if at first you don't [etc.] muffin muffin again
So here's the write-up on the muffin and bread missteps of the weekend (extracted from an email and then redacted).
[quote]
As for baking, well, there’s a bit of a tale. I finally decided to try to make some bran muffins. Followed a recipe from the South Carolina cookbook that called for 3.5 tablespoons of baking powder. I re-read it just to be sure then shrugged and gave it a shot. So… I’m pretty sure that was a mis-print because the muffins rose way too much. Either that or this woman’s idea of a muffin is more like a dinner roll. Or I guess these muffins could, in some way, be equated to a Thomas’ English Muffin. But still, not the texture I was going for. However, it gave me an idea.
I made some blueberry wheat bread the other day; it came out okay but was a little bland to my taste. I was going to re-make that recipe but then when the muffins came out so bread-like, I decided to convert the muffin recipe to a bread recipe instead. This might have worked out okay, except when I loaded up the bread machine initially, I forgot to double the portion of added flour. So I added more flour and walked away. Then I went back and added another cup of flour, because I suddenly thought that I was still short on flour but I somehow forgot that the recipe had called for a cup of oat bran. So I ended up with a very dense loaf of bread. It tastes okay, but takes a lot of chewing. Ideally, I’d want to slather it with butter, toast it 'til thoroughly warm, then slather it with jam. But the minute that thought came to mind, I started looking up jam recipes, so I had to walk away from the computer before I actually decided to run to the store and pick up some pectin.
I’ve been stocking up for the next round of cake experiments. I’ve now got bulk jasmine tea, dried lavender, dried mint, and a lead on where to find food-grade cocoa butter. So I just need to get vegan margarine and/or vegan mayo and I’ll be set to start both the veganizing and the flavor experiments. Next on the agenda will probably be breaking out the 16” cake pan and seeing how the logistics of stacking two layers of 16” cake on top of each other works. (This will probably require buying more stuff--like some very large cake boards--so I'll probably hold off on this until July, when the RSVPs are in and I have a better idea of how much cake will be needed.)
[end quote]
Yesterday's tribal basics dance class was canceled. I was going to go to T(urbo)K(ick)B(oxing) instead, but lost the will, so I headed home before heading to troupe practice. While there, I decided to re-try the bread recipe. Came out much better this time. Now to see if I can recall the formula: (1) cup oat bran, (2) cups whole wheat flour, (1/4) cup flax seed, (1/2) tsp salt, (2) tbsp sugar, (2-1/4) tsp yeast*, (1) cup milk**, (1) egg, (2) tbsp shortening, (1) tsp apple cider vinegar
Then I hovered over the machine, and added (3) additional tbsp of flour because the mixture looked too wet, and then maybe a couple of teaspoons more water because the mixture looked too dry. And then I walked away and stayed away. I used the whole wheat setting on the machine, so the bread was ready a few minutes after I got home (three-ish hours later).
Next will be to re-try the muffin recipe. I'm short of milk, so want to try subbing yogurt instead. So this is the formula I have in mind: (1) cup oat bran mixed with (1/2) cup yogurt, (1/2) cup water, (1) tsp sugar; (1) cup flour, (1/4) cup sugar, (1/2) tsp salt, (4) tbsp oil or melted butter***, (1) egg [or, more likely, (1) tbsp of flax seed meal + (3) tbsp of water], (3-1/2) tsp baking powder (or maybe 2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp baking soda).
I think that's everything, but I'll have the book for reference so that'll jog my memory during the actual baking process. In the meantime, this post has aroused a grammar question:
"Short of" vs. "Short on"--is one more correct than the other or are they simply used in different types of phrases? Like, would "short on" be used for intangible things ("short on experience") and "short of" used for measurables ("short of his goal")? Hm... more research needed.
~~~~
* Well... that's what it would be if I weren't always throwing in extra yeast because mine is old, so really I use a tablespoon--but maybe I should try using less and see what difference that makes. On a separate note, I've been going through my fridge and I have a lot of old yeast in need of using. It's rather funny.
** I've been using 1/3 cup powdered milk and 1 cup water.
*** That's if I use the nonfat vanilla yogurt. If I use the full-fat plain yogurt, then I'll only add (2) tbsp of oil/butter.
[quote]
As for baking, well, there’s a bit of a tale. I finally decided to try to make some bran muffins. Followed a recipe from the South Carolina cookbook that called for 3.5 tablespoons of baking powder. I re-read it just to be sure then shrugged and gave it a shot. So… I’m pretty sure that was a mis-print because the muffins rose way too much. Either that or this woman’s idea of a muffin is more like a dinner roll. Or I guess these muffins could, in some way, be equated to a Thomas’ English Muffin. But still, not the texture I was going for. However, it gave me an idea.
I made some blueberry wheat bread the other day; it came out okay but was a little bland to my taste. I was going to re-make that recipe but then when the muffins came out so bread-like, I decided to convert the muffin recipe to a bread recipe instead. This might have worked out okay, except when I loaded up the bread machine initially, I forgot to double the portion of added flour. So I added more flour and walked away. Then I went back and added another cup of flour, because I suddenly thought that I was still short on flour but I somehow forgot that the recipe had called for a cup of oat bran. So I ended up with a very dense loaf of bread. It tastes okay, but takes a lot of chewing. Ideally, I’d want to slather it with butter, toast it 'til thoroughly warm, then slather it with jam. But the minute that thought came to mind, I started looking up jam recipes, so I had to walk away from the computer before I actually decided to run to the store and pick up some pectin.
I’ve been stocking up for the next round of cake experiments. I’ve now got bulk jasmine tea, dried lavender, dried mint, and a lead on where to find food-grade cocoa butter. So I just need to get vegan margarine and/or vegan mayo and I’ll be set to start both the veganizing and the flavor experiments. Next on the agenda will probably be breaking out the 16” cake pan and seeing how the logistics of stacking two layers of 16” cake on top of each other works. (This will probably require buying more stuff--like some very large cake boards--so I'll probably hold off on this until July, when the RSVPs are in and I have a better idea of how much cake will be needed.)
[end quote]
Yesterday's tribal basics dance class was canceled. I was going to go to T(urbo)K(ick)B(oxing) instead, but lost the will, so I headed home before heading to troupe practice. While there, I decided to re-try the bread recipe. Came out much better this time. Now to see if I can recall the formula: (1) cup oat bran, (2) cups whole wheat flour, (1/4) cup flax seed, (1/2) tsp salt, (2) tbsp sugar, (2-1/4) tsp yeast*, (1) cup milk**, (1) egg, (2) tbsp shortening, (1) tsp apple cider vinegar
Then I hovered over the machine, and added (3) additional tbsp of flour because the mixture looked too wet, and then maybe a couple of teaspoons more water because the mixture looked too dry. And then I walked away and stayed away. I used the whole wheat setting on the machine, so the bread was ready a few minutes after I got home (three-ish hours later).
Next will be to re-try the muffin recipe. I'm short of milk, so want to try subbing yogurt instead. So this is the formula I have in mind: (1) cup oat bran mixed with (1/2) cup yogurt, (1/2) cup water, (1) tsp sugar; (1) cup flour, (1/4) cup sugar, (1/2) tsp salt, (4) tbsp oil or melted butter***, (1) egg [or, more likely, (1) tbsp of flax seed meal + (3) tbsp of water], (3-1/2) tsp baking powder (or maybe 2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp baking soda).
I think that's everything, but I'll have the book for reference so that'll jog my memory during the actual baking process. In the meantime, this post has aroused a grammar question:
"Short of" vs. "Short on"--is one more correct than the other or are they simply used in different types of phrases? Like, would "short on" be used for intangible things ("short on experience") and "short of" used for measurables ("short of his goal")? Hm... more research needed.
~~~~
* Well... that's what it would be if I weren't always throwing in extra yeast because mine is old, so really I use a tablespoon--but maybe I should try using less and see what difference that makes. On a separate note, I've been going through my fridge and I have a lot of old yeast in need of using. It's rather funny.
** I've been using 1/3 cup powdered milk and 1 cup water.
*** That's if I use the nonfat vanilla yogurt. If I use the full-fat plain yogurt, then I'll only add (2) tbsp of oil/butter.