Any Home Bakers Here?

[MotherofOrpies]

I have 14 pieces of cast iron, including cast iron pie pans, loaf pans, a grill pan, Dutch oven, and a biscuit pan. In addition to those, I also have 2 sizes of enameled cast iron Dutch ovens and 2 different sizes of braisers. And I use every single piece almost exclusively. I have a set of non-stick pans but they have limited uses around here. Once you learn to love it (and as a kid I hated it when Ma cooked in her cast iron skillet) it seems like you’ll reach for it again and again!

View attachment 2998285

Aren’t they too heavy?! I do love it, but have trouble handling them cos they are too heavy for me

 

[Blooie]

Aren’t they too heavy?! I do love it, but have trouble handling them cos they are too heavy for me

Yep. They are definitely heavy. But I’m 71 years old with both major and minor health issues, not the least of which is a back so bad that the surgeon says there’s just nothing they can do for me. Yet I manage, even with arthritis in my wrists. There are newer, lighter cast iron pans on the market now but mine are all perfectly seasoned and I guess I’m just used to using them. Besides, those new ones are frightfully priced - I saw one pan for almost $400.00. No thanks!

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Yep. They are definitely heavy. But I’m 71 years old with both major and minor health issues, not the least of which is a back so bad that the surgeon says there’s just nothing they can do for me. Yet I manage, even with arthritis in my wrists. There are newer, lighter cast iron pans on the market now but mine are all perfectly seasoned and I guess I’m just used to using them. Besides, those new ones are frightfully priced - I saw one pan for almost $400.00. No thanks!

I am afraid I will let one of them fall on my feet, I’m not sure I mentioned that I had surgery on both hands a couple of years ago, my strength never really came back, and now I drop a lot of things

 

[Blooie]

I am afraid I will let one of them fall on my feet, I’m not sure I mentioned that I had surgery on both hands a couple of years ago, my strength never really came back, and now I drop a lot of things

Then you might be safer without them. Have you looked into carbon steel? It has a lot of the same properties as cast iron as far as heat distribution and retention at about half the weight.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Then you might be safer without them. Have you looked into carbon steel? It has a lot of the same properties as cast iron as far as heat distribution and retention at about half the weight.

I regularly use stainless steel pots, but for baking still use the iron cast one cos of its quality

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have a wall of cast iron from the ages part is from both of our grandmothers We are 62 other half is 74 I have griddle from Ma cast iron covers two burners.. The stove we bought has 5 burners heavy cast iron top and griddle to use on the middle .. We never take it off ..
Our gas oven is on propane as no natural gas in podunk

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Bakers good morning one and all!

The temperature is 57 and cloudy.

Have a great day!

 

[BullChick]

I can’t find most of the cast iron I own. Until I was sure my husband wasn’t going to return, I kept it all hidden.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm intrigued. Which flour did you use to get it started? I've got recipes for making GF sourdough but they need a lot of flour to start one and I've had to pinch pennies recently.
Given how much more spendy our flours are I've been holding off on trying that.

I grind my most of my own GF flours. I make oat flour in my high speed blender from old fashioned oatmeal, so that is cheap. I found brown rice grinds better in the grain attachment that came with a juicer, so again, cheap.

Unless you don't have a high speed blender. I got one of those years ago, and love it, even though it was $400. The juicer I bought used from a friend, just because it was only $25, a high quality brand, and the grinder was "something that came with it." My blender can't grind the rice quite as well as the juicer. Even so, you can feel a bit of grittiness in the flour, but it disappears when baked.

I feed my SDS (sourdough starter) half oat, half rice flour. The few times I've made actual sourdough bread, I've used some sorghum and tapioca flours with. Still experimenting to get more rise, but the flavor is awesome!

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I grind my most of my own GF flours. I make oat flour in my high speed blender from old fashioned oatmeal, so that is cheap. I found brown rice grinds better in the grain attachment that came with a juicer, so again, cheap.

Unless you don't have a high speed blender. I got one of those years ago, and love it, even though it was $400. The juicer I bought used from a friend, just because it was only $25, a high quality brand, and the grinder was "something that came with it." My blender can't grind the rice quite as well as the juicer. Even so, you can feel a bit of grittiness in the flour, but it disappears when baked.

I feed my SDS (sourdough starter) half oat, half rice flour. The few times I've made actual sourdough bread, I've used some sorghum and tapioca flours with. Still experimenting to get more rise, but the flavor is awesome!

I've thought about trying to mill my own flours, but I spent my kitchen set up budget on other things instead. I love my KA Mixer and my Excalibur, but gosh, a way to mill my own flours would be wonderful.

Recently I bought some large quantities of oatmeal with the hopes of making my own oat flour, but haven't done it yet.
And yeah, I'm with you...flours that sometimes feel gritty often bake up nicely (IMO) so I'm not one of those who needs a certain brand of extra fine white rice flour. I myself prefer the brown rice flours even though they are heavier. They taste better.

Half oat and half rice...interesting. Is that the ratio you started with? Or did you work in the oat flour once you had a good one going?
With all the oatmeal I have around waiting to be cut to oblivion, I could certainly start with a half and half and not cringe so much at the cost.