Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 01:50:55 -0700 (MST) -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v102.n054 -------------- 001 - Jeff Dwork Subject: Only 3 weeks left Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 22:57:08 -0800 The HearthKit raffle is December 14 - only three weeks away! Come One, Come All, get your raffle tickets here! Only $2 gets you a chance to win one of these amazing devices! You'll see it in action in your very own oven! Makes your wonderful breads even better! Send your money to Reggie - over there in front of the tent - and she'll send you your numbers! See http://www.bread-bakers.com/raffle/ Jeff & Reggie --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.2 --------------- From: "Marilee Evans" Subject: Bubbly Pizza Crust Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 10:07:33 -0800 R Dempsey asked about bubbles in pre-baked pizza crust. I am also of the pre-bake school, so I have seen lots of bubbles in the 45 years I have been pre-baking them. Perhaps you need to knock a minute or so off your pre-bake time. I have always been able to cure the problem by flattening the bubble with my oven mitt as soon as it comes out of the oven. This has to be an immediate act--just put down the pan and start pushing. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.3 --------------- From: Sal Jones Subject: buttermaker Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 11:23:27 -0600 I have a used Toastmaster Bread & Buttermaker without the recipe book. Although I can find a lot of bread recipes but no buttermaking recipes. Does somebody have a recipe to share on how to make butter? Thank You Louis Schwartz --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.4 --------------- From: Andy and Penny Brown Subject: Wheatfree bread Date: Thu, 21 Nov 02 19:40:48 +1200 Dear Folks, I have a bread making machine and am looking for recipes for wheatfree breads - rye, corn etc for my 12 year old son. At the moment I can't find any such books in New Zealand. Perhaps you could direct me. Thank you very much Andy Brown --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.5 --------------- From: "herblady" Subject: misc. bread machine hints Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 02:01:02 -0800 I found this in my notes from a class I gave several years ago. I checked and it is still valid. DATE CODE INFO. for Red Star Yeast: 1# INSTANT ACTIVE DRY YEAST package: on the bottom of package 2# ACTIVE DRY YEAST package. The first number is a notation for the year. For instance if it is a 6, the yeast was made in 1996. The following 3 numbers are the Julian calendar day of the year (March 3, 1996 would read 6062). The remaining numbers are the manufacturers code. Vacuum sealed the packages will keep for one year unopened. Take out small amount and put in small dark jar and keep in fridge. Reseal the rest tightly (ziploc) and freeze. Will keep 9 mos in freezer. ======================================= To measure flour properly, stir to aerate it, then lightly spoon mixture into measuring cup, then level it with straight edge of knife. Don't scoop or tap down; it will give you extra flour and can make bread heavy and dry. Dusting raisins and dried fruits with flour or cinnamon will help them separate and mix into the dough. Also works with craisins and dried cherries. gram/ruth --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.6 --------------- From: "Steven Leof" Subject: Kuchen dough / yeasted doughnuts Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 11:55:16 -0000 I understand that Kuchen dough can be used to good effect to make yeasted doughnuts. However I haven't seen a doughnut recipe where the dough is retarded following the first rise; does anyone know the effect this would have? Thanks Steven Leof --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.7 --------------- From: "Don Bischoff" Subject: Bubbling Pizza Crust Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 09:38:22 -0600 Hi Robert, The answer to your bubble dilemma is to "Dock" the crust before you pre-bake it. Docking means to take a fork and punch a bunch of holes in it. The holes will seal up as the dough expands in the oven but will let enough gas leak out so that your crust won't bubble. Be sure to leave an undocked rim on the perimeter of your crust. That part will expand forming an edge to prevent the toppings from running off. Happy Pizza Baking, Don Bischoff --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.8 --------------- From: "Regina Rectanus" Subject: Clarification please Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 10:53:24 -0500 I read with great interest the warnings about BITTER ALMONDS. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, nuts in shells begin to make their appearance in the baking sections of food markets. My question. I assume purchased nuts in shells are unroasted. Are they raw almonds though? I see almonds shelled in the bulk food section. Are these safe to use?. What is the definition of Bitter Almonds as opposed to raw almonds or the almonds most home bakers use, i.e., chopped, blanched, slivered, etc., etc?. Have these been treated in some way if they are indeed the same almonds as Bitter Almonds? I am on a health food program which tells me that a milk substitute can be made from almonds, soaked for 12 hours, then worked in a blender with dates and water and strained to produce a 'milk'. I need to have a better definition of what a "bitter almond" is, perhaps someone knows the botanical name for these and the botanical name for almonds intended for safe human consumption. Any help will be appreciated. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.9 --------------- From: Nifcon@aol.com Subject: Robert - bubbly pizza crust Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 14:13:12 EST I know lots of bakers who would give a metaphorical left arm to be able to consistently produce big bubbles - I make my pizza's from an adaptation of Reinhart's Focaaccia - very bubbly , very rustic, absolutely adored by everybody once they get over the uneven humped surface. But taste is individual and if I'm making pizza for an unknown audience I use Carol Field's recipe for Pizza Napoletana. Thin, crisp, small bubbled, very good handling dough. If you haven't got the book (The Italian Baker) and you want the recipe I'll post it to the list or to you privately if you'd prefer. John --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.10 --------------- From: "Gloria J. Martin" Subject: Advantium oven question Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 13:17:26 -0600 Quite a while back there was a lot of info on the Advantium Oven---but I wasn't interested. Now, due to failure of a convection-microwave, I'm giving consideration to one. Are they really faster? Can they be used as a 2nd oven to bake cakes and pies and meats as well as being used as a microwave? What do some of you who have one think about the usefulness or non-usefulness of one? I'm willing to spend the money if they are worth it, otherwise, no. Thanks. Gloria --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.11 --------------- From: "Barda, Joe & Chellie" Subject: Bitter Almonds info... Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 14:08:48 -0600 Good site for some info about bitter almonds: http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/almon026.html#balmond Joe --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.12 --------------- From: LAllin@aol.com Subject: Re: Funai bread machine Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 16:29:40 EST You might try calling one of the customer service numbers shown on http://www.funai-corp.com/custserv.html There is nothing on the site about bread machines; perhaps it is something they tried and discontinued. Maybe customer service or corporate can steer you to a source. Larry --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.13 --------------- From: SeawrightS@aol.com Subject: sourdough request Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:55:57 EST Hello all.... I am a living history re-enactor and would love to find a real good formula for sour dough starter.....I have my glass jar ready and waiting....I would be grateful for any help you can give me with brands of yeast and flour....you can email me at Seawrights@aol.com.....and from the heart of Oklahoma, I thank you so much. S. Dale "Sierra" Seawright Seawrights@aol.com --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.14 --------------- From: "Susannah Ayres-Thomas" Subject: Bread machine manuals, and sourdough Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 13:30:47 -0600 On the subject of bread machines, while I was working at LeSaffre Yeast Corp, I discovered that they are also the headquarters for the Bread Machine Manufacturers' professional organization. So if you will call the telephone number you find on the back of any package of Red Star Yeast or SAF Yeast, and ask for someone to help you with bread machine problems, they'll put you through to someone who can help you find out what you need and where you need to go. As for sourdough starters, you can buy them from Ed Wood's company, World Sourdoughs, which can be found at www.sourdo.com. As for how to make them, his book, "Classic Sourdoughs" is a good reference. If you want to start from scratch and make a true, wild sourdough, I'd suggest getting a copy of "Baking with Julia" by Julia Child, either buying it or borrowing it from the library--though I'd say "buy it", because it is a truly GREAT book--she tells you how to do it in minute and complete detail. One good thing about Julia is that, if you do what she tells you, exactly AS she tells you, you'll have great results, every time. I consider her to be one of my heroes, she has taught me so much over the years. And Baking with Julia has lots of other great lessons and recipes about all kinds of breads as well as pastries and cakes and so much more. It's an expensive book but worth every penny. I followed her instructions and turned out a levain bread which was to die for. I also tried the mixed-starter bread--amazing stuff! Her section on Brioche is one of the most brilliant expositions I've ever read. Susannah --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.15 --------------- From: Brown_D@pcfnotes1.wustl.edu Subject: Re: Bitter Almond Substitutes Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 01:32:26 -0600 There is a wonderful spice called Mahleb, used in the middle east, and made from the pits of a type of cherry. It is available whole or ground from middle eastern groceries, and it gives a wonderful essence to baked goods that I suspect is just like the traditional bitter almond. I buy the whole Mahleb, which looks like a jar of tiny almonds, and grind them fresh (in a pepper mill or with the wheat in my grain mill) for breads and cookies and whatever else I want to give that flavor too. They taste bitter eaten alone, but a very few go a long way--about a dozen will flavor a recipe with 2-3 cups of flour. Try them--they're not super easy to find but are easier, I imagine, than finding apricots out of season and collecting the kernels! Diane Brown brown_d@kids.wustl.edu --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.16 --------------- From: Andie Paysinger Subject: A new, inexpensive bread machine cookbook Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 13:08:42 -0800 I went to Barnes & Noble and while there saw and bought a new small and inexpensive book. "The Cook's Encyclopedia of BREAD MACHINE BAKING" by Jennie Shapter - for $7.98. It is 256 pages of what looks to be very good recipes, many I have seen before, some are quite unusual. 7 x 9 inches, semi-hard back. Superb photos and illustrations - better than books costs 3-4 times as much. The first 56 pages deal with technique, how to use bread machines, (a boon for people with "orphan" machines), hand shaping, glazes, adapting recipes, etc. The recipe categories are: Basic breads; Specialty Grains; Flatbreads and Pizzas; Sourdoughs and Starter dough breads; Savory breads; Vegetable breads; Rolls, Buns and Pastries; Sweet breads and yeast cakes; Teabreads and cakes. For the price it is an incredible bargain. I would recommend it to anyone - if nothing else, just to keep by the desk to use as a reference to answer questions. For less than 10 bucks! Andie Paysinger & the PENDRAGON Basenjis, Teafer ,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.v102.n054.17 --------------- From: Larry Klevans Subject: ABM recipe for Panettone Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 19:44:39 -0500 Panettone This is a bread machine recipe for traditional Italian fruit bread. It comes from the DAK gourmet Gazette. It works very well in the Breadman Ultimate Machine. 1 cup very warm water 5 Tablespoons of Sugar 5 Tablespoons of butter or margarine, softened or melted 3 Tablespoons non-fat dry milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 egg 3 cups of bread flour 1 package or 2-1/2 teaspoons regular yeast 2 Tablespoons pine nuts 3 tablespoons dried or candied fruit 1/2 cup raisins soaked in rum or water and well drained I use the 2.0 pound nut and fruit bread setting with a light crust. Also I load the pine nuts into the dispensing tray and push the "Extra" button to have the nut dispenser open. When the dispenser opens, about 8 minutes before the end of the kneading cycle, I add the candied fruit. Three minutes later I add the raisins. The bread comes out of the machine very soft and needs to cool on a rack for about 30 minutes. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.18 --------------- From: "bevco" Subject: Re: bubbling pizza crust Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 21:51:54 -0600 To prevent bubbling, let the dough overrise a bit. Then prick it with a fork like you do a pie crust. Watch it carefully and prick or press down bubbles that rise up. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.19 --------------- From: Reggie Dwork Subject: what is a Japanese style white bread? Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 22:56:57 -0800 I heard the term "Japanese-style white breads" recently. What is this?? Does anyone have a recipe for it/them?? While you are typing in the response to me how about baking and eating a wonderful Bannock ... and save a piece for Jeff and me * Exported from MasterCook * Bannock Recipe By : Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Bread-Bakers Mailing List Canadian Diabetic Ethnic Low Fat Hand Made Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 1/2 C Flour 1/4 Tsp Salt 2 Tbsp Oil 1 C Milk 1 Egg 2 Tsp Baking powder Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Mix together milk, egg and oil and add to flour. Mix well. Knead on a floured surface. Pat down the dough until it is about 1 inch thick. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Bake at 400F until brown, approx 15 min OR heat a frying pan, using 3 tbsp oil to cook the pieces. Serve hot with jam. 1 bannock baked: 3 g protein, 3 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 107 calories 1 starch choice, 1 fat 1 bannock fried: 3 g protein, 8 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 152 calories Source: Diabetes Dialogue Spring 1992, Canadian Diabetes Association Shared and baked version tested by Elizabeth Rodier July 1993 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thanks, Reggie --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.20 --------------- From: "Ed Dalton" Subject: Re: HearthKit performance Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 08:33:50 -0500 >>improvement in final bread is only slightly better than using bakestones<< Not sure what you base this statement concerning the HearthKit on, as you say the only way you would have one is to win it in a lottery. This indicates to me you haven't tried one. I have owned and used a HearthKit since January, baking several hundred loaves. In a two week period in February I baked over a hundred loaves for an event. Prior to using a HearthKit I used a baking stone for many years and find the HearthKit produces a far superior loaf. Additionally chicken, Cornish game hens, duck etc, come out wonderful. Far superior to any other method I have tried at home. >>little time honing your knife skills so that crushing and chopping a clove of garlic is a matter of seconds, quicker than taking the press off the hook<< If one hones his walking skills an automobile isn't necessary, if one hones his candle making skills electric lights aren't necessary. There are a lot of things that are not necessary, however it's just fun to have and use them. The HearthKit is a great addition to those that enjoy the fun things and like making great breads at home. Ed --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.21 --------------- From: "David A Barrett" Subject: Re: malt, cornmeal, bubbling pizza Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 11:30:52 -0500 Malt: The only use I've heard of for non-diastatic malt is in bagels; in order to impart a "malty" flavour. In all other cases, the malt is used to "supercharge" the yeast, which can be useful in low yeast - long fermentation recipes. It also helps sourdough starters get going. Basically, the barley sprouts contain an enzyme which is used to convert starch into sugars. The yeast (and other biological raising agents) use this enzyme to convert the starch into the flour to sugar, which is used to fuel the yeast growth. Incidentally, this is exactly the same malt that is used in the production of beer and scotch whiskey. Cornmeal: Try to find cornmeal with the bran left in. Almost all of the supermarket brands have the bran removed, which leaves a flavourless sawdust. The problem is that corn bran holds the oil, which will go rancid over time. It needs to be refrigerated for any prolonged storage. Up here in the Great White North, the only brand I've found which leaves the bran in is Bob's Red Mill, which is in Oregon. Presumably in the south, where people know their corn meal, there are lots of local "bran in" brands. Bubbling Pizza Crust: "My finance' and I...". I assume that this is a Freudian Slip. Otherwise, make sure that you don't sign a pre-nuptial agreement, Robert. thanx, dave. *8-o --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.22 --------------- From: "docmus" Subject: Thumb bucka Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 09:19:04 -0500 (all are excerpts from Jeffrey Kacirk's "Forgotten English" 2002) thumb-bucka "A thick slice of bread on which butter is spread with the thumb instead of a knife." -Sidney Addy's "Glossary of Sheffield Words" 1888 November 19th Feast Day of St. Elizabeth, a thirteenth-century patroness of bakers, canonized because she turned bread into roses. Dr. Andrew Boorde, a physician to Henry VIII, had little good to say about the "staff of life." He wrote in his "Dyetary of Helth (1542):" "Bread made of wheat maketh a man fat, especially when the bread is made of new wheat. Evil bakers will put wheat and barley together; bread made of these aforesaid corns may fill the gut, but shall never do good to man, no more than bread made of beans and pease will do. Hot bread is unwholesome to any man, for it doth lie in the stomach like a sponge, yet the smell of new bread is comfortable to the head and heart. Old or stale bread doth dry up the blood, or natural moisture in man, and doth engender ill humours, and is evil and tardy of digestion; wherefore is no surfeit so evil as the surfeit of eating naughty bread." Obviously, Dr. Boorda did not have the benefit of knowing the folk at Bread Bakers Digest! --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.23 --------------- From: "l k m" Subject: Re: grain grinder & bread machine recommendations Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 10:02:38 -0800 Judith asked: Judith, I started my bread baking with a Vita Mix and it did well. It was a little slower than a dedicated grinder and I had to grind in smaller batches (2 cups at a time) but it did the job. It allowed me to experiment with different grains and even beans (I snuck a few tbsp of bean flour into recipes to add an extra protein punch!) I think the key to keeping your Vita Mix is if you plan to use it for other things, if having a multi-use appliance is important to you. If you are using it JUST for bread making, I'd recommend passing it for something else more dedicated. As for the Vita Mix, do you have the Dry container? It has a different blade than the regular container and gives a better grind. The only grain I found disappointing was corn. I used a small hand-cranked grinder to make cornmeal. I used mine for all my grinding needs (except corn) until I found a dedicated grinder at a garage sale for $15. But I use the Vita Mix nearly daily for other tasks. Hope this helps, Laura --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.24 --------------- From: Gonzo White Subject: Thanksgiving breakfast bread Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 17:42:31 -0600 Cranberry Orange Loaf Makes a great gift during the holidays! I live in Mexico and I originally found something like this recipe on the internet. It had 2 or 3 items that I couldn't buy down here like fresh cranberries. So I changed it around a bit and it came out wonderful. I make this all year round. It's my favorite quick bread recipe. 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt Grated rind of one orange ( I use 1 Tablespoon of dried Orange Peel ) 1 can of whole berry cranberries 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 3/4 cup orange juice Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in orange rind, cranberries, and nuts. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and egg with electric mixer until smooth. Blend in orange juice. Stir in flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. This makes a bit more then one loaf, I always put a little about 1 1/2 cups in a separate (greased) bowl and bake both at the same time. Let stand for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool on wire rack. Wrap tightly to store. This makes more then one big loaf, you might want to put into 4 or 5 small bowls, I use a medium size clay bowl I purchased in the Mercado and just spray it with pam and the bread pops right out after baking. It's a funny shape (round) It looks like a huge muffin, but it tastes great. Or you can use two loaf pans and get two smaller loafs. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.25 --------------- From: "Gilligan, Jonathan M" Subject: Loaves without ears Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 10:14:18 -0600 I am having a problem with my loaves. I get wonderful flavor and a nice open crumb, but for the life of me I cannot get a beautiful grigne with ears. When I put batards and boules in the oven, the grigne opens up nicely in the initial spring (first 2 minutes or so), but then the inner part rises up during the next 5 minutes or so and fills the split, so when the bread finishes baking, there are no ears. I bake on tiles at 500 F with as much steam as I can put into a home oven (2 cups boiling water poured into a pre-heated 12" cast-iron skillet on the oven floor; I have tried adding the water both just before and just after putting the bread on the tiles) and both with and without spraying the walls of the oven with hot water from a garden-type pressure-sprayer just after inserting the loaf. I am working with fairly wet sourdough (similar to Reinhart's Poilane-style miche), scaled at 500 grams for the batards and 1000 grams for the boules. I proof the boules in baskets and the batards on a cloth, and have tried baking both and without misting the loaves gently with water after slashing them, just before putting them in the oven (this seems to improve the grigne slightly). I am confident that I am not overproofing the dough, but it is possible that I am underproofing it --- an experiment last weekend found better grigne with a loaf that proofed 30 minutes longer than usual --- but I am always fighting the dough's tendency to deflate when I slash it if I proof it too long. One problem I have is that when I slash the loaf, no matter how swiftly I sweep the razor through the dough, the dough sticks and tears rather than slitting cleanly. I make every effort to get a good surface tension before the final proofing, without manhandling the dough (If the tradeoff is ears vs. open crumb, I will take the open crumb), but with only a year or so experience shaping free-standing loaves, it is probable that I am not producing enough surface tension. Any advice from the experts? Thanks, Jonathan --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.26 --------------- From: "Steven Leof" Subject: Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 09:43:58 -0000 Can anyone point me to a good explanation of ash content and it's effect on dough vis-a-vis protein levels? Thanks Steven Leof --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n054.27 --------------- From: Jeff Dwork Subject: King Arthur demo classes Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 00:46:09 -0800 Reggie and I had the delightful experience of attending a demonstration class given by King Arthur Flour on artisan breads last Thursday evening. Reggie also went to the sweet dough class in the morning. The classes were held in a hotel meeting room, so there was no baking - only mixing, kneading, rising, etc. There is no charge for the class. In the sweet bread class, the instructor mixed and kneaded a basic sweet bread dough and then demonstrated numerous shaping, braiding and filling techniques. In the artisan bread class, the dough was started with a poolish and was used to make bouls, baguettes and batards. Although the class was only about two hours long, the instructor discussed many different aspects of bread baking and gave us many useful tips, such as: * Use bottled water or allow tap water to stand overnight to make the preferment as the chlorine will affect the yeast. Use a very small amount of yeast - the recipe may say 1/8 tsp because that's the smallest measuring spoon but only a pinch or two (maybe 1/50th tsp) is enough. * Thicker preferments give less flavor but have a wider time window when they are at their peak. * To get steam in the oven, use a massive container such as a cast iron skillet preheated at 500 F for an hour along with the baking stone. Put a pot of water on the stove, bring it to a boil and pour the boiling water into the skillet. The instructor has a friend that uses a cake pan (8 inch) containing 8 pounds of stainless steel chunks instead of the skillet. The larger surface area of the steel chunks produces even more steam. * The dough in this demonstration was about 60 to 65% hydration. It's not necessary to oil the container in which the dough rises. To remove the dough, sprinkle some flour around the edge, where the dough meets the container. With your scraper, work the flour down the container wall. Invert the container and the dough falls right out. The sales pitches were minimal. There was a short talk about KA's flours being better because of being unbleached and never bromated. There was more about KA's tight control of the protein level in the flour. The Unbleached All-Purpose Flour is 11.7% and the Special Bread Flour is 12.7%. These are held to within plus or minus 0.2%. It was said that the typical supermarket flour from the big companies varies by as much as plus or minus 2%. There was a short demonstration of the consequences of +/- 2% protein variation using some audience members - three people mixed a cup of water into flour for a few minutes and the doughs were examined. The +2% dough had pronounced visible gluten strands, the -2% dough was almost as runny as pancake batter and the KA flour at 11.7% was in the middle. The instructor pointed out that you will never get repeatable results if the protein level of your flour varies by too much. At the end of the class there was a drawing for door prizes. These included bags of flour, aprons, dough whisks, several copies of the 200th anniversary KA cookbook and three dough beds. Our instructor is a retired Navy submariner who has been baking bread for many years. He is an excellent teacher - very funny and a joy to listen to. Reggie and I give it four thumbs up! Be sure not to miss this show when it comes to your neighborhood. Jeff --------------- END bread-bakers.v102.n054 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2002 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved