I dropped this note into another forum subject but thought putting it here would be more productive. Can anyone explain the purpose of a baking soda bath? I have a great pretzel bread recipe and was wondering what purpose the baking soda bath serves. After the second rise, the dough is formed into balls and dropped into a boiling solution of baking soda. What does this do?
I think I finally have Jim Lahey's recipe down. Perhaps a bit overdone on the crust, but the crumb was perfect.
I'm just loving trying all of Jim Lahey's variaties of No Knead Loafs. This was a new one for me and all practice till I get my 2 " hotel pan and baguette molds.
Made the next in the series of No Knead Breads today. This time it was rye.
Mix in a bowl for about 30 seconds with a spatula or spoon till it becomes a shaggy mess.
Hey Hey Hey,
I'm fairly new to the site, but have been listening to the podcasts for awhile. My cooking has definitely improved. Jacob, the local ladies thank you!
Hi Jacob (and everyone else here),
First of all, thanks a lot for your very good website. Not just for baking, although that's what I need most help with considering I'm kinda new at that. It's always good when a chef explains his/her thought processes, almost like a magician explaining magic tricks. I was a kitchen hand in a fancy restaurant back when I was a teenager, and I learnt a lot by just asking "why are you doing that?" instead of "what are those ingredients you need again?". I get the same ah-ha feeling with your videos & podcasts, so keep up the good work!
Does anyone know of any good backyard bread oven plans? I have read all types of reviews for different oven looking for any experience with them..
Anyone? I have 4 lodge pots/pans, so I know they're good. It's more of a question about cast iron loaf pans in general. I'm looking for sandwich loafs. I have a calphalon nonstick right now, meh. It's ok, i really don't love it, but it's not bad. The crust on my sandwich bread is a little crumbly. Not sure if that's something that a different material would resolve. Anyone care to weigh in?
Seems that as I raise the hydration of my dough, the more the razor/knife sticks to the dough when I score it. How have other solved this problem? I got a brand new razor and have tried various knives, oiling the blade, and dusting the blades with flour.
I'm interested in trying to make a Vietnamese style baguette for banh mi sandwiches and was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with them. From the limited information I could find on the Internet the basic difference between the Vietnamese style and the traditional French style is the substitution of a portion of your regular flour with rice flour, i've heard anywhere from quarter to a half. This is supposed to produce an airier crumb and a crispier crust. As far as I can tell, the cooking method is the same after that.