TB Bakers?

champbassist · #1 12-31-2012, 07:49 PM

Taking my first few baby steps at home in experimental baking, I was wondering if there are any bakers around on TB, or rather how many bakers there are on TB, given that members have are in all sorts of professions.

Regardless of whether you are pros or hobbyists, I'd love to know what your favorites or specialties are

tplyons · #2 12-31-2012, 08:04 PM

I only bake cornbread to go with chili and cookies from store bought dough.

Phalex · #3 12-31-2012, 09:28 PM

Cooking is an art. Baking is a science.

I'm a pretty good cook, but I don't follow instructions very well. I do want to figure out how to do flat bread on my kamado grill though.

fjadams · #4 12-31-2012, 09:35 PM

I can cook, in my family you started to cook when you could reach over the stove. Help on the family pasta Sunday, push the chair to the stove to help cook, etc.

But I can barely bake Jiffy biscuits or cornbread and I've made one pie and no cakes in my life.

tplyons · #5 12-31-2012, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

Cooking is an art. Baking is a science.

Quoted for truth. I've never thought about it this way, but I guess it's true.

I can always make something taste good as I cook. But baking isn't forgiving in the slightest.

Ziltoid · #6 12-31-2012, 09:39 PM

I can cook decently. I don't know a lot of recipes yet because I'm still fairly new to this. But I can't bake for jacksquat, never even tried.

giacomini · #7 12-31-2012, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

Cooking is an art. Baking is a science.

I'm a pretty good cook, but I don't follow instructions very well. I do want to figure out how to do flat bread on my kamado grill though.

+1 (plusoning Phalex on the 1st? Must be a bad omen

)

Yeah, cooking is easy. Baking is something I just can't put my finger on...

Yesterday I made a cherry/grape filling for a pie, but my mother in law had to make the dough and bake the pie, otherwise I'd have ruined it...

Thick McRunfast · #8 12-31-2012, 11:53 PM

Breads mostly. Live for bread. I make a good challah.

Both kinds of biscuits and cookies. Learning how different fats and sugars react is important.

pflash4001 · #9 12-31-2012, 11:59 PM

I'm looking for a lost recipe for a rosemary-fennel braid. I like to bake yeast breads in my spare time.

pflash4001 · #10 01-01-2013, 12:00 AM

Sorry, not the bassist; his wife the Soprano!

Lonesomedave · #11 01-01-2013, 01:24 AM

c'mon now...baking may be a science, but it's not hard to make good biscuits.

i direct you to a thread by that well known TB baker, Lonesomedave:

BISCUITS

ps-edit- if you don't live where there are Kroger stores, simply buy some lard and some crisco and mix about half & half....i've started using more of the shortening than the recipe calls for....say about a third more. it makes really good biscuits

Passinwind · #12 01-01-2013, 01:33 AM

I have a good friend who teaches baking all over North America. He used to own a bakery a few blocks from my house that I spent way too much time in. I could drop in at odd hours and get whatever was coming out of the oven, good times.

Oddly enough, his business got off the ground using a bagel recipe that he licensed from someone who got it from his nice Jewish mom in New York. I miss those things...

My wife and I are working on knead-less bread these days. Doesn't get any simpler or easier than that.

**embellisher** · #13 01-01-2013, 01:59 AM

I like to bake. I only do it two or three times a year. Love scratch made pie crust, but the ingredients always wind up going to waste, because I don't bake often enough, and lard or shortening are too unhealthy except for special occasions. I mostly bake pies and cheesecake. I always make two pumpkin pies for Christmas and Thanksgiving, my pumpkin pies are the best. Stole my moms recipe and tweaked it a little, now she likes mine better than hers! I also baked two pecan pies for Thanksgiving this year, and a New York style cheesecake for Christmas.

Never made biscuits without a mix, I might have to try Dave's recipe in a couple of weeks!

metron · #14 01-01-2013, 03:35 AM

I love both cooking and baking but im just getting into baking. I got a 4.5q kitchen aid mixer for xmas. Only cookies so far but im going to get into breads soon. I think the mixer is a must have for baking.

Kwesi · #15 01-01-2013, 03:50 AM

Started with baking then moved to cooking. I've really only got two baking recipes down pat and those are apple cakes and snickerdoodles. I'd love to give pies, strudel and cobbler a shot sometime though.

My cookies are solid but cakes are sooooooooo hard to ice well. Any tips on that would be VERY appreciated. Homemade vs store-bought icing? Crumb layer prior to laying down the icing for real? I need help, lol.

TOOL460002 · #16 01-01-2013, 06:29 AM

I am a master with cookies. My secret: Sugar and butter. Lots.

champbassist · #17 01-01-2013, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonesomedave

c'mon now...baking may be a science, but it's not hard to make good biscuits.

i direct you to a thread by that well known TB baker, Lonesomedave:

BISCUITS

Do you think vegetable oil based shortening will work? I'm planning on making biscuits in a few days and I won't be able to use animal oil based shortening as I'm vegetarian (and that's provided I get it here in the first place, which is next to impossible, I think).

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOOL460002

I am a master with cookies. My secret: Sugar and butter. Lots.

Do you use them in equal amounts?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kwesi

Any tips on that would be VERY appreciated.

+1, and so will some tips on fruit based cakes, like, say, a banana flavored cake (as opposed to something with a banana filling). I did try strawberry and mango flavored cakes a few weeks by using bottled pulp, and it wasn't too bad, but I feel that it might need some extra care/tips, especially if I decide to do the pulp myself.

Lonesomedave · #18 01-01-2013, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by champbassist

Do you think vegetable oil based shortening will work? I'm planning on making biscuits in a few days and I won't be able to use animal oil based shortening as I'm vegetarian (and that's provided I get it here in the first place, which is next to impossible, I think).

absolutely, it will work...use crisco, or the equivalent....you WILL have success....

...being as you're in India, i don't know what products are available to you, but use the lightest shortening you can

go forth, my son, and bake buiscuits...may the force be with you.

HaMMerHeD · #19 01-01-2013, 08:41 AM

I like to bake. I started with this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Crust-Crumb-Ma...Peter+Reinhart

I haven't had many opportunities to do much lately, aside from the occasional cheesecake for various parties.

fdeck · #20 01-01-2013, 08:52 AM

We bake most of our bread at home. My advice is just to find a simple recipe and stick with it for a while until you work out a routine. Then you can begin experimenting with variations.