Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 07:07:45 GMT -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v105.n039 -------------- 001 - RisaG Subject: Re: hand mixer w/ dough hooks Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 17:43:11 -0700 (PDT) I think that Wolfgang Puck makes a hand mixer with dough hooks. I've seen it on HSN. I also think that Bravetti makes one too - they sell through HSN too (wouldn't say I watch a lot of HSN and QVC would you???). I have an old hand mixer and it doesn't have dough hooks but I have an ABM and a KitchenAid Mixer and that has a dough hook. RisaG --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.2 --------------- From: frances feeter Subject: english muffins Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 16:50:52 -0700 I love English Muffins, but am now trying to eat (mostly) whole grains to keep to my 117 pounds! This is from Sunset magazine, but I've changed the ratio of whole wheat flour to all-purpose flour. Whole Grain English Muffins 2 pkg. active dry yeast 3 1/3 c, warn water (about 110 F) 1/4 c. honey 3 t. salt (recipe called for 4) 1 c. instant nonfat dry milk 1/2 c. wheat germ (plain or toasted) 1/2 c. cracked wheat, rolled oats, or mixed grain cereal 4 cups whole wheat or graham flour 1 to 1 1/2 c. regular all-purpose flour About 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal I usually add vital wheat gluten also - 1/4 to 1/2 c. I also like sesame seed or sometimes sunflower seeds. I put all the ingredients in my bread machine, set on dough cycle; adjusting flour or liquid to make a fairly soft dough. At the end of the cycle, turn out on a board lightly sprinkled with corn meal. Roll out to about 1/2 inch think. With 3" cookie cutter (I use a tuna can with both ends removed) cut dough in rounds. Place muffins, cornmeal side up, about 1" apart on baking sheet lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Reroll scraps of dough and cut aditional mufins. Cover lightly and let rise in a wam place until puffy, but not doubled; takes about 45 - 60 minutes. Preheat an electric griddle or frying pan to 275 F (or place heavy frying pans over low to medium-low heat). Lightly grease surface and bake muffins slowly until golden brown; it should take 12 to 15 minutes on each side. (I usually heat a large heavy skillet, then turn it to low-medium, and put a lid on the pan....and usually don't bake them that long). Handle muffins carefully so they don't lose puffiness before becoming set. (Split one muffin to test for doneness in center before removing rest from griddle). Cool on wire racks. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.3 --------------- From: "Lynn Duff" Subject: english muffins Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 07:29:10 -0500 I been making english muffins ever since my mother gave me a set of rings to make them with years ago. They came with a recipe for English muffins and crumpets, both of which are yeasted. Crumpets are made from a batter and poured into the rings that are used to form them as they bake on the stove. The muffins are made from a light dough and cut with the rings and then baked on the stove. I have since seen recipes where the names are interchanged. Some call the muffins crumpets and vice versa. Who knows? Lynn in Iowa --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.4 --------------- From: Tarheel_Boy@webtv.net (Skallywagg ...) Subject: Speaking of English muffins... Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 09:12:46 -0400 Here's my favorite recipe. Authentic English Muffins Starter: 2 cups warm water 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast Mix flours and yeast and then add water making a thick batter. Cover and let stand at least 4 hours, preferably overnight at room temperature. Sponge: 2 cups overnight starter 3/4 cup warm water 1 teaspoon instant yeast 3/4 cup scalded milk, cooled 2 cups unbleached bread flour In a mixing bowl, stir together two cups of the starter, warm water, and instant yeast allowing yeast to dissolve. Stir in milk and bread flour to make a thick batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 1 hour. Muffin Dough: Sponge mixture 4 cups unbleached bread flour 4 tablespoons honey 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 4 tablespoons dry buttermilk powder (Saco-optional, but it really helps) 2 tablespoons corn flour or cornmeal 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Stir down batter and add remaining starter, flour, honey, salt, buttermilk powder, corn flour or cornmeal, and cinnamon. Knead to make a soft dough (about 5 minutes). Preheat oven to 350F. Position rack on middle shelf. Place dough in large bowl, cover, and let rise until almost doubled in bulk. Gently deflate dough. On a work surface sprinkled with cornmeal, roll or pat out dough to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 3-1/2 inch rounds with cookie cutter or muffin ring or tuna can with both ends removed. Place on baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled (about 45 minutes). Set electric griddle at 325F, or heat a cast iron pan or non-stick skillet to medium heat. Sprinkle cooking surface with cornmeal. Gently arrange muffins to fit. Bake until bottoms are browned, about 5-8 minutes (mine took just about 5 minutes). Watch closely. Turn over and do other side, reducing heat if browning too quickly. Finish muffins in oven 5-8 minutes (mine took about 5 minutes), or until internal temperature reaches 195-200F. Cool well and split with fork tines. These muffins freeze well. Bob the Tarheel Baker --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.5 --------------- From: Tarheel_Boy@webtv.net (Skallywagg ...) Subject: On the other hand... Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 09:15:41 -0400 ..and on the other side of the world, you might like these: Australian Toaster Biscuits 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F) 3 cups unbleached flour 2 teaspoons salt 3/4 cup milk (110 degrees F) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup cornmeal 1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. 2. In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Stir in the milk, oil and yeast mixture. Beat well until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 60 minutes. Lightly grease or butter the inside of crumpet rings and dip the rings in cornmeal. 3. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium low heat. Sprinkle cornmeal on the griddle and place the rings on the griddle. Deflate the batter by stirring. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into each ring. Cook slowly for about 10 minutes or until pale brown. Carefully remove the rings and turn the biscuits over. Bake on second side about 8 minutes or until light brown. Transfer to a rack to cool. Bob the Tarheel Baker --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.6 --------------- From: Debunix Subject: Re: dimensions of custom-made baking stone Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 09:41:00 -0500 "mike fuller" wrote: >A friend of mine has offered to make for me a non-glazed plain >fired clay platform to use in my oven as a baking stone....Any ideas >of how thick I should tell her to make the non-glazed plain fired >clay platform? I'd think 1/2 inch should be adequate, and 1 inch would be luxurious, but with the thicker size I'd be more worried about it's ability to withstand handling without being so heavy that I'd be likely to bang it on something and end up with it cracked or broken. My favorite feature of my set of baking bricks (they were called "bread from the hearth", I think, when I got them now close to 20 years ago is that the thin bricks (only 1/4 inch) came with an aluminum tray into which they all fit snuggly), so they are easy to handle--I haven't had to throw the cracked ones out as long as they fit neatly together while in the tray, and even if fully preheated I can pull them (carefully) out of the oven a moment to set some of the more delicate breads right on them. If I were having a custom piece made, I'd want to duplicate that ease of use by making it match the dimensions of a standard jelly roll pan or half-sheet pan to allow me to use such a metal pan for support. Diane Brown in St. Louis http://www.well.com/user/debunix/recipes/FoodPages.html --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.7 --------------- From: "Mary Fisher" Subject: Re: What are English Muffins? Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 16:08:28 +0100 >In the Oxford English Dictionary this is how they are explained: >"A light, flat, circular, spongy cake, eaten toasted and buttered at >breakfast or tea. Formerly (now [dialect]) applied to other kinds of tea-cake." That's such a vague description though! It could apply to all sorts of things. >This site gives an explanation of the whole "Muffin Mystery": >http://imaginatorium.org/words/muffin.htm >I hope this helps. No, Pikelets are not muffins and were not originally round. They were more like havercakes, any sort of shape. They began being cooked in a ring for the convenience of the (industrial) baker. Some people do the same with eggs! As far as I know muffins are the large bun-shaped things which sometimes have fruit or chocolate in them. But they're certainly linked with USA. It's this word 'English' attached to muffin which is puzzling. And I've been around for almost seventy years, in England. Mary --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.8 --------------- From: "Mary Fisher" Subject: Re: more what are English Muffins? Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 16:13:56 +0100 >English muffins are a yeasted bread that is cooked on the >stovetop. I haven't made them myself since about 15 years ago, but >if memory serves me, the dough is more of a batter-like >consistency. Usually, you use a ring to contain the batter until it >firms up, then remove it. The result is something that about the >size and shape of a hockey puck. Probably the closest comparison >would be a pancake. Those are pikelets. Nothing like a pancake, which (here at least) is allowed to spread all over the bottom of the pan. But you shouldn't need a ring to contain the pikelet batter, let it spread then it will cook all through. >The other thing I remember was that it was quite difficult to get >the middle of the edge to cook properly. When I was a child they were toasted anyway so had second cooking. It was a ritual to hold them on a toasting fork against the open (coal) fire. We don't have those any more in most of the country. I toast them under the electric grill when I make them. Mary --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.9 --------------- From: Roxanne Rieske Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 09:25:39 -0600 Subject: Re: English Muffins (or: The Americanized version of Crumpets) I love Rose's recipe for Crumpets (in the Bread Bible). By far the best recipe I've come across. After I made these, I never ever bought English Muffins in the store again (I don't believe they are actually called English Muffins in England...). The trick to making these is using an electric skillet (the large flat topped kind) so you can precisely control the heat. I get perfectly browned crumpets every time. Roxanne --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.10 --------------- From: "Schmitt, Barbara E." Subject: What is an English muffin? Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 13:02:37 -0400 I think the simplest answer is that what Americans call an English muffin is very similar to what the English call a crumpet. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.11 --------------- From: "Allen Cohn" Subject: Re: English Muffin request Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 08:10:30 -0700 Hi everyone, I've made Alton Brown's recipe several times http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_23595,00.html It has great nooks and crannies...but the flavor isn't spectacular. Also, you might want to toss them in the oven for a bit after stovetop cooking to ensure the middles are cooked. There's also a recipe in Peter Reinhart's "Bread Baker's Apprentice," but I haven't tried it yet. Allen --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.12 --------------- From: "Werner Gansz" Subject: An English Muffin Procedure that Works Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 20:31:25 -0400 The recent spate of posts about English Muffins triggered yet another attempt (#7 or #8 over 7 years) at getting these things right. As noted by others, the interior of the muffins have always come out undercooked, basically raw dough. Reinhart's solution in BBA is to have a hot oven handy to put the muffins into for 10 or 20 minutes after baking on the stove top but I thought that was cheating. I used a recipe for Crumpets in "The Wooden Spoon Bread Book" by Marilyn Moore. She has an English Muffin recipe that is a firm dough cut into rounds and baked on a griddle and a Crumpets recipe with a batter-like dough poured into 3 3/4" muffin rings and baked on a griddle. I chose the Crumpets recipe because it was more likely to create the large "nooks and crannies" that Thomas' English Muffins are famous for. It did. The trick that made it work this time is that I created an oven on the stove top. I used a large griddle that straddles two burners. It has a thick base to retain and distribute heat evenly. I also have a 5 qt pot that can be turned upside down on the griddle and just covers four 3 3/4" muffin rings. When upside down it rests tight on its rim, not on its handles so it traps the griddle's heat. Other arrangements might be a cast iron pan with a cover, however, since the muffins have to be turned with a spatula, a high sided cast iron pan will make turning difficult. A better "oven" than my pot would be something that has a vent to release moisture, maybe something made out of aluminum foil. Combine 2 cups scalded milk 1 Tb Butter 1 tsp Sugar 1 tsp Salt Let cool Presoak 1 pkg (1 scant Tb) Active Dry Yeast in 1/2 cup warm water Put 3 cups all purpose flour in a mixer with flat beater attachment and run on low Add milk mixture Add yeast presoak Turn mixer to medium speed (3 on KA) and mix for 5 to 6 minutes. Pour batter into large bowl and let double, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir down the batter and add 1/4 tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 2 Tb warm water and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn on griddle burner(s) to medium for a few minutes then to very low and let the temperature stabilize. You may have to fiddle with burner settings and baking time. The burner should be much lower than for pancakes. The muffin should bake 15 minutes on the first side, 7 to 10 on the second.) Use PAM to grease the inside of the muffin rings. Have some corn meal ready. Corn meal creates the traditional bottom texture of the muffin. I found out that it also retards browning on the bottom side and lets the muffin stay on that side longer and therefore helps the muffin bake through. When the batter and griddle are ready spray a light coating of PAM on the griddle. Then put as many rings as can fit under your "oven" on the griddle and let them warm up. Sprinkle a thin layer of corn meal into each ring. Pour a heaping 1/2 cup of batter in each ring and place the "oven" over the rings. Resist the temptation to raise the "oven" and look. It should take a minimum of 10 minutes, better 15 minutes on the first side. The corn meal will retard burning on the bottom. When the first (under) side is light brown, the top looks "holey" and firm and the sides have pulled from the ring you can use a pair of tongs to lift the rings off the muffins and turn them over with a spatula. (This works fine on the on the first batch but the second time the ring was used, even with a new coating of PAM, it stuck). If they stick, it is easier to turn them over first, then push on the baked muffin surface while lifting the rings to release them. Now replace the "oven". The second side will bake faster. When the second surface is deep speckled brown remove the "oven" and turn the muffins back to bottom side down and bake for 5 minutes without the "oven" to dry them out. The corn meal now baked into the bottom surface should protect it from burning. Try to cool one muffin from the first batch quickly in the fridge and "fork split" them open to see if they are baked inside before committing the rest of the batter to baking. If the nooks and crannies didn't appear try adding water to thin the batter before continuing. Adjust burner settings as necessary. Clean off old batter and re-PAM the rings before continuing. Good Luck. Werner --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.13 --------------- From: FREDERICKA COHEN Subject: recycling challah Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 17:06:38 -0700 (PDT) While digging in my freezer, I discovered three loaves of delicious challah which had been rejected for the table because they were less than perfect in appearance. I was saving them for stuffing, fresh bread crumbs, dry bread crumbs, french toast, in chunks with soup, etc. While I know none of you have ever created a less than perfect -in- appearance bread, I hope that someone has a great bread pudding recipe. I mean the kind that is full of milk, eggs, huge white raisins, and an almost decadent amount of cinnamon. Can someone help me out on this? At the risk of sounding too proud, these breads are too good be meatloaf filler! Thanks in advance, Fredericka --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.14 --------------- From: "beth old" Subject: Proof Boxes Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:45:37 -0400 Can anyone tell me where to find a proof box? beth old got2olds@earthlink.net EarthLink Revolves Around You. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v105.n039.15 --------------- From: "Elizabeth A. Stolze" Subject: Bread Machine Taste Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 15:57:37 -0400 I am using a bread machine for all my breads, but I've noticed that no matter what recipe I use, the bread all tastes the same. Am I crazy? My husband and I are beyond frustrated. Any thoughts on this? Thanks for your input! --------------- END bread-bakers.v105.n039 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2006 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved