Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:35:33 GMT -------------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v109.n028 -------------- 001 - marina Subject: Making round disks of bread Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:55:51 +0200 >Back to bread. What is the best way to make the flat pita bread into >a nice round disk? Mine are pretty funny lookin but work fine. The only way I have found is to start with very round balls, by rolling the dough between the palms of my hands and shaping it with the help of my thumbs. Once I have a round ball, which can take some time because I am no dough artist, I gently squeeze it down to a round thick disk between my palms, and then use my palms to further press it down on the table. If using a rolling pin, it usually works best if you apply pressure on it from the centre of the disk out. Pizza makers never use a rolling pin to get their round disks - they simply pull and turn the disk until they have the desired thickness. Hoping this helps, and congratulations on your bacon! Marina /\ /\ Marina Tadiello / / \ / / \ \ Perledo near Varenna, Italy \ \ / / Local and International Fax +1 781 998-8427 \ \ / \/ \/ The ultimate guide to making natural soap --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n028.2 --------------- From: "Tom" Subject: Old Bread Recipies Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:10:31 -0700 I have always had an interest in how our ancestors made bread 100 to 200 years ago. Before there was refrigeration and before yeast was commercially available. I found an old cookbook from 1897 (compiled for the United States from the Thirty-Firth German Edition). Here are a couple of recipes from the book: 1) Sponge for Winter Use: Peel and boil 4-5 medium-sized potatoes in 2 quarts of water; when done take out of the water, and press through a sieve or mash very fine in the dish in which the sponge is to be made, make a depression in the center into which put a cupful of flour, and pour over it the boiling water from the potatoes. Stir thoroughly, and when cool add a pint of warm water to make a thin batter, and a cupful of yeast. This sponge will make very moist bread. ---------- Seems to me this sponge is mainly liquid. 2 quarts potato water + 1 pint warm water with 1 cup flour and 4-5 mashed potatoes. I wonder what a cupful of yeast is? ---------- 2) Bread Raised Twice: Measure out 4 quarts of flour, take out about 1 cupful and put the remainder into a pan. Make a depression in the middle, into which put 1 tablespoonful of sugar, 1 tablespoonful of salt and 1 cupful of yeast; then mix in 1 pint of milk which was made lukewarm by adding 1 pint of warm water. Beat well with a strong spoon, and knead for 20-30 minutes; let it raise over night; in the morning knead again, mould into loaves, let them raise until about twice their size, and bake not quite 1 hour. 3) Raw Potato Yeast: Peal 3 large potatoes and lay them into cold water. Then grate one potato into a large dish, pour over it at once one pint of boiling water to cook the potato. Grate the next potato, and pour on another pint of water, then grate the third, and over this also pour 1 pint of boiling water. Do not grate them all at once as the potato will turn dark. Stir quickly with a silver spoon, adding salt and about 1/2 cup of sugar. When it is lukewarm stir in 1 cupful of yeast. When light it will be covered with a thick foam. This yeast makes delicious bread. 4) Brown Bread: 2 1/2 cupfuls of sour milk, and 1/2 cupful of molasses; put into this 1 heaping teaspoonful of soda, 2 cupfuls of cornmeal, 1 cupful of graham flour, add 1 teaspoonful of salt. Steam 3 hours and afterwards brown in the oven. 5) Graham Bread: To a little more than 1 quart of warm water add 1/2 cupful of brown sugar or molasses, 1/4 cupful of yeast and 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls of salt, thicken the water with flour to a thin batter, then add yeast, salt and sugar, and stir in more flour until thick. In the morning add a small teaspoonful of soda and flour to make a stiff batter, pour it into pans and let it raise again, then bake in a moderate oven. Keep in a warm place while raising. Tom --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n028.3 --------------- From: Paul Subject: The Art of Italian Cooking Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:05:59 -0500 Mario Lo Pinto The Art of Italian Cooking, $2.49 at Alibris http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?binding=&mtype=&keyword=+Mario+Lo+Pinto+The+Art+of+Italian+Cooking&hs.x=0&hs.y=0&hs=Submit --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n028.4 --------------- From: "Rosalie Valvo" Subject: Making Pita Round Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:11:53 -0700 Steve said, " What is the best way to make the flat pita bread into a nice round disk? Mine are pretty funny lookin but work fine." Pita has become my favorite bread to make. I have only myself to bake for most of the time, and it's even more convenient to take out one pita than to work through a mini-loaf. I've considered making a chart of the various techniques used by different sources, since there are many, sometimes conflicting. The secret to a circle is to form each piece of dough into a ball before rolling. Rosalie --------------- MESSAGE bread-bakers.v109.n028.5 --------------- From: "Arlene \(Baker_ia\) Klatt" Subject: Tiger bread or Dutch crumb Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:33:18 -0500 Hi I was reading an article about Dutch crumb or Tiger bread where a slurry/paste of rice flour, water, oil and yeast is added to the top of bread or buns to give them an interesting tiger type coloration/pattern on the top of the loaf or bun plus it makes the loaf crusty on the outside. Has anyone ever done this and my wonder was after googleing the topping some say to use sesame oil and other notes just say oil. Has anyone on the list ever done this and if so what kind of oil and did you use white rice or brown rice flour. I also found sweet rice flour but that sounds like more of a starch type flour to thicken things that it is put into. Thanks all Arlene --------------- END bread-bakers.v109.n028 --------------- Copyright (c) 1996-2009 Regina Dwork and Jeffrey Dwork All Rights Reserved