I love making baguettes - It's taken me over a decade to be able to make it consistently the way I like it. I can't buy bread in the store as it simply doesn't measure up. Love reading about other's thoughts on bread making. Recently I discovered everything spice - that takes baguettes to a whole new level for us around here
And sometimes we should decide to simply enjoy those things that bring us pleasure. I've given up a lot over the years but I chose to enjoy the bread I make because I made it. And the learning curve is steep even though there are just 4 ingredients
One of my son's gave me a smoker for Christmas... I'm wondering uf one couldn't bake bread in it 🤔
My mother had a couple different bread machines, they sucked. I tried a Kitchen Aid mixer for dough, .... I thought that sucked too. Glad it was a gift given to my now ex..
I don't like the sticky buildup on my hands kneading dough either, but I find that a couple drops of olive oil and rub my hands together, keeps it at bay for the most part.
I notice all the recipe's I find online have too many paragraphs of anecdotal bs that leaves me fast scrolling to the ingredients section. So your style of getting right to it, is SO refreshing.
I have a Kitchen Aid, they are not all created the same. I trashed one once making bread dough. I despise bread machines but they are good for kneading the dough.
I don't even knead my dough! just make a shaggy mess in the beginning - I have a thinner starter so I pour about 1/2 cupish into my bread bowl, add 3 cups bread flour, 1 tsp salt (mix that around in the flour above the starter) then add 2 cups hot water. Mix it all together - it doesn't look ready but I cover it and let it sit for an hour or so.
Next I wet my hands and fold the dough a few times until it looks like it's been kneaded (smooth and elastic) then I let it rise until I'm ready to bake it. Usually most of the day in the winter (we keep our house pretty cool) and much faster in the summer.
Steam is important - I often will just use a spray bottle once I put my baguettes in - being VERY careful to not hit the glass on the window and use room temperature water in the bottle.
My biggest issue these days with machines, ... is my tiny kitchen. I have a #12 meat grinder, a 6 tray dehydrator and a commercial potato slicer I already don't have any room for. So I do my mixing with the handle end of a wooden spoon and do the kneading on a slab of marble on the countertop that has rubber feet, When doing kneading I just pull it towards me until the front feet fall and catch on the edge of the counter, so it doesn't accidentally slide forward and bash into my glass measuring cups. It's basic, but it works. I started out using a yellow plastic window tint scraper for the dough, but went on Ebay and found a twofer of stainless steel griddle scrapers with a rounded handle. They are friggin awesome for scraping the dough board.
I wish I had a basement, ..... or a garage. The way they build here in AZ is sickening Everything is gravel and cactus, all slabs, mostly with just a carport. And they put the AC condensor, ..... on the roof ?? GAH, as if the 2ft on center framing wasn't bad enough.
I at times really wish I was back in Iowa, ... 16 on center, full basements, real oak trim, actual doors and a Morton building as a garage, ... sigh. sniffle, sniffle.
Therein lies the rub, ... more space, ... more stuff.
Here all I have is two of those 8X10 metal sheds, one of them I built deep shelves on both sides. Both sheds are full and I discovered that many different items left in the shed, ... disintegrate with the high heat and ultra dry air. I can't even leave a plastic bucket exposed for a couple months without it falling apart in my hands. And with a tiny 2bdr house, .... that carport is looking more and more like a new tool room. I can't stand having my tools to so many different places that when I need it, I can't find it. The chore seems endless because before I can get cars off the drive and carport, I have to put gravel in the 20 foot wide side yard where the double gate to the back yard in, next to the driveway, before the city will allow me to park on it. I priced the amount of gravel it would take to cover 20ft by 45 ft and got sticker shock. Luckily, the previous owner put several types of gravel all around the back yard as decorative ground cover, .... so currently I am raking them up and separating them. White jagged rock, red/brown rough rock, various sizes of river rock and even fake plastic lave looking stuff as well as Pea gravel. I just got back from Home Depot to grab some sticks and grates to make a couple different sifting boxes using a small hole grate and another with aluminum screen, one for sifting the rocks, another to sift the really small stuff out of the dirt. Once I dig 3 inches of dirt out of the side yard and spread the rock in the side drive, ... that carport is GONE. Daydreaming of work benches, storage shelves and an overhead rack for tires, and some place out of the weather for my engine hoist. engine stand and other large items. It's going to be awesome, ...... until I run out of space, again. It's inevitable. But if I can get my 6ft tall Craftsman tool box out of my damn bedroon, it will be worth it. Hahahaha.
I love making baguettes - It's taken me over a decade to be able to make it consistently the way I like it. I can't buy bread in the store as it simply doesn't measure up. Love reading about other's thoughts on bread making. Recently I discovered everything spice - that takes baguettes to a whole new level for us around here
It doesn't measure up, not even close, but I severely limit what I will eat that came from a grocery store anyway.
Mind you bread isn't really very good for you even if you make it yourself. But fresh baguettes are such a joy.
And sometimes we should decide to simply enjoy those things that bring us pleasure. I've given up a lot over the years but I chose to enjoy the bread I make because I made it. And the learning curve is steep even though there are just 4 ingredients
One of my son's gave me a smoker for Christmas... I'm wondering uf one couldn't bake bread in it 🤔
I expect so. I plan on building another Quebec Oven.
A bit advanced for me to try yet.
My mother had a couple different bread machines, they sucked. I tried a Kitchen Aid mixer for dough, .... I thought that sucked too. Glad it was a gift given to my now ex..
I don't like the sticky buildup on my hands kneading dough either, but I find that a couple drops of olive oil and rub my hands together, keeps it at bay for the most part.
I notice all the recipe's I find online have too many paragraphs of anecdotal bs that leaves me fast scrolling to the ingredients section. So your style of getting right to it, is SO refreshing.
I have a Kitchen Aid, they are not all created the same. I trashed one once making bread dough. I despise bread machines but they are good for kneading the dough.
I don't even knead my dough! just make a shaggy mess in the beginning - I have a thinner starter so I pour about 1/2 cupish into my bread bowl, add 3 cups bread flour, 1 tsp salt (mix that around in the flour above the starter) then add 2 cups hot water. Mix it all together - it doesn't look ready but I cover it and let it sit for an hour or so.
Next I wet my hands and fold the dough a few times until it looks like it's been kneaded (smooth and elastic) then I let it rise until I'm ready to bake it. Usually most of the day in the winter (we keep our house pretty cool) and much faster in the summer.
Steam is important - I often will just use a spray bottle once I put my baguettes in - being VERY careful to not hit the glass on the window and use room temperature water in the bottle.
My biggest issue these days with machines, ... is my tiny kitchen. I have a #12 meat grinder, a 6 tray dehydrator and a commercial potato slicer I already don't have any room for. So I do my mixing with the handle end of a wooden spoon and do the kneading on a slab of marble on the countertop that has rubber feet, When doing kneading I just pull it towards me until the front feet fall and catch on the edge of the counter, so it doesn't accidentally slide forward and bash into my glass measuring cups. It's basic, but it works. I started out using a yellow plastic window tint scraper for the dough, but went on Ebay and found a twofer of stainless steel griddle scrapers with a rounded handle. They are friggin awesome for scraping the dough board.
I have a dough scraper, it is indespensible.
Kneading, you're just trying to make strands of gluten. Everyone has a different take on it but I try not to treat it too rough.
I have a place in the basement for machinery. Still I am constantly trying to make more room in my kitchen too.
I wish I had a basement, ..... or a garage. The way they build here in AZ is sickening Everything is gravel and cactus, all slabs, mostly with just a carport. And they put the AC condensor, ..... on the roof ?? GAH, as if the 2ft on center framing wasn't bad enough.
I at times really wish I was back in Iowa, ... 16 on center, full basements, real oak trim, actual doors and a Morton building as a garage, ... sigh. sniffle, sniffle.
Without the basement and the garage I'd be sitting under a pile of stuff I had no place for. Hell, I do that with a basement and a garage.
Therein lies the rub, ... more space, ... more stuff.
Here all I have is two of those 8X10 metal sheds, one of them I built deep shelves on both sides. Both sheds are full and I discovered that many different items left in the shed, ... disintegrate with the high heat and ultra dry air. I can't even leave a plastic bucket exposed for a couple months without it falling apart in my hands. And with a tiny 2bdr house, .... that carport is looking more and more like a new tool room. I can't stand having my tools to so many different places that when I need it, I can't find it. The chore seems endless because before I can get cars off the drive and carport, I have to put gravel in the 20 foot wide side yard where the double gate to the back yard in, next to the driveway, before the city will allow me to park on it. I priced the amount of gravel it would take to cover 20ft by 45 ft and got sticker shock. Luckily, the previous owner put several types of gravel all around the back yard as decorative ground cover, .... so currently I am raking them up and separating them. White jagged rock, red/brown rough rock, various sizes of river rock and even fake plastic lave looking stuff as well as Pea gravel. I just got back from Home Depot to grab some sticks and grates to make a couple different sifting boxes using a small hole grate and another with aluminum screen, one for sifting the rocks, another to sift the really small stuff out of the dirt. Once I dig 3 inches of dirt out of the side yard and spread the rock in the side drive, ... that carport is GONE. Daydreaming of work benches, storage shelves and an overhead rack for tires, and some place out of the weather for my engine hoist. engine stand and other large items. It's going to be awesome, ...... until I run out of space, again. It's inevitable. But if I can get my 6ft tall Craftsman tool box out of my damn bedroon, it will be worth it. Hahahaha.