Starting 2023 with a Bang!
So I started 2023 with a bang, on the side of my loaf that is. I have made about 5 loaves this year and all have proofing and kneading issues (and shaping). I even forgot the yeast in my steamed buns! My goal is to get better at timing (and organizing!) my sourdough bakes. What worked out for me last year or the year before doesn't seem to work out right now. With kids, everything is always changing as they get older (at least I don't have to move the crayons up to a higher shelf anymore). I have learned from every bake at least. Well, whether I'll remember or not is up in the air, hence why I am posting here, so I don't forget.
The pictures are not in chronological order. I will say that adding carrot juice to bread was not as tasty as I had hoped. And I learned not to leave the broiler on to long to warm up the oven for proofing (no longer than 5 minutes). I also need to sharpen my knives.
So here's to (mostly) yummy failures and hopefully better future loaves!
Comments
I’m sure that they weren’t in total failures, you’re being too hard on yourself. Remind me, where in Florida are you? We’re having great weather here in Fort Lauderdale since we arrived early last week.
Benny
Not total failures, but certainly not how I wanted them to be. I don't bake well when I'm stressed, ha ha. I'm in Titusville, just east of Orlando. We have had good weather too. We are getting rain tomorrow due to a cold front, but that just means it'll be nice and cool (highs in the 60Fs-70Fs) the next few days afterwards.
I can't bake stressed out either. MIL bakes like crazy when stressed and I swear the amount of egg liquor is going up with each marbled cake she bakes. Today she didn't, for one tiny second, look at her recipe. Tasted pretty good too. I wonder if she is trying to unstress me...???
Turn on the radio to something you like. Chase everybody out of the kitchen and follow a simple yeasted bread for a stressfree bake. Something you know that will boost your confidence. :)
The things that boost my confidence also make me fat, but it has been a while since I baked some cookies or a cake.... My last loaf has two slices left and I'm going to make crackers today. My youngest wants me to
makeattempt a firetruck cake for his birthday next month. I may even make some tamago boro (little egg biscuits) if I have enough time. The problem is that they are consumed faster than the time it takes to make them. I guess I just want to my stuff to look professional, and they really, really don't.The way the loaf is scored can make a big difference in looks. Play around with some of the kid's clay and score some dough shapes. Then push up the clay with your fingers underneath to imitate rise and watch how the score separates. Think of the dough skin surface as a container and cutting it as a way to let the dough ooz up and out. Try to keep most cuts on the upper third of the dough to prevent sideways spreading or flattening out. Try different tools for scoring...scissors or wheels and try flaying the surface, like you want to take the skin off with a steeply angled blade.
Painting milk or water on the surface (or any number of liquids) before scoring can also create contrast between the dough surface and the dough filling and expanding the cut as the bread bakes. Scores don't have to be deep, try shallow cuts and let the oven heat make the cuts expand. Fun to watch too!
I do need to watch some videos and I didn't think about play-doh. We do play-doh quite frequently around here. I could even watch videos at the doctor's office. I always seem to drop a stitch when they call me. I've yet to remember to not do lace at the doctor's office.