Baking

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Jean - Since the recipe only calls for 2 eggs I doubt the size difference will have much of an effect. A large egg is yields 3 1/4 Tablespoons and an extra-large egg yields 4 tablespoons, which means an overall addition of 1 1/2 tablespoons. I don't think that will have much of an impact on the overall texture of the cake. Using the correct egg size is much more important when there are a lot more eggs in a recipe or eggs are the primary ingredient (meringue, angel food cake, etc.). You should be fine with extra large eggs for this one! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Anne - I think cardamom or ginger would be great with lemon. A combo of the two would be excellent as well! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Theresa - This is basically a chocolate pudding cake. The current recipe on the Hershey's website calls for cocoa powder, sugar, and water, not Hershey's syrup but at some point it probably did. Many food manufacturers in the 1960s, an era of cake mixes and time-saving recipes, would alter recipes to try to sell products that could be used in the recipe, so it's possible they had a version using Hershey's syrup in place of the cocoa powder, brown sugar and water. The only version I could find made with syrup was a version that is intended for food service and scaled beyond what a home cook would want. But I wonder if you could take the recipe that calls for making the sauce with cocoa powder, sugar, and water and replace that with chocolate syrup? That's probably how I would start if I were recreating this recipe. My guess is that the basics of that one on the Hershey's site now is the same as it was in the 60s. There was probably a brief time when it had Hershey's syrup in it instead. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Carol - I think the difference is in the flour. Canadian bread flour is higher in protein than most U.S. brands of bread flour (even King Arthur, which is generally touted as the highest). Canadian all-purpose flour is actually much closer to our bread flour. I would also ensure she is weighing the flour. Canadian flour is more finely milled than American flour and could cause the proportions of flour to water to be off as well. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Nancy - Since you are just adding almond flour for flavor, I would start by substitute a smaller amount of almond flour for wheat flour. We generally recommend substituting no more than 1/4 of the flour in the recipe with almond flour. Since almond flour lacks gluten and is much higher in fat and moisture than all-purpose flour, any more than that will significantly throw off the texture of baked goods. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Karen - American-style yogurt still contains whey, so it has more moisture and a thinner, runnier consistency. Greek-style yogurt is made by allowing the watery whey to drain from yogurt, giving it a smooth, thick texture. We generally find 3/4 Greek yogurt plus 1/4 cup water to replicate the consistency of plain yogurt. Just make sure to use whole-milk yogurt regardless of whether it is Greek or American-style. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Mitch - I'll try to answer your questions in order: Different recipe authors use different terms for exactly the same pre-ferment made with commercial yeast. What one calls a biga, another refers to as a poolish (a Polish term adopted by French bakers), pâte fermentée (prefermented dough), or sponge. A levain is what one would call a pre-ferment using natural yeast (this would be like a sourdough starter). When a preferment is added to a dough, it not only accelerates fermentation but is itself a partially developed dough, which reduces mixing time. Often a poolish is more hydrated (usually 1:1 ratio of flour to water) than a biga or sponge, but there aren't any hard and fast rules on what, exactly, the hydration levels are for a biga or sponge. A lot is going to depend on how much preferment you use. For example, people use different amounts of the preferment (some even change the ratios of flour and water), change the yeast quantities, they use different water temperatures and pre-fermentation temperatures and times. Some even refrigerate it. Each combination will have its own different and unique effect on the dough (including its strength) and the finished crust characteristics, including the taste and flavor of the finished crust, and its color, texture and aroma. Whether you feel the preferment could replace the slower, cold ferment will depend on what you think about the flavor with just the preferment. Cold fermented doughs allow different types of bacterias and yeasts to flourish, which secrete acetic acid giving a generally sourer flavor. Pre-Ferments are usually done at room temperature which promotes lactic acid development. Yes, typically the small amount of yeast in the poolish would be all of the yeast in the recipe. As Matt mentions in the article above, the proofing stages of the dough will be a bit longer. And, yes, however much flour or water you use in your poolish/biga should be taken out of the total amount of flour and water. Hope that answers your questions sufficiently! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Sue - Plain flour is the British version of all-purpose flour, but with a much lower 7- to 10-percent protein content (American all-purpose flour is made with harder wheat, creating a 10-to 11-percent protein level). This can change the texture of tender-crumbed baked goods such as scones and sponge cakes but won’t affect those that require more gluten development, like cinnamon rolls. For more delicate desserts, I would use cake flour, which has 8 percent protein and is a closer match to plain flour. American self-rising flour contains baking powder \and\ salt, since this type of flour is often used to create Southern-style biscuits. UK self-raising flour contains only the baking powder and has a lower protein percentage. They’re basic equivalents, but tweaking may be required depending on the recipe. Pay attention to the salt content of the recipe and adjust accordingly. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Jean - We always store our almond flour in the freezer to keep it fresh too. It will somewhat solidify, but you can usually break it up pretty easily so it's not a solid mass. I always scoop out what I need and let it come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Tim and Sarah - We are sorry we missed your question, Sarah. These substitutions would require us to perform lots of tests as well in order to provide reliable and trusted recommendations, which we, unfortunately, don't have the time to do with our already-packed kitchen schedule. We are so sorry we can't provide more specifics, but we hope you understand. Best, The Milk Street Team