Any Home Bakers Here?

[N F C]

I have a new problem.
I make chocolate chip bar cookies for my husband's classes occasionally.

I made some this afternoon, and it smelled like something was burning, but dough was still raw so I assumed it was something on the element.
Pulled them out, they looked perfect- but one corner only on the bottom were black. The tops were barely golden.
I asked my husband if it could be the element and he said no. But he doesn't always 'know' what he knows and what he assumes.
Why only half the pan? The rack was in the same place as usual, no change, same pan...?
Can half of an element burn out?
It is a 20 year old oven, It seems like we just got it, but It feels that way with my son too. I am pretty sure we just unpacked the oven and brought the kid home from the hospital. Time flies.

20 years for your something sounds pretty good to me, probably time to replace. Just the oven...not the boy.

 

[3goodeggs]

Before he left tonight I said, "Well that's it. No more baking. I'm done!"
I bet I get a new oven.. and a gas one would be nice.

 

[3goodeggs]

Quote: He's irreplaceable,

but no baked goods in the care packages for a while.

 

[ronott1]

Our neighbors gave us a big batch of over-ripe bananas they didn't want. The chickens got a couple of them, the goats got a couple and I turned the rest into a loaf of banana bread that's almost done baking now. Hope this recipe is better than the ones I've tried in the past. This new one was on the back of the Gold Medal flour bag. Will let you all know how it comes out.

Have you tried my Blue Berry Banana bread recipe?

I just looked it up in the index, it is post 664.

 

[N F C]

I totally forgot the blueberry banana recipe!

But both of us really enjoyed this one (and it tastes even better today).


Best-Ever Banana Bread (Gold Medal recipe)

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 Cups mashed, very ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1/2 Cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 Cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 Cup chopped nuts (optional but I think required)

Heat oven to 350*. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4") loaf pans or 1 (9x5") loaf pans.

In large bowl, mix sugar and butter. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat until smooth.
Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and nuts just until moistened. Pour batter into pans.

Bake 8" loaves 1 hour, 9" loaf 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans to cooling rack.
Cool about 1 hour before slicing.

Note: My 9" loaf was done around 1 hr. 5 minutes so watch the baking time...yours might be
longer or shorter.

 

[N F C]

I have a couple of sourdough starter questions:

When you want to use the refrigerated starter in a recipe, do measure out how much you're going to use and then let it warm on the counter? You don't usually use cold ingredients when baking so it seems like the starter should be room temp...is that right?

Any one have a simple no-fail bread recipe I can try out my starter with for the first time?

 

[sunflour]

I have a couple of sourdough starter questions:

When you want to use the refrigerated starter in a recipe, do measure out how much you're going to use and then let it warm on the counter? You don't usually use cold ingredients when baking so it seems like the starter should be room temp...is that right?

Any one have a simple no-fail bread recipe I can try out my starter with for the first time?

This one turns out quite well, have made it several times but with changes from the original recipe: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/rustic-olive-sourdough-bread-recipe

I use the unfed discard to bake the bread , let it sit out a short while just to get the chill off of it , but you add lukewarm water and that warms it up.

I use a 3.8 oz can of drained slice black olives + 3 TBS of flour and OMIT the Olive Artisan Bread Flour. But have only done a 1/2 batch and used bread machine to mix, rise and bake.
Doing all by hand, I would chop the black olives. And add extra flour if consistency dictates.

 

[sunflour]

Got 2 bushels of Blue Ridge, GA Cameo apples

. The only problem is many are too large to use my apple peeler/corer/slicer thing, so guess will have to use plan B and let DH do the prep work

 

[NCaliChick]

I tell my BF if he wants pie, he gets to peel the apples! He's good about doing my kitchen grunt work

 

[N F C]

Thanks for the tips on a bread recipe and the starter temp @sunflour . I'm getting antsy wanting to try the starter out...I hope it turned out ok, a recipe will help me find out I think.

I like your Plan B, lol!

@NCaliChick looks like the same plan works for you too!