Peter Reinhart
-
Posts
70 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by Peter Reinhart
-
-
Hi Peter,
I happened to pick up BBA last week not knowing this Q&A was coming, what luck! I'm really enjoying the book and have a couple questions.
I came into a large amount of AP flour and happen to have some Bob's Red Mill gluten. What do you think about adding a bit to the AP so I can make chewy bagels? Any idea on ratio?
Also avoiding trans fat laden shortening and wondering about replacing it with butter in bread recipes. Butter has more liquid than shortening, but it's held in suspension in the butter and I wonder if the dough would let on that it's there. Should the butter be clarifyed first?
Thanks for all the great info! MK Lynch
You can try it, but it's difficult to get a true match so I'm making guarantees. If you do want to try, add 2% of vital wheat gluten to the AP flour (ie, 2 oz. of gluten for every 100 oz. flour). See how it goes and do let me know what you think. OR, you can save the AP for baguettes (AP flour makes great baguettes; many bakers prefer to bread flour) and buy some bread flour or high gluten flour (from a bagel shop--if you grovel enough they might sell you some from their stock). That would probably get you a closer match to bagel shop quality.
As for the butter, yes you can make that substitute though you can also use unsaturated veg. oil, which is healthier and much cheaper than butter (but butter does taste better). The water adjustment can only be determined on a batch by basis since every brand and type of flour absorbs differently. So let your dough dictate to you what it needs and adjust accordingly.
BTW, I love the bagel recipe in BBA (many people have said it's the closest to their childhood memory of "true" NY quality (if such a thing is actually possible--recreating childhood memories, that is)), so please let me know how you like them.
-
First thank you for your time. I have been a fan for years and have given your
books as gifts to many friends and family, saves me from having to bake for
them lol.
My question is about the pizza thats pictured on the cover of American Pie.
looks like we have quail eggs and arugula but what else?
Thanks
Good question. That was a pizza baked at Pizzetta 211 in San Francisco, modeled on a classic Italian pizza on which whole eggs are baked sunnyside up (pizza con uova). Sometimes it's just dough, olive oil, eggs, and maybe some parm. cheese. But eggs can be added to any number of other pizzas as well. On the Pizzetta 211 pizza I think they included some oven roasted tomatoes and fresh arugula (added after the bake), and coarse pepper and salt. Basically, feel free to add an egg or three to almost any pizza that you think it will complement (I wouldn't put it on a sauce and cheese pizza, but mostly only white (bianca) pizzas). The eggs were regular chicken eggs, but quail eggs sound great too!
-
Where do you think Greek pizza fits in? I don't mean pizza with feta, but rather the dominant style in New England sub shops, often run by Greeks (and often pretty horrible, unfortunately).
It's non-deep pan pizza which, at it's best, has a crust that is sort of doughy but with a crunchy/oily exterior. Sort of like what Pizza Hut is up to with it's original pies. Is this pizza worthy of mention or would you say it's just a regional variant of Pizza Americana?
Yes, I do think of it as a variant of pizza Americana--I think the Greek immigrants learned their pizzacraft here, not in Greece, and because so many of them are good cooks with a great work ethic, they essentially dominate the local restaurant scene wherever they live. This isn't just true with pizza but in any city with a large Greek population (like Charlotte, for instance, where I now live, or Houston where the Pappas family seems to own every other restaurant in town, even barbecue and Tex Mex places), many Greeks just seem to have a natural talent for the restaurant business. That's why even in Greek pizzerias you will find as many crust variations as across the rest of the country, even if the style seems similar.
-
Thank you all--it's been a fun week and your questions and discussions were great. Please send me updates and follow-ups on some of the things we've discussed. My e-mail is peter.reinhart@jwu.edu
Jason, how do we do the book winners--I'm new at this?
Since it's only Friday night and I don't want to miss any hanging chads, if I didn't answer a question or there's still something pressing, let's keep the Q&A alive through Saturday.
Again thank you all and thank you Jason and Janet for hosting me this week. Let's do it again sometime!
Sincerely,
Peter
-
I could foresee a multitude of dittos here. Nevertheless, Peter, thank you for spending time with us this week. I look forward to putting much of your fine advice to the test, and expanding my reading and kitchen arts through your books.
Thank you all--it's been a wonderful week and I'm honored to be part of the eGullet family. I'm not sure how the drawing for books is handled but I imagine our group leader will let us know so I can arrange to have them sent. Don't forget to send me updates on some of the tips and techniques we've discussed. My email is peter.reinhart@jwu.edu. May your bread always rise!
-
Thanks for sharing the first paragraph of your new book with us!
Yes, you are right. There is something very primal about it.
I enjoy cooking all sorts of things for friends and family. But, I probably derive the greatest satisfaction from smoking a brisket or pork shoulder. There's something sublime about the process -- the slow cooking, the tending, but best of all is the looks on peoples faces as they eat it. I always serve sides with the smoked meat, but I've really been upping the quantity of meat and decreasing the sides. It what I am doing considered que? Long and slow.
Oh yeah, sounds like 'que--I'm getting hunger pangs just hearing about it.
-
Brian's topping method sounds fantastic and I happen to share his preference for keeping cheddar away from pizza. In Utica NY, about 30 minutes east of us, there are several pizzeria's known to locals as "sauce on top" joints that folow this practice.
Thanks for all the details on blended cheeses - it answers many questions. It sounds as though part of the rationale behind this move is akin to why Starbucks went over to superautomatic espresso machines - allows for better consistency with less highly trained or less consistent personnel (with a drop in quality being one result).
I think I'll try adopting this for my pizza at home. I'm finding that with a well heated gas oven and a 3/4" thick pizza stone, I can get a beautiful, thin and slightly charred crust. The dilemma has been that the cheese sometimes gets overcooked even though my baking time is typically five to six minutes (my oven hits 575 degrees when it's fuly ramped up).
A pizza show in NYC? Is it open to the general public?
I'm not sure but check out the website at www.newyorkpizzashow.com or call (213) 925-2117. Normally there's a registration charge to walk the convention floor but maybe you can use an eGullet press pass or something, or say you're coming to interview me. See what happens. Let me know if you decide to come.
-
If I'm using fresh mozzarella I just rely on fresh basil, caramelized onions and a few other simple ingredients for topping (e.g. thin sliced chorizo that's been sauteed and blotted before adding) - typically no other cheeses.
When I use whole milk mozzarella (or part skim) I like to toss on small amounts of Asiago and Parmesan (ocasionally Romano but I find it too easy to overpower the others flavors with Romano).
I've tested blue cheese but don't care for it when tomatoes are present. The best non traditional pizza I've ever eaten (despite a lackluster crust) was the "signature pizza" for the bar menu at the music club Fez Under Time Cafe in NYC. The thin crust is brushed with olive oil and topped with thin sliced green apples, small chunks of hickory smoked bacon, sauteed red onion, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. It's good. Really, really good.
Thanks Phaelon. That Fez Under Time pizza topping sounds fantastic. Imagine it on a great crust--it would become legendary!
Here's a note just in from Brian Spangler, owner of The Scholl Public House outside of Portland, Oregan, one of the best new artisan pizzerias in the country (Brian is going to join me when I give my talk at the NY Pizza Show on Nov. 3). He has some good insight into this Grande situation and other thoughts, based on following our thread, and his trick of slicing the low moisture mozzarella cheese and laying it down flat to cover the crust, then putting the sauce over it, then adding the fresh mozzeralla not only protects the crust and allows it to stay crisper, but makes a beautiful looking pizza. (Note: he's not yet an e-Gullet member so couldn't send this directly, but I'm happy to relay it--thanks, Brian!):
Dear Peter,
The Grande blended cheeses are about the same price per pound as what I pay for the whole milk mutz in 7 pound loaves. No price savings in this option, but I believe that operators use the blend for several reasons.
1) Convenience and consistency. Most pizzeria operators pay young employees to make the pizzas and in doing so, must "dummy" up the system so that you get the same ratio of each cheese on the product.
2) Shelf life. The shelf life on the shredded cheeses is much longer than the shelf life on the whole blocks of cheese, due to the fact that when you shred cheese, oxidation will set in, so they fill the bags with gas (not sure what type) to stop the aging process. I believe the shelf life on the blended cheeses is about twice as long as the whole loaf.
I am not a fan of pre-blended cheeses and I am not a fan of cheddar coming anywhere near a pizza, which a lot of the pre-blended packages offer. Grande offers a Mozz, Provolone and Asiago blend as well as a Mozz, Provolone and Cheddar blend.
I use the Grande Whole Milk loaf mozz and use slices rather than shredding. We also add Grande Cilengene (fresh whole milk mozz in 1/3rd ounce balls) and a light coating of freshly shaved 2 year old Parmesan Reggiano.
-
I am reading this with interest, because my croissants are coming out a little more bready than I would like. By this I mean the grain is tighter and not as holey or stringy as others I've seen and tasted. I'm wondering if the stretching and pulling method is applicable at all to laminated doughs, and if so, how I would apply it. If not, how do I achieve a more open texture? The only thing I can think of is mixing the dough less initially, making the dough wetter, and maybe doing less turns. Currently, I'm mixing for about 30-45 seconds in my Hobart, which brings the dough away from the sides of the bowl. I do 4 double turns before shaping.
Chef Reinhart, thanks in advance for your help. I discovered your books last summer, and they literally changed my life (your pain Poilane rocks). I also grew up on Murray's corned beef sandwiches and Mama's pizza, which made your books even more enjoyable.
Marjorie
Hi Marjorie,
Thanks for your kind words and sorry it took so long to get back to you. I love Mama's cheese steaks the best (and David Rosengarten agrees--see his newsletter report on Philly cheese steaks).
As for croissants, Iusually advise undermixing the dough (that is, just until it barely develops gluten) since it will continue to develop during the laminations and resting periods. Yes, make it slightly wetter as this will make it easier to roll out (with proper flour dusting during the roll-outs) and, perhaps, allow you to use less downward force. My guess is that you're squeezing your layers together by pressing too hard. A double turn (aka bookfold) is hard to do manually and takes a lot of pressure. I'd suggest you do 3 single turns (aka, letter folds), which will still give you plenty of layers (at least 81, up to 135 depending on how you incorporate your butter). If this works, you can then add one more single turn the next time and see if you notice an improvement. I'd guess not. Let me know if this helps (you can write to me after this Q&A ends at peter.reinhart@jwu.edu ).
-
I'm really so grateful for this Q & A. I tried turning a sourdough loaf-- bulk fermentation Wednesday, overnight retardation, baked off yesterday morning. For me, what was new was that I kneaded (by hand) as little as possible-- I added flour and kneaded just until the point at which I felt the dough was fully mixed together and had the right amount of hydration, which only took a few minutes. Usually, I knead by hand for ten minutes or more until I see the windowpane.
I turned it four times in the first two and a half hours of bulk fermentation, leaving it alone to complete bulk fermentation for another two and a half hours (five hours total).
After baking, this loaf had much bigger and more irregular holes than I usually get. Taste: great, but better than usual? Hard to say without a side-by-side comparison. But I'm a convert! I love the holes.
Thanks everyone.
(I'm still waiting for Brother Peter's wisdom on the autolyse, by the way!)
See Boulaks's response above (or is it below?)--I don't think I can top that. Remember, this technique is more significant in lean, plain doughs that rely totally on the flavor of the fermented grain (as opposed to enrichments). It doesn't make much of a difference in rich or enriched breads where the flavor comes from sugar, dairy, or fat. It all comes down to what I call the Bread Baker's Mission: "To evoke the full potential of flavor from the grain." These various techniques and tricks must have some impact on flavor or texture, even if subtle, or they're a waste of time. That's why Boulak says he uses it primarily for ciabatta and baguettes--it wouldn't help soft roll dough, challah, brioche and the like.
-
Hi Peter,
Greetings from Mitch at theJ & W Providence campus. In regards to the high altitude baking, I baked for a number of years at 6,000 feet. I made no changes to the formulations, but I did control the dough temperature -- I maintained a temperature of 73 to 75 degrees when processing artisanal bread. I learned pan breads at an altutude of 7,000 feet from an old time, Dunwoody educated baker, and we never adjusted the recipes there either. I have used the same formulations of both types of bread at sea level without modification for over 20 years. I think that the main thing, as you have indicated in your writing, is to be in touch with your doughs; know them and monitor them, which is another benefit of the stretch and fold not previously mentioned -- it allows you to check in on how things are going. We miss you in Providence.
Mitch, are you Boulak? Folks, you can count on any of Mitch/Boulak's info--he's a great baker and teacher! Thanks for chiming in. I'll see you when I get back to the Providence campus in the spring. And by the way, please give my congratulations to Chefs Ciril Hitz and Sadruddin Abdoulah, (two other talented J&W faculty) for recently winning the Grand Prize Best in Show (and $50,000!!!) at the first ever National Bread and Pastry Team Championship. As you can see, I'm quite proud of my colleagues--I think we've assembled an amazing array of talent at all our campuses and I feel honored just having the chance to watch them work and learn from them.
-
Greetings,
In response to high altitude baking, at 5,000 to 6,000 feet, reduce your chemical leavening by 50%. For each additional 1,000 foot gain in elevation, you should reduce the leavening by an additional 5% to 10%. If you look at the directions on a box of cake mix you will notice that the instructions for high altitude baking direct you add more water and more flour. That in effect would dilute the power of the leavening. Another concern would be if you are using the creaming method, take care not to overcream, and mix lightly when adding the eggs. If too much air is incorporated, it may have the same effect as too much chemical leavening. Some texts indicate that the sugar and/or water content should be modified, but I have not found this necessary when staying within the guidelines above. Good luck.
Thanks Boulak, great tips!
-
Although I didn't grow up in NYC I fondly recall the "street pizza" that was ubiquitous there and in many other parts of the Northeast for many years. My own town had a pizzeria run by a Staten Island expatriate who brought his recipe up to central NY state and passed it on to his son, who continued the business.
The element that appeared to be shared in common by nearly all these pizzas was the wonderfully gooey, gloppy mozzarella cheese. Some had better crust or sauce than others but I rarely found any fault in the cheese. Some years ago, probably in early to mid 90's, I began to notice a change in many places.
The cheese now had a different flavor - one that I had less appreciation for than plain old mozzarella. It also had different melting characteristics and a different mouthfeel - all less satisfying. Initially I thought that many places had just switched to a cheaper brand of mozzarella until I began noticing pre-printed color posters in many of these shops, touting the fact that "We proudly serve Grande cheese blend".
The difference is significant. My brother, hardly a foodie or a discerning eater, has long maintained that the aforementioned pizzeria in our home town serves the best pie he's ever eaten,, After a four or five year absence he came for a visit and we went there to have a few slices. Halfway through the first slice he looked at me and said "It's not the same - they changed something and this isn't the same pizza that I loved so much". I stepped back into the shop and checked - sure enough... there was the "Grande cheese blend" poster on the wall.
Here's an article from Pizzatoday.com that discusses blended cheese and references the Grande product among others.
Strength in Numbers: blended cheeses add much to flavor profile of cheeses
The contention of the suppliers and some who use these blends is that it's all about more distinct and improved flavors. I can't help but think that there's a unit cost issue involved or they're trying to mask inferior dough and sauce by using more strongly flavored cheeses. Perhaps it's yet another conspiracy by the Wisconsin cheese industry to suck even more market share than they already have? (I just spotted some "genuine English cheddar" in the store that was labeled as being produced in England but sure enough... it had been packaged and shipped from Wisconsin!)
What do you think?
Disclaimer: when I make pizza at home I often blend cheese but it's typically very small amounts of fresh grated Asiago, Parmesan or Romano added as an accent - not as a dominant flavor.
I'm not convinced either that the Grande pizza blend is as good as just using Grande mozzarella and adding your own blending cheeses. I'd have to ask pizzeria owners if there's a price difference which would be a tip off that it could be a way for them to use up ends and seconds or skim milk (low fat) mutz. Normally, grande is one of the best pizza mutz's, especially the full fat version. Any pizzeria guys tuning in? What do you know about this?
Also, I agree with Phaelon that a small amount of dry aged cheese is all you need to buff up the flavor. I also am not against using cheddar in the blend, which I think has a nice character and melts good too. Let's hear from others about your favorite blends. By the way, there is nothing wrong with sticking simply with mutz, fresh or low moisture--it's pretty great by itself whne it's good quality. One trick for replicating wood-fired flavor in a home oven is to add a small amount of smoked mozzarella (or gouda) to the blend. Hey, we all know that pizza heads have a million tricks--let's hear some of them...
-
Greetings,
I would like to add a few comments about stretch and fold. All of the above statements are quite accurate, but other factors are, a stretch and fold strengthens the dough, expels excess gas, and can even out the temperature in larger batches. There is a school of thought that oxygen is incorporated at this time which enables yeast reproduction. Doughs with a higher percentage of water often require more than one or even two manipulations at regular intervals. For example, a Ciabatta hydrated at 73% or higher will receive three stretch and folds over a 3 to 3 1/4 hour bulk fermentation. James McGuire taught a baguette recipe this summer with 78% hydration using an autolyse, no preferment, and two minutes of mixing. It received two stretch and folds during a bulk fermentation of three hours. As you might imagine, the dough was very wet and very slack coming off the mixer. It reached proper development after primary fermentation and produced a loaf with a beautiful and open crumb with a creamy color. Regarding doughs less hydrated, I almost always include a stretch and fold during the bulk fermentation, but only once. This would be true for naturally leavened bread as well as those employing commercial yeast.
Great info, Boulak!
Jamie's baguette technique sounds like a variation of the pain a l'ancienne method that I've been using for so many wonderful products like baguettes, ciabatta, pizza, and focaccia. This technique has great implications for the next wave of craft baking in America and beyond. We've only scratched the surface of it's possibilities.
-
I often see restaurants that pronounce themselves as having or carrying a “Napoleonic seal of approval”. Pizza Paradiso in Washington DC being one of them. How accurate a statement is this seal, and how often does a restaurant have to reapply or re-earn this seal, and what are the qualifying factors that go into obtaining the seal?
Thanks a lot, it has been great reading your posts this week.
Sean
Hi Sean,
I don't know all the rubrics and how closely the DOC seal is monitored, but my sense is that this has been a better marketing idea more than a guarantee of great pizza. It does help in establishing that there is, in fact, a benchmark and standard to which pizzaioli should aspire, and it helps by establishing some decent criteria. Howwever, I think the establishment of "rules" is kind of a joke in that many of those who are certified break the rules as soon as they get their Vera Pizza Napoletana seal but, more importantly, the only rule that really matters in the end is the Flavor Rule (as I said in another post, flavor rules!). The very best pizzas I've had, even in Naples, were not DOC, and I think the trap for a DOC pizzaiolo is to think that he or she is now at the summit. The DOC rules are more like a springboard, as proven by people like Chris Bianco who makes a better Napoletana pizza than any DOC I've ever had, by bending the rules to work in his context, with his ingredients, in his environment. Whether its religion, politics, slow food, or pizza it's always dangerous to believe you have discovered THE holy grail, or THE blueprint for the only true pizza. This leads to elitism and arrogance and I've seen it undermine even the best of causes.
-
Peter ,
Thank you so very much for your generous, sage advice. This has been the most informative Q&A I've come across on egullet. Also, thank you for all of your wonderful books. Your generous style and spiritualty instill a sense of connectedness with the prepartion and sharing of food. I teach cooking classes and have put "Sacramental Magic in a Small Town Cafe" on the required reading list for novices (pun intended).
My question is about high altitude cake baking. I live at 5,000 feet and have a cabin at 7,200 feet elevation. Do you have a formula for high altitude cakes? We generally have low humidity which plays a part too, and how does barametric pressure effect high altitude baking?
Many Thanks
CG
I wish I could help with that but cakes are out of my depth. I would assume that you need to cut back on the chemical leaveners, as we discussed in the other posting for breads and quick breads. I believe, but can't be sure, that cakes should be treated like quick breads, including lowering the temp 1 degree per 100 feet above sea level (that's my guideline, but not everyone's), and you might want to drop in on a cake bakery and ask them what they do. Most bakers are willing to share such info (or risk you not coming back!). Good luck and let us know what you find. Are there any others of you with altitude tips?
-
I went on a pizza pilgrimage last January to New Haven. We risked our lives driving from New Haven to Derby in an ice storm (maybe 30 minutes away) to get to Roseland Apizza. We had their very simple rosemary/ garlic and homemade sausage pizzas. It was well worth the trip. Roseland gave all the contenders in New Haven a run for the money.
Good one!! Now I've got to get up there again and track it down. How did you hear about it?
-
In addition to fresh tomatoes, good olive oil and his basil plant I think Domenic DiMarco cooks left over prosciuttini and parmigiano rinds in his sauce to give it that extra something, and then removes them when they have rendered their "oomph"
What a great trick--no wonder I like his sauce so much! This is one time when pre-cooking may be a plus.
-
Peter, I have a chef connection that may get me a can of Stanislau.
I was looking on the web and Stanislau doesn't have a "6 in 1" product. They have 7/11, Pizzaletto, 74/40, Full-Red PizzaSauce, Saporito and Al Dente (and also plum tomatoes). Which sauce were you referring to?
A company called Escalon makes the "6 in 1" sauce. From another board I get the impresion that 7/11 or the Full-Red sauce are similiar to the "6 in 1". Escalon will ship a "small" order of 3 cans. What do you think? Both brands are fresh-packed.
You're right it's Escalon, not Stanislau. They both are excellent brands, fairly comparable in terms of the riopeness of the tomatoes they choose. I think you'll be happy with either brand. Let me know which one you end up preferring. It would be a great survey for all of us to share favorite brands and why.
Thanks!
-
I don't think there are any real secrets. The sauce at DiFaro's in Brookly is one of the best I've had and I think the secret is Dominic DMarco (and his little orgegano plant in the window). Of course, he's been making pizzas in that same spot for the past 40 years.
I think the key is to keep it simple and don't cook the sauce if your tomatoes come out of a can (and try to use ground whole plum tomatoes instead of puree or paste, or anything called "pizza sauce"). San Marzano is the famous Italian imported brand (and type) but there are many great American tomato products such as anything from Stanislaus (6 in 1 is their most famous pizzeria sauce and you can sometimes find it in small cans), Muir Glen, and even Hunts and other major brands. Use dried basil and oregano only if you like them, as well as granuated garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Don't mess with it too much--simple is often better than complex in this matter. Make it thin and easy to spread and don't use too much. I have a couple of recipe variations for this in "American Pie," but I think the main error home cooks make is to cook the sauce. It will get cooked on the pizza so if you cook it in advance it takes away from the brightness of flavor.
Finally, in the end, it's a personal taste issue and, as cooks, it about personal touch.
-
Hi,
The struan you posted was the single loaf version I gave to the women who published the bread machine book, and it is basically the same as the one in Brother Junipers Bread Book which, if I recall, made two or three loaves. The Multi-grain Extraordinaire is a variation using preferment and soaker techniques. I think the finished product is almost the same in each, though I'd give a slight nod to the Extraordinaire, which has that extra step in it. One of the nice things about the original recipe is how easy it is to make yet how good it comes out, so feel free to try either or both and please let me know which one you like better. And definitely make some toast with it. I consider the best toasting bread I've ever had.
-
Thanks, Chef, for extending your time and knowledge to us.
I've been baking bread fairly regularly for about 35 years for family and friends -- so I'm just a piker. No commercial baking experience; basically self-taught through (mostly) fun and (occasional) flop trial and error. Embarrassed to say that no I haven't read any of your books. But do plan to remedy that in the future.
Rye breads. Dark, light, seeded or not, soft rye loaves, hard, dense German breads, sourdough, or yeast. I love them.
Sometimes I get that "perfect" loaf. But not always with the same method. 
Rye is a heavy flour and sometimes it just does not want to proof out nicely for me after a good first rise. I do turn the dough. What do you recommend for rise and proof? How many times do you allow the dough to rise? Am I being too impatient with the proof? Am I allowing the dough to become too dry? Am I just not getting it somehow?
Hi,
I was wondering when we'd hear from the rye bread community (I call it the vocal minority). Your question is hard to answer without looking at your formulas so it could be any of the hunches you have. Adding more rise time may be the best place to start. Get a good first rise before going to the final shaping and rise (usually two rises is all it takes, primary (bulk) and final (individual loaves). Whose recipe or formula are you following? Aside from mine (which you haven't seen yet) there are some good ones in George Greenstein's book, "Secrets of a Jewish baker" as well as in many other fine books. The directions usually get you pretty close but your home environment could be a factor (dryness, room temperature, etc.). Since you're not a rookie, I'm assuming your dough looks and feels good (if too dry, it's okay to add more water while mixing), so maybe it's just fermentation time. Look at some recipes from various books and see if you're doing something counter to what is suggested, or try a new recipe, one that sounds good to you. Please keep me posted. Rye bread is an under-appreciated bread at this time in American baking.
Peter
-
Thanks I stunned by your high praise, but I'm just a bread amateur. It is much easier to make money from computers, and to bake for friends.
You got that right!!
-
In the intro you posted, which is pinned at the top of this forum, you mentioned that you will be "a guest judge at the Jack Daniels World Barbecue Championship in Lynchburg, Tennessee."
True barbeque, the stuff I ate as a youngster in College Station, Texas (in a wondeful place, where you got your food on butcher paper, sat on benches ala picnic table style; it was "undressed" with sauce served on the side with squishy white bread) was divine. This, I do not believe exists in Minneapolis. So, I've become pretty adept, if I do say so, at smoking various cuts of meat (pork shoulder and whole brisket, primarily) at home on my good old Weber Kettle.
Talk about barbeque, and what you look for. This is a subject near and dear to the hearts of many of EG'ers.
Boy, this is a huge subject and I hope to write a book on it in the future. Not about how to do it, there are plenty of good ones out there already, but about the passion that exists in this uniquely American sub-culture. Very similar, in fact, to pizza passion, which really begs a deeper question that we touched on in an earlier post: from whence does this passion spring? We could get into serious riffs on the various regional styles (I love all the styles and whenever I travel I gladly partake of whatever that region is noted for). I especially love brisket, thin or thick, cooked long and slow, but really, there isn't any kind of 'que that I don't love. I think it's partly the smoke and partly that I love char, but there's much more at work here.
The larger category, of which barbecuers and wood fired pizza and bread bakers are offshoots, is what I call the fire-freaks--people who just love cooking over or eating food cooked over or in live fire. It's primal, it's deep reaching, it's intense and delicious, did I say it's primal? I think this is key, not just because it seems to connect with our most ancient lineages and almost recapitulates our entire genetic history (how does it go: phylogeny recapitulates ontogeny?). But it's also communal, it's mysterious, it evokes both earthly and mystical images and emotions. It's powerful.
Fire freaks, as personified by the barbecue circuit riders in competitions, are a community unto themselves, almost a church, and barbecue lovers who just like to buy and eat it, also partake of that community by proxy. And all of it speaks to the human condition, our heirarchy of needs, both existential and transcendental. So yeah, I love barbecue and I love the energy that comes out of the people who cook it--it's charcoal-stoked love. Hey, I think I just wrote the opening chapter of that book!
gluten question
in eGullet Q&A with Peter Reinhart
Posted
Oops, I found in a typo in my previous post. I meant to say, I'm making NO guarantees <regarding the quality of the bagels by the addition of vital wheat gluten to AP flour>.