Baking

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Tracy - I agree with Annie. A sourdough starter would be the way to go but, as she mentions, it can take a while to get enough yeast activity to use to make bread. In addition to the soda bread she mentioned, we also have the piadina flatbread, Irish ale bread, and scallion pancakes (Korean or Taiwanese) all of which use chemical leavener (or no leavener). You could try these while waiting for a starter to develop. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Wes Martin

Hi Krista - A cast iron skillet will likely work well for this cake. We chose a non-stick cake pan for a couple of reasons. One, placing the pan in the oven with the cooked pineapple while you make the batter helped continue the caramelization of the fruit, and two, to be sure the cake releases easily when inverted. If using cast iron, (assuming it is a very well seasoned pan and is the proper size), for the best results, go ahead and cook the pineapple directly in the skillet, making sure to get deep caramelization on the fruit and allowing a lot of the excess moisture to evaporate. Since the pan is already hot, arrange the fruit in a single layer, pour the batter directly onto the hot fruit, and bake it. Pouring the batter into a hot pan starts the baking process immediately which prevents a gummy layer at the top of the cake when inverted. Remember that cast iron is a darker metal (and better conductor of heat) than most cake pans, and the cake will likely bake quicker than in a regular cake pan. Start checking for doneness 5 minutes before the suggested baking time. If a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, and the sides of the cake are beginning to pull away from the edge of the pan, it is done. The cake will also likely get darker in the cast iron skillet, so keep your eyes on it as it finishes baking. Also remember that most cast iron skillets have sloped sides so it is imperative that you let the cake cool sufficiently in the pan before inverting it or you risk the cake cracking open if it is inverted when still tool hot. Since the sloping edge structure of the cake baked in the skillet is not as sturdy as if it was baked in a straight-edged cake pan, be sure it cools properly before inverting on a serving platter. Best of luck! Let us know how it turns out. Wes Martin, Kitchen Director

Answered by Matthew Card

Bittersweet chocolate ranges from 54% up to 80% cacao. Obviously the higher the percentage, the more intense the flavor will be--at the risk of bitterness. So to a certain extent, it's a matter of personal taste--how strong you like it. I feel like everyone has a different palate for chocolate flavors. The bete noire does feature some semi-sweet chocolate to balance the intensity of the bittersweet chocolate (and flavorings like the bitters, orange and peppercorns), so feel free to go with a higher percentage bittersweet chocolate.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Joan - I'm not familiar with Flavor Mill Flavorings, but some pastry chefs I know (including my sister!) recommend Bickford Flavors. Have you tried their extracts? They've been around forever and don't use alcohol, sugar, or salt in any of their flavorings so the flavor is more natural. They also offer both water and oil-soluble flavorings. For most applications - cakes, cookies, frostings, jams - water-soluble flavorings are fine. If you're working with chocolate you would want to choose an oil-soluble extract since the introduction of water could cause the chocolate to seize. Depending on what you're using the orange flavoring in, you could also try fresh orange zest and juice. At Milk Street we like to process or mix fresh zest with sugar to releases the oils in the rind. This then coats the sugar and adds orange flavor throughout. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Mitchell - I understand your point - the article \is\ a bit confusing. What we found was that there wasn't a huge difference in texture and flavor between dough that was frozen without any rise vs. dough that was frozen after the first rise. However, there was a difference in practicality and time saving. For dinner rolls or pizza dough, it's best to allow the dough to rise, shape, and then freeze because it's faster to shape the dough while it's at room temperature then wait for a large quantity of dough to thaw and come to room temperature before shaping. Formed, frozen rolls will thaw and come to room temperature pretty quickly. On the other hand, for bread dough, it's not really practical to freeze unbaked dough regardless of whether you freeze it without a rise or after it's first rise. That's because it needs to thaw overnight in the fridge and then takes about 3 hours to come to room temperature. In that amount of time you could just make it from scratch the same day. So, yes, there's not a huge difference in quality between freezing before or after the first rise but, practically, it's best to freeze dinner rolls and pizza dough after the first rise. Hope this clears it up. Thanks, Lynn C.

Answered by Julia Rackow

Hi Carrie, Great question, and you're right-- if you're not a baker you shouldn't have to commit to a giant bag of white sugar for the sake of the occasional spoonful. In savory cooking, there are two things to keep in mind when making sugar substitutions. The first is simply flavor. In the Shanghai Scallion Noodles, we call for a few spoonfuls of white sugar because we want to enhance the natural sweetness of the scallions infused into the oil, but not add an extra, competing aromatic flavor. Dark brown sugar, in contrast, would also bring out the sweetness of the scallions, but it would add a dark, molasses character that would be delicious, but might overwhelm the scallion oil. "Sugar in the raw" would be a great alternative to white sugar because it has a lighter and more delicate caramel flavor than brown sugars or demerera. But, that brings me to the second thing to remember when swapping sugars: natural sugars like demerara or "Sugar in the raw" tend to be much coarser than plain white sugar. That means that you may need a touch more than the recipe calls for (because it will pack less densely in a tablespoon measure), and that it will take longer to dissolve in the pan. For something like "Sugar in the raw," I suggest starting with the volume indicated in the recipe, and then taste and adjust the finish dish to your liking. Hope that helps! Julia Rackow

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Andy - I have to admit I had not even heard of this before reading your post! I'd recommend using a heating core or heating rod. These are helpful when baking a cake larger than 9" in diameter or 3-4" deep and are designed to ensure that the center bakes through before the exterior is overcooked. They are made of stainless steel so provide heat conduction to the center of the cake. You just stick it in the middle and bake as usual. They are pretty inexpensive and you can order through Amazon - Ateco and Fat Daddio's both make them. I think that will help. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Dominic - I think my first suggestion would be to use it in baking recipes to add some orange flavor to a recipe that doesn't already have orange flavor (i.e., make a plain vanilla cake an orange cake). Orange extracts can vary and some are pretty potent so you may have to play around with the appropriate quantity. I think you \could\ substitute orange extract for orange zest but, again, it would not be a direct 1:1 substitution and I feel like you would lose some of the fresh flavor of the zest. To substitute for orange juice it's a little more complicated since orange juice is often counted as some of the liquid in the recipe. So, for example, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of orange juice you would want to add a teaspoon or two of extract and then 1/2 cup of some sort of liquid (water, milk, buttermilk, etc.) to the recipe so the texture isn't compromised. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Liberty -The almond paste we use in the Milk Street kitchen is 45% almonds to sugar. I don't think we've tried the Mandelin brand (we use what's available in our local market) but I think their classic almond paste is closest to what we use at 50% almonds to sugar. Whatever almond paste you do use, make sure it's fresh and pliable or the cake will be dry. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Leanne - I've had the best luck with a lot of gluten-free baking using a blend of gluten-free grain flours, starches and gums. You can make your own, but King Arthur's Measure for Measure, Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-for-1 and Cup4Cup (which was developed at The French Laundry) are all very successful in replacing wheat flour cup for cup. No single gluten-free flour behaves like wheat flour so a blend is a must. Most blends include a combination of white and brown rice flour (which have the best combo of protein, starch and flavor), some combination of starches - such as tapioca and potato starch - and xanthin gum. Almond flour is a great substitute when you're looking to add tenderness, such as in tea cakes, muffins, and pancakes due to its higher fat content but its lack of structure can be detrimental to things like cookies, layer cakes, and yeast breads where rise, chewiness, and crispness are key factors. In the case of pizelle cookies, where you are looking for some crispness and chew, a gluten free blend with starches and xanthin gum that can mimic those textures would be better. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.