Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 23:31:21 -0700 (MST) -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v102.n053 -------------- 001 - "Kyle Warendorf" Subject: Diastatic v. Non-Diastatic Barley Malt Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 06:52:08 -0500 I have always believed that there is a difference. In diastatic barley malt, the diastase enzyme is alive and well. The enzyme is a yeast 'food' and thus will give a boost to breads, starters etc. Non-diastatic barley malt has bee 'cooked' and the diastase enzyme is no longer alive. It is used mostly as a sweetener and does not have the same boosting effect as diastatic malt. I can't see why this would make a difference in a bakery but not my kitchen. KyleW --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.2 --------------- From: "Paschetag" Subject: Corn meal Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 07:16:36 -0500 Charlotte asked about cornmeal brands on Wednesday. Since living up north, I've had good results with the Arrowhead Mills Brand which I find at Whole Foods. It's coarse enough to give you some texture without being too rough. I'm originally from the south and remember that we had a lot more choice down there. If you're down south, try any of the stone ground varieties you find until you get the one right for you. Just please, please, please, stay away from Quaker Oats brand corn meal. No corn flavor, no texture, no good corn bread! Cheers, LP --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.3 --------------- From: jarnopol@Interaccess.com Subject: Diastatic or non-diastatic barley malt Date: Sat, 09 Nov 2002 08:12:10 -0600 Steven Leof" writes: Marcy Goldman writes on 23 June that for the home baker it makes no difference whether diastatic or non-diastatic barley malt is used. This implies that for the professional baker there is a difference; what might that be? I am looking not for flavour but for colour enhancement in my breads... Neither diastatic nor non-diastatic malt impart much colour to breads. Diastatic is used for leavening and flavour. Non-diastatic for flavour alone. If you're looking for colour, for instance in rye or pumpernickle breads, I'd search out Baker's Caramel. When added to dark rye and/or pumpernickle flour, it gives you the deep rich brown colour I think you might be looking for. King Arthur's Flour Catalog carries a very good brand, item #1438 - 2.5 ounces for $3.95 US, that I've been quite satisfied with. Hope this helps. Regards, jan Jan Arnopolin jarnopol@interaccess.com 773.878.0524 773.960.5142 --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.4 --------------- From: "Chris Dalrymple" Subject: Bitter almonds Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 08:33:23 -0600 Reggie asked about a source for bitter almonds. They are banned in the US because the raw nuts are toxic. You'll only be able to find processed extracts here. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.5 --------------- From: Nifcon@aol.com Subject: Bitter Almonds - WARNING !!!!!! Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 11:39:45 EST Bitter almonds are, potentially, very dangerous. Bitter almonds contain cyanogenic glycosides in seeds, bark and leaves; if eaten in large quantities, causes convulsions and death. 50-70 bitter almonds cause death in adults, 7-10 in children. 3 can cause severe poisoning. The confectionery trade often uses Apricot Kernels as a substitute and they give excellent results - I've used them to intensify the flavour of Marzipan in a Stollen I bake most years. They're a lot safer and they give an excellent flavour of, you guessed, bitter almonds. If you use "apricot kernels" as a search string, Google returns over 2500 hits so you should be able to sort out a supply. John --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.6 --------------- From: Cjconrad84@aol.com Subject: Cornmeal Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 12:14:01 EST For cornmeal, grains, specialty flours try Bob's Red Mill, 5209 SE International Way, Milwaukie, Oregon 97222 www.bobsredmill.com. Also I have been very satisfied with any King Arthur product, also on the web www.kingarthurflour.com --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.7 --------------- From: "rdempsey" Subject: bubbling pizza crust Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 17:42:35 -0600 My finance' and I - both avid bread bakers - frequently make pizza. We have found that what works best is to pre-bake the un-topped dough for a few minutes, then top, then bake. The only problem is that frequently big air bubbles form that make it very un-pizza like. You can't cut the pockets to deflate because the sauce will soak and ruin the dough. If we don't prebake we don't get this as much but then doesn't seem as good. Although we typically make pizza from doughs that are for foccaccia etc, we do also do use "standard" pizza dough. We get the same results. After reading this list for a long time, I can't say I have seen this. Of course, this is most on my mind after a party this past weekend where I made 8 pizzas! :) Robert Dempsey rdempsey@dialaccess.com Home page: http://www.dialaccess.com/~rdempsey --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.8 --------------- From: bookluvr@cpinternet.com Subject: Introduction Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2002 21:24:18 -0600 Hi, I'm Sheri. I like cooking new things, and learning new ways to do things. Hopefully inexpensive new recipes... :) I am always trying new recipes and ideas. I own a bread machine and a crock pot (thank goodness for thrift stores!) and am always looking for simple recipes. I look forward to seeing what others have done, and sharing my favorites with them. Sheri --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.9 --------------- From: "Anita" Subject: Re: bitter almonds Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 07:19:19 -0800 Reggie asked, "Does anyone know of sources for bitter almonds?? I have been asked by someone else about this and I have no idea." My Mom was from Germany. We baked Stollen every year and she ALWAYS used apricot pits. She worked in a bakery in San Francisco and THEY used apricot pits. You can save them from the summers eating (first have to crack the outer shell, then blanch them) or buy them at the healthfood store (still have to blanch them). They give a wonderful full flavor to yeast cakes. When my husband and I traveled to Germany in the 90's, I asked about them in every health food store we came across and they didn't know what i was talking about which could have been the "kinder deutsch" (kids German) I was speaking or maybe they used peach pits or the like too. ?? dunno. Her recipe also says you can substitute 1/2 oz almond extract for the kernel meat. Use about 1 ounce to 12 cups of flour in that recipe. Sincerely, Anita Flanigan --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.10 --------------- From: "jronning" Subject: grain grinder & bread machine recommendations Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 12:31:42 -0600 Hello - I am interested in purchasing a grain grinder and a bread machine, I would like to get some help. I do own a Vita Mix machine that is supposed to grind wheat also, I am wondering if I still need a grain grinder. I am just trying the vita mix for 30 days. I want to start grinding and baking my own bread and just want to get set up the best way in the beginning. thanks. Judith --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.11 --------------- From: "Hannelore Stumpf" Subject: Bread Machine Manual Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 16:22:39 -0700 Someone gave me a Funai bread machine. I have no model no. nor a manual. I do not know the age of this machine either. Can anyone help in locating a manual? Thank you very much. Hannelore --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v102.n053.12 --------------- From: Nifcon@aol.com Subject: Hearthkits. Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 14:07:11 EST A Hearthkit in a $2 lottery is the only way I'd ever buy a one. The product is, I agree excellently made BUT the prices I've seen range from $200 up and the improvement in final bread is only slightly better than using bakestones, a pair of which should be available for around $40. I estimate that, in terms of final loaf expansion and porosity, bakestones of whatever sort are responsible for only a few (ca. 2 or 3) percent of quality so the improvement gained by using complex oven inserts is very expensive and, IMHO not worth it. We're straying perilously close to "Dough Improvers" and similar marginally effective products here. I think it's relevant to say that careful attention to hydration, ingredient measurement, technique in frementing , shaping, handling and slashing the dough, high oven temperatures with quick recovery and steam generation will all give much more improvement in your bread than an expensive oven insert. If the dough is inelastic, shaped without skin tension, incorrectly proofed, clumsily slashed or roughly handled, the Hearthkit, or any other ceramic baking aid will not compensate. If you consider this post carpingly critical and negative that's an opinion I can understand but I have spent the last 35 years learning that the vast majority of cooking and baking gadgets on the market are wastes of money and that skill can make most special purpose kitchen tools redundant. You don't need a garlic press if you spend a little time honing your knife skills so that crushing and chopping a clove of garlic is a matter of seconds, quicker than taking the press off the hook. The number of similar examples any experienced cook can bring to mind is very large. Occam's Razor says that "Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity" - the same principle applies to kitchen paraphenalia. John --------------- END bread-bakers.v102.n053 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2002 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved