tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64309391999852789262024-02-20T20:54:07.536-08:00The Bread Bachs: Old World Artisan Baking ClassesAn elegant, yet family friendly way to learn how to become more self reliant and gain esteem for ones culinary needsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412617730886535108noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430939199985278926.post-80145765259700660492013-01-12T19:13:00.002-08:002014-12-16T19:43:20.178-08:00Spring is on its way. Time for grill season and baking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span></b></span>he holidays are over, children and the like are back in school, and life is back into that normal routine groove. The good news, spring is on its way... FAST!. Spring to me usually means it is time to get out the grill and smoker. Though i have grilled a few times in the snow storms this year. Yes, i am a dedicated cooker.HaHa. What does this have to do with bread baking? LOTS!. What do you do with left over pulled pork, steaks or roast? I make sandwiches with them. But not just any regular sandwich, I use fresh baked begets. There is nothing like taking a bite out of a crispy, crunchy, chewy sandwich with the freshest meat and toppings. mmm mmm gooood! <br />
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There is no time like spring time to learn how to make the freshest, crustiest, loaf of bread imaginable. I have started classes up again and we are very excited for the new classes to begin. The art of baking traditional breads is an art form of true beauty. Whether your looking for a great date night, or if your looking for a way to bring family together, this is it! Take the class and enjoy the many benefits it has. <br />
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Also, im proud to announce that I will be teaching grill lessons and true blue BBQ lessons. In case you are wondering, grilling involves HIGH heat. Usually above 500*F. BBQ is low and slow. 250*F or as low as 90*F for cold smoking. These classes will include how to smoke cheese, meats, grill the perfect steak, wood selection, charcoal selection, rub and sauce basics including mops, bastes and finishing sauces. If all goes well, how to build your own smoker and cold smoker. These classes are usually 2 hours long sometimes longer. Depends on what I can teach. Prices will vary based on class being taught. The classes where i teach you how to build your own smoker or cold smoker are higher in price and usually last all day. These classes are subject to change.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412617730886535108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430939199985278926.post-10760004779048018032012-11-13T09:58:00.002-08:002014-12-16T19:44:53.338-08:00You gotta build one of these<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgF7PEvIDvxSGLkoA5LdAdVzBvq0i8IT5sqlHHlUaSTmHdb8r1nPGBmzTpTn2ZzGZaawsm_0SfE6NECgTseQYI1m8DzwgZp7LFnaa_2duFzEFp2zTtkp4vPUOKnb_KLmWHSArWElfBlY/s1600/la+caha+china.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgF7PEvIDvxSGLkoA5LdAdVzBvq0i8IT5sqlHHlUaSTmHdb8r1nPGBmzTpTn2ZzGZaawsm_0SfE6NECgTseQYI1m8DzwgZp7LFnaa_2duFzEFp2zTtkp4vPUOKnb_KLmWHSArWElfBlY/s200/la+caha+china.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></b></span>f any of you are familiar with the popular La Caja China pig roasters, I
have a friend who has spent a great amount of time designing his <a href="http://cajunmicrowaveplans.com/">own</a>.
His first design used a kitchen sink for the fire box. He choose the
sink method for a couple of reasons. The first, thats what he had lying
around. Second, he wanted to show people that you could make a pig
roaster with parts lying around the yard. I have never used one of
these before but i have seen Mr. Bobby Flay use one in a throw down.<br />
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The mechanics behind the device is quite simple. Load the pig into the
wooden box, cover with the lid, place lit charcoal and wood in the
provided firebox, roast your pig. Thats it. Pretty simple eh? Well.. it
is. haha. Ok, enough with my ramblings, let me get to the point. Chris,
who operates and runs the website known as <a href="http://cajunmicrowaveplans.com/">Cajun Microwave Plans</a>,
does just this. He creates the plans and sales them for a VERY sweet
deal on his site. He has the materials listed on his site as well. He
has spent alot of time and hard work creating these plans. Drop into his
site and see the awesome pictures. All he asks of us readers, including
myself..."is that you help by contributing pictures and
modification ideas so that I can post that information for others."<br />
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So take it from me and go to his site. Please, what ever is good on this
green earth. Go say hi to Chris and let him know you are interested.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412617730886535108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430939199985278926.post-64206748427305778202012-10-19T12:56:00.000-07:002014-12-16T19:45:59.890-08:00Yeast and Rising Times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCebU1O9LMvzeFZJdP3Rz4nwQHshyphenhypheniZjg9AGMt2_yeCJWyPXEfTkFokKz464AHo5TSzwu-PKioktz4szgQUK-AiSmb0ypaRWo9IJuj5tfNMRDBYWyBuUfI7tDUEIxmwQ9wV3DgdllD-cY/s1600/IMAG0574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCebU1O9LMvzeFZJdP3Rz4nwQHshyphenhypheniZjg9AGMt2_yeCJWyPXEfTkFokKz464AHo5TSzwu-PKioktz4szgQUK-AiSmb0ypaRWo9IJuj5tfNMRDBYWyBuUfI7tDUEIxmwQ9wV3DgdllD-cY/s320/IMAG0574.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span></b></span>his week, I decided to make a batch of artisan bread. However, I made a very simple and easy mistake. Granted the bread still looked good, but it was not the best i have made. It tasted flat and lifeless.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I made the dough the exact same way as i always have; some flour, the luke warm water,one and a half tablespoon of salt and yeast. Mix it and let it rise. That is where my mistake was. I let it rise for 18 hours. This is normal for artisan breads, BUT the key difference for a longer rise... less yeast is supposed to be used. When you let a batch of dough rise for 2 hours or until double, and then let it rest in the fridge, the yeast will go dormant. This will stop any and most of the sugar consumption these little beasties like to do.<br />
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When dough needs to rise for longer periods of time, the amount of yeast is very very important. Why? because if you use to much yeast, lets say one and a half tablespoon of yeast, then let it rise for 18 hours, the yeast will consume most of the natural sugars in the dough, causing it to taste flat and yeasty. When using the amount I use, I only need it to double in size then refrigerate. This will prevent the yeast from eating all the yummy goodness of my bread. If I need the dough to rise a long period of time, I will now on remember to cut the yeast way back. Probably to at least one teaspoon. That will allow the yeast to consume some sugars and also provide a very flavorful sourdough texture and feel. Remember, one and a half tablespoons of yeast is like 3 times the amount as one teaspoon of yeast. That means 3 times the amount of sugar will be consumed 3 times faster than normal.<br />
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In general, always let the dough double in size, then put it in the fridge. If rising times need to be extended for long periods of time, usually for higher altitudes, then make sure to cut back the yeast.<br />
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Thanks for reading and happy baking!<br />
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Matt<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412617730886535108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430939199985278926.post-43274140229193260202012-10-12T11:33:00.002-07:002014-12-16T19:46:30.772-08:00Why I dont use glass bakeware<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>E</b></span></span>ver wonder why some people do not use glass bake ware for baking? This is why. The picture to the left shows a Pyrex brand glass baking dish that exploded in the oven. The science behind this is somewhat interesting, well to me it is because i am an engineer. Haha. The phenomenon is known as Spontaneous glass breakage. And yes, this has happened to me.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>This occurs when toughend glass, also known as tempered glass, suddenly, with out apparent reason, to the naked eye, explodes. But, there are scientific reason of why this happens. One of the most common casues, believe it or not, small nicks and chips inthe material. This causes weakness and stress points in the glass. Think of it as the weakest link in the chain theory. As the temperature rises and falls, the glass will expand and contract. This is normal behavior, but when you have a chip in the glass, it causes the chip and exposed material to continue to crack and lose integrity. A solid piece of glass can withstand the contraction and expansion because the whole piece of glass is behaving the exact same way. When a chip ocures, the structure of the glass is changed immensely, therefore, when it contracts or expands, it continues to break down at those weak points. Think of it like a brick wall. As you push the wall and even punch it, no damage. The mortar holds strong. But what happens when some of the mortar is cracked and even missing? The individual bricks begin to move about and cause deterioration. not a good thing.<br />
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In the past years, manufactures have switched from a Borosilicate, an organic compound made of silica and boron oxide, to soda lime. Boron oxcide is a mixture of a natural mineral called boron found in the bottom of dry lake beds. Boron is used in laundry soap and many many other uses.Borosilicate has a very low thermal expansion rate. This means you will not get heavy amounts of contraction and expansion in the glass from temperature changes. This is a very good thing. However, soda lime does not have this ability. They switched because it is cheaper to produce. Soda lime glass also has other natural occurring minerals in them.<br />
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So, in short, if you use glass bake-ware, cook at low temps and by all means make sure there are no chips. Not even small ones. It might just be worth it to spend the same amount of money in stainless steel bake-ware or invest in some nice stoneware. I use a baking stone and stainless. I still occasionally use my glass bake-ware and aluminum, but not very often. I hope you enjoyed this article. I know it probably is boring but i LOVE science. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412617730886535108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430939199985278926.post-6418488572079081712012-09-23T17:14:00.001-07:002014-12-16T19:47:17.620-08:00For the love of Bach<br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span></span></b>ome of you may be wondering why I have chosen the name The Bread Bachs instead of The Bread Box. Long story short, The Bread Box was taken all ready. Not for a website but for someones email. I originally was creating a new email account and wanted The Bread Box as my email but it was taken. So i thought to myself, "what other way is there to spell the word box?" I thought for a few minutes and then it hit me. I love the composer Bach and therefor I said The Bread Bachs. A perfect fit!</div>
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Every person who attends my class will become a "Master Composer" at bread baking. You will be able to fine tune your bread into the most awesomeness of awesome. Each ingredient plays a vital importance in the scale of baking. Each piece has its own melody and must harmoniously blend together with the others to sound and taste beautiful. You may be asking, "Bread doesn't have a sound does it?" To be truthful, it does. When you first pull out a fresh baked artisan loaf, you hear a wonderful crackling sound of the golden brown crust. If you tap the bottom of the loaf, it will sound like kettle drums.. Its quite awesome if you ask me.</div>
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I have further decided that some of my recipes shall feature this composers namesake. It will be tribute to a well known composer who is excellent at mastering the art of music.</div>
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Bach-La-Va:<br />
A twist on a traditional Greek Desert.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412617730886535108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430939199985278926.post-819918734101054022012-09-23T13:16:00.001-07:002014-12-16T20:22:50.986-08:00What a Success!<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></b></span> would like to thank everyone for all the ideas and support you have given me from advertising to just plain old hugs. It is nice to know that I have family that care and love me. These classes would not be a success with out your help and awesomeness! haha.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Speaking of success, I have had many professional caterers ask me for flyers. They want me to teach at there place for classes. I was more than happy to do so. They were so excited that I would be willing to travel to there place of residence and teach the class. I told them that all they needed to do was tell all there friends and let them know that I am teaching the class. So thanks to them for spreading the word.<br />
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I have also added to the Artisan Bread baking course information. i will be now doing a series of youtube videos that will show the steps of the baking process from start to finish. These videos will be available to persons who have completed the course. If all goes well, I will also put them on a dvd for those who do not want to watch them via youtube.<br />
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So for $30, you get access to exclusive videos made by me, not some other baker. You get a class that is at LEAST two hours in length. You get to learn from someone who knows the science and can teach it in a FUN and AWESOME way! All hands on course. You get to make your own dough and learn how to form it into awesome loaves. And you get the option of hosting a bread baking event at your next ladies night out or for the guys who want to get in touch with their inner baker, a guys night out!<br />
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It is fun for all ages and great way to learn some new skills that will not only impress friends and family, but will also allow you to make what you want.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412617730886535108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430939199985278926.post-41570555832938963902012-09-19T23:16:00.001-07:002014-12-16T20:23:15.281-08:00The Fish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Everyone, can i have your attention please?<br />
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The fish in the upper right corner of my website, please feed them when you can. All you have to do is click in the water and it will feed them for me. They are a friendly bunch of fish and need some extra attention. They love to follower your mouse pointer around to. Have fun with them and enjoy feeding them!<br />
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Thanks<br />
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Matt<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15412617730886535108noreply@blogger.com0