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Sticky dough: possible cause and solution, part II

Self-tutoring about baking: the tutor follows up on the idea of sticky dough.

Back in my post on July 21, I mention dough being to sticky to work: it stuck to my hands so I couldn’t knead it. The same happened again yesterday.

My wife agrees with other sources that the solution is to add more flour, which solved the problem easily. She further observed that the higher temperature in the house during summer might cause the dough to be more active, hence stickier.

The recipe I was using calls for three cups flour – see it here. Now, when making it during hotter conditions (the temp in the house last time was 26°C), I’d be ready with 3 1/2 cups flour, or even more. (Back before I had the problem with sticky dough, the house temperature was 23°C).

With the extra flour added, the scones turned out fine:)

Source:

geobeats

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.
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Dough too sticky – what to do?

Self-tutoring about baking: the tutor mentions a problem he sometimes encounters, with possible workarounds.

This morning, making scones, the dough was too sticky to work with – it wouldn’t let go my hands. I wondered what to do, and added about a half cup of milk. It made the dough workable, though not like normal. However, I did get it cut and into the oven. The scones were a little fluffier than usual, but fine.

Everyone else says I should have added more flour instead of milk. I’m not 100% convinced, but maybe I’ll try that next time. The “sticky dough” happens to me about one in ten times – I don’t know why.

Source:

www.craftybaking.com

www.youtube.com

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.
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How to keep eggshell out of your baked goods

Self-tutoring about baking: the tutor shares a simple trick.

When you bake something, you definitely don’t want eggshell in it. Of course, it usually wouldn’t happen. However, the odd time, an egg might crack irregularly, so that a piece of shell separates from the rest and lands in the bowl with the egg.

It’s easy to retrieve the shell fragment if you can see it, which is why I try to remember to use a dark-colored bowl, and put the eggs in first. Then, if a shell fragment lands in the bowl, it’s easy to see and remove.

HTH:)

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.
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Why flour a cake pan?

Self-tutoring about baking: the tutor wonders why flour a cake pan.

Apparently there are two reasons to flour a cake pan:

  1. Help support the batter as it rises against the pan.
  2. We assume that the pan has been buttered before floured. Then the flour reduces the melting of the butter into the dough.

An idea I read is that, for a chocolate cake, you can dust the pan with cocoa instead of flour to serve the same purpose. Neat, eh?

Source:

www.finecooking.com

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.
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Baking: the scones I made this morning

Self-tutoring about lifestyle: the tutor shares an easy recipe everyone seems to love.

I like scones, especially hot from the oven. They’re surprisingly easy to make: here’s the recipe I used this morning, from allrecipes.com.

I substitute margarine for butter, and find it works best if the margarine is cold from the fridge.

Best of luck with your breakfast cooking:)

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.

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Lifestyle: baking: can you line a baking pan with wax paper?

Self-tutoring: the tutor inquires whether wax paper can be used to line a pan for baking.

Two sources indicate that wax paper can be used for baking, but only under the following two conditions:

  1. The batter must completely cover the wax paper.
  2. The wax paper does not come in direct contact with the oven’s heat.

Source:

www.reynoldskitchens.com

food52.com

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.

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Lifestyle, baking: a chocolate cake recipe without cocoa

Lifestyle self-tutoring: the tutor shares a recipe that’s proven popular.

Some weeks ago:

“If I bake something, what would you like?”

“Chocolate cake.”

Not too surprised, I went searching for a recipe. The first I found asks for more cocoa than I had.

I did have chocolate chips, so queried a chocolate cake recipe that uses them. I found this one, which my family loved. I’ve since made it a second time, and it came out even better.

I’m always impressed with a recipe that is done when the cook time says. This one says bake 40-45 minutes; both times I made it, it was done at 40 minutes.

Good baking:)

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.

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Lifestyle: baking: successful substitution of bourbon for vanilla extract in a recipe

More lifestyle self-tutoring: the tutor confirms the idea of yesterday’s post.

In yesterday’s post I brought up the idea that bourbon can perhaps be used as a substitute for vanilla extract in some baking recipes.

Last night, I made rice pudding with the substitution of bourbon for vanilla. The recipe called for two tsp vanilla extract; I used four tsp bourbon instead.

Perhaps surprisingly, the rice pudding seems to have a lighter taste. However, I wouldn’t notice the difference if I didn’t know I’d made the switch.

Cheers.

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.

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Baking: bourbon: a possible substitute for vanilla extract?

For me, baking leads to constant self-tutoring. The tutor shares a discovery.

I’ve read, in two places now, that in a typical baking recipe, bourbon can possibly be used instead of vanilla.

As I understand, the substitution is recommended when you don’t have enough vanilla for the recipe. It’s most effective in a recipe that doesn’t call for much vanilla, but rather, just a teaspoon or less. To make the substitution, the idea is to use at least as much bourbon, but up to twice the amount, of vanilla called for.

Interesting, eh?

Source:

cooking.stackexchange.com

www.simplemost.com

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.

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Lifestyle: baking: mixing by hand vs using an electric mixer

For me, lifestyle means constant self-tutoring. The tutor reflects about why he mixes by hand.

I don’t use an electric mixer when baking; rather, I do so by hand, typically with a wooden spoon. My wife always uses an electric mixer, and often suggests, in a very helpful, encouraging way, that I might do the same.

I understand, of course, that mixing with the electric device saves labour with the actual mixing. However, it needs to be retrieved from its resting place and set up. Then, there is cleaning afterwards that results from its use.

What I like about mixing by hand is its spontaneity. It takes no planning, nor any set up. It’s mobile: I can walk around the kitchen while doing it, and leave the bowl somewhere else if counter space is limited, for instance. The only clean-up is the bowl and the wooden spoon, which is simple.

I often listen to videos on the computer while mixing. Hand-mixing doesn’t make noise, of course, so the videos are easy to hear.

So far, I haven’t encountered a mixing job that wasn’t easy and quick by hand. Last Friday I made icing, which involved incorporating icing sugar into margarine. Even I wondered if it was feasible to do so by hand, but it turned out much easier than I expected: I had it “whipped up” in a few quick minutes. Its ease reconfirmed, for me, that hand-mixing is practical.

I understand, of course, that for a professional, electric mixing probably makes much more sense than doing so by hand. However, in my context, hand mixing seems better.

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.