SC - Pickled Onions and Eggs - Recipes pleas

[Christine A Seelye-King]

Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 23:32:16 -0500
From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>
Subject: Re: SC - OOP - Sucess!!

And it came to pass on 18 Feb 00,, that Marian Deborah Rosenberg wrote:

> http://soar.Berkeley.EDU/recipes/baked-goods/breads/recipe1060.rec
> 
>   It would seem I don't have very good luck with yeast.  I was very
>   patient. 
> But, when it hadn't risen even the slightest bit in 6 hours, I proofed
> another packet and added it, then went back to sleep.  

When you say that you proofed your yeast... did you actually see signs 
of life before you continued on?  After ten minutes in warm water, the 
yeast should be foaming noticeably.  If so, what temperature was the 
place in which the dough was set to rise?  Cold temperatures will inhibit 
yeast.  It needs about 70-80 F to be happy.  Inside an oven with the 
electric light on works well for me.

- ---
I can say for certain that it was warm in the kitchen as the entire apartment
is nice and cozy warm (being on the third floor and having a nicely overheated
office on the first floor).  I can't say for certain about much else as I was
working with an ear infection that wouldn't let me sleep, and then working with
an ear infection that wanted to go to sleep NOW halfway through my getting
something started.
- ---

> The dry/liquid
> ratio doesn't seem quite right, I followed the recipe to the letter
> (except for the olives) and had a very dry crumbly dough the first time
> around.  After adding the fresh yeast, I added 3 handfuls of flour and it
> worked fine.

The usual ratio is about 1 cup of liquid to 3 cups of flour.  However, this 
varies according to the qualities of your particular flour.  It's best to use 
the recipe quantities as a guideline and add as much flour as is needed 
to produce a dough that feels right.  It should be soft, like the fleshy part 
of your ear lobe, but not overly sticky.  ::sigh::  It's much easier to 
demonstrate than to describe.

- ---
actually I know what you mean.  The first time I worked from my usual cornbread
recipe I didn't yet have measuring cups, so I guesstimated on a cup of milk,
and when that wasn't enough liquid added a bit more, making it necessary to add
a bit of my own flour.  I figured the consistency should be roughly the same as
cookie dough, or a bit moister,
- ---

Persist in your efforts.  Once you learn what bread should look like and 
feel like at various stages, baking will be much, much easier.

- ---
I'm having fun in the learning process
- ---

Brighid, who really needs to bake this weekend