My first baking attempts
Posted On Sunday, January 20, 2008 at at 6:22 PM by Jen.jpg)
A few weeks ago I started with cookies and sesame buns. I have those in my other blog, which has nothing to do with cooking. So I decided to start this one in order to spare people who could not care less about my mad kitchen experiments.
Both attempts turned out swimmingly. The cookies were a wonderful combination of sweet and salty, with a firm-but-chewy texture. The buns were light and buttery. I was quite heartened with the results.
My next attempt was at baking a rustic Italian loaf. I didn't take pictures of the process, or of the finished result. It turned out woefully underseasoned.
I think part of the problem was that I chose a recipe that was very involved. It required starting with a sponge, which did give the bread the intended spongy texture, but had to be made the night before. Then the next day, the dough required three long, separate rises. What was I thinking? I wasn't ready to have to pay so much attention! So I turned the loaf into breadcrumbs.
Today I chose a simpler recipe which yielded some unexpected but pleasing results. I'll post about that soon.
Both attempts turned out swimmingly. The cookies were a wonderful combination of sweet and salty, with a firm-but-chewy texture. The buns were light and buttery. I was quite heartened with the results.
My next attempt was at baking a rustic Italian loaf. I didn't take pictures of the process, or of the finished result. It turned out woefully underseasoned.
I think part of the problem was that I chose a recipe that was very involved. It required starting with a sponge, which did give the bread the intended spongy texture, but had to be made the night before. Then the next day, the dough required three long, separate rises. What was I thinking? I wasn't ready to have to pay so much attention! So I turned the loaf into breadcrumbs.
Today I chose a simpler recipe which yielded some unexpected but pleasing results. I'll post about that soon.
