Questions about cooking by dry heat without direct exposure to a flame, typically in an oven.
2
votes
2answers
134 views
What kind of vegetable oil should I use for baking?
I'm going to bake this cake: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Yogurt-Cake-395471
and was wondering what sort of vegetable oil (canola etc) I should use? Would the type of oil make ...
12
votes
4answers
3k views
why is my bread too tough?
trying to get the hang of making good artisan bread, and my last loaf tasted great. But it stayed flatter than previous efforts, and was very tough.
I am doing my best to understand the science as ...
26
votes
10answers
37k views
Does active dry yeast really expire?
I was cleaning out my spice cabinet and deep in the back I found two packages (e.g., six envelopes) of active dry Red Star yeast that expired in March 2009, 15 months ago as of writing this question.
...
16
votes
2answers
22k views
Why use yeast instead of baking powder?
Both yeast and baking powder are used to gas-fill the pastry, make it expand and thus make it soft and fluffy.
Using yeast is rather inconvenient - it can be dead already or if the yeast is submerged ...
10
votes
3answers
21k views
What does it mean to “fold in” an ingredient into a mix?
I see this in baking recipes, but I've never been quite clear on the difference between mixing and "folding."
2
votes
1answer
765 views
What side effects should I expect by replacing cake flour with chickpea flour in all cookie recipes?
Last time I replaced maida with chickpea flour (keeping all other ingredients and their quantities same) in carrot cupcakes.
The only difference I noted was in rising. The cupcakes didn't rise much.
...
9
votes
2answers
933 views
How to cut a crumbly baked item (e.g. cereal bar) without it disintegrating?
When baking something which needs to bind - like a (British) flapjack / cereal bar - I have mixed results when it comes to cutting it, even if I repeat the same recipe. Sometimes it binds really well, ...
4
votes
3answers
132 views
Getting the bowl out of the mold
This is the "Cook's Choice, Better Baker Edible Bowl Maker" which I received as a gift.
Now the idea appears clever enough, but everything I try to do with it either comes out too hard to be ...
1
vote
1answer
46 views
“Cream Biscuit” a little raw in the middle
After having some problems initially, I managed to get my "cream biscuits" to rise by measuring the ingredients correctly according to this recipe.
However, after 15 minutes of baking, the inside is ...
1
vote
2answers
112 views
Quiche filling sets like an Aero bar?
Last few times I've made quiche the filling has set more like an Aero bar than the thick dense custard you expect of a quiche. Additionally it's more rubbery than is desirable.
Because I'm using very ...
5
votes
2answers
180 views
How can I make the exterior of my croissants less hard and more flaky?
My croissants look good and they taste fine but they have an extremely flaky/hard exterior, it is like a biscuit even though they are light in weight and have the bee caves inside as supposed. I would ...
2
votes
2answers
181 views
How to make a proper scone?
I love to eat scones, they are my guilty pleasure, but I can never cook them right, They just become Hockey Pucks, because they are too hard and the size of a puck. Is there any tips with making ...
4
votes
4answers
305 views
What is a 'dough spatula'?
I got a new baking book for Christmas; in it, I found the following sentence:
[To bake this bread] you will need the following kitchen tools: a digital scale for metric measures, a small scoop for ...
0
votes
2answers
211 views
How do I find tart pans like these?
I want to make a lemon tart, but I want tins with straight walls, like the ones in this image.
How would I find them - is there a name I can look for? I've been unable to find them online (and they ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
How much difference does the placement of the shelf in the oven make to the final outcome of a cake?
Unknowingly, I used to keep the cake on the center shelf in the oven, then I realized that the shelf can also be placed at the bottom of the oven.
Does this make a huge difference in the final ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
Nutrient loss when baking in roasting pan
To retain the most nutrition, steaming is the suggested method of cooking
How much worse is it to bake, say potatoes, in a roasting pan with some water? Is it that much different? I'm more ...
6
votes
2answers
631 views
How accurate is the window pane test? (breadmaking)
I recently bought Michael Ruhlman's Ratio and started trying out baking. I knead my bread for about 10 to 15 minutes, but the window pane test (pulling a chunk of dough so that it's translucent ...
6
votes
2answers
16k views
Is it okay to use aluminium foil instead of parchment paper while baking cookies?
I don't have access to parchment paper or even butter paper for that matter. I just read on a website that it'd be okay to use aluminium foil as long as I apply a coating of grease on it. And also ...
1
vote
4answers
2k views
Substituting almond milk for evaporated
Can almond milk be substituted for evaporated milk in a custard pie recipe?
5
votes
1answer
377 views
Why does commercial brown (whole wheat) bread taste bitter?
I use this flour for making parathas: Pillsbury Chakki Fresh Atta (whole wheat flour)
This is whole wheat flour. The parathas never tasted bitter.
Is the commercial whole wheat bread made of this ...
6
votes
3answers
14k views
What can be used as an alternative for Applesauce?
This banana bread recipe calls for applesauce and it's not something that's available at the stores here. Will it be okay if I just leave it out or can I use any other common ingredient to replicate ...
17
votes
7answers
16k views
When baking, is it better to use a gas or electric oven?
I'm looking for an oven and wanted to know if there is any difference between a gas or electric oven when it comes to baking things like cakes, biscuits and scones?
6
votes
1answer
135 views
When is is necessary to par bake a pie crust?
I am making small pies (in muffin tins!) for a party. I plan on pre-cooking the filling (ground beef and veggies), then finishing the pies at the location. Would it be helpful (either for transport ...
7
votes
1answer
179 views
How do Crispbread manufacturers use so few ingredients?
I'm curious if anyone is familiar with how the major Swedish crispbread manufacturers like Ryvita, Wasa, Finn Crisp, etc., manage to produce those crackers with ingredients lists as short as "rye ...
4
votes
1answer
106 views
How can I save crumbly cookie dough?
I found a recipe online that required making cookie dough from scratch and then wrapping the cookie dough in wax paper and refrigerating for 2 hours. I made the cookie dough and it was way too crumbly ...
2
votes
1answer
260 views
How do I know when quiche is finished cooking?
Whenever I've cooked quiche, it's been in a round tin of around 10-12 cm diameter. I've used 5-6 eggs along with other ingredients like chicken and vegetables.
After it comes out of the oven, I find ...
5
votes
2answers
823 views
Can you use a convection oven to make a Soufflé?
I separated this question from the original as there were no answers.
2
votes
4answers
1k views
Technique to bake donair meat in an oven
Every time I cook Donair at home, it seems to dry up a lot faster than when I do it in the restaurant. Granted I use the same spice mix and meat mixing method.
The difference is that at the ...
11
votes
1answer
903 views
What kind of beer for beer bread?
Beer bread is bread wherein beer is used for liquid and leavening. I tend to use a basic pilsner, but I'm a beer snob, and I've taken to wondering what would happen if I substituted something a little ...
3
votes
1answer
72 views
Baking Turkey Meatloaf with/out glass cover
I am baking 2.5lbs of turkey meatloaf with a mixture of sauteed onions and red bell-peppers. There are no set recipes for cooking a meatloaf of this size so I basically doubled some of the ...
1
vote
2answers
162 views
Why won't my cream biscuits rise?
I am trying to make these "cream biscuits". However, they just will not rise (tried 4 times) and end up looking very flat.
I thought my problem was that I work the dough too much, but I tried it ...
6
votes
4answers
701 views
What Kinds of Recipes Should I Sift/Aerate The Flour?
We've talked about methods for sifting flour (http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/5364/how-to-make-sifting-palatable), and the purposes of sifting ...
3
votes
2answers
122 views
Why is salt sometimes ingredient of otherwise sweet cookies? [duplicate]
In some recipes for muffins, biscuits or cakes I find small amounts of salt as an ingredient (Chocolate cake, Banana muffin). Why? What can a pinch of salt add to the bowl of chocolate?
1
vote
3answers
130 views
How can I fix my tasteless baked flounder?
I fixed flounder fillets in a bed of yellow onions and mushrooms in a 425°F oven -- as the recipe says -- and the fish does not taste like anything. The Hollandaise sauce did not help either. Is there ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
How to prevent a cookie from becoming spongy like a cake?
I was following the recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/
and the cookies came out a little like cake rather than cookies. It's NOT crispy, not crunchy. It's a little ...
13
votes
4answers
939 views
Why are there no recipes combining both yeast and baking powder?
I've never seen anything with both yeast and baking powder. What's the reason for that? Shouldn't e.g. muffins get even more fluffy by adding some yeast? Or bread by adding baking powder?
I know there ...
7
votes
6answers
1k views
Ingredients or techniques to a more solid lasagna
What are the crucial ingredients or cooking techniques to a more solid, or "brick" like lasagna? Most lasagna I've seen tends to get a bit sloppy in the pan as it's being dished out but I have seen ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Should scones dough be sticky?
I decided to make scones for the first time and picked a high rated recipefrom allrecipes.com.
It instructed me to combine the ingredients like a pastry dough (cold butter cut into the dry ...
2
votes
1answer
84 views
problems with buttermilk biscuits
I found the following recipe for buttermilk biscuits:
mix 2c flour, 1tsp salt, 1Tbsp baking soda
cut 6Tbsp cold butter into mix
add 1c buttermilk
pat and fold on floured surface, cut into round ...
4
votes
1answer
261 views
Pie VS Tart VS Quiche
Pi day is coming up quickly! What are the technical differences between pie, tart and quiche? Tarts are sweet. Here are my observation so far:
Pies can be either sweet or savoury.
Quiches must ...
3
votes
3answers
183 views
Can I bake bread in pieces?
Because bread is basically brick sized and shaped, it'll take a long time to get cooked properly.
Assuming I don't care about the shape, does it make sense to cut the bread dough into small pieces ...
3
votes
2answers
171 views
How can I make zucchini bread less moist?
I made zucchini bread, and it turned out very tasty but too moist. It was very dense and somewhat sticky - not in an underdone way, though. I actually baked it for 5-6 minutes longer than the recipe ...
11
votes
4answers
2k views
Over-stirring muffin mixtures
In muffin recipes, the instructions often say to stir the mixture till "just combined".
Why does over-stirring the muffin mixture result in tough muffins?
And how do you know if you did too much ...
6
votes
2answers
205 views
When and why would one infuse flavor into sugar for baking?
Listening to The Splendid Table today, the first caller asked how to infuse flavors into her marshmallows. The answer provided was essentially to infuse the sugar, by placing herbs, tea, lemon rind, ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views
where can I purchase a “wonder pot”?
The "wonder pot" is a type of stovetop bakeware that seems to have been popular in Israel during a period of austerity. I'm looking for a (preferably USA based) supplier for a new one.
Here's a link ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
Amount of Brioche dough in a Brioche mould?
I have a 22 cm classic fluted Brioche mold (22 cm being the widest measurement on top). It's volume is extremely close to 1500ml. I'm wondering how much dough in total to put in it to make a "Brioche ...
3
votes
3answers
12k views
How do I make liquid glucose from powdered glucose
I recently decided to make something that required liquid glucose, 140g of it. No problem in general, but for some reason none of my usual suppliers had stock (even tried pharmacies). The closest I ...
0
votes
1answer
99 views
Is there a releaseable mold/pan for bread?
I am looking for a bread mold (or is it a pan?) that can be removed prior to baking. The reason is that it will lose the shape if I rest it before baking too long, but longer resting time in my ...
3
votes
2answers
180 views
Is it safe to “salt bake” using ice cream rock salt?
Salt baking requires a lot of salt. I want to use ice cream rock salt for salt baking because it normally comes in bulk size. But I've been told that the rock salt used for ice cream is not fit for ...
0
votes
2answers
8k views
Why can soda be used as a substitute for eggs when using a boxed cake mix?
When making a cake from a box mix, I see that soda can be used instead of eggs and oil. What is the science behind this, and what are the properties of oil and eggs that the soda is replacing?
...
