I’ve been trying to get a hang of a new skill lately: Baking.
It’s HARD!
I’ve managed to produce an edible carrot cake (ok, it got rave reviews - but too sweet for me), a batch of brownies, pancakes, and some chocolate cookies over the weekend, but geez, it’s not nearly as easy as I thought. Especially when it comes to biscuits and breads, I seem to turn everything I touch to charred dough.
I’ve been extremely busy lately - it’s getting to the end of the summer and we’ve started teaching Christmas music (to prepare for those upcoming Christmas shows) and it doesn’t help that I’ve had relatives over every weekend. Soon enough though, I’ll have a thrifty brownie recipe perfected with chewy caramel. Right now though they’re pretty standard and nothing special.
Any tips on making breads you’d like to share with me? My biscuits are tough, my bread is doughy, and my rolls kinda…sink.
August 28th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
oh boy. brownies. thank god japan has a lot of good sweets. i really don’t have much of experience in baking, — i only make those ready bake brownie mixes. but it seems to me that there’s something wrong with the oven. do you open it too much? or is it a bit under/overpowered? because if you follow the recipes it’s *supposed* to come out well. the only other thing i can say right now is good luck!
August 28th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
Hey, i’m james..well i so happen to saw ur blog title and was attracted la..i’m from malaysia, and i’m currently studying culinary arts,in taylor’s school of hospitality. i learn pastry too..well on cookies wise, i’m not that good yet, but bread ya..depending on what u do, hard roll or soft roll, i’m not sure if u already know this but, it is better to use milk than water, full cream milk..and when u mix, make sure it is mixed thoroughly, and peel a lil off the dough and start to stretch it on all sides, when it holds and does not break, then it should be a good bread.
August 29th, 2006 at 4:28 am
i love baking espcially pastry… foods are my weakness but in eating moderation especially baked pastry. baking is not an easy cooking to perfect instantly just try and try until you perfect.
August 29th, 2006 at 4:35 am
my dear sally y not try baking the sweet rastaman brownies it’ll surely be loved by everybody..LOL,by the way im in to cooking as well,if u don’t want to mess up so much about baking u have to do it with some basic kid stuff cookies, ginger bread n so on,if u master it try another 1 and then as it goes ull c the results,and by the way its not that i want to insult u or somtin i think u also have to follow instructions..amaright or amaleft?
August 29th, 2006 at 6:21 am
J-mes and Paulo have good advice- stick a thermometer in your oven and test it to make sure it’s working properly. Next, no matter what the recipe says always check on your breads 5-10 minutes before they should be done (use the light in your oven, don’t keep opening your door). As far as easy brownies go, if I’m in a rush I’ll use a mix and use a can of cherry pie filling instead of the water the package calls for. I also tend to add about a cup full of chocolate chips. It’s rich, moist, and most importantly, easy. It also works for cake mixes too.
August 29th, 2006 at 6:22 am
LOL I forgot, it sounds like you’re overworking your dough– kneed it a little less you’re just combining ingredients, not beating it to death.
August 29th, 2006 at 8:43 am
after mixing the dough. over it with a plastic of slightly damed cloth, and leave it at room temperature for about 15 mins, or till the dough is double its original size, and then portion then let it raise again then egg washed it and bake..
August 29th, 2006 at 11:56 am
Thanks guys! I’ll definitely try doing the bread again. i was probably trying to beat the dough to death, come to think of it.
Another thing - bread recipes never seem to have enough water in it! How much kneading is enough? Or am I allowed to add more water if the dough is too dry?
August 29th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
Not to get personal, do you sift your flour?
Experimenting with your leavening also seems to improve matters, and I’ve found rolling and interspersing flour between layers sometimes can lead to a desirable flakiness.
Chinese are not reknowned bakers, so it was years before I bought and used one.
It seems to have relieved my toughness problem.
Of course, I now greatly resemble the Pillsbury Doughboy.
Fortunately, fat people are supposed to be jolly.
August 29th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
hi how are you i just got on and i chose you link me now, lets know more about us!
August 29th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
I just made cookies last night. The trick is to watch the oven every 2-3 minutes. You’ll catch it in time before it turns into ugly black globs…
August 30th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
yes u can add more liquid..its best if u use milk instead of water, that will make the bread softer and smoother..
September 2nd, 2006 at 5:45 am
hey sally..hope your cookies and breads are turning out fine.My sis just finished baking cookies and guess what..they were as black as coal!lol.Apparently the instruction said to set the oven at 300 degrees.Anyway there’s something I’d like to ask you.Is baking soda necessary?
September 6th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Baking soda is necessary.
(Biscuits without it flops. Trust me…I’ve tried. There’s no substitute for it either.)
September 9th, 2006 at 4:35 am
hi! i have read your blog..your entry..i bake!..a little baker here!…brownies are my specialties..for your doughy bread..try to lessen your dusting flour..
September 11th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
Hi, I have recently become obsessed with baking and bread. I haven’t taken lessons yet but have made decent bread. Perhaps you should invest in an oven thermometer to get accurate temperature. Knead the dough on a floured surface while still a little sticky. Always use a little less flour than indicated in the recipe and just add later if too sticky. Hope this helps.
September 23rd, 2006 at 2:32 am
hi ther how r u /
i find u vry cute u lady
September 28th, 2006 at 9:07 am
hey!! i like baking can you give me some recipe for baking eg … cakes and otehrs stufff… i like do to changllenge cakes… which mean medium difficulty…
October 3rd, 2006 at 12:35 pm
hi i used to bake but changed career to Pastry.
1.)buscuits, use cold cold butter dont overwork dough and dont add flour all at once.
2.)doughy bread.. too m uch rising before baking. make sure it doubles in size before bake.
3,)rolls, im assuming the white millk diner rolls? add some sugar and dont ever forget baking soda but dont add too much.
if your making hard hearty whole wheat rolls, add a dash of rosemary or spice in dough and / or on top of eggwash
4.) and whats more important than a working oven thermeter, Dry floured rolling pin, and fresh flour,
is your NOSE. thats what tells you when your product is complete. good luck. and be creative
January 9th, 2007 at 2:20 am
Hi, Sally…am glad to find a kindred spirit with you since we’re both food lovers. I do have a good brownie recipe and its worth a try if you’re interesed. Just look for my profile and click on my blog- my url is posted in my shoutout. See yah!