Planning out my easter baking scheduel...
Hey everyone!! My family, on discoving my bread baking abilites, has requested I do some baking for easter :) I just wanted to see if I could get some advice on how I should plan out when to do everything. I want to make some dinner rolls, an italian bread, an egg bread and some cinnamon buns for dessert. I have a really ridiculously huge family.... and they're all bread monsters. My dad can polish off an entire loaf of fresh baked italian bread just to himself so I want to make sure I have enough to go around lol. I'm thinking of doing the dinner rolls the night before and putting them in the fridge after shaping but before the final rise. I think the egg bread will be ok to bake the day before just so I don't have to bake everything in one day, and then do the Italian bread and cinnamon buns morning of so they're nice and fresh. Does this sound like a good plan? Does anyone have tips? I've always been a cookie and cake baker so I know timing for that but I'm stressing about this Easter baking what with rising times and such and I don't want to try and make too much in too short a time and end up ruining all of it somehow.... :P
I'd look to some no knead style recipes, or at least things that are happy to sit in the fridge for a while, which will give you some flexibility as to when you bake.
howdie! This is what works for me (for a larger group): I don't make rolls or pretzels, too much work. For Sunday I have four no-knead breads (Italian?) in the fridge, sourdough is on its way (starting final fase tomorrow at 2 PM). Saturdayevening I will bake everything. Zopf will be my last bake.
Rustic breads and sourdough are ok (or better) from the evening before. the more pasty kind is better relatively fresh out of the oven.
Happy baking, Jw.
When I've had a big baking project I generally start with the prep and baking times and the time I need everything done, then work backward. I find that an excel spreadsheet works really well for setting my timelines so that the work flows evenly with few overlaps. Of course, I never quite follow the grid exactly, but it's a very useful guide to making sure everything gets done on time.
Here's an example:
maybe it is my eyes, but do you have an enlarged version of this? or mail it if you would. thanks, Jw.
... and would be happy to email it if you give me your addy.
Stan
Thanks for all your advice! The baking is going good so far :) I really like that spreadsheet idea for if you have a lot of breads on the go it seems to keep things very organized :)
HAPPY EASTER!
~Rose.