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Asked Nov 08, 2023 by Lindsay P.
Can I make ahead and freeze then bake
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Lindsay - We actually did a version of this recipe for our Freezer Door Meals feature on social media. Here is a link to the video and Rosie's defrosting instructions on Facebook. Best, The Milk Street Team
Read MoreAsked Nov 08, 2023 by Chelsea W.
No matter what I do, I just can't seem to bake a good loaf of homemade bread anymore. I used to be able to, but I have tried dozens of times over the last couple of years and my loaves either come out flat, dry, and dense, or gummy, or excessively airy yet still dry. I have Googled everything you could possibly Google - rise times, temperatures, kneading, etc. I know that my bread is either vastly overproofed or significantly underproofed, and I just can't seem to knead it properly. It is either too much or too little. I have read about the window pane stage with dough, but never seem to get my dough that smooth and stretchy to achieve said stage. My house is colder, so I know that is part of the issue. I try to create warm places for the dough to rise, but perhaps I am making them too warm? I just want to be able to bake yummy loaves of bread with which I can make my children's sandwiches with! (Probably should have lead with that. It is a white sandwich loaf that I am trying to bake.) If there is an easier loaf recipe or more fool proof, please, let me in on the secret. My recipe is as follows: 2 cups warm water (no warmer than 110d) 2/3 cup white sugar 1/4 vegetable oil 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp active dry yeast 6 cups of flour (I use all purpose) Help!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Chelsea - Without seeing the whole recipe it's hard to fully troubleshoot your recipe, but we do think there is too much sugar in this recipe. 2/3 cup of sugar is a LOT - most recipes call for about 2 tablespoons of sugar. Too much sugar can inhibit or even kill the yeast by making the yeast produce too much alcohol. Yeast can tolerate just a certain amount of alcohol. So, the sugar will not kill yeast directly. Sugar and yeast both need water content in your dough. If you add too much sugar that competition can go wrong. The dough will rise too slowly or not at all because the sugar is absorbing all the available water. At first, it may seem like you simply need more water, but unfortunately, the dough is a little more complicated than that. The most straightforward solutions are using a recipe with less sugar or adding more yeast. We would probably recommend the former. Have you tried our recipe for Japanese Milk Bread? If you'd prefer to try a different recipe, we always recommend using a recipe from a well-tested, reliable source such as a cookbook, food magazine, or food section of a newspaper. Many recipes online are not tested and, therefore, a recipe for failure (pun intended). Lastly, we would probably also recommend a recipe with some milk or egg in it and butter in place of oil. All of these changes will add richness and flavor to prevent the dough from being dry and dull-tasting. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
Read MoreAsked Nov 06, 2023 by Joshua F.
In the latest TV episode Chris K explained how to hard boil eggs and mentioned that it does not matter how you cook them, its all about the ice bath afterwards. Does this still hold when cooking the eggs starting with cold water?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Joshua - This technique is strictly about \peeling\ the eggs, not cooking them, so it should work regardless of how you cook them. The idea is to take hot eggs and chill them quickly to allow the albumen membrane of the egg to contract and release from the shell making it easier to peel. For hard-cooking eggs, our preferred method is to lower the eggs into boiling water and cooking for 8 minutes and 40 seconds to achieve a cooked white and a cooked, but still moist, yolk. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
Read MoreAsked Nov 06, 2023 by Cathy S.
Has anyone made this and did you leave the lid off during baking? It does not specify but says that evaporation is important. So I’m guessing no lid?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Cathy - You are correct - the beans and sausages are baked \uncovered.\ Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
Read MoreAsked Nov 02, 2023 by Brenda S.
The November December hard copy for this recipe lists 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh rosemary, the online version lists 2/3 cup lightly packed fresh rosemary. Which version is correct? Should the rosemary stems be discarded?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Brenda - Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. The correct amount is 1/3 cup rosemary (leaves only). The recipe was updated as the magazine went to print and, unfortunately, never got updated in the web version. We will make sure it's fixed online. Thanks for bringing this to our attention! Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
Read MoreAsked Oct 30, 2023 by Marla M.
The holidays are coming. Would the Hot Water Pie Crust featured in the "Pies of Yelapa" episode be suitable for a pumpkin pie? Thanks. Marla M.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Marla - Although we haven't tested this, we think this should work since it's a similar-style of pie (custard-based). Let us know how it works out! Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
Read MoreAsked Oct 27, 2023 by Robin G.
My traditional NY-style cheesecake freezes wonderfully. What about the Basque cheesecake recipe from Nov-Dec 2023. Thanks.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Robin - We haven't tested this, but we assume it should work the same. Just make sure to wrap tightly to prevent absorbing any off flavors and thaw completely in the fridge before serving. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
Read MoreAsked Oct 26, 2023 by Daniel T.
I'm looking at the Shortcut Paella recipe from the September-October 2023 issue. The first ingredient is "4 oz. Spanish chorizo, casings removed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced." Then the first step is to cook this chorizo for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned before adding all the other ingredients. My questions is, is this cured Spanish chorizo that you can eat straight out of the packaging without cooking (which makes me wonder about cooking it in step 1), or is it raw sausage that would obviously need to be cooked as described (but probably wouldn't hold its thinly sliced shape very well in the process)? Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Daniel - Spanish chorizo is sold cured and smoked so, yes, it's already cooked. In this recipe, we are slicing and cooking it for 5 minutes in order to release some of the oil from the chorizo, which serves as the flavor base of the paella. Since the chorizo has such an abundance of oil in it, it won't dry out while it cooks for that short time. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
Read MoreAsked Oct 25, 2023 by Jeff S.
For a vegetarian, can you substitute impossible beef or pork? Would anything need to change? I notice when i cook an impossible burger for my wife (regular for me) that the consistency is different
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Jeff - Unfortunately, since the recipe calls for chuck roast or pork shoulder, which are large cuts of meat that benefit from low, slow cooking, there isn't a comparable impossible beef or pork product since they are all quick-cooking, ground meats. Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
Read MoreAsked Oct 17, 2023 by Robert K.
In the recipe calls for Rye flour. What rye flours are recommended? I can't find white rye, but only whole rye or dark rye. Can I use the dark rye? WIll it cause the bread to be darker? Thanks, Bob
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Bob - We tested this recipe with light rye flour. Since we haven't tested the recipe with dark rye flour, we can't say for sure what the results will be. That being said, a darker rye flour will yield a milk bread with a more prominent rye flavor and, potentially, a denser texture. Also, be sure to substitute by weight rather than by volume to account for the difference in weight per cup. Good luck! Best, The Milk Street Cooking Team
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