated the milk is much easier to clean. The milk will also cool down to 112F more quickly.

For dinner on Saturday, I roasted chicken thighs, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Penzey’s poultry seasoning and sweet curry powder, on a rack in the main oven. I used my countertop, small convection oven to roast cut-up, unskinned red potatoes, tossed in olive oil, and sprinkled with a bit of salt and Penzey’s Bavarian seasoning. The Bavarian Seasoning was either a free sample or in a gift box I received, and I’m experimenting with the miscellaneous spices I have on hand,. We like it on the roasted potatoes, so I’ll be using it again.

By the way, Penzey's is having a 15% off sale with the code "Don't". I was low on some key spices, and I had a gift card, so I replenished those.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I can testify to the deliciousness of the Morello cherries. It takes three jars to fill my cherry pie, and is so worth it.

[BakerAunt]

I narrowed it to two and chose the wrong answer.

[BakerAunt]

Well, it's a good sign, Mike, that there will be a next time for the recipe.

We were out of bread, so I baked two loaves of Buttermilk Harvest Grains Whole Wheat Bread, using the proportions I used last time. However, I added ½ cup of a mix of oat bran and Scottish Oatmeal as well. (It’s a long story, but the two got mixed, and I need to use up that mistake.) The dough was a bit dry, so I added 1 Tbs. of water near the end and kneaded it in. The first rise took 90 minutes. The second rise took about an hour, and the bread baked in 40 minutes. I look forward to slicing it tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

I made chicken broth on Friday from the remains of the chicken I roasted earlier this week.

[BakerAunt]

I worked out the correct answer, but I had not known this cooking fact. I shall try it.

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