/ck/ - Food & Cooking

Baking stones are proof of benevolent gods. I used to have a hard time baking cookies since my oven is shitty and they'd always end up undercooked or burnt, but they always turn out perfect when I use my stone.

Any recommendations on stones?

I'm very inexperienced with bread, but I'm going to try to make pita bread soon.

>>5056014

My "Fibrament" (http://bakingstone.com/)) has been 100% worth the money.

>>5056052

Thank you.

>>5056014
Mine is from the Pampered Chef, they're decently priced. I've had my bread stone for about 4 years now and it's done well and it hasn't cracked yet.

Just be extra careful about sudden changes in temperature (turn the oven off and leave the stone in there to cool down on its own), because that's usually the main cause of breaks.

>>5056075
>Just be extra careful about sudden changes in temperature (turn the oven off and leave the stone in there to cool down on its own), because that's usually the main cause of breaks.

Absolutely. Just leave it in there! Take it out only when running the self-clean cycle.

>>5056052
Literally the only baking stone worth owning.

Made some challah a few ago weeks ago

>>5056123

[trying to click on image and download challah]

>>5055982
What do you mean blown apart?

>>5056107
This and a Super Peel are non-negotiable baking items for me.

I'm rather inexperienced with bread-only ever baked a single loaf with guidance. Any recommendations on breads to practice baking with?

>>5056155
>Super Peel

WOW. Never heard of them before!

Some of my worst kitchen memories are of fucking up the transfer of a pizza dough round to the oven... boom, instant Italian taco style pizza, or you have half the thing clinging to the peel and the rest kind of on the rocket-hot baking stone.

THANKS. I think I need to save up for one of those!

>>5056167

Yes: the "Milk Bread" recipe from Joy of Cooking. Super-soft dough, very forgiving. Pretty simple. Perfect kid bread.

And the Mark Bittman "No-Knead" bread from a few years ago. ULTRA minimalist, with unbelievable results. Bread for grown ups. Serious crust, irregular holes within. Awesome!

>>5056175
Thanks. Will get at these.

>>5056167
Just make a bunch of lean dough loaves. Then do it again, and again, and again, and again. I like baking large batches because it enables me to practice a variety of skills on numerous loaves.

100% flour
60% water
2.5% salt
0.5% yeast

Mix flour and water together, knead into a rough boule. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Add salt and knead till distributed. Add yeast and knead till distributed. Knead until windowpane. Form into a boule and let rest at room temperature in a covered and oiled container until doubled. Turn out on to a floured counter, portion, and shape into whatever you'd like, knocking out the gas as you work. Place all the shaped doughs on to a floured surface, cover, and let rest until 1.5x in size. Slash. Put into an oven that has been preheating at the maximum temperature for at least 1 hour with a stone in the lowest position of the oven and a cast iron skillet on the floor. Put 2 cups of boiling water into the cast iron skillet and close the door. Bake at maximum temperature for 5 minutes, then drop temp to 450F. Bake till done. Let rest at least 2 hours before cutting. Eat and enjoy.

I ain't baking any bread until I finish all these god damn holiday leftovers. But maybe I will try a sourdough loaf this time.

>>5056182
>>5056155
Seems like a lot of salt.

FF, how deep do you slash your loaves to get them to turn out like that?

>>5056224
I slash 1/4" deep, in general. The oven spring allows the slashes to bloom.

>>5055982

There's no one to eat what I make.

Aw yeah, came on here to start a bread thread and found this one.

I just made pic related last night. I got a stand mixer for Christmas and used this recipe:

http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-french-bread-baguette-kitchen-aid-mixer-stand-mixer-256722

The other one didn't turn out quite so pretty, so I cut into that one and holy shit, best bread I've ever made. I think I'm going to give this one to the lesbian couple across the street to thank them for feeding our cat while we were gone for the holidays.

>>5056854
>Giving long phallic objects to lesbian couples with innocent intentions

>>5056889

That loaf is a good 4-5" in diameter. If they can manage that I'll offer to be their manager and take them on tour.

Peter reinhardt's bread bakers apprentice is an awesome book on bread. Because it is the Christmas season still here you go

Http://24.213.23.61:8080

>>5056155
>>5056168
Neat. US Patent 6,068,313.

>>5056918
Keep us posted.

>>5057058

Thank you. I hope you enjoy your gifts.

OP here again.

I let my dough proof a little longer and baked at 400 instead of 450. This

>>5058556
Oops.

...this was the result.

>>5058559
That looks good.

>>5056155

What do you think about cooking steel?

What's the best beginner bread? Just a white loaf?

Mushroom Pizza I made.

>>5057058
mechanical engineer?

I've got my biga going tonight for tomorrow's bread. I bake bread at least 4 days of the week.
It will be a 12 hour pre-ferment before kneading it into my dough and letting it ferment another 4 hours before baking.

>>5058592
The easiest breads to make and not fuck up are white breads that contain some kind of fat. Here's the first recipe I started with a couple years ago:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/homemade-bread-cheap-delicious-healthy-and-easier-than-you-think/

>>5058592
Pane cafone, south Italian "peasant's bread" (literal translation of "pane cafone").
It was popularised in the US a few years back as "no knead bread." It takes 20 minutes of actual work, 30 minutes of baking and 10-16 hours of inactive time.

>>5057058
>Http://24.213.23.61:8080
Took the book and the Last Unicorn. Thanks m8.

>>5058621
>http://www.thesimpledollar.com/homemade-bread-cheap-delicious-healthy-and-easier-than-you-think/

>healthy
>recommends using white flour