cognitivefun

have you gotten good oven spring? I haven't using this method.

I'm puzzled as to why no oven spring. I have had good oven spring with this same hydration ratio. I could fold the dough although it was much slacker than in the video. Really more of a ciabatta dough but I'm used to working with that.

I'm bad at following directions. Here's what I did. I created probably 80% hydration sourdough dough with about 6 cups flour, 2tspns salt, and refrigerated overnight, and then let rise about 8 hours. Then I proofed for about 2, preheated the oven with a Dutch oven in it to 450F. It was too hydrated to get much surface tension into it although I tried. I was a little apprehensive about getting the dough into the pot. But that was pretty easy. I covered and baked for 30 minutes then uncovered and baked for another 10 until the internal temperature was 205F. My loaf had no oven spring and I think I should have baked it longer, perhaps at a lower temperature, maybe 425F. It has a marvelous reddish crunchy crust that my bread hasn't had before and it tasted very good although I shouldn't have sneaked a slice as it wasn't yet cool. I will definintely try this again and refine it for my style which is 1) sourdough, and 2) refrigerated immediately upon mixing, for 1 or 2 days.

I have been using the method pretty much except for mixing in a food processor (like Bittman mentions) but I am working on a sourdough batch that I mixed without the processor. In the video the dough isn't as hydrated as my dough is. I am probably at 80% or 82%, almost a batter. For my new sourdough batch, I mixed with cold water, retarded immediately in the refrigerator, and took out this morning and folded twice in two hours. The dough is much stickier than in the video, but it is workable due to it being cold. Later I will proof and try the baking in a dutch oven method. Looking forward to it!

cut the yeast to 1/4 teaspoon or even less (1/8 teaspoon due to the sugar here). Mix the oil with the other ingredients. Increase the hydration by using some water in addition to the milk so you have a very slack dough.

I bought some almond butter that I plan to use to make almond paste. It isn't as fresh obviously as almonds I roast myself, but it is finely ground already. Does anyone know if I should include all the fat, which has separated, and mix it all together or just use the mealy part without the separated fat?

I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I like my Viking. It is extremely powerful and I use it with the meat grinder accessory on a weekly basis, as well as for dough. It works very well for me. The paddle and whisk needed adjustment which is easy and now they extend to the bottom of the bowl. It mixes things just fine. No complaints except minor ones and I paid in the low two hundreds US$ for it. I can't imagine a dough it wouldn't work through including bagels or struan or whatever. It has never as much as slowed down or even groaned when I'ved used it!

I do my starter in the fridge and I retard the dough as soon as I mix it. If I use a ratio of 1:3 starter to total flour, I get a good but not too extreme sourness that is quite pleasant.

Got a dinner party coming up and I feel like making puff pastry (I don't look like it but I feel like it ) What are some hors d'oeuvres I can make if I choose to make puff pastry? Thanks!

Yeah, water and flour only. Start with rye and water, then just keep refreshing by removing 1/2 and discarding, and replacing with bread flour and water. Forget Silverton's method. It's ridiculously complicated. No need for it.

Yes, a great tip: rub the couche or teatowel with rice flour. No sticking even with very slack doughs. Amazing how well it works.

Tuscan bread has no salt. so it is possible to make bread without salt. It will rise faster than with salt and it can over rise easily.

Yeah, I agree. I use commercial curry powder but sometimes I make my own because it tastes better and is very quick to make. It does taste fresher.

my tamales worked out great. I beat the coconut oil and butter quite awhile to make it light, then I added the masa harina and beat it all. Then the liquid. I did learn that you do need to tie them and that you shouldn't let the water run dry in the pot!

most curry powders contain ground cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, and some hot chili pepper seeds such as cayenne. I might make a basic curry powder with the following ground spices: 1T of cumin, 1T of coriander, 1tspn turmeric, 1tspn cayenne. I grind the whole seeds in a coffee grinder reserved for spices for specific recipes and as the other posters have said, they vary by recipe. One important step is to toast the spices. You can toast the whole seeds in a skillet until fragrant and then grind or you can toast the ground spices. I do have some curry powder in my spice collection that I do occasionally use for non-Indian dishes such as curried chicken salad and it comes in handy.

I assume this is the kind where you whip everything to make it light and airy? So it's falling and that may mean improper cooking... I wonder if oven arrangment or oven temperature is different now than it was before ...?

They freeze so well and that's what I do with them

I don't use shortening. But I am going to try coconut oil. Palm oil is another choice. Both are natural and might substitute.

I'm gonna use dried masa harina and perhaps some coconut oil and stock for the masa. Then I'm gonna use some leftover cooked pulled pork that I made last night for a filling. Sauce? Perhaps a quick mole made with chipotle, tomatoes, onion and garlic, all blackened first under the broiler and pepitas toasted. I am getting in some practice because in a few weeks I'm going to have a dinner party where I plan on making two types of tamales -- vegetarian and meat ones. What are your tamale experiences?

I loved it. I make a sourdough version. Next time I am going to do 80% semolina or maybe 100% just to see the difference. I love semolina!

Yes, caramel is one of the most amazing flavors and it is great to be able to whip it up when you want to. The other day I made crepes with pears in a caramel sauce...a very quick dessert and a way to get rid of almost overripe pears and my family loved it. Nothing like the complexity of "burnt sugar" to make you look like a culinary genius!

If you dry melt the sugar you don't have to wait nearly as long for it to caramelize, since you don't have to wait for any water to evaporate. ← I think it's more foolproof with the water (and I am a fool and you don't need proof of that )

heat 1/2 cup of sugar or more with 1/4 cup of water or so. Don't stir, don't do anything. Just leave it as it bubbles. Eventually it will begin to turn brown. Then if you want you can stir it a bit but you don't need to. After it's a nice brown, take it off the heat and carefully add the butter and milk. CAUTION! It may foam up. Stir to dissolve everything and when it's cool add the vanilla and away you go.

I like the Viking although I seem to be the only one who does here. It has a very strong motor. I have the 800wt version that I bought for US$230 on the web. Once I adjusted mine it works great and the power is very valuable for heavy doughs. That said, I am finding the food processor is my weapon of choice in making bread so I don't knead breads in the mixer anymore anyway.

my loaves don't come out very sour at all. I don't know why. I wouldn't mind more sour. I mix the dough and use perhaps 20% sourdough poolish, then I refrigerate immediately and retard for 1 or 2 days. Then I bulk ferment at cool room temperature, proof and bake. It doesn't taste very sour although it is delicious. I would love more sour flavor in it (naturally of course.)