rec.food.baking FAQ
B. Keith Ryder
Hi all,
I've been sitting on this for a while, mostly because I got horrendously
busy after the last post and ignored it for a long while. I've had
the chance to incorporate a number of the suggestions and add some
new content. There are still unfinished sections, but I thought I'd
get it out again for comments and as a reference document.
As always, helpful suggestions, corrections, and contributions of
information are greatly appreciated.
=========
Document Title: Rec.food.baking Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List
LAST UPDATED 5 FEBRUARY 1997
WHAT'S DIFFERENT: Gosh, lots of stuff. Too much to list, really.
Several folks sent corrections (both minor and major), and some
new information. Plus I've gleaned some new info from r.f.b,
and there are a couple of new sections. It's still not complete,
and I hope will always be growing and changing, but let's hope
future revisions won't have to be so extensive. I've also received
some good advice on formatting, but I haven't incorporated that yet.
Right now I'm still battling the content. When that's more under
control, I'll worry about mooshing it around to look different.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
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| substantial part (unless you are the original author) for profit |
| is explicitly denied. Permission to distribute free of charge or |
| with charges only to cover the cost of reproduction is granted, |
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The primary purpose of this document is to provide a core of information
pertinent to bakers. The types of questions answered are typical of
the questions that appear frequently in the rec.food.baking Usenet
group. This document tries to provide answers to a core set of
those questions as well as pointers to other sources of information
both on and off the Internet.
If you haven't already done so, now is as good a time as any to read
the guide to Net etiquette which is posted to news.announce.newusers
regularly. You should be familiar with acronyms like FAQ, FTP and
IMHO, as well as know about smileys, followups and when to reply by
email to postings.
This FAQ was initially assembled by B. Keith Ryder (bke...@netcom.com),
with the help of numerous contributions by readers of rec.food.cooking
and rec.food.baking. Credits follow submissions and quoted text.
Each section begins with forty dashes ("-") on a line of their own,
then the section number. This should make searching for a specific
section easy.
Any questions you have that are not addressed here will surely be
answered by someone on rec.food.baking -- try posting and see.
Comments, corrections and changes to: B. Keith Ryder (bke...@netcom.com)
----------------------------------------
Contents
I Introduction
II Bread
A. Yeast breads
B. Chemical-rising breads
III Cakes, Muffins, Quickbreads
IV Cookies & Bars
V Brownies
VI Pies & Tarts
VII Pizza, Focaccia, Specialty Breads
VIII Ingredients
A. Flours
B. Sugars
C. Leavening
1) Yeast
2) Baking Soda and Baking Powder
3) Misc
D. Fats
IX Equipment
A. Ovens
B. Cookware
C. Bread Machines
D. Appliances
E. Other
X Misc
A. Charter for rec.food.baking
B. Net resources
1) Newsgroups
2) Web sites
3) FTP sites
4) Other FAQs
C. Vendors of interest
D. Books and other References
E. Glossary
----------------------------------------
I Introduction
Typographical notations
Temp is in degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius and is notated
nnF (nnC).
Quotes from the readership of rec.food.baking and
rec.food.cooking are attributed with the author's
name and email address following the quote. In some
cases minor editing has occurred for formatting or to
correct spelling, etc.
----------------------------------------
II Bread
A. Yeast breads
What is meant by the term "crumb"?
"Crumb is the inside of the bread (i.e., what is not the crust).
You can change the crumb by the ingredients in the bread -- milk,
buttermilk, gluten content, type of flour (white vs. whole wheat,
rye), other grains (eg. oatmeal), fat, type of sweetener (sugar
vs. honey), eggs, potatoes, and so on, and the mixing and rising.
You can experiment with white bread -- try making a French bread,
then a 'regular' white which unlike the French has milk in it --
and see what happens! It's amazing what a small difference in
the ingredients will do sometimes."
- Sue M. Ford (s...@nyc.pipeline.com)
What's the recipe/method for Amish Friendship Bread?
NOTE: multiple versions of this recipe abound with
minor variations.
"Coming at you from Lancaster County! Home of some of the
Amish population. I am giving you the needed starter recipe
as well as a version of the bread that my friends and I
enjoy very much...
* Exported from MasterCook *
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 c unbleached flour
2 c warm water
1 pkg yeast
2 c milk
2 c unbleached flour
2 c sugar
DAY 1: In glass or ceramic bowl, mix first 3 ingredients
thoroughly. Leave it at room temperature, uncovered.
DAYS 2,3,4: Stir well with a wooden spoon.
DAY 5: Stir and add 1 c milk, 1 c flour, 1 c sugar.(Feeding
the starter)
DAYS 6,7,8: Stir well with a wooden spoon.
DAY 9: Repeat DAY 5
DAYS 10,11: Stir well.
DAY 12: Ladle 1 c starter into each of 4 glass jars, cover &
refrigerate. Use one to make bread now, save one for
later, and give the other 2 to 2 friends. If you do
not use on day 12, add 1 tsp sugar & refrigerate. Date
the jars and every 10 days feed the starter as in DAY 5.
Leave at room temp for 2 days then bake or divide.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* Exported from MasterCook *
Amish Friendship Bread
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Wet Ingredients
1 cup oil or (applesauce for low fat)
1/2 cup milk (skim will work)
3 eggs (6 egg whites or egg substitute to
cut fat)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Dry Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 ounces instant vanilla pudding (may use fat free)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Put 1 cup starter in a large bowl and add wet ingredients.
Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into 2 large
well-greased loaf pans that have been coated with 2 T of
sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. sprinkle extra cinnamon and sugar
on top. Bake at 325F (170C) for one hour. For low fat version
you will have to bake a little longer, check at one hour and
every 5-10 minutes after, until done.
NOTES : You may use any/all suggestions to lower fat content.
Do not refrigerate starter and do not use a metal
spoon. Also try adding raisins or apples instead of
nuts for a lower fat bread."
- Jeanine (bea...@prolog.net)
"Here is the recipe for the starter and bread that I have.
I've heard that some people leave out the yeast when they
make theirs.
[recipe snipped]
Notes from me: I've found that you don't need to actually
make this in a 10 day process. You just need to have at
least 1 cup for the recipe and 1 cup to keep the starter
going. I keep a "pot" on the counter and give it a big
stir on Wednesday. Friday night I add the milk, flour and
sugar. Saturday I bake. If I want to make a double batch
(4 loaves), I add milk, flour and sugar on Wednesday as well.
Good variations are:
1. Substitute pistachio pudding for the vanilla pudding,
leave out the vanilla and use chocolate chips instead of
raisins.
2. Substitute chocolate pudding for the vanilla pudding.
Use chocolate chips instead of raisins.
3. Chop up apple and put it in the batter.
4. Use banana pudding instead of vanilla pudding."
- Ruth Evans (rev...@ccubb.com)
What's the purpose of a wash on bread and rolls?
"Here's a list of what to use:
Wash Use
==== ===
Whole egg and water Shine and color
Whole egg and milk Shine and color with a soft crust
Egg white and water Shine with a firm crust
Water Crisp crust
Flour Texture and contrast
Milk or Cream Color with a soft crust
From the book - On Cooking, Techniques from Expert Chefs
by Sarah R. Labensky & Alan M. Hause"
- Sandy Gamble (s...@indirect.com)
What is a "dough conditioner?"
"Stated simply, yeast thrives in a mildly acidic environment.
A little lemon juice, crystalline citric acid, powdered ascorbic
acid or like mild, edible acid will make the yeast more active.
Most bread booster products contain citric or ascorbic acid for
that reason."
- Joel Ehrlich (Joel.E...@salata.com)
Do I need to scald milk for use in bread dough?
"From 'On Food and Cooking', by Harold McGee:
Milk must be scalded--at 198 deg F (92 deg C) for
1 minute, or 185 deg F (85 deg C) for 7 minutes--before
being used in doughs; this heat treatment apparently
alters milk serum proteins that otherwise interact
with flour proteins to produce a weak, 'slack' dough.
(The milk must be cooled before mixing to avoid damaging
the yeast.)
From 'Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book', by Laurel Robertson:
Doughs made with milk tend to be a trifle sticky, but
even so, when used properly, milk makes life easier
for the baker because it increase the length of time
that the dough is ready to shape and bake, giving more
leeway in timing. In addition, yeast is stimulated by
milk, and one of milk's proteins, casein, strengthens
the gluten so the bread can rise higher. It's important,
though, to scald fresh milk because that protects the
dough from two other milk proteins that would otherwise
inhibit its rise.
Pasteurized milk has been heated already, it's true,
but this low-temperature process is not enough to
denature the gluten-weakening proteins. When you
scald milk, skin forming on top signals that it has
reached the required temperature: it is then ready to
cool and use in your bread. (Scalding is not so important
when the proportion of milk to other liquids in the
recipe is half or less.)
Some of my bread recipes call for half milk and half water
and I've found Laurel's last parenthetical remark to hold true."
- Sandy Fifer <sa...@chinook.halcyon.com>
B. Chemical-rising breads
[Section yet to be written]
----------------------------------------
III Cakes, Muffins, Quickbreads
What's the difference between a cake and a torte?
"A torte is a cake in which ground nuts or bread crumbs
replace all or part of the flour."
- Phoebe Natkiel (quid...@usa.pipeline.com)
"I'm not sure that the word "torte" has a clear definition.
I think I've heard it defined as a flourless cake, but
different uses abound. Here's a bit on torte vs. cake from
Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts with unmarked deletions:
The difference between a torte and a cake is not clear.
Experts differ in their definitions. Basically torte
is a European word meaning cake, and, as many European
cakes are made without flour, a torte is often defined
as a cake without flour.
But it's all very complicated, especially as many classic
torte recipes do call for flour. And many classic
desserts called tortes are really neither cakes nor
tortes. Linzer Torte, for example, is really a tart
or a European pie."
- Adrian Mariano <adr...@cam.cornell.edu>
Why is my cake falling?
"My first thought was that either your baking powder was out
of date or you were using too much of it, but since you say
this occasionally occurs with mixes too that can't be it.
Have you moved recently, say top a higher altitude? If
you're not adjusting for this it could be the cause of your
problems.
Do you have an oven thermometer? Perhaps your oven is not
keeping a constant temperature.
How often do you check for doneness? Opening the oven door
too much or too long could cause your cakes to fall.
More importantly, when are the cakes falling? The previous
suggestions are only relevant if they're falling while still
in the oven. If they fall after you take them out then the
problem is pretty much guaranteed to be that you're not baking
them long enough. Cakes are done when a tester inserted near
the center comes out clean and they bounce back when touched
lightly in the center."
- Jennifer Davis (g912...@mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA)
"Cakes falling can be caused by:
Too much shortening or sugar
Too much or too little liquid
Temperature too low
Old or too little baking powder
Pan too small
Oven door opened frequently
Added incorrect type of oil to cake mix
Added additional cake ingredients to cake mix or recipe"
- Mary Ash (sm...@owens.ridgecret.ca.us)
How do I bake a layer cake so the top comes out level?
"I like a slightly rounded top on my layer cakes,
and put the bottom layer upside down."
- June Oshiro (idle...@eden.rutgers.edu)
"If you are going to decorate a cake, you must first level
the top by cutting off the rounded top with a serrated
knife. You can also "torte" the cake by cutting through
the cake horizontally, remove the top half, put in some
type of filling, replace top half and decorate as normal."
- Michael W. Adams (khe...@warwick.net)
"Strips of terry toweling, dampened,wrapped, and pinned
around the pan will keep it level. In anything more than
a 9" pan, lower the temp 25 deg."
- Barb Schaller (Schall...@htc.honeywell.com)
"Here's my 2 cents worth, and it may count for something
since I used to sell a lot of cakes. I always bake my
layers with Magi-Cake Strips (or similar brand) to keep
them perfectly level. Cake ends up humped in the middle
because the batter next to the pan walls gets hotter
faster, so bakes and sets faster than the middle of the
cake. The middle of the cake can keep on rising long
after the sides of the cake are set. The Magi-Cake strips
keep the pan walls, and therefore the batter next to the
pan walls, cooler, just like the batter in the center of
the pan. So all the batter cooks and sets at the same
rate. So the cake is perfectly level. Buy the strips
at craft and cake stores, sometimes in kitchen supply
places. Soak the strips in a bowl of cool water while
you're making the batter. Slightly wring them out,
leaving enough water to almost be dripping out the
ends. Wrap around the pan and fasten with the long
pins enclosed. Bake as usual. You will be the envy
of all the hump-caked people around you!"
- Jody Cline (cli...@airmail.net)
How do I prevent my cheesecake from cracking?
"Mix your ingredients at a slow speed only for as long as
necessary to combine. You want to avoid too much air in the
mixture."
- Curt Pendergrass (cu...@netcom.com)
"If it is cracking during the cooking, I can think of three
things to look at.
1. Temperature of the oven. If I have a very fragile batch I
use a 300F (150C) oven. Otherwise 350F (180C).
2. Amount in pan. If you overfill you stand much more chance
of the rise cracking.
3. Amount of water. I bring the water to almost the fill level
of the pan. Cracking is almost entirely a thing of the past.
I use a water bath not a steam bath. Put your cake pans in
the water."
- F. H. Harris (FHHA...@delphi.com)
"Another suggestion is to cool the cake in the springpan.
I refrigerate it overnight before I remove the cheesecake. Also,
I bake it at 300F (150C) for 45 minutes, leave in oven with
heat turned off another 15 minutes, and then I turn the
broiler on to lightly brown the top. Watch it carefully at
this stage because it only takes a few seconds! I haven't had
a split cheesecake in years. When I did, strawberry topping
always worked to hide the 'quake'."
- Barb (bj...@vms.cis.pitt.edu)
How do I adjust baking times for different pan sizes?
"My favourite baking book lists the following chart to
help with 'pick-a-pan' cakes. This was for creamed
cakes only - I don't know how well other types would
adapt. Hope someone finds it helpful!
Pan Size Estimated time (350F/180C)
Two 8 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pans 35-40 minutes
two 9 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pans 30-35 minutes
two 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pans 20-35 minutes
two 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pans 25-35 minutes
one 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan 30-35 minutes
one 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan 25-30 minutes
cupcakes (1/2 full of batter) 18-23 minutes
(Taken from Better homes and gardens home style baking.)
- Dani Kokkarinen <k13...@proffa.cc.tut.fi>
What sort of icing should I use?
[Ed. note -- this is a large topic and probably deserves a
FAQ of its own. I've composed a basic discussion of icing
types that could be greatly expanded, not that I'm volunteering.
Any help with omissions and oversights will be appreciated. BKR]
There are a tremendous number of standard methods for topping
cakes. The major reasons for icing are: 1) taste,
2) appearance, and 3) preserving freshness. Although every
type of icing will contribute in some way to each of the
above reasons, each icing has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Following is a brief discussion of the most popular icing
varieties:
Dry Dusting
A quick and easy way to create a delicate effect is to
sift a bit of confectioner's sugar or cocoa powder over
a finished cake. Since the dusting covers very little
and adds little in terms of taste, the cake should be
attractive and flavorful by itself. Poundcakes, tarts
and jelly rolls are good candidates for this type of
topping.
Glaze
Also quite quick, glazes are made in a number of ways. One
method consists of mixing confectioner's sugar with water,
juice, or milk to reach the consistency of melted chocolate.
The glaze is then lightly drizzled over the cake. As with
dry dusting, a glaze typically doesn't fully cover a cake
and so the cake should be attractive and free of imperfections.
Boiled Frosting
Typically whipped egg whites with hot (soft-ball stage) sugar
syrup added slowly, then beaten till cooled and thick enough
to spread. [Ed. note -- I have a note that this can break
down overnight, but I'm not sure I believe it.
Anyone have experience/opinions on this? BKR]
Traditional (Mousseline) Buttercream
Beaten eggs or egg whites with hot (soft-ball stage) sugar
syrup added, and then softened butter beaten in a little
at a time until thick and creamy. Time-consuming to make,
but yields a superior product in terms of taste, appearance,
and workability. Spreads well and can be used for piping
borders and simple flowers. Probably would not work well for
piped roses.
Quick Buttercream
Faster to make than traditional buttercream, but yields a
heavier product that can be fussy to work with. Softened
butter (with or without the addition of vegetable shortening)
mixed with confectioner's sugar until stiff and spreadable.
Suitable for icing cakes and piping borders.
A variant of this is cream cheese frosting in which up to
half of the butter is replaced by cream cheese for flavor.
Decorator's Buttercream
Like quick buttercream, except that 50-100% of the butter is
replaced by vegetable shortening. Sometimes called
"Criscocream" to disginguish from buttercream (Crisco is
a popular American brand of vegetable shortening). Since
shortening has a higher melting point, decorator's buttercream
will withstand considerable handling and stands up well
when piping difficult flowers and figures. Often used on
cakes in combination with traditional or quick buttercream
for flavorful icing with intricate piped decorations.
Royal Icing
A simple mixture of egg whites (or reconstituted albumen
powder or meringue powder) and powdered sugar, beaten
stiff, royal icing spreads and pipes well and dries
very hard. In America, it is typically used for piped
flowers and accents, while traditional English wedding
cakes are covered with royal icing to give perfectly
smooth surfaces and sharp corners.
Ganache
Typically just a mixture of chocolate and heavy cream,
ganache is often used to pour over a finished cake
(on a rack), completely covering it and forming a sort
of shell as it sets up. The cake is then moved from
the rack to the serving platter. Ganache used in
this manner will make a smooth, glossy surface which
will retain its shine for 24 hours or so.
Poured Fondant
Typically a hot (soft-ball stage) sugar syrup cooled to
workable temperature and then poured over cakes. Often
used, either plain white or with pastel tints, on petit
fours. Makes a smooth coating which sets with a satiny
finish.
Rolled Fondant (Sugarpaste)
British (I think) in origin, rolled fondant is not widely
used in the U.S., although it is becoming popular with
decorators. Versatile and attractive (it has a matte,
almost satiny appearance), sugarpaste is used to create
sometimes spectacular decorating results. Almost
flavorless (usually just sweet), it is often used in
conjunction with apricot glaze, marzipan, or buttercream
for added flavor.
Marzipan
A paste made with ground almonds and sugar, marzipan is
used for covering cakes (with or without an additional
layer of sugarpaste), and for molding of edible miniature
fruits and flowers.
----------------------------------------
IV Cookies & Bars
How do I keep cookies crisp?
"As far as cookies losing crispness quickly, try using
superfine sugar. If you do not want to pay for it, put
it [regular granulated sugar] in a food processor and give
it a few whirls.....not as fine as superfine, but breaks it
down a bit. How one creams butter and sugar does matter.
Sugar must be evenly diffused throughout and finer sugar
makes it easier.
Sugar is anhydrous. If crystals are not dispersed
sufficiently so they melt, they do not become part of
another chemical compound when baked, and so will absorb
humidity more easily. Recall what leaving a lollipop out
on a counter will do even if it starts out dry. Surface
can become sticky, gloppy, and moist without human hands
or mouth touching it."
- Phoebe Natkiel (quid...@usa.pipeline.com)
Some tips and terms on cookies:
A nice article on cookies in the Washington Post Food section
of 10/30/96 (Variations of a Chip, by Marcy Goldman) offered
some nice looking recipes and some good advice. The tips are
particularly informative, so here are the two sidebars
to the Post article.
Sidebar 1: DEFINING THE TEXTURE TERMS
The texture of something is a very subjective experience.
One person's "soft" is another person's "caky," and yet
another's "chewy" or "doughy." "Crisp" is less ambiguous
and generally means just that. For argument's sake, let's
assume soft to be a cookie with a slightly caky, fudgy center.
Chewy means a cookie with a slightly plastic, flexible
texture -- there should be some resistance when you break
or fold this cookie in half. How cookie dough is treated
(mixed, chilled or not, pressed down before baking, etc.)
affects the final texture but so do the main ingredients.
Although all ingredients, major and minor, play an important
part in the finished cookie, two ingredients in particular
can greatly alter the taste and texture of a homemade cookie:
FATS: Fats help "spread" and tenderize dough. Unsalted
butter offers the best flavor. Shortenings contribute a
very crisp, short, sometimes crumbly texture more often
associated with commercial cookies. Shortenings also
have a higher burning temperature than butter, making
them a more stable fat. A combination of butter and
shortening sometimes offers the best of both worlds:
a buttery tasting cookie that doesn't "fry" on the
baking sheet the way an all-butter cookie would.
The use of shortening alone, however, produces a
cookie that is all texture, no taste.
SWEETENERS: Sweeteners help "spread", add flavor,
lend texture and tenderness to cookie crumb, and
assist in browning of product. Sugar also helps
retain moisture (liquid sweeteners are hygroscopic
-- water-loving and, thus, using them helps a cookie
retain its chewy texture once baked and cooled).
White sugar contributes a neutral sweetness. Brown
sugars add a caramelized flavor. Corn syrup can add
spreading attributes while reducing the overall sweetness.
Honey can also replace some of the granular sugar but
offers a unique bouquet you may or may not want in
the baked cookie (white or regular corn syrup would
be a better choice), but it also helps the cookie
brown faster. If you are using shortening alone (as
opposed to butter) in a cookie, a little bit of
honey would help color the dough.
Sidebar 2: A TIP SHEET: THINGS NO ONE EVER TOLD
YOU ABOUT BAKING COOKIES
. If you have inexpensive, single-layer baking sheets,
stack two together and use as one sheet, especially when
using them on the bottom rack of the oven. The extra
insulation will keep the cookie bottoms from burning before
the tops finish browning.
. To make soft and/or chewy cookies, change the sugar
in the recipe to a liquid sweetener such as honey, corn
syrup or molasses. You can experiment substituting about
1 to 3 tablespoons of liquid sweetener at a time (decreasing
the granular sugar by the same amount). Too much substitution,
however, will alter the liquid balance in the recipe.
. To make soft and/or chewy cookies, you can also reduce
the baking soda or baking powder slighly in a recipe.
Leavening agents give cookes a cakier, more aerated texture,
so reducing the leavener produces a lower, flatter cookie
that can seem chewier.
. Pay attention to temperature. Incorporating ingredients
into a batter is best accomplished at room temperature.
But then, very soft doughs are handled more easily if
chilled briefly first.
. If you want a thin cookie that has a lot of spread,
a room-temperature dough is the way to go. A greased
baking sheet (or greased parchment paper) further encourages
spread, as does pressing the dough down slighly before baking.
. If you want to avoid spread (but not change your basic
recipe) use chilled dough and an ungreased cookie sheet, and
do not press the cookie dough down before baking. Doughs that
are too fresh or too soft may spread since the fats in them
may still be quite warm when just mixed.
. Incidentally, unbleached all-purpose flour is recommended
for the best spread on cookies. Bleached or chlorinated
flours reduce spread.
. Using parchment or baking paper results in cookies with
an even, rolled edge that is more professional looking. A
lightly greased baking sheet results in cookies with thinner,
more uneven and homier edges.
. For slightly raised or puffier cookies, bake in the upper
third of the oven. For thinner, crisper cookies, bake in
the lower third.
. Regular chocolate chips retain their shape when baked.
Chopped chocolate bars (that have not been tempered for
baking) tend to melt and ooze effectively.
. You can easily double or even qradruple cookie doughs and
freeze the dough in logs, Pillsbury-style, for bake-a-thons
up to six months later. Freeze dough in large, flattened
discs or, if you a really ambitious, in individual scoops
(use a miniature ice-cream scooper). Wrap the discs in wax
paper or baking parchment. Freeze individual scoops on a
baking sheet till they're frozen hard (the way you freeze
berries), then place in a resealable plastic freezer bag.
. Most cookies retain their flavors better if stored in a
cookie jar or a tin in the fridge. Also, most cookie dough
recipes can benefit from an extra teaspoon of vanillla extract.
. Cookie batter, after creaming the fat, sugar and eggs,
often will look curdled. To remedy this, stir in a few
tablespons of the flour in the recipe to bind the batter,
then proceed as directed.
----------------------------------------
V Brownies
[Section yet to be written]
----------------------------------------
VI Pies & Tarts
What's the difference between a pie and a tart?
"A tart is not unlike a pie except that it can stand free, the
crust as container empty as well as filled."
- Phoebe Natkiel (quid...@usa.pipeline.com)
How can I use my food processor for pie dough?
"If you're using solid shortening or butter, freeze
[1-inch] lumps of it before processing. Food processors,
because of their speed, tend to warm up ingredients in
the bowl. It's important to have everything quite cold...even
the dry ingredients (they can be put in the freezer, too).
When processing to cut shortening into flour mixture, always
use the 'pulse' control and check frequently to insure that
you're not processing it too much. The texture, before adding
liquid, should resemble *very* coarse cornmeal or even larger,
with some pieces as large as peas. Likewise, when adding
liquid, "pulse" very carefully, not more than one second at
a time, until liquid is incorporated. Contrary to what many
food processor instructions say, do *not* process until
the mixture forms a ball, but only until well incorporated.
Then turn out into large mixing bowl and press mixture
together gently with your hands. This should produce a
tender crust.
You might try the following recipe, which I use for either
hand-made or processor-made pie dough...
Traditional Shortcrust Pastry
2-2/3 cups all-purpose or pastry flour
1 cup vegetable shortening (or half shortening/half butter)
1 teaspoon salt
6-8 tablespoons ice water
Combine dry ingredients. Cut shortening (or
shortening/butter) into dry ingredients. If making
by hand, sprinkle ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time,
over flour/shortening mixture, tossing each time with
fork until water has been evenly incorporated. (If
using food processor, sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice
water over flour/shortening mixture. Pulse in 1-second
intervals until water is incorporated. If it "feels"
too dry and a small amount of mixture doesn't not clump
when pinched together, add remaining 2 tablespoons ice
water.) At that point, for either method, gently press
dough together to form a ball or mass. Divide dough
into halves and pat into disks about 1" thick. Wrap
in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate about
1/2 hour before rolling out.
Please Note: Regardless of the method used, the amount
of ice water may vary depending on room temperature and
humidity. In some cases, the amount of water may need
to be increased slightly from the amount in the recipe."
- <rd3...@ix.netcom.com>
"I've used these a lot for apple pies. They're from
New Recipes for the Cuisinart by James Beard and Carl Jerome.
VERY SHORT PASTRY
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. frozen butter, cut into 1 T. pieces
1 egg
1 T. heavy cream
1 t. salt
With the metal blade in place, add flour, butter, egg,
cream and salt to beaker of food processor. Process,
turning on and off rapidly for 15 seconds. Continue
processing until ball of dough forms on blades. Chill
1/2 hour. For a very flaky pastry, roll then fold in
thirds as you would a letter. This is the same folding
used in classic puff pastry. Repeat, rolling out and
folding into thirds 2 more times. Chill at least 1
hour before using. Makes two 8 or 9-inch pastry shells.
The next recipe is very rich and egg-like, soft but not flakey.
RICH TART PASTRY
2 C. all-purpose clour
3/4 C. frozen butter, cut in 1 T. pieces
3 T. sugar
3 hard-cooked egg yolks
1 egg
1-1/2 T grated lemon peel
1 T. cold water
1/2 t. salt
With metal blade in place, add flour, butter, sugar,
egg yolks, egg, lemon peel, water and salt to beaker
of food process. Process, turning on and off rapidly,
for 15 seconds. Continue processing until ball of
dough forms on blades. Makes two 8 or 9-inch tart
pastry shells.
- <sis...@praxis.net>
----------------------------------------
VII Pizza, Focaccia, Specialty Breads
How do I make pizza crust?
"2 cups warm water
1 Tbl. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbl. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
bread flour
In dough-mixing mixer with flat beater:
Dissolve yeast in water. Add salt and sugar. Add enough
flour to form a paste. Add olive oil. Add enough flour
till dough pulls away from side of bowl. Switch to dough
hook. Knead, adding more flour if necessary. Avoid adding
more than necessary, as you will get a tough dough that
will be hard to stretch.
Divide dough in two, set on a cutting board and cover with
an inverted bowl. Let rise until doubled. Form pizza by
patting and pulling dough. Do not roll, as you will force
all the bubbles from the dough. If you must roll it, allow
it to rise for a while before adding sauce and toppings.
Sprinkle corn meal on the peel and transfer the pizza to
the peel. Add sauce and toppings and slide onto stone which
as been preheated at 450F (230C) for at least one hour."
- Rick Marinelli (Ri...@mnsinc.com)
"According to a great pizza recipe book I bought (by James
McNair), the New York variation of basic pizza dough is:
1 cup warm (110F-115F, 45C) water
1 envelope (tablespoon; 1/4-oz) active dry yeast
3-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Note that there's no sugar or oil. Using this recipe I'm
getting closer and closer to the gen-u-wine New York pizza
crust."
- Rich Shepard (rshe...@teleport.com)
How do I shape pizza crust?
"I saw this on an episode of In Julia's Kitchen with Master
Chefs on PBS):
Go ahead and knead your dough as you normally would,
and let it rise once. Knead again, to get rid of air
bubbles, divide into however many pieces and shape into
balls. The chef on the TV show shaped the dough by sort
of pulling the sides of the "blob" down and tucking everything
underneath. It seems to be a lot easier to shape it if you
have a round ball when you start. Let these rise until double.
Don't punch the dough down when you go to shape it. Dust
your fingers lightly with flour, and press the dough with
your fingertips--go down the middle and then up the sides.
This will flatten the dough into a circular shape, but it
won't burst all of air bubbles in there. Do this until the
dough won't spread out anymore (you can flip it over a couple
of times, if it helps). Then, pick up the circle, and gently
stretch it, from the middle to the edges. You have to have
done a really good job of kneading, or it will tear at this
point. When the chef on Julia's show was done, he had maybe
an 8 inch round that was practically see-through in the center.
(He was aiming for a thin, crispy crust.)
We usually take a recipe that would make about two loaves of
bread, and make three pizzas from it--one small/medium for each
of us, and one larger one for pan pizza. We can usually stretch
the dough to between 8-12 inches in diameter. It depends on
the day, and how much time I spent kneading. It works okay for
us, because our pizza stone is only about 14", anyway.
Lots of people roll their dough out, instead of stretching it.
I have a hard time rolling evenly, so this way works better for
me. Hope it helps you out."
- Janet S Myers (jsmy...@pitt.edu)
----------------------------------------
VIII Ingredients
A. Flours
The following information on flours is distilled from ON
FOOD AND COOKING by Harold McGee.
1) Types of wheat
Three basic kinds of wheat are grown today. The
distinguishing factor is "hardness", a measure of protein
content. Hard wheat grains break up into large chunks of
protein with relatively little free starch and form a
strong gluten, and are therefore preferred for bread.
Soft wheats, with their high starch content, develop
a weak gluten and are made into cake and pastry flours,
meant for products which are tender and crumbly. Durum
is the hardest kind of what grown, and is too hard
for bread dough, which must have some give to it. It
is usually milled into semolina which is used to
make the stiff doughs used for dried pastas. All-purpose
flour is a blend of hard and soft flours meant for
use in a wide range of foods.
FLOUR COMPOSITIONS
(PERCENT)
Flour Protein Starch
----- ------- ------
Whole Wheat 13.3 71.0
Semolina 12.3 73.5
Straight hard (Bread) 11.8 74.5
All-purpose 10.5 76.1
Straight soft (Pastry) 9.7 76.9
Cake 7.5 79.4
2) Bleaching and Aging
After flour has been ground and blended to achieve
the desired mix of protein and starch, it is treated
chemically to accomplish in minutes what otherwise
takes weeks. Bleaching removes the light yellow
color caused by xanthophylls. The color has no
practical or nutritional significance and is oxidized
simply to obtain uniform whiteness. Bleaching does,
however, destroy the small amounts of Vitamin E in
flour. For historical reasons, yellow coloration is
valued in pasta, so semolina is never bleached.
Bleaching is often accomplished with the same gas,
chlorine dioxide, that is used to age flour. But
even unbleached flour has been aged with potassium
bromate or iodate. Aging has important practical
results. It has long been known that flour which
is allowed to sit for one or two months develops
better baking qualities. Aging affects the bonding
characteristics of the gluten proteins in such a
way that they form stronger, more elastic doughs.
Chemical aging simply makes the natural aging
process faster and more controlled.
3) Wheat proteins and Gluten
Wheat is preeminent among the grains because it is the
only one whose endosperm proteins interact to form a
gluten strong enough to produce raised breads (rye
proteins form a very weak gluten). Gluten is both plastic
and elastic; that is, it will both change its shape
under pressure and tend to reassume its original
shape when pressure is removed. It is this delicate
balance which allows wheat dough to expand to
incorporate carbon dioxide produced by yeast and
yet not thin to the breaking point.
The two proteins which combine to form gluten
(gliadin and glutenin) react differently when
exposed to water. Gliadin molecules form
compact, ellipsoidal balls, while glutenin molecules
are more extended. Mix them together in large
quantities, and, much like a fishing line that
is at the same time coiled up and folded onto
itself, you have quite a tangle. The effect
of kneading is to unfold and align the
gluten strings.
When first mixed with water, the proteins begin
to unfold into a random network. The mixture
behaves initially as a thick liquid. When it
is stirred with a spoon, the protein chains
are drawn together into visible formations
and form what is called the "shaggy mass". The
process of unfolding continues during kneading,
an activity that both compresses and stretches
the protein-water complex. The constant movement
and stress have the effect of forcing the long
molecules into a more orderly pattern, lining
up local groups of them in roughly the same
direction. As more groups line up, more are
encouraged to line up, and the dough suddenly
gets stiff, harder to manipulate, and takes on
a smooth, shiny surface.
No matter what the strength of the dough, it is
always possible to overdevelop it: to knead it
so long that it breaks down into a thick fluid
with no elasticity. In this case, the proteins
have been stretched to the point that the bonds
are pulled apart and pick up hydrogen ions from
the water. Once this happens, the proteins will
no longer bond with each other and the gluten
web degenerates. It isn't easy to overwork
dough by hand, but it is quite easy to do in
a food processor or a commercial dough developer.
How do I make self-rising flour from plain flour?
[Ed. note -- obviously from the responses below, there
is no strict definition of self-rising flour, and
different forumlators use different proportions. My
advice would be to start with 1 tsp baking powder per
cup of flour and adjust later batches based on the
results you get versus your expectations. BKR]
"I _finally _ found my flour booklet from Pillsbury &
they recommend 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder & 1/2 tsp. salt
per cup of flour."
- Johnson (joh...@rica.net)
"Since I don't usually use self-rising flour I haven't
tried either one of these substitutes but here they are:
Source: This for That by Meryl Nelson
For each cup of flour put 2 teaspoons baking powder and
1/2 teaspoon salt in a cup. Fill measuring cup with regular
flour and mix well.
Source: Substituting Ingredients by Becky Sue Epstein
and Hilary Dole Klein
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt, optional
Mix and use."
- Mary Ash (sm...@owens.ridgecret.ca.us)
"From the rec.food.cooking FAQ:
'Self-raising flour contains 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
and 1/2 teaspoon salt for each cup of flour.'"
- Mark Horne (mho...@ucla.edu)
B. Sugars
My bread recipe calls for "dry malt". What is it?
"Give the King Arthur Flour Company a call at 1-800-827-6836
and ask for their catalog. They list diastatic malt powder
and also malt syrup. The "diastatic" means that the starch
converting enzymes are active. That in turn means that the
yeast has more to feed on and ultimately give you a "better"
rise. Malt that you buy at most brewery stores is, I believe,
usually non-diastatic which means that it will give you flavor
but not enzymatic action. The syrup will also provide flavor
but no enzymatic action."
- Andrew Grant (adg...@water.waterw.com)
Can I substitute honey for sugar in a recipe?
"The substituting ingredients book [Substituting
Ingredients by Becky Sue Epstein and Hilary Dole Klein]
gives the formula
1 cup honey = 1.25 cups sugar + 1/4 cup liquid
It says that browning may be accelerated so you might
want to lower the oven temperature.
I checked McGee and he agrees that one measure of honey
is equivalent to 1.25 measures of sugar. He also says
that 'Because it is more hygroscopic, or water attracting,
than table sugar, honey will keep breads and cakes moister
than sugar will.'"
- Adrian Mariano <adr...@cam.cornell.edu>
C. Leavening
Much of the following information on leavening is distilled
from ON FOOD AND COOKING by Harold McGee.
1) Yeast
HOW DOES YEAST WORK?
The yeasts are a group of single-celled fungi; about
160 different species are known. Some cause infections,
some contribute to food spoilage, but one species in
particular is put to good use in brewing and baking. In
both processes, yeast gives the product a characteristic
flavor. It leavens bread and converts grain or grape
carbohydrates to alcohol.
Carbon dioxide and alcohol are normal products of yeast
metabolism, and sugars are its raw material. The simple
sugars glucose and fructose are the first to be consumed;
then, after a time lag in which its metabolism shifts,
the yeast feeds on the complex sugar maltose. Added
sugar will increase yeast activity until its concentration
is high enough to have a deleterious effect on the
cells. Because their metabolism declines sharply at
this point, greater numbers of yeast cells must be used
to compensate for the lowered gas output per cell. This
is why extra yeast is often called for in recipes for
sweet breads. Added salt has the same effect as excess
sugar. Finally, yeast activity is dependent on temperature;
the cells do best at 95F (35C).
TYPES OF YEAST
Compressed and dry yeast are the two most common forms,
and have significantly different traits. Compressed
yeast is only partly dried, then is pressed into solid
cakes. It easily survives freezing, in fact it loses
less activity when stored at -10F (-23C) than it does
at 40F (4C). When added to water just before mixing
with flour, it is fairly quiescent, showing little
activity until it comes into contact with a sugar
supply.
Dry yeast can be stored at room temperature, though it
too does better in the freezer. It generally takes
longer than cake yeast to shift over to maltose
fermentation. But its most important peculiarity is
its requirement of warm water -- the optimum is
105F - 110F (41C - 43C) -- during rehydration. Lower
or higher temperatures result in disabling most or
all of the yeast organisms. Also, unlike cake
yeast, dry yeast can be quite active in water, bubbling
away even before it is given sugar to feed on.
How much yeast is in "one package"?
A little less than a tablespoon. Approximately 2 1/4
teaspoons.
Should I proof my yeast?
[The following is from BEARD ON BREAD by James Beard, p. 8.
This advice refers specifically to Active Dry Yeast.]
"The yeast in a small package has the expiration date
marked on the outside, but if you buy it in larger
bulk in health food stores, the packages aren't apt to
be dated and you should 'proof' the yeast before using.
... There is a new method being promoted today whereby
dried yeast is simply blended with the other dry ingredients
and then mixed with liquid that has been heated to as much as
120 to 130 [degrees Fahrenheit]. A lot of people like this
method because it is so easy. Frankly, I find that while
it may cut down your time, I prefer the old fashioned way;
perhaps the dough rises faster, but is is at the expense of
the final flavor, it seems to me."
How do I proof yeast?
"Proofing yeast is easy - most bread recipes call for
a certain amount of liquid and sugar - for instance,
in the pizza dough I am making, it says 1 c. warm water,
1 t. sugar, and 1 pkg. of yeast. So I put just those
three ingredients in a bowl, stirred it briefly to
dissolve the yeast, and forgot about it. Came back
15 min. later to a huge foamy mass. If you don't get
the foam, your yeast is dead."
- June Oshiro (idle...@eden.rutgers.edu)
What's the best yeast for Bread Machines?
[The following advice comes from BREAD MACHINE MAGIC
by Linda Rehberg & Lois Conway, p. 5]
"Use packaged active dry yeast -- regular, not rapid
rise. We used Red Star brand active dry yeast when
testing the recipes in this book and recommend it.
After testing both Fleischmann's and Red Star active
dry yeasts in various recipes, we discovered that
the Fleischmann's yeast produced a significantly
smaller loaf than the Red Star. If Red Star is not
readily available, however, Fleischmann's yeast can
be substituted simply by adding another teaspoon of
it to any recipe."
[Ed note: Since the publishing of this text, Fleishmann's
has come out with a yeast specifically for bread
machines -- I have no experience with this product,
but only include it as an alternative.]
2) Baking Soda and Baking Powder
Generally, yeast can be used a leavening only in doughs,
where gluten is the continuous phase. Yeast produces
carbon dioxide fairly slowly, and the surrounding material
must be elastic enough to contain it indefinitely. Weak
doughs and batters, then, must be raised with a faster-
acting gas source. This is the need filled by baking
powders.
Chemical leavenings rely on the reaction between certain
acidic and alkaline compounds, which results in the
release of carbon dioxide, the same gas that yeast
produces. The alkaline compound is almost always
sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), commonly known as
baking soda.
Baking soda can be the sole added leavening if the
batter is already acidic enough to react with it
and produce carbon dioxide. Yogurt, sour milk, and
buttermilk contain lactic acid and are commonly
used in place or water or ordinary milk in such
products.
Baking powder contains baking soda and an acid
which dissolves in water. Ground dry starch is
added to prevent premature reactions in humid air.
Most commercial baking powders are "double-acting";
that is, they produce an initial release of carbon
dioxide upon mixing with water and then a second
release during the baking process.
Two general rules of thumb:
. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda is neutralized
by 1 cup of sour milk
. Baking soda neutralized with sour milk provides
the leavening action of four times its volume
of baking powder (i.e. 1/4 tsp baking soda is
equivalent to 1 tsp baking powder).
Yeast not only leavens dough, but gives it a
characteristic flavor. Chemical leavenings
can also affect flavor, but not beneficially.
When acid and base are properly balanced, neither
is left behind in excess. But when too much
soda is added, or when the batter is poorly mixed
and lumps are formed, a bitter, soapy, "chemical"
flavor results. Excess alkalinity can alter and
even destroy the flavor of chocolate and molasses.
Colors will also be affected in alkaline conditions:
browning reactions are enhanced, chocolate turns
reddish, and blueberries turn green.
3) Misc
Salt rising
"First, and most obvious, the name 'salt rising' does
not refer to the taste or ingredients of the bread.
This bread is leavened with a sour milk and cornmeal
mixture, which must be kept warm at all times to keep
the fermentation going. In the primitive kitchens of
early America, the bowl of starter would be stored on
a bed of heated rock salt. Salt was used because it
was easy to heat, and retains its heat nicely (interesting
side note: The Solar II power plant recently put online
in the Mojave desert uses molten salt to store energy for
the very same reason). In fact, the bread itself uses
very little salt.
This was a traditional method for making bread before
refrigeration and commercial bread yeasts were available.
Sourdough is another, but salt rising was probably more
convenient, because it didn't require the mainetenance
of a starter (except for one night). But alas, sourdough
is much more versatile, and tastier (IMO), and salt
rising bread has faded into near obscurity while
sourdough's popularity continues to skyrocket. This
red-headed stepchild of breads continues to be a
favorite of those who knew it in its heyday, however.
Van de Kamp's used to bake it, but they went belly-up.
There are a couple of bakeries in the midwest that are
famous for their salt rising breads. It was mainly
after the demise of Van de Kamps that our customers began
campaigning for us to make salt rising bread. And while
its not for everyone, fans of salt rising bread are
devoted and vocal!
The finished product has a faint, sharp cheese-like
flavor. There will be a very intense aroma from the
fermentation, and during baking, but it is tamed in
the finished loaf. However, toasting does bring out
more of the signature flavor. And from what I gather
from my customers, it is primarily a toasting bread.
Most recipes I've seen say that you should throw the
cornmeal mixture out and start over if it hasn't
bubbled up over night. I suggest going forward anyhow.
If it has bubbled up, then resettled, it would be
difficult to tell. If it has done this, it will still
work, although the second fermentation will be slower
starting than if you had caught it at the peak of the
first fermentation. I've been baking it for a while
now, and haven't had one fail yet.
Of the recipes I've found, most were hand-written on
faded index cards, handed down for generations. Some
were taken from old copies of local service club
cookbooks such as ladies auxiliaries and the like. Most
were similar to the more difficult of the two included
in Clayton's book, which is billed as 'Sister Abigail's
Salt-Rising Bread, baked by Sister Abigail, a member
of one of Ohio's several Shaker communities at the
turn of the century.'
I hope this information is useful, interesting, or both.
Even if you don't plan to make this particular bread,
it is enriching to know some of the history behind
different bread styles."
- Dusty Sharp (dsh...@Discover.Net)
"Here is the 'easier' of the two salt rising bread
recipes offered in Bernard Clayton's Book of Breads:
1/4 C. fresh milk (whole milk works best)
2 tbsp. cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 C. hot water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2-4 C. bread or a/p flour*
1/4 C. shortening, lard preferred, room temp.
oil or melted lard, to brush
*I have found that high gluten flour works best. Some
of my customers complained that the slice was too crumbly,
so I switched to H-G, and now they're happy!
Method:
I'm going to describe how I make it, rather than
restate Clayton's directions verbatim. The night before
the bake, measure the cornmeal and 1 tsp. sugar into a
small bowl or crock which has been warmed. Scald the
milk, and pour over the cornmeal mixture, blend well
with a spatula. Cover with a lid or saran wrap.
Find a warm place to place the starter overnight. Some
of the ideas recently suggested in this newsgroup for
a makeshift proof box would work well. I set mine next
to the compressor for one of our refrigerators, and
pile flour sacks around it for insulation. Works every
time.
The next morning, mix the sponge. The starter should
have bubbled up during the night. If it did, but has
settled back down, don't worry, it will still work,
but the second fermentation might take a little longer.
Using all warmed bowls and utensils, mix the hot water,
1/2 tsp. sugar, salt, baking soda, and 1 1/2 cups flour.
Manually or with the flat beater, stir until smooth,
then stir in the starter.
Cover and return to the warm place. Let ferment until
about doubled in volume. Depending on how active the
original fermentation was when you added the flour,
etc., this should take 2-4 hours.
When you open the container after the second
fermentation, brace yourself, because the aroma
might knock you down. Clayton describes it as
'not unlike that of a soft, ripe cheese,' That's
pretty accurate, only about 1000 times more intense.
Next add the shortenning and the rest of the flour
and knead by hand or with the dough hook. Use
the window-pane test to test for gluten development.
Divide appropriately for whatever loaf pans you are
using. I think for this size batch, Clayton recommends
two small or one medium loaf pan. Form the loaves,
insert in the pans, and let rise until doubled. Again,
this bread needs very warm temperatures, so return it
to the warm place to rise. Brush with melted lard,
then bake at 375F (190C), about 45 minutes."
- Dusty Sharp (dsh...@Discover.Net)
Baking ammonia
[to be written]
Where can I get a sourdough starter?
[Ed. note: This information is here mostly so that a
reference can be made to rec.food.sourdough and the
FAQ for that group. The newsgroup and FAQ cover
sourdough use in all its forms. BKR]
"Sourdoughs International has an good collection of starters
from various places in the world. There are only a few
sourdough bread books worth bothering about:
Nancy Silverton's Bread From La Brea Bakery
Ortiz's The {something} Baker
Daniel Leader's book, which I don't like much.
I recommend the Silverton book most highly--it corresponds
with my decade of experience with sourdoughs. She does
recommend making your own starter and that little piece of
the book can be intimidating. (Not that it is that hard, it
is just that a bought starter is likely to be better and it
will last forever) Also read her page 58 to see how to fit
her initially rigorous scheduling into real life."
- David Auerbach (auer...@unity.ncsu.edu)
D. Fats
From the Principles of Food Science Laboratory Manual,
Rutgers University:
"One Function of Lipids - Shortening. Without a small
quanitity of added fat, called shortening, bread dough
would be very difficult to handle and loaf volumes
would be substantially decreased. Shortening functions
as implied by its name -- it surrounds each gluten
strand, preventing rapid expansion. Thus, it helps
to prevent carbon dioxide from escaping during the
early phase of gas production."
----------------------------------------
IX Equipment
A. Ovens
How do Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Gas Marks relate?
From the r.f.c. FAQ:
3.1 Oven Temperatures
An approximate conversion chart(P):-
Electric Gas mark Description
Fahrenheit Centigrade
225 F 110 C 1/4 Very cool
250 F 130 C 1/2
275 F 140 C 1 cool
300 F 150 C 2
325 F 170 C 3 very moderate
350 F 180 C 4 moderate
375 F 190 C 5
400 F 200 C 6 moderately hot
425 F 220 C 7 hot
450 F 230 C 8
475 F 240 C 9 very hot
How can I use my microwave to proof bread?
"It kind of depends on what wattage your microwave is as to
how long you leave it in. In my own microwave, I set it on
'defrost' or 'Low' and nuke for about 1 minute; let rest 2
minutes; nuke 1 minute; rest 2 minutes; possibly repeat the
process depending on how far the bread has risen in this
time. [...] discovered that nuking for longer than 1 minute
in my own microwave resulted in cooked dough rather than
rising dough!
Another trick that I use is to shape the dough into a huge
bagel shape, with a hole in the middle. Put this on a big
glass platter, and put the Pyrex cup of water into the hole
in the middle. Cover the whole thing very loosely with
plastic wrap and nuke away. I've discovered this method
works very nicely for me."
- Joan Mathew (cma...@iadfw.net)
"I've used the 'warm' 10% setting of my 700W microwave to
proof dough. A half batch proofed in 12 minutes - doubled
in bulk. This is using commercial yeast."
- Henry Troup (h...@host2.igs.net)
"Grease large plastic bowl.
Place your dough ball in bowl and cover with wax paper.
Place bowl with dough ball in micro wave.
Select 50% power for 1 minute.
Next let it sit in micro wave for 10 minutes.
Repeat micro wave procedure above once or twice.
The 50% power for 1 minute stimulates the yeast and quickens
the rise.
I follow this procedure for ALL my basic dough recipes."
- (BCO...@VNET.IBM.COM)
What is a convection oven?
"A convection oven is nothing more than a conventional
oven with a fan or blower to circulate the hot air in
the oven. It can be gas, oil or electrically heated. Most
are electric, but that is not a design requirement.
The convection oven is an improvement over the conventional
oven simply because an oven works by heating the food within
it. It does so by transferring the heat energy in the air at
the surface of the food to the food to cook it.
This energy transfer cools the air at the surface of the
food. The cooking continues because the cooled air is
either re-heated by transfer of energy from the air
surrounding it or because the cooled air moves from the
surface of the food and is replaced by hot air from
elsewhere in the oven.
The latter technique is faster.
Convection ovens use the fan or the blower to circulate the
air in the oven in order to keep the surface of the food in
contact with hot air. The food cooks more rapidly.
On the other hand, convection ovens are not as good a choice
for baking cakes, pastries and quick breads. The air currents
have a tendency to "sculpt" the still soft surface of the
food being baked. They can also have this effect on slack
dough and free form breads."
- Joel Ehrlich (Joel.E...@salata.com)
B. Cookware
What's the best cookie sheet?
"I have found teflon to deteriorate in the long run. I use
the air-cushioned baking sheets (not teflon coated). Just
spray Pam on it and they're great."
- Susan Cahill (sca...@tcsn.net)
"The best cookie sheet I have ever used is a stoneware baking
sheet I bought about 3 months ago. The cookies have always
come out evenly cooked, never burnt, even the time when I left
them in the oven 10 minutes too long.
Stoneware is a bit pricey - $25 for the sheet plus about $5
for the carrying rack, but well worth it."
- Lisa Whittington (wild...@community.net)
"Any pan is fine if you use my method. I use sheet pan papers.
I can pull the whole sheet of paper/cookies off onto a cooling
rack, quickly cool down the pan with water and reuse the same
pan. This also prevents chocolates, fruits and sugars from
'burning' on the pan."
- Michael W. Adams (khe...@warwick.net)
How do I prevent bread and cakes from sticking to the pan?
"I learned about this from a baker named Len Fardella a
couple of years ago. He didn't name it, I did. Here's the
'recipe' for:
Magic Pan Glop
Equal WEIGHTS all-vegetable shortening and flour.
(Shortening should be at room temperature.) Beat
these together on high speed until very smooth.
Now, get some vegetable oil (I use canola). Start
adding it to the flour and shortening mixture a
small amount (a couple of tablespoons) at a time,
beating on high all the while.
Continue to add oil until the mixture has the consistency
and colour of stiffly whipped whipping cream. Place in
an airtight container and store at room temperature.
I keep a sealed container of this in my baking cupboard.
To prepare your pans get a large pastry brush (I find a
large round one works the best) and coat the pan where
you would normally grease and flour. The layer of the
glop should be thin, just as you would normally grease a
pan.
I find this quick, easy, and VERY effective.
If you think you have made too much, you can freeze
some of it. It keeps well at room temperature for
several months, providing it doesn't get too hot.
If it does, it can also be refrigerated, but warm it
before use."
- Susan Brown (no...@nowhere.com
C. Bread Machines
My dough is rising fine in the bread machine, but it collapses
during the bake cycle. Do I have a dud machine?
"Nope, it's the main difference between making bread by
hand and by machine.
When we knead bread by hand, we knead in extra flour until
the dough will hold no more. When we finish kneading, we let
the dough rise until doubled.
A machine can't tell when there's enough flour so we have to
do it for the machine. And we have to do it right because the
rise time is controlled by the program and is fixed.
Your problem is that you have too much liquid/too little
flour. Since the size of the loaf is pretty much fixed, the
adjustment to the amount of hydration is by controlling the
amount of liquid.
Start out with only 2/3 to 3/4 of the liquid called for by
the recipe. Add all the other ingredients, start the machine
and let it run for several minutes.
Now open the machine (go ahead, you won't hurt it).
Look at the dough (while the machine continues to run). It
very probably will be a coarse grained lump. It may even be
several separate lumps.
Now start adding liquid, a teaspoon at a time, pausing 30
to 45 seconds between additions, until the dough comes
together in a ball.
Let the machine knead the dough for a short time.
Now reach in and touch the dough. It should be smooth,
slightly dry to the touch and elastic. If it's grainy, add
more liquid, let it work for a short time and feel the dough
again.
If the dough is wet or sticky or there's a smear of dough at
the bottom of the pan or the walls of the pan are damp, add
flour, a teaspoon at a time, waiting a minute between
additions, until the dough feels right.
Once the dough feels right, add a single teaspoon of flour,
close the machine and don't come back until the bread is done."
- Joel Ehrlich (Joel.E...@salata.com)
Can I make gluten-free bread in a bread machine?
"I have been on a gluten-free diet for 5 years and have
been making my own gluten-free bread for 4 years. I have had
good luck using a Zojirushi bread machine and recipes from
Red-Star (they will send them to you at no charge if you
call 1-800-4CELIAC). I also have had good luck with all
of Bette Hagman's recipes in her two cookbooks, 'The
Gluten-Free Gourmet' and 'More From the Gluten-Free Gourmet'."
- Joan K. Van Loozenoord (van...@den.mmc.com)
D. Appliances
[Section yet to be written]
E. Other
What is a pizza stone and how do I use it?
"Pizza stones or baking stones are a fired stoneware
pad that sits on top of you oven grate. Unglazed clay
tiles can also be used.
This converts the oven grate to a smooth shelf that can
be used to bake a pizza directly on it, just like the old
brick ovens. It works for pizza, bread, and other items
that can go right on a shelf.
The best ones are very thick, about a half inch. Thin
ones just crack too easily.
To use them, preheat the stove for 15 to 30 minutes.
Build the pizza on a peel (wood paddle) and slide it onto
the hot stone to bake. You get a nice crispy crust.
Don't worry about spills. You can leave the stone in the
oven for the self cleaning cycle."
- Ed Pawlowski (e...@mindport.net)
"The stone serves two purposes: dough in contact with a hot
stone will cook faster, and the porous stone will draw off
moisture. This leads to a crust that is not soggy.
I've seen several posts that advise sprinkling the stone with
corn meal. For one, it will burn if sprinkled on the stone
much prior to adding the pizza. And, as the corn meal is
intended as an aid in sliding the pizza off the peel, it
does no good when sprinkled on the stone. Sprinkle it on
the peel before forming your pizza."
- Rick Marinelli (Ri...@mnsinc.com)
----------------------------------------
X Misc
A. Charter for rec.food.baking
Following is the charter for rec.food.baking as it
was submitted and approved in a Usenet CFV in April,
1996.
CHARTER: rec.food.baking
The newsgroup provides a forum for bakers, would-be bakers,
and fans and consumers of breads, pastries, cakes, pies,
cookies, crackers, bagels, and other items commonly found
in a bakery. Topics for discussion include all methods of
preparation, both conventional and not; ingredients;
equipment; baking techniques; recipes; professional
baking; and adaptation of methods for home use as well
as discussion about baked goods.
The charter is intended to be read generously. Thus,
related foods such as doughnuts are also included,
although doughnuts are fried rather than baked. Such
foods are sufficiently close in spirit and use to baked
goods that it is sensible to include them as a matter of
context.
The group is not intended for the discussion of other kinds
of foods prepared in an oven such as meats or casseroles.
Those discussions should continue to take place in
rec.food.cooking.
Discussions on baking employing sourdough starters should
generally be referred to rec.food.sourdough.
Offers of goods or services related to baking are not
appropriate in rec.food.baking; they may be posted instead
in appropriate .marketplace or .forsale groups.
END CHARTER.
B. Net resources
1) Newsgroups
In addition to rec.food.baking, the following newsgroups
will often contain topics of interest or concern to bakers:
alt.food.chocolate
alt.food.fat-free
rec.food.chocolate
rec.food.cooking
rec.food.equipment
rec.food.marketplace
rec.food.recipes
rec.food.sourdough
sci.bio.food-science
2) Mailing Lists
The Bread Bakers Mailing List
bread-...@lists.best.com
subscribe to: bread-bake...@lists.best.com
3) Web sites
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather a small
collection of web sites mentioned on rec.food.cooking and
rec.food.baking which may be of use and/or interest to bakers.
The order is roughly alphabetical by site name.
Appliances On Line:
http://www.appliances.com
The Chef's Store Home Page:
http://www.chefs-store.com/
The Chocolate Lovers' Page:
http://bc.emanon.net/chocolate/
Culinary Professional's Resource Center:
http://www.vnr.com/cul.html
Egg Farm Dairy:
http://www.creamery.com/
Epicurious:
http://www.epicurious.com
Farmers-Market:
http://members.aol.com/marketfarm/farmers-market/
FOODTV Home:
http://www.foodtv.com/index.htm
FoodWeb Home Page:
http://www.foodweb.com/
Herbs & Spices:
http://www.teleport.com/~ronl/herbs/herbs.html
The Internet Kitchen:
http://www.your-kitchen.com/
King Arthur Flour:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/
The Kitchen Link - What's Cooking on the Net:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcouch/
Lamalle Kitchenware:
http://www.lamalle.com/
M&M's Chocolate Mini Baking Bits:
http://www.baking.m-ms.com/
McCormick Guide to Gourmet Spices:
http://www.mccormick.com/info/spices.html
Mimi's Cyber Kitchen:
http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/
Nabisco:
http://www.nabisco.com/
Nancy's Kitchen for the Pampered Chef:
http://www.onramp.net/~lowcpm/kitchen/kitchen.htm
Oregon State University -- Food Science:
http://www.orst.edu/instruct/nfm235/flour/
The Pampered Chef:
http://www.sisna.com/ogden/p_chef/2.htm
The Pie Page:
http://www.teleport.com/~psyched/pie/pie.html
The One Million Dollar Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest:
http://www.bakeoff.com/bakeoff/index.nclk
The Reluctant Gourmet™ Web Site:
http://members.aol.com/reluctantg/index.html
Rutgers University Food Science Department
http://foodsci.rutgers.edu/
True Blue Enterprises - Blueberries:
http://cypress.netc.net.au/~trublue/
Unofficial Global Internet Bread Recipe Archive:
http://haven.ios.com/~wordup/bread.html
Williams-Sonoma:
http://pathfinder.com/DreamShop/live/Williams/Williams.index.html
4) FTP sites
Index of /pub/rec.food.recipes/
ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/rec.food.recipes/
5) Other FAQs
The FAQ for any given newsgroup is generally posted
to the group on a monthly basis. In addition, FAQs for
the following groups can be found in the MIT FAQ archives
at: ftp://rftm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/<newsgroup-name>
Among many others, FAQs for the following newsgroups can
be found in the MIT archives:
alt.food.chocolate
alt.food.fat-free
rec.food.chocolate
rec.food.cooking
rec.food.recipes
rec.food.sourdough
Some FAQs are also available on the WWW at the
following URLs:
FAQ for rec.food.sourdough:
http://mindlink.net/darrell_greenwood/sourdoughqa.html
C. Vendors of interest
Following is contact information for many of the vendors
listed in the FAQ. Many provide mail-order services, and
many can be found on the Internet. World Wide Web URL's
and e-mail addresses are provided where appropriate.
Much of the commentary is taken from a post by Leah
Smith (le...@smith.chi.il.us), who also posts occasionally
to rec.food.cooking a rather comprehensive list of
mail-order suppliers,
Bridge Kitchenware
214 E. 52nd St.
New York NY 10022
(212) 688-4220
Wide variety of kitchen equipment and cookware. Catalog
is $3, refundable with first order. Users say it's worth it
Chef's Catalog
3215 Commercial Ave.
Northbrook IL 60062-1900
(800) 338-3232
http://netplaza.com/plaza/chefscatalog.html
Cookware and kitchen tools -- expensive but high quality;
catalog contains photos and good descriptions. Some
cookbooks. Users report good service
Cook's Flavoring Company
200 Sherwood Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446
A gourmet vanilla source, available in some gourmet stores
or directly from the company.
The Cook's Library
8373 W. Third St.
Lost Angeles, CA 90048
(213) 655-3141
According to Kay Hartman, a marvelous place to buy cookbooks
and other books about food.
A Cook's Wares
211 37th St.
Beaver Falls PA 15010-2103
(412) 846-9490
Wide variety of kitchenware and tools, less expensive than
most, but the catalog is newsprint and has no photos of
goods for sale. Also lots of cookbooks and some foodstuffs.
Good service.
Cookware & More
P.O. Box 2170
Flemington NJ 08822
(800) 272-2170 or (908) 782-1735
Discount pots, pans, knives, etc., from All-Clad, ASTA,
Scanpan, Wusthof-Trident and others.
Cumberland General Store
Route 3, Box 81
Crossville TN 38555
(800) 334-4640
Old-time housewares and tools; $3 charge for catalog.
DAK Gourmet Products
(818) 886-5895 or (800) 656-BAKE
Replacement parts for DAK and Welbilt Bread Machines
and New and Refurbished Bread machines.
Duncan Hines Consumer Information Line
(800) 346-6478
Graham Kerr's Kitchen
P.O. Box 9700
Seattle WA 98109
(800) 288- 7834
Utensils, cookware, videos and cookbooks.
King Arthur Flour
P.O. Box 876
Norwich, VT 05055-0876
(800) 827-6836
(800) 343-3002 (FAX)
http://home.kingarthurflour.com/KAFlour/
Baker's catalog has a broad supply of baking-related
items including equipment, flour, flavorings, etc.
First-rate service.
Kitchen Aid Portable Appliance
3967 Image Drive
Dayton, OH 45414
(513) 890-3333
Manufacturers of home kitchen appliances. Arguably some
of the best mixers available for home use.
Kitchen Etc
(603) 964-5174
Cookware, incl. Calphalon, All-Clad, Le Creuset plus
flatware and china.
Lehman Hardware and Appliances
3779 Kidron Road
P.O. Box 41
Kidron OH 44636
(216) 857-5757 or 857-5441
Old-fashioned kitchen tools, non-electric appliances,
cheese-making supplies, cast-iron cookware, butter molds,
carbon-steel knives, grain mills, fruit presses, barrels,
woodstoves, etc.
Pillsbury
(800) 767-4499
http://www.bakeoff.com/bakeoff/index.html
Professional Cutlery Direct
170 Boston Post Road
Suite 135
Madison CT 06443
(800) 859-6994
p...@connix.com
Large selection of quality knives -- incl. Victorinex,
Wusthof, Sabatier -- and utensils at reasonable prices.
Carbon-steel knives. Some cookware and books.
Quality Cookware and Cutlery
P.O. Box 368
Scott, LA 70583
(800) 446-9610
Patricia Rain
P.O.Box 3206
Santa Cruz, CA 95063
(408) 457-0902
Dubbed "The Vanilla Lady" on rec.food.cooking, Ms. Rain
is a wealth of information on vanilla and sells various
beans and extracts.
Sourdoughs International
PO Box 670
Cascade, Idaho 83611
(208)382-4828
(208)382-3129 (FAX)
Sur La Table
84 Pine Street
Seattle WA
(800) 243-0852
Expensive, but pretty (and useful), kitchen equipment.
Lots of copperware. Attractive catalog with good photos
of the items.
Sweet Celebrations
7009 Washington Ave. S.
Edina MN 55439
(800) 328-6722
Extensive line of bakeware, candy-making equipment and
supplies incl. bulk chocolate, commercial baking
ingredients, candy flavorings, etc. Everything you need
to make wedding cakes and novelty cakes. This is the
company that bought Maid of Scandinavia's assets when
they went bankrupt.
Tahitian Import/Export, Inc.
PO Box 35327
Los Angeles, CA 90035
These guys are credited with introducing Tahitian vanilla
into the US market, and educating Americans about its uses.
Welbilt Appliance, Inc.
Parts & Service Department
25 Rose Place
Garden City, NY 11040
(516) 747-9595 or (516) 365-5040
Bread machines and other kitchen appliances.
Williams-Sonoma
shopping malls everywhere, or
Mail Order Dept.
P.O. Box 7456
San Francisco CA 94120
(800) 541-2233
http://pathfinder.com/DreamShop/live/Williams/Williams.index.html
Kitchenware, tools, some foodstuffs, cookbooks. Expensive.
Good recipes included among the pictures of things to order,
very enticing catalog. Excellent service; very helpful,
especially if you write rather than phone.
Wilton Enterprises, Inc.
Caller Service No. 1604
2240 West 75th Street
Woodridge, Illinois 60517
(312) 963-7100
Cake baking and decorating supplies.
The Wooden Spoon
P.O. Box 931
Clinton CT 06413-0931
(800) 431-2207
Wide variety of gadgets and tools, with some cookware
and appliances, plus a few books and food items.
D. Books and other References
1. Books. Recommended books and relevant quotes as seen
on rec.food.baking and rec.food.cooking:
Baking Bread - Old and New Traditions, ___ Hensperger
"Wonderful book...explains everything about ingredients,
equipment, methods, you name it...and has a lovely section
on spreads, flavoured butters etc to go with special breads
...also a wonderful sweet baking section for yeast risen
sweet breads....yummmmm. Highly recommend it."
- Viviane Buzzi (v...@tauon.ph.unimelb.edu.au)
Beard on Bread, James Beard
(Alfred A. Knopf, New York)
ISBN 0-394-47345-0
The Bread Book, Evan and Judith Jones
"Very good with obvious focus on bread rather than the more
encompassing subject of baking."
- Anne Bourget (bou...@netcom.com)
Bread From La Brea Bakery, Nancy Silverton
Bread Machine Magic, Lois Conway and Linda Rehberg
ISBN 0-312-06914-6
The Bread Machine Book of Helpful Hints, Conway and Rehberg
ISBN 0-312-13444-4
"... anyone who decides to purchase either one of Lois
Conway and Linda Rehberg's books will have the VERY best
bread machine book."
- "Bev in Mn" (bj...@popmail.skypoint.com)
The Cake Bible, Rose Levy Berenbaum
(William Morrow and Company)
"This book is an absolute gem and a joy and a masterpiece."
- Eric Cohen (e...@shore.net)
The Curious Cook, Harold McGee
(North Point Press)
ISBN 0-02-009801-4
Complete Book of Breads, Bernard Clayton
ISBN 0-671-60222-5
"...newly revised...gives directions for doing each recipe
several ways (by hand, using a kitchen-aid or similar machine,
etc..."
- Phoebe Natkiel (quid...@usa.pipeline.com)
"... is an excellent starting point. Lots of the basics, lots
of variety. Emphasis is on yeast breads."
- Fritz Knack (kna...@dstm.com)
"It is the 'Bread Bible' in my kitchen."
- Joan Mathew (cma...@iadfw.net)
English Bread and Yeast Cookery, Elizabeth David
(Penguin Books Ltd., London)
ISBN 0-7139-1026-7
"It is extremely well researched and at the same time
brilliantly written. Part I is 'History and Background',
including chapters on the grains, milling, kinds of flour
and meal, yeast, salt, liquids and fats, fruits etc,
ovens, temperatures, tins, etc. Part II gives recipes for
breads, baps and rolls, manchets etc, crumpets and muffins,
French bread, pizzas, quiches, soda breads, etc. Some of
the recipes date from the 16th century. There is an 8-page
bibliography which should keep your local librarian busy 8-).
Marvellous! Don't wait: you'll never need another book on
yeast cookery."
- Hugh Newbury (hu...@evershot.demon.co.uk)
Fannie Farmer Baking Book, Marion Cunningham
How to Bake, (Howard McMillan?)
Great Bread Every Time, Marilyn Barbe
(St. Martin's Press)
ISBN 0-312-07765-3
The Italian Baker, Carol Field
"It focuses on classic Italian regional breads and is
extremely well researched and presented. The recipes
are very thorough and quite detailed. The quality of
the finished bread is excellent."
- Leslie Ferreira (ferr...@citymail.lacc.cc.ca.us)
King Arthur Book of Baking, The King Arthur Flour Company
On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee
(Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., New York)
ISBN 0-684-18132-0
ISBN 0-02-034621-2
Kitchen Science, Howard Hillman
(Consumers Union)
ISBN 0-89043-139-6
The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, Laurel Robertson, Carol
Flinders and Bronwen Godfrey
"This is the best guide I've seen yet for learning to
make bread."
- (mgi...@westpub.com)
Secrets of a Jewish Baker, George Greenstein
(The Crossing Press, 1993)
"In addition to great detail on rye sour, altus, bakery
techniques, and other obscure subjects, he gives food
processor and mixing machine versions of each recipe."
- Eric Cohen (e...@shore.net)
Stars Desserts, Emily Luchetti
(Harper Perennial)
ISBN 0-06-092218-4
The Tassajara Bread Book, Edward Espe Brown
(Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston & London)
ISBN 0-394-74196-X
"The queen mother of bread books--The Tassajara Bread Book
is what I learned with. It gives detailed instructions
and suggestions about all aspects of traditional bread-making."
- Rhonda "triple R ranch" (r...@teleport.com)
The Village Baker, Joe Ortiz
(10 Speed Press)
"The book discusses techniques for creating rustic european
style breads in a concise and approachable manner. I've
been very happy with the breads i've made following his
recipes."
- Jason Katakura (jay...@kaiwan009.kaiwan.com)
Wooden Spoon Bread Book, Marilyn M. Moore
ISBN 0-87113-505-1
"My other favorite is the Wooden Spoon Bread Book by Marilyn
M. Moore. I checked this one out from the library and kept
it overdue for about two months."
- Fritz Knack (kna...@dstm.com)
2. Magazines. Recommended magazines and relevant quotes as
seen on rec.food.baking and rec.food.cooking.
Cooks Illustrated
Editorial Office
17 Station Street
PO Box 569
Brookline, MA 02147-0569
(617) 232-1000
(617) 232-1572 (FAX)
Subscriptions
P.O. Box 7446
Red Oak, IA 51591.
"Great magazine!"
- Barb Schaller (Schall...@htc.honeywell.com)
"Cost is $24.95 per year, and well worth it."
- Paul (pgs...@lynx.neu.edu)
E. Glossary
Many of the following definitions are extracted from
Amy Gale's rec.food.cooking FAQ and other sources.
Allspice
Allspice is the dried, unripe berry of a small tree. It is
available ground or in seed form, & used in a variety of dishes
such as pickles, casseroles, cakes & puddings. Also known as
Jamaica Pepper.
Bagels
Chewy bread with a hole in the middle - round, and 3-4 inches
in diameter. The origin is Russian-Jewish. Can come with many
types of toppings on it. Dough is boiled then baked with
toppings such as onion, garlic, poppy seeds etc. Flavours
can also be kneaded into the dough. On the east coast usually
used as a breakfast bread but can also be used as a sandwich
bread. A well known combination is bagels with cream cheese
and lox (brine-cured salmon).
Biscuits
In the UK, same as US cookies, small sweet cakes
usually for dessert. In the US, a type of non-yeast
bread made of flour, milk, and shortening, usually
served with breakfast - small, and similar to what much
of the world refers to as `scones'.
Black treacle
Similar to blackstrap molasses.
Castor/caster sugar
Somewhat finer than US granulated sugar. Similar to US
superfine sugar.
Clotted cream
Traditionally served with tea and scones; a 55% (min)
milkfat product made by heating shallow pans of milk to
about 180F (82C), holding them at this temperature for
about an hour and then skimming off the yellow wrinkled
cream crust that forms.
Confectioner's sugar
Same as powdered sugar or UK icing sugar.
Cookies
UK biscuits
Cornflour
US Cornstarch. Used to thicken sauces etc. Also used
to "soften" flour when a lower percentage of gluten is
desired (cakes, pastries, etc.).
Cornmeal
Ground corn (maize).
Creme fraiche
Pasteurised cream to which a lactic bacteria culture has
been added. Used in French cooking, it is thick and slightly
acidic without actually being sour.
Desiccated coconut
Dried coconut shreds, similar to US shredded coconut. In
the US, coconut is usually sold sweetened, this is not so
common in other countries.
Digestive biscuits
Almost the same as US graham crackers. Graham crackers tend to
be sweeter and more likely to come with cinnamon or something
similar sprinkled on top. However, digestive biscuits make an
excellent "graham cracker" pie crust.
Double cream
Somewhat heavier than whipping cream.
Essence/Extract
While the words have a broader meaning, they are typically
used to describe flavoring elements derived by extracting
(usually with ethyl alcohol, but can also be water or oil)
oils and other flavor compounds from fruits, herbs, nuts,
etc. for use in cooking and baking.
Filberts
Also called hazelnuts.
Graham crackers
Similar to UK digestive biscuits.
Granulated sugar
Also called table sugar. Somewhat coarser than UK
castor/caster sugar.
Half and half
A mixture of half cream and half whole milk.
Hard rolls
A sandwich type of roll that is a little crusty on the
outside and soft on the inside. Can be made with poppy
seeds or sesame seeds or plain. Often called a Kaiser roll.
Hazelnuts
Sometimes called filberts.
Heavy cream
Same as whipping cream or UK double cream .
Hundreds and thousands
Also known as sprinkles or as nonpareils: small, round,
multicolored balls of sugar used as toppings on cakes
and desserts.
Icing sugar
US confectioner's or powdered sugar. Ground very fine
to dissolve quickly and provide a smooth texture to
icings.
Key limes
Citrus fruit, about the size of golf balls, and round. The
fruits are pale yellow-green, the juice is yellow and very
tart, more so than standard limes. Grow in Florida, the Keys
and other tropical places in the Caribbean. Used in Key Lime
Pie, with egg yolks and condensed milk and in a Sunset Key
with amaretto.
Ladyfingers
Little finger-shaped sponge cakes, used in, among other
things, a popular Italian dessert called Tiramisu. "Ladies'
fingers" is the US vegetable okra.
Mascarpone
A soft Italian cheese (similar to cream cheese). An
important ingredient in Tiramisu.
Mixed spice
Mixed spice is a classic mixture generally containing caraway,
allspice, coriander, cumin, nutmeg & ginger, although cinnamon
and other spices can be added. It is used with fruit & in
cakes. (In America 'Pumpkin Pie Spice' is very similar).
Molasses
Similar to UK treacle.
Nutella
A thick smooth paste made from chocolate and hazelnuts.
Can be spread on plain cookies, bread, toast, pancakes,
fruit, or just eaten from the jar.
Pavlova
A dessert invented in New Zealand. The main ingredients
are sugar and egg whites. A pavlova has crisp meringue
outside and soft marshmallow inside, and has approximately
the dimensions of a deep dessert cake. Commonly pavlovas
are topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, especially
kiwifruit, passion fruit or strawberries.
Powdered sugar
Same as confectioner's sugar or UK icing sugar.
Single cream
US light cream.
Unsalted butter
What it says, butter without the 1.5 - 2% added salt that
is commonly added. Often recommended for cooking and
baking. Many people prefer the taste of unsalted butter.
Since salt is generally added as a preserving agent,
unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life and is often
fresher in the supermarket.
Whipping cream
In the US, cream with at least 30% butterfat (cf light
cream (18%) and heavy cream (36%)).
--
BKeith
------
B. Keith Ryder | Outside of the killings, Washington has one of
bke...@netcom.com | the lowest crime rates in the country.
| -- Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC