Baking (Breads and Pastry)'s topics - tribe.net

Amish Friendship Bread

2008-06-27T19:44:52Z

I got a starter for amish friendship bread and a baked loaf of it. Its super tasty, but a bit too sweet for me to have even semi-regularly. Can I substitute the pudding for something else? I never have pudding in my house and would prefer to leave it out of the bread, but if I do, how do I adjust the recipe? Can I also just add less sugar to make it less of a cake and more of a sweet-ish bread?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

i wanna make bagels

2008-06-23T07:20:28Z

Anyone here make their own? i wonder how hard it is to do. the thought of fresh, warm, homemade bagels on a Sunday morning sounds delish! any recipes or techniques out there that you've tried and use? TIA

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 8 replies

ISO a Chewy Lemon Cookie Recipe

2008-06-22T19:08:53Z

Hey guys, I am wondering if anyone, here, might have a much-cherished recipe for lemon cookies! I just bought a new set of measuring cups, and was given a loely glass Jack-O-Lanter cookie jar, so I have the worse craving for cookies! So, I'd love to go on down tock up some vanilla extract, and a large fresh lemon to use the peeling and juice in a cookie! Anyone have any beloved recipes on hand that might fit the bill? ;o)

Take Care,
Wade

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

Sourdough Starter Needs a Good Home

2008-06-22T18:30:01Z

My starter has reached a nice state of lovely sourness. Since I feed it twice a day, I have quite a lot of it. Although I bake quite a bit (bagels and bread, for the most part), it's still beginning to take over my kitchen. I really don't want to dump any of it down the sink.

Anyone want some? I'll supply the container and rendezvous with you within a reasonable distance. I'm in San Francisco and live in the Castro.

Thanks, folks.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

Baking Without An Oven

2008-06-22T05:53:13Z

Does anyone have hints or tips for making things on a stove top or in the sun (for instance) when one is without an oven?

I'm looking for something like little cakes or cookies that I can make in a skillet, or on a griddle, I suppose.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

What went wrong with this pie?

2008-06-22T05:46:32Z

Baked an apple pie today for the first time in a very very long time. I'm fine making crust, and i think that part is fine, but I seem to remember the filling bubbling up thru the top crust. It seems dry and sour.

Any ideas of what went wrong here? Followed the recipe which said 450 degrees for 45 min.

It's supposed to be a surprise bday pie for my aunt. She's coming over for dinner in a couple hours.

Thanks for any of your thoughts.

xoL

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 15 replies

SF Peninsula baking ingredients?

2008-02-04T14:12:39Z

Hi. I'm brand new to this tribe. Seems like a great place, so thanks for having me.

I'm also brand new to baking, so thanks for putting up with me. :-)

Where do you Peninsula bakers buy your ingredients? I bought bread flour at Draeger's, but they only had 5 lb bags. Got semolina, but only a pound and a half.

Is Giusto's in SSF as good as it sounds? Other recommendations?

Any advice will be much appreciated.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

yeasted spelt bread question

2008-02-04T01:18:38Z

we have been having alot of problems with our yeasted spelt bread where i work, wondered if anyone knows or has any suggestion as to what we could do different.

we use a nunwieler's whole spelt four as well as their clear spelt.
as well as a spelt starter
there is flax as well as block yeast in the recipe.
have tried to add more water
less water
mix it less
punched it down from 5 -7 times
baked it at 392 degrees... as well tried it at 405 degrees in a convection rack oven for at least 26 minutes.
delayed the blower for up to 8 minutes
have barely proofed it as well as tried it on a full proof

and the results have been drastically going down.. we've had a good product up until fairly recently..
granted that spelt has far less gluten we have tried to relieve this by punching it down and giving it atleast two hours before putting it through the sheeter.

I personally feel that because the grain itself is so equivalent to being an all purpose flour you can't expect the same performance and as well with the grains being micro milled and organic it adds to the general difficulty of building a strong bread that will hold it's structure and integrity.

these are my personal opinions, ones that I have to work through because we're not going to stop making it so I have to figure out how to make it work

the end result is the same though no matter what we do on the table , on the mixer , in the proofer, or in the oven.
The loaves fall. it's frustrating. they will sag in the middle which indicates over proofing or the oven not being hot enough, the convection being on too soon.... or the will dimple when they come out and as they cool the top layer will actually separate from the loaf itself creating a space in between.....

it's proving to be an endless frustration of making breadcrumbs... I want to through the whole thing out, but I don't have that option....

Please please if you have any advice I would love to here it ! thank you in advance.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

Loaf pan recs?

2008-02-01T16:09:30Z

i have just started baking loaf breads (banana, zucchini, lemon) and i noticed that my stoneware mini loaf pans yield a more even loaf that is less likely to burn or stick.

my only full sized pan is a metal one. it burned my last effort while the mini loaves were gorgeous. i'd like to hear from my fellow bakers what sort of material they prefer for their baking: metal, stoneware, silicone, pyrex? and why? then i'm gonna buy myself a pair. :-)

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

Danish (?) cinnamon rolls

2008-01-29T23:21:33Z

I love the yellow bits of pastry stuff that defines "Danish". Does anyone have a recipe?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 3 replies

Pumpernicklel

2008-01-21T17:48:14Z

Anyone have a good pumpernickel recipe? The ones I've got from Beard on Bread make too much and take too long. Or a nice black bread recipe... that would be good too.

Thanks,
Milo

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 1 reply

basic Q.: Brown Sugar, light or dark

2008-01-13T23:23:49Z

Hey: Such a basic question, but for the life of me I have no idea.

When a basic recipe (in this case, cookies) simply calls for brown sugar, do I use light or dark? Is this just common knowledge that I missed some how?!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

almond cookies using almond pulp

2008-01-12T22:58:26Z

I've got some almond pulp leftover from making almond milk and I was thinking of using it to make cookies. Could I go half and half with it and flour, or would I need more flour? Does anyone have any experience using almond pulp in baking or know how it reacts? Thanks all!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 6 replies

X-perimental Multigrain bread

2008-01-07T21:18:05Z

Yesterday I decided to make a multi-grain bread. I looked at the recipes from Beard On Bread and The Bread Baker's Apprentice and they seemed overly complex for the amount of time I had. So I just made some shit up, threw it at the wall, and saw what stuck... or something like that. Actually, it took 6 distinct phases, but the results were pretty fabulous, and not that intensive time or labor wise.

1 C. + 1 Tbsp oatmeal (plain old rolled oats)
1/2 C. Pumpernickel flour
1/2 C. Dark Rye Flour
1/2 C Whole wheat flour
1/2 C Spelt flour
1/2 C bread flour
1/2 C cornmeal + more for dusting
3 t. active yeast
1 tbsp honey (I used chestnut honey that someone had given us, but I think any dark honey would be fine)
1 tbsp molasass
1 tbsp organic sugar
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1 t salt
1/4 C powdered milk
4 tbsp butter
3/4 C cold water
3/4 C boiling water
1/2 C warm water

Phase 1) Oatmeal
take the cup of oatmeal and grind it into a semi-coarse flour. I did this in my food processor, but you could probably use a blender or similar device. Transfer to temporary bowl. Wash and dry food processor work bowl and get ready to use again.

Phase 2) Corn Meal
in a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal with cold water. to this add the boiling water, and stir until the lumps are gone. To this hot mix add the honey, molasses, and caraway seeds. allow to rest.

Phase 3) Yeasty Mix
In separate (small)bowl place warm water (~100° F/38° C). Stir in sugar until it dissolves. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to get foamy... about 10 minutes. In the mean time, melt 3 tbsp butter in microwave, and use 1 tbsp butter to grease a large mixing bowl.

Phase 4) Dough
Add all flours (including your oatmeal flour) and powdered milk to work bowl of food processor/mixer. To that add cornmeal water, yeast water, melted butter, and salt. Mix until dough comes together. Add a little more flour if it's too sticky/wet, but only small amounts at a time.

Phase 5) Knead and Rise
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl and cover with cling film and a clean towel. put it someplace warmish. Allow it to rise for 1 hour or doubled in bulk. After 1 rise, punch the dough down and knead again for a few minutes. place back in bowl and allow to rise again until doubled.

After the dough has risen the 2nd time, punch down and shape into 1 large loaf (or 2 medium ones). Allow to rest while you travel back in time to preheat the oven.

Phase 6) Getting Baked
Preheat oven to 425° F/ 218° C. At the floor of the oven place a cake pan with water. After the loaves have rested for 15-20 minutes slash the tops with a razor and transfer to a baking stone in the oven. spray/brush the tops of loaves with water and sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp oatmeal on top. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

When the timer bings reduce heat to 350° F/176° C, spritz loaves with water again, and set for 20 minutes. Lather, rinse, and repeat one last time (your total at 350° should be 40-50 minutes) When the bottoms sound hollow pull the loaves and set on a rack to cool.

Next time I might try with millet, quinoa, bulgar, or buckwheat just to see how it turns out.

Enjoy!

xoM

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

baker or pastry chef in SF Bay Area want to work Sea Of Dreams

2007-12-26T21:18:18Z

Hi, I need to hire an experienced Pastry Chef and/or Baker. Good pay, lousy hours.

please reply if you have interest. hours are 7 p - 4 a. thanks,

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

Almond Flour

2007-12-14T03:32:20Z

I am contemplating a persimmon cake recipe and considering replacing most (if not all) wheat pastry flour with almond flour (mixed with spelt flour) . Doe anyone have any thoughts on the topic?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

Baking with Fresh Spices?!

2007-12-09T17:09:11Z

Hey guys, does anyone know how one goes about baking with fresh spices? For example, when one is grinding fresh spices (for example: a "pepper grinder"?) how does one know they have the correct amount that the recipe calls for (eg. 1 teaspoon, etc.)? And, how does one work with "fresh" spices that come available as roots, such as ginger, for example! I *adore* the boquet of candied ginger and can only imagine how it would taste in a cookie or cake! Mmmmmm... Yet, the pre-ground ginger has only a peppery-taste to it and lacks that delicious scent! So...how does one go about employing fresh ginger? What meathod does one use? Are there other similar spices that can be "ground" as the ginger is (if it's also like a root, for example)? Oh, and are there standard grinders one can buy to hold any single, whole, spice imaginable? What about cinnamon? I ask, of course, because I often see nutmeg grated on a long grating tool, rather than in a grinder as pepper is. Anyhoo...I bring this topic up, not only because I noticed the bouquet of ginger while sniffing some candied ginger at my local Penzey's spices; but, while at my brother's apt.--he was having me and mom over for dinner--they had a commercially bought plastic pepper gringer, and it added loads of flavour and heat to whatever I grinded it on! (I was impressed by freshly ground pepper, because it was absolutely unlike the pepper I commonly buy at the gropcers!)

Thanks a heap, guys!

Take Care,
Wade

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 5 replies

Pumpkin muffins need new life...

2007-12-01T17:19:26Z

I make muffins at the cafe I work at, and this morning I made a batch of pumpkin muffins, but I forgot to put in the sugar! ACK! So I'm trying to come up with a way to use them so I don't have to waste them. Someone suggested bread pudding, but I would need to make something that could either be made as individual portions or that cut up easily and can be wrapped. Anyone have any suggestions?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

Carl Griffith - The Man. The Myth. The Sourdough.

2007-11-25T05:03:39Z

Born in 1919, Carl Griffith wrote that his interest in making sourdough bread started when he was "10 years old and learned to make bread in a dutch oven in a hole in the ground," using the sourdough starter his family brought with them when they emigrated west along the Oregon Trail in 1847. According to his friends, before the advent of the internet, Carl would gladly share his family's starter with anyone who asked, but the earliest record of Carl offering his starter to anyone online, is the following post by Carl, made on July 28, 1994 to the Usenet group rec.food.sourdough:

"I have dried and will mail out a bit of the starter that my family brought west on an Oregon Trail wagontrain in 1847 along with instructions to revive it and a few recipes if anyone is interested ????" Carl.

Carl sent his starter to anyone who sent him a self-addressed stamped envelope for the next number of years, until he suffered a stroke in early March of 2000 and died a few weeks thereafter, at the age of 80.

I talked to Charles Perry and Darrell Greenwood to find out more about how the 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Preservation Society -- or "Carl's Friends" for short -- and its website came into being after Carl's death.

"It all started as a memorial to Carl," said Charles, while Darrell remarked that "[fellow Usenet member] Dick Adams came up with the idea and made it happen, including getting the website up and running." Charles continued: "We wanted to continue his tradition. There are probably as many reasons or more why we continue as there are participants in the project. Personally, I prefer to live in a world where people are willing to share information or something useful, such as starter, with a stranger who asks."

And that's pretty much what Carl's Friends have been doing for the past six years. Because they're scattered throughout the US, they keep a central post office box, at which a volunteer bundles the requests and forwards them to another volunteer who is then responsible for growing, packaging, and mailing the starter in the provided self-addressed stamped envelopes -- at a rate of up to 50 a week during the winter baking season.

When I asked Charles what was the most distant request they'd received, he replied with the following:

I have not kept track of all the individual countries where we have sent [sourdough starter], but we have mailed to every continent on the globe except Antarctica. In addition to individuals wanting sourdough for their own personal use, we get requests from teachers, county extension agents, and museums to use in demonstrations or exhibits. We have had correspondence from a leader of an Australian commune who was interested in the back-to-nature spiritual aspect of sourdough, from an Asian chef who was having some difficulty with his starter because of the high temperature in his location, and an Austrian food writer who sent us some Hungarian paprika in exchange for the starter.

And now, chances are, somewhere on Earth tomorrow morning, someone will make a loaf of bread (or pancakes or biscuits or coffee cake) with a sourdough starter brought west over the Oregon Trail in 1847 -- all thanks to just one guy, puttering around on Usenet back in some of the earliest days of the user-friendly Internet, wondering if any fellow sourdough bakers wanted to try out his family's very old sourdough starter.

http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/source.html

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 7 replies

sourdough creature devours town!

2007-10-20T05:55:45Z

Hi all!

Let me introduce myself by telling you about my recent sourdough adventures...

I've been experimenting with sourdough for the first time recently.
Made my first starter about a month ago.

I'm glad to report that my own experiments were just as successful as some so-called "official" recipes. And it's much easier than I ever thought it would be!

The only problem was that the sourdough starter just kept growing and growing as I fed it. I began to obsess over it -- woke up every morning thinking "I must feed the colony!" and because I didn't have time to bake regularly, it got bigger and BIGGER until it seemed as though it would slip out of its container and devour the countryside, as in some kind of 50s sci-fi flick! ...yet, I felt enslaved by it, afraid that it would die if I didn't feed it every day. Was it beginning to control me?!? I had created a monster!

I finally figured out you can either throw some out, or freeze it in single-portion sizes, or keep it in the fridge to slow its growth (and only feed it once a week). Now, thankfully, the sourdough creature is under control.

I also found a zillion sourdough recipes on the good ol' internet, and was pleased to find out that you can use sourdough as leavening fro practically anything. I've made some delicious sourdough brownies, muffins and pancakes in addition to the San Francisco-style loaves that I love.

I love all kinds of baking, but it seems sourdough is my current obsession.

I'd love to hear about other creative ways to make and use sourdough from you guys.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 21 replies

Any Brits who could help?

2007-10-06T23:15:21Z

I just got Diana Henry's Roast Figs Sugar Snow, and it looks fantastic. I am dying to try the Dartmoor Inn's Apple Bread recipe, but it calls for 1 sachet of easy-blend yeast. Can anyone tell me how many grams are in a sachet? Is it comperable to an American packet of yeast? Help on this would be hugely appreciated.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

晴朗 Your sweet dough rocks

2007-10-05T08:03:24Z

I had to make two batches the first one would not work with me. But I was a woman on a mission. The second batch worked so well that I even managed a lattice top crust. Thank you for breaking the pie crust curse of many years.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 6 replies

Homemade pizza... i need help!

2007-09-30T16:11:23Z

Hello all. so... i am fairly new to bread baking and the like. I have recently read Peter Reinhart's The Bread Bakers Apprentice. I followed the dough recipe to a tee, but have had difficulty throwing the pizza into that great round shape. Actually, I have torn holes in the dough multiple times while trying to learn. I ended up just rolling it with a pin into a round like shape. Any suggestions on how to get that nice round pizza without tearing the dough would be greatly appreciated.

Warmly,
J.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 10 replies

Herb Parmesan Batter Bread

2007-09-29T21:04:30Z

Herb Parmesan Batter Bread

1 c Milk
1/4 c Butter
1/4 c Sugar
1 1/2 tb Oregano leaves
1 ts Salt
1 ts Onion salt
1/2 ts Celery salt
1/2 c Lukewarm water
1 ts Sugar
2 Env. yeast
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c Grated Parmesan cheese
3 3/4 To 4 c All-purpose flour

Makes 2 loaves.

Heat milk, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, oregano, salt, onion salt and
celery salt until butter melts.Cool to lukewar. Pour lukewarm water into
a large bowl. Stir in 1 tsp sugar until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over
mixture. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir well.Stir in lukewarm
milk-butter mixture, egg and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add 3 cups of the
flour. Beat until smooth and elastic. Gradually work in sufficient
additional flour to make a soft dough, 3/4 cup to 1 cup more. Turn dough
into a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double
in bulk (about 1 1/4 hours). Stir down batter with wooden spoon and beat
vigourously for 30 seconds. Turn into two greased 1 quart round
casseroles. Cover and let rise until almost double in bulk (about 1/2 hr.)
Bake in preheated 350 F oven 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from pans at once
and cool on wire rack. Makes 2 loaves.

Source: Milk Cookbook

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

Squaw

2007-09-22T21:03:27Z

Hi if any of you have a great squaw bread recipe, send it my way. I can't seem to find it in any stores near me, the dark, soft, deli-style squaw you can get in, well, deli's. Thanks a lot.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 6 replies

Trivial Triffle

2007-08-27T16:28:42Z

Hi there!

I have been searching for an English Triffle recipie and I was wondering if any of you had one that you prefered. I had one when I was in New Zealand a few years back that just nocked my socks off, but sadly I did not get the recipie. Thanks so much!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 13 replies

Recipe Request- Pitas

2007-08-24T15:34:24Z

Could you guys grace me with a good recipe for pitas? The couple recipes that I've found and tried made the pocket pita kind and I want the fluffy, chewy kind that you have with gyros. I will love you forever if someone has one!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

need help with zucchinni muffins recipe

2007-08-23T00:47:28Z

We have lots of summer squash, 3 types of zucchinis and some light
green sunburst squash. I was really excited about this recipe (my own experimentation) because this turned out very good, and I like it that there is no oil added (instead I like using ground almond meal).

I have made is successfully, but the last time I made it the muffins did not rise at all. It was still tasty but heavy. I did use one more cup of grated zucchinis and one less banana.

Any ideas what might have happened?

In any case, I am sharing the recipe because even if it does not rise for you, it is very good.

Zucchini-banana-currant muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups finely grated zucchini (this is 2 humongous squash or 3
normal but large ones)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamon seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/2 cup currants
½ cups dried cranberries
2 tbsp chopped candied ginger

Method:
Squeeze liquid out of the finely shredded zucchini and add to the
flax seed meal on a bowl. Mix with wire whisk. Add remaining wet
ingredients, spices, and mix. Sift flour with baking soda and powder,
and add at the end. Depending on the zucchinis used there might be
too little or too much liquid. Adjust by adding a little more (or
less) flour. I used 2 small muffin tins (the ones that have room
for 12 muffins). This amount of batter makes 24 small muffins.
Bake in 350 oven for 40-45 minutes.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 6 replies

converting baking times/temps for jumbo muffins

2007-08-14T16:24:33Z

Does anyone know of a general formula to convert baking time and temp of regular muffins to jumbo-sized?

Basically, I have a bunch of recipes for regular sized muffins, but would like to make them jumbo. I'm not sure what temp to use, or for how long. (I assume a lower temp, and longer time.....)

Thanks!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 7 replies

Bundt Cake Sticking to the Pan Problem

2007-07-26T01:01:31Z

So, I have this problem when I make bundt cake: it always sticks to the pan and I can't get the damn thing out without breaking it.

It's not for lack of trying. I have tried:
-melting butter and brushing it over every little crevice of the pan, letting it firm up a bit, then flouring it,
-greasing the pan with room temp butter over every square inch of the pan before flouring,
-using butter only,
-using cooking spray only.

What could I possibly be doing wrong? I never had this problem before, and, now, in the last couple of years, I can't make a bundt cake without breaking it in at least one place from it sticking to the pan.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 23 replies

Raspberry Tarts?

2007-07-25T22:48:52Z

We have lovely black raspberries in the garden this time of year, and I'd love a good, simple recipe for making tarts.

I got a set of 6 little tart pans, and will probably use spelt or wh.wheat pastry flour. any thoughts?

xoM

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 12 replies

scone recipes?

2007-07-23T20:37:14Z

does anyone here have a tried and true scone recipe? i'm hosting a tea party picnic in a few weeks and have a vision of lavendar scones in my head but i've never made them and don't have a good base recipe. even just a plain recipe that i can play with would be great.

oh and any other ideas are welcome too. i'm mostly interested in whole, natural foods (ie. no box mixes please), incorporating herbs and flowers etc into the recipes... but doesn't have to be veg.

thanks!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 14 replies

Lost ~ seeking direction and/or assistance...

2007-07-15T12:28:48Z

I appologize in advance for just dropping this in here.

I have been slogging my way through tribe.net for a week or so trying to find ~ ~
Tradtional scratch bakers and pastry chefs who work on a production level.
Know that there Must be some one else out there - but am having a real hard time find you...

Please, any assistance would be Greatly welcomed !
I am Lost and (apparently) alone in Pittsburgh....

Would love to find others who still make Traditional breads and pastries by hand on a production level...hoping to connect with others to discuss - 'The Trade' ; issues with production in various areas of the country ; ideas on viable places to relocate for my / our work... Experiences... How you are continuing to maintain our tradition in an increasingly mechanized work place... Training new folks... Adapting formulas for special dietary needs... ANYTHING....

I was trained by Traditional Master German Pastry Chef in European breads and pastries and have worked mostly up and down the coast of the Pacific Northwest . However I am currently in Pittsburgh and feeling VERY cut off from folks in my industry.

Any direction or assistance in finding a more appropriate tribe (if needed) would be greatly welcomed.
Thank you so very much for your time and any help that you might be able to offer.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

The Taste of Bread by Raymond Calvel... What's your take?

2007-07-03T03:58:06Z

So as I have delved into bread baking, the name Calvel has surfaces quite a few times. Typically I would get the book from the library or buy and check to check out. Unfortunately this book retails for almost a 100 bones new and the cheapest used I can find goes for around 60. That is completely outrageous as far as I am concerned.

The few reviews I have found that seem adequate seem to agree that the book was poorly translated thus obfuscating the lessons taught by Calvel.

So, before I go out and spend tons of 'dough' on this book, do you think it is worth it? If so, what does it provide say that other books don't?

Thanks a ton fellow bread bakers. OH... and has anyone seen the video's that the Bread Bakers Guild of America on Calvel? That retails for a $150... again... if anyone has seen it, is it worth the price to own it???????

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

liqeur in meringues?

2007-06-14T23:09:24Z

Hey! I was wondering whether anyone has ever tried baking liqeurs into meringues. I'm curious to try, but I've never seen it done, so I figured maybe there's some kind of reaction the alcohol creates that would keep a meringue from baking correctly...?

Thanks!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 8 replies

Stone ovens.

2007-05-24T20:09:32Z

Does anyone has some ideas or recommendations for reading on how to build an outdoors stone oven for breadbaking.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

Cupcakes to die for

2007-05-14T00:11:41Z

I've entered a friendly cupcake baking contest and would love some far-out but doable recipie ideas. Any help is appreciated.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 6 replies

Rye bread

2007-05-06T22:46:31Z

I was just was wondering if anyone out there had a particular rye bread recipe they liked. I've tried every thing from Russian rye to pumpernickel with all stops in between yet I keep finding new ones that astound me in their simplicity and taste. I made a simple American rye for St. Patrick’s day and it got me to thinking about it.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

Norwegian Fruit Bread

2007-05-06T21:54:06Z

Has anyone heard of this? My grandmother had a recipe she cut out of a magazine in the 50's or 60's. She died last year and since it is one of our traditional Christmas foods I want to be able to make it again - but can't find the right recipe.

It is NOT fruit cake. It is similar to panettone but has a denser texture, not flaky at all, very bread-like. And not gummy or moist like fruit cake. It has dried fruit and peel in it and nuts as well, but no spices just sugar and salt. It is baked with yeast. Any suggestions? cross-post

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 1 reply

Barbecued Pork Bao

2007-05-05T16:01:57Z

True this isn’t baking, but rather steaming, but I thought I’d give this a go.

Does anyone else make these? I'm unsure why, but mine flatten a bit when steaming. They taste fine, but aren’t as rounded as those I sold in the restaurants. The dough is straightforward enough; I’m wondering if it is something that I’m not doing right in the steaming process?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

Seed Bread

2007-05-03T04:13:19Z

Hi am am new here, I bake all the time (mostly desserts) but I'm not advanced in bread making.
I'm looking for a good recipe or base recipe for a brown grain bread that can have multiple seeds added like, millet, sunflower seeds, etc. maybe caraway for flavor.
What I would prefer is something that can be baked in a loaf pan and would be on the most side rather than a dry "health bread" if you know anything like this let me know.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 3 replies

cream puff pastry help

2007-05-01T21:40:56Z

I tried a new cream puff pastry recipe recently. The first time I made the puffs, they came out perfectly -- light and airy. But the next four times I tried to make them, they came out like hockey pucks. I did the exact same thing each time, but I wasn't able to duplicate my success. Anyone have any clue why this might happen? Or have a fool-proof puff recipe to share? Here's the recipe I've been using. (It might be worth noting that I do all mixing by hand, rather than with an electric mixer.) Thanks!

1/2 c. butter 1 c. boiling water
1 c. pre-sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs

Put butter and water in small saucepan; stir over high heat until melted and liquid is boiling rapidly. Add flour and salt at once; raise saucepan a few inches above heat. Stir briskly. Mixture will come away from sides of pan and form a ball in center.

Cook and stir 30 seconds more. Remove from heat. Break 1 egg into the paste; beat fast until smooth and fluffy. Repeat until all the eggs are used.

Drop by 1/4 cup onto ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and golden, 35-40 minutes. Cool away from drafts.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 18 replies

Just dropped by...

2007-04-27T23:58:10Z

Hi, I'm new here. I love to bake and I'm always looking for new recipes and advice. I'll just sit over here in the corner, catch up on these posts, and see what I can learn for awhile if ya'll don't mind!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 1 reply

Chocolate Buttercream Cream Cheese Frosting

2007-04-27T20:43:23Z

I will be baking a cake this weekend for my daughter's 2nd birthday and will be using my mom's frosting recipe in chocolate and vanilla - since it is sooooo yummy, I thought I'd post it here. It works great in decorating too as you only need to add more sugar of its too thin - hardens well without getting too hard like gumpaste.

1 lb butter
8oz block cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 lb bag powdered sugar (use most of it)
1-3 tblsp milk (used to thin frosting if needed)
1- 3 tsp coffee syrup (mix instant coffee with a little water to get a syrup) (optional)
1 tbsp (or more to taste) Kahlua (optional)
most of an 8oz jar cocoa powder

1. cream butter and cream cheese
2. mix in vanilla and coffee syrup and Kahlua
3. alternate adding powdered sugar & cocoa - you'll use most of the bag of sugar
4. If too thick, thin with a little milk....or Kahlua.

The original recipe she gave me only called for 6 tblsp cocoa but for a real chocoholic, you'll probably use the whole 8oz....had I any more cocoa powder in the house, I would have added more.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

Can I make fresh fruit pie filling without Cornstarch?

2007-04-25T05:02:58Z

I was curious if I need cornstarch to make a fresh strawberry pie ?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 12 replies

Inroduction

2007-04-25T02:35:12Z

Hello All,
I'm Carla new to this site and a self taught baker of anything involving flour. Execpt for pie crust for some reason I just can't master it.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 21 replies

Butterscotch pie

2007-04-23T04:30:32Z

I tried one out of the Fanny Farmer cookbook last week and liked it. When I made it I used light brown sugar but think it would have been much richer tasting if I had used dark. I'm wondering if anyone has a favorite recipe for it?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

chocolate ginger cake

2007-04-12T20:37:29Z

so, the boy is having a birthday and i asked him what kind of cake he likes. of course, it's never one that i have heard of :-) does anyone have a recipe for a chocolate and ginger cake?

thanks!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

cornbread

2007-04-11T15:24:58Z

...my favorite bread.
Please share your favorite recipes...blue corn, white corn, yellow corn...any corn will do!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 19 replies

New tribe- ethnic and traditional foods and food lore

2007-04-11T06:56:48Z

I started a new tribe for discussing 'ethnic food' in general, and also for discussing food traditions- what people eat on traditional holidays and other special occasions, food in religious ritual, and anything else related to what the grandma's did besides cook the stuff.
We're vegetarian-friendly over there, too. I'll be posting a buncha baking stuff there soon (Ok, I"ll crosspost here too, but...)

www.tribes.tribe.net/foodtraditions

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 1 reply

Bread to Rolls

2007-04-08T20:41:12Z

My partner has been trying to cut back the amount of wheat he intakes. Over the past few months, he's made some amazing spelt and rye breads that just keep getting better. I'm wondering how difficult it would be to take those recipes and make them into rolls for vegi burgers? Other than cutting the proofed dough into 6 or 8 pieces, do we need to adjust the baking time? When I get home I'll post the recipe he's using.

thanks,
Milo

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

anyone ever add gluten to rye bread?

2007-04-05T18:53:50Z

I'm really into making rye bread with little wheat, and using only sourdough starter for leavening-no commercial yeast, and of course it sometimes turns out as dense bricks (think of that European thinly sliced rye party bread that you can find at gourmet stores, that's very moist but very dense). Worse, the rye is a serious pain in the ass to knead because it's so sticky. I'm trying a batch right now where I added a bit of gluten to it, which cured the kneading problem- it's beautifully stretchy like wheat dough this point and stopped sticking to everything (I used to joke that rye-only bread involves making rye glue and then baking it into rye bricks).

Sadly my very tasty-but-weak sourdough starter is not giving it as much rise as I want, which isn't the end of the world since this is supposed to become pizza mostly.

Has anyone explored this gluten addition for rye or other heavy non-wheat flours? I"m not avoiding wheat for health reasons obviously (gluten is wheat protein), I just don't like the taste as much as that of pure heavenly sourdough rye. I'm wondering what gluten will do for rising in this kind of case. (I already know my rising problem is just due to the particular strain of sourdough I"m using as I've had this problem many times already compared to previous wild sourdough cultures) .

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 12 replies

no-bake lemon filling recipe?

2007-04-02T01:54:12Z

Does anyone have a recipe for no-bake lemon filling? I'm hoping for something less creamy, more gel-y. Thanks!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 14 replies

Elvis's pound cake

2007-04-01T15:38:29Z

legend has it that his neighbor baked it for him, so he bought her a cadillac. Well -it's good, but ...
Ha!
But I used to bake this thing quite a lot years ago, and dug out the recipe to bring to a party tomorrow night. OMG - I forgot how incredibly loaded with butter and sugar it is! In fact, it doesn't have any leavening in it. Just eggs, butter, sugar and flour. Then a cup of heavy whipping cream and beat the be-jesus out of it. How much sugar could I reasonably cut out, and still have it work? Or should I just say - to heck with the diet for one night, and go for it? Just wondering - reminiscing about the times in my life when I had the leisure to bake almost every day - and we didn't have to worry about cholesterol, or insulin levels. *sigh*

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 18 replies

gluten-free baking

2007-03-27T18:56:06Z

I seem to be meeting more and more folks these days who can't tolerate gluten, and am thinking I need to expand my baking repertoire to gluten-free breads and bagels. Anyone have tips or recommended products or recipes? I see that Bob's Red Mill makes a gluten-free flour so I was going to start there.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 15 replies

Savory Breads

2007-03-27T18:42:39Z

Just found this tribe by chance and I am soooo glad I did. I have been bread baking for about 12 years now. It started with purchasing a bread machine for work (I do craft services for film) and within a few months of using it, I figured it couldn't be too much harder to do it all by hand and I abandoned the bread machine (except for at work)

I was always a fan of the recipes in "Beard on Bread" but my favorite recipe was actually one of the recipes that came with the bread machine....the recipe which I have altered over the years.

Its a more savory bread. Its a combo of a basic olive oil french baguette with a packet of "Mrs Grass Homestyle Vegetable Soup Mix". (for me, it MUST be Mrs Grass) You can sub onion soup mix if you like.

Its basically......

3 cups bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 envelope Mrs Grass homestyle vegetable soup mix
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/4 cup water
3 tblsp sugar or honey or even honey powder
3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

Then its the basic routine...proof yeast in water/sugar.
Mix into dry ingredients plus oil
knead - rise - knead/shape - brush top with egg - bake at 400 for 30-40 min in a baguette pan

I can't get too specific as I do a lot of stuff as it comes depending on how it is progressing.

Since I do a lot of baking improvisational style I come up with a lot of interesting results. Its nice to have found a tribe where I can figure out what the problem is when things go horribly awry like my attempt at a berry breakfast bread which ended up like a dense chewy bookend!!!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 7 replies

Hideously Dense Bread

2007-03-27T18:35:39Z

I figure that I might as well ask here to confirm why my latest experiment failed.

I used a basic bread loaf but added extra sugar for a sweeter bread as well as Fruit Cruchies (freeze dried berries) and used milk for the liquid.

The bread just didn't rise much at all in the first or second rising. Nor did it rise when baking. I added extra liquid to compensate for the moisture that the freeze dried fruits would have absorbed.

What I think was the problem is that breads which use milk only (instead of water) don't rise as well. I have noticed that in past loaves. HOWEVER, I have also made cinnamon rolls using milk and they seemed to rise just fine...maybe I used milk AND water....I can't remember since its been so long since I made cinn rolls. Unlss I used water and added powdered milk to the flour.

I am stumped. But I saved the loaf in hopes that it will dry out nicely and the ducks will eat it at the park.

Opinions anyone?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 14 replies

Yall like cake too much :)

2007-03-27T17:58:35Z

MMMMM bread.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

Does anyone make.....

2007-03-26T14:59:30Z

their own starter?

Do you like it?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 1 reply

Any good recipes for red velvet cake?

2007-03-17T18:15:08Z

I found out that my friend likes it and he has a birthday coming up....

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 13 replies

Red beet chocolate cake

2007-03-08T20:19:14Z

I am ussually no fan of chocolate cake, but my curiousity got the better part of me when I was in Sebastopol at the East West Cafe. Their red beet chocolate cake was delicious, moist, flavourfull, without being too sweet or too bitter, light.
The frosting, again no fan of frosting, was delicious, no artificial aftertaste, no chalky taste/feel.
Does any one know of a good receipe that would combine all these traits??
Thank you.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 6 replies

Yeast and Rise Problems

2007-03-07T05:26:25Z

I seem to be having yeast problems lately. My apartment tends to be cool-to-cold during the day(when I most often rise my breads) and i seem to only get 1/4 to 1/2 the rise I should. I've tried different brands of yeast to little effect. Yeast slurrys seem to work best, but I'm still not getting a full rise out of my doughs. Is there a yeast anyone would recommend? A technique I am missing or a particular place I could put my bowls of dough that might bring me better results?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 10 replies

mailing baked goods

2007-03-04T17:58:39Z

Hello...I'd like to mail some cookies and such to some friends. However, I've never mailed anything perishable before, so I have a couple questions.

First of all, what types of baked goods travel best? And second...what is the best way to package them?

I'm also considering sending some chocolates and truffles, and I assume those would be best in a sealed plastic container...perhaps with some waxed paper to cushion and seperate them.

Any other tips?

-Allison

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 9 replies

Red seal testing for pastry.

2007-02-28T06:40:02Z

I'm at the end of my 3 year apprenticeship and am just starting my last four weeks in school before my final exams to get my journeyman paper's. I was wondering if anyone here has gotten certified and knows anything about the test IE. the national vocational analysis, glossary. 15% of the people that take the test pass apperently and I would love to be as prepared as i can,I'm not asking for specific questions more just some direction. We've been doing alot of chocolate work and are going to start onLaminated and sweet doughs tommorow,I'm off to go and finish my 3 chapter's for homework, thanks so much in advance.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

Chocolate Madelines

2007-02-18T02:32:33Z

Hi folks just needed some feedback and ideas. I made chocolate madelines for work on Valentines. I stuffed two together with frosting and though they tasted very good, they were rounded a bit on the underside and didn’t fit together well. The frosting held them together once they set up a little but I’m wondering if simply shaving off the rounded bits might have looked neater.

I don’t know why they domed on the underside but recall the same thing happening last time. The recipe calls for three eggs and two yolks; do you think dropping an egg might work? I wish they'd call for cup amounts on the eggs rather than simply calling for eggs. I did use large eggs as I usually do in baking. Maybe medium eggs would be an option as well. Grrr…

Usually I don't have this problem with regular madelines because I don't sandwich them together, just serve them with lemon curd.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 8 replies

World's best buttercream icing

2007-02-17T02:01:50Z

This is a great recipe that is used in a world renowned bakery. (Sorry can't tell you which one!) Super for wedding cakes.The icing literally melts in your mouth. Just wanted to share!

Italien Buttercream
For two cakes

2.5 cups sugar
1.25 c water
2 lbs butter (unsalted) softened
9 egg whites

Make simple syrup with sugar/water
Beat egg whites, at soft low peak, slowly drizzle in simple syrup down side of mixing bowl, continue slowly adding sugar syrup until it;s gone and whites are stiff.
Gradually add creamed, soft butter- a little at a time only til icing is smooth-

This icing can be refrigerated or frozen- careful though it melts quickly / becomes really soft on a hot day
Great for decorating. You can get a really smooth, almost glass-like finish by heating your spatula in hot water or slightly in a flame (gas stove) before smoothing the sides

Goods Luck and have fun....

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 15 replies

Vegan Chocolate cake

2007-02-13T21:19:23Z

This is dairy egg and peanut free

Since I am a chef it is unfortunately in chef formula format but I think almost anyone could follow it

14 oz Brown Sugar
4 oz Margarine
2 Tbs soy flour
1 fl oz vegetable oil
3 fl ox soy milk
14 oz chopped dates
1/3 cup cocoa powder more to taste
20 oz all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 C boiling water
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Cream together margarine, salt and sugar (mixture will be crumbly at first rather than creamy)

Whisk together the soy flour, vegetable oil and soy milk, stir into the margarine and sugar mixture

Put the dates 1 tbs of flour, baking soda and vanilla into a food processor and add boiling water, process until smooth, the nixture will fizz up don't be alarmed it is supposed to do that.

Fold the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and margarine mixture together, if it becomes to dry add some of the processed dates

Finally add the dates to the mixture and beat until well mixed

Pour into greased and floured cake pans (helps if you line them with parchment as it tends to stick. Bake at 350° for 30 -35 minutes

Make a basic icing with confectioners sugar, margarine, cocoa powder and soy milk

Hope you enjoy it

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

Bread machine troubles

2007-01-31T01:51:50Z

Hello all,

While it seems that most of you are far more advance than me, I am still learning and using a bread machine. Here is my problem. Everytime I make bread, it comes out tasting alot like flour and not like bread. I don't know what i'm doing wrong. Is it the breadmachine? I have the William Sonoma breadmachine. I feel like maybe it needs to be kneaded more, but dont know how to instruct the machine to do so. Please give some sort of advice. Thanks

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

Recipe4Living Recipe Photo Contest

2007-01-18T21:00:34Z

Recipe4Living.com is running a Recipe Photo Contest. Submit a photo with the recipe for your culinary masterpiece and you could win a $50 gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma. Plus your photo will be featured on the Recipe4Living homepage! All entrants will be featured in a special photo presentation and receive a free sample of Jelly Belly Candies.

http://www.recipe4living.com/content/view/11276/

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

How do you make a cake light and airy?

2007-01-18T07:54:29Z

It seems like lately when I make a cake it turns out like a doorstop, really condensed and heavy.
I've tried the tricks of undermixing or overmixing, but nothing seems to work.
Any suggestions would be great since I'm making my friends b-day cake this Saturday.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 17 replies

questions about yeasts and bread

2007-01-15T04:47:07Z

some of the bread recipes call for just yeast... others active yeast... others fast acting yeast...

I have recently fallen in love with baking bread and would like to start trying the recipes that use a poolish... I am guessing I should NOT use the fast acting yeast? So what do I use? What do I look for, and can I get it at my local IGA or Healthfood store?

I have read that you just can not make great breads with fast acting yeast... the flavour does not develope the same way etc.

Would love a few pointers.

Thanks

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 11 replies

I am new here...

2007-01-14T20:00:55Z

I want to make a great vegan bread,I have been successful with cornbread and apple muffins, but I want more ideas. Does anyone know of other ideas,breadsor suggestions/
Thanks!
~M~

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

cocas dough

2007-01-13T01:23:03Z

I've seen this yeast dough made with beer and white wine vinegar and wonder if anyone has a decent recipe. I made my last with vinegar, enjoying the results, but want to try more. The toppings are as varied as a traditional pizza, but the sausage and onion varieties are my favorite.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 3 replies

No Knead Bread

2007-01-05T17:17:35Z

The recipe is from the Sullivan Street Bakery in New York and I've been playing with it. Anyone else try it yet and what do you think?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 1 reply

converting bread-machine recipe to scratch

2006-12-31T15:03:34Z

I bought a gluten-free chestnut bread mix and didn't realize that it was meant for a bread machine, and I don't have one. Does anyone have any advice on how to convert the bread-machine instructions in the recipe below? Is it just a matter of kneading the dough and letting it rise?

[Bread mix ingredients: chestnut flour, white rice flour, buttermilk powder, potato starch, tapioca flour, cornstarch, xanthan gum, sugar, salt]

Directions

1. Mix 3 large eggs, 1tsp. white cider vinegar, 1/4 cup canola oil and 1 1/2 cups water in a bowl.
2. Place the wet ingredients in bread machine pan.
3. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Place dry ingredients on top of liquid ingredients.
4. Make a well in the top of the dry ingredients. Put 2 1/2 tsp. fresh yeast in the well.
5. Program the bread machine for "dough." After about an hour preheat the oven to 375 F.
6. When the bread machine cycle completes, place the contentss in a 5x9" lightly oiled bread pan. Tip: Spray a dinner plate with a non-stick cooking spray. Pour the dough out of the bread machine pan onto the plate, and then slide the dough off the plate into the baking pan. Don't try to smooth it out or make it fill the pan to the corners.
7. Place the bread pan in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Turn out the bread immediately and let cool.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 1 reply

new tribe

2006-12-30T08:17:24Z

check out my new tribe nourishing traditions and let us know some of your traditions

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 0 replies

Ciabbata Bread Recipe?

2006-12-27T22:23:23Z

Anyone have a good Ciabatta bread recipe? I have a bread machine so one that utilizes it would be preferrable but not necessary.

Thanks, you're my heerrrrrrro!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 8 replies

Crust with pulverized almonds

2006-12-25T07:00:03Z

So I have a gigantic bag of almonds in my fridge (gift from friend with family farm) and could swear I've seen a recipe using them pulverized as a crust.
Ring any bells?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 3 replies

Popover recipe

2006-12-24T02:25:47Z

anyone?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 3 replies

French Macaroons

2006-12-18T06:47:31Z

Does anyone have any idea how to make French macaroons? These are a totally different animal from American-style macaroons: http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/historique/histoire_macaron.htm.plus.htm

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 10 replies

Sourdough Ciabatta recipe wanted.

2006-12-12T20:43:42Z

Now that I have a sourdough starter bubbling away I would like to make some ciabatta-style bread with it. I have experimented with using a standard (i.e. yeast granules) recipe with only limited success. I think I've seen a recipe for this somewhere. Has anyone had success with this?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 5 replies

spelt bread

2006-12-09T19:45:06Z

My best friend has gluten sensitivity. I would love to bake her bread for her birthday. We talked to the owner of the Tin Roof bakery in Chico and he said that spelt is hard to work with and has a short shelf life. Since we both know these things and are still willing to experiment...can anyone push me in the direction of a good tasting recipe using spelt flour that does not include wheat.
Thank you!
Kheri

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

Poolish....did not know what it was, but doing it

2006-12-09T01:53:23Z

It is a term I discovered on a Bread baking site called 'The Fresh
Loaf' run by Floyd D. Someone on this Tribe made reference to it. The breads on this site are amazing. He even offers lessons for free. He is not looking to sell anything, but is
expressing his love for bread baking. I joined! I figure I am the
only Solar Oven freak there.

I set a Poolish fermentation in motion today. One cup of white
flour; one cup of filtered water; and 1/4 teaspoon of yeast mixed in
my SpeckleWare; covered and overnighted..

If the sun is cool (oxymoron) I will bake some Pain Sur Poolish
tomorrow... No kneading! I couldn't believe it. Gonna bake it right
on the tile in my Sun Oven. (The only oven I have)...

Seems like a nice balance of rookie bakers, intermediate, and real
good bakers.......

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/

Thanks to whover recommened the site....

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

epi baguette

2006-12-05T22:03:13Z

You know just the other day I was thinking about all the wonderful bread I've had... And there was one that I remembered being just amazing... I think it was called an epi baguette... Does anyone have any recipies or know a bakery that sells this wonderful treasure to the world?
Please I'm craving the bread of my past... hee...

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 10 replies

corn bread?

2006-11-25T20:18:08Z

Looking for a great cornbread recipie
would like it to be quick and easy and VERY GOOD
maybe something that could be baked the night before and eaten next day.
and in time for thanksgiving.
if none of you comes up with something great I may just have to fall back on Betty Crocker
thanks

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 12 replies

Cracked!

2006-11-24T22:24:58Z

Last night I made a beautiful tomato-asiago bread, following some of the tips from the Kindergarden Bread thread. In the process, our beloved pizza stone cracked into 3 pieces. My boyfriend and I were wondering what could have caused it... Here's what we did:

12 oz tomato juice
1.5 t. sugar
3 t. yeast
1.5 t. salt
3 tbsp. olive oil+
4 C. organic bread flour + extra for kneading
1/4 C minced mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)
1/2 C shredded asiago
1/2 # sliced asiago

1) in a 2 C pyrex measure, heat the tomato juice in microwave for about a minute... not boiling, but to warm.
2) pour juice into food processor, whir with sugar, then sprinkle yeast and allow to foam (about 10 minutes)
3) add salt, oil, and flour and process until it forms a nice dough.
4) turn dough out onto floured work surface. knead for 5-10 minutes, working the herbs and 1/4 C shredded cheese into the dough. place kneaded dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, and allow to rise until doubled (a little over an hour)
5) Place a heat-proof vessel with water at the bottom of the oven, then turn on to 500°F (260°C). Also place baking stone in oven, with rack in "lower middle" position.
6) While oven is heating, punch down dough, then return to floured work surface. Knead dough again for 5 more minutes.
7) stretch dough out into a circle of sorts. lay slices of cheese in a line in the center, leaving enough room to fold edges up and over, sealing cheese inside.
8) invert loaf, so the seam is face down. slash top of loaf with very sharp knife. cover with damp towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
9) transfer to baking stone and bake for 15 minutes
10) after 15 minutes, open oven and add remaining shredded cheese to top of bread. grind fresh black pepper to taste. return to oven for another 5 minutes or so.
11) remove from oven and place on cooling rack. allow to cool for 1-2 hours before storing.

Whew! Ok, so here's where I think it went weird. My boyfriend pulled the stone from the oven so that we could put the bread on it, instead of just pulling the rack with the stone on it out for a second. Could the exposure to the cooler air, even for just a minute, have caused it to break? Or could it have been the moisture from the water at the bottom of the oven?

Click here to see the pictures:
http://bakers.tribe.net/photos/2cb2bc3f-0ec1-48b7-8f34-e7f57d961e9f
http://bakers.tribe.net/photos/405aebf6-1fe0-4e2a-b819-1e95339b79fa

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

kindergarten bread

2006-11-22T04:21:41Z

I have two topics in one today.
First, I got a bread recipe from the women at work. On the recipe it says to let rise for about two hours. These women let it rise overnight in the fridge but it comes out dry and hard. It is called kindergarten bread because they make it for the kids twice a week the whole school year. Mine did not come out dry and hard but it is lacking something. I would like to share the recipe with all of you to see if you have any suggestions.

This makes alot of bread, so you may want to halve it.

6 C warm water
2TBSP yeast
1/2 C honey
1/4 C mild molasses
4 C flour ( 1/2 white 1/2 wheat)
Mix these ingredients together to make the sponge...let sit for about 15 minutes

add these ingedients to the sponge while stirring
2tsp salt
1/2 C olive oil
2 C rolled oats
1/2 C ground flax seed
6 C flour (2 C white, 2 C wheat, 2 C spelt)

knead dough and let rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours)

punch down, knead for 10 minutes, shape and let rise for 30 minutes.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden on top and sounds hollow on bottom.

second, I have two metal pans and one glass pan. Every loaf I make in the glass pans comes out in such a way that my first instinct is to throw it in the trash. Deductive reasoning would determine that I no longer use the glass pan. Ok, but why. Does anyone know why the metal works better than glass?

thanks, Kheri

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 24 replies

Bread Ovens

2006-11-13T05:15:22Z

Hi to everyone, i have built 3 wood fired ovens for baking Aretisan Style Breads. To me the oven is a major key to bakeing good bread, then nice freshly grinded wheat berries on the bakeing day, pure clean well water, sea salt, and a nice wood fired oven with a good hearth. Ovens are fairly easy to make if you go simple, i love to build them and share this oven magic with others. And they also bake the best pizza.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

Waffle mix....no wheat

2006-11-07T04:19:42Z

I'm cooking for a buch of people - some of them don't do wheat. I'm looking for a (rice flour?) recipe for great waffles done in a Belgian Waffle iron.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 2 replies

Hello and a recipe (or advice, at least) request...

2006-10-31T01:44:10Z

Hi, I'm a newbie here on Tribe.net, so first I thought I'd say hello to all the peoples in my newly adopted tribe!

Now, for the foundation of my request: I found a recipe out on Allrecipes.com called "Bacon Cheese Puffs" or something like that. Basically, what they had was a simple mix of 1 lb. bacon, crisp-fried and crumbled up, 2-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup mayo and 2 tbsp. mustard, all mixed together. Take that mixture, put it on pumpernickel "party toast" and put it under the broiler for 5 minutes or so. That all sounds fine. I wanted to go a step further and make my own bread for it, though, and make it into little "cup" hors d'oeuvres.

My initial thought was to get some pre-made sourdough mix (I used Krusteaz) and make something like little rolls, but squish a bowl shape into the top of them when they rise, half bake them, put the bacon/cheese mixture into the bowl shape, and finish them under the broiler. The problem is, they rise too much and too quickly. I made little dough balls and put them in a mini-muffin tin, then squished bowls into the top when they had finished the second rise, right before I put them in the oven. Even during 5 minutes of baking, though, they rose back up into nearly perfect little muffin shapes, leaving no room for the topping...

So, here's the question: What should I do to make little mini-muffin cup thingies? I feel like I have three options:

1) Make a flatbread type dough. My mom used to make what she called "Arab bread", which was basically a fried, unleavened flatbread, somewhat like a gordita or a big, less-sweet-than-normal pancake. The thing I'm not sure of with this, though, is how well that kind of bread would bake, rather than frying it...

2) Make a biscuit dough. I have a decent recipe for baking powder biscuits. I have no real reason to believe this won't work, and it's the direction in which I'm leaning at them moment.

3) Make a "semi-leavened" bread. I have several bread recipes that I plan to bake soon anyway, and I thought that perhaps if I cut back the amount of yeast in them, I would get a bread that didn't rise so much and therefore didn't fill in the cup. I feel like this technique would be the hardest to pull off, but it would also be the closest to my original idea for the snacks.

So, has anyone here made something like this before, and, if so, would you be willing to share your recipe? Or does anyone just have any thoughts about the ideas that I already have above, or perhaps some different method that I haven't thought about yet?

Thanks very much!

Joe

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 15 replies

Bread Help

2006-10-28T17:09:30Z

hey,

I was wondering if anyone had a good sour dough and/or baggett recipe. I just got a stand mixer and wanna take it for a run.

Thanks!

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 4 replies

Testing Oven Temperature

2006-10-14T21:52:58Z

I'm looking for suggestions on testing the temperature in an electric oven.

The oven in my new apartment is from the 1950s-60s era--it's cute, but I don't trust it. So before ruining anything, I bought an oven thermometer and tested it with a frozen pizza. It shut off when it reached the appropriate preheating temp, but while baking it got about 50 degrees too hot, I turned it down a little, then it got too low, etc. I know most electric ovens (especially older ones) will fluctuate somewhat, but what would you consider to be an acceptable range in temp over a period of cooking time?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 3 replies

Pizza dough/bread

2006-10-10T22:55:52Z

Ever since I started cooking and baking this year, I've loved it.
Thus, it has been my goal to make a homemade pizza sometime over the summer for my family.
So, I was wondering, does anyone have a pizza dough recipe you'd like to recommend me to try?
thanks!
Eric

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 5 replies

Help.....Good Banana Bread Recipe!?

2006-09-24T18:38:23Z

I've been looking for an awesome banana bread recipe and have
not been able to find one! Anyone have one?

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 13 replies

Favorite Baking Cookbooks?

2006-09-22T12:43:09Z

What are your favorite baking cookbook sources?

I think part of what makes a cookbook appealing is A) recipe success & taste B) clear foolproof instructions C) discussion of ingredients D) great images

I really love Alice Medrich's "Cookies & Brownies" & "Cocolat: Extraordinary Chocolate Desserts".

"Baking with Julia" I love looking at it and using it for reference but haven't actually baked much with it...

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 25 replies

Welbuilt bread machine manual needed

2006-09-14T00:23:30Z

I just inherited a free Welbuilt bread machine, model ABM600, but it didn't come with a manual. I tried finding an online version of one via the Webuilt website, but didn't find one. Does anybody here know where I might get one?

Thanks,
Mark

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 5 replies

Cooked Buttercream Question

2006-09-12T16:54:24Z

I made some cooked vanilla buttercream and would like to convert it to chocolate. Is it a big deal to add melted chocolate to a finished cooked buttercream? Will I melt it? I noticed the recipe I have tells me to add the chocolate toward the end anyway, but I'm nervous about it... That stuff is so temperature sensitive.

posted in Baking (Breads and Pastry) - 11 replies