06-10-2007, 04:39 PM
We have quite the "slow food" group here, don't we? I didn't realize there were that many bread makers out there.
I think there's some cassava already growing in the back yard, Carey. This has been a plantation camp house for about 100 years so there's all sorts of things growing in the back yard. Doesn't cassava need some sort of processing before it is edible?
There is some sourdough starter available at the health food store next to Borders. I think it is dried, but it reconstitutes easily. Once you get a good variety of sourdough started, dry some of it out and save it in case something happens to your starter. Once I forgot to take out the starter for the next batch and used it all so having the backup copies available was really handy. We will be vacationing near San Franciso this summer, maybe there will be some starter available there which can be brought back.
I've noticed sunflower seeds in bread are really tasty. They somehow come out really sweet somehow. Sometimes I add a lot of garlic, olive oil, rosemary and olives to a real loose dough and that is really tasty. Other times just a hint of cinnamon (I didn't know about yeast not liking cinnamon), mace, nutmeg and brown sugar for a sweet bread. If I make broccoli bread, my DH eats it all right away, so I have to make three loaves of that if I want any myself.
I used to knead all the bread by hand, but we got this Kitchen Aid mixer at a garage sale. It is a wonderful thing and it can knead dough with a bread hook on it. I've noticed that the machine kneaded doughs are not at stiff as the ones I used to do by hand. Probably because less flour is necessary to handle the dough.
What sort of bread is everyone trying for? I keep trying for a yeasty crunchy chewy crusted bread. Sometimes it gets pretty close.
I think there's some cassava already growing in the back yard, Carey. This has been a plantation camp house for about 100 years so there's all sorts of things growing in the back yard. Doesn't cassava need some sort of processing before it is edible?
There is some sourdough starter available at the health food store next to Borders. I think it is dried, but it reconstitutes easily. Once you get a good variety of sourdough started, dry some of it out and save it in case something happens to your starter. Once I forgot to take out the starter for the next batch and used it all so having the backup copies available was really handy. We will be vacationing near San Franciso this summer, maybe there will be some starter available there which can be brought back.
I've noticed sunflower seeds in bread are really tasty. They somehow come out really sweet somehow. Sometimes I add a lot of garlic, olive oil, rosemary and olives to a real loose dough and that is really tasty. Other times just a hint of cinnamon (I didn't know about yeast not liking cinnamon), mace, nutmeg and brown sugar for a sweet bread. If I make broccoli bread, my DH eats it all right away, so I have to make three loaves of that if I want any myself.
I used to knead all the bread by hand, but we got this Kitchen Aid mixer at a garage sale. It is a wonderful thing and it can knead dough with a bread hook on it. I've noticed that the machine kneaded doughs are not at stiff as the ones I used to do by hand. Probably because less flour is necessary to handle the dough.
What sort of bread is everyone trying for? I keep trying for a yeasty crunchy chewy crusted bread. Sometimes it gets pretty close.
Kurt Wilson