[Italiancook]

When I started this thread in 2018, I called myself a fledgling pizza baker. I am still a fledgling in that I've made the KAF Now or Later pizza crust only 4 times, and one of their other recipes once. We like the Now or Later crust, and it must be the semolina in it. Today, I made a cheese pizza (mozzarella, romano, and parm-reggiano. It tasted delicious, but what I liked most was that it wasn't a big deal making it in my small kitchen. I've finally figured out a technique for shaping the dough on parchment (thank you, BakerAunt), baking it, adding ingredients, than baking again. And, where to put pan out of the oven and where to place the pizza for cutting. That's quite an accomplishment, given I didn't think I'd ever make pizza again after the first try.

My pizzas never look as great as Aaron's, but for a fledgling, I'm satisfied. So thanks to all who have posted here for your help with my questions. I may come back with other questions, but I know I'll receive expert responses. And, yes, I'm glad I persevered and didn't give up after my first attempt. The learning curve is an amazing truth.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, BakerAunt and Mike. I checked out your link, Mike, and I don't think my tree meets the size requirements. That means the squirrels with have food again this fall to hide for the winter.

[Italiancook]

I missed it.

[Italiancook]

I made KAF Now or Later Pizza Dough yesterday for fridge. We'll have pizza for lunch with leftovers for dinner.

[Italiancook]

I have a black walnut tree I'd gladly sell for $10,000 just to get rid of pesky squirrels. Mike, how do I find a buyer?

[Italiancook]

BakerAunt, every time you post about using leftover potato water, I think of someone I knew in a different lifetime. Her mom never used milk or another dairy in her mashed potatoes. She drained the water, then added back enough to mash the potatoes. I've never tried it, because I like and make mashed potatoes the way my mom did, and she used milk.

[Italiancook]

A couple years ago, I wanted to try my dad's white bread recipe. I couldn't find the cake yeast called for in the recipe. During my search for it, I learned that over the years, cake yeast has been sold in differing weights.That info stymied me until I found the linked info from Red Star Yeast.
https://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/yeast-conversion-table/

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

[Italiancook]

I'm headed to the kitchen to make rice pudding for a late lunch. I know it sounds strange to have pudding as lunch, but it has milk (protein), rice (starch), 3 eggs (protein), raisins (fruit), white Splenda (non-caloric sweetener), and lots of cinnamon, which helps control blood sugar (so I've read). Sounds like a wholesome lunch to me.

[Italiancook]

Mike, I enjoyed your detailed report and appreciate your post even though you don't feel fully successful. Question: I've heard the term "blow out" before but never knew what it meant. On your picture under your discussion of blow out, is the blown out part the section near the bottom of the picture that is a different color and texture? If it isn't, do you have a picture that shows the blow out?

I noticed something similar to that on dinner rolls last year. I didn't know what it was. Now, I'm thinking it was a slight blow out from a second rise of underprooofed dough.

[Italiancook]

I missed it.

[Italiancook]

I missed this because of an article I read about homemade disinfectant during this health crisis.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, skeptic, for the recipe and instructions. And thanks, Mike, for your detailed instructions. I've copied and pasted both posts to a Word document to study and try. Thanks!

[Italiancook]

I knew this.

[Italiancook]

kimbob, good to see you here. I wasn't part of the BC, but I read the posts near the end. I also have too many critters for a garden.

[Italiancook]

skeptic, would you please elaborate a little more on the sponge method you use. I assume you put the 1 teaspoon yeast in water and flour, but how much water and flour, & for how long?

Thanks, swirth, for bringing this article to our attention. I guess I made a mistake when I ordered the KAF gold yeast the same day it went out of stock. The limit was 2. I ordered only 1, because I didn't want to hoard. I wanted someone else to have yeast, too. I also thought the SAF red yeast would soon be back in stock. Now, I know it won't.

On the Ciao Italia show I mentioned a few days ago (pizza), Mary Ann Esposito stressed that people use too much yeast. I have a couple of quick recipes I don't mind experimenting with, because I think they're a lot of yeast for quick results. Generally though, I'm inexperienced enough that I'd hesitate to reduce the yeast in written recipes, especially the KAF ones. Does anyone have advice on this?

[Author]

Posts