From the Bone-Idle-Lazy pantry of passion:
"Slash dough tops, or not to slash" is an interesting question. It popped
up recently in another website forum. Responses were, as one might expect,
passionate (the subject ranks right up there with yeast "type" and baking
stones). One theme prevailed: the slash-opening allows dough to rise better
in the oven, interior dough has room to expanded. Truth is: the slash
doesn't make a bit of difference. Side-by-side tests in my kitchen
consistently show "same as" or "rise higher -without- a slash." Esthetics
and tradition is the reason for slashing. Your tummy won't experience a bit
of difference.
In the same arena: "skinned-over somewhat dry dough exteriors," the dryness
allegedly preventing dough expansion during the baking phase. Rules say
"the need" (and value of) "water-misting" dough prior to baking softens the
exterior and makes it more elastic. Also required, "generating steam"
(various methods) in the home oven (ice cubes, tossed boiling water,
sprayers, etc.) Steam plus directly misting the tops allegedly creates
higher and better oven spring (dough rise) during baking. Truth is: it
doesn't. Even the notoriously difficult and cantankerous French baguette -
bakes superbly well without misting, steaming, even when starting with a
slightly dry skin. Yes, this is directly opposite traditional advice.
Suggestion: give it a try and see what happens. Very likely you will be
surprised.
Most valued wisdom worth sharing: simplicity. KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid.
View complexity and a multitude of "necessary" steps as something to avoid
(or reason not to buy a book). The baking guru who advocates "exotic"
techniques and ingredients... likely has too much flour dust on his or her
glasses (or is named Slick Willy and trying to sell you something). When
exploring new baking techniques and methods, stick to baking one bread.
Bake it repeatedly changing only one thing at a time. Again, a query on
another website forum: "I just baked (four different bread-types in four
days) and am having problems learning how to bake." I rolled my eyes and
let that query pass. Explaining the obvious wasn't worth the time. A
reminder to those using "no-spam" addresses posting a question on Reggie's
excellent bread-bakers list: we can't respond directly to your question
(and in more depth) when faced with frustrating "mail non-delivery"
bounce-backs. A few weeks prior I answered a query about flour types,
brands, etc. 20-minutes of user-specific writing went down the tube, the
"non-delivery, we do not accept mail."
Same arena, question variation: "Which (additive) should I use (dough
improvers, enhancers, additives and various "secret" ingredients). Shared
wisdom: toss 'em all in the trash. Don't buy 'em in the first place. Learn
to work and understand basic ingredients, the techniques of working with
four basic elements: flour, water, yeast and salt. The variations possible
are enormous. Most enhancers and additives are often a short-trip to
nowhere, band-aids to underlying problems (imagined or otherwise). Solid
advice for those wanting to advance in baking: Weighing ingredients is by
far the best method of constructing bread. Though the expense of a scale
($40-60) may seem frivolous - once used, you'll never go back to the
"volume-cup" method. After you use a scale, "How did I ever get along
without it?" will cross your lips. Beyond the accuracy issue (consistency),
simplicity and less things to clean are extra but significant benefits...
true Bone-Idle-Lazy goals in life.
Will using a scale guarantee "perfection"? Absolutely not, but it is so-o-o
much better!
Example: measuring a cup of flour by - volume - (the physical cup) is
highly variable, one of those "it depends" instances. Use the "dip & sweep"
method and one cup weighs about 150 grams. Sprinkle flour into the same cup
and it's about 120 grams. Sift the same flour into the same cup - only
about 90 grams! Which is correct? All of 'em!
Catch-22: the recipe you're reading well might be different than your
cup-measuring method (often only mentioned in one brief sentence, "buried
on page 3 of a 300-page book"). Highly regarded Cook's Illustrated magazine
uses "dip & sweep," Maggie Glezer's "Artisan Baking Across America" book
uses it. But many recipes use the "sprinkle" method. Interchange one for
the other and significant baking errors result. You end up saying "but I
followed the recipe exactly."
Consider a recipe calling for say, 5 cups: 150x5=750 grams. But if you're
sprinkling flour into the cup you're using 120x5=600 grams. The former is
asking for - more than - a full cup of extra flour... that you didn't use!
Wonder why the recipe failed?
Grams-vs-ounces. BIL (Bone-Idle-Lazy) club members on both sides of the
pond (ocean) use grams. We swear by 'em. It's simpler. It's easier. And
there's less swearing. With grams the number-flow stays consistent and easy
to understand (doesn't jump between pounds and ounces, or fractions of an
ounce; most scales "stop" at 16 oz and heavier amounts are displayed in
pounds plus ounces). If you need to proportionately increase or decrease
with grams - percentages is a piece of cake (pun intended). Attempt the
same with ounces and pounds - a headache, and very error prone. "But I'm
not a math-whiz" is the cry of anguish. Answer: keep a cheap hand
calculator next to the scale. And since you're weighing everything, it's a
great chance to clear space and get rid of all those measuring cups and
bowls. (I place the machine's empty mixing bowl directly on the scale and
dump each ingredient into the bowl, liquids are last (the dry ingredients
blended prior to adding liquids). No other containers are used; milk from
the carton goes direct to bowl, same with olive oil, honey, etc. Water is
added using the hose-spray at the sink.
Other tradition-changing methods: I never oil my mixing bowl for rising
dough. After the mix period, the dough stays in the bowl for whatever rise
(ferment) time required. Plastic wrap covers the bowl. The "Stretch-Tite"
(yellow box) brand is the best I've come across, less than $3 for 250 feet;
clings better than any other brand, and is heavy duty in thickness. Highly
recommended.
Do BIL members weigh token amounts such as yeast and salt? No. Scales
aren't accurate in those low weight ranges (1 gram of yeast as an example).
Keep one set of measuring spoons at hand. The most functional and accurate
set I've used is made by "Endurance" called Spice Measuring Spoons. They
have extra-long, 4" handles and narrow rectangular heads that reach easily
into small jars. The set (on a small chain) includes 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1
tsp, 1 Tbsp (about $8-10). A worthy investment.
Silicone baking mats - another "they're a dream" BIL staple. Frankly, years
ago I thought they were just another gimmick. They're "the real deal."
Simpler. Easier. Cleaner. Place 'em in the bottom of whatever tray or
cookie sheet being used. Reuse 'em forever, untouched. The thicker French
Exopat Matfer is about $20; I prefer (by far) a less expensive version made
in China named SiliconeZone ($15) - it is paper-thin, red border, almost
fragile looking. Thinness IS the major asset: the ability to conform to any
tray shape. I use 'em in 3-slot perforated-metal baguette trays. Never has
the bread bonded to the mat; wish I could say the same when dough rests
directly on the non-stick perforated metal surface (even when using messy
sprays). Bottom browning of the bread: equal-to or better-than the bare
metal! Bonus with the silicone sheet: I like baguettes with corn meal on
the bottom, the "extra-crunch" factor. Sprinkle corn meal on the silicone
sheet before placing the dough on top. Result: Not a bit of mess with corn
meal dropping or burning on the oven's floor! Haven't had to clean the oven
in a year! A Bone-Idler's dream.
Handling hot trays, etc. Best product Bone-Idler's have found: Lowes or
Home Depot - buy a pair of Welder's gloves! About $10-12 for a pair. The
gripping ability (fingers, not a mitt) vastly exceeds that of a slippery
cotton mitten (or miserable "hot pad.")
Baking tip: books and magazines often specify "unsalted butter." Hint from
the BIL crew: using unsalted butter isn't important. Doesn't make a bit of
difference in your breads, salted or unsalted butter. It's
laboratory-technical gibberish, in relative terms a microscopic
measurement. To wit: salted butter with a "serving size of 1 Tbsp" weighs
14 grams. The salt content of 1 Tbsp is listed as "Sodium 90 mg" ("mg"
means milligrams - 1000ths of one gram.) If the recipe uses 1 Tbsp of
butter you've added 90 mg of extra salt. But, the recipe also calls for 1
Tbsp of salt (weight is 18 grams) - in math terms that is the same as
18,000 mg of salt!) Do you think butter's 90mg-worth of salt makes a twit
of difference out of the 18,000 mg of salt added? Not a bit. It's like
saying I missed two blades of grass when mowing the whole yard. Use
whatever butter is on hand, salted or unsalted.
- Ed Okie