BakerAunt

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  • in reply to: What are you baking the week of September 2, 2018? #13378
    BakerAunt
    Participant

      The block party sounds like fun, Len. I'm sure your treats will be a hit.

      It rained most of the day here, so I spent much of my time in the kitchen. I made pizza Margherita for Friday dinner and experimented with the sourdough crust again. My intent was to make a more whole grain version than last time (durum flour and semolina were featured then). I made the following changes to the KAF sourdough pizza crust recipe: Add ½ tsp. honey to water and let the yeast proof. Instead of 2 ½ cups KAF AP flour, I used1 ½ cups whole wheat, ¼ cup semolina, ¼ cup dark rye, and ½ cup KAF AP. I reduced the salt from 1 tsp. to ¾ tsp.

      I mixed the dough with the flat beater. I tried to knead it, but the small amount of dough was stubborn and would not gather around the kneading hook, so I did a lot of scraping with the speed on 2. I finally kneaded it by hand for 2 minutes, then placed it in an olive oil-coated bowl to rise for about three hours. For the second rise, the dough needed about an hour and 20 minutes after it had been fitted into the pan. I put too many tomatoes on it (that happens when there is a bumper crop), so the crust was a bit soggy, particularly in the center. It is an ok crust, but my husband and I prefer the crust I made last time, so I need to work out how to make it more whole grain. I also think it needs some olive oil in the crust.

      After I fed my sourdough, I decided to use the fed starter in a bread. My current low saturated fat diet has required being more thoughtful and creative about desserts and afternoon tea treats. I baked the KAF Nutty-Fruity Sourdough, which is on their site, and which was also featured in Sift (Fall 2017), p. 46. It let me use 1 ½ cups of the dried fruit that I won’t be baking into scones any time soon. It uses some pumpernickel flour, which I have on hand. After reading comments on the site, I substituted in a cup of whole wheat flour for that much AP. I added 2 Tbs. of flax meal as well. I proofed the yeast with ¼ tsp. honey. I cut the salt in half, so I used ¾ tsp. I needed an additional ¼ cup of flour and used whole wheat. I initially mixed the water, proofed yeast, and the whole grains, then let them hydrate for 15 minutes, before adding the AP flour. I think the King Arthur people try to streamline, but with whole grains, it really does help to allow them to soak up liquid. The first rise was about 2 hours; the second, just an hour. I baked it in my Emile Henry long baker, and I brushed the top with an egg yolk mixed with some water. (The original recipe says an egg, but I had the egg yolk left from another recipe.) I baked in the covered baker for 10 minutes at 425F, then reduced the temperature to 375F for 20 minutes before removing the top. The bread needed another 15 minutes to register 200F. (I had forgotten to move the oven shelf down, as I usually do when using the long baker.) It did not have much, if any, oven spring, but it looks like the size depicted in the photo. I will report tomorrow on taste and texture.

      • This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by BakerAunt.
      • This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by BakerAunt.
      in reply to: What are you cooking the week of September 2, 2018 #13377
      BakerAunt
      Participant

        I made Lentil-Barley Vegetable (onion, celery, red bell pepper, garlic), using saved potato water for the liquid. I seasoned it with 1 tsp. Penzey’s Bouquet Garni and some freshly ground pepper. We ate it with the Pizza Margherita for Friday night dinner. I called it Mediterranean diet night.

        in reply to: Blueberries and Science #13374
        BakerAunt
        Participant

          Aaron--thanks for such a fun article. I read it to my husband (plant physiologist), and he was laughing too. I suspect that if more discussions of the kind alluded to in the article had been available in high school, more people would have rushed to take physics. The only food example I can recall from my high school physics class was that of raisins in yeast dough that move further and further away from each other as the dough rises. It was used as a model of the expanding universe. I'm not sure, but I think that may be where my fascination with yeast breads started.

          in reply to: Recipes for Corned beef and pastrami #13372
          BakerAunt
          Participant

            Where are those sous chefs when you need them? 🙂

            I'm saying that as I prepare to tackle the mound of dishes I left in my wake in the kitchen this morning....

            • This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by BakerAunt.
            in reply to: What are you cooking the week of September 2, 2018 #13367
            BakerAunt
            Participant

              When I cook boneless chicken breasts, I halve them, then rub them with low-fat mayonnaise and coat them in a mixture of panko, freshly grated parmesan, and some herbs. Maybe the egg in the mayonnaise helps keep them from drying out? I'm not sure the panko mixture provides that much insulation.

              in reply to: What are you cooking the week of September 2, 2018 #13365
              BakerAunt
              Participant

                I wanted to do my maple-glazed chicken and sweet potato sheet pan recipe this evening. I experimented with reducing the saturated fat. I spread the sweet potato chunks, rubbed with a little olive oil, on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet, drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with rosemary. I put the chicken on a rack in a separate, deeper pan, and drizzled just a bit of olive oil on each (crisp skin would be easier to remove later). I baked the pans side by side in the oven. (I did check first to make sure that both would fit.) The sweet potatoes actually came out superior to my other method because with less fluid, the maple caramelized. I was, however, thankful that I used the parchment, which made clean-up easy. The chicken also roasted well, and I was surprised at how much fat ran off. I’ve heard conflicting information on skinning chicken pieces before roasting, which the American Heart Association endorses, and leaving the skin on to keep the chicken from drying out, then removing it before eating. My take is that unless a coating is added to replace the barrier the skin provides, chicken is best roasted with the skin on but on a rack above any fluids.

                in reply to: What are you cooking the week of September 2, 2018 #13353
                BakerAunt
                Participant

                  Thanks, Joan.

                  Dinner on Wednesday was Salmon with Dill and Couscous, with steamed broccoli as the side, and sliced tomato.

                  in reply to: What are you cooking the week of September 2, 2018 #13348
                  BakerAunt
                  Participant

                    For lunch on Wednesday, I needed to use up a cup of leftover black beans. I cooked ¼ cup bulgur (dry) and mixed it with the beans. I added drizzle of olive oil, ¼ tsp. of Penzey’s Southwest Seasoning (was a freebie), sliced green onion, and chopped tomato from our garden. It made enough for me to have it again tomorrow.

                    in reply to: Bracing for Gordon… #13346
                    BakerAunt
                    Participant

                      Bev--Hoping for the best, while you prepare for the storm. Stay safe.

                      in reply to: What are you cooking the week of September 2, 2018 #13340
                      BakerAunt
                      Participant

                        That sounds so good, Chocomouse!

                        We had more of the leftover pork tenderloin for dinner, and the little that remained of the mashed potatoes, along with steamed broccoli. I felt the need for something more, so I experimented. I had about ¼ cup leftover quinoa, which I decided to add to a bulgur (cracked wheat) salad. I found an online recipe from Ellie Krieger that The Washington Post had printed and used it as my base. I cooked ½ cup bulgur in 1 cup of water. Once it was cooked, I spread it on a plate to cool, then mixed it with the bit of quinoa, some chopped red onion, some chopped tomatoes from our garden, a Tbs. of olive oil, a tsp. bottled lemon juice, a dash of salt, and 1 ½ tsp. of the Penzey’s Sunny Paris seasoning (was a freebie). It was ok, but it needs feta cheese, so I’ll get some at the grocery tomorrow and add it before we re-run it tomorrow. I’m not sure the Sunny Paris made much of an impact in the recipe.

                        in reply to: What are you baking the week of September 2, 2018? #13338
                        BakerAunt
                        Participant

                          Our farmers' market ends in October, although there has been some discussion about a monthly winter market. I had considered baking for the FM this summer, but repeated delays from our contractor have left us unrenovated. That will change. We asked our architect to recommend another contractor, and we are awaiting his bid. We have high hopes of a start in November--and I really hope that the snow will delay its arrival during the time part of the house is opened.

                          The baked goods at our FM consist of whatever the Amish family brings, as well as a lady that does muffins, and another who does cinnamon rolls for the Tuesday market (now ended for the season). There is a baker who brings pastries from his place outside Chicago for an occasional stint at the Saturday market. I'm thinking that scones, small Bundt cakes, and some breads might be my niche. Indiana's cottage food law does allow vendors to take orders online, but the baked goods must be delivered at the market, if it comes from an "uninspected kitchen."

                          in reply to: What are you baking the week of September 2, 2018? #13333
                          BakerAunt
                          Participant

                            On Monday, I again baked my new version of Barley-Wheat Buttermilk Grape Nuts Bread—a rather fast turnaround, as I just baked two loaves last Thursday. One was intended for the freezer, but I visited a friend in town in her clothing resale shop on Friday morning, and after a long conversation about myriad topics, including the lack of good bread in town, I looked through the clothes and found Levi men’s shorts in my husband’s size and the style he prefers. (These are even hard for me to find new.) She told me to take them home and either bring them back or pay her when I came by again. The shorts fit, so I asked if she would like the $3 or a loaf of the bread. She texted: “Bread, please,” so I took it to her. She texted me yesterday to say that my bread is wonderful, and I definitely should consider selling it. (One topic we had discussed was Farmers’ Market.) I promised my husband that if I bartered away one of his loaves (Grape Nuts Bread, especially this new version) is his favorite), I would bake it again, and we went through our one loaf quickly.

                            • This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by BakerAunt.
                            in reply to: What are you baking the week of September 2, 2018? #13332
                            BakerAunt
                            Participant

                              I baked the KAF Deep Dark Brownies on Sunday evening. I cut back the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips from 1 cup to about 1/4 cup (30 grams to be precise). This recipe is best if it sits overnight.

                              My husband has been wanting something chocolate, so I turned to this oil-based brownie. After I cut down the optional chocolate chips--which I've never considered optional, sigh--I calculated that if I cut them into 12 pieces, it's 2.5 grams per piece, which is acceptable.

                              in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of August 26, 2018? #13320
                              BakerAunt
                              Participant

                                Joan--It is so neat to cook with tools that have been in the family for so many years. (Hmm--maybe this could be a thread topic?)

                                I agree with Navlys--your chicken sounds great!

                                in reply to: Pastry Week on the Great British Baking Show #13307
                                BakerAunt
                                Participant

                                  Aaron--I agree with your assessment of the conclusion. It seemed to me that the verdict was based on who was "cutting edge" rather than on who was best baker. That said, I was in awe of the baking talent of all three finalists.

                                Viewing 15 posts - 6,031 through 6,045 (of 7,722 total)