Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 17:45:00 -0800 (PST) -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v101.n012 -------------- 001 - BILLPOTE@aol.com - Maple syrup 002 - Martha Stevens Subject: Non-stick mat for kneading Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2001 09:04:38 -0500 For Alexandra: The large SilPat non-stick mat DOES work for kneading, with just a little flour smoothed over its surface -- and clean-up is so easy. Martha --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.3 --------------- From: Nifcon@aol.com Subject: Salty Cuban Bread Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 18:19:56 EST For Reggie: Why don't you try the recipe that was too salty and add less salt than the recipe calls for?. You'll probably get a quicker rise but that's no problem. Seems worth a try and avoids waiting for a new recipe to surface. John Wright --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.4 --------------- From: Bszim@aol.com Subject: crumpet rings and a bread machine question Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 10:32:05 EST A comment and a question: If you're making crumpets and don't have enough 'rings', empty, clean cans from tunafish can work perfectly. Is there such a thing as a bread machine which makes long loaves, not the rectangular ones that are usual? Thanks.. Beverly --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.5 --------------- From: Mike Subject: Apple Butter Bread for ABM Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 13:05:56 -0800 (PST) I read a request in last weeks listing from someone that was looking for a recipe for Apple Butter Bread. If that person will contact me I have found three recipes for the bread machine. Sorry but I deleted your address before I came across them :o)) Mike --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.6 --------------- From: "Bakers & Begley" Subject: scone loaf Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 13:49:44 -0400 Dear BBD, Graham's Bakery in Lindsay, Ontario used to sell a type of white bread (yeast risen) with a white-floury crust called "scone loaf". Does anyone have a recipe for this bread or know the secret to its excellent flavour and texture. Thanks for a great service. I always look forward to receiving the digest every weekend. Lorraine in PEI --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.7 --------------- From: "Ron Ploude" Subject: Dough Enhancer Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 20:29:04 -0500 I once saw a recipe for a bread dough enhancer on the list. When I went to retrieve it from my saved email folder, it was gone; probably the victim of one of my frequent computer crashes. The recipe called for ascorbic acid and lecithin as well as one other ingredient that I don't remember. Could someone please repost the recipe? Thank you in advance for your assistance. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.8 --------------- From: Dave Atkinson Subject: Tips for oven baking please! Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2001 08:39:51 -0500 Hullo! I'd like to know of anyone has a tip for oven baking bread that has been prepared in a machine. My Oster has a dough cycle, and I'd like to try baking the bread in my regular oven. Nothing fancy, something multigrain or whole wheat, maybe a mix of white flour. Is there a general rule of thumb and/or temperature I should use? Thanks in advance! Catherine --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.9 --------------- From: Masshlx@aol.com Subject: Re:Maple Syrup Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 22:42:32 EST Mike: Here's a recipe that works for me all the time. It's from "Bread Machine Baking..." by Lora Brody & Millie Apter. The following is for a Zo bread machine, but I'm sure you can adapt it any way you see fit. Maple Buttermilk Bread 1 tablespoon butter 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup 1 cup water 3 cups unbleached white flour 4 tablespoons powdered buttermilk 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast regards, Patrick masshlx@aol.com --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.10 --------------- From: Lisa_McGuire/Group/USHO/SunLife@SunLifeOfCanada.com Subject: RE: Panini Grill Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 07:10:20 -0500 As a substitute to the expensive Willliam Sonoma panini grill how about a George Forman grill - if you have one. I just looked at the one on the William Sonoma site and it seems like the George grill would work. It has a weighted top, cooks from both sides and has the ridges. Not as heavy duty I am sure. Just a thought as you can pick up the smallest one which would be sandwich size for @ $20. I have made grilled cheese sandwiches in mine using thick slices of homemade bread and they were great! --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.11 --------------- From: Martha Stevens Subject: Panini grill - Flama from King Arthur Catalog Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2001 09:05:48 -0500 I ordered the Flama panini grill from King Arthur when it was first offered and I'm delighted with it. Its smaller size is great for two people -- we've used it for chicken breasts, boneless pork chops, yellow and zucchini squash, baby carrots, and of course, for sandwiches (ANY sandwich). The heat coming from both top and bottom speeds cooking and seems to help keep moisture in meats. We also tried pancakes on the opened griddle surfaces, but I'm sticking with my range-top griddle for those. Martha --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.12 --------------- From: "Chris Dalrymple" Subject: Re: Maple Syrup Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 08:44:54 -0600 Mike--I'll send you recipes for Fall Harvest yeast bread and Maple Nutmeg Pumpkin Rolls. Haven't tried the rolls so can't vouch for them. The Harvest bread is very good but you'll want to increase the maple syrup...I'm sure 1/2 tablespoon is not enough for you! Got these recipes from the archives, so won't post here. If anybody else is interested, send me an e-mail and I'll send them to you. > From: Mike > Subject: Maple Syrup > Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 17:41:01 -0800 (PST) > ......I'm on the hunt for ANY recipe that contains Maple > Syrup in it....I just love the taste. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.13 --------------- From: "Sonia Martinez" Subject: Cuban bread Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 08:15:42 -0800 Aloha Reggie; Cuban bread is not supposed to be salty. It should be crustry on the outside and quite soft and "pillowy" on the inside, with a nice mild flavor that goes well with anything. I haven't made it in a long time, but I lost my recipe in the fire that destroyed my home/business, and can't remember the exact quantities on ingredients, but there is one that I tried many years ago in the James Beard bread book. It turned out ok, but I still can't make it like the Cuban bakeries can. I'll see if my sister in Miami can help get us a good recipe, though most Cubans just get it at the baker's. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.14 --------------- From: SloSherri@aol.com Subject: Maple syrup recipes Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 11:19:07 EST <> Mike, I did a search at the following sites, and found many, many recipes containing the ingredient "maple," including not only baking recipes but main course recipes. I am unsure if the query site will come through as a link, so I've included the main link to the SOAR site, which contained so many hits. Good luck, and let us know if you have any luck with these recipes! Search results for query "maple" http://soar.berkeley.edu/recipes/cgi-bin/webglimpse?query=maple SOAR: Searchable Online Archive of Recipes http://soar.berkeley.edu/recipes/ Sherri --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.15 --------------- From: MLroses@webtv.net (ML) Subject: lost "flowerpot"-found Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 15:30:47 -0500 (EST) To all who tried to help--thanks ! To those who would like to experiment with baking quickbreads in a clay pot, here are the "found" directions. Wash clay pot (approx.7" x 6") with warm water only. towel dry. Cover drain hole w/ small piece of aluminum foil. Grease inside of pot & lip with shortning. Preheat oven 375 F. and bake cornbread for 45 min, all others 60 min. Use any quickbread recipe. Spoon batter into flowerpot, bake immediately, bread is done when topcrust is lightly browned. Cool bread IN pot for 10 min.Loosen w/ knife, remove to a rack, let stand 10 min Serve warm thanks again........ML IF..you want to try a yeasted bread, it is advised to fill the "pot" only 1/2 full of dough. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.16 --------------- From: "Peggy" Subject: Maple Oatmeal Bread Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 19:18:56 -0800 Mike's request for recipes with maple syrup brought to mind a family favorite - from the DAK bread machine recipe book. It is a light colored, evenly textured bread - with the special taste of maple and the health of oats. This makes a large loaf of bread. If your bread machine will not handle all ingredients - you can hand knead - let the bread rise and bake it in 2 loaf pans in your oven. MAPLE OATMEAL BREAD 1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tablespoon very warm water 1 Tablespoon cooking oil 1/3 cup maple syrup 3 cups bread flour 1 cup quick cooking (Quaker) oats - not instant 1 teaspoon salt 1 package of yeast Put all ingredients into your bread machine pan in order per manufacturer's instructions and bake. Enjoy! --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.17 --------------- From: Ed Okie Subject: Magic in bread machine Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2001 13:52:17 -0500 > From: Valerie Mates > Subject: new machine with no magic > Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 21:21:08 -0500 "My friend has a brand new bread machine. She says that it makes okay bread, but that the fresh-baked bread from the machine doesn't have the same magic that fresh-baked handmade bread from the oven has. I like bread machine bread just fine... I'm wondering if anybody else has experienced this,... if you've found a way to add the missing "magic" to your freshly machine-baked bread. Thanks for any advice!" Magic = Oven. Use the bread machine to mix the dough, even let it rise there, the final rise in a baking pan - then into the oven. It's well worth the extra step, magic or otherwise. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.18 --------------- From: "Mike Hammel" Subject: Cafeteria Rolls??? Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 20:39:10 -0500 Did you go to an elementary or high school where the cafeteria had wonderful, hot, fresh made yeast rolls? They were usually made in one of those stainless steel commercial warming trays (you know the ones... the size of a half sheet jelly roll pan with sides about 2-2.5" high and you would pull them apart. They were soft and kinda sweet. I like to call them 'cafeteria rolls'. I have had them since but the cook won't give me the recipe! :( I think I have seen them in commercial cafeterias too (like Morrisons). If any one knows what I am talking about and thinks they have the recipe, I would love it if you would share it with me. I promise to make them and post back on the results. Tx...Mike Hammel Cookin' in Virginia. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.19 --------------- From: "croft.family" Subject: About Maple Syrup Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 09:34:58 -0500 We are Vermont maple syrup producers. In any recipe calling for honey I have always subsituted an equal amount of maple syrup. When used as a subsitute for sugar in cooking, use 3/4 cup maple syrup to replace 1 cup sugar. For baking, use 3/4 cup maple syrup for each cup of sugar, but reduce the liquid specified in the recipe by about 3 tablespoons for every cup of syrup subsituted. SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD 2 shredded wheat biscuits 2 tbsp butter 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup 1 pkg yeast proofed in 1/4 cup water 5 1/2 - 6 cups flour Cover all ingredients except last two with 2 cups boiling water. Let cool. Add the proofed yeast. Work in flour. Knead, let rise until doubled, punch down and form. Makes 2 loaves Bake 400 F oven, 30 minutes --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.20 --------------- From: Kejah@aol.com Subject: Maple Gingerbread for Mike Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 14:52:43 EST Here's one for ya, Mike. I have accumulated quite a collection of gingerbread recipes, and this is one of my favorites. It's golden and delicious and the flavor of the ginger really comes through without molasses and a lot of other spices obscuring it. I highly recommend using fresh grated ginger or the minced/crushed ginger you can get in a jar in the produce section, rather than dried. Needless to say, you want to use real maple syrup in this, too, rather than pancake/imitation syrup, but I'm sure that as a maple-lover you'd do that. :-) Maple Gingerbread from "Baking Across America" by Arthur L. Meyer 1 tsp. dried ginger, or, preferably, 1 Tb. fresh grated ginger 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 2 cups flour 1 egg, beaten 1 cup sour cream 1 cup maple syrup Mix wet ingredients together in one bowl and dry ingredients in a larger bowl. Combine the two and stir only until mixed. Turn into a greased 9 X 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy! Kris --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.21 --------------- From: Jdbthomp@aol.com Subject: some maple syrup recipes Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 20:56:56 EST 7 or 9 Grain Bread 1 1/2 cups Water/Milk 2 Tbsp. Fruit juice concentrate 1/4 cup Honey/Maple syrup 1/2-1 tsp. Salt 2-4 Tbsp. Vital gluten 1 cup 7/9 grain cereal 2 cups Whole wheat flour 1 cup Bread flour 2 tsp. Active dry yeast Whole wheat setting - timer with water Bran Bread 1 1/2 cups Water/Milk 3 Tbsp. Fruit juice concentrate 4 Tbsp. Honey/Maple syrup 1/2 tsp. Salt 1 tsp. Baking soda 2/3 cup Wheat/Oat bran 2-4 Tbsp. Vital gluten 3 cups Whole wheat flour 1 cup Bread flour 2 tsp. Active dry yeast Whole wheat setting - timer with water Maple Honey Wheat Bread 1 1/2 cups Milk/Water 2 Tbsp. Fruit juice concentrate 1/4 cup Honey 1/4 cup Maple Syrup 1/2 tsp. Salt 2-4 Tbsp. Vital gluten 4 cups Whole wheat flour 2 tsp. Active dry yeast Whole wheat setting, light crust - timer with water Maple Wheat Flakes Bread 1 1/2 cups Water/Milk 1 1/3 Tbsp. Vegetable oil 1/4 cup Maple syrup 2/3 tsp. Salt 1 tsp. Baking soda 2-4 Tbsp. Vital gluten 1 cup Wheat flakes/Rolled oats 3 cups Whole wheat flour 1 cups Bread flour 2 tsp. Active dry yeast Whole wheat setting - timer with water --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.22 --------------- From: apschuster Subject: ingredients and kneading surface Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2001 18:23:22 -0500 Hi all, I have two questions about ingredients. 1. Does anyone know what is the desired effect of adding just egg white to bread? I just made some bread which called for one egg white, lightly beaten. This is the first time I have added egg to any bread except brioche. At first I thought the goal might be to make the bread fluffier. Now that my bread is cooling I see that the crust is much softer than my usual loaves. Can anyone comment? Thanks. 2. A friend asked me a question which I can't answer: Why do some bread recipes call for non-fat, dry milk? Why wouldn't one just use skim milk instead? Also, someone on the bread-bakers list asked a questions about kneading surfaces. I don't know now who it was -- I just have read the last three digests all at once! I knead my bread on my kitchen counter, which is just ordinary -- what are they made of ? -- formica ? The bread sticks a little when I'm starting off, so I do use my scraper to scoop it up and fold it over. Another thing you can do is Very, very lightly oil the surface, just barely. Pat --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.23 --------------- From: "Deb Strong-Napple" Subject: Maple Oatmeal Bread Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2001 13:44:23 Mike was looking for recipes with Maple Syrup. My general advice is be creative­take one of those recipes with honey and substitute maple syrup. Or try using it as the sweetener in cinnamon rolls (cut back a bit on the water). (Just remember if you use a substantial amount of syrup to make a sweet bread, bake it at a lower temperature (like 350) so that it won't burn.) I like the taste also, and following is a recipe that I have enjoyed. The ingredients are for a bread machine, but I have only made it manually. It tastes great! Maple Oatmeal Bread 1 package yeast 1 cup quick cooking oats 3 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1-1/4 cups plus 1 Tablespoon warm water. Manual: Dissolve the yeast in the water. Let sit until foamy. Warm the syrup just a little bit--to 90 degrees or so. Mix together yeast and all other ingredients (hold back 1 cup of flour). Mix well, then knead in enough flour to make a nice, elastic dough. Rise til doubled, punch down, shape into a loaf, proof and bake. Very nice flavor here­enjoy it. Deb --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.24 --------------- From: SloSherri@aol.com Subject: kneading surfaces Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 11:29:30 EST <> Alexandra, What a great question/topic! I did buy the large silpat liner for use when kneading, and it has been an enormous help. I have a standard tile counter, which made a mess when I tried to knead. I was forever adding too much flour in an attempt to get my dough "workable" on that surface. I am not a gadget afficionado, and the only reason I got the silpat liners this year is because I received several gift certificates from staff. I confess I am a believer in using them as a pan liner (I worked the heck out of them at Christmas, as I made hundreds of biscotti and merengues and dog biscuits). I used the larger kneading mat (also silpat) for rolling out gingerbread and dog biscuits, and it worked well, or at least it was an improvement over the counter. The dog biscuit recipe contains molasses, eggs, various flours and seeds, and is generally difficult to work with. The liner helped enormously, although it does tend to shift a bit during kneading. I solved this by tucking the end of the mat between my abdomen and the counter edge as an anchor (I knew that stomach of mine would come in handy someday!) Sherri --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.25 --------------- From: Corgisews Subject: King Arthur Bread Classes Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2001 21:55:36 -0500 Has anyone attended the current (or past for that matter) group of classes offered by King Arthur Flour at different locales around the country? I think they have been in Florida and California so far on the current circuit. What did you think of them? Are they most useful for newcomers to bread baking and/or have things of value and interest to those with more experience but still with a lot to learn? Is there time for questions, discussion afterward, or do they usher you out after the 2 hour time is up? How far ahead should one arrive if one is partially deaf and would like to be sure to get a good seat where she can hear well? Are they given by freelancers or by people who normally live in the NH/VT area and are directly employed by KA? Do they come with samples for tasting, discounts, coupons, offers for local stores, etc for their audience? :~) The week after next, they will be coming to the upstate NY area, so I was wondering. Private, direct replies will be kept private, and would give me any tips, experiences you might like to share before the next Bread Bakers List comes out and it is too late. Thanks in advance and thanks to all who continue to make this list a pleasure to read. Thankful cyber-hugs to the Dworks for their continued commitment and interest! Debby (>CorgiSew@redsuspenders.com<) Where the corgi always will take time out from sewing, to raise his nose upwards and hopefully sniff the air in the kitchen when bread is baking! --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.26 --------------- From: "Lanthier" Subject: Crumpets Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2001 23:55:33 -0800 The first crumpets I made were from The Great Canadian Bread Book, by Janice Murray Gill 1/2 tbsp. dried yeast 1 tsp. sugar 1/2 cup lukewarm water 1 cup warm milk 1 cup warm water 1 tbsp. salt 2 tbsp. veg. oil 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 cup pastry flour 3 cups all-purpose flour Proof the yeast with the sugar in the lukewarm water. Combine the warm milk (do not scald the milk for crumpets) and the warm water, add the oil and the proofed yeast. Mix the salt and the flour in a warm bowl and stir in the liquids. Beat very well by hand or, better, with electric mixer. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until the mixture has risen and is very bubbly. Dissolve the baking soda in a little warm water, about 1/4 cup, and stir down into the batter. Cover and leave it in a very warm, 90 F. place for about 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, heat a heavy cast-iron or aluminum griddle, keeping the temp. low. Grease the insides of crumpet rings. (I use 4 in. crumpet rings, about an inch deep, or a comparable cookie cutter.) Pour the batter half way up the rings, and cook until bubbles appear and the tops are dry. (I usually poke the bubbles with a wooden skewer to help the holes form.) Be patient, this takes about 10 minutes. Turn the crumpets over, slip off the rings, and bake 2 or 3 minutes, until just pale brown. I prefer crumpets toasted, but Ms. Gill agrees with Elizabeth David who just keeps them warm and then slathers them with butter. Hope you like them. E. David's recipe, which I'll send later, is very similar. Paddy Lanthier. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.27 --------------- From: "Sheila Lanthier" Subject: Maple Bread for Mike who wants Maple Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 10:16:02 -0500 Mike, You can substitute maple syrup for molasses or sugar or honey in any bread, but here's one with a maple glaze, from Quebec. Maple Oatmeal Raisin Bread 2 cups milk, scalded 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup brown sugar (of maple sugar) 1/4 cup corn oil 4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 2 cups rolled oats In large mixing bowl, combine oats, maple syrup, brown sugar, corn oil, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour scalded milk over, stir, and let stand till lukewarm. Meanwhile, dissolve 2 tsp. sugar in 1 cup warm water, sprinkle in 2 tbsp. active dry yeast, and proof 5-10 min., then add to lukewarm mixture in bowl. Beat in 3 cups whole wheat flour, and stir in 3-4 cups all-purpose white flour till dough clears sides of bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 10 - 12 minutes, adding enough flour to keep from sticking. At this point you can knead in 1 1/2 cups raisins OR you can add the raisins with the first of the whole wheat flour. (Kneading in is not my favourite way, so I usually add the fruit with the flour, or even earlier.) Let rise in greased bowl, covered, till double, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, divide in two, shape into loaves, and place in well-greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans, or which ever size pans you use. Cover and let rise till double. Bake at 375 F. 15 minutes, turn down to 350 F. approximately 40 minutes more. Turn out on wire racks, and while still hot, brush with following glaze: 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp. butter - mix in saucepan, bring to boil stirring constantly, remove from heat and brush on bread. (You can also brush this glaze on lightly before baking, and after as well.) Hope you enjoy your Maple! Paddy Lanthier. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.28 --------------- From: rls-1850@juno.com Subject: maple bread Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 09:47:57 -0600 Mike, you asked for a recipe calling for maple syrup. This one is from Bread Winners by Mel London (Rodale press, 1979). Maple Whole Grain Bread (4 loaves) 1 quart buttermilk 1/4 pound (1/2 cup) butter 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon salt (optional) 2 packages dry yeast 2 eggs 12 cups unbleached white flour (or 10 to 12 cups whole wheat flour) Warm the liquid, butter, maple syrup, and salt in a large pot (five quarts or so) until the butter melts. If you are going to add raisins or currants, put them in right away -- they plump up nicely. Remove from stove and cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the liquid and let it get used to its new environment for a few minutes. Then, using a large wooden spoon, stir it in gently. Beat eggs thoroughly in a separate bowl. Then add a cupful of flour to the liquid and yeast and stir it in before adding the eggs. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the flour, a cup or two at a time, until the dough is thick and very sticky. When your arm won't stir it any longer, it's time to knead. Flour your hands and turn the mixture out onto a floured surface. Keep working extra flour into the dough until you feel the firmness and the dough stops sticking to the board and to your hands. When the dough is smooth and firm and elastic (about 10 minutes later) and it springs back when you apply pressure, place it in a greased bowl, turn to coat top, cover and let it rise for about one hour. Punch down, knead for one or two minutes, and shape into loaves. Place loaves in greased bread pans, cover again and let rise for about 45 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven for approximately one hour. Bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn out onto racks and cool thoroughly before wrapping in foil or plastic. [The recipe doesn't specify size of bread pans or temperature of oven.] --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.29 --------------- From: Dan & Paula Erwin Subject: personal reviews: Kitchenaid 6 qt. 525 watt Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2001 17:55:19 -0600 Have any of the members purchased the newest Kitchenaid 6 qt. mixer? I'm interested in finding out what others think of it, in particular, the Professional model which has a 525 watt motor. I had one for a short time and was extremely discouraged with its performance. Unlike the previous models, the dough hook or the flat beater cannot be moved manually. It requires a quick pulse to move it. It also is quite loud. (Kitchenaid tells me that the reason for this is that the gears are all metal.) It heats up VERY rapidly. I decided to make some bread with a 100% whole wheat recipe. I won't bother with the details except that it had a bit more than 3 cups of liquid and requiresed a bit less than 8 cups of whole wheat flour. During the first part of the knead it ran fairly smooth, but when the gluten had become more developed the dough hook often would contact the dough, pressing it against the wall instead of flopping it to the side as in the previous models. When that occurred, the motor would slow down dramatically, showing it was under great stress. After that happened a few times I stopped the motor and placed the dough in a 5 qt. Special Edition model of Kitchenaid which has 350 watts. Then the dough kneaded smoothly for about 5 minutes. Then, the motor slowed down and the gluten had become quite well developed. I could tell that the dough had been well kneaded. In the process of making some cookie dough I stopped the motor to scrape down the sides. I couldn't move the flat beater by hand. I had to make quick on-off spurts to move it. When I restarted to continue the thick cookie dough the motor obviously had to strain to get restarted. Two days later I returned the mixer to the dealer. I believe I will save up my money and buy a Large (7 qt) version of a Kenwood mixer. My query about the Kitchenaid is to find out if my opinions are justified or did I come across an off-the-wall lemon. Dan --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n012.30 --------------- From: Andie Paysinger Subject: Experiments with rapid bread machines Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2001 08:15:49 -0800 After several months of playing with a couple of rapid bread machines the Oster and the Breadman Pro, I have discovered that they can be coaxed into making a pretty good loaf of bread by making some adjustments to the ingredients. I like a denser loaf for some uses - particularly when I want to make melba toast and need a denser, very fine crumb so the bread can be sliced very, very thin. As some of you have mentioned the loaves are small, rise unevenly, etc. I did my experiments with box mixes - Krusteaz, Eagle Mills, etc. For the longer "Rapid" cycle, 80 minutes - I used 1 +1/2 boxes of the mix for the loaves and with the Krusteaz only 1 packet of yeast -The Eagle Mills has the yeast mixed into the dry ingredients. I used the exact amount of water indicated for the 1 1/2 portions. I set the crust at dark. The loaves crowned just to the top of the pan were evenly risen and nicely browned, were fully baked throughout and had a fine crumb and was just fine for very thin slicing. For the shortest "Rapid" cycle (58 minutes in the Oster) I used 2 packages of mix with the exact amount of water but with only one package of yeast with the Krusteaz mix. Again with the "dark" crust setting. The loaf rose evenly, was just short of the top window . The bottoms and sides were well browned but the top was somewhat light. The loaf was quite dense, but had a very fine crumb and was perfect for making the super thin slices I need for making melba toast. So my conclusions are that if you want to try the rapid bake options on these machines, use a recipe 1 1/2 times the usual size because it does not have time enough for a full dough rise - use a rapid rise yeast because this will give it enough of a boost for the oven rise. -- 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/ --------------- END bread-bakers.v101.n012 --------------- -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v101.n013 -------------- 001 - "Lanthier" Subject: more crumpets Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2001 23:55:33 -0800 Here is the Elizabeth David version of crumpets. If you don't have her book, English Bread and Yeast Cookery, you should try to get it. 3 cups or so unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp. dry yeast (1/2 oz. fresh) a generous 2 1/2 cups milk and water, mixed 1 tbsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 2 tbsp. oil Second Mixing 1/2 tsp. baking soda 2/3 cup warm water, or a little more Warm the flour in an earthenware bowl in a low oven for 5 minutes. Warm the oil, milk, water and sugar to blood heat. Use a little of this to cream the yeast. (I proofed active dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.) Mix the salt with the warm flour, stir in the yeast, pour in the liquid, and stir the batter very well and vigorously, until it is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl, leave batter to rise at room temp. until the whole surface is a mass of bubbles and the mixture looks as if it were about to break. This will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Forestall the natural falling of the batter by beating it down yourself with a wooden spoon. Dissolve the baking soda in the warm water and stir it into the bowl. Cover the bowl and leave the batter to recover, for about 30 minutes. This time, put it in a rather warmer place, unless you need to delay the cooking of the crumpets, in which case use cold water for dissolving the soda and remove the bowl of batter to a cool place. To cook the crumpets, grease the griddle very lightly, also the crumpet rings. Put 4 rings on the griddle, pour enough batter into each to come almost to the top. Let them cook very gently, 7 to 10 minutes. By this time there should be a mass of tiny holes. If the holes haven't appeared, the batter is too thick. Add more warm water or milk to the batter before cooking the next batch. Once the crumpets have set, it should be easy to slip off the rings and turn them over. They only need 3 minutes on the other side. Note: I used a non-stick, electric frying pan at no hotter than 275 deg. F. I also wound up adding almost 1/3 cup more warm water to the batter. They don't rise very much, but they are the best crumpets I have ever eaten. Paddy Lanthier. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n013.2 --------------- From: Ed Okie Subject: Re: Digest bread-bakers.v101.n011 Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2001 13:52:57 -0500 At 02:13 AM 3/3/01 -0800, you wrote: >From: "Alexandra Mahoney" >Subject: kneading surface >Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 22:35:22 -0800 > >I'm making bread by hand these days and am having real trouble kneading >"without adding any extra flour," as Maggie Glezer recommends and as >artisan-style doughs generally require. Using a bench knife is a nice >idea, but I still end up with sticky hands, no real fold-over in the dough, >and no kneading rhythm. Too-wet dough sounds like the underlying problem, despite whatever recipe you're following. A few variables: Using electronic scales (grams) to measure ingredients may help, they're far more accurate than volume measurements (plus it's easier, cleaner and requires less tools). Also, applying percentages to the water-to-flour ratio helps in the understanding, and ability to easily modify a given recipe (60-68% is a general range, flour taken as 100%.) But, absolute measurements vary... depends on seasonal humidity and where you live. Maggie's baking environment may not be the same as yours. Another angle: flour's absorption of water. Maggie's flour may be different than what you're using (it varies even within a given brand): flour with a slightly lower protein level requires less water to arrive at a given dough-consistency. Why not simply back off on the percentage of water? Two percentage points shift is a good starting point. > I am wondering what types of kneading surfaces people > have to help in this regard. > ... I thought I might just order TWO non-stick bench knives from King > Arthur and see if I could make up my own technique. . . . Sticky dough is basically going to stick to almost anything, particularly if you're not using flour, olive oil, etc., as a release agent. A good bench knife is a major aid in handling wet dough (or any dough for that matter). I find the that Oxo brand with a soft large black handle (with stainless blade) is very comfortable to use, a non-stick model isn't necessary, but may be a slight aid. And if one blade doesn't do the trick... two won't be any better. - Ed Okie --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n013.3 --------------- From: Sandy Greathouse Subject: Maple Syrup Recipes for Mike...... Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2001 06:33:47 -0500 Hi Mike.....here are a few recipes using maple syrup. Hope these help? Sandy G. Oatmeal Maple Bread 1 package yeast 1 cup quick cooking oats 3 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon very warm water Put all ingredients into the pan of your bread machine according to the directions for your machine. Use the white bread selection. Press start. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maple Oatmeal Drops 1/2 c Butter 1/2 c Firmly packed brown sugar 1 ea Egg 1/2 c Maple syrup (dark) 1/3 c Dairy sour cream 1 3/4 c All purpose flour 1 t Baking soda 1/2 t Ground cinnamon 1/2 t Ground ginger 1/4 tsSalt 1 1/4 c Rolled oats (quick) In a small bowl or mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, maple syrup and sour cream. Beat well. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats. Drop by spoonful on greased pan. Bake at 375ø 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar. Makes 4 Dozen Cookies. Florence Phelps From Maple Dessert Recipes by Massachusetts Maple Syrup ---------------------------------------------------------------- Maple Pecan Scones Roo says: I just took these out of the oven - at first nibble - it's pretty good! Ingredients 3 Cups Flour 1 Cup Pecans -- chopped 1 1/2 Tablespoons Baking powder 3/4 Teaspoon Salt 3/4 Cup Cold unsalted butter 2/3 Cup Maple syrup plus a little extra for brushing 1/3 Cup Heavy cream Instructions Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9-x-13-inch baking sheet. In a large bowl stir together the flour, pecans, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and cream. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture, combining with swift strokes until the dough clings together. Roll out about two inches thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut scones with a three-inch round biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet about two inches apart. Brush tops with additional maple syrup, and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a rack and cool. Credits From: Americas, September, 1995; Submitted by Roo --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n013.4 --------------- From: upstart Subject: Re: Malasadas recipe Date: Sun, 4 Mar 01 03:44:24 +0900 >From: "Joni Repasch" >Subject: Looking for a recipe >Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 21:15:26 -0800 > >In the late 60's early 70's my family lived in Oahu, Hawaii. We used to get >these wonderful Portuguese buns at the small shopping center in Eva Beach >called (please forgive the spelling) hot malisades. They were yeasted buns >that were deep fried then rolled in sugar. Should anyone have this recipe, >I'd appreciate your sharing it with me. Just saw your request in the digest. The first recipe should probably be halved, unless you're planning on feeding an army. Hope they jog your taste memories. -dhh Malasadas 1 Maui Community College This dish arrived in Hawaii with the Portuguese settlers and has evolved over the years. A visit to the Fair isn't complete without enjoying hot malasadas. Makes a lot, depends on the size of dough you "pull". 1 qt milk 1 c shortening 1 c sugar 1 c mashed potatoes 4 tbsps dry yeast 1 c potato water 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tbsp vanilla 5 eggs 12 c all-purpose flour 1 tbsp salt 1. Beat eggs and set aside. 2. Bring milk, shortening and sugar to boil, then cool to room temperature. 3. Dissolve yeast in potato water (left over from boiling the potatoes) and make sure the water is not over 105 F. 4. Mix yeast mixture into milk mixture, add potatoes, soda, baking powder and vanilla. Let rise until foamy (about 30 minutes) 5. Add eggs, salt and then add flour 1 cup at a time until all is mixed into the liquid. 6. Put mixture into a bowl that has been lightly oiled, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double, (about 1 hour). 7. Punch down, let rise again about 30 minutes. 8. Cut and form into balls about the size of golf balls. 9. Let rise until doubled. 10. Fry in deep fat at 360 F. 11. When cooked through, toss in bowl of granulated sugar. Note: These snacks do not hold well but they taste great and have a hint of potato taste which is unique and gives it that "old fashion" taste. Malasadas 2 Malasadas are one of the all time favorite snacks at local community functions and fund-raisers. A non-traditional way of preparing this is to add nutmeg or cinnamon to the sugar mixture that is used to coat the maladsadas. 1 pkg yeast (1 Tbsp) 1 tsp sugar 1/4 c warm water ----- 6 c flour 1/2 c sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 c melted butter or margarine 1 c water 1 c evaporated milk 6 eggs ----- 1 qt vegetable oil (to cook) Extra sugar Beat eggs. Measure flour into mixing bowl and add salt. Make a well in the flour, pour yeast mixture, eggs and other ingredients. Beat in circular motion until the dough is soft. Cover, let raise until double. Turn dough over (or into another bowl) but do not punch down. Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk. Heat oil to 375 F and drop dough by teaspoons-full into oil and cook until brown. Be careful not to crowd the pot, as the oil temperature will drop and the malasadas will come out greasy. Remove from oil, drain, and shake in brown bag with sugar. Best when hot. Note: If the malasadas are coming out with the center still doughy, turn the heat down on the oil which will allow them to cook longer. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n013.5 --------------- From: "walter johnstone" Subject: kneading surface Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 12:43:47 -0500 To all those wonderful bakers out there: Let me first say how much I have enjoyed and learned in the past year that I have been lurking on the sidelines from you great bakers from all over the world. I have refrained from giving you all my two cents on many occasions but this time I cannot resist from giving you my time-saving and clean-up saving methods developed from years of experience. I am responding to Alexandra Mahoney's call for help regarding kneading with wet doughs. After making bread for decades, I am a big fan of the wet doughs and have Dan Leader's Bread Alone" and Suzanne Dunaway's "No Need to Knead" books to thank for it. I make a big focaccia that looks professional and rivals what is sold in the bakery cafe at the CIA (for those of you not in the know, it is the Culinary Institute of America - our country's best culinary school) in Hyde Park, NY. (Wow, I am tooting my own horn!) And I must share my simple method with you. I first taught myself how to make bread in the 70's from reading cook books - the usual white dough stuff. Have continued all these years, including over ten years using my DAK bread machine, one of the first to hit this country in the late 80's from Japan. Made literally hundreds of loaves of French-Italian type breads using the manual cycle and a cheap $4 Ecko (sp?) non-stick double bread pan (that finally gave out and started sticking after years of use). Now I am back to hand mixing and my method is as follows: I mix up a sourdough starter (out of Bread Alone) with yeast and water, add some salt and a couple of cups of flour in one of those large (not the biggest) cheap stainless steel bowls that are everywhere (it is light and spins around easily on the counter, key components of my method), mixing with a wooden spoon. Then when the going gets a little heavy, I switch from spoon to one of those plastic kidney-shaped scrapers (think I got it in Lechters (sp?) for $1 with a hole in it. Then gradually add the rest of the flour, scraping the outside of the dough against the side of the bowl with the curved scraper, spinning the bowl as necessary with my left hand, to keep the sides of the bowl clean and the dough worked; scrape, spin and flop the dough on top of itself. Remember this is a wet dough and I add only enough flour to give it some stability. When I am finished and the dough is very wet (my hands are clean, clean, maybe a little dough on my right thumb (this recipe is NOT for someone who loves getting into the dough) ) I pour perhaps a tablespoon of oil on top, then scrape and spin again to get the oil around the dough, messily flip it over with the scraper, put a lid or saran on the ss bowl, put in the refrig. Leave in for a day or two; then with the handy scraper, tilt bowl and scrape out the dough (it is wet and spongy) onto parchment. The whole put-together dough and mixing method takes about 15 minutes, very streamlined; no counter clean-up and no messy hands and the focaccia comes out beautifully! I created this bowl method out of necessity; I have a tile-topped counter (not good for anything except looking at - never again), definitely not for any kind of dough preparation. All I end up cleaning is the bowl! One can use this method with any type of dough, requiring a little kneading. When I do a regular dough, I use the scraper as long as possible, then switch using my right hand to knead, and spin the bowl with the left. And the bowl is very easy to clean because it is continually scraped! One more note: on a period show lately dating from the 1800's, I saw a "downstairs" cook kneading dough in a wooden shallow large box, similar to what we would know as a tray. Isn't that cleaver, if one is tight with space and has a tile-topped counter!? If anyone wants the exact recipe, I would be glad to post it. Hope all this chatter helps one or more of you out there. Thank you all for the tips and recipes and good humor; keep it coming...............................baking carol --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v101.n013.6 --------------- From: ehgf@primenet.com Subject: Gotta Get Me Gadgets! Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2001 02:33:22 +0800 OK Folks, here is a multi-response to some recent questions/comments about bread appliances (sorry, it's a lengthy one): Panini Maker: I purchased a "Belgian Waffler" from Sur La Table a year ago. It is made by VillaWare (company located in Ohio, but the instruction book was printed in China so the appliance may come from there as well). I can't remember what it cost, but somewhere between $69-$89 feels right. Its attraction was a set of removable heating surfaces allowing cooking versatility. One set of "plates" has the deep pocketed surface to produce belgian waffles. The other set has a flat side and flipping over has a ridged side. It opens fully to lay flat if desired. Therefore, one can make belgian waffles or use the second set of plates as a griddle (flat side) or a grill (ridged side). The instruction book even gives a recipe for panini so it obviously can be used for that as as well as for making pancakes, grilling meat etc. I rather get more bang for my buck instead of getting a one purpose appliance. Check with S. la T. to see if they still carry this appliance. Breadman Bagel Maker: Friends gave me this appliance last year and I like it. I do believe it makes bagel making easier and my family thinks the results taste like the "real thing" (my husband and I were born in New York City and raised on bagels so draw your own conclusions). I have gone the "do it from scratch route", but I honestly for whatever reasons think the machine ones are better and less trouble to make. Now, for the details. Our friends thought that one added the ingredients to the machine, PRESTO, bagels emerged! NOT! First you make the dough, let it have a first rise, form it into rings and THEN you use the machine to first submerge 4 small bagels at a time, in boiling water. The cooking tray is then raised above the water level to bake under the heating element in the lid. The process is fairly quick and easy though it must be repeated several times to use up all the dough. I usually make the dough in the bread machine (sometimes programming the night before so the dough is ready when I awake). Most bread doughs make wonderful bagels. Using pre-packaged bread mixes and both machines not only streamlines the process, but you can make some awesome specialty bagels with unique flavors. Breadmaker: I'll admit it, I'm a hands on type of gal, but I do own a breadmaker. I do not like the texture of or look of breads baked in one. The ability to produce dough is another thing entirely. A breadmaker is an invaluable tool to mix, knead and rise dough when you are short on time. I never fully utilized this feature until I read Marcy Goldman's "A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking" (a terrific, must have book). Marcy said that if you are not intending to bake your bread in the breadmaker anyway that you can use bread recipes calling for 6-7 cups of flour. This means a bread machine can prepare all your standard 2 loaf recipes. I can produce "magical" bread by machine mixing and hand shaping/oven baking. One last note for those of you who haven't fallen asleep reading this ;-) I wanted to address the difficulty in general of kneading wet, "artisan" doughs such as Maggie Glezer's recipes. Many bread baking gurus suggest that these doughs be made in a mixer because of the difficulty of working with such sticky doughs. I sometimes just like to do it by hand anyway. I have made the ciabatta and baguettes from Maggie's book (they are super!) by hand using the following method. I mix and knead the dough right in my large mixing bowl. I keep one hand "clean" and use it to turn the bowl. I use my "wet" hand along with a plastic, flexible bench knife/pot scraper to turn and fold the gloppy mess. Eventually, there is definitely a difference in the look and consistency of the dough that signals its development. It will not look like a less wet dough (smooth and with a definite form), but nonetheless it will bake up fine. You can't avoid at least one sticky hand and you won't be able to work with a real rhythm, but that is the nature of the beast. The bowl gives you some control so that the dough doesn't spread all over. To get rid of that sticky hand, try a baker's trick: rub some extra flour between both hands over a sink. The gooey stuff will absorb the flour and rub off your hands in a jiff. Please try this, before investing in more products. TIA for your patience Ellen aka Gormay --------------- END bread-bakers.v101.n013 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2001 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved