“I understand the big food companies are developing a tearless onion. I think they can do it – after all, they’ve already given us tasteless bread.”
2020-10-17 – Tilting at Windmills, Fighting Inertia, Going to Downtown Flavortown – Mike’s (more or (much) less) Weekly Baking Tips Hello Breadheads! Tilting at Windmills! MONTHS ago I filmed a video on creating a starter in 2 1/2 days using Dr. Calvel’s method with the intent of baking a loaf of bread with the 2 …
2020-08-24 – An Ikea Find, Mythbusting, Sweltering In Place, and more Hello Bread Heads! We’ve been making videos and posting them on our YouTube channel. As time goes on, we work on trying to do things better and better. The wire frame cart we were using was a major, major hindrance. The wheel locks weren’t …
2020-08-16 – Starters, Dutch Ovens, Knives and maybe more Hello Bread Heads! Here we are at last! I’ve been doing lots of baking, trying lots of interesting things, and ignoring my sacred obligation to keep your email in tray filled up. Sadly, the Introduction to Sourdough class didn’t have enough people sign up, so we …
Slice a Bagel – Not Yourself! When we teach in person bagel classes we spend some time teaching people how to slice a bagel safely. Someone told me that the most common reason for an emergency room visit weekend mornings is when people hurt themselves cutting a bagel. According to Freakonomics, bagel injuries are the …
2020-07-26 – If It Wasn’t For Bad Luck! Hello Bread Heads! Class notes – The LONG awaited better Internet connection is here at our house! As a result, we are starting to offer classes again. We are delighted! Our current game plan is to send a “care package” to students in the USA containing all …
2020-07-26 – If It Wasn’t For Bad Luck! Mike’s (more or less) Weekly Baking Tips Read More »
2020-06-25 Pizza AND TRADITION!! From Mike’s (more or less) Weekly Baking Tips Let’s change course in the middle of the data stream… let’s talk pizza! AHHH!!! Pizza! One of my favorite YouTube series is “Real Dough – is it pizza?” Scott Wiener (owner of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City – I really want …
Seeded Sourdough Lavash Crackers Made With Sourdough Discard And Other Goodness Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE bread, and that’s not going to change! However, there are times when there is nothing as satisfying as a cracker. The crunch! The burst of flavor! These crackers are a bit of trouble, but I think you’ll love …
2020-06-18 Yet Another Mixer Shootout Should I hook, or should I roll? We could turn that into a rock’n’roll anthem! What’s it all about? Hang in for a few more paragraphs, and you’ll be in with the in crowd! Like many bakers, I grew weary of my KitchenAid mixer. I wanted more capacity than the …
Honey Honey is a sugar based syrup made by bees gathering pollen from plants. Many people feel local honey, having local pollen, can help people minimize allergy symptoms. Sugar contains enzymes which can interfere with dough rising. This is most pronounced with raw honey. The answer is to blanch the honey to denature the …
Cake Flour According to Nigella Lawson, cake flour is mostly found in the USA. It is a low protein flour, between 6 and 8% protein, that has been milled very finely and bleached. Cake bakers have historically wanted a very white flour to make very white cakes. Higher protein levels would make cakes tough rather …
2020-06-05 It Doesn’t HAVE To Be Difficult! Sometimes, OK – all too often, we make baking bread harder than it has to be. Feed the sourdough starter for three days. Make a preferment for 12 to 18 hours. Bake the bread in a dutch oven or a wood fired oven that has never cooled in …
2020-06-05 It Doesn’t HAVE To Be Difficult! Mike’s (more or less) Weekly Baking Tips Read More »
2020-05-28 Secrets of Bread Pudding and Class Comments – Mike’s (more or less) Weekly Baking Tips Hi Bread Heads! I thought I’d better send another note out before people start asking if I’m dead. I’m not dead, not even wounded or ailing! Time gets a bit strange when you’re livin’ on Corona Time! (I looked …