Bill/SFNM

The one I use in my home kitchen is probably a bit more than you are seeking in terms of size, weight, power, and cost,. Like you, I do a lot of breads and pizzas and have found nothing that works as well as a fork mixer. Mine is the Santos 18N. The cost has gone way up since I bought mine for $860 including shipping (weak dollar). THe KitchenAid C-hook and spiral attachments just don't compare to a fork. I use my KA for beating batters, egg whites, etc., but never again for breads. FWIW. Bill/SFNM

I am looking for ideas beyond basic forcemeat stuffings for de-boned birds. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

glennbech, Thank you. 1) I roll the dough out into a 1/2"-thick sheet and use a metal donut cutter to punch out individual donuts. The methods you mention work well for bagels, but I prefer the cutter for donuts. 2) While they were still warm, I brushed them with a mixture of glazing sugar, water, and a few drop of fiori di sicilia . Bill/SFNM

Do you think yeasted, glazed donuts are bread? Yes!

glennbech, I use regular my regular dough. I always make extra dough balls when I bake pizzas; they are great for dessert pies, strombolis, pita breads, naans, rolls, etc. Unused dough balls keep for several days in the refrigerator. The dough is savory with a subtle tang from the natural starter and it makes a great foil for sweets. Pizzabrasil who frequents these parts gave me the original inspiration for a dessert pizza with strawberries and chocolate. The resulting pie was unexpectedly awesome. The Robiola Bosina I used is a mildly ripened cheese of cow and sheep milk. It stood up well to the 1000F of the oven. The herb you see is a sprig of fresh thyme for garnish. The fig sauce contains some minced thyme, lemon zest, and Armagnac. Bill/SFNM

Small dessert pizza: fig sauce with Robiola cheese

Perhaps a minor pet-peeve, but how about dry ingredients listed before wet ingredients if they will use the same measuring cup or spoon in the same step? This avoids having to rinse off and dry between measurements. For example, I have a recipe that calls for a tablespoon of honey and then a tablespoon of flour. I try to catch these lapses in logic ahead of time, but in the heat of battle, it is easy to discover this after it is too late. Bill/SFNM

Dom, I tried your approach with truly impressive results. The moment I pulled the loaves from the oven I knew something was different; they felt light as a feather. The softer flour along with the folding really helped. I used Caputo 00 Pizzeria and King Arthur All-Purpose flours. The loaves still aren't as nice as yours. I need to play around with the fermenting/proofing times. Also perhaps with the ratio of the flours. Stay tuned and thanks so much for your help. Bill/SFNM

Dom. Thank you for the information - beautiful looking loaves. What are the specs for what you call "white flour" and "00 white flour"? Thanks! Bill/SFNM

Abra: Wood-burning oven. Here it is moments before baking the above pizza:

Pizza: Cepes, white truffle oil, fresh mozzarella, parm, baked at 1025F for 55 seconds:

Simon, I'm at 7000 feet above sea level - Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Bill/SFNM

Bryan, I've had success with the Blue Cheese foam from Tramonto's Amuse-Bouche. The cream is boiled, removed from heat, and crumbled blue cheese is added and the mixture is pureed with an immersion blender or in a food processor. It is then strained through a chinois and seasoned. Allow to cool and pour into a the chilled ThermoWhip. Chill for 2 hours. Before dispensing, I shake vigorously, but this may be an altitude thing. Outstanding with his port wine reduction sauce. You've probably tried this method, but I've never had a problem with this foam holding air. Bill/SFNM

David, One of my favorite savory foams is with roasted red peppers. I make big batches of garlicky "Roasted Red Bell Peppers with Sherry Vinegar" from Jose Andres' book "Tapas - A Taste of Spain in America" which I keep in the fridge for use on sandwiches, pizzas, etc. I make a puree of the peppers along with some of the garlic and olive oil in which they are cooked and combine it with hot cream which I pour into my Thermo Whip. This stuff tastes good on anything - maybe even corn flakes! Bill/SFNM

Be careful if you are at high altitude above sea level. Typically, my concoctions are are thinner than Simon's. It is easy at 7000' to get a cold foam that is too thick to be dispensed. Bill/SFNM