On Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:56:56 -0600, the infamous Dave Balderstone
scrawled the following:

In article , krw
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:39:22 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:

krw wrote:
On Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:36:29 -0800, "Lew Hodgett"
wrote:


"FrozenNorth" wrote:

Follow the recipes, they say it in there, but the order *really* is
important when adding the ingredients.

Cooking allows for some variation of a recipe, baking follows a
formula and does not.

Baking requires a very precise chemical reaction. Like other chemical
processes, the quantity and order of reactions is important. Baking
is essentially chemistry with an edible outcome.

Sure it does. You still need certain ingredients for a reaction, but you can
get variations by changing the quantities or adding other indgredients. If
you are making bread, you need leavening, but you can still change other
parts of the formula to suit your personal taste.

Don't expect just any mixture to come out as bread.

Of course not. Just as you can't expect just any mixture to come out as
wonton soup. But there's a hell of a lot of variation possible, just as
in baking.

Butter instead of shortening, or olive oil? Changes the texture and
flavour, but it's still bread. Mix white flour with wheat or rye flour?
Different texture, but it's still bread. Change the oven temperature
and/or humidity? Changes the texture and/or crust, but it's still
bread. Bake in a pan as opposed to a stone? Still bread... Change the
amount of yeast. or sugar? Still bread... Leaven with yeast or baking
powder, or not at all? Still bread...

Etc., etc.

I don't think you actually made a lot of bread with your hands. Maybe
just with machines?

The first bread-making machine my wife gave me was a 30" diameter
stainless steel bowl. It's seen a LOT of use. I have a bread machine.
Picked it up for $20 at a yard sale. Works great. It's in the basement,
along with the microwave. They were just taking up counter space.

I wonder how much bread is made on the new 36" high countertops which
are the style in homes today. They're better for prep work, but not
for actual work, like kneading bread dough.

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