Baked anything tasty lately?

LirW

The man did some Cinnamon crunch knots today. They are absolutely lovely!

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/easiest-cinnamon-crunch-knots/

RacoonQueen

Accidently opened a tin of condensed milk last night :rolleyes: so had to use it up today. Was going to make lime and coconut cake with it but really couldn't have been bothered going to get limes...so just knocked up some chocolate and coconut fudge instead. Not really baking but...

I got inspired by all the no-knead bread talk the other day so I tried it myself. Gave it an 8 hour slow rise while I was at work and then cooked it using my big stainless steel pot.

Really happy with the result, the crumb is really springy and the crust is the right side of chewy! Gonna go cut myself another slice now! :P

Gloomtastic!

Bit disappointed in my No Knead Bread. Turned out quite ‘doughy’ and wet. It sat for 18 hours+, not the warmest room in the house. Any ideas?

georgina toadbum

How long did you bake it for?

Gloomtastic!

georgina toadbum wrote: »

How long did you bake it for?

The prescribed 30 mins covered, 15 uncovered plus an extra 5 to try and brown it a bit more....

Gloomtastic!

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Bit disappointed in my No Knead Bread. Turned out quite ‘doughy’ and wet. It sat for 18 hours+, not the warmest room in the house. Any ideas?

Mine sat for 8+ hours (my house is freezing) and while the dough was quite wet compared to kneaded breads I've made, once it was baked it wasn't doughy /wet at all. How did you bake it?

Gloomtastic!

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

The prescribed 30 mins covered, 15 uncovered plus an extra 5 to try and brown it a bit more....

That's strange then... Maybe you added too much water to it?

rubadub

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Bit disappointed in my No Knead Bread. Turned out quite ‘doughy’ and wet. It sat for 18 hours+, not the warmest room in the house. Any ideas?

Deleted User wrote: »

Mine sat for 8+ hours (my house is freezing) and while the dough was quite wet compared to kneaded breads I've made, once it was baked it wasn't doughy /wet at all. How did you bake it?

what are both of your recipes?

This is Jim Lahey one I had found.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (400 grams), plus more for the work surface
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (1 gram)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (8 grams)
1 5/8 cups water (384 milliliters)
Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed

However I also have a PDF of the Jim Lahey which has 300ml water while the other weights remain the same (cup size has changed too, though I would avoid using volumes it shows it is not just a bad conversion)

https://leitesculinaria.com/99521/recipes-jim-laheys-no-knead-bread.html

Actually just found this too.

Squid Ink: Is the recipe in the book any different from the one published in the New York Times? I ask because I made them both, and this one seems even better.

Jim Lahey: The quantities of water and flour are different. I don't really view the recipe as the end all and be all, and I try and state that throughout the book. It's really about a process. the book is like a guide, not an absolute. Because flour can vary, water can vary. Humidity isn't really as big an issue. It's temperature, and also flour and its ability to absorb water.

I think the interviewer is saying the 300ml one came out better.


http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/a-conversation-with-baker-jim-lahey-his-recipe-for-no-knead-bread-2382240

Basic No-Knead Bread

From: Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery.

Makes: 1 10-inch round loaf; 1 1/4 pounds

Equipment: A 41/2- to 51/2-quart pot (cast-iron or enameled cast-iron or ceramic)

3 cups bread flour (400 grams)

1 1/4 teaspoons table salt (8 grams)

1/4 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast (1 gram)

1 1/3 cups cool (55-65 degrees) water (300 grams)

wheat bran, cornmeal or additional flour for dusting

kylith

Did you preheat the baking dish? What temp did you cook at?

I usually go for 3 cups flour to 1.5 cups water. Today I’m trying a 50/50 mix of white and brown flour.

rubadub

rubadub wrote: »

what are both of your recipes?

This is Jim Lahey one I had found.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (400 grams), plus more for the work surface
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (1 gram)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (8 grams)
1 5/8 cups water (384 milliliters)
Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed

However I also have a PDF of the Jim Lahey which has 300ml water while the other weights remain the same (cup size has changed too, though I would avoid using volumes it shows it is not just a bad conversion)

https://leitesculinaria.com/99521/recipes-jim-laheys-no-knead-bread.html

Actually just found this too.


I think the interviewer is saying the 300ml one came out better.


http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/a-conversation-with-baker-jim-lahey-his-recipe-for-no-knead-bread-2382240

My recipe was similar- 3 cups plain flour, 2 tsp salt (I didn't actually measure just put a few twists of my salt grinder in), 1 sachet dry yeast and 1.5 cups water (-ish, I added a few drops extra until it just came together, was around 300 ml anyway). I don't normally work in cups but the recipe I was following was in cups so I used cups to avoid having to convert.

I didn't bother flouring it after, I just scraped it from one bowl into another bowl lined with baking paper, roughly shaped it into a round and let it do its second proof, then lifted it into the preheated pot using the paper.

rubadub

Deleted User wrote: »

1 sachet dry yeast .

most sachets are 7g, so you are using 7 times the amount than the Lahey recipe. I was wondering you were getting away with far less time. I made his pizza dough recipes and as shocked at how little yeast I was adding (an all the salt). I was leaving for over 24hrs a lot of the time.

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't normally work in cups but the recipe I was following was in cups so I used cups to avoid having to convert.

I hate cup/volumetric recipes esp. where it could be critical. I think that Lahey guy was recommending to use the weight based recipe due to the inherent inaccuracy of volumetric recipes.

Looking at comments online many in the US cannot seem to get their head around what is wrong with it. They will be told "a cup of flour could weigh more or less depending on how packed it is", and the answer will be "but, but, the recipe calls for cups, who cares what weight it is?"

Gloomtastic!

Here’s the recipe I used

https://pinchofyum.com/no-knead-bread

Cast iron pot was in the hot oven for 30 minutes before the dough went in.

kylith

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Here’s the recipe I used

https://pinchofyum.com/no-knead-bread

Cast iron pot was in the hot oven for 30 minutes before the dough went in.

THat is exactly the recipe I use, but out if sheer laziness I double the yeast. It could just be one if those things on the day.

RentDayBlues

School bake sale so some lemon meringue cupcakes and some raspberry and coconut slices, all gluten free as that’s all I do

rubadub

rubadub wrote: »

most sachets are 7g, so you are using 7 times the amount than the Lahey recipe. I was wondering you were getting away with far less time. I made his pizza dough recipes and as shocked at how little yeast I was adding (an all the salt). I was leaving for over 24hrs a lot of the time.


I hate cup/volumetric recipes esp. where it could be critical. I think that Lahey guy was recommending to use the weight based recipe due to the inherent inaccuracy of volumetric recipes.

Looking at comments online many in the US cannot seem to get their head around what is wrong with it. They will be told "a cup of flour could weigh more or less depending on how packed it is", and the answer will be "but, but, the recipe calls for cups, who cares what weight it is?"

The recipe I used called for 1 tsp yeast rather than 1g so I didn't use that much more in my case (a tsp is just under 5g iirc). I was in a rush to get to work though so I just chucked the whole sachet in and left it! It's meant to be an 'overnight' rise so 8 hours is about right for it.

I too hate cups for their lack of precision (I work as a scientist so I'm all about precision!) but as I said I was in a rush so I just chucked in the 3 cups and hoped for the best. It worked great so can't have been too far off!

RentDayBlues

RentDayBlues wrote: »

School bake sale so some lemon meringue cupcakes and some raspberry and coconut slices, all gluten free as that’s all I do

Oh it's like you read my mind I was just thinking I'd love to make lemon meringue cupcakes soon! I was thinking of trying a Swiss meringue buttercream rather than plain meringue for the top though, not that I've ever made that before lol

RentDayBlues

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Oh it's like you read my mind I was just thinking I'd love to make lemon meringue cupcakes soon! I was thinking of trying a Swiss meringue buttercream rather than plain meringue for the top though, not that I've ever made that before lol

I’d love a blow torch to do the meringue properly, had to use the grill instead which is fine but doesn’t give as nice a looking finish

I also cut out a teaspoon full of cake to put the lemon curd in which worked really well

RentDayBlues

RentDayBlues wrote: »

I’d love a blow torch to do the meringue properly, had to use the grill instead which is fine but doesn’t give as nice a looking finish

I also cut out a teaspoon full of cake to put the lemon curd in which worked really well

Yeah I'd love a blowtorch too but it's not exactly a necessity for me right now lol! They still look really good!

georgina toadbum

Aldi have them on offer every so often.

von Smallhausen

Lidl also have them from time to time. I got one not so long ago as part of a Brulee set.

RacoonQueen

Danny_B wrote: »

Lidl also have them from time to time. I got one not so long ago as part of a Brulee set.

Do they take any canisters then? Was looking at one there a while ago and was wondering if canisters were universal.
Blowtorch is something I'd love to have

Tree

The brulee torch I have gets refilled by them cans you use to refill lighters

rubadub

Tree wrote: »

The brulee torch I have gets refilled by them cans you use to refill lighters

this is definitely what you want, otherwise you are paying over the odds or cannot even get replacements.

Some butane gas will have more unwanted additives than others.

You might have other uses for blowtorches around the house so might want to get a proper one rather than a mini. The proper one can be turned down low to do the job.

I have a professional grade heat gun with variable temp control that would do the job, it has a ceramic heating element to ensure no "bits" fly off the element.

RacoonQueen

Tree wrote: »

The brulee torch I have gets refilled by them cans you use to refill lighters

Have you a link to where we can pick that one up?
There are so many things I want to make that I need a blowtorch for.

von Smallhausen

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Danny_B wrote: »

Lidl also have them from time to time. I got one not so long ago as part of a Brulee set.

Do they take any canisters then? Was looking at one there a while ago and was wondering if canisters were universal.
Blowtorch is something I'd love to have

They are the refillable ones as Tree mentioned above. They usually sell the refills at the same time.

I made these raspberry brownies last night, they're pretty good but a strange thing happened while I was making the batter where it almost completely solidified into a hard dough-like consistency. I'm 100% sure I measured out all the ingredients correctly. The recipe instructions weren't great and it was unclear when to add each of the ingredients but I've made I don't know how many brownie recipes before and never had this happen!

The only thing I can think of is that it's a temperature problem as a result of using eggs straight from the fridge (I forgot to leave them out to warm to room temperature), but I've never had that be an issue making brownies before. When I tried to fold in the frozen raspberries it stiffened even more so perhaps the drop in temperature solidified the chocolate and butter in the recipe?

Anyway, they seem to have sorted themselves out in the oven but I wouldn't use that recipe again!

kylith

My no knead brown bread is a success. It held together wonderfully and though the rise could have been better I think I have my new go-to recipe

RacoonQueen

Made peanut butter cupcakes again yesterday...just peanut butter without doing it marbled with chocolate. Don't like peanut butter generally but don't mind it mixed in with something like cake, so they taste ok...but texture is rather sticky. Recipe I used for this batch was from the lola's book I posted a link to last week that uses 175g of peanut butter in the cupcake batter so maybe I could try amending that to make it less 'sticky'

I need to up my buttercream making skills and piping though as I made buttercream too thick so then couldn't pipe it properly. Ended up removing the piping tip and just doing blobs and spreading...if I'd known that would happen I have just used my big, open piping tip.

Needless to say, they look unprofessional so I will not be posting pictures of them.

edit: I've been meaning to buy yeast for ages to make cinnamon rolls so all the talk of no knead bread finally reminded me to get some and got some yesterday. Have to start trying bread, something I've never spent much time on. (well that and pastry, but I hate working with pastry)

vicwatson

RentDayBlues wrote: »

raspberry and coconut slices,

Recipe please;)