Milk Street Q&A

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Sheila - The easiest way to make breadcrumbs is to process chunks of bread (fresh or stale) in a food processor. You can use them fresh as-is or transfer to a sheet tray and dry them in a low oven (300 degrees) or toss in oil and toast in a 350 degree oven. For storage, I would transfer to a zipper-lock bag and store in the freezer. They stay fresh in there for about 3 months. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Brenda - I think that rule may date back to when flour had more of a tendency to clump. All of our Milk Street baking recipes assume that you have not sifted the flour before measuring and we strongly recommend weighing dry ingredients in baking for accuracy. When I did recipe testing a few years ago for an Angel Food Cake recipe, I found that sifting and whisking achieved the same basic results. So, for ingredients that might tend to clump such as cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, and cake flour, you can simply whisk them to break up any clumps after measuring. The only exception is if a recipe you are using calls specifically for sifted flour, since the weight of sifted flour is quite a bit different than unsifted flour. Here's a great article about sifting in which several chefs are interviewed on their opinions as well. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Morgan - I'm so sorry to hear about your stomach troubles. Unfortunately, at Milk Street, we don't specialize in reduced- or no-fat cooking so we don't have any specific resources in our library. I don't have any first-hand recommendations, but I have heard good things about the [Skinnytaste](https://www.amazon.com/Skinnytaste-Cookbook-Light-Calories-Flavor/dp/0385345623/ref=zg_bs_4323_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H784D84SCTX1ZDC1G9V5) Cookbooks. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful but maybe the other board participants also have some suggestions! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Lisa - Unfortunately, you're not the only Milk Street reader who has this allergy and this is a common question. If you link to this discussion, you will find some suggestions we've provided previously. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Mary - I was able to speak with our Director of Recipe Development, Diane Unger. The timing should line up with how long it takes to complete the steps in the recipe, not including the pie crust preparation. With that said, we agree that this timing is off. I believe it should be closer to 2 hours, 40 minutes, plus cooling. In reality it looks like this recipe should be made a day ahead for best results since cooling time is significant. I'm very sorry this was not made very clear in the recipe and thank you very much for pointing this out to us. I will pass along your concerns to Diane and our editorial staff. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Jennie - You can substitute active dry yeast but you will need to use 25% more to achieve the same results. Also, active dry yeast needs to be proofed in warm water for about 10 minutes before adding it to other ingredients to remove the dead cells that surround the live yeast. Instant yeast granules aren’t surrounded by dead cells and can be mixed right into the dry ingredients. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi JS - Cake flour is lower in protein than all-purpose flour (between 3-6%, depending on brand) and, therefore, yields a cookie or cake with a fine, delicate crumb. You can try substituting cake flour for all-purpose by either weighing the flour - use the amount in a recipe written for all-purpose flour - or using 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cake flour for each cup of all-purpose flour. Obviously this is not a perfect science and, therefore, not a perfect substitution but it may get you closer to the texture you are looking for with all-purpose flour. Hope it works for you! Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Lynn - 1.) The Ripe Test is actually gently inserting two fingers into the dough and, if the indentation remains, the dough is "ripe" and ready to move to the next step. If the indentation does not remain, continue rising and retest. 2.) The ripe test to determine if a proofed and shaped dough is ready for the oven is a little different than the method used after the first rise. Simply touch the side of the dough lightly with your fingertip. If the indentation remains, the loaf is ripe and ready for the oven. 3.)  A properly baked loaf should register a temperature between 195 and 210 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, depending upon the type of bread. Generally speaking, leaner breads will be done at the lower end and richer breads are done at the higher level. For cakes, we prefer the visual clue of poking the top of the cake gently with your finger and if the cake bounces back, it's done. However, the temperature should be around 200-210 degrees at the center of the cake. Quick breads are in the same range. 4.) "Proving" is used interchangeably with "proofing" to describe the process of rising dough. It can also refer to "proving" active dry yeast, which is the step of combining yeast with water and sugar to remove the outer layer of dead cells to activate the yeast before adding it to your dough. This step is only necessary with active dry yeast. Rapid Rise or Instant yeast has already had the outer layer removed and can be added directly to the dry ingredients. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Lucy - When flour is freshly milled it's actually yellow and naturally whitens as it ages. Historically, consumers found yellow flour unappealing. Aging takes time, however, and most producers don't have the time (i.e., money) to wait for the process to happen naturally so flour producers started to use benzoyl peroxide to "bleach" the flour. The benzoyl peroxide can cause baked goods to have "off" flavors, usually in things like cakes, biscuits, or scones, where other flavors can't mask it. We aren't bothered by the yellow color and like our flour "pure," so we prefer unbleached flour. I hope that helps explain it. Best, Lynn C.

Answered by Lynn Clark

Hi Sarah - You can find some suggestions for substitutes for fish sauce in this conversation. I hope you find something that works well for your family! Best, Lynn C.