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I baked a pie every day for a year

theguardian.com

151–160 of 215 posts

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#151
post #65

Pie is such a gift. My wife died nearly ten years ago and soon afterwards, I took up pie baking, which is something that she loved to do (I just loved to eat it — since childhood I've had a birthday pie instead of cake). I had all the stuff, after all. I got good at it and love to share them with friends at gatherings, or even just give them away entirely. Right before COVID, I did a Friday Pie Day thing where I gift…

When everyone got into baking early covid I couldn’t understand why no one was baking anything, like, good. No pizza or pie or cake or muffins or banana bread or even a damn focaccia. The world collectively just decided the end-all be-all of baking was… sourdough.

I baked a Napoleon cake. It was amazing, took 11 eggs and it was the one and only.

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#152
post #146

Christmas 2013 my mom gave me a nice stand mixer. She knew I like to cook and bake and owned a bread maker but she knew I always felt bread makers were good but just fell short or being great. This gift also changed my life forever. Days later on New Years I decided my resolution would be to not buy bread for an entire year and make it all myself. Also I was a father or 3 and funds tight back then so buying bread for…

Yes please! I'm getting pretty decent at bread now, I've been making a loaf every three days or so for a few months. But I would love to add pizza dough to my skills.

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#153
post #146

Christmas 2013 my mom gave me a nice stand mixer. She knew I like to cook and bake and owned a bread maker but she knew I always felt bread makers were good but just fell short or being great. This gift also changed my life forever. Days later on New Years I decided my resolution would be to not buy bread for an entire year and make it all myself. Also I was a father or 3 and funds tight back then so buying bread for…

Yes please! I'm getting pretty decent at bread now, I've been making a loaf every three days or so for a few months. But I would love to add pizza dough to my skills.

My biggest tip is so easy and after starting it the difference was immediately noticable. And this applies to pizza or bread dough.

There are many factors that will change how your dough tastes, feels and bakes. Texture is a massive factor on how people rate your bread or other doughs. Two big factors that massively help with that are as follows.

First knowing how long you must knead the dough for. I won't get into too much detail for this just look up dough window pane test on YouTube and there are lots of videos. The TLDR is you knead until you can take a small ball of the dough and gently spreading it with your thumbs should be able to make a thin pain that lets light through easily without ripping. If it rips you need more kneading. Again look at some videos.

The BIGGEST improvement to my doughs was when I started adding powdered milk. I use about half cup to 3/4 cup when making enough pizza dough for about 3 large pizza. For a couple loafs of bread probably half cup is plenty. Again lots of information on why powdered milk helps but will let you research if you want to know more.

All I can say is that my dough was always good before milk powder but the day I saw the suggestion to use it and did I can't go back. I have had friends say my pizza is the best they ever had. Last year my ex asked me if I wanted to come meet her friends and some girls but also would I mind making some pizza dough lol!

Honestly there are lots of tips for good bread and dough but just adding milk powder will up your bread huge. Good luck I hope you give it a go if so also hope you come back and comment how it went. Cheers!

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect they mean "days that I deal off" rather than "every day". Even elite climbers struggle with ligament issues climbing every single day

Name checks out! Your clarification makes sense on a second read. Thanks

Yeah I definitely meant on days I feel off, and not that I climb every day haha. My body wouldn’t allow me to do daily climbs :)

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#155
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A friend of mine tries to bake a spherical pie for pi day (March 14) each year, with varying approaches (and levels of success).

I heard circles are also related to pi but have not had the time to confirm yet.

Sure would be a lot easier if we could just have “4 right angles”-day

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#156
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A friend of mine tries to bake a spherical pie for pi day (March 14) each year, with varying approaches (and levels of success).

Heating the middle has to be a pain. And cutting it…

I’m pretty sure that the state of the art right now is firing the pastries on a ballistic arc in hard vacuum and hitting them mid-trajectory with a laser pulse to cook them through.

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#157
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When everyone got into baking early covid I couldn’t understand why no one was baking anything, like, good. No pizza or pie or cake or muffins or banana bread or even a damn focaccia. The world collectively just decided the end-all be-all of baking was… sourdough.

I do find it kind of wild how intimidating most people I know find baking. Get a food scale and follow the directions and you're good to go and will have something respectable and delicious. As with anything, you can dive deep and go extreme with it. But baking delicious food is not rocket science.

It is fun but it's also not universal. While every house and apartment I've lived in in the USA had an oven, the default in Japan is no oven. 1 to 3 burners, and possibly a broiler is the norm.

If you want an oven you get microwave/oven combo.

Might be similar in Korea? China? Taiwan? India?

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#158
post #86
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When everyone got into baking early covid I couldn’t understand why no one was baking anything, like, good. No pizza or pie or cake or muffins or banana bread or even a damn focaccia. The world collectively just decided the end-all be-all of baking was… sourdough.

Well, as a less-advanced baker, I get the most pleasure from baking bread. Plus, I can eat it without getting fat.

I wish I eat bread without getting fat.

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do find it kind of wild how intimidating most people I know find baking. Get a food scale and follow the directions and you're good to go and will have something respectable and delicious. As with anything, you can dive deep and go extreme with it. But baking delicious food is not rocket science.

Funny you'd say that. Other people say cooking is art, while baking is a science. No room for errors.

Cooking is art, baking is a very easy science (weight things and check the temperature), pastry is another thing. That requires talent, experience and a lucky star.

Re: I baked a pie every day for a year

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sourdough is the bomb though. I agree about the lack of variety, but in its defense, sourdough starter can be used for a variety of other baked goods.

Plus bread itself is used in other recipes, like sandwiches or toasts or for mopping up sauced dishes.

Or even brew beers and meads.
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