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...then cut and paste this link into your broswer and prepare for a giggle.
http://komplexify.com/epsilon/2009/05/12/the-science-of-the-suckpoint/
I'll be brewing something tasty again shortly...
Cheers!!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Evils of Glass.
Just a short post this time. For once. 
In normal roasting and baking, glass dishes are a Godsend. Nothing much sticks to them and even the most gooey, sticky, fast-and-hot baked dishes are easy to scrub clean. Pyrex is aweosome.
When it comes to baking bread and the like, forget glass.
I tried a new focaccia recipe last night that I want to fine tune before I give it to you. It was very late and I felt so lazy that I didn't reach for my big black baking pan and just used the big glass one which was nearest to hand. Big mistake. Despite oiling it well the focaccia stuck a little all over the place and was a pain to remove without some cracking and little bits being torn off during removal. Less than perfect effort I'm sad to say.
So, give the glass dishes a miss and stick to proper baking pans.
Your mouth will thank you.
In normal roasting and baking, glass dishes are a Godsend. Nothing much sticks to them and even the most gooey, sticky, fast-and-hot baked dishes are easy to scrub clean. Pyrex is aweosome.
When it comes to baking bread and the like, forget glass.
I tried a new focaccia recipe last night that I want to fine tune before I give it to you. It was very late and I felt so lazy that I didn't reach for my big black baking pan and just used the big glass one which was nearest to hand. Big mistake. Despite oiling it well the focaccia stuck a little all over the place and was a pain to remove without some cracking and little bits being torn off during removal. Less than perfect effort I'm sad to say.
So, give the glass dishes a miss and stick to proper baking pans.
Your mouth will thank you.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Bakers Yeast.
When it comes to making bread, rolls and the like your choice of yeast could either make or break the result.
For many years, I've been using Tandaco packaged yeast. It's very convenient in little sealed individual foil packets and it's cheaper than a lot of other baker's yeasts on the market.
Or so I thought.
Recently in the supermarket, I looked at what other yeasts were available and only found one other than my trusty Tandaco. Lowans. I thought that I should chance it, after all it was a package of about 280 grams for about the same price as a dozen sachets of Tandaco - much more yeasty goodness for the money.
I started looking for another yeast as I'm looking for the ultimate soft fluffy white burger bun - similar to a Macdonalds bun but with more texture and slightly firmer - somewhat like a well made Vietnamese baker's bread roll... or at least the illegitimate offspring of the two. I don't like to use more preservatives than a little salt, sugar and olive oil - a vague attempt at healthy eating.
Fingers crossed!
I had a BIG surprise when I used Lowans yeast for the first time a couple of days ago.
Scientific method, simply put, is creating a repeatable set of circumstances - a benchmark if you will - where you alter one variable at a time so that you can see the effect. I used my standard white loaf recipe, but I wanted bread rolls. Prep was the same except that I cut the dough into six pieces for burger buns. The variable was the yeast. Lowans. Two level teaspoons.
What a surprise!
At the first rising, the result was a bit disappointing. The dough ball had risen only to two thirds the size of the Tandaco based recipes.
Undaunted, I punched it down, cut it into six and let the second rise take place.
Wow. All I can say is wow. At 45 minutes into the second rise, the 'buns' were more like giant panini and spreading fast across the baking sheet. I grabbed the lot, gave it a minor punchdown and cut and remade the buns so hopefully they would be taller and stiffer. I did an inverse Kaiserbroetchen fold (pics some other time).
Another 45 minutes rising later I had half a dozen panini maximus trying to escape the baking sheet.
Quick drizzle of olive oil, a spray of water, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a final water spray then into the oven at 185C fan forced for 25 minutes. The result? Slightly crusty, yummy buns for far less than you can buy them from the baker, let alone the supermarket.
Take the time to look into what yeasts are available to you and don't be afraid to experiment.
Happy baking!
For many years, I've been using Tandaco packaged yeast. It's very convenient in little sealed individual foil packets and it's cheaper than a lot of other baker's yeasts on the market.
Or so I thought.
Recently in the supermarket, I looked at what other yeasts were available and only found one other than my trusty Tandaco. Lowans. I thought that I should chance it, after all it was a package of about 280 grams for about the same price as a dozen sachets of Tandaco - much more yeasty goodness for the money.
I started looking for another yeast as I'm looking for the ultimate soft fluffy white burger bun - similar to a Macdonalds bun but with more texture and slightly firmer - somewhat like a well made Vietnamese baker's bread roll... or at least the illegitimate offspring of the two. I don't like to use more preservatives than a little salt, sugar and olive oil - a vague attempt at healthy eating.
Fingers crossed!
I had a BIG surprise when I used Lowans yeast for the first time a couple of days ago.
Scientific method, simply put, is creating a repeatable set of circumstances - a benchmark if you will - where you alter one variable at a time so that you can see the effect. I used my standard white loaf recipe, but I wanted bread rolls. Prep was the same except that I cut the dough into six pieces for burger buns. The variable was the yeast. Lowans. Two level teaspoons.
What a surprise!
At the first rising, the result was a bit disappointing. The dough ball had risen only to two thirds the size of the Tandaco based recipes.
Undaunted, I punched it down, cut it into six and let the second rise take place.
Wow. All I can say is wow. At 45 minutes into the second rise, the 'buns' were more like giant panini and spreading fast across the baking sheet. I grabbed the lot, gave it a minor punchdown and cut and remade the buns so hopefully they would be taller and stiffer. I did an inverse Kaiserbroetchen fold (pics some other time).
Another 45 minutes rising later I had half a dozen panini maximus trying to escape the baking sheet.
Quick drizzle of olive oil, a spray of water, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a final water spray then into the oven at 185C fan forced for 25 minutes. The result? Slightly crusty, yummy buns for far less than you can buy them from the baker, let alone the supermarket.
Take the time to look into what yeasts are available to you and don't be afraid to experiment.
Happy baking!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Cinnamon Rolls - without yeast!
Hello!
Sorry I haven't been around for a while but I've been busy with some other projects and haven't had a lot of time in the kitchen.
However, this morning the urge takes and I want to make something tasty to have with coffee this afternoon. Cinnamon rolls!
Rather than re-inventing the wheel, I want to show you a supreme recipe that looks to really be the business:
http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/04/quick-cinnamon-rolls.html All kudos and praise to the author for this one.
When you look at that recipe, it calls for optional 'cinnamon chips' and 'caramel cookie bits' which I don't think are available here in Australia. They look like a nice addition and could possibly be cloned by making a small batch of soft cookie dough, splitting it and flavouring it appropriately and making small pieces of it (kinda like spaetzle) and adding it into the roll-up.
The bad news? No yeast... but it looks yummy anyway.
Oh - and Happy Frickin' Mothers' Day.
Sorry I haven't been around for a while but I've been busy with some other projects and haven't had a lot of time in the kitchen.
However, this morning the urge takes and I want to make something tasty to have with coffee this afternoon. Cinnamon rolls!
Rather than re-inventing the wheel, I want to show you a supreme recipe that looks to really be the business:
http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/04/quick-cinnamon-rolls.html All kudos and praise to the author for this one.
When you look at that recipe, it calls for optional 'cinnamon chips' and 'caramel cookie bits' which I don't think are available here in Australia. They look like a nice addition and could possibly be cloned by making a small batch of soft cookie dough, splitting it and flavouring it appropriately and making small pieces of it (kinda like spaetzle) and adding it into the roll-up.
The bad news? No yeast... but it looks yummy anyway.
Oh - and Happy Frickin' Mothers' Day.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Fluffy Buns.
OK - I showed you how to make some sturdy buns for a good BBQ and a juicy flame grilled burger - a good firm bun that will stand up to the punishment of a beer fuelled BBQ and lots of food stuffed into a decent bun.
Your next mission, should you decide to accept it, is to make a completely fluffy bun along the lines of a commercial bun.
The bad news? Can't be done. Unless you want to start adding chemistry to it. If that's your goal, I'm sorry to say I can't help you. However, I can get you along the way and still remain true to the goals of good food with few additions.
How?
Easy! Here's how:
If the sweet smell of sesame and oil cooking hot doesn't make you hungry, nothing will.
The light fluffiness of Viet-na-bread and Maccas (Mickey D's, McDonalds, Golden Arches, etc) buns can't be done in a home kitchen as far as I can tell and have experienced.
Apologies for the lack of pics lately, but it's very busy here. I promise I will give you before during and after pics more often.
Take care and happy baking and brewing.
Cheers!!
Your next mission, should you decide to accept it, is to make a completely fluffy bun along the lines of a commercial bun.
The bad news? Can't be done. Unless you want to start adding chemistry to it. If that's your goal, I'm sorry to say I can't help you. However, I can get you along the way and still remain true to the goals of good food with few additions.
How?
Easy! Here's how:
- Use the basic bread recipe from a much earlier post.
- Double the yeast. Two packs of Tandaco or two spoons of your favourite bulk yeast.
- Reduce the water content a little.
- Allow more processing time in your machine. Allow the dough to knead until just before it becomes sticky and gooey. For a regular loaf, usually around two minutes is enough. If you allow perhaps five minutes you will observe the dough becoming stickier. That's about the time to stop, else it will become really gooey and barely movable by your machine's blades.
- Cut the dough into six or eight pieces, sprinkle with olive oil and sesame seeds, spray with water and bake at 180C fan forced for 25 minutes.
If the sweet smell of sesame and oil cooking hot doesn't make you hungry, nothing will.
The light fluffiness of Viet-na-bread and Maccas (Mickey D's, McDonalds, Golden Arches, etc) buns can't be done in a home kitchen as far as I can tell and have experienced.
Apologies for the lack of pics lately, but it's very busy here. I promise I will give you before during and after pics more often.
Take care and happy baking and brewing.
Cheers!!
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