Flour and a liquid mixed together to form a thick, malleable substance.
8
votes
1answer
553 views
Uses for Old bread dough
I found some old bread dough that I had left, sealed in tupperware, in my fridge. It has a powerful fermented smell, but doesn't appear to be moldy or otherwise bad. Is there any use for this ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Making flour tortillas softer and more elastic
I would like to make a tortilla that is softer and more elastic, allowing for large burritos with lots of filling
I've been using the following recipe below which yields good results, however it is ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Is it possible to make kataifi dough (by yourself or starting from filo dough)?
I really like the thready structure in this dish. But when I look for recipes, they all ask for a box of kataifi dough. I haven't found this in regular supermarkets (I haven't been to greek stores), ...
2
votes
2answers
624 views
Does it make sense to refrigerate the dough made for Parathas to be used after 8 hours?
Paratha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paratha
Flour:
Wheat flour
Dough ingredients:
Water
Salt
Wheat flour
I am planning to make this dough in the evening and keep it in the fridge for 8 hours to ...
7
votes
4answers
756 views
Sticky and unmanagable sourdough
I've recently started a sourdough starter culture (using equal parts water and spelt flour) and have used it in a sourdough bread recipe I got from the Telegraph. I've halved the recipe in the article ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Use high gluten (bread) flour for hand pulled noodles
I found that recipes on hand pulled noodles use various types of flours that's confusing from a chemistry perspective. Dough made from high gluten flour is more elastic and less extensible which ...
1
vote
1answer
394 views
How quickly do I have to use my thawed pizza dough?
I have never used frozen pizza dough before so I didn't know how long it would take for it to thaw out. I plan on using it tonight for dinner (in about 7-8 hours) and I thought it would take much ...
0
votes
2answers
1k views
Flour and water… at which temperature?
What is the difference between adding hot, lukewarm or cold water to flour?
EDIT:
I'm curious about the following dishes, they all call for flour and some water and I'm not sure how warm the water ...
5
votes
2answers
504 views
What is the easiest way to measure bread's rising?
How can I easily measure the volume of my bread as it rises? I usually eyeball it or test for feel, but this isn't very accurate, and definitely isn't getting the full rising potential out of it.
...
6
votes
3answers
5k views
Can I let my bread dough rise in the mixer bowl?
When I bake bread, I often let the dough rise in the metal mixer bowl. I was wondering if this is a good idea, as the metal is probably colder than a regular bowl and may inhibit rising. Would it be ...
2
votes
2answers
129 views
Should I add flour to dough if I already weighed the amount?
I am using this recipe for pizza dough, and I received some seasoned advice from other members of this site to use a precise kitchen scale for weighing the flour and water. The question is, if I ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
How can you tell whether bread dough is ready for baking?
I've tried to make a special bread for making 'torrijas', the Spanish version of French toast. Very popular during easter, here.
Twice, the bread didn't rise correctly in the oven, even after ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Is it safe to store batter/dough that contains eggs?
I sometimes like to make a large batch of pancake butter or cornbread dough, and fry/bake it whenever I want some freshly made pancakes or cornbread. Both these liquids contain eggs. Is is safe to ...
6
votes
2answers
558 views
How should I clean, or care for, a banneton (brotform, proofing basket)?
How should I care for a rattan (cane) banneton? It would seem that washing it in water would eventually warp or ruin the basket since the wood can easily absorb moisture. I've seen people suggest ...
2
votes
2answers
119 views
What adjustments are needed to change a pie recipe to a turnover recipe?
I want to make turnovers (e.g. a similar product is popular at McDonalds), instead of pie in a pan. Is this simply a matter of making a dumpling-shape with the dough, and then putting the fruit ...
3
votes
1answer
904 views
Why and when do you need to dock dough?
When making a pie, you almost always have to make holes in the dough with a fork. This is called docking.
What is the exact reason for doing this? Are there kinds of pastry (puff, short crust, flaky) ...
3
votes
2answers
525 views
Salt 'n pizza (how much salt should be in the dough)
I've made a pizza today and thought the dough could use a little more salt. I've looked at this answer and have a question about the salt ratio. How is it calculated? The percentage of flour, or the ...
4
votes
1answer
542 views
What happens to pasta dough when it is run multiple times through the machine?
Before, when I made fresh pasta, the dough would become a little "brittle" and was hard to work through the thinner settings of my pasta machine. Then I saw a tip on a cooking show to put the dough ...
3
votes
1answer
198 views
Why do short pie bases require chilling before baking?
I understand why the dough should be chilled before forming it into the pie dish/pan, but often I see recipes wanting the formed base covered with wrap and put in the fridge for 20 minutes before ...
5
votes
1answer
628 views
What is the difference between a poolish and a biga?
Both poolish and biga are pre-ferments. Poolish is a French name, biga an Italian term. What other differences are there between the two?
Just to give some direction: are there differences in making ...
3
votes
1answer
394 views
How to make sweet-tasting noodles?
I've never made noodle dough before, and I want to try it today. However, I'd like to make the noodles more sweet.
Is the base ingredient ratio for making the noodle dough one egg per 100g flour?
...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
How far in advance can I stage pizza?
We're having friends over and I'd like to make 3 or 4 pizzas. I'm considering stretching out the dough and put on the toppings ahead of time, say an hour ahead of when I pop them in the oven. How long ...
0
votes
1answer
2k views
Can I use “All-Purpose flour” instead of “cake flour”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the difference between various types of flour?
The recipe calls for cake flower, I have all-purpose flour. Can I use what I have? Or should I go get the cake ...
3
votes
1answer
426 views
Lightening Bread
Is there a generally accepted method for lightening bread dough that is pretty general for a variety of breads; pizza crust, whole grain bread, dessert breads, etc.
6
votes
2answers
391 views
How careful do you have to be with adding flour for kneading?
When you're working a dough (kneading or rolling out), instructions often say to flour the surface you're working on and your rolling pin or hands. This helps the dough to stick less. However, I ...
7
votes
5answers
15k views
What should I cover bread dough with while it's rising?
If you let (bread) dough rise, the recipe always asks to cover it. Years ago, I read to cover it with a wet towel. Nowadays, I see more and more recipes that ask for plastic wrap (aka saran or cling ...
15
votes
5answers
5k views
How warm must dough be in order to rise?
While making some focaccia this afternoon, my wife said, "sure the house is 'warm'; it'll be fine." One hour later, no rising. It may be worth noting that our house is 66F. So we stuck it in a warm ...
0
votes
2answers
344 views
The Mother Dough Blues
I wanted to expand my answer to this question by adding info about the color blue.
Both mother and sour doughs are very stable, but can be 'invaded' by a bacteria that'll give it a bluish taint. I'd ...
5
votes
1answer
339 views
What's wrong with my technique in this Belgian Liège Waffle recipe?
I've been using this awesome recipe to make Belgian Liège waffles, but my results are never consistent. Could you guys help me reverse engineer the recipe a bit?
During the butter-adding phase in ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Windowpane test - Why does my dough fail it, and what is it good for?
I am very new to pizza making, but after only 5 tries I am pretty pleased with the results. (I get passable Neapolitan-style and thin-crust pies.)
However, one thing I've noticed is that my dough ...
1
vote
4answers
419 views
what to make with a very high hydration dough?
I have accidently (due to tiredness and unit-conversion) made what I think is roughly a 100% hydration dough. I have used strong white bread flour. I was intending to make some "no-kneed" bread, so ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Does resting kneaded dough for few hours change the taste/texture/softness of parathas?
We use the kneaded dough for making parathas.
Does resting kneaded dough for few hours (covered, on shelf) change the taste/texture/softness of the final outcome?
P.S. After kneading the dough, all ...
12
votes
1answer
8k views
What are the impacts of common pizza dough errors?
I'm diving into the world of making pizzas from scratch, and I'd like to take a systematic approach to the possible mistakes I could make with regards to the dough.
What impact do each of the ...
4
votes
1answer
751 views
How can I modify corn bread recipes to accomodate a wet filling?
I am hoping to make dough cups using a corn bread style dough. My approximate recipe would be, presumably, to par-bake initially, then fill with a pot pie style liquid/solid mixture, top with a corn ...
3
votes
2answers
174 views
Should you freeze pastry lukewarm? If so, why?
I have a book about baking in general. In the chapter 'Preserving pastry in the freezer' is the following sentence (I translated it for practical reasons):
Pastry should be frozen as fresh as ...
3
votes
1answer
260 views
Sausage roll pastry - how do I achieve a smooth shiny effect?
I came across this on the net and would love to be able to make them for a party next week.
...
4
votes
1answer
276 views
What is the rule of thumb for mixing doughs?
Without delving too deeply into specialty doughs, but addressing more than just cakes and bread, what concerns can I evaluate when calculating the technique for approaching a dough?
For instance, ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Techniques for mixing bread dough with stand mixer
Can anyone tell me what the best technique is for using a stand mixer to make bread dough?
I just got a stand mixer with a dough hook and have started using it for mixing and kneading bread dough. ...
22
votes
4answers
2k views
Does resting the dough for a long time reduce the need to knead the bread?
In this article by Chef Michael Smith, he mentions a recipe where leaving the dough to rest for 18 hours removes the need to knead the bread. Is this a viable substitute? I've tried the recipe and ...
4
votes
2answers
717 views
Why did my fresh pasta come out pasty and lumpy?
I just got a pasta machine, and had my first try at making fresh pasta yesterday. I used the recipe in the booklet that came with the machine which called for 2 cups Semolina flour, 2 large eggs, and ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the purpose of oil or butter in bread?
Specifically in wheat and potato breads, what is the purpose of adding oil or butter to the dough?
I have always assumed it was just for flavor, but I suspect there is some background chemical ...
4
votes
3answers
850 views
Can I leave out raw already-formed cookies for close to an hour while I wait for the oven to be available?
I'm making a cookie dough and forgot that I already had something in the oven. I prepared a baking sheet of cookies to go into the oven - but there is something already in there that requires another ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
What does 'turn out' mean in bread baking?
An instruction in this recipe says:
Gently turn loaf out onto a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled and
dusted with cornmeal.
I am confused by the use of the words "turn out". Does this ...
8
votes
1answer
862 views
Why do some pie crust recipes include vinegar?
I experiment some with pie crusts and have seen recipes that include vinegar as well as eggs. What does the vinegar do and what does the egg do. I have heard the vinegar promotes tenderness but have ...
1
vote
3answers
910 views
How long will eggless pasta dough last in the fridge?
I made some fresh pasta for myself, but the recipe made double the amount I need. I didn't have time to make the rest of the pasta and dry it, so I just wrapped the dough ball in plastic wrap and ...
5
votes
1answer
383 views
How can I improve my gluten-free pizza dough?
I've been making pizza dough for years, and recently found that I have a gluten allergy, and can no longer eat wheat flour! Very sad news, indeed.
So... I bought Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Possible to over-knead dough?
It will be my first attempt to bake with yeast this weekend and I'm interested to know how you know when you have kneaded dough enough. Is it possible to over-knead dough?
If it makes a difference ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Why should I rest gingerbread dough?
My gingerbread recipe says I should rest the dough for 20 minutes in the refrigerator before rolling out and cutting. What difference does it make?
0
votes
2answers
731 views
Can I refreeze defrosted crumb topping?
I have a crumb topping (margarine + brown sugar + flour) that I usually make double or triple the recipe of and then freeze. Sometimes I don't divide it evenly and end up with extra dough when I ...
1
vote
2answers
320 views
Why does my German nut strudel fall apart?
I have a recipe for nut strudel, which calls for the following:
2 cups flour
1 stick butter
8 oz cream cheese.
I have made it twice, and both times the crust is all crumbly and does not roll well. ...
