What are you baking now?

[ams3651]

Coconut Custard Pie..... Yumm
My son had a hard time waiting till it cooled, just in time for a bedtime snack

 

[SunnyDawn]

Ok it's late and you all are making me hungry. I can just picture bbq chicken (so well I can almost smell it), coconut pie and brownies!!!

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

OK - need some help - as mentioned earlier I'm just learning to make bread. I made the second batch of English Muffin Bread and it still was not a batter. I watched the milk really close as well as the recipe and I still got a stiff dough and I even added an extra 1/4 of water at the end. Bread seems to have come out OK but does anyone have any suggestions of what I might be doing wrong. I realize that unless you have made the recipe this may be a shot in dark but may be some general tips.

I too wish I had a grandmother or mother-in-law that could help me with making bread. My mother is good with cakes and cookies but never has been a bread maker.

Thanks

Sandee

 

[Patchesnposies]

Sandee,

I have one recipe that sounds like yours, where you heat the liquid and let it cool before mixing in the flour and yeast, then kneading it with the dough hook. It is scrumptious when it turns out light and while still good is dense/heavy when it doesn't.

What I found is I have to watch the amount of flour I use. Because flours can vary in the amount of dryness and is effected by the humidity, etc...the amount of flour you need for any bread recipe can be different than the recipe calls for.

With my recipe it states that the dough should be "wet" but still knead-able by hand, providing I apply grease to my hands so it doesn't stick.

Do you think decreasing the amount of flour called for might help?

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
Exactly!! That is why recipes should always use weights instead of cups! I prefer to weigh my flour because it changes it's consistency daily based on weather, etc. Start getting in the habit of weighing how much flour you put in a recipe and see how it turns out. Then you can always duplicate the end result without the guess work. It really works. Happy Baking!!

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Exactly!! That is why recipes should always use weights instead of cups! I prefer to weigh my flour because it changes it's consistency daily based on weather, etc. Start getting in the habit of weighing how much flour you put in a recipe and see how it turns out. Then you can always duplicate the end result without the guess work. It really works. Happy Baking!!

Yep. This is what I heard too on the many cooking shows I'm addicted to. That weighing flour is really the optimum way to go (though most recipes don't include weights). Good luck!

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Quote:
Exactly!! That is why recipes should always use weights instead of cups! I prefer to weigh my flour because it changes it's consistency daily based on weather, etc. Start getting in the habit of weighing how much flour you put in a recipe and see how it turns out. Then you can always duplicate the end result without the guess work. It really works. Happy Baking!!

OK - now the question is how much does a cup of flour weigh. Guess I could get a chart off the Internet. Also, what is the correct way to measure a cup of flour? I know that might sound silly but on a cooking show they said you should scoop the cup into the flour and level off without tapping it down to pack and not to spoon the flour into the cup just scoop. Maybe that is what I'm doing wrong. You would think that with all my years of cooking and being considered a gourmet cook by friends and family I wouldn't have these questions. But then again baking is a much more precise process of weights and measures.

Sandee

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Actually, you are probably a fantastic cook because you continue to ask questions and strive for excellence in whatever you are making. Keep up the good work!

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
Exactly!! That is why recipes should always use weights instead of cups! I prefer to weigh my flour because it changes it's consistency daily based on weather, etc. Start getting in the habit of weighing how much flour you put in a recipe and see how it turns out. Then you can always duplicate the end result without the guess work. It really works. Happy Baking!!

OK - now the question is how much does a cup of flour weigh. Guess I could get a chart off the Internet. Also, what is the correct way to measure a cup of flour? I know that might sound silly but on a cooking show they said you should scoop the cup into the flour and level off without tapping it down to pack and not to spoon the flour into the cup just scoop. Maybe that is what I'm doing wrong. You would think that with all my years of cooking and being considered a gourmet cook by friends and family I wouldn't have these questions. But then again baking is a much more precise process of weights and measures.

Sandee

A cup of flour will weigh differently on different days. That's the problem. I always use a large spoon and scoop the flour into the cup. I find when you scoop the flour with the cup it will compact and you will get more (weight wise) into the cup.

I've been baking forever and the only advise I can give (if you want the same result every time) is make the recipe but weigh the flour and write it down. In other words, recipe calls for 5 cups flour - measure out and weigh it then write it down. If your bread comes out the way you want, next time you will know the weight used and it will always duplicate the end result. It takes practice but well worth it.

Another option is to google recipes from overseas because they almost always include weights.

 

[TipsyDog]

DragonFly: Just wanted to add that there are many websites world wide that have great recipes. You just have to search in English speaking countries. Also, notice that they always include weights overseas.

An example:

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/1490/pain-de-campagne.aspx