Date: Sun, 03 Mar 2019 03:37:25 +0000 --------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v119.n009 --------------- 01. croissant bread pudding (Joan Ross) 02. Re: Softer crust? (bread-bakers Digest, Vol 119, Issue 8) (John Embleton) 03. Re: softer crust? (bread-bakers Digest, Vol 119, Issue 8) (Anna Nguyen) 04. Basic Banana Muffins (Reggie Dwork) 05. Bread, Nutty Boston Brown (Reggie Dwork) 06. Homemade Tortillas (Reggie Dwork) 07. Miracle No Knead Bread (Reggie Dwork) 08. Preshaping Bread Dough (Reggie Dwork) --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v119.n009.1 --------------- Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2019 09:34:05 -0500 From: Joan Ross Subject: croissant bread pudding Not a bread but uses croissants for a fantastic dessert, everyone wanted the recipe after I served it. Serves 8, few steps, none hard Baked in a water bath like a cheesecake. I use the leftover whites for breakfast 11 extra large eggs: use 3 whole eggs and 8 yolks. Save the 8 whites for something else or freeze the whites. 5 cups of half and half 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 tsp vanilla 6 stale or day old croissants 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries etc Whisk eggs, yolks, half and half , sugar and vanilla until well blended, set aside. Cut croissants in half. Place bottom halves of croissants face up in oblong dish or round casserole dish. Top with raisins and add remaining tops of croissants over raisin layer, top sides up. Pour on the egg mixture and press down with spoon to saturate croissants. Let rest 10 minutes on the counter, then cover dish tightly with foil and poke a few holes in foil to let steam escape. Place dish in another pan with about an inch of water ( water bath ). Bake in a 350F oven for about 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake till top becomes golden maybe another 20 minutes. Cool to warm if serving for dessert right from dish. My notes: If serving later, store bread pudding tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days then bring to room temperature and rewarm dish in microwave about 3 to 3 1/2 minutes or till warm Serve as is or with a fruit sauce Source: I adapted recipe from an Ina Garten recipe from Genius Kitchen --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v119.n009.2 --------------- Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2019 23:13:19 +1300 From: John Embleton Subject: Re: Softer crust? (bread-bakers Digest, Vol 119, Issue 8) Re: softer crust? (bread-bakers Digest, Vol 119, Issue 7) 01. How can I get a softer crust? (Jim Neuman) Jim, Have you tried covering loaves as soon as they come out of the oven? I place freshly baked loaves on a cooling rack then cover them with a dry cotton cloth or tea towel. The steam coming from the cooling bread is partially trapped by the cloth and softens the crust. I leave the cloth on until the bread has completely cooled but you can experiment with the duration to get different crust softness to suit your taste. Regards, John --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v119.n009.3 --------------- Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:35:38 -0600 From: Anna Nguyen Subject: Re: softer crust? (bread-bakers Digest, Vol 119, Issue 8) One of the ways to get softer crumb is to add fat e.g. milk or butter. Maybe more milk and/or butter in the dough will also result in a softer crust? --- Anna Nguyen --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v119.n009.4 --------------- Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2019 21:10:12 -0800 From: Reggie Dwork Subject: Basic Banana Muffins * Exported from MasterCook * Muffins, Basic Banana Recipe By :Lorna Greene Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Bread-Bakers Mailing List Fruit Low Fat Muffins/Rolls Posted Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 medium bananas -- ripe 1 large egg -- room temperature 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract This banana muffin recipe goes over so well with kids. Not only are these banana bread muffins like cupcakes, but they're ready, start to finish, in just half an hour! Prep: 10 min. Bake: 20 min. +cooling In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, mash the bananas. Add egg, oil and vanilla; mix well. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 375F for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cal 209, Fat 7g, Carb 36g, Sod 209mg, Fiber 1g, Pro 2g Review: i have been dying to try out making banana bread so when i woke up to overripe bananas on Monday i asked my helper not to throw them away coz i want to bake with them. my daughter overheard us and said mama please make cupcakes and not bread since you don't have bread tin, lol. so i came to google and found this recipe. with my little baking experience and the reviews here i used half cup sugar and they were a hit and soooo moist. the family murdered them so fast they begged me to make more. because i was trying out the recipe i stuck to measurements, except for the sugar of course, but on the weekend i'm going to double it to make 2 dozen. thank you for a simple, fail proof recipe. Review: These are excellent muffins and very easy to make. I used my large muffin tin instead of the small and got 6 delicious muffins. I know it's a winner if my husband likes them. Definitely a do over. Review: I made this recipe for a friend who recently moved house warming gift. So simple and easy. I used frozen ripe bananas. They browned beautifully. Review: Delicious muffins! This is one of the easiest banana muffin recipes I've ever tried, and it was the one with the best results. I've made my fair share of banana muffins over the years, and I think this recipe made the best muffins yet. I kept the recipe completely as written, but I did add about a half cup of chopped walnuts to the batter. I love that it called for vegetable oil instead of crisco, made it even faster to complete the recipe. I would definitely recommend this recipe. :) Source: "Originally published as Basic Banana Muffins in Taste of Home December/January 1998" S(Internet address): "https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/basic-banana-muffins/" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 209 Calories; 7g Fat (28.6% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 18mg Cholesterol; 200mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates. NOTES : 2019 - 0210 --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v119.n009.5 --------------- Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2019 21:08:59 -0800 From: Reggie Dwork Subject: Bread, Nutty Boston Brown * Exported from MasterCook * Bread, Nutty Boston Brown Recipe By :Lorraine Caland Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Bread Bread-Bakers Mailing List Chocolate/Cocoa Low Fat Nuts Posted Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 cup molasses 1 cup golden raisins 3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts Hearty and dense, my homemade Boston Brown Bread features hazelnuts for a delightfully nutty taste. Thick slices pair well with just about anything, from soup and stews to pasta and meat entrees. Prep: 30 min Bake: 45 min. + cooling Makes: 2 loaves Serving: 12 slices each In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk and molasses. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins and nuts. Transfer to two greased 8x4" loaf pans. Bake at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Editor's Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cal 159, Fat 3g, Carb 31g, Sod 263mg, Fiber 3g, Pro 4g Source: "Originally published as A Bit Nutty Boston Brown Bread in Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook 2012" S(Internet address): "https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/a-bit-nutty-boston-brown-bread/" Yield: "2 loaves" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 160 Calories; 3g Fat (15.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 254mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates. NOTES : 2019 - 0219 --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v119.n009.6 --------------- Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2019 21:57:46 -0800 From: Reggie Dwork Subject: Homemade Tortillas * Exported from MasterCook * Tortillas, Homemade Recipe By :Kristin Van Dyken Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Bread-Bakers Mailing List Ethnic Low Fat Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup water 3 tablespoons olive oil I usually have to double this flour tortilla recipe because we go through them so quickly. The homemade tortillas are so tender and chewy, you'll never use store-bought again after learning how to make tortillas. Prep/Total Time: 30 min. Serving Size: 1 tortilla In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7" circle. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. Test Kitchen Tips: Other fats work in place of olive oil. Traditionalists use lard, but shortening or coconut oil can be used as well. Just cut it into the flour before kneading. Relax springy, hard-to-roll dough by resting it a few more minutes. The key to making tender tortillas: Keep a keen eye on them and adjust cooking time or temp as needed. If they're too crisp, reduce heat a notch, or stop cooking a few seconds earlier. For homemade chips, cut tortillas into wedges and bake at 350F until crisp. Add a touch of oil and seasonings of your choice: We love sea salt and chili powder. Review: I know and love home made tortillas very well. I gave this 3 stars because you can't get the real deal with olive oil. I swapped it out for melted lard and then they definitely are rated 5 stars. Oh and triple the batch, they go quick. Review: This recipe is a good staple recipe! My first time and they came out perfectly. Follow the note that says add more water or flour as needed, but for the most part the recipe is exact. Thank you! Review: Source: "Originally published as Homemade Tortillas in Taste of Home June/July 2010" S(Internet address): "https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-tortillas/" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 159 Calories; 5g Fat (30.8% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 135mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Fat. NOTES : 2019 - 0220 --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v119.n009.7 --------------- Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2019 22:13:32 -0800 From: Reggie Dwork Subject: Miracle No Knead Bread * Exported from MasterCook * Bread, Miracle No Knead (with comments) Recipe By :Lindsay Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Bread Bread-Bakers Mailing List Fatfree Posted Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast 1 1/2 cups room temperature water Let me paint a picture for you. It starts with a golden and ragged-looking crusty loaf of piping hot white bread being roughly torn into chunks, steam escaping, crumbs flying everywhere across the table, and it ends with that swift swooping motion as its hot n' chewy little self dives deep into the bowl of thick soup and delivers a bit of chewy carbs sopped with flavor to your hungry, happy mouth. Honestly. The pure bliss of this moment. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and yeast together until mixed. Stir in the water until a chunky, thick dough forms. If it needs a little more water, add a few more tablespoons, just enough to get it barely wet throughout. It's gonna look scrappy and weird and you're going to question me on whether or not this will work, but it will. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature. Overnight is ideal here, kids. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450F. Stick a 6 quart enamel coated cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven (or similar) in the oven for about 30 minutes to heat. At this point, the dough should be big and puffy and pretty loose, with little bubbles in it. Gently scrape the dough out onto a well-floured surface. (Remember: NO KNEAD.) Gently shape it into a ball with flour on the outside, set on a piece of parchment, and cover with plastic while your pan heats up. Remove the plastic from the dough. Lift the dough and parchment together into the pan so the parchment lines the bottom of the hot pan (be careful not to touch the pan since it's very hot). Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes to get the exterior nice and golden brown and crispy. Voila! Done. Miracle no-knead bread, you boss you. Tip: If you do not have a Dutch Oven: You will just need an oven-safe pot or pan with an oven-safe tight-fitting lid. Please check instructions on whatever you use to ensure it can be heated to 450F (empty for instruction #2). Based on comments and questions, we decided to try this recipe with both gluten-free flour and whole wheat flour! A few notes for each: 1. Gluten-Free: We tried this flour and the results were great. A hard crust formed on the outside and the inside was soft, airy, and a teeny bit spongy - close to the real thing. Some downsides: the bread didn't rise as much as the regular version and, of course, it didn't have quite the same flavor. 2. Whole Wheat: This was very similar to the original version. The texture of the dough was the same, it rose the same, and it looked the same coming out of the oven with its hard crust. The inside texture was denser with not as many air pockets. The flavor was a little bitter and texture was a bit gritty, but to be expected with whole wheat flour. Review: This recipe is pretty much identical to several on the interweb. I have made it several times, and it makes great bread. Review: My grandma made this bread since she was a child before 1920, and for our family from the early '50s to '82 when she died. When she didn't have yeast she used baking powder and/or baking soda. I still make it, and like my grandma, I think it tastes better with buttermilk instead of water, especially if you don't use the yeast, the buttermilk helps it rise better too. S(Internet address): "https://pinchofyum.com/no-knead-bread" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 171 Calories; trace Fat (2.5% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 402mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat. NOTES : 2019 - 0221 --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v119.n009.8 --------------- Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2019 15:47:26 -0800 From: Reggie Dwork Subject: Preshaping Bread Dough * Exported from MasterCook * Bread Dough, Preshaping Recipe By : Maurizio Leo Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Bread Bread-Bakers Mailing List Info/How To Posted Preshaping is precisely what it sounds like; it sets the stage for successful final shaping - and there are many approaches a baker can take. Some people like to pull the dough together tightly and let it rest with the seam facing up. Others gently gather the dough and let it rest seam-side-down for a uniformly smooth surface on top. Ultimately, the approach is up to the baker. Let's walk through several considerations that can influence how you preshape your dough. Most bread recipes call for enough dough to make multiple loaves, but it can be challenging to divide up a large mass into perfectly sized pieces on the first try. Typically I'm left with lumps of different shapes and sizes - not to mention the small scraps I slice off the larger mounds and stick onto the smaller ones. To facilitate the final shaping of these unruly forms, I perform a preshape step to bring some measure of uniformity to the pieces. This way, when we begin final shaping of our dough - whether it be a boule, baguette, or anything else - we're starting from a consistent and orderly structure. Preshaping also gives us an extra chance to add strength to our dough. If your divided dough feels a little loose or slack, you can give it a slightly tighter preshape. This simple act can add much-needed strength and structure to a dough that might otherwise prove tricky to shape. Further, if the dough is especially weak, possibly from undermixing or overhydration, you can perform a second preshape step to bring more structure to the dough before shaping. This ensures your dough will rise high and make it less likely to collapse or spread. While preshaping is not strictly mandatory, it does provide an opportunity to check in with your dough, to assess its strength and fermentation activity. It sets the stage for a more streamlined shaping step. As is the case with many steps in baking, there's no one right way to do something; it depends on your preference and what you're comfortable with. I've refined this method through my own testing and find it effectively organizes and strengthens the dough without being too aggressive. However, it's important to make the call in the moment: Is the dough a little on the weak side? If so, preshape it with more strength and order. Conversely, if the dough is plenty strong, a really light hand will suffice. In addition, think about how soon after preshaping you want to do your final shaping. If the interval between preshape and shape is short, then preshape gently. If it's longer, preshape more assertively. The goal for preshaping is to take each piece and form it into a loosely round shape with just enough tension on the outside. The round should hold its shape on the work surface but not be preshaped so tight that the "skin" on the outside begins to tear. Stop preshaping when you notice the top is smooth without creases and is relatively uniform all around - if you're too aggressive with preshaping you'll end up with a denser loaf of bread. Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Then, dust the top of the dough with flour and divide it into pieces scaled to your desired dough weight. Push the blade against the dough, and as you push, turn it slightly down across your work surface. Both of your hands work in unison: your empty hand tucks the dough under as you push the blade into the dough. The motion is quick and gentle; I then remove my blade and hand from the dough as soon as it comes to rest on the work surface. Repeat this motion with your blade and hand over and over, gently rotating the dough each time. You'll notice with each pass that the dough tightens more as it snags the dry work surface and you scoot it along. This tightening will be visible on the outside of the dough as its skin stretches slightly and becomes taut. Continue with these motions until the dough is in a loose, round shape. There should be no visible seams or bulging sides. If there are, continue to gently round the dough and smooth the surface. The key is to find that balance between just enough tension and not enough. After you've preshaped all of your dough pieces, let them rest on the bench before shaping. If you were to shape your dough immediately after preshaping, it would be too tight and it could tear. When you give your dough time to rest, in what's called the "bench rest," you give it time to relax and spread. This returns extensibility to the uniform pieces, allowing us to manipulate them into their final shape. Generally, a bench rest can range from 10 to 45 minutes. The length depends on how firm and how tightly you've preshaped your dough. The tighter the preshape, the longer the bench rest before it relaxes sufficiently. If you find your dough quickly spreads, cut the bench rest short. Then, either perform a second preshape step or proceed with final shaping straightaway. Conversely, if your dough resists shaping, consider giving it more time to rest and relax. As with most aspects of baking, preshaping takes practice and careful attention. If you watch carefully, we can see how each movement imparts order to pieces that were once shaggy bits. This paves the way for a more successful shaping and increased baking consistency. What's the best way to work on your preshape? Find a bulletproof bread recipe, double the ingredients, and get practicing. There's no substitute for building up the confidence and intuition that comes with repeated training. Review: I'm so glad this topic was listed in an email yesterday! Since I've always struggled with shaping yeast-dough loaves, this preshaping procedure-which, incredibly, I've never heard of before-should help me a lot. If uniform density throughout the dough is what we're after, then I can see the efficacy of working it with a bench knife and a hand. The bench knife gives you a clean pick-up for lifting and rotating, while your hand interprets the feel of the dough so you can make adjustments. It isn't anything I expect to "get" the first time around. Or the second. Right now I'm making Sharon's Whole Grain Dinner Rolls & Bread, so later today I'll try Maurizio's method first. Question: As a long-time bread baker, I love reading about and trying new methods. However, after reading this post several times and thinking about it, I simply could not understand a really good reason for this procedure. (To facilitate the final shaping of "unruly forms"??) As others stated, the directions are not clear and the photos don't help much. Why not show the "final" shaping so that the preshaping benefits (if they exist) become clear? In short, the writer of this post obviously likes adding this step, but has explained it poorly. I just can't see extending the time, effort and handling used for baking bread for such vague reasons. Response: Preshaping is standard practice in most bakeries for a lot of reasons. If you're dividing a large batch of dough, it's a frequent occurrence that you'll have bits of dough added to larger chunks to get all of the loaves a consistent weight. This can make for a lumpy, uneven texture in the finished loaf if the dough isn't given a little extra bench rest to reabsorb the pieces and even out. That's what Maurizio is referring to when he says "unruly forms". Second, dividing the dough tightens the gluten at the point where it's been cut. Preshaping with its attendant bench rest makes the tension in the dough more uniform, and the rest allows the gluten to relax enough to allow for better results when it comes to shaping the final loaf. It might help of you check out Maurizio's video on Instagram, where you can see the process in action. Next time you're baking enough dough for more than one loaf, try preshaping one and not the other, then compare the crumb structures after baking. You might convince yourself! Review: The Instagram video in place of still pictures is a night and day difference. Thanks for the link. Question: These instructions were very difficult to understand. I would love a video showing the technique. Resonse: Lindsay, this is a bit different from the technique we teach here in our baking school and in our online classes, but you should feel free to reach out to Maurizio with any questions you have about his pre-shaping technique! S(Internet address): "https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2019/02/08/preshaping-bread-dough/" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: . NOTES : 2019 - 0224 --------------- END bread-bakers.v119.n009 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2019 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved