Cooking Articles Article:
Baking Perfect Breads, Cookies, and Desserts
We're all looking for that perfect pie, or cookies, or loaf of bread. It doesn't always happen. In our experience, there are four reasons that account for most of the less than perfect products.
Under baking or over baking. This has to be nemesis number one. Breads are often under-baked and cookies are often over-baked. Under baked bread is soggy. Crusty breads will never be crusty if the temperature doesn't get high enough to drive the moisture from the dough. Over baked cookies are dry and hard. Try baking cookies until they just start to brown and see if you don't like them better.
Most soft breads should reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees and most crusty breads should reach a temperature of 200 to 210 degrees. A thermometer is the bread baker's best friend.
To reach internal temperatures such as these, crusts will often be a darker brown than what you often picture in the perfect bread. If you would like a golden crust on your bread instead of a rich brown crust, try draping the loaf with aluminum foil for the last six or eight minutes of baking. The aluminum foil deflects the heat and will protect the crust from becoming too dark.
Not letting it rise enough. And while we're talking of breads . . . if you like your bread light and fluffy, let it rise. The tendency is to stick it in the oven too soon. With a little practice, you'll soon learn to recognize bread that has risen to the maximum. It's soft to the touch-it even looks puffy. Ideally, you'll catch it a little before it starts to blister. (Remember, you will get a little oven spring, even in a hot oven.) If you wait too long and the bread starts to blister, all is not lost. Punch it down, reform the loaf, and let it rise again. (Sometimes, if a single blister shows up and you're in a hurry, you can puncture the blister with a sharp knife and stick the loaf in the oven.)
Improper mixing. We don't mix breads long enough; we mix biscuits, muffins, and pancakes too long. Mixing develops the gluten. It's the gluten that creates the elasticity and chewiness in bread. We want products leavened with baking powder or baking soda to be tender and flaky. Mix the dry ingredients to distribute them well and then combine the dry mixture with the wet ingredients until they are evenly mixed but no more. Leavened products that are over-mixed are tough and leathery.
Improper measurement. We suspect that more often than not, ingredients are not measured properly. In many good recipes, there is some margin for error but even in the good recipes, the product will be better if the ratio of ingredients is correct. Measure liquids in clear containers designed for liquids and at eye level. Use measuring cups that you trust to be correct. (We recently compared four brand name measuring cups. One was off by a full tablespoon in one cup.)
We always weigh flour when we bake. A packed cup of flour can easily weigh 20% more than one that is lightly filled. (Most recipes are based on lightly filled cups.) If you are just starting to convert your recipes from volumes to weights, start out with 4.5 ounces of flour for every cup. Stay with the same flour as much as possible for the same type of product. Different flours have different densities and different flours can act very differently in a recipe. If you weigh your flour and record your results, you can perfect that favorite recipe.
Now you know. These are the nemeses that cause the most problems in the kitchen. Knowing what they are--the common pitfalls of the kitchen--will arm you to be a better baker. As you perfect your craft in these four areas, you will turn out wonderful baked goods.
For more articles like this visit The Bakers' Library.
© 2004 The Prepared Pantry
Related Perfect Cooking News and Articles From ezinearticles.com
A kitchen would just not be a kitchen without a cutting board. In fact, the cutting board has become a main tool of our kitchen as it provides us a safe place for food preparation and cutting.
In previous articles, Throovest traced the history and the making of the outside barbeque, going back to the original Portuguese design which provides for foolproof outside cooking. This time he divulges the secret of cooking the perfect lamb chop on this most accommodating of cooking devices. Once you've sampled barbequed lamb chops like these, you may never settle for any other method.
A popular variety of shellfish, mussels have always been a favourite seafood dish. But like in the preparation of any scrumptious dish, the selection of good ingredients is always the secret to happy dining.
Cooker Hoods are great little helpers in kitchen. These little devices do not come as standard in most kitchens, but having then around or having been to a kitchen which has one can help concentrate the mind to how great they are. These devices help to to get rid of smells...
Although breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, lunch also assumes equal importance as it provides energy for activities done in the remaining part of day. It plays an important role in our overall health factor. Hence, it is important that you have a healthy lunch. The two important aspects of a healthy lunch would be the ingredients used to prepare the lunch and healthy cooking method to complement it.
A waterless cookware set will change the way that you cook, how you enjoy foods, and will let you cook foods healthier than ever before. Waterless cookware pots and pans are designed to cook with very little water. This allows the nutrients in the food to remain along with lots more flavor.
When I was a child, we always cooked with charcoal. When I was really little, gas grills weren't even invented yet.
In this modern era, there are many kinds food that you may find in the restaurant. If you want to be healthy it is better for you to find healthy food. Japanese food is also become one of the most popular food which contain a lot of healthy materials. Sometimes, Japanese food may cost very expensive. If it is happen, it will be great for you to find Japanese cooking and you can cook your own food. There are many web pages which will gives you the right information about Japanese recipe. If you are interested with this food, you just need to cook it by yourself.
As we know, learning about other country culture is important for us to understand about other people. Cooking is also one important thing in culture. Learning about how some people from other country are preparing their traditional food is sure able to help us to understand a little bit of their culture. One of the countries that are very famous with the food is china. We all know that besides famous with traditional medicine, Chinese cooking is also very famous in the world. They are not only considering the taste of their food but also the ingredients that they use are good for our health.
You might not need to be a professional culinary artist to learn that you will need a little bit of help to really make killer dishes in your home. More often than not, these are convenience items and items that will keep you and the kitchen safe. Such is the case with a cutting board.
