Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2009 07:40:47 GMT -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v109.n007 -------------- 001 - "Werner Gansz" Subject: Corn Tortillas Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:48:03 -0500 I could use some advice about corn tortillas. I am from the Northeast and although I travel to the Southwest fairly frequently I'm not sure I would know what a properly made corn tortilla is supposed to taste like. I just tried to make my first batch, by hand rolling and using masa harina corn flour. The dough, mixed 2:1 by volume masa to water, felt right and rolled out right between two plastic sheets (a pair of thin, flexible, plastic cutting surfaces). It took a couple of tries hand-rolling until I could scrape the tortilla off the plastic without it breaking but it worked. However, to my unschooled palette they tasted flat, like bread made without salt. Eaten by themselves, even with butter they needed some salt to get a real corn flavor to come through. Do you add salt to the mix? I usually only see wheat flour tortillas in restaurants here in the east or hard corn taco shells and chips. Are the taco shells and nacho chips made differently? The chips are usually salted on the outside but not always. We had some unsalted chips at a restaurant recently and they were excellent with salsa but I suspect the dough was salted before baking because the corn flavor came through much better than with the tortillas I made. Any suggestions would be appreciated. If I can get these to taste a bit better I may spring for a tortilla press. Werner --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.2 --------------- From: fred smith Subject: slicing bread straight Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:41:38 -0500 I've had people stand and watch in wonder as I slice bread straight! I've always wondered what's the big deal? I've never found it hard to do, and the watchers can't figure out how I do it! :) Now, I don't pretend that my slices are all machine-perfect, but they are largely straight and mostly even. Have you ever used a saw on a board? you line up the saw on the mark where the cut goes, use your eye to make sure it's straight then you saw, continually watching it for straightness. Slicing bread is the same, as far as I'm concerned... hold the loaf in the left hand (I'm a rightie), use the thumb as a guide for the knife by placing the thumb the "right" distance from the previous cut and let the side of the blade touch the tip of the thumb, visually line up the knife so it's parallel to the previous cut (assuming it was straight) and watch it, correcting for alignment errors as you gently saw away at the bread. I've seen bread slicing guides offered in catalogs (wouldn't be surprised if the King Arthur web store offers one) but never tried using one. I wouldn't think they'd be particularly convenient... Good luck! Fred Smith -- fredex@fcshome.stoneham.ma.us --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.3 --------------- From: dmrogers218@comcast.net Subject: Re: cutting bread straight Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:10:39 +0000 (UTC) Lisa, I did a very short google search for bread slicers and found this one at Target. Hope it helps. deb in Georgia Norpro Acrylic Bread Slicer http://www.target.com/Norpro-Acrylic-Bread-Slicer/dp/B001DMEHQW/sr=3D1-1/qid=3D1234710524/ref=3Dsr_1_1/189-0653273-6634807?ie=3DUTF8&rh=3Dk%3Abread%5Fslicer&page=3D1 --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.4 --------------- From: Katherine Fritz Subject: Re: cutting Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 10:22:04 -0500 Try a fiddle bow bread knife. Here's a link to one at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Woods-ORIGINAL-CHERRY-FIDDLE/dp/B0010L29N4/ref=acc_glance_ktch_ai_-2_1_tit I have one, and find it helpful in cutting the bread more evenly. Katie --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.5 --------------- From: Gary Van Gelder Subject: Cutting Bread Straight. Learnings from a woodworker. Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 09:46:48 -0600 Lisa, It's a combination of skill and art. I'm writing this from the perspective of a woodworker and bread baker. The 2 keys are: 1. visualization (the art) and 2. let the knife (saw) do the work (the skill). It is like cutting a board with a saw, being careful to follow the line while letting the saw do the cutting without adding undo force. Same with a bread knife. As I watch people cut bread, they often apply too much pressure to the knife rather than letting the weight and teeth of the knife do the cutting. It might take 5 strokes to penetrate the top crust. Take long slow strokes while watching the loaf. Don't watch the knife, watch the loaf. And don't be in a hurry. Dr. G. --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.6 --------------- From: Cindy DeCesare Subject: Re: cutting Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:43:07 -0600 Lisa asked for suggestions on how to cut bread, to avoid uneven slices. Lisa, we recently bought an electric knife that had two blades, one was for bread, having a wider blade. The knife has worked like a charm, even on breads hot out of the oven or the bread machine. The slices are even and thinner. A win-win for our family. Cindy --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.7 --------------- From: SerendipVT Subject: re: cutting bread for sandwiches Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:06:24 -0500 I have two items to help keep bread slices uniform for sandwiches: One is a (plastic) cutting guide that came with an expandable bread keeper. I got mine through King Arthur Flour... they say the manufacturer no longer includes the guide, and they are looking for a replacement. You might try googling, ebay, etc. The guide is a terrific help, and the plastic bread keeper is pretty good, too! The other is a bread knife with an adjustable guide. Mine is made by Fiskars... I've had it for years and don't know if it is still made. I think they are often called bread or deli slicers. If I'm making a lot of sandwiches, I uses the plastic guide, otherwise usually the knife. Hope that helps! --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.8 --------------- From: sblumm@comcast.net Subject: Gluten Free & Spelt Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 04:32:34 +0000 (UTC) I think spelt flour - which does not have gluten - is very commonly used in Germany. For those looking for gluten free recipes it might be a good idea to see if you can find German bread baking web sites. If you don't read German you will find that quite a few German web sites have English translations. When I've experimented with spelt - and I am far from expert - I've found that it works almost the same as regular bread flour in recipes, though protein additives might be a good idea. If someone has experience with spelt I would very much appreciate hearing how they have used it in place of bread flour in recipes. Stephen Blumm --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.9 --------------- From: Andy Nguyen Subject: Re: cutting Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:54:25 -0500 (EST) How about: "Young man/lady, there are starving children in Africa who'd love any bread at all, let alone crookedly sliced bread"? Seriously though, I'd start with a good bread knife. My bro gave me one of those J.A.Henckel-type bread knives for Xmas and I did not know how sucky my old knife was until I used the new knife. Secondly, when slicing, as with driving and sewing, don't look at where you are right now but instead look at where you want to be. Just as you would not be looking at the road right in front of the car but rather keep your sight higher up towards the horizon, look at where you want the blade to end up not where the blade is RIGHT NOW. Try that and see if it helps. Andy Nguyen --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n007.10 --------------- From: JMille2788 Subject: Slicing bread Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:55:16 -0800 I share your inability to slice consistently. The only way I have managed to improve is through repetition. The same way I learned to juggle (lots of failures). If you keep slicing eventually you will get better. If a slice it too hideous to use, save it for bread crumbs. Make lots of bread and you will have lots of chances to practice. I make smaller denser loaves and have some better results. Even if your slices aren't as pretty as the store loaves, they will be healthier and tastier. Take care, JD Tumwater WA --------------- END bread-bakers.v109.n007 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2009 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved