Any Home Bakers Here?

[Sally PB]

You can see the purple in the leaves of the purple potato plant.

Yes! I see it especially when the leaves are small, and when the plant is just coming up.

I have lots of volunteer potatoes this year, and I'd say over half are purples. I plan to let them grow, as they did well last year. I might try the "sneak a tater" move when they bloom, too. I'm ready for some more stuff from the garden. And it's a long time until tomatoes.

 

[R2elk]

I can almost taste the cole slaw.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

that is how I roast chicken or turkey

I bake mine the same way.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I only have one Dutch oven and wanted to make multiple loaves today, so I decided to bake in regular loaf pans. I baked on convection setting for 45 minutes at 400F and put a pan of ice cubes on the bottom rack. The loaves are light and crusty with excellent flavor and are much easier to cut than a round loaf. The slices also fit in the toaster and make good sandwich slices. The flavor is excellent although the loaves are not very pretty. I need bannetons!

 

[cavemanrich]

The flavor is excellent although the loaves are not very pretty.

I think they are CUTE AS HEAVEN

and are much easier to cut than a round loaf.

On that subject I wanted to chime in.
One solution,,, is an Electric knife. It slices things with little effort from the hands.
Second option,, if you do have a round loaf out of the Dutch oven,,, First cut in half. Then set bread on cut side onto board,,,, and slice away downward into half slices.

Then you end up with slices as below.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks, Rich! I have an electric knife. I used it on a round boule bread the other day. I found it hard to control. Some slices came out thick at one end, paper thin at the other! It's also a bit scary. I'm very attached to all my fingers and want to keep it that way! I like your method and may try it, thanks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I ordered some rye flour and caraway seeds from Amazon.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I also ordered...

This:

The Challenger bread pan. It's an inverted Dutch oven. You put your loaves on the flat, pre-heated base along with a couple of ice cubes and then add the top cover and bake for 30 minutes at 450, I believe. Then you remove the cover and lower the heat to 400 just as you would in a regular Dutch oven and finish baking another 15 min.

It's heavy but you only handle it one piece at a time. Much safer than a standard DO. I've burnt my fingers on that more than once and I can only bake one at a time!

And yes, it's pricey. But i'll use it the rest of my life and likely pass it on to a loved one. Check it out at Challengerbreadware.com.

 

[cavemanrich]

Check it out

I did check it out. Agree that it is pricey,,,, but a good item that will last a long time.
I have viewed something similar, but from stoneware. Called a cloche.
Only drawback from me not getting one,,,, Small size. Makes a loaf 3 cups flour.

 

[Sally PB]

I baked a cake to take to Chickenstock 2023 in Lansing, MI tomorrow.

It's a gluten free chocolate cake. Very rich.

8 oz Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking chocolate
8 oz (two sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Butter the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit, put it on the pan bottom, then butter the paper.

Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler. Pour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Mix until combined. Add the eggs and mix again.

Spoon the cocoa powder over the mixture and add about 1/4 cup at a time, mixing after each addition.

Pour into springform pan and bake for 25 minutes at 375F, or until it forms a thin crust on the top. Do not over bake.

Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove the ring. Invert on a plate, then re-invert on a serving plate.