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Entries from Talk tagged with 'baking'
Sourdough Bread
So, I'm cruising my regular foodie blogs and come across the sourdough bread recipe on thekitchn.com
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/baked-good/recipe-beginner-sourdough-loaf-048192
So, I'm thinking to myself I can do this. But I have a fear of yeast and killing it, and instead of warm, soft, chewy, sourdough-y goodness I will get a lump.
Are my fears justified? Please share horror/success stories or words or advice for my FIRST sourdough bread.
Baking/Pastry Program at PCI in San Jose, CA
I'm considering enrolling in the baking/pastry program at PCI in the San Jose, CA area. Does anyone know anything about the program/school? Know anyone who's completed it? There are a few other places in the area, but this one is closest and offers a baking/pastry program. Any recommendations?
Passover Birthday
I have to make a birthday cake for my son and his wife on Passover. I make alot of really good baked items, but aside from a flourless chocolate cake, or cheesecake, any good yellowcake recipes out there? Any other suggestions?
Success with Meringue!
i made my Mom's Meringue cookies for the first time last night, and would you believe it, they were a success!
but i think i got lucky. however, i've also been told there are certain things you should never do when making a meringue. Such as use a metal bowl, or metal utensils. I used a glass bowl, but my hand mixer has metal attachments. and then i used a plastic spoon to make the drop cookies.
Metal bowl not OK? plastic bowls not OK? metal mixer OK? plastic spatula/other utensils OK for meringues? What else should I know for next time?
smith island cake
hearing so much about this cake and i probably have enough cake pans so i would like to try it
Serious Bakers... I need your best BUNDT CAKE recipe...
I need a killer, knock-em-dead bundt cake recipe. It needs to be one of those super moist, dense kinds. None of that light, airy stuff for me. A gooey filling down the middle works, but certainly isn't necessary. It can be iced or not, although the ideal cake will be one that's so rich and moist that icing is redundant.
Pretty much anything goes in terms of flavors and ingredients. Except nuts. I don't much like nuts baked into my baked goods (toasted crunchy ones on the icing is fine).
So? Can you help a girl out?
What is the Baking and Pastry Bible?
What is your opinion on the one book that is the epitome of Baking and Pastry?
Hoagies, Subs, Whatever: Recipe for Chewy Crusty Soft Rolls?
Yes, I want all those things. I love a roll that is crusty/chewy on the outside, where you kind have to use your teeth to tear off a bite, but not so much you break a tooth. Definitely not ciabatta-y or baguette-y. I want 'em light and soft on the inside, but not so much that it gets soggy if used for meatball, sausage or pulled pork sandwiches (I'm doing meatball this time, but I do all these things pretty regularly). Definitely not too dense and/or doughy, and not like a burger bun.
Around here, the ones I like are usually sold as hoagie or kaiser rolls, but let's face it... what you'll actually find in the bag when you get home is totally random depending on where you bought 'em.
Making these tonight, so a sponge starter is fine as long as it's only about six-hours max. I don't have time for a longer 12- or 24-hour version this time around. Any suggestions?
Irish soda bread recipes
Not my thing, but I've been commisioned to bake Irish soda bread for St. Paddy's day and Easter. All I have is mom's recipe, which is sooo dry. Advice?
Need a decorative substitute for coconut
You know those cakes in the shape of lambs that appear at Easter? Well, I bought a mold last year when they were on sale after the holiday, and it's getting close to the time when I'll be using it.
Most of the cakes I've seen have been covered in white coconut, to simulate the wool. But I hate coconut. Despise. Ptui. And hubby's not a big fan, either.
Any ideas what I could use instead? And no white chocolate curls. One person who will be consuming the lamb with us doesn't like chocolate of any type.
It doesn't necessarily have to be white. But it has to be edible and compatible with the cake. So, no grated parm :-)
baking challah
i've been baking challah for a few weeks after not having baked bread regularly for a couple of decades, and i have some questions. how do you get a chewy, pully texture, like the amy's bread challah? mine is very tender crumbed, which is ok, but i'm hoping to achieve the kind of bread that sort of bites back, and that you can pull apart in strands.
is all purpose better than bread flour to get that type of crumb? also, do people have any feelings about sugar versus honey? do you have a recipe you can share? and has anyone tried baking mimi sheraton's challah recipe from in my mother's kitchen? is an autolyse necessary?
hey, you bread bakers, come out and talk to me!
Delicious healthy overnight cinnamon bun recipe?
OK, an oxymoron, but does anyone know of a delicious healthy overnight cinnamon bun recipe that doesn't use fake sweeteners or special flours? We want to eat healthy, but not artificial.
Egg free sugar cookie
Can anyone suggest an egg free roll out cookie recipe for me to make for my friend? Dairy is fine, but I'd hate the cookies to be dry and nasty. I guess if there is enough butter they will just be like shortbread.
Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day?
I'm a pretty comfortable cook, but yeast makes me nervous. I've started making my own pizza dough lately, and it's going ok. I have been dreaming about the no knead bread since I first read Bittman's column, and now, this 5 minutes a day book seems to be getting press all over the place. I'd love to hear comments on the book. Is it a worth while purchase? Should I just try the no-knead recipe first and see how I do? Or should I just give up and hope the bakery still has something semi-fresh when I get a craving?
Vanilla Tootsie Roll Frosting!
Eating a Vanilla Tootsie Roll earlier, I noticed it tasted a lit like Vanilla icing. Has anyone ever thought of melting some down and using it to frost a cake?
Blueberry muffins!
Does anyone have a particularly delicious, tried-and-true blueberry muffin recipe? I'm looking for something reminiscent of a bakery-style muffin with a light, fine crumb and a gloriously sweet topping that isn't overpowering... mmm. I'm tired of baking batch after batch of blueberry muffins that don't quite hit the spot or that basically taste like cake. Any recipes or ideas to modify recipes would be greatly appreciated.
Does anyone make an angel food cake from scratch?
The only homemade scratch angel food cake I've eaten was back in the 50's. My Aunt, who lived on a farm complete with chickens, gathered fresh eggs & on a special occasion would bake one, then drizzle on the most amazing glaze. When cut, somehow it sliced perfectly...never tearing or mashing down. To me, this had to be the ultimate delicate mouth-feel food! Times are a changin'....does anyone even make angel food cakes from scratch anyone? If you do, how it is served...with fruit?
Croissant update
I did it!! They look so cool!!
An update for those of you who were so supportive of my initial attempt at croissants. I used a recipe for "Authentic croissants at home" from Cooks Illustrated. I chose this one for several reasons, it is fairly simple - a shorter time frame because of less folds and doing two folds at once (fit into my schedule today perfectly), no steam bath involved (sounded quite scary), I have always had great luck with everything I have made from them, and of course there were good pictures.
So while not totally authentic I must say I enjoyed making them and they really did come out good! Very flaky appearing from the outside, many visible layers, the chocolate stayed nicely inside. They taste yummy but unfortunately a little doughy in the bottom layers. I am hoping this is because I did not wait until they cooled all the way before I cut one in half an sampled. Maybe I should have let them rise a bit longer, I ran out of time. I hope my friends enjoy them tonight.
I am inspired to try more of this sort of baking and will not hesitate to try a more complicated version now.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Lard, shortening, and other fats?
In the recent thread about the Cooks Illustrated pie crust recipe, someone noted that they replaced the shortening with lard, to great success. I was wondering if other fats could also be used in lieu of shortening. Could duck fat or goose fat be used for example?
Thanks!
Mario Batali's Bitter Chocolate Tart
This tart (recipe in Molto Mario) is a glorious, sophisticated tart with it's wonderful combination of bitter chocolate and anise. I have made it several times. One thing about it - and it detracts little - is that the crust shrinks a lot when baking. I have tried several things including letting the dough rest for a long time, making sure the unbaked shell is thoroughly cooled etc to little avail. I wonder what the experience is of others who've made this great dessert?
best baking chocolate: what do you use?
i'm thinking about making some brownies, and i was wondering what everyone's favorite brand was, and also is anyone knew how schokinag rated against the other brands like schaffen berger.
CALLING ALL PIE CRUST MASTERS: Which Rolling Pin?
As I've mentioned before, my biggest shame in the kitchen is my inability to make a decent pie crust. I've tried for years -- about 20 of them! I've used all the tricks, various recipes, and whatever. It's literally driven me to tears.
After many years of fear and avoidance, I'm ready to give it another go. But I discovered the other day that I no longer have a rolling pin! What the heck? How do you lose a rolling pin? Maybe I tossed it in a fit of pique.
So, I'm leaning toward a long tapered wooden dowel-type. But maybe a traditional handled type with a flour-filled pastry cloth would be better? Or a marble one that can be chilled? What about those new silicone covered models?
What say you? Which kind have you hated? Which do you swear by?
Suggestions for good (sort of difficult) baking cookbooks?
I am a pretty advanced baker - meringue buttercreams don't scare me and tempering chocolate is easy.
I have Elizabeth Falkner's Demolition Desserts, which I'm dying to get into (although I don't have an ice cream maker so I can't make a lot of the things in there).
I just got Gale Gand's Butter Flour Sugar Eggs - it was on my Amazon.com wishlist and a friend got it for me - but, after looking through it, it's really easy (I've made lots of things that she has in there entirely on my own - ex, blueberry hazelnut frangipane tarts) and am going to exchange it for something a little more difficult and inspiring.
SO. What should I get that is sort of hard (not as hard as Demolition Desserts) and will push me a little bit? Also, I need some good standards - what should I get? (I have a ton of other books to exchange so I don't even need to spend money on new books!)
Also, should I get Elisa Strauss' Confetti Cakes?
Holiday Bakers, shout out during your baking marathon
I am up baking and trying to finish up by tomorrow. Making Jam Thumbprints here. What is everyone up to? Care to share? Hollar out!
12 kinds done and 6 to go here.
Baking Chocolate
How many times can you melt and refrigerate good, semi-sweet baking chocolate? I over-estimated how much chocolate I would need for a faux-truffle recipe and now I have a container full of chocolate in my fridge that I'd like to melt down again, but I'm afraid that I'll end up with leftovers again (small fridge, not enough room for lots of little candies). Any info would be great.
The Mini Pie Revolution (The Blog Event). With a prize!
Anne of redactedrecipes.com and myself are jumpstarting The Mini Pie Revolution with a blog event (and there will be a baking-related *prize* for the winner). To find out more, visit:
http://www.minipierevolution.blogspot.com
I'll repost the rules here:
Your Mission
Bake a mini pie from scratch. Mini pies should be baked in a cupcake or muffin tins, but we'll let you get away with other pans (ie. tart pans) if the resulting pies remain miniature. Just how small are mini pies? Aim for mini cupcake or cupcake-sized pies. No mini pie should serve more than one person. Still, we're no size-ests here at The Mini Pie Revolution HQ. We're not going to pull out tape measures.
Create your mini pies. Photograph your mini pies. Write about your mini pies on your blog. Then:
E-mail Ann (redactedrecipes@gmail.com) or Karyn (at Kosmicfish27ATaolDOTcom) the following:
1) A 100 X 100 mini pie portrait
2) A brief description of your mini pie (just the name of the recipe is fine)
3) The title of your blog and a link to your blog
4) A link to your mini pie entry
5) Make sure your e-mail's subject head is "The Mini Pie Revolution"
Please send us your entry by Midnight EST on December 25, and we will post the results by January 1, 2008. Let's make 2008 the year of mini pies! The winning mini pie baker will be chosen by Ann and Karyn and will receive a fabulous prize. So get baking!
extracts vs. alcohol in baking
Can I use real alcohol in place of extacts in baking? Does the alcohol flavor "bake out" in comparison to baking extracts? I was specifically thinking about replacing rum extract with real rum in a recipe.
What's your most unusual cookie cutter?
People who make cut-out cookies have so much patience...I have never mastered a successful recipe let alone the technique...However, I am in awe of all the endless shapes & varieties...made of tin, plastic & copper with some leaving detail imprints. A friend actually made a Ground Hog shaped one for Feb 2. Do you collect them? What kinds of cookies do you make? Any other uses...sandwich cut-outs? What is your most unusual or prize cookie cutter?
Chocolate Chip Cookie Secrets...
Everyone can make a chocolate chip cookie but what makes yours better than the rest. Please share a tip or recipe with us...
I use half butter half shortening in mine and they turn out nice and soft....
Holiday Baking - what are you making?
Now that Thanksgiving is over - on to holiday baking!
My plans include gingerbread, rugelach, ginger cookies, lemon sables, peppermint cookies, pistachio biscotti, and stollen.
What are you planning to bake this holiday season?
Do you give baked goods as gifts? Bring to the office? Parties?
Calling all bakers: Looking to help the hungry this Thanksgiving?
Could you make one extra pie this year? Or maybe a dozen apple turnovers? Every Thursday, the food pantry at Central Synagogue provides a hot meal for 100-120 hungry people, but they don't have the resources to change up their regular menu (beef stew) to include any traditional Thanksgiving foods. It made me sad to think of the pantry's clients being left out of the national feast, so I have volunteered to provide enough pie for all. If you'd like to pitch in to the Pie Project and give a taste of Thanksgiving to some people to don't have much, please contact me at bookseller@nyc.rr.com.
How do I revive a tired sourdough starter?
last january i thought i'd try to make my own sourdough starter and nurtured a mother starter out of organic grapes. i fed it every week and was turning out 2 loaves of really nice bread every sunday for my weekday lunches. as the weather got better, my urge to bake bread diminished and i went 3 weeks without feeding it. i managed to bring it back with daily feedings, and keeping it at room temp instead of the fridge.
that lasted another month, but then life intruded and i was going on holiday and then moving house, and then unpacking and the starter has been woefully neglected. all in all it's probably been about 8 weeks since i last fed it.
is it too late? do you think i've killed it? what would be a good way to know? or should i just start all over again?
also -- is there a minimum quantity i need to keep alive? my recipe calls for 250g of starter for 2 loaves, but the total weight of the starter was more like 750g -- could i have just chucked all that out?
all your advice and comments are much appreciated.
Cinnamon roll experts?
I am looking for the best of the best homemade cinnamon roll recipe. I am not only interested in delicious, but beautiful. Thanks!
What is your favorite book about baking bread?
I want to do more bread baking at home and I'm looking for a good book to get me started. What is your favorite?
Tempting Vegan Baking Recipes?
A friend asked me for vegan baking recommendations because her daughter is starting a baking enterprise at her school.... but not being a vegan myself, I've been hard pressed to come up with a list of great ideas.
I tried my hand at vegan baking with Pumpkin Currant Cookies (which were mighty tasty) but I'm hoping you Serious Eaters know of other scumptious vegan recipes?
Bread...
What is your favorite type of bread to make at home?
Baguette?
Brioche?
Biscuits?
I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour in all or most of my baked goods (gotta get the good stuff into 'em however you can). I make a batch of scones each week for my BF to take to work for his staff.
For yeast-risen breads, Nancy Silverton's brioche is a favorite (recipe is in Baking with Julia). Also love the copykat.com recipe for Cinnabon Cinnamon Buns.
Any other yeast-heads out there??
Mmmm...bar cookies
Mix-up, spread in a pan, bake...less time consuming than rolled or shaped cookies. The hardest part is waiting long enough for them to cool before cutting into squares & taking that first bite! A few of my favorites are: brownies (of course!), lemon squares, fig bars, the original Hello Dolly & Rice Krispie treats. What bar cookies do you bake? Any tips on keeping bar cookies soft?
Any macaron bakers out there?
Any macaron (the Pierre Herme kind, not the coconut kind) bakers out there? Being a baker (note: not a professional pastry chef), I am determined to conquer the macaron. DETERMINED, I tell you. I thought I was lord and master over the buggers, until I moved to a new kitchen, new oven and the DC summer heat hit. Well I've been dealing with cracked domes ever since. Check out Pierre's beautiful macarons here: http://flickr.com/search/?q=pierre+herme+macaron&m=text
Flat cookies?! Unacceptable.
Help! Every time I make chocolate chip cookies, they come out completely flat, translucent, and kind of greasy. My oven works fine, there seems to be nothing wrong with the ingredients. I use the Nestle Tollhouse or Martha Stewart recipes, which are both very credible sources. What's going on?
Trying to be an Ace of Cakes!
Where can you buy colored fondit (sp) for cakes?
Cookie Search
I love sweets. But I must admit I do not love mediocre cookies. There are so few really, really great tasting cookies. Even when my friends or I bake them at home, they are not fantastic. Where can I buy the BEST cookies? What is the secret to baking awesome cookies?
Sourdough Bread....
About to embark on a whole wheat sourdough bread baking adventure, any all who have gone before are welcome to share their wisdom. One thing I am curious about is if longer/more rises and/or longer kneading are good things...I've got time, some good starter, and I want a great loaf, so tell me the tricks of the trade.
Whole grain baking...
I got a ton of this great locally milled whole grain flour and I'd love to hear your favorite way to bake with whole-wheat....breads, pastries, cookies, what are you whipping up?
Looking for a particular cake name.
Recently one of the food blogs (I can't remember which one) posted a recipe for a cake. It's similar to a canneles in that it's crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, but it's baked in a bundt pan (and baked for 3 or 4 hours). I have no idea what the name of it is and I'm completely failing with google. Any suggestions?
Favorite cake EVER, and preparing them in advance
I'm planning to bake some cakes for my sister's wedding ceremony and I need some ideas on what to make and how to prepare them in advance. So far I'm planning to bake:
1. Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. This is a favorite of my sister, and I'm going to use my fav recipe from Billy Reece.
2. barefoot contessa's Coconut cupcake. I've heard so much raving about this recipe but I could never find any excuse to use that much fat before. Has any of you tried it? Your thought on it?
3. Spice cake. So far, I'm planning to use Silver Palate's carrot cake since it's my favorite and top it with orange cream cheese frosting.
What I'm asking you is
1. What do you think of my selection? My main hesitation is if they're not diverse enough since both coconut cupcakes and the carrot cake both use cream cheese frosting and coconut ingredients. Plus they all have white frosting that looks similar with similar consistency and taste, although I can add coloring to them. No chocolate because someone will bring it, I'm sure.
2. What's your favorite cake recipe, EVER? Have you tried the recipes I'd use? How did it compare?
3. How should I prepare the cakes? You see, my house is going to be chaotic and I need to go to salon and whatnot, so I have to bake them several days in advance. I know I could freeze the cake, make the icing and ice it the day but I'm afraid that I wouldn't have enough time? Can I bake the cake, frost them and store them for around three days and have them taste good and not soggy? I live in the tropics, so I'd have to refrigerate them right? Can anyone give me any idea how to work this out?
4. Should I bake them in mini muffin tins for mini cupcakes or just use basic square pan and cut them into squares for minimum frosting hassle? For recipes that make 30 cupcakes, how many 8" square pans do I need?
I'm quite an experienced baker but I really would like to keep the hassle minimum. Thanks so much guys.
cut out sugar cookie party favors
HELP!!! My son's bar mitzvah is in 3 weeks and I would like to make party favor cookies for my guests. His theme is snow skiing and I have a great snowflake cookie cutter but no recipe. Could anyone out there share a tried and true cut out cookie dough recipe?? I'm hoping for a really thick cookie like at Cookies By Design. Thanks!!
What brand cocoa powder is most chocolaty for baking?
Every time I bake something that only has cocoa powder in it I find that it doesn't taste chocolaty enough.
I am ready to try making homemade bread!
I am piggybacking on the question of the day. I see lots of people make their own bread. For some reason I have never even considered doing that. It seems too time consuming and hard to get the results you want. But considering that I am fairly confident in my dough "handling" when making pasta, can I take that confidence into bread making? Any tips for an easy start?
Storing cookie dough?
I'm planning on making some chocolate chip cookies but don't want to bake the whole batch at once. Does cookie dough keep well, and for how long?
need a great website for french pastry fomulas
anybody know of one , i had one but i lost the link ..thanks
Levee House Rolls
My first restaurant job was at the Levee House Café in Marietta, Ohio. I got all of my best restaurant insanity stories from that place, partially because of characters who worked there, and partially because I was volatile and young at the time. I broke their refrigerator once because I had a fit and kicked it. This says a lot about both my temper and the state of the refrigerator.
The Levee House is still there, and they are still serving the wonderful bran rolls that keep locals returning. They’re soft and tender and lightly studded with bran. Levee House roll fan Pete Hoffman asked me for the recipe months ago, but it was only now that I made a batch and wrote down the measurements, which, true to restaurant style, were previously vagaries like “fill this pot to here with water” and “get a big blob of Crisco…”
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup wheat bran
- 6 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more or less
PROCEDURE
1. Bring the water to a boil. In a large bowl, use a sturdy wooden spoon to beat the shortening with the sugar and salt until combined. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and stir until the shortening melts.
2. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let sit until the yeast becomes foamy and creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in 4 cups flour, then the bran. Add the eggs, one at a time. Continue stirring in flour, one cup at a time, until you have a sticky, slightly loose dough. Knead with your hands for about three minutes. Dust the top of the dough with flour, cover with a towel, and set aside to rise until the dough doubles, about 2 hours.
3. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. To shape the rolls, gather a blob of dough in floured hands. Flatten it into a rough disc shape. Making a circle with your thumb and first finger, squeeze the disc of dough through this, and pinch it off when you have a ball about the size of a small lemon (2-1/2 to 3 ounces of dough). Repeat with remaining dough, placing rolls on the baking sheet about two inches apart.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in volume, about an hour. Bake until lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and serve. These are heavenly when consumed shortly after they are baked, with a little butter. Makes about 2 dozen. Note: You can either space the rolls a few inches apart so they bake separately, or closer together so they bake like money bread and you have to tear them apart. Both are nice, but if you like crust, choose the former. Also, if you are not a big fan of shortening, substitute a stick of unsalted butter.
