scott123

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/155794-baking-with-myhrvolds-modernist-bread-the-art-and-science/page/41/#comment-2246580

Do I feel that glass makes a difference? Yes. Can I prove it? No. I'm in the same place as heavily chlorinated water. Just like I know chlorine to be anti-fungal and avoid heavily chlorinated water (but have no proof), I also know that air is the enemy of yeast, and thus avoid air permeable materials like plastic. We do know, for certain, that the air permeability of packets wreaks havoc on yeast, but there is no data comparing the air permeability of packets vs PET (mayo jar).

https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/30/3/article-p210.xml https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2903931/ https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00580.2013?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org And, just to be clear, I'm not implying that low carb diets cause diabetes. The carb intolerance that long term low carb diets produce is temporary. Simply put, when you stop eating carbs, your body takes time to get fat adapted, and, after you spend months being fat adapted, it can take a little time to get carb adapted after you go back to carbs.

The conclusion that you're reaching is not quite as cut and dry as you think Gluten traps water, and yeast relies on water activity to do their thing, so a stronger/higher gluten dough will have less yeast activity and rise slower. But... a stronger dough, if given enough time, should, if compared to a dough with insufficient strength, eventually reach a higher peak. While I applaud your drive to get to the bottom of this so quickly, when you change the strength of the dough (with harder water), you're slowing down the rise, so, when you compare doughs side by side, it's apples to oranges. You look at the bottled water dough ball and condemn it for not rising as much, and I look at it and say that, since it didn't rise as much, it's proof that it's stronger dough, and thus the harder bottled water is superior- and, had you measure where the doughs eventually peaked, the bottled water version would have risen higher. Dough (and ultimately crust) volume relies on two primary factors - yeast activity and gluten development. Gluten forms the structure of the bubble and yeast blows it up. You had two separate potential issues - water chemistry/softness and yeast viability. Long story short, the Tongariro, at 150 total dissolved solids (that's one number you want to look at), and a relative neutral pH (that's the other number), is a solid choice for water. It also shouldn't be heavily chlorinated. Chlorination can get a bit contentious For the longest time, I came to the simple conclusion that chlorine, being anti-fungal, is bad for yeast. I actually had a swimming pool analogy that Tony Gemignani 'borrowed' for his Pizza Bible It was later pointed out to me, though, that chlorine is incredibly reactive, and that flour gives it a boatload of overall surface area to react with. So, in theory, flour should quickly inactivate the anti-fungal properties of chlorine. Still, if you don't dissolve yeast in water first, you can end up with pockets of undissolved yeast, so I'm a huge proponent of dissolving yeast (not proofing, but merely dissolving). Since dissolving the yeast gives it some alone time with the water, then perhaps the chlorine can have an impact then. So, while I don't have concrete data on chlorinated water's impact on yeast, I think it's wise to steer clear of heavily chlorinated water. That solves your potential water issue. On the yeast front... I'm not enamored with the packaging on the Caputo yeast. Ideally, this is how yeast should be bought and stored (in the fridge): https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fleischmann-s-Classic-Bread-Machine-Yeast-4-oz/10306744 Glass jar, metal lid with a rubber seal, air tight. You can see how the Caputo yeast is not that. I'm pretty sure there's a layer of foil somewhere in the structure, but, it feels a lot like a packet- and packets are super sketchy. Since you can't get jarred yeast in New Zealand. I think your best bet is vacuum packed. I'm not familiar with this brand, but you want something like this https://realfooddirect.co.nz/products/bakels-instant-active-dried-yeast The split second you open it, you'll want to transfer it to a mason jar- and store it in the fridge. Not that it's time to completely give up on the Caputo. Try the Caputo with warmer water. A stable room temp will always be your best bet. Since you're (now) using bottled water, try to find an area of the home that's got a fairly stable temp and store the water (and the flour) there- and proof your dough there as well. Stability is more important than a higher temperature. You want an area where, every time you make the dough, the flour, the water and the proof are all at the same temp. I took the yeast quantity for this recipe directly from the VPN guidelines. I just checked my NY numbers, and, for a same day dough (about 6 hours), I'm at .46% IDY. NY isn't Neapolitan, but, still, that's a pretty big discrepancy. The VPN was fresh yeast only until a couple years ago, so maybe they're a bit off with the conversion. While I kind of like deferring to their (typically) extensive knowledge, I think we can come to the conclusion that .06% isn't going to cut it- either with Caputo yeast or another brand. A jump to .4% could be a little extreme. I would, on your next batch, try .2. IDY should weigh 3.2g per teaspoon. Yeast isn't compactible, so measuring it by volume is perfectly fine. 1/2 teaspoon will put you at .19%. That's what I'd go with. TL;DR Next time, go with the Tongariro and 1/2 t. of the Caputo. And maybe order some vacuum packed yeast.

Is this what you used? https://www.amazon.com/Antimo-Caputo-Lievito-Active-Yeast/dp/B07QF4T64V I also found this: https://www.hamilton.govt.nz/our-services/water/water/Pages/Water-Quality.aspx What bottled waters do you have access to? Can you get Evian? Fiji? What brand of mixer is that? If this is your first bake in the Koda, then I'm impressed. Sure, the dough isn't where it needs to be yet, but, you're doing a lot of things right.

Cask conditioned ale is incredibly labor intensive- and is only profitable with sufficient demand. Once you tap a keg, it's only good for a handful of days, and then it's done. This labor and financial risk are why it started becoming endangered in the UK- and why CAMRA (campaign for real ale), was formed, with the goal of promoting the craft and keeping it alive. For, me cask ale is like pizza prepared from dough, and all other beers are frozen pizza. Sure, a frozen pizza might taste the same a month later as it did when you bought it, but you pay a huge price in quality when freezing. The price you pay for pasteurizing beer is equally as gargantuan. But, without pasteurization, it's super short lived- and very easy to screw up. You don't really find it here because, not only do you need to have someone motivated to put in the effort, but they really have to know their stuff AND they have to have enough customers that understand the intrinsic value of it to make it profitable. Ever been to the Long Valley Pub? It's been some time, but I used to enjoy the food there.

Is my North American definition of Swiss cheese wrong, or merely different? I haven't died from moldy cheese, but I have gotten ill. Listeria is a thing. You'd probably have a better chance of winning the lottery than contracting listeria, but, consuming soft raw milk cheese that's unintentionally moldy will increase the risk. FWIW, though, I think we all agree that the article is painting with some very broad strokes, and, as Mark Twain aptly put it, "All generalizations are false, even this one."

I'm normally a Darwinist/survival of the fittest/the market forces will prevail kind of guy, so, in the past, when a restaurant would shut down, I'd be fairly optimistic that something comparable would pop up in it's place, but, this is different. Thai egg rolls can frequently be on point, but, they're not the traditional filling that I grew up/search for. Personal preference might come into play here. Chinese egg rolls these days tend to be fairly greasy- that's something that I look for The other Chinese restaurant offering that I've searched far and wide for is Chicken and Broccoli (brown sauce) with soft/well cooked broccoli. I've done back flips trying to get my local place to cook the broccoli sufficiently, and I've come to the conclusion that it just isn't possible.

Same here. Research has shown that long term low carb can encourage carb intolerance, and, if you're reducing calories, long term calorie reduction can screw up your metabolism and hinder weight loss efforts, so, occasional breaks are a good idea. In practice, though, breaks have been miserable for me. I even tried to phase back carbs slowly this time, and I still felt super crappy. Maybe next break, I'll have figured it out better, but, right now, I couldn't be happier to go back to food that makes me feel good.

I'm not talking about the kinds of intentional outer molds on cheeses like Brie and Camembert. I'm referring to either non-moldy cheeses- or the exposed insides of moldy cheeses. If, for instance, you cut into a wheel of Brie, put it back in the fridge, and, a few days later, see mold in the form of discoloration, you can't cut it away like you would a hard cheese. Swiss is Gruyère and Emmental (and other similar cheeses). Gruyère and Emmental are the cutoff for hardness and mold. Anything harder, you might be able to cut away discoloration, but, that level of moisture or more, mold/discoloration is the kiss of death. And, yes, fresh mozzarella can go sour/degrade without discoloration, but the mozzarella I was referring to is aged mozzarella.

You can't cook with cheap cheese- in America. I can't speak for Europe, but, cheap British cheese is basically the equivalent of mid range American cheese, and it will make phenomenal mac and cheese. I would add that, as you start spending more on English cheese, the potential for funk and intensity grows exponentially. Obviously, there's personal preference here, but, while I might enjoy an old farmhouse cheddar on crackers, it's too much for cooking, imo. Amen to this. You couldn't pay me to work with Stravecchio. I don't really talk about this much, because I don't want to see the price of Grana go up, but, side by side, Grana beats the pants off of Reggiano. For me, 9 months is much more of a sweet spot than 24. This is entirely cheese dependent- and how long you plan on storing the cheese for. For instance, once I open a package of cheddar, it's not around for more than a week. Cheddar is perfectly fine in an airtight plastic bag for a week. Now, I store pecorino for months- if not years- in a glass jar with a rubber seal. I don't completely understand the chemistry of pecorino, but it has never grown mold. Grana and reggiano have occasionally grown a little mold over extended periods, but, since I've started being aware of hygiene when handling cheese (by using gloves), my track record has been excellent. Try storing reggiano in wax paper for a couple month- it'll be as hard as a rock. For harder cheese, sure, but, if you see any mold on a soft cheese, it's done. Mozzarella is toast, as is Swiss.

I'm curious have you ever come across cask conditioned ale in the area? I fell in love with real ale on a trip to the UK. I found a place or two that had something cask conditioned years ago, but, it had a tendency to get a bit artsy with flavors- like blueberry tamarind. I mostly blame Flying Dog

I've always relied on Parsippany for my buffet fix. I don't have exact numbers, but I'd guess that the Indian population in Parsippany is comparable to Edison. It might be a case of the grass seeming greener, but, right now, I think Edison has the edge. The Mehtani Group has, imo, carved out the position of top dog. Or maybe I should say that they've been able to outlast their competitors. I could tell you everything that was wrong with the (now closed) Moghul (Morristown) buffet, and I could go into great detail about the shortcomings of the (no longer offered) Mehndi buffet, but, the shortcomings are far fewer and far less egregious than other current offerings. I mean, the last time I went to one of my favorite places in Parsippany, Spice Grill, the naan had been frozen. So, within the decimated current landscape, it may not be the best buffet out there, but, I think that Moghul in Edison has the greatest potential for a life changing experience. The old Moghul in Morristown was glorious to behold. And Mendhi was a step down, but was still best in class. I don't know when, but I will absolutely be making the very long trip to Moghul. Tandoori Flames (Parsippany) gets an honorable mention. It's the best naan you will ever come across. They basically treat Naan like Neapolitan pizza and bake it at blistering temps. But the rest of the menu is super banal.

No worries, I knew that Indian food wasn't/isn't your thing. I was mostly pontificating, as I'm apt to do Do you have a favorite egg roll in the area?

I think the simplest door jamb could be a neodynium magnet, placed fairly low on the side of the opening, which would allow a fairly thin magnet to create a large-ish gap at the top. The low placement would also keep it fairly cool, which I think is wise, since heat can be problematic for magnets. Neodynium should give you enough pull that the door won't slide the magnet up. Maybe 2 of these, stacked, might do it: https://appliedmagnets.com/strong-n52-neodymium-magnet-3-4-in-x-3-4-in-x-1-8-in-block/

Sorry, I might have conveyed it better, but when I say it's one of the best elements I've ever seen, it's 'seen in photos', not in person. I've never used this oven. Over the years, I've looked at over a thousand photos of broiler elements, and this is one of the best. The model that I'm referring to is the 2K model here: https://www.amazon.com/VBENLEM-Salamander-Cheesemelter-Adjustable-Commercial/dp/B08292VW2K Here's the broiler: In the pizzaverse, only the strongest/highest wattage broilers can do Neapolitan pizza. While the 10" maximum dimension wouldn't work for pizza, from a perspective of sheer power, I think this element is Neapolitan capable. But that's just the element. I love the element, but I have no faith in the oven whatsoever.

I've been on hiatus for about a year, but, before that, I spent about 15 years helping home cooks improve their pizza game. Because of the importance of a good broiler to pizza, I've spent countless hours researching ovens, entering wattages (and BTUs) into spreadsheets and examining broiler element photos. I wouldn't say that the VBENLEM 2k watt model has the best broiler I've ever seen, but, it's definitely in the top three. Its so impressive that I'm almost tempted to tell you to swap out the plug and wire a 220v outlet to your kitchen. But an oven is more than just an element, and, if they're that ignorant with the 120v plug, then, who knows what other mistakes they're making with this thing. For instance, it's very common for Chinese countertop ovens to be underinsulated (high temp insulation is expensive), so there's a really good chance that this oven might get way too hot to mount on a wall, and there's also a good chance it will lack the necessary insulation to protect it's electronic components. There's a chance that, at some point, you might see an Amazon reviewer who'll post something like "I swapped out the plug and plugged it into a 220v outlet and man is this thing a BROILING BEAST! I've also been using it for a few months and it appears to be built to last." But, with what we know now, sadly, I wouldn't risk my money on it. Have you considered making your wall oven less of a PITA to broil in? A good technician should be able to rewire the switch that's controlled by the button to be always on. If you're handy, you might even be able to do it yourself. Would not having to depress the switch during broiling make it any easier to work with? If the door doesn't stay cracked easily (some don't), then there might be a workaround for that as well, but rewiring the switch would be a relatively easy first step.

I'm not sure if you're still considering this or which model you are/were looking at, but, for both models, the reviews on Amazon mention that they're a 220v appliance with a 120v plug added. Avoid. It sounds like you're settling in on the Breville. I'm not sure how far down the researching rabbit hole you want to go, but, if you really want to know how powerful a countertop broiler is- and if you want to compare it to your in wall broiler- or other countertops, it can take some digging, but find the wattage for the broiler. Just about every oven has broiler elements that can be replaced. If you can find the replacement part, it will almost always list the wattage. Sometimes specs for the whole oven will break down the wattage for the separate bake and broiler elements as well. Once you have the broiler element wattage, divide it by the lateral area of the oven to get watts per square inch. The higher the watts per square inch, the better the broiling ability. Another way to compare broilers is to examine the coil- if it's thick and has plenty of loops/is tightly coiled, it will broil better than a less tightly coiled element. For instance, the VBENLEMs have a very respectable coil- if they were actually wired at 220v, they'd be pretty powerful. Obviously, though, a countertop that needs to be wired at 220v is no longer a countertop. If you go the watts per square inch route, don't be surprised if your in wall oven beats the pants off of any countertop you consider. Or, if you do find a comparable countertop, don't be surprised if the inner dimensions are the size of a postage stamp- which might be fine for a pork chop, but, could be an issue for a long fish. A broiler is only as strong as the wattage going into it- and 120v receptacles can only provide so much.

I am local, yes. And I have witnessed the transformation of Morristown- and I've seen my taxes go up dramatically. If this gentrification continues like it has, I might have to move. It's been great for the town, but it's horrible for lower middle class people like myself. I meet a lot of people in my job who hear that I live in Morristown and tell me "Isn't Morristown so much fun!" Sure, it's a blast- if you can afford it. I lived in Hell's Kitchen during Dinkin and Giuliani, so I'm not new to this, but, Morristown's exponential development hasn't helped everyone.

I used to dance at that Bennigans- both with dates, and on my own. (Did I say that out loud?) I was actually just thinking about those over the top desserts the other day. Begum was... disappointing. Every dish on the buffet was room temp. They had a help wanted sign- with only one visible person up front. Cold (or burnt) buffet dishes are a staffing issue. You don't need a dedicated person to work the burners, but, it does require quite a lot of attention. The okra was very chewy/undercooked. The goat was bony as heck, but, goat (and lamb) is always bony. I really wish buffets would just stop doing lamb and goat. On the buffet that I went to in Plainsboro last week, it was close to closing and the lamb was completely untouched. The CTM, had it been warm, would have been pretty good. The tandoori chicken, though, could have been the worst tandoori chicken I've ever had. It was the boniest areas of the thigh and leg. It was pretty much all grizzle and bone- and tiny little bones- at least 4 bones per bite. Thinking about it today, I'm pretty sure that what they did was to saw off thighs and legs perpendicular to the bone, separate off the middle/edible fleshy areas for the curry dishes, and leave only the grizzly joint ends for the tandoori. Imagine a chafing dish filled only with pieces of chicken that were all just the top inch of a chicken drum. I understand how hard restaurants have been hit, and how a struggling restaurant owner might see the microscopic amount of meat in chicken joints and not want to throw it away, but, this is a black mark that I don't think I can ever forgive. I hate to say this, but, I think covid effectively killed the Indian buffet. I think it was only marginally sustainable pre-covid (Mehndi was always empty), but the down time, the loss of revenue and the staffing issues has made it completely unsustainable now. I really hope that I'm wrong, and that places can bounce back, but, after seeing what Begum was, and seeing the impact of the pandemic, I'm not so sure they can. Ming sounds a bit rich for my blood. I might be able to justify spending big bucks on a 1776 steak once a year, but, big bucks on Indo-Chinese? Eh.

I'd love to hear additional feedback. This is insanely outside my budget, but, if it's truly spectacular, I might be able to afford it maybe once a year. The patent on salt aging made me chuckle- but it also piques my curiosity.

Have you had Menhdi's lunch menu? I'm curious about the portion size. If I have to buy two lunches to match what I'd normally get at the buffet, that starts getting pretty expensive. And, yes, I do eat a lot- not day to day, but, when I buffet, I feast. I used to frequent Begum, but, it's been at least 5 years. Indian restaurants require two things to be great, imo. 1. A huge local Indian population 2. Competition from as many other local restaurants as possible Menhdi is in Morristown, but it has roots in Edison. Begum is, for lack of a better descriptor, kind of Madisonian But, thanks. It's lunch time, I'm hungry, so I think I'm Begum bound.

FWIW, overkneading isn't going to produce tightness during opening. At least, not with a flour with the Nuvola's strength (weaker flours tend to reach peak strength very quickly), and definitely not with a bulk/balled protocol (late agitation/balling after bulking for a time, will pretty much guarantee peak gluten development with just about any dough). If you're seeing tightness, that could be one of a few different things. Is RT a little lower than in previous doughs? Even a couple degrees will make for tighter dough. Is MP having you proof to a specific volume (double or triple the dough) or are they giving you exact times? Are you stretching the dough with the same level of force every time? There seems to be a common misconception that, as long as you don't deflate the dough during the stretch, the end product will be the same texture/level of chew, regardless of how rough or gentle you are. Some folks, like Chris Bianco, go a bit overboard with how gentle they are on the stretch. On the other end of the spectrum, you see the occasional Neapolitan pizzaiolo who's super slap happy. Any kind of impact will develop gluten and tighten the dough- and give you more chew- although you'll see less chew with weaker flours. This isn't impacting your tightness, but, if you're looking for the airiest possible rim, you might consider pressing out a smaller rim- and/or maybe reducing the size of your dough ball. Basically, rim volume is almost entirely a function of rapidly expanding hot gas. Sure, you do your best to load the dough with as much C02 as it can possible hold, but, it's the intense heat that sends the rim soaring. By going with such a thick rim, you're increasing the time it takes for heat to penetrate it- and losing some of that explosivity.

Con... gratulations? I guess if there's another toilet paper shortage, you'll be in good shape

Gyoza Filling: Shredded Cabbage, Bacon (15%) (Pork, Salt, Dextrose, Spice Extracts, Stabiliser: Sodium Citrate; Antioxidants: Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate; Glucose Syrup, Preservative: Sodium Nitrite), Pork Shoulder, Turkey (7%), Cranberry (6%) (Dried Cranberry, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Pork Fat, Onion, Spring Onion, Soy Sauce (Water, Soya Beans, Wheat, Salt), Textured Soya Protein, Apple Puree (Apple, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid; Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid), Tofu (Soya Beans, Water), Garlic, Sesame Oil, Sugar, Natural Flavouring, Yeast Extract, Water, Sage, Salt, Smoked Dextrose Powder, Black Pepper, Ginger Powder, Gyoza Skin: Wheat Flour, Water, Tapioca Starch, Wheat Gluten, Rapeseed Oil, Salt I'm not necessarily running out to purchase these, but, I think one can clearly see from the ingredients that it's fusion, rather than just thanksgiving dishes combined in a skin.