[BakerAunt]

It's the same issue that David Matsumoto discussed in his book, Requiem for a Peach. He had a wonderful peach he grew on his farm in the central valley of California, but market forces nearly drove him to bulldoze the orchard. An essay in the L.A. Times magazine led to rediscovery of his flavorful peaches that do not keep well in cold storage and so were spurned by markets. He did end up keeping the trees, but the book defines the real difficulty farmers face when markets--and the public--demand show over flavor.

[BakerAunt]

I ended up using 6 tsp. of yeast, and perhaps it should have been 4 1/2 or 5 tsp. The very fast rise worried me, so I decided that I would give it a second rise before shaping and the third rise. In the past, I've had breads that had a fast first rise collapse. That may not have been a good decision, but it was what I did. They were rather small in the pan, so I might have been able to use just two 8x4 pans. I ended up with three rather low loaves--certainly not sandwich bread size--which will likely be rather dense. I'll add a post tomorrow about taste and texture.

[BakerAunt]

I have mixed up the dough, and it is rising in a rising bucket where I can keep an eye on its progress.

I decided to substitute 1 cup barley flakes for the barley flour. I know that can work with oats; we shall see how the barley flakes perform. I soaked the oats, barley flakes and millet in 2 cups buttermilk for a bit before I proofed the yeast with 1 Tbs. of honey in 1 cup water. I used 1/2 cup potato flour. It is a very heavy dough. It seemed a bit dry, so I added 1 Tbs. of water. Initially, I had to keep stopping the mixer and move it around. I kneaded it for 8 minutes in my 7-quart Cuisinart stand mixer. I suspect that this dough cannot be over kneaded.

I'll report back when I shape and pan them for the second rise.

[BakerAunt]

Len--thanks for the tip about nonfat Greek yogurt. I like it, so I always have it in the house.

Oh, that apple cake sounds so good, Bev. It's good you have people to help eat it!

[BakerAunt]

I guess that I haven't seen a one pound coffee can in years. I remember they went down to 13 oz. I buy coffee beans and grind them these days.

I am hoping that three 8x4 inch loaf pans will do the trick.

[BakerAunt]

I get particularly irked when a recipe says "a cup of zucchini, or a cup of blueberries or 2 medium bananas." While Clayton's cookbook came out before kitchen scales became widespread in home kitchens, modern recipe writers really should know better.

I'm going to go with 1 cup of water, given all the whole grains and my plan to substitute 2 cups of buttermilk at the start.

The original recipe is baked in three 1 lb. coffee cans, but Clayton casually mentions that there will be leftover dough to put in another loaf pan or brioche dishes. This will be an experiment.

[BakerAunt]

Of course, we all need some fat in our diet. I read that we cannot fully access the nutrients in a salad without the oil in some salad dressing; the key is in not overdoing it.

[BakerAunt]

My husband cooked slices of pork tenderloin tonight. I made a batch of brown rice, so that we could put some of the ratatouille on it.

Actually, any of us can start a question in the discussion section, and we've had some interesting ones in the past. Remember the discussion on kitchen gadgets?

I like the idea of a recipe feature. If once a week is too much, it could always be a monthly feature. King Arthur does a recipe of the month, although I've not been moved to try any of those.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

S. Wirth, I am sorry to hear about the stroke your husband suffered. I will keep him and you in my prayers. Be sure to take care of yourself during this stressful time.

[BakerAunt]

Wednesday afternoon, I baked Toffee-Pumpkin Snack Cake, a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Fall Baking (2017), p. 28. I discovered it last year, and I think this is the fourth time I've baked it. The recipe is more than half wholegrain and seeds (spelt, buckwheat, chia seed). It’s not bad in the saturated fat department, as it uses pumpkin puree (from my freezer) and canola oil. The difficult ingredient is the toffee pieces, which have 2.5 g saturated fat per Tbs. My half recipe of the cake calls for ½ cup. I’d rather spend my precious saturated fat allowance elsewhere, so I cut the amount in half. I also decided to try reducing the canola oil from ½ cup to 1/3 cup. I make my own pumpkin puree, so it tends to be moister and less dense than the canned pumpkin. I put some Autumn sprinkles on top. If cut into 8 pieces, each piece has 2.5 g of saturated fat. The cake was fine in taste and texture without that additional oil, so I will use that modification in the future. It does seem a little too sweet, so I might cut the sugar by 2 Tbs. next time.

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook and Cwcdesign have also not been posting.

[BakerAunt]

Only the first paragraph can be viewed, and then the paywall hits.

I was always puzzled by high carb diets.

I was also puzzled by the low-carb diets that threw bread out the window.

[BakerAunt]

Best wishes to your wife for a speedy recovery, Mike.

Tonight I made Salmon and Couscous. Instead of dill, I used 1 tsp. of Penzey's Sunny Paris (was a freebie), and it makes for a nice change. We microwaved peas for the side dish.

[BakerAunt]

It's very difficult to get clear nutritional information even in 2018. The doctor's office was of no help. Their answer to calcium and Vitamin D issues was to hit me with over the counter supplements. At no time, did anyone ask about my diet and physical activity. I got good advice from my friend's daughter because she has her M.A. in Dietetics There is no known history in my family of hereditary high cholesterol, which makes the lipid panel results all the more puzzling. I'm also wondering if another medication I take may have contributed to those high readings. I'll ask the doctor after they repeat the lipid panel (and Vitamin D test), which I was told would be done after three months. In the meantime, I will follow my low-saturated fat diet, which in addition to removing butter's centrality (sob), includes skinning baked chicken, not having those bacon-tomato sandwiches I've been looking forward to eating with our home grown tomatoes (I did eat them with the rest of the bacon in the house), eating steel-cut oats almost every morning (it's a good thing that I like them a lot), and including more fish, having some meatless meals, and incorporating more beans and a greater variety of vegetables. I assume the new diet, and the increase in walking time, is why I have managed to lose 3 1/2 lbs.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt. Reason: added comma

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Mike. I was able to read the story. It does seem that there is still confusion about dairy fat in the field of diet and nutrition.

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