[RiversideLen]

If I'm using buttermilk in a bread recipe, I will add 1/4 tsp baking soda, provided I'm using at least a cup of buttermilk. Otherwise I don't bother.

[RiversideLen]

Skeptic, I cooked it the same way I cook eye of round. I follow a method I saw on ATK or Cooks Country, which is to roast it low and slow. And I mean low. While they recommend searing the meat on a skillet first, I found that produced a lot of splatter to clean up so I don't do that any more. First, I remove it from the package at least a day ahead of time and sprinkle it with kosher salt. I may pepper it at that time too. Cover and refrigerate for a day or three. ATK said that was an important step in making the meat tender. Then I roast it at 225 f until it reaches 10 degrees less then my destination temp, in my case until 135. Of course I use a thermo probe in the meat so I know when the temp is reached. Then I remove it from the over and cover loosely with foil. It will come up 10 - 12 degrees over the next 30 minutes or so.

Of course, slice it thin. I haven't noticed that it suffers any from not having a pre-sear.

[RiversideLen]

For breakfast I made a spinach omelet with mozzarella cheese. Then I got to play in the snow, with the snow blower. For dinner I cubed a sweet potato and roasted it and had it with left over roast beef and brussels sprouts. Simple but good.

[RiversideLen]

I'm the Burger King Hamburger.

[RiversideLen]

You can't go wrong using pecans, Baker Aunt.

[RiversideLen]

Today I made a beef round roast. I'll be having roast beef for the next several days.

[RiversideLen]

Tonight I made a pizza with turkey pepperoni and ground chicken.

[RiversideLen]

Thank you Baker Aunt and ItalianCook.
The recipe I used is Braided Bread Recipe that I found on the former RecipeZaar which has morphed into geniuskitchen (I miss the old recipezaar, they had great forums, sigh). I slightly tweeked it for myself, I use 8 1/5 ounces of milk, olive oil instead of butter and I reduced it from 4 tablespoons to 3 and I use 50% whole wheat. I also usually skip the egg wash. I have also found that the right amount of flour is 14 ounces by weight, which I divide up to 7 ounces bread and whole wheat flours each. If you were using 100% white flour, the 1 cup of milk would probably be right. I also reduce the salt by half. The recipe claims a bake time of 40 - 45 minutes but 35 minutes does it (14 minutes for buns - recipe divided into 8 buns). I like this recipe a lot, I make loaves and sandwich buns with it.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by RiversideLen.

[RiversideLen]

It's out of the oven now. Other than being a little lopsided (unevenness in the strands, I'll have to work on that) it looks good.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by RiversideLen.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by RiversideLen.

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[RiversideLen]

There was a reference in a previous thread about a round 6 strand braid. I decided to try it although this morning I was having doubts as my recipe is about 3 cups of flour (14 ounces) whereas the link to that braid was using a larger recipe. I didn't know if it would be effective dividing my recipe into 6 strands. I went on youtube and looked at various braiding methods and ran across the 6 strand round, basket weave they called it. Well, that inspired me again so I went ahead and did it. It's proofing right now. I'm using an improvised proofing box which is top cover of a cake carrier with 2 shots of hot water under it to give it a little humidity.

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[RiversideLen]

I've been using SAF Gold for about the last 4 or 5 years for all my yeast baking needs. Haven't had any issues with it.

[RiversideLen]

Today I baked a small pizza pie. The dough was 1/4 semolina, 1/4 rye, 1/4 whole wheat and 1/4 AP. I rolled it out pretty thin and topped it with pasta sauce, leftover smoked butt and mozzarella. The advantages of cooking for oneself is you are only limited by your imagination. It came out pretty good. I have enough dough left for 2 more small pizzas.

[RiversideLen]

I always reduce salt in bread recipes by 1/3 to a half. It works. The prepared food industry as well as restaurants are salt crazy, which is why I make most of my meals from scratch. I remember watching some of the food shows, especially Emeril, who would add salt with almost every ingredient he was adding to any dish. BAM, too much salt sucker!

Swanson makes an no salt added chicken cooking stock that has only 130mg of sodium per cup, which really isn't bad.

[RiversideLen]

Today I made a pork rib roast. I seasoned it with a little kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper and maple sugar. It came out great. Also made fresh green beans, diced roasted sweet potato and noodles.

[RiversideLen]

That star bread looks fabulous cwcdesign!

Yesterday I made a lemon cake using Arrowhead Mills vanilla cake mix. I subbed part of the milk with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. I used a little food color to make it festive for the Christmas season, I made the cake red and the frosting green.

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