Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 20:03:18 -0700 (PDT) -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v100.n038 -------------- 001 - "L. Hyson" Subject: Kitchen Aid Mixers Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 00:43:28 -0400 I resisted up until today (April 21) to put in my two cents about the Kitchen Aid Mixers. I got my K5-A (no SS) mixer in March 1974 and have used it well ever since, for breads of all kinds, cakes, cookies, etc. This unit is the 5 quart size with tilt back head. My children are long out of the house but it still gets more than a once-weekly workout and has never had to be repaired. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.2 --------------- From: Robin91783@aol.com Subject: Re: Digest bread-bakers.v100.n036 Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 20:11:09 EDT In a message dated 4/21/00 10:10:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, bread-bakers-errors@lists.best.com writes: > Mango Curd: In a large saucepan stir together 3/4 cup sugar and 2 > tablespoons cornstarch. Stir in 1 cup pureed mango, this sounds heavenly & thanks for posting it, Jazzbel....what bread would you recommend for, say, lemon curd or strawberry curd? I was thinking chocolate, but I always think chocolate. thanks Robin --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.3 --------------- From: Andie Paysinger Subject: bulk specialty flours Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 19:08:02 -0700 A few weeks back someone was requesting information on bulk specialty flours. This company sells many specialty flours, both regular and organic in 25 pound and up sizes. the Fine White bread flour is an excellent product and so is the Savannah White Flour the Whole Oat Flour is an excellent additive to breads which retards staling. http://www.crusoeisland.com/products/catalog_type.asp?ProductType=B_Flours -- Andie Paysinger --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.4 --------------- From: Andie Paysinger Subject: KA mixer new bigger Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 17:01:06 -0700 The Chefs Catalog http://www.chefscatalog.com/product2.asp?sku=0910&id=00184310216244268180419 Now has the NEW KA Professinal mixer - 325 watts and a new 6 - quart bowl. (old one was 5 quart). They are selling it for 369.00. Not bad. -- Andie Paysinger & the PENDRAGON Basenjis,Teafer,Cheesy,Singer & Player asenji@earthlink.net So. Calif. USA "In the face of adversity, be patient, in the face of a basenji, be prudent, be canny, be on your guard!" http://home.earthlink.net/~asenji/ --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.5 --------------- From: MPCUMMINGS@aol.com Subject: Lora Brody Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 14:40:22 EDT "Jack Hill" wrote that her products are the best and so is her newsletter. I don't subscribe to the newsletter, but I e-mailed her a question once, and got an answer that didn't help regarding one of her products. I've bought two things - the bread dough enhancer and the sourdough bread enhancer - and neither one has done what I thought it would do based on the claims. For the Bread Dough Enhancer - "Goodbye to shrunken, sunken, shriveled loaves!", and for the Sourdough Bread Enhancer - "Turn any dough into Sourdough in seconds!" Not in my experience. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.6 --------------- From: pheasant Subject: high fiber diet bread Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 06:57:57 -0500 Hi All; New to this list, forgive me if this is retreaded territory. I'm trying to lose the "Christmas 20", and have switched from home made bread to a store bought high fiber Italian loaf, where according to Weight Watchers I can have 2 pieces of bread (same weight) as 1 regular piece of bread. Is a white loaf, with sesame seeds on top. Not much flavor, but I feel better eating a sandwich with 2 pieces of bread instead of 1. Don't much care for the seeds when making toast for breakfast either. :( Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks. Mark --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.7 --------------- From: "Jennis & Bradley Pickens" Subject: Cheerios offer for MasterCook Software Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 21:53:13 -0500 Hello fellow breadbakers! I'm responding to the inquiry about MasterCook software. Specially marked boxes of Cheerios allow you to buy 3 boxes of Cheerios, save the O codes and select the MasterCook Cooking Light CD-ROM software. You pay only the shipping & handling ($1.99 if ordering via internet and $2.99 if ordering by mail). It's the latest full version and mine arrived in about a week. Regularly the software runs between $25-35 so this is a good deal! -Jenny in Mississippi P.S. Now, does anyone have any good Cheerios recipes? :-0 --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.8 --------------- From: "Margaret Cope" Subject: Rye Bread Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 07:43:39 -0400 Months ago a recipe for caraway rye appeared in the newsletter and I don't have the time to go through the archives (which I do find confusing). Question: What was the pre-baking "coating" ? I remember it involved cornstarch and was very good. Since that time I immediately print-out recipes and file them in a 3 ring binder marked BREAD. I have adapted a Cook's Illustrated caraway rye bread recipe substituting KA clear flour for some of the bread flour and also baking it in loaf pans. It is superb...even if I do say so. If anyone is interested I will post it. By the way the KA hard rolls which appeared several months ago in the KA catalog are wonderful. I also made rye rolls using the same procedure with my rye recipe. Shades of breakfast in Wiesbaden Germany! --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.9 --------------- From: rgcasey@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: Flaxseed Bread Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 11:40:23 -0400 (EDT) Kathleen (16 April, v100.n036.6) gave a positive report on her experience making flaxseed bread. I make this kind of bread regularly, using a fairly similar recipe. Initially I used about 1/2 cup of flaxseed for a larger loaf than Kathleen's (4 cups of flour vs. 2 1/2 in her recipe). However, I found that after a few weeks of eating this bread regularly I was getting some stomach cramping, and I do not have a sensitive stomach. I cut back to only 1/4 cup of flax seeds per loaf and the problem went away. One difference that might be important: Kathleen grinds the flaxseeds, whereas I like the looks of the little brown seeds throughout the bread. This might explain my reaction, but I have also read of flaxseed causing cramps. If people make this bread often, they might want to be on guard. Richard Casey --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.10 --------------- From: "cjfredrick@mediaone" Subject: Bosch mixer Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 09:07:58 -0500 This is in reply to Jenny Hensley concerning mixers. I have had my Bosch mixer for almost 20 years. It is German engineered and built, which in my experience means it is sturdy and will last forever. I have regularly made up to 8 loaves of bread in it and it has NEVER broken or had a problem, in spite of falling on the tile floor while it was mixing! It also has other functions--top notch blender, slicer shredder, etc. It's a little pricey, but I would definitely purchase another if this one ever dies. In fact, I almost wish it would, since the new Bosch features several improvements over mine. I would never own an automatic bread machine. My sister-in-law has one and everyone agrees my bread is superior in taste. Besides, with the Bosch, you can mix large batches of cookie dough, among other things. Hope this helps. Cindy F. in Illinois cjfredrick@mediaone.net --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.11 --------------- From: "G. Martin" Subject: KA Mixers: Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 10:59:48 -0500 Hi Jenny; thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth about the different K A Mixers. About 5 years ago I was looking for one. I was advised by a Kitchen Aid representative who is a friend of mine to buy the one with the most wattage that also has a head that tilts back. Unfortunately, I didn't listen to her, but to my husband, and he thought since the other style has the more powerful motors, that is what I should go with. I have found that it is a real frustration in using the style that has the head that raises up and down, not tilting back. The head is in the way and makes It more difficult to add ingredients as one is working, and the beaters have to be removed before you can remove the mixing bowl. I really feel that Kitchen Aid mixers do have a lot of power. I believe that if you read the instruction manual and follow their guidelines about quantities of flour, which beater for which job, length of time to run the mixer hard, etc., you should not have a problem with burning up the motor. They are made to last, and they stand behind their warranty. Hope this helps a bit. Gloria --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.12 --------------- From: "Griffin Software" Subject: Fw: Ultimate Bread Machine Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 07:22:31 -0700 From: Larry Klevans wrote " I purchased a new Breadman Ultimate ABM. The new machine, which has a much stronger mixing cycle makes much finer bread. It sometimes takes a long time to mix all of the ingredients from the corners of the pan ( this is in response to a recent question). The only negative that I have experienced is that the dough is not evenly distributed in the bottom of the pan and the finished loaf is higher on one end." I to have a Breadman Ultimate. I got around the first problem by using a small rubber spatula and pushing the flour in the corners into the middle. (I know you don't have to do it, but its quicker) I also always watch the dough, for some reason I almost always have to add flour to the recipes. Your last problem, the loaf being bigger on one end.. I do not have that problem with my machine. Which makes me wonder if your dough is not to thick and it can't settle down flat on the bottom of the pan.. Try adding some more water, or less flour next time. Three pages for Easter... Lots of good info.. Keep up the good work Reggie. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.13 --------------- From: rgcasey@ix.netcom.com Subject: Bosch vs. Magic Mill Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 11:21:02 -0400 (EDT) I've decided to dump Kitchen Aid after a number of frustrating experiences with their mixers. I want to be able to make two large loaves of whole wheat bread without smoke, breaking gears, or dough streaming out of the bowl. Bosch and Magic Mill seem the most likely alternatives. Looking at the specs of the Bosch Universal Kitchen ($350) I like its 700 watt capacity, but wonder about a machine that is so broad-range. Does a mixer really combine well with a blender? Also, I am used to invoking the full range of speeds (12 or so) om my KA, whereas Bosch offers only three. The Magic Mill is lower powered (450 watts), but costs $100 more. It also kneads by means of a scraping-rolling process that I can't visualize. If you want to use a dough hook, recommended for heavy doughs, that is an optional attachment ($35). It has variable speed control. Any comments from current owners, particularly those who make bread? It would be most helpful in trying to make a choice. Otherwise, I guess I will make an arbitrary choice, and make myself available to future breadmakers who want to look beyond KA. Richard Casey --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.14 --------------- From: clancy@wjtl.net (The Clancy Family) Subject: sourdough culture failure Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 17:02:45 -0400 after subscribing to this list for a few months now, i am duly impressed at the wealth of knowledge that many of you fellow obsessive breaddies possess. i am hoping that someone will be able to enlighten me on possible causes for successive failures in raising a sourdough culture. i had an active one for about two months and somehow managed to kill it. i followed the refreshing instructions to the letter, it got foamy and bubbly, and a few hours later when i went to use it, it lost all signs of life. not even a blip on the screen. i tried to revive it, to no avail. since then, i've tried three other recipes for sourdough cultures, all of which fermented in the beginning stages, and then for no apparent reason they quit. i've tried different flours, knowing that old flour might be the culprit, i'm a thermometer freak, always making sure the temperature of the flour and water are correct, and my kitchen (as well as the rest of my house) remains a constant 70 degrees. since the beginning stages are successful, i am assuming that temperature isn't a factor. any advice would be very much appreciated. i'm determined enough that failure isn't an option. thanks, donna --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.15 --------------- From: Paul and Ruth Provance Subject: More on my KitchenAid Mixer Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 23:25:18 -0400 Granted, my mixer is old enough to have been made by Hobart, so what I have observed may not be true of the newer, Whirlpool made mixers. I make bread with this mixer (250 watt, 4 qt. bowl, tilting head) several times per month, and pizza just about every week. I have been known to mix up five batches of dough in a row, without letting the mixer cool off much between batches. It has never overheated for me. Yes, the dough does occasionally climb up the dough hook, but that is when I over load the bowl. I also have the problem with the bowl being "torqued" onto the base when mixing dough. My old bowl doesn't have a handle, so I just have to brace the mixer against the wall, grab the bowl by the top rim, and muscle it off the base. As long as my strength holds out, or my husband's, I should be okay. Do I love my Kitchen Aid? Yes. Am I happy with the way it handles bread dough? Yes. Would I buy an automatic bread machine? Probably not. I have my KitchenAid! Would I buy a Bosch or Magic Mill? Maybe . . . if I had the counter space and disposable income. Until then, I love my KitchenAid. I will stop now. At least until the subject comes up on the board again. Ruth (Happily baking bread) --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.16 --------------- From: Bruce Jackson Subject: Hobart and KitchenAidI Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 01:53:17 -0400 I've followed the discussion on the merits of various mixers here with intererest. Several comments and one question: I've been using a KichenAid 5-quart mixer for 10 years for mixing and kneading dough. Some weeks I've baked just once or twice, some weeks I've baked a dozen or more batches. I've never had a problem with it. The housing has sometimes gotten hot, but the machine has never overheated, even when I've been making large recipes ("large" is half a cup less than what it takes to get the dough creeping up above the dough hook). I much prefer the KitchenAid to my Cuisinart for kneading. The Cuisinart is certainly faster, but it's sometimes difficult to clean and it's a real bother when the dough gets under the blade and the whole thing locks up. My only complaint about the KitchenAid is capacity for occasions when I need a lot of bread: the KitchenAid is fine for six 14" or 16" loaves of French bread or one large sourdough, for example, but if I need more of either then I have to do two batches. A friend lent me her Magic Mill DLX for a month and it did a fine job handling twice the load of the KitchenAid. After a few weeks I found myself using the DLX for large batches, the KitchenAid for smaller batches. That might change once I get really comfortable with the DLX (I suggested to the kids that a DLX would be preferable to an electronic gadget for my birthday this year), but for now I see the two machines as serving slightly different needs very well, and we have sufficient counter space so having them out isn't a problem. I have one question about the KitchenAid. Several correspondents here have said that KitchenAid was a much sturdier machine when it was made by Hobart and that the current version is prone to mechanical failure under heavy use. I'm wondering if the reason I've not experienced any of those difficulties is because my machine is of the Hobart vintage. Is there some marking on the machine that would let me know who actually manufactured my machine? I've been lurking on this listserve for a couple of years now. It's been a great help and a constant source of good advice. Thanks. Bruce Jackson --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.17 --------------- From: Nuthatch@aol.com Subject: Re: Easter bread w/ painted eggs Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 11:01:56 EDT I know this is too late for this year's holiday, but I thought I would post it anyway. This recipe comes from a book called "Homemade Bread" written by the Food Editors of the Farm Journal. Published in 1969, it was giving to me by my sister when I first expressed an interest in baking bread when I was 14 years old. I have not made this recipe for many years, but I do remember it was a hit, especially for the youngsters. Easter Egg Bread 12 eggs in shell uncooked Easter egg coloring 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup shortening Grated peel of 2 lemons 2 pks. active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F) 2 eggs at room temp 4 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour (about) 1 egg, beaten Tiny colored candies (colored sprinkles) Wash 12 uncooked eggs. Tint shells with egg coloring; set aside Scald milk; add sugar, salt, shortening, and lemon peel. Cool to luke warm. Sprinkle yeast on warm water; stir to dissolve. Add to milk mixture with 2 eggs, slightly beaten, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, a little at a time, to form a dough that is easy to handle. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth & elastic, 5 - 8 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place free from drafts until doubles, about 1 hour. Punch down; cover and let rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Make 2 large braided rings or 12 individual rings as follows: Large Rings: Divide dough into 4 parts. Form each part into a 36 inch rope. On a greased baking sheet, shape 2 ropes into a very loosely braided ring, leaving space for 6 eggs. Repeat with other 2 ropes of dough for a second ring. Insert 6 tinted eggs in spaces in each ring. Individual Rings: Divide dough into 12 parts. Form each part into a ring around a tinted egg. Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush evenly with beaten egg. Sprinkle with tiny decorating candies. Bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees F) 15 minutes for individual rings, 20 minutes for large rings, or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Makes 2 large or 12 individual rings. Note: Easter Egg Bread can be baked the day before. Refrigerate. At serving time, reheat in moderate oven (350 degrees F) 8 minutes. Enjoy! Liz (Georgia, VT) --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.18 --------------- From: rls-1850@juno.com Subject: Birnenwecken Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 12:42:42 -0500 Maure Meinecke, maybe this is close to what you're looking for. It's under Switzerland in _Breads of the World_ by Mariana Honig, copyright 1977. "Birnenwecken "Pear Bread "Do not serve this bread fresh. It tastes best when it is a few days old. You might experiment by using mixed dried fruit instead of just dried pears. "Yield: 1 large bread. Can be frozen. "Dough: "1 envelope yeast "1/4 cup lukewarm water "1/2 cup sugar "1/2 cup milk "1/2 stick butter "1 tsp. salt "1 egg, slightly beaten "4 to 4 1/2 cups flour "Filling: "1 pound dried pears (about 4 cups) "1 cup raisins "1/2 cup chopped walnuts "Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon "1/2 tsp. nutmeg "1/2 tsp. cinnamon "3/4 cup sugar "1/2 cup kirsch "Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. "Proof the yeast in the lukewarm water with the sugar. "Scald the milk and stir in the butter to melt. Let stand until lukewarm. "Add the milk-and-butter to the yeast sponge; then add the salt and the egg and stir in the flour, cup by cup. "Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead until elastic and smooth but still soft. Place the dough in a large buttered bowl, cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. "Meanwhile, place the dried pears in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pears are softened. "Pour the water off and put the pears and the raisins through the coarse blade on a meat grinder, or blend in a blender. "Stir in the walnuts, grated lemon rind and juice, the spices, sugar and kirsch. Stir until you have a smooth paste. "Now, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough on your work surface until it is about 18" long on each side, forming a square. Spread the fruit paste as evenly as you can on top and roll up, jelly-roll fashion. "Place the roll on a buttered baking sheet, cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Bake until golden, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a rack. Wait at least 1 day before slicing." ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.19 --------------- From: Haacknjack@aol.com Subject: diet bread; eggs one more time Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 14:13:58 EDT For: "Phyllis Tesch" Subject: special diet breads? Phyllis, you can get a quick start with just leaving OUT any fat (see prior listings for advice on low-fat bread ... mainly, eat it right away 'cuz it just doesn't keep). Bake little recipies or rolls and try to eat it the same day (or freezing just as soon as it's cool might work). Leaving out salt altogether is a little problematic, it helps develop crumb and controls the yeast action, but you can start by cutting the normal amount in half and see what happens, depending on how severe the sodium restriction is. ******************************************************** For: JWest10206@aol.com Subject: easter bread with hard boiled painted eggs I posted my recipe like this just recently (Reggie, up to you, here it is again!) It's great and very festive. Bunny Breads 12 eggs, hard-boiled and colored 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil 2 packages active dry yeast 1/2 cup water, warm 2 eggs, at room temperature 4 1/2 cups flour, sifted; more to knead 1 egg, beaten (Traditionally, color raw eggs and set aside.) Scald milk; add sugar, salt, shortening and lemon oil or peel. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast on warm water; stir to dissolve. Add to milk mixture with the 2 eggs, slightly beaten, and 2 1/2 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, a little at a time, to form a dough that is easy to handle. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 5-8 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place free from drafts until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down; cover and let rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Divide into twelve parts; surround each egg with 3/4 of one part of dough. Form bunny ears with remaining 1/4 of dough portion and attach at one long end. Let rise until nearly doubled; brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with tiny candies (pink sugar in creases of ears). Can also be made as two rainbow rings; form two long ropes and twist around eggs in rainbow color order. Bake longer.) Bake at 375* 15-20 minutes. Cool on racks or serve warm. (for figure 8's just divide the dough into six parts, make large loop and twist once to make 2 holes, insert egg into each hole, proceed as above for glaze & bake) --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n038.20 --------------- From: Joni Repasch Subject: Easter Bread Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 09:23:06 -0400 Josee, Just saw your message in the Friday's BBD. I'm sending this directly to you, though I fear it will be too late for Easter Sunday. Maybe next year?....... King Arthur's Egg Braid A big, stunning loaf, festive and fancy, ideal for a holiday centerpiece. 1 Tbsp active dry yeast 1 cup warm water ½ cup granulated sugar 1 cup warm milk 4 eggs, at room temperature 1 stick butter or margarine 1½ Tbsp salt 1½ Tbsp cinnamon 7 to 9 cups KA Unbleached A-P Flour 12 dyed uncooked eggs Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water and a pinch of salt to help liquefy the egg) Dissolve the yeast in the water. Stir in the sugar and add ½ cup flour. Let this sit for 10 minutes to give the yeast a chance to get going. Add the milk, eggs, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in 4 cups of the flour. Add more flour, until the dough starts to form a shaggy mass. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough has formed a smooth and satiny ball. The dough will be a little tacky, but it shouldn't be sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl and coat it with a little melted butter. This will help prevent the formation of a skin on the dough due to exposure to the air. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1½ to 2 hours, or until it's quite swollen and puffy- looking. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it gently to expel any air bubbles. You don't need to actively knead the dough at this point; that will excite the gluten in the dough and make it harder to braid the bread. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and set one aside. Divide the first piece into 3 even pieces. Roll each piece into a rope that is 1-inch in diameter. Braid the set of ropes and shape the braid into a large circle. Place the circle on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Cover the loaves with damp towels and let the wreaths rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the eggs on the wreaths and gently press them into the dough. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake the loaves for 35 to 45 minutes, until nicely browned. Occasionally, an egg will split in the oven. Use a sharp knife to remove it from the wreath and substitute a dyed hard-boiled egg. Cool the wreaths on a rack and ice when fully cool. Makes 2 wreaths, each yielding 12 large slices. Icing Glaze 1½ cups confectioners' sugar 3 Tbsp orange liqueur Beat the sugar and the liqueur together. The icing should be the consistency of a thick salad dressing. Use a fork to drizzle the icing on the wreaths. Copyright 2000 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. Norwich, VT 05055 --------------- END bread-bakers.v100.n038 --------------- -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v100.n039 -------------- 001 - "Ed Dennis" Subject: KitchenAid Mixer Comments Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 04:23:49 -0700 When a Hobart engineer came up with an idea for the orbital mixer nearly a century ago, commercial bakers were ecstatic. A couple of decades later when Hobart had their executive's wives try out a home version of the orbital mixer, it was a smashing success. One of the wives commented that it was the best aide she ever had in the kitchen... and, thus, the product was named KitchenAid. The strength of the mixer is in the hub rotating one way and the beater rotating in the opposite direction creating the fastest and most efficient mixing action the last century has seen in a stand mixer. Of course, KitchenAid got its "name" as a tough, hard working Hobart product line for homemakers. Whirlpool bought the line and redesigned the unit to make it profitable at a lower price to the consumer. Now, the top-of-the-line KitchenAid Professional (KSM59P) is the only model with a reset button that is triggered by the heat of the motor. All of the other models have sacrificial gears that will fail under loads that may cause the motor to fail. The result is that KitchenAid (Whirlpool) will send you a newly refurbished unit if your KitchenAid Stand Mixer fails in the first year... or if you have bought an extended warranty, other solutions are available. For bread bakers, I strongly recommend, from personal experience, that you only buy a KitchenAid Stand Mixer that has the reset button... to date, that is the KSM59P. It is a 5 quart model rated at 350 watts and the most pricey of the line... but it is head and shoulders above the rest of the line when it comes to making bread... a conclusion I reached the hard way by having the less expensive models fail and being allowed to upgrade to the KSM59P as a replacement unit. Another pricey addition that does a good job is the "commercial grade" heavy duty 5 quart mixing bowl that will take the beating of heavy dough kneading in stride... although I have yet to have a standard mixing bowl fail. If you are really into making bread, there is nothing quite like using your own fresh ground flour. You will find that the KSM59P with a KitchenAid grain mill attachment will make short work and give excellent results. So far, I have found Fry's Electronics Stores, to have the best price on this attachment. Make no mistake, this robust, cast iron, burr flour mill is made in the old fashioned tradition of simple but elegant products that get the job done. Most of my baking is done with wild yeasts (various sourdough starters) and natural grains ground into the appropriate grade flour... which is the only way one can have a reasonable idea of what is in the flour. Flour mills mix and match their flour blends to create a profitable flour with minimal characteristics. Grinding ones own flour from the wheatberrys not only allows you to know what went in to the flour but also gives the tremendous advantage of using freshly milled flour. A robust grain mill also allows you to make fresh polenta and add a wide variety of dried beans, legumes, etc. to add interest and protein to your artisan loaves. For those looking for more expensive solutions, the Bosch mixer and Whispermill grain mill are two outstanding products. Of course, having a Blodgett Steam Injected Oven in one's home, as does Andie Paysinger, brings bread baking to a height that few attain at home. But, then, Andie is a professionally trained baker, innovative artist and Basenji fancier par excellence... and one of the best and most sharing givers of sound advice any home baker is likely to encounter. Some final tips for those using the KitchenAid by Whirlpool. Sourdough breads benefit from a full 15 minutes of kneading in a stand mixer... heavy doughs of 6 cups of flour or more will challenge the sacrificial gears of the models below the KSM59P. At the worst, the KSM59P will just pop its reset button. Just let it cool a few minutes, push in the reset and continue on. If I am making several batches of bread, I let the KSM59P cool for about 30 minutes between kneadings. The KitchenAid food grinder attachment and pasta maker plate inserts are also worthwhile. The grinder not only makes short work of fresh ground meat but also does a good job of preparing veggies for specialty breads. The pasta maker plates are relatively inexpensive (for KitchenAid) and when used in conjunction with the grain mill attachment will turn out truly fresh pasta that is sure to delight the "al dente" crowd in your home. Enjoy! -Ed Dennis --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n039.2 --------------- From: Becky Subject: The Baking Sheet Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 09:02:58 -0400 How do you subscribe to "The Baking Sheet" newsletter? It sounds wonderful! [[ Instant answer! You can call King Arthur Flour at 1-800-827-6836 or write to them at King Arthur Flour Co. PO Box 876 Norwich, VT 05055 ]] --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v100.n039.3 --------------- From: Reggie Dwork Subject: Peter Reinhart in Dallas Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 20:11:39 -0700 Peter Reinhart will be teaching a class at Sur La Table in Dallas, TX on Friday, June 9, 2000 at 10 am. Sur La Table is at 4527 Travis St, Suite A, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-219-4404. Bread Upon the Waters Home bread baking for beginners and advanced bakers. Peter Reinhart, founder of the acclaimed Brother Juniper's Bakery and author of the James Beard award winner "Crust & Crumb", will review the principles of dough production. He will also explain in detail how to build upon basic skills with a few useful advanced techniques and discuss philosophy of breadmaking. In addition to learning how to make bread, you'll learn how to identify the attributes of world-class bread. --------------- END bread-bakers.v100.n039 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2000 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved