tom olofsson wrote:This discussion is super interesting to me. I am of the opinion that baking is one of those things that just happens. I do not understand the science behind it. I know that I can not do it. Finding out there is a way to short cut a key ingredient absolutely baffles me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.
I know that you CAN bake! It isn't that complicated. Do you have a small square or rectangular pan suitable for baking? (I use a 2 quart square Corningware pan But any pan can work.)
If you don't have measuring cups, use a drinking cup. No measuring
spoons? Use any spoon you would eat from - teaspoons are the small ones and tablespoons are the larger ones.
This recipe is very forgiving so ingredients don't have to be exact and it will still turn out fine.
Let's make some biscuit bread: Put in a bowl:
2 cups any kind of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup of butter, oil or shortening (I prefer palm shortening, but anything will work)
Best results come if you use a fork to mash the butter or shortening into the dry ingredients until there are no pieces larger than a
pea left.
Add 1 1/2 cups of
water. Stir until thoroughly blended. Grease your pan with shortening/butter/oil. If you don't have a pastry brush, use a paper towel or even your hand.
Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour in a toaster
oven or a regular oven. I use a toaster oven and it takes two 30 minute timer settings.
Use a toothpick or a knife. Push it into the center. If it comes out clean the biscuit bread is done. If it has batter on it, cook a few minutes longer until it comes out clean.
IMPORTANT BAKING CONCEPT: If the outside is too brown and the inside is not done through, your heat is too high.
If it is raw in the middle and not too brown, you haven't baked it long
enough.
If the inside is done and dry and the outside is not brown, the heat was too low. You could possibly brown it using a broiler for less than 30 seconds! Or you're using some heat source that doesn't brown things.
The same thing applies to
pancakes and anything else made with flour or ground grains.
P.S. This recipe uses baking powder because that is what is commonly used for "quick breads". This is a "quick bread" as opposed to a "yeast bread" that has to rise before baking.
I will have to get some of these:
Basic Kitchen Chemistry
DIY Leavening Power - Recipes!
So, what did cooks do before baking powder was invented? - Resources!
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