In what ways does honey affect breadmaking?
dessert_gardener
9 years ago
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teresa_nc7
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJasdip
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
OT: what do you cook and how does it affect your layout?
Comments (14)I do a lot of one pot dishes, meat and potatoes, stroganof, bean soup with ham, spagetti, etc., then after working to make lovely (and very high calorie food) I grind it all up in a food processor. No matter what the food, it always appears to be something gray with butter in the end (or red if it's spagetti). So I wanted lots of counter space for prep, a huge range to cook in and on, and somewhere to keep the food processor busy while grinding and cooking. Then I package it all up in 6oz packages and freeze it. This is all for DS...I don't normally cook our family meals (DH is a fabulous cook). I never envisioned myself grinding and freezing food LOL if anyone knew I'd lose my "Amatuer chef of the year" award from the mid 80's...I wonder if I could grind up a cheesecake...heh heh DH does all of the cooking when we entertain and for our family dinners. We planned the kitchen so that he could work efficiently, with a stainless counter run between the main sink and stove. That huge stove, with appropriate hood so he can stirfry, and prep space behind him to work on vegis while meat is happening on the stainless side. On the other side of the island we have a sink, and two counters. They're sort of "my" zone when we entertain, for appetizer prep, salad prep, and landing zones for dishes between courses. Our sink and DW are lined up with the main dish/silver storage, so that some day, when DS becomes useful, he can put away dishes or set the table without being in DH's way. The fridge is between the two zones so that we can both access it easily. So far it flows very well. We made our isles bigger than they were (they were about 29" wide prior) and planned appliances that don't fill the isles when open. Dish and food storage is planned based on when it's used and how, so that they're close to the functions that make sense (ie wine glasses and decanters are close to the dining room door since we tend to use a lot of them during parties). But no matter how well we planned...we couldn't increase the size of the kitchen, so after a dinner party for six...it all looks pretty much like this LOL: I was half way through cleaning up when I took those pics LOL we really do make a mess, and having lots of counters to toss it on between courses was a big deal to us....See Moreweather affect breadmaking?
Comments (7)Bread is the most humbling food in the world.... Everything effects it. I'm not so sure which side you part your hair on isn't an issue some days!!! (LOL) Flour (or in my case wheat) varies from brand-to-brand and bag-to-bag - protein content, moisture level, age... Old flour makes horrible bread. Old flour is an often over-looked reason for failed bread. I see a big difference just in the type of wheat I use. Hard spring wheat has a larger kernel and produces more flour and less bran, while hard winter wheat is a smaller, shriveled-looking grain so you mill more bran into the flour. BUT, hard winter wheat generally has more gluten, and a stronger gluten protein, than hard spring wheat due to the longer growing season. WHO KNEW??? Ambient air temperature as well as humidity are the two that readily change from season to season. That's why I use a dough-rising bucket to raise dough in. Snap on that lid and you have a perfect little micro-environment where you can keep drafts off, moisture in, and can see exactly when the dough has doubled (no more guessing and over- or under-proofed dough). The temperature of the dough is something most of us home-bakers don't really look at critically, but in their books the "experts" go on-and-on about the temperature of the dough during kneading and proofing. So I'm sure the temperature of the dough in my kitchen varies a LOT from the 76-degree F summer kitchen to the 62-66 degrees I keep it in the winter. You'll get different results if you use a sponge method. Even a 30-minute sponge will improve dough (it allows the gluten to develop by absorbing hydration), but a 2-1/2-hour sponge is optimum. I use an overnight sponge with whole wheat flour, so one more "rule" broken. But an overnight sponge works great for whole wheat bread made with green flour (freshly-milled and NOT aged), which most "experts" poo-poo and have very little experience using. Most of us don't take the time for a triple rise. A triple rise was fairly common when our flour was bromated and it had the extensibility that worked well with 3 rises. But the flour is no longer bromated so our dough doesn't have the extensibility it used to. Even the old standard "double in bulk" has changed due to the removal of bromates from the flour. "Experts" now suggest to let the dough raise to just UNDER double -- that double is actually over-proofing. So that's something else to consider when we use "older" recipes. Yeast will only work so long, so a triple rise is actually pushing how long your yeast will work and may affect the oven-spring. But a triple rise certainly improves the flavor and the texture. I just printed off a recipe at King Arthur yesterday that has yet another "rogue" method. (see link below) SAF-Instant Yeast is used in this recipe, which is a favorite of mine. SAF-Instant Yeast is the hybrid of yeast and works differently than even the other brands of fast-acting yeast (Bread Machine Yeast, Red-Star Quick-Rise, Fleischmann's Rapid-Rise). Over the years I've studied the science, methods and common rules for making bread, and for every rule there seems to be an exception. The rules seem to be most helpful when the cry "what happened to my bread" comes up. The written recipe did bread a complete disservice, in my opinion. It gives exact amounts and precise times, and neither apply to bread-making. The flour amount is only a good guess because no matter how carefully you measure it on a scale or in a cup (and cups are NEVER an accurate measure), the amount can't take into consideration the amount of moisture and protein in the flour - which is always changing. We go by the "feel" of the dough - which can't be measured. Dough doesn't rise to a clock, but rather to the strength of the yeast, moisture in the dough and humidity in the air, as well as the ambient temperature. One thing for certain, whether you use an overnight sponge, no-knead method, quick-rise/double-rise/triple-rise, or the 1-hour Quick Cycle on your bread machine, everyone enjoys the fruits of our labor (most days). On the days we get "bricks" we bow in humility to the "bread god" and vow to RISE-UP (LOL) another day... And explain to hubby as he walks into the house for lunch and he catches a whiff of fresh-baked bread, that all he gets is the smell, not the heel off a fresh loaf of bread. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: John's Easy Yeast Bread...See MoreQuestion for the BreadMakers
Comments (8)Bread making isn't a science. That's the first rule anyone has to remember. Amounts and times in yeast bread recipes are only guidelines--different brands of ingredients, different weather conditions, different temperatures in your home will all make a big difference and you have to be ready to adapt to them. That amount of yeast WILL be adequate for the amount of flour (1 package is fine for 3-3.5 cups flour and that's just a tiny bit more than that), IF you're willing to give it a little more time to rise. But no one can tell you exactly how much time. As with any bread recipe, you have to monitor it, and let it rise as long as it needs (I've had recipes that called for '1 hour rising time' that were ready in 30 minutes, and other recipes have taken an hour an a half). The rising time for the same recipe can be different on different days. Just let the bread rise until it's doubled--however long it takes. On the other hand.... I often up the amount of yeast in many of my bread recipes. We like the yeasty taste and aroma, and it's sometimes nice to shorten the rising time a bit, when I'm in a rush. If the recipe looks like something you'd enjoy, why not give it a try? You can always cut it in half or quarters the first time, just to see if you're happy with the results. I often do that when trying a questionable new recipe/idea (sometimes I make just one or two muffins, cupcakes or rolls, just to make sure the recipe will work)...See MoreHow does heat/humidity affect you?
Comments (58)I have lived in most states in western USA. Can't say humidity was a THING I noticed until living in MN. I am going to chalk that up to being a child and children just manage? Even in New Mexico I don't remember the heat being a thing. We did the Disney thing in Florida a few years ago. It was October. We were there when the humidity broke for the season. Oppressive and restrictive is all I can say. Everyone crabs about northern winters but as we say you can always put on more clothes--you can only get sooo naked. I will second the bright sun of winter. Often it comes with very frigid days but it is winter, after all. We are having a rather glorious summer. Some humidity true but a week on, some relief then it returns allows for plenty of gardening and outdoor time. I think that is the key, change. Non stop heat/cold/humidity--what ever--is exhausting. I prefer the hit of extremes to the non stop torture of day after day after day--that's what gets me down. The idea of summer in the southern states holds nothing appealing. Maybe a new thread is needed. Where would be the perfect, climate wise,place to live? Four seasons, nothing EXTREME........See Moregrainlady_ks
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