Last week I tried making my first batch of french bread during Oliver's nap. It turned out quite tasty, and was surprisingly more simple than I imagined. I even kneaded it by hand, because I was afraid the Kitchenaid would wake him up. Really crusty crust, and light airy interior. Other than an unappetizing color--it had a kind of greenish tinge to it, ew--it was fun and good. And only cost about .30 per baguette. Not including the cost to run the oven, of course. I have no idea how to figure that out.
I also tried my hand at homemade saltines. It was also quite simple, but I had to leave to go to a press check for work right during the baking, so I just left them in the oven and turned the oven off. So they completely dried out, and are kind of, well, hard like rocks. But they taste good. :) Butter and salt. Mmmmmmm.
And lastly, homemade yogurt! I've been on a quest to find yogurt that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners added. I've been hard pressed to find any. The health food store does have a few brands that fit the requirements, but at nearly a dollar for 6 oz is beginning to be too much! It was surprisingly simple again (I used an ordinary heating pad, a #10 can, and an instant read thermometer). I followed Alton Brown's recipe. Now I have a quart of homemade yogurt, which, I might say, is quite tasty, especially if you stir some homemade strawberry preserves into it. Oliver likes it that way. I even like it plain. Next I think I might try to make some cheese out of it. But I'll need some cheesecloth. I might have to wait until paydady. Oh, dear.
8 comments:
Wow. All I can say is...wow. Domestic goddess. These look really interesting to me to try too, but do I actually try? NO. I did try bagels once, quite the flop.
By the way, if that last comment came across to negative, I wanted to leave you with the fact that I think this is awesome. Wish I lived closer to take a sample!
awesome! nest time I come too your house, I have got too try that yogurt, and the bread! And maybe saltines. if i have room after the other stuff!
You amaze me. fortune cookies, french bread, saltines, yogurt, and CHEESE. The pictures of the bread didn't look too gross to me, in fact, it looked delicious. That's one I might actually have to try before school starts. Perhaps I could get your recipe?
Heh, don't think I did all of that on the same day! Three very separate days. I forgot I was going to link Alton Brown's "recipe" for the yogurt, here it is. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_19495,00.htmlAnd Micquel, yes you may get the recipe, I got it from "How to Cook Everything". I'll type it up and bring it over, or post it. You will need a baking stone (you're welcome to use mine ANYTIME) and a spray bottle to steam the oven up (I think that's what develops the crunchy crust). Again, you're welcome to use mine anytime!
well, that link didn't really work out, I'll edit the post and put the link in where it was supposed to be.
by the way, what kind of heating pad, and where would you find that? Also a #10 can? As in wine bucket?
Alton used a wine bucket, but since I had no such thing, I used one of those canisters that you get from the lds cannery food storage places, you know? Mine was for rolled oats that I had used all up, and was slated to be recycled with all of kevin's aluminum soda cans. My heating pad is a sunbeam heating pad that is pretty ancient, I think, it came from Kevin's mom's when we got married. it's just a three level Sunbeam heating pad. It didn't quite reach all the way around the tupperware canister, but it still seemed to work out. I'll put it all together and email you what my set up look liked.
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