on my blog today. I'd love to hear your favorite dough recipes and most-favorite topping suggestions.

Happy baking!

Flour Girl

flourgrrrl.blogspot.com

would you use for a personal size pizza?  or stromboli?  I have a pound of dough, but don't want to make a large pizza.  I could guess but then I'd be wasting time.  Easier to ask.

Thanks.

Steph

Hi there,

Well I just found out about this site and can't believe how much information is here and I can't wait until later tonight after I tuck the kids into bed so I can wander around and check everything out!!!

I'm posting because my KitchenAid stand mixer just died during a double batch of dough that I was making for some recipe testing work that I was doing (on level #2). I've had it for 11 1/2 years (I remember because I got it as a wedding present)... it's been great and I am so sad to see it unusable (I haven't tried to get it fixed.. maybe this is an option - but I'm thinking that there has to have been some advances in the last 12 years that I could take advantage of). I'm not sure my KA stand mixer's time was coming anyway or if it's been the amounts of dough that I've been asking it to handle lately. But either way I'm looking for a new stand mixer.

I was wondering if I should go ahead and get another KitchenAid and if so which one, or if I should go with another brand. I searched on the forums the threads I found were from 2007 so I thought I'd post here just in case some newer models have come out that are highly recommended. I want one mixer than can handle heavy duty double batches of dough, whole wheat doughs, as well as just one batch of dough, and also small amounts like cookies, pancakes, brownies, etc.

I guess I should also not that I already have the pasta attachment for the KA that I love since it rolls out fresh pasta so easily.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions that you may have.

Lisa

http://lisacohen.typepad.com

OK - Crazy question, but I know that I will get some great feedback so here goes. I will be traveling by plane to Miami Beach, Florida from Baltimore, Maryland on Christmas day (Hooray!). I would love to bake my challah for my family and friends down there on Friday, but I dont want to mess up my host's kitchen and/or bring all my little helpful tools. I was thinking that I could bake the bread at home on Tuesday and carry it on the plane (though that would be bulky) OR - is there a way to make the dough, freeze it and then take it with me?

I figure that I will be in transit for about 6 hours all told - what if I make my dough and then put it in a garbage bag and freeze it over night and then put the bag in my checked luggage? Then when I get there leave it out all night to come to room temp and rise and shape and bake?

Anyone have any experience traveling with raw dough? Would love some advice.

Sharon

www.thebraidedloaf.com

So ... I got my long awaited Bosh Universal Plus.  I am so happy to assign the second hand Kitchen Aid to cookies and quick breads and make loaves and loaves of challah in my gigantic Bosch.  Thursday is my day to bake for my Friday "customers", but since I just got the Bosch I decided I would do a test run earlier this week.  I made 4 loaves of plain challah and they were wonderful.  I learned from others that unlike the food processor or the Kitchen Aid, it is best with the Bosch to add liquid first and then add the flour one scoop at a time.  SO last night I measured out my 5 pounds of flour, a cup of sugar and all the other ingredients that I need to make my first massive batch of dough (I had to do one pound at a time in the food processor and KA) so that I can hit the ground running this morning while I get the kids off to school.  First thing this morning I get my liquids in, I add my flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla but find that I need less flour than I thought, I figured that it must be the wonderful mixer doing its magic.  Anyway, I set the machine to speed three for ten minutes and start to get the kids up and ready.  My seven year old asks if there is time for eggs for breakfast.  EGGS!  I forgot to add the EGGS!  You can not have egg challah without egg! - No wonder the dough was so dry!  ARG!  Well of course in a panic I start adding eggs which of course just makes a yellow sloshy mess in the mixer AND all over the counter which is where it is all going since I have the lid off - throw some flour in on top as if that is going to fix anything.  It was as if I had flushed my wedding ring down the toilet and then just started flushing everything I own down with it -I was in such a panic that here I am adding 6 eggs to an already mixed dough! 

Well having already learned the hard way that flour can be replaced, but my time can not - I centered myself, tossed the entire mess into the trash and just started again.  I now have 6 lovely challahs cooling on the rack and a whole mess of rolls to give as samples.  I have to buy more flour as I only buy 10 pounds at a time, but I am happy that I was able to brush myself off and start fresh.

So the long and the short of it is that I LOVE my new Bosch - I just need to remember that it is only a mixer - I am still the baker.

Sharon

www.thebraidedloaf.com

The Fresh Loafers, This is the latest video where I'm working with some higher hydration (68%) doughs. Both of the breads are 'originals', and if you'd like to see the recipes you can probe around here for them or email me at the bakery. Anyway, I hope you like it. I decided to forego music this time and just add commentary. Nothing witty, strictly business. -Mark

Well, now that I've committed myself to artisan bread, I need to move up from making only two loaves at a time. I have a wood-fired oven that I only fire once a week, so I'd like to increase the load to make better use of the heat/oven space. My thought is to try to make a dough using 5# of flour + starter. That should make about 6 or 7 loaves, I guess.

My problem is that my KA can hardly handle the 1-1/2# batches I'm presently making. Other than drop another $500 on a new mixing appliance, my only option is to go manual. Which I've never really done before, except to finish up what the mixer already mostly accomplished.

So, how do I do this? I took a look recently at the Julia Child video site -- the video about making baguettes -- where the chef (can't remember her name) says you throw and turn the dough 800(!!) times. At 5+ pounds, that's a lot of throwing! (Kinda like tossing 2 tons of 5# rocks.) Besides, my wife would probably kill me after all that banging of dough on the counter. And I can't say I'd blame her.

Anyone out there hand knead this size dough? What's the technique? How long should I expect the process to take? If it makes a difference, I'm working with naturally leavened dough.

ClimbHi

i noticed a pretty significant change when i kneaded a baguette dough prior to the first fermentation. all of a sudden it became pretty hard to knead, almost tough. is that something i should "knead through" in the hopes it will break down and get malleable again or did i knead too much?

Looking for someone to hold my hand and show me how to make bread dough that doesn't collapse in the oven, or bread machine, supposedly from too much liquid; or fails to rise, supposedly from too little liquid.

This is my first bread book and I find his way of making the dough is really easier and make the bread softer by giving more air to it comparing to the conventional way of kneading. It is less tiring too.

I have just started baking bread for over 2 weeks and now addicted to it that I am almost baking every other day. I even baked in the chalet after a day of skiing.

Happy Baking! 

Janet