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polack

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Posts posted by polack

  1. I've been making my own sausage for close to twenty years and let me tell you there is nothing that can compare to when you do it yourself. Matter of fact I'm in the final stages of building my much larger 2nd smoker. The first smoker I have can do about 30 to 40 rings and the new one should do well over 100 rings. I usually make about 100 rings, for Thanksgiving, of fresh and smoked kielbasi combined, with the smoke being about 80 of the 100 rings, so you can see that I needed a much larger smoker. What kind of smoker are you using? A good book on sausage making is Rytek Kutec's sausage making, it has numerous recipes and good pointers on how to make different types of sausage. I would have to say his book is probably one of the best, if not the best sausage book.

    Polack

  2. The fresh chorizo mentioned above that's removed from the casing and crumbled sounds as if it's Mexican chorizo and not Spanish chorizo. I only know about the Mexican variety from reading about it, but I gather it's quite different from the Spanish chorizo in general although they can vary in type quite a bit and some are cured to be eaten sliced while others are meant to be used in cooking. Here's a quote from La Tienda, a commercial site in the US. "Every household in Spain has at least one or two of the hundreds of varieties of delicious chorizo sausages. Spanish chorizo-type products, often referred to as embutidos, come in many varieties, thick and thin, plain or smoked, some containing lean meat to be served for tapas, or with more fat to flavor stews and grilled dishes. In general, Spanish chorizo always has less fat and is more finely ground than a Mexican one." Both types are made in the US, and as we often find Chouriço, the Portuguese sausage which is similar to the Spanish, that's made in New Jersey. Chouriço and the Spanish chorizo are probably interchangeable, whereas I don't think the Mexican chorizo would be a good substitute for the Spanish in an authentic recipe. Spanish chorizo is very common in Puerto Rican cooking, especially in a good pot of beans. Thinly sliced and fried, it's a great addition to a Spanish tortilla de patatas.

    I agree that several people are mixing up spanish chorizo with mexican chorizo. Both are good; however, they are completely different. The spanish chorizo has almost no grease when cooked and the mexican chorizo swims in grease when cooked. I absolutely love the spanish chorizo. The mexican chorizo has its place also; however, it can be overbearing with all of the grease. Other than the fact that both contain paprika and meat, they are completely different.

    I made some Spanish Chorizo that I smoked and Added it to chicken, that I fried first, sliced potatoes, green peppers, onoins, garlic, tomatoes, olives, wine, and baked in the oven, at the end I put some shrimp in, results were very good.Being a Polack that makes smoked and fresh kielbasi, this was a very good change to our sausage recipes. When I make sausage I try to keep it as lean as possible without going overboard. I generally use whole pork butt that I trim and grind and then add my seasonings. I look at it this way, even though Mexican chorizo is fat laden, you can make it your way if you make it yourself, the seasonings do the trick.

    Polack

  3. Is the crust crisp?  It is possible for breads, especially those not based on preferments, to have more flavor in the crust than in the crumb.  A roll would give you a greater crust to crumb ratio.  I am just guessing as I am not familiar with the batard.  I have read the thread with a discussion of Broa and looked it up in my library, but do not have enough experience with it to make specific comments.  There are many causes for a light to tan crust color which could include a low oven temperature, a lean dough, no use of steam, overproofing, formulation, etc.  I would love to know more about the bread so that I could discuss it more intelligently.  BTW Polack, my eGullet name is a disparaging word that patissiers use to refer to boulangers, so it seems as if I've already sold something.

    Holy cowmoozingies, I did it. I made my first sourdough loaf without commercial yeast, and let me say, if they taste anything like they look I'll be in seventh heaven. Right now they're cooling off and waiting for the great taste test with the homemade chuck, vegetable soup for lunch. When I first made the sourdough bread and had it in the fermenting stage I tought that it was bad because it hadn't risen like the breads I had made with commercial yeast. After getting so many good instructions by the members on this board and really reading Silverton's book in detail, I found out that I really didn''t give my dough a chance to rize before I flipped it. This time I let it ferment, with the stretching and folding, for a good five hours and then shaped them and put them in the fridge over nite, to be baked this morning. They are beautiful specimens laying on the table.

    Jackal I took your advice and used the cast iron frying pan with water in the oven for the steam needed, worked excellent.

    Boulack, as far as the Portugueese rolls, they don't really have a very crisp crust to them, the crust is there but it is not flakey, maybe because they weren't baked as long as other rolls, don't have an answer to it, maybe you experts can figure it out.

    Let me say I'm the happiest Polish Leprechaun on earth with my achievment today. Thanks to everyone for their help. Now I may be able to not only master sausage making but also bread baking.

    Polack

    After the cooling process I tried the bread and I have to admit this is definitely the best quality bread I ever made. The crust was hard and chewey, like I enjoy it, and the sour flavor is there with the holes. I can now taste the sourness of the bread as compared to when I used yeast along with the starter, it was not there. My only question is, when I brought the bread out of the refrigerator could I have scored the bread and put them in the oven to bake? I let them sit on the counter for two hours before I set them in the oven.

    Polack

  4. Hi Sobaicecream, Wow,this thread is really fermenting now.  Jackal is exactly right about steam and venting.  Monitor your baking times as Jackal suggests.  The factors that influence baking time are the type of oven (and the capacity to which it has been loaded) and the size and moisture content (or richness in some cases)of the loaf.  It sounds like you are dialing it in which is truly baking nirvana.  I wonder, are you keeping a journal?  This is one of the most helpful tools for dialing it in and continually improving your bread.

    Polak, I have never made Portugese batard, but am familiar with what everyone calls Portugese Sweet Bread.  Is this what you are talking about?  If it is, it probably sweetened and enriched and baked at a lower temperature.  Is the crust color light, albino, tan, white?

    The bread and rolls are lite to tan in color with the rolls being very light and with holey inside. Actually the rolls to me are much better than the batard. The bakery at the supermarket is somehow affiliated with Nancy Silvertons LaBrea bakery in Ca. It looks like all the supermarkets are now taking on chefs and bakers to help them sell their products. Boulack you're going to have to sell your name and reap some of the bennies.

  5. Has anyone a recipe how to make a rye sourdough starter and recipes for artisnal rye breads?

    TIA

    Yoshka

    One way is to look at www.pbs.org/juliachild and pick Nancy Siverton or type www.pbs.org/juliachild/meet/silverton.html and you will get right there. Just sub the white flour with rye flour and you will be good to go. I have Nancy's book and she says, a lot of people use the white starter to make rye, so it's up to you.

    Polack

  6. Lets see... the bleached flour will make the colour lighter. Don't know why they use bleached flour for this product, since the original artisanal bread has cornmeal in it and is quite yellow.

    The leicithin is an emulsifier,  that allows shorter mixing and proof times, and better shelf life; Since its after the salt it will be less than 2%, and usually about 1%, unless in a gluten-free bread.

    Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an anti-oxidant and flour improver; it counteracts an enzyme that cross-links the gluten.

    Looks like quite a reasonable ingredient list for a basic machine-made bread, designed to look "rustic". However its a long way from the original Broa with cornmeal, except maybe in shape...

    Jackal, you're the man, it seems when there's something to know about making bread you and a few other experts sure can give everyone an answer. Now would the sourdough starter be allright to use for making the broa?

  7. Take close look at the ingredients on said batard. Is azodicarbamide(or whatever the hell it is) included? I'm not familiar with Price Chopper, but I'd bet bagels to bialys that with a name like that you're getting some quality chopped somewhere along the line. If the ingredients list a whole slew of jaw-breaking chemical names then they are using dough conditioners which basically eliminate bulk fermentation, which we all know is detrimental to flavor and structure, so that they can literally pump this bread out. Conditioners make it possible to run dough through shaping machines and extruders and all kinds of nasty, ugly stuff. It's the exact opposite of artisanal bread...bizarro bread, as Jerry would say.

    McDuff, here's the ingredience for the loaf, enriched bleach flower, water, salt, yeast, centrobake deoiled licithin, absorbic acid (asvitamin c), enzymes. I would say you're right when it comes to pumping out bread, they do make quite a bit. It's a shame that there aren't many good bakeries in this area to go to anymore, it seems like the big supermarkets have taken over, not only the little stores, but also the bakeries. I could remember when I was a young lad, you had the local grocer that you shopped at, and you always had a host of bakeries that always competed against each other, claiming to have the best baked goods in town. Now it's zippo. That's why I took the hobby up of baking bread, kind of late in my life but if you want something good you have to do it yourself.

    Polack

  8. Being that I sold high-end cars for many years (Volvo) I believe in the adage that (generally) good and cheap don't go together, never have, never will.  Still, while not considering 'cheap' I do question value.  This is especially true when I see the cost of Le Crueset pots.

        Being that I have a budget, I'm not cheap but I am looking for value.  I love my Lodge Dutch Oven which (for the best price) I bought at the hardware store.  Lamb shanks, Pot Roasts, Chickens, Oxtails, you name it, they go in the Lodge.    That aside, I stilll feel it would be beneficial to have an enameled cast iron pot or (if I can afford it) two.    I just can't understand why when the Lodge cost me about 30 bucks that the LeCrueset is in the mid 200's. 

        I'm interested in a good sized Le Crueset (probably the biggest) and perhaps one smaller one if I can swing it.  Are they worth it?  Also, if you had to choose 2 of them which sizes would you choose?  Also, are there any other good alternatives to LeCrueset?  What can I do in the LeCrueset that I can't do in the Lodge?

        Any insight and help would be appreciated.

    I picked up a le crueset 7 qt off of Ebay that was new for around $90. To me it's no comparison to any pot in the house. You can cook anything in it, because it's enamel coated and will hold the heat very well. There's deals to be had on ebay more than anywhere else.

    Polack

  9. After reading the last two posts, I would like to offer a few suggestions.  To McDuff: it is possible to make respectable bread in a rack oven -- not great or world class bread, but some that is very good and very respectable. Jackal is right, for the desired characteristic thin, crispy crust of artisanal breads, steam is necessary immediately after the bread is placed in the oven.  Depending on how much bread is in your oven, twenty seconds could be too much.  Too much steam can close the cuts made while scoring and penalize crumb quality and volume as a result.    Any steam after that is redundant.  Are you venting the oven during the latter stages of the bake?  That would help evacuate the steam that you have injected into the oven as well as the steam driven off from the bread during the bake.  That should promote crust crispiness  When the color is good -- and I mean good -- try leaving it in the oven for up to five minutes with the door cracked.  That will assist in the final stages of baking without burning the crust.  That might help your gummy situation, Sobaicecream.  Wet doughs can require a long finish with the vent open and the door cracked.  Proper cooling is critical after removing the bread from the oven, if you are baking in a rack oven, you are probably baking on pans.  Even if they are perforated, try removing them to cooling racks, so that the moisture can continue to escape.  Leave them well ventilated with plenty of room all around them.  Another issue to examine about cuts not opening is that your breads might possibly be overproofed.  It's difficult to say without seeing it or knowing more, but that is common of overproofed breads.  Are they collapsing or even slightly deflating when you score them?  If they are, try baking them sooner.  If you are not getting good crust color, that could be another indication that your loaves are overproofed.

    Boulak, I ate some Price Chopper supermarkets Portuguese rolls and batard today and would like to try to duplicate the effort. The baked goods were very light in color with good crust and holey inside. Would you happen to know what they use to keep the product so light in color after being baked and would there be a recipe to be found for these items?

    Polack

  10. On another culinary forum, I recently posted this recipe for Broa?.

    This yeast bread has the wholesome rustic flavor & texture that goes particularly well with hearty soups ? such as Caldo Verde.

    3 cups yellow cornmeal

    2 tsp salt

    16 fl. oz. boiling water

    1 fl. oz. olive oil

    2 tsp granulated sugar

    4 fl. oz. lukewarm water

    2 Tbsp active dry yeast

    approx. 3½ cups bread flour

    In processor, whir cornmeal until finely ground. In large bowl, stir together 2 cups of the processed cornmeal, salt, and boiling water until smooth. Stir in oil & let cool until lukewarm.

    Meanwhile, in glass measure, dissolve sugar in lukewarm water; sprinkle yeast into water and let stand for 5-8 minutes. Stir yeast mixure vigorously with fork, then stir it into cornmeal mixture. Gradually mix in remaining cornmeal & 2 cups flour. (Dough should be soft & sticky.) Gather into ball, place in lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat, and cover the bowl with a tea towel. Let rise in warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk (a heating pad on low setting placed under bowl works well for some bakers).

    Deflate dough and turn out onto lightly floured worksurface; knead for about 6-8 minutes, adding flour to make firm but soft dough.

    Divide dough in half and shape each portion into rounded 6-inch circle. Place on lined baking sheets; cover and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes, or until almost doubled in bulk. Bake in 350° oven for 40 minutes, or until loaves test done. Transfer to wire grid.

    An online recipe (depicting the loaf shaped as a large baguette) is also available.

    I would say this is not the Portuguese Batard I got from Price Chopper supermarket. The bread and rolls they sell are very light and the color, when baked, is more whitish. They have excellent flavor and texture. What I need to know is how do they keep the bread so lite colored and would there be a recipe to be had?

    Polack

  11. I had a loaf of Portuguese batard today that was bought from the local supermarket and it was very good. It was the size of a baguette, lite in color, and had a very holey inside texture. What I would like to know is what type of flour is used, because it's different than the flour I'm using to make it such a lite color, and would the sourdough starter be useful in making this bread? i also had the Portuguese rolls and they to were very good, they were also lite in color and very holey. Basically, any recipes for these items?

    Polack

  12. Most of the time, tap water is OK.  It is more critical at the initiation of the cycle than later on.  If it ain't broke..................

    It looks like I took on a hornets nest when I wanted to add a new hobby to my every day life, to bad I wasn't 30 yrs old, maybe I could have taken on a new profession.

    Anyway what about a good rye bread made with this starter is there a good recipe available? There used to be a Jewish bakery in the neighborhood that made some of the finest rye bread and I was wondering if it can be duplicated? This bread was very heavy and sort of moist on the inside with a very crispy crust. As for their New York Rye, It was even heavier and the crust was so hard you really had to pull hard to break it. These two ryes were the best I ever ate and haven't been able to find someone in our area that would even come close to making it as good.

    One last thing, my Irish bride of near 40 years is starting to give me the evil eye because I'm taking over her oven on Sunday when she's making dinner for the family. Hey I was up before 5am, got the dough mixed, had it rising while I went to church came home shaped it and had it proofing again before she started, and she says I'm stealing her stove. I'm definitely going to have to cold proof on Saturday and I'll only have the baking on Sunday. What do you think?

  13. To add to jackal10's comments:

    If using bottled water, do not use distilled, it is devoid of mineral content.  You can use tap water if you get it from the tap and leave it on the counter overnight or for 24 hours just to be safe-- the chlorine will dissipate, but the valuable minerals will remain.  If you use ogranic rye flour as 5%  to 50% of the total flour(organic as well) for the very beginning, it will be more active more quickly (but not too quickly) due to the abundant yeasts and amylase enzymes in rye flour.  As you make subsequent feedings with bread flour, the rye will be dilluted each time until it disappears.  If your starter gets sluggish, you can awaken it by using 5% rye for a feeding or two.  If your starter has been in the refrigerator for a while, remove it and feed a few times before actually baking with it in order to bring it back to full power.

    Well it looks like I did a whole bunch of things wrong that will have to be corrected on the next try. Right now I have a starter that's being fed and will use tomorrow morning for baking. I used tap water in it but I do have a lot of small bubles and it seems to be working A okay for the moment. I will try, on the next go around to cold proof the dough so I can have it ready for baking when I want it and not when it wants to. So much to learn and so little time.

    Polack

  14. Thanks everyone on some very good knowledge and experience. The trouble with me is that I'm too impatient and expect the dough to rize in a heartbeat and have it in the oven ready for baking.

    In Nancy Silverton's book, she does add yeast to the recipe when she is making Rustic bread and some other breads. I guess she is not looking for the good sour flavor that is in the regular sour white bread.

    Anyway thanks for the info and I will try your suggestions starting tomorrow and bake day on Sunday for dinner.

    Polack

  15. Ferment the sponge starter stage longer and hotter - 85F for 8 hours say, so that it becomes quite sour. This then flavours the bread, without interfering with the bulk rise

    Jackel,

    Would you also use a commercial yeast in the recipe? I feed my starter for one day prior to baking and on the second day when I put my dough together I also use two teaspoons of yeast along with two cups of starter and approx. 6cups of flour to make up the recipe. Will the commercial yeast have an effect on the sour flavor?

    Polack

  16. I made Nancy Silverton's sourdough starter and I have to admit it has made some of the best breads with only one problem. The problem I perceive is that, in her book she says that you will get a sour flavor and that's something I feel is missing from the bread. The crust is crispy and chewey, the bread is light and has the hole texture that I'm looking for, but to me it doesn't have that sour flavor that I'm used to when I buy the commercial sourdough bread--what can I do to rectify the perceived problem.

    Polack

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