I always heard set a timer for 16 minutes to give yourself a little margin for error. Can’t be too careful, right?
If I was at home for the duration instead of still working I’d probably have another go at both homemade crackers and homemade tortillas. The attempts I’ve made have been edible, if not quite “purebred” examples of the type.
Found a box of Swans Down cake flour and made a lemon upside down cake yesterday. Came out OK.
I’ve been making Honey Wheat bread to stretch the white flour. Got it down to a simple process. I mix the liquids (warm milk, butter, honey etc) and pour into the mixer bowl. That cools the heated milk. Mix dry ingredients with instant yeast. Using paddle on mixer I add half the flour then switch to dough hook for the other half. Run with dough hook for 8-10 minutes. Knead a bit then divide into two 9x5 pans and let ferment for about two hours (oven has proof setting). Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees, turn and tent for 20 more minutes.
I have minimum clean up and the dough hook does the kneading. I like to knead bread but every other day got to be a bit much.
So, now I’m out of white flour and the stores are out also. The wife ordered 25 pounds of bread flour on-line. Delivery is iffy. I do have 5 pounds+ of whole wheat flour. See what I can do with that. Fortunately I have plenty of yeast.
I’d like to hear how others are doing with their stock of flour as this situation progresses.
My wife did one of her annual Polish upbringing things, making an Easter babka (with cinnamon and walnuts). It’s made with sour cream, which means that it requires baking soda to counter the acid, but I was shocked to see her dump in a full teaspoon of it. It’s what her old hand-written recipe from a local granny in Buffalo calls for, and you would expect the resultant cake to taste soapy, or to just fall to pieces, but it’s always very firm and very tasty.
Made eclairs and pizza dough.
Next weekend I’m going to try Joshua Weissman’s burger buns. We’ve been missing getting fast food hamburgers, and now that the weather’s better we can comfortably eat outside. Which is nicer for hamburgers.
I bought fresh yeast because there was no dry yeast, but then I found dry yeast. Think I’ll make foccacia and a baguette. The bakeries are open, but, since we can’t go hiking/traveling/etc., I’ve got some time on my hands.
Got some bananas over-ripening on top of the microwave so on my “weekend” (which for us retail workers is any random two days in a row we have off) banana bread muffins are on the schedule.
I’m thinking about getting GF sourdough starter, but having never made bread, I’m intimidated.
So far we’ve made french bread, a few sourdoughs, cheese crackers and pretzels. It’s a baking frenzy.
As long as the chips hold out, I’m making Tollhouse cookies every weekend.
I worked at a commercial bakery many years ago, and I’ve always enjoyed baking and do it pretty regularly. The good news is I had about 60 pounds of bread flour available when all this started, and it will take me a while to go through it, even though I make bagels with it every few days (there are five of us here). The bad news is we’re much shorter on regular flour and can’t seem to find it anywhere. I can use the bread flour for many things, even chewy-type cookies, but that wasn’t the original plan.
Just gotta say thanks. I’ve had this bookmarked for a while now and finally got around to making it this weekend. It’s a keeper! I went with coconut oil, greek yogurt, orange and lemon zest and almond extract. The extract came out way quicker than I was expecting so I thought it would be too much. My wife loved it. The crumb is excellent and it is so easy to make. Can’t wait to try other variations.
The 22# sack of flour I scored is being worked through quicker than I thought. I also love the NYT Simple Crusty Bread recipe. I use half the dough for bread and half as pizza crust.
Sure, it’s easier but I wouldn’t have said home-made was any trouble. I’ve been known to throw batch together quickly just to pulverise for kneydl if we’ve run out.
Did you complete the whole process within 18 minutes from the moment the water first touched the wheat? That’s what makes matzoh kosher for Passover, and was the tricky part, IIRC. (Maybe “trouble” was the wrong word.)
I scored flour today on my biweekly shopping trip, but they had a limit on eggs - one dozen per customer. But I’ll be baking more this week.
I’ve never made them for Passover! Probably - I can do it pretty rapidly - but I can’t say I’ve paid accurate attention to the timing, not to that degree. I ought to have known that though, my Grandmother knew Lloyd Rakusen…
I’m gonna try for more yeast tomorrow…my last trip out of the house (for groceries) was a week ago Thursday. Tomorrow I go out at 6:30 am to do the 60 and over special shop, and hope nobody notices I don’t turn 60 until late October.
The Ukulele Lady don’t eat no bread, but the pepper/cheese loaf was awesome and lasted over five dinners (refrigerated in between) and I need to make it again. Recipe on request.
For Passover I made a Swiss roesti instead of potato pancakes. It’s one big potato pancake done in a 10-inch skillet,
And requires less grease than latkes.
I don’t know if we’ll be able to pick up yeast tomorror or Friday or ever but we’ve pulled out our recipes for flatbreads and other quick breads, and I really have no excuse not to gin-up sourdough starter. Our low-carb alternative is sugar-free jello with fruit but that has its limits. :eek:
This past weekend I made a Braided Cajun Loaf that I like. It’s just a basic bread recipe with tomato paste, black pepper, hot paprika, cayenne, etc. added. After punching down the dough it’s divided into three balls that are rolled into snakes and braided.
My new, fresh yeast made it rise too much after braiding. I applied an egg yolk glaze and baked it. Delicious, but a bit crazy looking. 
No yeast available at the grocery store. I’m going to try to stretch out my last packet by using a fraction of the recommended amount and letting the dough rise for 24 hours, with six-hour pummelings.
If it worked for the pizza dough, it might work for the pepper-cheese bread.
I’d do that! Add some chopped tasso, if I had any tasso. Like a Sicilian lard bread, but Cajun.