Recipes / British Election [split dual topic]

[laylalex 7,300]

Just now, Boiler said:

I have had major issues with anything that needs raising, somethings just need need longer, others do not work very well at all. Boiling here is 182f to give you some ides.

Yikes! Wow, I had no idea. I've never lived more than (I just checked the altitudes of various places I have lived) 900 ft above sea level.

 

If it helps, the recipe is based on the famous "Grant loaf": https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1425950/Doris-Grant.html The version I make omits the sweetener because my former MIL wanted to cut all excess calories from her diet. 

 

Quote

 

In attacking agene, which was added to flour to make the bread easier to bake, she declared: "If you love your husbands, keep them away from white bread . . .If you don't love them, cyanide is quicker but bleached bread is just as certain, and no questions asked."

One of her most celebrated achievements was the "Grant Loaf". To produce three of these loaves required 3 lb of stone-ground wholewheat flour; two pints of water; two teaspoons of salt; three teaspoons of Barbados sugar (or, alternatively, a tablespoonful of honey); and three teaspoon measures of dried yeast.

But the key element in the Grant Loaf was the result of an error which she made when she started to make her own bread: after several months Doris Grant realised that she had forgotten to knead her dough. She then conducted an experiment, using kneaded and unkneaded dough, in which her friends confirmed that the latter tasted best.

 

 

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

3 hours ago, Boiler said:

Does it have adjustments for high altitude?

Making bread is more of an art than a science, once you really get into it.  One learns when the moisture content is right by feel more so than by recipe.  But here are some high altitude tips for bread:

 

High altitude (over 3,000 feet) affects bread baking because the lower air pressure allows the yeast to rise 25 to 50 percent faster, and the drier air makes the flour drier. If the dough over-rises, the results might be a heavy, dry loaf or misshapen or collapsed loaf. Make these adjustments when baking bread at high altitudes:Start checking the dough halfway through the recommended rise time to see if it has doubled. If the dough had over-risen, punch it down and allow it to rise again.Use about a third less yeast. If a recipe calls for one package of active dry yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons), you would need to use about 1-1/2 teaspoons.Add flour slowly when mixing the dough and use only enough to make the dough easy to handle. If the dough is sticky, use greased rather than floured hands for kneading.Oil the dough and cover with greased plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out while waiting to be shaped.Check doneness a few minutes before the minimum recommended baking time. Tent with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

5 hours ago, laylalex said:

That's a really excellent explanation, ALFKAD. Have you ever made any bread using the Tartine method? I made this a couple of years ago using the starter that I had from Burbank, and while it is a LOT of work, it makes for an exceptional loaf. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016277-tartines-country-bread However, I am lazy and it requires a lot of work. I had a lot of success making loaves of all varieties from this book: https://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-Revolutionizes/dp/1250018285/ 

 

 

No, haven't made that particular style.  Though I have made some no-kneads with a very wet poolish.

Edited December 23, 2019 by ALFKAD

[Boiler 45,979]

3,000 ft would be not too bad, I am over 3x that. A lot of things that have conversions for high altitude mention these low numbers.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

3 minutes ago, Boiler said:

3,000 ft would be not too bad, I am over 3x that. A lot of things that have conversions for high altitude mention these low numbers.

The principles still apply.  Drier air means a bit more moisture.  Proofing times will be less.  Yeast requirements will be less.  As I said, you can't really follow a recipe, you need to know what "right" looks and feel like.  Doubling the dough during rising (I actually prefer not quite doubling it), the feel of the dough after mixing and kneading (should be satiny and not stick to your hands for most breads; wet breads such as above will obviously not be like that).  Just have to experiment.  Fortunately, a loaf of bread that turns out bad isn't expensive, and can always be torn into chunks and used to sop up some high quality Modena basaltic vinegar and oil!  

[laylalex 7,300]

For @Boiler: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/dec/23/kitchen-aide-christmas-dinner-secret-great-roast-potato-recipe

[Boiler 45,979]

14 minutes ago, laylalex said:

For @Boiler: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/dec/23/kitchen-aide-christmas-dinner-secret-great-roast-potato-recipe

I had read that, some of them seemed odd and of course first find you potato when options seem mainly Idaho.

[Neonred 3,633]

On 12/22/2019 at 10:00 AM, ALFKAD said:

Pretty much. Taste, smell, and the amount of bubbles.  Wild yeast is in the air all around us of course, and when it settles onto the water/flour mix, it encounters the food and environment it needs to expand the population.  There also exists a certain amount of wild yeast in the flour you buy, but after a while, whether you buy some dried yeast starter from New York, London, or Sacramento, it will eventually become YOUR yeast, because the wild yeast in YOUR air will take over.  

 

So you just start with water and flour, let it sit until it begins to bubble a bit, and feed it daily.  Below is a more detailed recipe for how it's done.  If you get past the "good" yeasty-smelling sourdough point, and you think it is sliding into the moldy arena, simply discard it and start over.  Once you have it where you want it, put it in the fridge for use.  Whenever you use it, take out however much you need, typically 1/4-1/2 cup, and feed it with equal amounts of water and flour (1/2 cup of starter will need 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c water to "feed" it).

 

Your bread will proof more slowly than when using manufactured yeast, of course.  But a domed, delicious, no-knead bread baked in a cast iron skillet will be a great reward for all your effort!!

 

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-sourdough-starter-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-47337

Thanks.

 

I kept thinking about this, but looks like it is going to take some time and effort. 

 

Instead I made cookies.

Edited December 24, 2019 by Neonred

[laylalex 7,300]

 

5 hours ago, Boiler said:

I had read that, some of them seemed odd and of course first find you potato when options seem mainly Idaho.

That stinks. If you can get a hold of Yukon Gold, they really are pretty suitable. I can find them in the regular supermarket (i.e. Safeway). 

 

The roast is going in the oven in about 2 hours. I decided on the green beans over sprouts. The day kind of got hijacked by my unexpectedly visiting family but it was the best kind of hijacking. It's always nice when family pleasantly surprise you by being tolerable!

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

2 hours ago, Neonred said:

Thanks.

 

I kept thinking about this, but looks like it is going to take some time and effort. 

 

Instead I made cookies.

Yeah, it's not a "hey, imma make some bread today!" kind of process.  But start your starter now, and when the bug bites you next month, you'll be ready!

[Boiler 45,979]

4 hours ago, laylalex said:

 

That stinks. If you can get a hold of Yukon Gold, they really are pretty suitable. I can find them in the regular supermarket (i.e. Safeway). 

 

The roast is going in the oven in about 2 hours. I decided on the green beans over sprouts. The day kind of got hijacked by my unexpectedly visiting family but it was the best kind of hijacking. It's always nice when family pleasantly surprise you by being tolerable!

Please wish your Sister Merry Christmas.

[laylalex 7,300]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

Please wish your Sister Merry Christmas.

Too late -- she left earlier this evening before dinner, but thank you. ❤️ And a Merry Christmas to you and yours as well.

 

Roast was a success, tons of leftovers. I made sure I picked up a loaf from the bakery for sandwiches (Al likes the wholemeal bread for toast but not for sandwiches). 

[laylalex 7,300]

Request please for the chefs: I am trying to use up things from my pantry in advance of the big move in two weeks (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee). I found a box of ditalini, and I'd like to make some soup. The classic soup for ditalini is minestrone, and if I were making only for myself, I would use my friend's mom's recipe which I have been making for years. However, I now live with someone who has some... issues with a couple of members of the nightshade family, in particular tomatoes and to a lesser extent eggplant. Tomatoes are literally a recipe for disaster -- he gets such terrible indigestion that he can end up burping for hours, and no amount of activated charcoal or anti-gas capsules will help. He can handle a slice or two of pizza as long as the sauce is light, but beyond that... ugh. It happened once when my dad was up here visiting and I wasn't paying attention and Al ate a bunch of albondigas in red sauce, and I had to suffer through four hours of it. Also, my dad gave Alex the nickname "Gas-X" after that incident, which he promptly shared with my ex to their mutual delight so there's that.

 

ANYWAY, minestrone is a no-go. What are some decent soups I can make with the ditalini that (1) avoid nightshades and (2) aren't overly meat-heavy? I feel like we need to go veggie for a couple of days after all that beef.

Edited December 28, 2019 by laylalex

[90DayFinancier 910]

6 minutes ago, laylalex said:

Request please for the chefs: I am trying to use up things from my pantry in advance of the big move in two weeks (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee). I found a box of ditalini, and I'd like to make some soup. The classic soup for ditalini is minestrone, and if I were making only for myself, I would use my friend's mom's recipe which I have been making for years. However, I now live with someone who has some... issues with a couple of members the nightshade family, in particular tomatoes and to a lesser extent eggplant. Tomatoes are literally a recipe for disaster -- he gets such terrible indigestion that he can end up burping for hours, and no amount of activated charcoal or anti-gas capsules will help. He can handle a slice or two of pizza as long as the sauce is light, but beyond that... ugh. It happened once when my dad was up here visiting and I wasn't paying attention and Al ate a bunch of albondigas in red sauce, and I had to suffer through four hours of it. Also, my dad gave Alex the nickname "Gas-X" after that incident, which he promptly shared with my ex to their mutual delight so there's that.

 

ANYWAY, minestrone is a no-go. What are some decent soups I can make with the ditalini that (1) avoid nightshades and (2) aren't overly meat-heavy? I feel like we need to go veggie for a couple of days after all that beef.

Italian wedding soup?

[laylalex 7,300]

19 minutes ago, 90DayFinancier said:

Italian wedding soup?

I was thinking that, but do you think it would lose something by not having the meatballs in it? I just feel like I've had entirely too much meat recently.

[90DayFinancier 910]

21 minutes ago, laylalex said:

I was thinking that, but do you think it would lose something by not having the meatballs in it? I just feel like I've had entirely too much meat recently.

Ok, let's recap. You have an odd box of Pasta valued at 2.00 and your dilemma is you want a vegetarian meal from it.  The answer is donate the pasta to the food bank and book reservations @ Capannina