Any Home Bakers Here?

[jnicholes]

-In an Elmer Fudd voice-

Be very very quite, I’m hunting rabbits!

That was a joke. I’m actually back now, I didn’t get anything this morning. Maybe I need to wait until it cools down a little bit.

I actually did some research, and I assume @R2elk may know about this and chime in. Apparently, there is a disease called rabbit fever that rabbits can sometimes have. If you eat an infected rabbit, you could get the disease.

From what I understand, if you harvest a rabbit, you need to look at the liver and check for spots or other unusual stuff. If there is something wrong, like there are spots on the liver, you need to discard the whole rabbit.

I could be wrong. I’m not experienced when it comes to eating rabbits.

 

[R2elk]

-In an Elmer Fudd voice-

Be very very quite, I’m hunting rabbits!

That was a joke. I’m actually back now, I didn’t get anything this morning. Maybe I need to wait until it cools down a little bit.

I actually did some research, and I assume @R2elk may know about this and chime in. Apparently, there is a disease called rabbit fever that rabbits can sometimes have. If you eat an infected rabbit, you could get the disease.

From what I understand, if you harvest a rabbit, you need to look at the liver and check for spots or other unusual stuff. If there is something wrong, like there are spots on the liver, you need to discard the whole rabbit.

I could be wrong. I’m not experienced when it comes to eating rabbits.

Look up tularemia.

 

[jnicholes]

Look up tularemia.

Thank you. I will look it up. Not right now, I’m pretty busy at the moment. Post hunt stuff.

 

[ronott1]

Nice looking bread.

On the subject of yeast,,,, When you proof your yeast,,, make sure your temperature is ideal.. I usually do mine @ 115°F,, Next step,, and I find it quite important for me,,, Add a few tablespoons or more of flour. (just use flour from recipe amount. ( If recipe call for 3 cups, and you added ½ cup to yeast,, then just add 2 ½ cups more to make your dough) I also add some sugar,, but read that it is not all that necessary. Guess its just part of my routine.. Proofing in coffee, instead of water or milk may also be a factor ,,, that your yeast was slow. This is my first try using coffee,, and it worked well,,,,,, but I noticed it was somewhat slower than when I use milk., or water. I am not in any hurry when I'm baking,, so I just let the yeast proof well. You may have read/viewed some of my other postings,, where the yeast really grew huge in my bowl..
When you add flour and a substantial amount to your proofing yeast,,, you actually are increasing amount of yeast as it grows/multiples.

On subject of temperature.
Ron posted the correct temps to want to achieve when done. All my yeast raised breads, and cakes, I always use a thermometer to check for done. A recipe may have time baking suggestions. Here is the catch. Not all ovens will be at temperature we set for... These are home ovens,,, not laboratory grade equipment, Higher temperature = shorter time. Lower temperature = longer time.
Second thing to consider,,, is the size of your bread. Rolls take the shortest time,, since the heat gets to center of roll in shorter time ,,, than a larger round loaf.. A large, but thin loaf will bake quicker than one same weight, but smaller diameter, and taller. It is all about the heat being able to reach the center of bread.
I have baked breads, and they looked nicely tanned. Often times the temptation is to take out of oven,,, That is when I take note of inside temperature. Often it is just @ 170°F or such ,,, That is indication bread needs more time baking.
Overbaking a bread by leaving too long in oven results in bread being somewhat dried out.
Both under baked, and over baked are not ideal,,, That is where the thermometer takes the guesswork out.

You did answer all of the question brilliantly!

To add, rise times can be different based on the age of they yeast, type of yeast, temps in the house and if you add sugar and salt with activating the yeast. Just warm water and yeas for activating regular yeast. Fast acting yeast is a different process but I would recommend 120F water and half of the flour in the recipe. Add the rest of the ingredients after letting the yeast, liquid and flour mix with a paddle mixer for a couple of minutes.

The steakhouse bread recipe also is low on gluten so adding some gluten powder would help with the rise...but it would change the crumb too.

Bread making is a science but also and adventure!

 

[R2elk]

Look up tularemia.

Tularemia

There is another disease that has similar early symptoms. The Bubonic plague is still around and can be passed on from flea bites. The Bubonic plague wipes out prairie dog colonies from time to time.

I had a friend who got it from a flea bite while skinning a bobcat. Fortunately for him, his lady friend at the time was an experienced nurse and insisted they treat him for the plague. If you get tularemia and treat it like it was the plague, you will be fine. If you get the plague and treat it like tularemia, you may die.

It is best to make sure you don't get bit by fleas when handling wild animals.

 

[Happy Novogens]

Nice looking bread.

On the subject of yeast,,,, When you proof your yeast,,, make sure your temperature is ideal.. I usually do mine @ 115°F,, Next step,, and I find it quite important for me,,, Add a few tablespoons or more of flour. (just use flour from recipe amount. ( If recipe call for 3 cups, and you added ½ cup to yeast,, then just add 2 ½ cups more to make your dough) I also add some sugar,, but read that it is not all that necessary. Guess its just part of my routine.. Proofing in coffee, instead of water or milk may also be a factor ,,, that your yeast was slow. This is my first try using coffee,, and it worked well,,,,,, but I noticed it was somewhat slower than when I use milk., or water. I am not in any hurry when I'm baking,, so I just let the yeast proof well. You may have read/viewed some of my other postings,, where the yeast really grew huge in my bowl..
When you add flour and a substantial amount to your proofing yeast,,, you actually are increasing amount of yeast as it grows/multiples.

On subject of temperature.
Ron posted the correct temps to want to achieve when done. All my yeast raised breads, and cakes, I always use a thermometer to check for done. A recipe may have time baking suggestions. Here is the catch. Not all ovens will be at temperature we set for... These are home ovens,,, not laboratory grade equipment, Higher temperature = shorter time. Lower temperature = longer time.
Second thing to consider,,, is the size of your bread. Rolls take the shortest time,, since the heat gets to center of roll in shorter time ,,, than a larger round loaf.. A large, but thin loaf will bake quicker than one same weight, but smaller diameter, and taller. It is all about the heat being able to reach the center of bread.
I have baked breads, and they looked nicely tanned. Often times the temptation is to take out of oven,,, That is when I take note of inside temperature. Often it is just @ 170°F or such ,,, That is indication bread needs more time baking.
Overbaking a bread by leaving too long in oven results in bread being somewhat dried out.
Both under baked, and over baked are not ideal,,, That is where the thermometer takes the guesswork out.

Thank you for that! I proofed my yeast in the coffee (around 115) and added a little of the brown sugar. I did not add flour as you and @ronott1 suggested but that makes total sense, now that I'm also beginning my sourdough starter journey. The flour and water, of course, is all that's needed to make that wild yeast.

I buy yeast in bulk and knew that it was out-of-date but tried to stretch it.

Taking the temp for doneness will be transformative for my future bread baking. I've made my share of unintentionally gooey-centered breads (which I happen to like, lol! though they're not acceptable for company or gifting).

That lovely bread from yesterday is even better today! I was having some as I was typing this. Yum! It very much reminds me of a brown bread recipe that was passed down from my husband's Norwegian/Swedish ancestors.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Hunters are at a higher risk for this disease because of the potential of inhaling the bacteria during the skinning process. It has been contracted from inhaling particles from an infected rabbit ground up in a lawnmower (see below). Tularemia is not spread directly from person to person.

 

[Happy Novogens]

-In an Elmer Fudd voice-

Be very very quite, I’m hunting rabbits!

That was a joke. I’m actually back now, I didn’t get anything this morning. Maybe I need to wait until it cools down a little bit.

I actually did some research, and I assume @R2elk may know about this and chime in. Apparently, there is a disease called rabbit fever that rabbits can sometimes have. If you eat an infected rabbit, you could get the disease.

From what I understand, if you harvest a rabbit, you need to look at the liver and check for spots or other unusual stuff. If there is something wrong, like there are spots on the liver, you need to discard the whole rabbit.

I could be wrong. I’m not experienced when it comes to eating rabbits.

There's another disease that's infecting wild rabbits that is spreading across the US. I do not know if it has any effect on those wanting to consume them. I only know about it from a 'protecting one's pet rabbit' perspective. It's RHVD2. Rabbit Hemorraghic Viral Disease 2.

 

[ronott1]

Thank you for that! I proofed my yeast in the coffee (around 115) and added a little of the brown sugar. I did not add flour as you and @ronott1 suggested but that makes total sense, now that I'm also beginning my sourdough starter journey. The flour and water, of course, is all that's needed to make that wild yeast.

I buy yeast in bulk and knew that it was out-of-date but tried to stretch it.

Taking the temp for doneness will be transformative for my future bread baking. I've made my share of unintentionally gooey-centered breads (which I happen to like, lol! though they're not acceptable for company or gifting).

That lovely bread from yesterday is even better today! I was having some as I was typing this. Yum! It very much reminds me of a brown bread recipe that was passed down from my husband's Norwegian/Swedish ancestors.

I can't wait to make the bread this weekend!

 

[bruceha2000]

Bakers good morning one and all!

The hurricane at a cat 4 is about to make land fall around Cedar Key on the Gulf.

Temperature is in the 80s.

Have a great day!

You are quite in the path, on the "wrong" side. Hopefully no damage to your life nor property. I've heard of high winds and seen videos of damage west of you caused earlier today.