The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

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September 2, 2007 - 1:01am
KipperCat's picture
KipperCat

lard - healthier than shortening? how unhealthy?

This post is a bit off topic as it's really about nutritional quality of the ingredients rather than baking quality. 

A recent post on trans fats got me thinking about good ole lard.  I've never cooked or baked with it, but I understand it is available for purchase in many places now.  My addled brain says that it is in fact less of a health problem than the hydrogenated vegetable shortening which replaced it.

I cook and bake with butter - OK, sometimes way too much butter. From a nutrition standpoint is lard really any different?

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August 30, 2007 - 7:37am
ch774's picture
ch774

Yeast Bread and rain.

Yes, my question is when I bake cinnamon rolls and it is raining outside. Why does  it not come out? I know its the humidity. But It does not look very professional when I give them. Is there any thing I can do different?

I use the oven to let it rise, and it rises and does like it is suppose to do. But when its baking time. "Oops"

Please let me know

Thanks

Cheryl

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August 21, 2007 - 7:36am
JMonkey's picture
JMonkey

Pita help

Help! I made pita bread yesterday by converting Peter Reinhart's lavash cracker recipe in the BBA to whole wheat (he says in the side notes that the dough works well for pitas). So, as usual, I added about 13 points to the hydration (which put it at about 65%) and went from there. The dough felt fine. Reinhart writes that the dough should be just a little softer than bagel dough, and I make whole wheat bagels at 62% or 63%, so I don't think hydration is the problem.

As instructed, I divided the dough into 6 ounce portions and rolled them out. I may have rolled them out too thin. Reinhart writes that they should be just less than 1/4 inch thick, and mine were more like 1/8 inch. Anyway, as he recommended, I baked them at 500 on a preheated stone.

The problem? Only one of my four pitas fuly inflated. The others had big bubbles, but they never blew up like a balloon.

They taste fine, but I'm wondering if it might be that I'm working with a convection oven? I'm new to the convection thing and, while I'm really enjoying my new oven (electric holds moisture MUCH better than a gas oven), I'm still working out the kinks. Did they bake too fast for the pocket to form? Should I try 475 or even 450 next time?

Thanks!

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August 20, 2007 - 2:48pm
jenniferw's picture
jenniferw

Can you double bread recipes?

This is probably a silly question to all of you but can you simply double bread recipes? I gave my sister a recipe ive used succesfully for pizza dough, she doubled it and apparently it came out way too wet and had to add twice as much flour (on top of the doubled recipe, does that make sense?). I thought ive heard before that you shouldnt double the yeast amount when doubling recipes but im not sure!!

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August 20, 2007 - 2:34pm
zainaba22's picture
zainaba22

Sourdough Dates Anise Bread

Ulrike (Küchenlatein) will host BBD #03, and she is asking everyone to make a sourdough-leavened bread, preferably rye.

it is my first time baked bread with starter and rye , my bread came out great!

My first starter

756 g rye starter.

2 cups cup dried dates.

2 Tablespoon Anise seeds.

4 cups  white flour.

1 2\3 cups whole wheat flour.

1 2\3 cups rye flour.

2 2\3 cups water.

1 teaspoon salt.

2 Tablespoon olive oil.

1)In the bowl of mixer, mix the flours, dates, Anise seeds, water, and starter until just combined, about one minute.

2)Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

3)Add the salt and oil and continue mixing about 4 minutes.

4)Cover and let rise for 1-2 hour.

5)Divide dough into 2 pieces.

6)With lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a rough oval.

7)Cover loaves loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.

8)Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes.

zainab 

http://arabicbites.blogspot.com/










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August 16, 2007 - 12:00pm
Ramona's picture
Ramona

Which mill to choose?

Well, I am sure that somewhere on this site there has been a discussion about which grain mill to choose.   I have been looking into this some and have come options and would like to see what all of you use or favor.  I will be grinding whole wheat, rye, barley, spelt, maybe corn.  My main concern is a fine flour, perferably not heated up too much, cleaniness ( I have read that ones with cabinets are not cleanly and have areas not able to be clean and attract bugs), and I prefer not to have to clean my grains, but I am not ruling this out, as I have read that the micronizers are suppose to be the best in the market, but cannot handle a stone going through the teeth.  I also will not buy one that is using mill stones that have aluminum in the stones for binding the stone particles together with.   Here is what I have come across so far:

1. Wondermill

2. Country Living Grain Mill

3. Kitchen Mill

4. Whispermill

5. Grain Master Whispermill ( I have read by some that they won't sell this mill because it is questionable if the quality is still good and the customer service as well, as it is being produced under a new name).

6. Ktec

7. Magic Mill

8. Retsel

9. Jupiter Mill

10. Ultramill

I appreciate all your input. 

 

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July 29, 2007 - 5:32pm
Noodlelady's picture
Noodlelady

Hops Yeast Starter

Has anyone ever made starter with hops? I have many old cookbooks with recipes. Not sure if you can keep it for a long time, like a sourdough starter.

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July 28, 2007 - 7:08pm
Dorothy's picture
Dorothy

rye leaven need help

Trying to make sourdough bread rye flour starter. I can't get mine to double after 7 days. Should I start over? I added 100 percent white flour to the 2nd feed.  Could this be the problem???

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July 28, 2007 - 10:06am
Cooky's picture
Cooky

What happens when you don't slash

 

Aargh. I baked this multigrain sourdough in a covered pot in a pre-heated oven. Never considered slashing because the dough was so soft. I haven't cut into it because it was intended to go to a dinner party tomorrow. I may take it anyway because, you know, they're friends.

 

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July 26, 2007 - 12:48pm
Ramona's picture
Ramona

kernals or berries??????

Hello, I am new to all of this.  Years ago, I did teach myself how to make basic bread from a recipe.  But since then I have grown in the health world and become a food snob.  I now want to grind grains and make bread this way.  Once I get this down, then I would like to move on to sourdough starters.  But first this.  I have a KA mill grain and have never used it yet.  Still in it's box new.  I went to go buy some wheat, rye, and spelt grains the other day at a coop health store and found that there were several options, that I was unaware of.  The book, for ordering, would say wheat and then the weight and price, and I take it, that it meant kernals, but am not sure.  I could not ask the clerks there because they don't know anything other than stocking and cashiering.  The other option was berries.  I thought the kernals and berries were basically the same thing, but obviously not.  I have been told that I can use both in my mill.   But I do need to understand the difference and how it will affect my end result.  Can anyone help me with this?  I appreciate your imput.

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