How to Make Healthier Breakfasts Using Quinoa

How to Make Healthier Breakfasts Using Quinoa.

Quinoa quickly become a very popular and nutritious whole grain. It's available in nearly every grocery store and many people now have access to this great, gluten-free whole grain. Although quinoa is considered a "whole grain," it's actually a seed. It's classified as a grain because it cooks and is eaten like a grain (like rice or couscous). Quinoa in particular, is very high in protein, fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals. In fact, it has about 5 g of fiber and 8 g of protein per cup. However, quinoa shouldn't only be eaten as a side dish at dinner. You can also use quinoa in your breakfast making it a very nutritious meal.

Method 1 Making Hot Quinoa Porridge for Breakfast.
1. Get out the right cooking equipment. Like oatmeal, quinoa can be made into a delicious and warm breakfast meal. You'll need to get out the right equipment to make warm quinoa porridge for breakfast.
Start by setting out a heavy-bottomed pot. While it is possible to microwave quinoa, cooking it on the stovetop like traditional oatmeal is done more commonly, particularly when you want to cook it to the consistency of porridge.
You will not need a pot with a lid to make quinoa porridge. You need to continually stir without the lid to get the proper consistency of this dish.
You'll also need to keep an eye on your quinoa and stir consistently as it cooks. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
2. Choose your mixing liquid. You'll need to choose what type of liquid you want to use to make your hot quinoa porridge. Depending on your diet, there are a variety of options to choose from.
Try regular milk. Whether you do skim or whole milk, adding milk to your warm quinoa can help make your porridge creamy and rich. Plus, it'll add a hit of calcium and protein.
If you don't want to use cow's milk, you can also do dairy substitutes. Try almond, soy or even rice milk if you'd like. They all work well in this recipe.
If you don't want to use any milk at all, you can also make your porridge with water. It won't add any creaminess to your porridge, but still gets it to the right consistency.
3. Whisk in spices and flavorings. Like oatmeal and other hot breakfast cereals, you can add a variety of different spices or flavorings to your quinoa porridge. Follow a recipe or consider adding your favorite flavors.
If you like you can add some extracts to your hot quinoa to add flavor. Try adding vanilla, almond or even coconut extract to your quinoa.
If you like a natural source of vanilla, consider cooking your quinoa with a split vanilla bean for flavor.
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or clove are also quite tasty in a warm quinoa porridge.
4. Add your sweetener. Quinoa is not naturally sweet. In fact, it can sometimes have a more savory or even slightly bitter flavor. If you're looking for a sweet porridge, you'll need to add a source of sweetness to your porridge.
If you want to add a natural sweetener that isn't as processed as white sugar, consider drizzling in some honey, agave syrup, molasses or maple syrup.
If you're watching your total calorie or sugar intake, you may opt for a no-calorie sweetener like sucralose or truvia.
You can also consider leaving out sweeteners altogether. If you make your porridge with milk and add spices or fruit, there might be enough natural sweetness for your tastes.
5. Consider balancing your quinoa breakfast with other toppings. Once your quinoa porridge is made, there are a lot of different toppings you can add on. Whether you like Chia seeds, nuts, dried fruit or fresh fruit, you can add an additional hit of nutrition with some toppings.
Try fresh fruit on your quinoa. You can add any type of fruit you'd like. Apples would go well with cinnamon and nutmeg or sliced peaches may go well with vanilla extract.
You can also add dried fruit to your porridge as well. It's little chewier and sometimes tart which can be a nice addition to your breakfast meal.
You can also add some healthy fats and protein by adding nuts to quinoa. Whether it's almonds, cashews or pistachios, these are other great toppings.

Method 2 Using Quinoa in Other Breakfast Recipes.
1. Make a quinoa granola. If you like a little crunch on your morning yogurt, consider making a quinoa granola. Using a high-protein grain like quinoa can boost the nutrition of a traditional granola recipe.
Start this recipe by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of rolled oats, 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, 2 cups of nuts, 1 tablespoon of honey and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
In the microwave, melt 3 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil together with 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Stir frequently until the liquids are completely combined. Pour immediately over the dry ingredients.
Pour the granola onto a rimmed baking sheet and press into an even layer. Bake for about 30 minutes. Half way through the baking process, stir the granola to ensure even browning. Allow to cool thoroughly and serve at room temperature.
2. Add cooked quinoa to a breakfast burrito. For a Mexican spin on your breakfast, make breakfast burritos. Adding quinoa will provide an additional source of protein and fiber to your burrito.
Start by scrambling 1 egg over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Once cooked, place in a small bowl.
Add in 1/3 cup of cooked quinoa and 1/4 cup of thawed chopped frozen or baby spinach to your scrambled egg along with a generous sprinkling of shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
Place your burrito filling into the center of a 8" whole wheat tortilla. Roll up tightly and serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and stick in the freezer for another day.
3. Make a quinoa breakfast hash. If you're in the mood for a savory and filling breakfast, try making quinoa hash. Substitute quinoa for shredded potatoes in this tasty recipe.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add four strips of bacon (or skip this step if you don't eat meat or like bacon). Cook until the bacon is crunchy and the fat has rendered out. Remove bacon from pan and roughly chop.
To the still hot pan, add in 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup of diced peppers, 1/2 cup of diced onions and 1 cup of sliced mushrooms. Sauté for about five to six minutes or until vegetables are soft and quinoa is heated through.
Turn up the heat slightly. Press the quinoa mixture down into the bottom of the pan. Allow to crisp up and brown for about one to two minutes. Serve immediately with eggs if you'd like.
An alternate recipe is to make a mixture of cooked quinoa, peeled and grated raw potato then add to eggs and spices to taste. Cook on a large skillet for about seven minutes on each side until golden brown.
4. Bake quinoa muffins. If you're in a rush in the mornings, you can try making quinoa muffins ahead of time for a quick, protein and fiber filled breakfast. Freeze leftovers so you'll have a stock of these tasty muffins.
Start by preheating an oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup of applesauce, 1 mashed banana, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/4 cup of honey. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Peel and roughly chop 1 apple or pear and stir into the quinoa mixture as well.
Fill each muffin tin to the top with the quinoa mixture. Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes before enjoying.

Method 3 Purchasing and Using Quinoa.
1. Choose the type of quinoa. Quinoa is now available in most local supermarkets. You don't have to go to a specialty store or health foods store to find this nutritious grain.
When you're looking for quinoa, it will be found in the grain aisle along with rice, couscous and pasta.
There may be more than one type of quinoa available. You may see white, black, red or even tri-colored quinoa.
Of all the quinoa colors, white or tan quinoa has the lightest texture and it cooks up slightly fluffier than other types and has the most delicate taste. Black quinoa has a slight earthy flavor while the red quinoa has a richer taste and a bit chewier texture and nutty. These two take slightly longer to cook than the white quinoa.
If you're using quinoa in a breakfast recipe, especially if kids are eating it, you may want to stick with white as it's most similar in color to oats.
2. Purchase dry or pre-cooked quinoa. Most of the time, you'll be able to find uncooked quinoa in the grain aisle of the grocery store; however, some stores may have pre-cooked quinoa for you.
Quinoa only takes about 15 minutes to cook from scratch. If you can only find uncooked quinoa, that will work perfectly in many breakfast recipes. Plus its not hard to cook from scratch.
If you are lacking in time or are unsure of how to cook quinoa, some stores sell precooked quinoa. You might find this in the grain aisle, refrigerated section, on the salad bar or even in the frozen section.
Pre-cooked quinoa may be a little bit more convenient and make for a faster breakfast recipe.
3. Rinse quinoa before using. If you haven't cooked quinoa before, there is a little secret trick to make it correctly. You'll need to rinse it first before cooking it.
Quinoa has a coating on the outside of the seed that acts as a natural pest repellent. It's called saponin. This is a natural compound that tastes bitter and soapy if not removed from the quinoa.
Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer or a sieve. Run it under cold water, stirring or shaking it to help get all the seeds washed thoroughly.
Transfer your washed quinoa directly to your pot or pan and begin to cook it.
Note that some boxed quinoa or quinoa mixes are already washed or rinsed. You do not need to repeat this step. Make sure to read the instructions on boxes or packages first.
4. Store cooked quinoa correctly. Many of the breakfast recipes that do use quinoa, call for cooked quinoa. Making it in advance can help cut down on an extra step and cooking time in the mornings.
Consider taking time on the weekend or a free weeknight to go ahead and cook up a batch of quinoa.
Make sure to review what recipes you'll be making for breakfast and note how much cooked quinoa you'll need for the week.
Dry quinoa usually doubles in volume after cooking. 1/2 cup of uncooked or dry quinoa results in about 1 cup of cooked quinoa.
Store quinoa in a airtight container in the refrigerator for about five to seven days. You can also store it in a freezer container for up to three months.
5. Finished.

Tips.

Quinoa is a great whole grain that can be used in a variety of breakfast recipes. Keep trying new recipes until you find something you like.
Quinoa can be used in most recipes that contain a grain — like oats. Just substitute in quinoa instead.
Quinoa can have a unique flavor that may take some getting used to. Trying different flavorings and seasonings until you find a combination you enjoy.

April 08, 2020

how to become a baker

How to Become a Baker.

A baker bakes breads, pastries, pies, cakes, cookies, tarts, and other baked goods by combining raw ingredients according to recipes. Though the traditional idea of a baker is somebody who works in his own bakery and caters to a local market, nowadays, bakers may also work in specialty shops or restaurants where they produce smaller quantities for consumption at the location itself, or in manufacturing positions where they oversee the production of large quantities of goods for distribution. Becoming a baker involves enrolling in a training program at a supermarket, or apprenticing with a craft baker to gain practical experience. If you want to know how to become a baker, see Step 1 to get started.

Part 1 Getting the Training.

1. Have a high school diploma. Though it’s not mandatory for you to get a high school diploma to become a baker, having one can help you become a more desirable candidate. For one thing, high school will help you learn basic math, as well as other concepts that can help you in your profession. Additionally, you may choose to go to culinary school to get a leg up in your field, and you’ll need a high school diploma to do that. Though it may not be worth it for you to go back to high school to become a baker, if you’re still in high school, you should finish the course.

While you’re in high school, you should take home economics, cooking, or other baking-related elective courses to help you get a head start on your passion and career.

2. Attend a technical or culinary school. A technical or culinary school can help you improve your craft, learn more techniques, and to find your niche as a baker. These programs typically last from 1 to 2 years and they will give you an education in nutrition, health, and mathematics, among other relevant subjects. If this sounds like the best path for you, look into programs in your area that offer a reasonable financial package and take your studies seriously.

You shouldn’t look at this experience as slowing you down from being a real baker. You can even begin working as an apprentice or trainee in your area while being in school, if you can make the time commitment for both.

If you want to be a high end pastry chef, for example, then you should get trained at the best program you can afford. This kind of work is highly specialized and extra training will give you the edge you need to get noticed and hired.

3. Apply to be an apprentice or trainee in your area. You can be a trainee at a local store or supermarket, where you’ll learn more basic cooking skills, like how to bake a variety of cookies, or you can become an apprentice at an artisan bakery, where you’ll learn more complicated skills, like how to bake cakes. This training typically takes 1-3 years, and you may be able to find an apprenticeship for aspiring bakers at a bakery in your area. Of course, it always helps to have some connections, or to have worked at a bakery or local store in some capacity so you have a leg up when looking for work as a baker.

It’s common for bakers to start out as an apprentice or a trainee in a bakery or grocery store, working on learning the basics of baking, icing, and decorating.

As you work as an apprentice or trainee, you’ll also learn topics such as basic sanitation procedures and nutrition.

If you begin your training or apprenticeship in a manufacturing facility, then you will also learn how to operate industrial-sized blending and mixing machines for producing baked goods.

You can also look into becoming a baker’s assistant if you have the experience and determination to do so.

4. Choose a specialty. Though you don’t need to make this decision as soon as you begin your training or apprenticeship, it helps to have an idea of the type of baking you’re most interested in. You can be an in-store, plant, or craft baker. Being a craft baker requires the most skill, and you can also work your way up to becoming successful in this field by starting off at a store or a plant. Here’s what else you should know about choosing what type of baker you want to be.

Plant or commercial bakers most often work in manufacturing facilities that make baked goods at high speeds. If you choose this route, you’ll need to learn to use high-volume industrial machines, ovens, and conveyors, and you must carefully follow instructions and schedules. There’s definitely less room for creativity in commercial baking than in craft baking.

In store or retail bakers most commonly work in specialty shops, bakeries, or grocery stores. They produce a smaller volume of baked goods for people to buy or to eat directly in the store. They may even take orders from customer, prepare special-order goods, and, depending on where they work, they may even serve the customers themselves.

Some retail bakers even own their own shops. In this case, they’ll need to not only make a variety of breads, pastries, pies, and cupcakes, but they’ll also have to hire, train, and supervise staff, as well as budget their supplies, set their prices, and manage daily production.

5. Consider getting certified. Though you don’t have to get certified to become a true baker, certification can help show that you have the knowledge and skills to work at a retail baking establishment. It can help you catch the attention of bakeries where you want to work, and it can help you stand out from the rest of the candidates. There are different areas of specialization that you can get certified in, which include management, retail sales, baking sanitation, and staff training. To become certified, you must meet a series of requirements, which are based on both your experience and your education, before taking an exam to prove your competence.

There are different levels of certification based on your level of experience. For example, to be a certified journey baker, you don’t need any formal education, but you do need 1 year of work experience. To be a certified baker, you need to have 4 years of work experience, and to call yourself a certified master baker, you’ll need 8 years of work experience, along with 30 hours of professional development training and 30 hours of sanitation coursework.

Part 2 Possessing the Qualities.

1. Be detail-oriented. Being detail-oriented is an incredibly important part of the job, even if you’re working as a commercial baker. You’ll need to closely monitor your baked goods to make sure that they don’t burn while being cooked to perfection. If you bake cupcakes or cakes, then you’ll need to have an eye for detail in order to decorate those cakes and cupcakes to perfection. You’ll also need an eye for detail in order to follow recipes and cooking instructions to perfection, or to tweak those recipes thoughtfully if you’re trying out something slightly different.

You’ll also need an eye for detail if you’re taking orders from customers so you know exactly what they want.

2. Be creative. Though you may think that creativity may be the last skill you need when it comes to being a baker, in fact, you may need to use your creative faculties to succeed in your career. If you work as a craft baker and create your own recipes, you may need your creativity to try something different, so you can keep your customers interested in your goods. You may also need your creativity if you’re missing a certain ingredient or two while still needing to cook a certain baked good or pastry, or if you want to fix a recipe where something has already gone wrong. Sometimes, the most important part of your job will lie in improvising, and you’ll need your creativity to make things work.

Of course, if you don’t work for yourself, you shouldn’t spend all day experimenting, or you’ll have an unhappy boss and many confused customers. However, if you have the means and the green light, then being creative can lead to some of your best discoveries.

3. Have strong people skills. You may think that bakers work in isolation, perfecting their craft as they make delicious treats. However, people skills are actually vital for most bakers. If you work in a retail store where you have to interact with customers, then you’ll need to have people skills in order to talk to customers, take their orders, and keep them happy with your store and your products. As you move further along in your career, you may have people working under you or you may even own your own bakery. If that’s the case, then you’ll definitely need those people skills in order to train, or even to supervise or hire your employees.

Even if you don’t have anyone working under you, it’s likely that you’ll be baking along with several other bakers. Being able to get along with your coworkers will make for a more pleasant work environment, and will make your work easier and more enjoyable.

4. Have strong basic math skills. Having a strong grasp of basic math is essential to being a great baker because you’ll need to understand math, especially fractions, in order to mix recipes, weigh your ingredients, or adjust your recipes to fit a given quantity. If you didn’t get formal math training in a high school or certification program, then it’s important to brush up on basic math on your own. Having these skills can make or break a recipe, and you don’t want to end up ruining a batch of croissants because you didn’t know how to multiply fractions.

If you were never an ace at math, don’t worry about it. You don’t need to learn calculus or trigonometry to make delicious baked goods. You should, however, learn how to add, subtract, or multiply numbers with ease.

Part 3 Going on the Job.

1. Wake up early. Though many bakers typically work a 40-hour workweek, they don’t normally work the 9-5 shift. In fact, many of them get up as early as two o’clock in the morning in order to prepare their baked goods for the morning shift. They’ll need to be morning people in order to get the job done, and sleeping in or getting tired in the morning is not an option, because this will be the most important time of your day. If you want to be a baker, then you have to be prepared to get up early to start preparing your recipes, mixing your ingredients, and making sure that your baked goods are cooked to perfection.

The good news is, since your working day will start early, it will tend to wrap up earlier than the evening. Some bakers are done working by the early or late afternoon.

2. Complete your daily tasks. Being a baker is about more than just cooking. When you go on the job, you will be required to complete a number of tasks, which will vary a bit depending on the type of baker you are and your place of employment. However, many aspects of the job are true for any baker. Here are some of the things you’ll be expected to do.

Prepare your equipment for baking

Weigh and measure ingredients for cooking

Combine the ingredients in mixers or blenders

Knead, roll, cut, and shape your dough

Place the shaped dough on sheets, molds, or pans

Set the oven temperature

Place your items in grills or ovens

Observe your goods as they cook

Apply toppings, icing, or glaze when your goods have cooked

3. Perform well under pressure. Baking is very time-sensitive, both in managing the time it takes to make each baked good, and in delivering your products to customers in a timely manner. Many bakers are often under pressure to create delicious goods while also producing them rapidly, especially when they have a large customer base. In order to succeed as a baker, you’ll have to be able to perform well in a time crunch.

One way to make it easier for yourself to perform well in a time crunch is to make sure that your work station and recipe information are organized. That way, you won’t waste time looking for something you misplaced.

Bakers have a higher rate of injuries than people in other professions because of the heavy and often hot equipment that they work with. You’ll need to wear protective clothing and keep your cool while being on the job in order to stay safe. You can let a time crunch affect your safety.

4. Stay physically fit. In order to be a baker, you must have both physical strength and stamina. You’ll need strength in order to carry the ingredients and equipment you’ll be using, such as heavy bags of flour, large baking equipment, and cooked baked goods. You’ll also need to have physical stamina because most bakers rarely sit down. You’ll spend most of the day on your feet while you prepare recipes, package your goods, check on your goods while they’re baking, or when you monitor your employees or chat with customers.

Being physically fit is an important part of the job. It’s important that you get your exercise and eat well to stay prepared for the daily rigors of the job.

5. Be prepared for a unique schedule. In addition to waking up early, many bakers have a work schedule that is far from typical. Because baked goods are high in demand during holidays, many bakers will be expected to work on Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or other holidays when people typically order more baked goods. They may also be required to work more on weekends, since bakeries are often at their most busy during these times. If they work at a commercial bakery that bakes continuously, then they may be subjected or required to work late in the evenings and on weekends.

This doesn’t mean that bakers work more than the average employee, but it does mean that they work different hours. In fact, 1 in 3 bakers worked part-time in 2012.

Desember 09, 2019

how to hold a bake off

How to Hold a Bake Off.

Who can resist a piece of delicious, rich cake or fudgy brownies? For avid bakers, making tasty desserts that everyone raves over is a badge of honor -- that's why bake offs have become so popular. A bake off can be a fun activity among friends or a great way to raise money for a good cause. Hosting the event can be challenging, but with some careful planning, you can pull off a successful -- and delicious! -- bake off.

Part 1 Designing the Bake Off.

1. Choose a theme for the bake off. To make it easier to settle on recipes, it helps to have a theme for the bake off. You might choose a specific type of baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, pies, or brownies, or a specific event to bake for, such as desserts for a holiday, birthday, or wedding. A specific ingredients, such as apples or pumpkin, can also be a good theme.

A seasonal theme can work well too. For example, ask for summer desserts or fall-inspired treats.

A movie or book can be a fun theme as well. For example, request Harry Potter-inspired baked goods.

You can even use a color for the bake off's theme. For example, ask for baked goods that feature red ingredients.

2. Decide on the rules for the bake off. A bake off can be arranged in several different ways. You can give the participants the general theme and let them choose their own recipes or you might choose a single recipe and have all of the participants make the same thing.

It’s also important to decide if participants will bake their entry at the venue or bring a finished product to the event. Having participants bake on site is very exciting, but it can be more difficult to find a venue with the proper kitchen facilities so having bakers bring finished entries may be more convenient.

Write down a set of formal rules for the bake off once you settle on them. Participants will want to know all of the guidelines before they agree to take part.

You should also decide if you will charge an entry fee. If you’re holding the event to raise money, having participants pay a small fee makes sense. Anywhere from $5 to $20 may be appropriate, depending on the event.

3. Settle on prizes for the bake off. To give people incentive to participate, it helps to have some type of prize for the winner(s) of the bake off. If the event is sponsored by a local business, it might be a cash prize. You can also hand out a trophy, ribbon, or certificate.

The bake-off prize can be worth any amount, but typically, $25 to $100 is a good range.

You may decide that only the first-place winner receives a prize, but you can also have smaller prizes for the second and third-place winners if you like.

If you’re holding the bake off for fun, you just might purchase small items to use as prizes, such as an apron or pot holders.

A bake off can also function as a fundraiser. Even if you give the winner a small prize, you can then sell off all of the baked goods afterward to raise money for your cause.

4. Set a date and time for the bake off. Once you’ve settled on the basic guidelines for the bake off, you’ll need to find a day and time to hold it. It may depend on when you can secure a venue, but it’s usually best to hold it on a weekend when people typically have more free time.

If you're using a holiday or other special occasion as a theme for the bake off, you'll want to time the event to appropriately. In most cases, you'll want to hold the contest within a two to three weeks of the holiday. For example, if the bake off has Christmas theme, you'll want to hold it within the first two to three weeks of December.

5. Find a venue for the bake off. When you’ve settled on a date and time for the bake off, you’ll need a location for it. If you plan to have participants bake their entries at the event, you’ll need a spot with multiple ovens and stove tops. If you’re having participants bring prepared baked goods to the event, you only need a spot where there’s room for a judging table and space for an audience.

If you need a venue with cooking equipment, you might look online for catering facilities that could support the bake off.

A bakery or restaurant can be an ideal venue too. Talk to local businesses to see if they're interested in partnering with you for the bake off.

If you only need a space to showcase the finished baked goods, any catering hall or party room that's available for rent will work.

Part 2 Gathering the Personnel.

1. Select at least one judge for the bake off. To determine the winner of the bake off, you’ll need at least one judge to taste and evaluate the baked goods. Ideally, the judge(s) should have some baking knowledge and experience, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be as a professional.

The judges shouldn't have any personal connections to the contests to avoid any claims of bias.

In general, the more participants your bake off has, the more judges you’ll want. A panel of three judges works well for most bake offs, though. If your bake off has five or less participants, though, a single judge is usually sufficient. For five to ten candidates, two judges work well.

People who would make good candidates for judges include local bakery and restaurant owners, culinary teachers from local schools, or bakers who've won other bake offs.

When you're talking to potential judges, you might say something like, "We're holding a bake off and would really like your expertise in judging the entries."

If you're holding the event to raise money for a cause, provide information about the organization or group that will benefit to the potential judges.

2. Find participants for the bake off. A bake off can’t happen if there aren’t bakers to participate. Ask friends, family, co-workers, and/or classmates who you know enjoy baking to take part. You can also create flyers with all of the details to post in your neighborhood, on your school or office bulletin board, or other locations to invite people to participate.

Make sure to get permission before you post any flyers on private property, such as a store window.

If you’re active on social media, you can also post online about the bake off to find participants. For example, making a Facebook event for the bake off is a good way to generate buzz. You can also use Twitter and Instagram to do a countdown to the event as a way to keep people interested.

3. Invite people to watch the bake off. It’s not necessary, but it can be fun to have an audience to attend the bake off. Once you’ve secured participants, create a flyer that advertises the event for anyone who might like to watch and post them in your neighborhood and/or school or office bulletin board.

If you’re holding the bake off as a fundraiser, you can sell tickets to the event. You can charge however much you like for the tickets, but it's best to keep the price between $5 and $10.

Part 3 Arranging the Bake-Off Supplies.

1. Create judging sheets. To make it easier for the judges to evaluate the entries, you should create scoring sheets for them to use. Decide what categories they should judge, such as taste and appearance, and what scale they should use, such as 1 to 5 or 1 to 10. Make enough copies so each judge has one for every contestant.

Some judging categories to consider include overall taste, texture, presentation, originality, adherence to theme, and skill level.

There should be a spot on the judging sheets for the judge to write their own name, as well as the contestant’s name.

2. Make copies of the recipe if it's that type of challenge. If all of the participants are preparing the same recipe for the bake off, you’ll need to make enough copies so all of the participants have one. Don’t hand them out until the bake off actually begins, though.

You may also want to make copies of the recipe for the judges to consult.

3. Gather baking supplies if necessary. If participants are baking their entries at the bake off, you’ll need to have supplies on hand for them to use. You’ll need ingredients, such as flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla, as well as bakeware, such as mixing bowls, electric mixers, cookie sheets, and cake pans.

If participants are using their own recipes, you should ask them if there are any special ingredients or equipment that they’ll need so you can be sure to have them on hand for the event.

4. Gather decorations for the venue. To make the event feel more festive, it helps to decorate the venue. You don’t have to go crazy, but some colorful disposable tablecloths, decorative bunting, and simple balloons can help dress up the space.

It's a good idea to match your decorations to the theme of the bake off. For example, orange, red, brown, and gold decorations work well for a fall-themed bake off.

Part 4 Overseeing the Bake Off.

1. Verify that the venue is set up properly. The day of the bake off, take a walk around the event space. Check that any necessary ingredients and equipment are on hand and there are tables for the contestants to display their entries. Make sure that you have all the necessary recipes and/or scoring sheets as well.

2. Time the entries. If participants are baking their entries at the venue, you’ll need to give them a set amount of time to prepare their baked goods. Use a countdown clock that is visible to everyone at the venue, and don’t allow anyone to submit an entry that isn’t ready after it ticks down.

If guests are preparing their entries at home, you should still have a set time when the entries have to be on the judging table.

3. Have the participants place their entries on the table with no names. All of the participants should put their entries on tables in a designated judging area. However, the participants’ names shouldn’t be placed with their entries to ensure that the judges are objective. Just number the entries and keep a list of which entry belongs to which participant.

4. Give the judges time to fill out the voting cards. Once the entries have reached the judging table, allow the judges to look at and taste each one. After they’ve tasted the entries, they should be given some time to fill out their scoring sheets so they can be as thorough as possible.

The amount of time that the judges will need depends largely on how many entries there are. The more baked goods they have to judge, the more time they’ll likely need. In general, you'll want to give the judges at least five minutes to evaluate each entry.

5. Collect the scoring sheets and tally the votes. After the judges have had some time to evaluate the entries, gather up their judging sheets. Add up the scores for each participant so you can determine who the first, second, and third-place winners are.

6. Announce the winner(s). Once you’ve counted all the votes, it’s time to announce the winner. If you’re naming the top three vote getters, start with the third and second-place winners and save the first-place winner for last. Hand out the prize(s), and take some photos of the winners to remember the day.

Tips.

Holding a large-scale bake-off is difficult to pull off. It is best to start small, and eventually build to a bigger, better contest.

A bake off doesn’t have to be a formal event. You can hold one with friends for fun.

Desember 05, 2019

How to Color White Chocolate

How to Color White Chocolate.

To color chocolate, you'll need to melt it first. This is always a tricky process, and even more difficult with white chocolate, which burns easily. If possible, allow extra time to track down the right ingredients and work on a test batch.

Part 1 Setting Up.
1. Choose a white chocolate. The ingredient list should tell you whether a white chocolate is made with real cocoa butter, or with a cheaper vegetable oil substitute. Imitation products are less likely to seize (turn gritty) than chocolate made with real cocoa butter. Experts tend to back real chocolate in terms of taste, but some brands of imitation chocolate compete well in blind taste tests.
Use freshly purchased chocolate. Chocolate suffers in flavor and texture when stored too long, especially if it's the real deal.
For detailed chocolate artwork, use a thin dipping or coating chocolate.
2. Pick your food coloring. Even a drop of water can turn your melted chocolate into a gritty mess. For best results, buy powder or oil-based food coloring from a specialty baking store or online. You can use the instructions below with regular liquid food coloring, but the process is much more difficult.
Oil-based food coloring is best used for light colors, since too much of the coloring can add a bitter taste and stain mouths.
These food dyes are more concentrated than liquid dyes. They will stain clothing, skin, and countertops.
3. Warm oil-based coloring in advance. As though keeping the chocolate dry weren't difficult enough, chocolate can also seize if the food coloring is a different temperature than the chocolate. If you are using oil-based food coloring, raise it above room temperature first. (Keep other types at room temperature.)
Place the closed bottle in a zip-locked bag. Remove as much air from the bag as you can, then seal tightly.
Submerge the bag in a bowl of warm water for 10–15 minutes. The water should feel comfortably warm to the touch, not scalding.
Shake the bottle once or twice during the process to distribute heat evenly. Replace water if it has cooled to room temperature.
Remove the bottle from the bag and dry it thoroughly.
4. Bring a double boiler to a simmer. If you do not have a double boiler make one from a large pan, plus a heatproof mixing bowl or small pan that can sit atop the larger one. Start with just the large pan, uncovered. Heat 1–3 inches (2.5–7.5 cm) of water until it reaches a low simmer.
Dry the top container and a stirring utensil thoroughly while you wait, even if they don't look wet. A rubber or silicone stirrer is ideal, since wooden spoons may contain absorbed moisture.

Part 2 Melting and Coloring.
1. Decide when to add the food coloring. The timing depends on which type of food coloring you are using. Read the full instructions below before you start, since you may need to change the order of the steps:
Add powdered dye as soon as the chocolate starts to melt.
You can add oil-based dye after the chocolate melts, as long as you warmed the dye as described above.
Liquid dye is less likely to cause seizing if added right away, before the chocolate melts. (This is why there is no need to warm the dye in advance.)
2. Place the chocolate in the smaller container. Put the chocolate into the top portion of the double boiler, which should still be at room temperature. Place this container on top of the simmering pan. The indirect heat from the steam will warm the chocolate slowly, keeping it below seizing temperature.
If using a chocolate bar, break it into small pieces of roughly equal size.
Make sure your hands are completely dry. Any moisture could ruin your chocolate.
If using chocolate with real cocoa butter, you may set aside 1/3 of the chocolate for later use. This is only necessary if you want your chocolates to look glossy.
3. Stir until melted. White chocolate burns very easily, and should never get above 115ºF (46ºC). Keep the heat on the lowest setting, or turn it off completely if melting a small batch of chocolate. Stir slowly and constantly until smooth, then remove from heat.
If the instructions above call for adding the dye before the chocolate is melted, see below for more information.
If melting a large batch of chocolate (several pounds or kilos), a chocolate thermometer or an instant-read thermometer with 1 degree increments is highly recommended. Keep the chocolate between 100 and 110ºF (37–43ºC).
4. Add the dye slowly. Most powdered and oil-based food dyes are more concentrated than the common liquid type. Add in small increments and stir in thoroughly before deciding whether to add more.
Shake bottled food coloring well before adding.
If the chocolate seizes (turns gritty), remove it from heat and stir in a neutral-flavored vegetable oil a spoonful at a time. The chocolate will usually smooth out again, but this can affect the flavor.
5. Temper the chocolate (optional). If your white chocolate contains real cocoa butter, it may end up dull and slightly soft after melting and setting. This doesn't affect the taste, but you can restore the gloss if you like by "tempering" the chocolate. There are many ways to do this. Here's a common approach that doesn't require any extra equipment except an accurate thermometer.
Remove the chocolate from heat and wrap a towel around the base to keep it warm.
Add chopped, unmelted chocolate until you have a ratio of 1 part unmelted chocolate to 2 parts melted.
Stir constantly until the chocolate reaches 80–82ºF (27–28ºC), and all the chocolate has melted.
6. Let the chocolate set. Many chocolatiers cool their chocolate slowly at room temperature, so it is less likely to crack or sweat. Others prefer to let it set in the refrigerator for 10–20 minutes, which may work better if your kitchen is warm or humid. Store your finished chocolate in a cool, dry room away from light.
For best results, place paper towels in your refrigerator to absorb moisture.
If you are pouring chocolate into molds or using it as a dip, keep it warm until you've finished working with it.

Community Q&A.
Question ; What is caramelized white chocolate?
Answer : Caramelized white chocolate is a type of chocolate that has been created by heating the chocolate to the point where the sugars caramelize. It produces a chocolate that is off-white, a light golden color. It still tastes sweet but also caramel-like.
Question : Could I use gel colouring for white chocolate?
Answer : Yes, you can use white chocolate for this.
Question : How can I make turquoise chocolate?
I would mix three drops of blue dye with two drops of white and one drop of light green. You can add more white and green until you've achieved your desired shade.
Question : Where can I buy a chocolate mold?
Answer : You may find these at your local grocery store in the cooking supplies section.
Question : Can I use something food-based instead of dye?
Answer : Yes, but be careful. Too much water could cause the chocolate to seize. Add only a very tiny amount, drops.
Question : Can I use liquid gel color to color chocolates?
Answer : Yes, but you must heat the coloring first to make it the same temperature as the chocolate. Add the gel very gradually and mix the chocolate well, as some gel coloring gets quite lumpy.
Question : What color does chocolate and cream combined make?
Answer : It depends on how dark the chocolate is. Dark chocolate and cream will look like milk chocolate. Milk chocolate and cream will be an even lighter brown.
Question : Can I use water based food colouring to color a white chocolate?
Answer : Yes, as long as it is food grade.
Question : How can I make baby blue chocolate for my cake pops?
Answer : Adding light blue candy melts is your best option.
Question : How can I make Mauve chocolate?
Answer : With light pink, violet and Hawaiian blue (light blue). I would add just a little violet, as it is very dark, and a touch of pink -- maybe 2 drops -- and a drop of the blue. Add white at the end to lighten it all up.

Things You'll Need.

Double boiler (bain marie).
Rubber or silicone spatula or stirrer.
Food coloring — powdered or oil-based strongly recommended.
Bowl & zip-locked bag (if using oil-based food coloring).
Additional white chocolate for tempering (optional).

Tips.
When coloring chocolate, try to work with one color at a time. Otherwise, you might accidentally mix the colors.

Warnings.

Melting chocolate is very difficult if humidity levels are above 50%. Run a dehumidifier in clammy weather.

Mei 08, 2020

how to make oat flour

How to Make Oat Flour

Want to use up your oats in a more creative and a much more delicious way than oatmeal each morning? Suffering from gluten intolerance? Looking for a way to get rid of mountains of rolled oats? Oat flour may be for you. This healthy, versatile flour is easy to make yourself, so don't waste money buying it at the health food store. You only need a food processor and one ingredient to get started.

Ingredients

Oats (Old fashioned, steel cut, or quick-cooking all work).

Blender or food processor.

Part 1 Making Oat Flour.

1. Measure out a portion of oats. The type of oats traditionally used for oat flour are called "rolled oats." These can be bought for cheap at many grocery stores, but are not always available. Luckily, you can use instant, quick-cook, or steel cut as well -- the only difference is grain size, and you're grinding them all up anyway.

Don't use oats that have been flavored in any way, as this flavor will work into your final dish. Plain oats are best.

If you're going to be using your oat flour in a recipe immediately, measure out more oats than the recipe calls for. Once you turn them into flour, they'll settle and take up a smaller volume. You'll generally end up with about 3/4 of the volume of oats you started with.

2. Pulse the oats in a food processor. Any standard blender or "Magic Bullet"-type device will also work well.In a pinch, you could use a coffee grinder. Be sure to clean it out first unless you want coffee-flavored flour. Pulse for 30 seconds or until the oats reach a fine, powdery consistency. They should look a lot like traditional plain, all-purpose wheat flour.

No blender? There are a variety of ways to make manual flour, but you need to know they will take a while. You could try.

Mincing: Using your sharpest knife, rock it back and forth over a small pile of oats to quickly chop them up. They will be a little bigger than a real flour, but will still work.

Grinding: Using a mortar and pestle, grind the oats into a powder.

Mashing: A last-ditch effort, put the oats in a resealable plastic bag, squeeze the air out, and start crushing as if washing clothing by hand. Note that this will likely take a long time.

3. Stir to mix in any stray oats, then pulse again. It can be hard to tell whether any extra oats remain in your flour, so open the food processor or blender and stir the powder a few times to be safe. Pulse again for 10 seconds or so.

4. Use or store your oat flour at once. Your oat flour is ready to use right away. You can use it roughly how you would use plain flour ordinarily, substituting it into recipes. If you need to save some, use the same rules you would use for ordinary flour. Keep it in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. Oat flour lasts for about 3 months in the cabinet and 6 months in the freezer.

These are only estimates, and oat flour will never keep as long as whole oats. Only make as much as you can use in the next few weeks.

Hot and humid environments will lower the shelf life of your flour. Cold and dry areas may be able to store their oat flour a little longer without problems.

Part 2 Using Oat Flour.

1. Use for its subtle oat flavor. The taste difference between plain flour and oat flour won't immediately jump out at you, but it's somewhat noticeable. Oat flour gives the baked goods a nutty flavor and a chewy texture, different from plain flour but not overwhelmingly so. This is perfect for certain dishes — specifically, savory-sweet baked goods tend to benefit from this taste profile.

The classic example, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, are taken to the next level with oat flour.

In most recipes, you only need 3/4 cup flour for every 1 cup of plain flour. If a cookie recipe calls for 2 cups normal flour, you should use 1 1/2 cup oat flour. except in raised yeast breads that need gluten to give them structure.

If you're unsure how a baked good will respond, mix and match the flours. Instead of 1 cup of plain flour, try 3/4 oats and 1/4 wheat to get the textural benefits of gluten (it gives loaves of bread shape) without eating too much of it.

2. Use to reduce the gluten in recipes. One of the most popular ways oat flour is used today is as a gluten-free alternative to plain flour. Because gluten is a protein that naturally comes from wheat, using oat flour instead of all-purpose flour will usually remove the gluten from baked goods.

Note: The rolled oats you can buy at the store aren't always 100% gluten free. Small amounts of wheat can get mixed into the oats (usually, because the equipment used to process them is also used to process wheat). This can make a difference for people with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, so be sure to use oats that are advertised as gluten-free to fully protect friends with Celiac disease.

3. Use oat flour to give baked goods a lighter texture. Compared to plain flour, oat flour is slightly less dense, which makes foods baked from it a little fluffier than they normally would be. This can be used to make wonderfully light muffins and biscuits, though it's also great for giving a unique texture to thicker pastries like scones and soda bread.

You don't need to substitute all of the flour to get this effect. To add lightness without losing the taste or consistency of plain flour, use a half-and-half mixture.

Try using oat flour in our scone recipe for a lighter version of this delicious breakfast treat.

4. Use to coat or dredge foods. Just like ordinary flour, oat flour can be used as a coating for a wide variety of foods. For instance, if you're frying breaded cuts of meat, you can coat them with oat flour (instead of plain flour) before dipping in an egg wash and tossing with the breading. Oat flour can also be dusted on proved loaves (loaves that have finished rising, but aren't cooked yet) to create an attractive, crunchy crust.

Another excellent idea is to use oat flour when kneading bread dough to keep it from sticking to your work surface. Because of its lighter texture, it won't make the dough stiff if you incorporate too much.

5. Use oat flour for its nutritional benefits. Oat flour is great for your body even if you don't have gluten intolerance. Oats are naturally rich in protein, fiber, and help your body burn fats. They are lower in carbohydrates than most grains and are known to have minor cholesterol-reducing properties. This makes oat flour an excellent choice for your recipes — even if there isn't a special reason to use it.

Oat flour has high levels of magnesium, making it very helpful for women going through menopause or menstruation. Magnesium deficiencies are a common cause of profuse menstrual bleeding.

6. Finished.

Tips

Gluten is a protein that gives bread and bread products their springy, elastic quality.[10] Because oats don't naturally contain gluten, using oat flour in place of plain flour will change the texture of many baked goods.

In many countries, wheat flour, plain flour, and all-purpose white flour are referred to as one and the same; but plain flour and wheat flour are sold as two different items in some countries such as India. The difference is similar to the difference between brown rice and white rice. Both the ingredients are derived from the same item.

A very small percentage of Celiac patients may experience a negative reaction to oats even though they do not contain gluten. This is because the oats could be contaminated at the factory with plain flours. Make sure the oats are certified gluten-free.

Desember 05, 2019

How to Make Sour Candy

How to Make Sour Candy.

You don't have to be a kid to enjoy the mouth-puckering taste of sour candy. But while you can find a wide variety of sour candies at the store, it's a little more fun to make your own at home. Whether you prefer sour gummies, hard candies, or jelly candies, you can whip them up at home with relative ease. The only special equipment you need is a candy thermometer and a little patience.

Ingredients Sour Gummy Candy.
1 cup (200 g) frozen fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, defrosted.
⅓ cup (79 ml) water, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons (43 g) honey.
4 teaspoons (12 g) unflavored gelatin, ½ cup (100 g) sugar, 1 to 3 teaspoons (6 to 18 g) citric acid.

Ingredients Sour Hard Candy.
Powdered Sugar, 10 tablespoons (125 g) sugar, 3 tablespoons (56 ¼ g) corn syrup, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water.
1 tablespoon (18 ¾ g) citric acid, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) raspberry extract.

Ingredients Sour Jelly Candy.
⅓ cup (79 ml) freshly squeezed lime, lemon, orange juice, 1 teaspoon (6 g) citric acid, divided.
½ cup (118 ml) water, divided, 4 envelopes powdered unflavored gelatin, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar.
1 tablespoon (8 g) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting, 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch, 1 tablespoon (12 ½ g) granulated sugar.

Method 1 Preparing Sour Gummy Candy.
1. Puree the fruit. Add 1 cup (200 g) of frozen fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, that has been defrosted to a food processor. Process the fruit until it is pureed smooth.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can puree the fruit in a blender.
2. Heat the fruit, water, lemon juice, and honey to a simmer. Add the pureed fruit, 1 cup (79 ml) of water, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons (43 g) of honey to a small saucepan. Place it on the stove over medium-low heat, and heat it until it reaches a simmer, which should take 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir the mixture with a whisk periodically to ensure that the ingredients are well blended.
3. Whisk the gelatin into the mixture. Once the mixture reaches a simmer, sprinkle 4 teaspoons (12 g) of unflavored gelatin over it. Use a whisk to mix it in, stirring constantly.
Add the gelatin to the mixture slowly. If you dump it in all at once, it can form a glob that you won’t be able to get rid of.
4. Return the mixture to a simmer. After the gelatin is incorporated, continue heating the mixture on medium-low. Allow it to come back to a simmer, stirring often to ensure that the ingredients are combined.
The mixture’s texture will change as the gelatin melts in. Instead of have a grainy, jelly-like consistency, it will become smooth and glassy.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it to remove hard bits. When the gelatin is fully melted in, take the pan off the stove. Pour into a heatproof measuring cup through a sieve to remove any hard bits of fruit or gelatin and discard the solids.
If there are any bubbles on the top of the mixture after you’ve strained it, remove them with a spoon.
6. Pour the mixture into molds and chill them for several hours. Once the mixture is strained, add it to silicone candy molds. Place the molds in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to fully set up.
Because the candy has the texture of gummy bears, you may want to use bear-shaped molds.
If you don’t have candy molds, you can pour the mixture into a baking sheet that’s lined with plastic wrap and cut it with a knife or cookie cutters after it’s set.
When using molds, it helps to place them on baking sheets before filling them. That makes it easier to carry the candy to the fridge without spilling the mixture.
If you notice any bubbles in the mixture after you’ve poured it into the mold, pop them with a toothpick.
7. Mix the sugar and citric acid. For the coating, add ½ cup (100 g) of sugar and 1 to 3 teaspoons (6 ¼ to 18 ¾ g) citric acid to a small bowl. Whisk them together well to ensure that they’re fully blended.
Choose the amount of citric acid based on how sour you want the candies to be. A single teaspoon (6 ¼ g) will be fairly sour, but adding more makes the candy’s flavor more intense.
8. Unmold the candy and toss it in the sugar mixture. When the candy has chilled for several hours, remove it from the fridge. Carefully pop the candies out of the molds, and drop them in the bowl with the sugar coating. Toss well to ensure that they’re coated on all sides.
9. Store the candy in an airtight container. The candy is ready to eat right away, but if you have any leftovers, place them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for about a week.

Method 2 Making Sour Hard Candy.
1. Grease a baking sheet and cover it lightly with powdered sugar. Use some softened butter to lightly coat the pan, and sprinkle a few pinches of powdered sugar over it. Tilt the sheet in all directions to ensure that the sugar evenly coats its surface. Set the sheet aside for the moment.
You can substitute non-stick cooking spray for the butter if you prefer.
2. Mix the citric acid and extract. Add 1 tablespoon (18 ¾ g) of citric acid and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of raspberry extract to a small bowl. Whisk them together well until they’re fully blended, and set the bowl aside for the moment.
You can use any type of flavor extract that you think would work well with a sour flavor in place of the raspberry. Lemon, lime, orange, and strawberry are other tasty options.
3. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of a small saucepan. Add 10 tablespoons (125 g) of sugar, 3 tablespoons (56 ¼ g) of corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of water to the pan, and whisk well to ensure that they’re fully combined.
When you clip the thermometer in place, make sure that it’s not touching the bottom of the pan.
4. Heat the mixture until it reaches 305 to 310°F (151 to 154°C). Place the sugar mixture on the stove, and turn the heat up to high. Allow the mixture to cook until it reaches the right temperature.
5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the flavoring mixture. Once the mixture has reached the right temperature, remove it from the stove. Whisk the mixture and slowly pour the citric acid and flavoring mixture in, blending until it’s fully incorporated.
6. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet. The mixture will still be hot, so add it to the prepared baking sheet slowly. Make sure that it’s spread in as even a layer as possible.
If you’d like, you can sprinkle a little more powdered sugar over the top once it’s on the sheet.
7. Allow the candy to cool to room temperature. It needs to cool down in order to set up and harden. Leave it out on the counter or table until it cools completely, which should take about 15 to 30 minutes.
8. Break the cooled candy into bite size pieces. When the candy has hardened, use the handle of a kitchen spoon or other utensil to hit it. When it’s broken into small pieces, store them in an airtight container and enjoy.

Method 3 Whipping Up Sour Jelly Candy.
1. Combine the fruit juice, citric acid, and some water in a saucepan. Add ⅓ cup (79 ml) of freshly squeezed lime, lemon, or orange juice, ½ teaspoon (3 g) of citric acid, and ¼ cup (59 ml) of water to a small, straight-sided saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together and heat them on low until the granules dissolve completely, which should take 3 to 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the mixture and let it sit for a few minutes. Use four envelopes of unflavored gelatin and spread them as evenly as possible over the fruit juice mixture. Don’t stir the mixture -- allow the gelatin to sit until it absorbs the liquid on its own.
3. Mix the water with the sugar. Add ½ cup (100 g) of granulated sugar and the remaining ¼ cup (59 ml) of water to another small, straight-sided pan. Whisk the two together until they’re fully combined.
4. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Place the pan on the stove, and heat it over medium heat. Allow the mixture to cook until it reaches a boil and the sugar dissolves completely.
Stir the mixture with a whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves.
5. Heat the mixture until it reaches 300°F (148°C). When the mixture comes to a boil, place a candy thermometer in the pan. Allow the mixture to cook until it reaches the right temperature without stirring it at all.
6. Pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture. After the sugar mixture reaches the right temperature, carefully add it to the gelatin mixture. The sugar will form a big clump when it hits the gelatin, which is normal.
7. Stir the mixture over the heat until it softens. Place the pan with the candy mixture on the stove, and heat it on medium-low. Use a whisk to stir it continuously until the mixture softens and dissolves, leaving no hard bits behind.
8. Transfer the mixture to a glass dish and let it cool for a couple of hours. Take the pan off the heat, and carefully pour the candy mixture into an 8-inch (20-cm) glass baking dish. Allow it to sit on the countertop for 2 hours to set up.
9. Whisk the powdered sugar and cornstarch together. Add 1 tablespoon (8 g) of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon (8 g) of cornstarch to a small bowl. Use a whisk to blend them together well.
10. Mix the granulated sugar into citric acid. To make the coating, add 1 tablespoon (12 ½ g) of granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon (3 g) of citric acid to a separate small bowl. Stir the two together well, and set aside.
11. Unmold the candy and cut it into strips. Lightly dust a cutting board or countertop with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Peel up a corner of the candy block to pull it out of the dish and onto your work surface, and turn the block over so both sides are coated with the powdered sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut the candy into a dozen ½-inch (13-mm) strips and then cut each strip into 5 pieces that are approximately 1 ¼- inch (3-cm) long.
12. Toss the candy in the citric acid mixture. Drop the candy into the bowl with the citric acid and sugar mixture, and use a fork to stir them around until they’re well coated. If the candy begins to get sticky, toss it in the cornstarch mixture first and then into the citric acid mixture.
13. Let the candy dry until the coating hardens. Place the coated candy pieces on a wire cooling rack, and allow them to dry until the coating is crunchy and hard. It should take approximately 8 hours.
14. Store the candy in an airtight container. Once the candy is dry, you can eat it right away. If there are leftovers, place them in a jar or bag and store at room temperature. They should stay fresh for about a week.

Things You’ll Need.

Sour Gummy Candy : Food processor, Small saucepan, Whisk, Heat-proof measuring cup, Sieve, Silicone candy molds, Small bowl, Fork, Airtight container.
Sour Hard Candy : Baking sheet, Small bowl, Whisk, Candy thermometer, Small saucepan, Wooden spoon or other utensil, Airtight container.
Sour Jelly Candies : 2 small, straight-sided saucepans, Whisk, Candy thermometer, 8-inch (20-cm) glass baking dish, 2 small bowls, Knife, Wire cooling rack, Airtight container.

Mei 25, 2020

How to Pull Off Thin Hand-Pulled Lamian Noodles (part 1).

How to Pull Off Thin Hand-Pulled Lamian Noodles  (part 1).

By TIM CHIN.

Hand-pulled noodles are notoriously difficult to make, let alone master. But with the help of science (and some nutritional yeast), they're easy to make at home.
If you’re a fan of Hong Kong cinema, you might be familiar with the 1997 action comedy Mr. Nice Guy, starring Jackie Chan. In the film’s opening scene, Jackie is on live television, standing at a flour-dusted table, stretching, twisting, and pulling a piece of dough into fine strands of noodles, a process the TV host can only describe as alchemy. “When I first saw [that movie],” recalls Luke Rymarz, a software engineer and hand-pulled noodle enthusiast based in San Jose, “I thought, ‘Oh cool, special effects. That’s neat.’ And then I realized that hand-pulled noodles were actually a thing. And I thought, all right, time to figure out how to do this.”
Luke spent the next year experimenting and documenting those experiments, blindly tinkering his way toward a passable recipe for lamian. Lamian translates to “pulled noodles,” and specifically refers to the thin variety famous in China. “At the time—this was 12, 13 years ago—there was hardly anything on the internet in English, or any information about it. All of my experience is [based on] the little bits I could glean off of Google translate. And just making dough, over and over again, for hours.”
Like Luke, I have spent the last few years learning how to make lamian. I first encountered these noodles at a tiny hole-in-the-wall lunch joint in Montreal. A rail-thin cook was throwing, twisting, pulling, and generally manhandling a mound of dough nearly the length of his body. Within seconds—after a few nimble flicks and plenty of flair—he created hundreds of strands of noodles. He tossed the noodles in a boiling cauldron of water, reached for another log of dough, and repeated this dance for the remainder of my meal—no hesitation, no breaks, not even a paltry sip of water. Talk about a real dough-slinger.
Of course, this guy made pulling those noodles look easy, even natural. It’s neither of those things. In fact, I’m willing to bet that anyone who has ever tried to make thin pulled lamian at home, with no prior experience, will tell you: It's hard. Recipes and videos exist online, but there’s a swamp of conflicting information, most of which leads down a treacherous black hole teeming with Reddit neckbeards, disgruntled YouTube commenters, and holier-than-thou Chowhound geeks.

Pulling noodles is something I never imagined pursuing. The technique seemed unattainable, unapproachable, reserved for masters of a time-honored and mystical craft—certainly inappropriate for home cooks. But as luck would have it, while working at my last test kitchen job with Sasha years ago, I was assigned to learn about pulled noodles in all their forms. After slurping virtually every pulled noodle Boston had to offer, I set about developing recipes. Lamian sat squarely among them. But after almost 50 tests, I still didn’t have a working recipe. Even building on the work of people like Luke, my method was fickle, riddled with inconsistencies, and difficult to replicate. The recipe never saw the light of day.
Time passed. I tried, here and there, to tinker with my formula. I watched videos. I spent hours reading archived forum posts from the furthest reaches of the web. I reached out to family members to help translate texts. I tried interning at noodle shops (the owners of which either shunned me or swore me to lifelong secrecy). I reached out to Luke for guidance. I was determined to figure out a recipe that would work for the home cook—no special equipment, no advanced noodle degree, no secret ingredients, no secrecy required.
Then I had a breakthrough. And it all came down to understanding gluten.

How Hand-Pulled Noodles Are Typically Made.
The de facto Mecca of pulled noodles is Lanzhou, the capital city of China’s Gansu Province. The city is the birthplace of Lanzhou beef noodle soup, a dish that’s inspired the creation of over 35,000 noodle shops across China. You can even attend one of a handful of noodle-pulling schools, with programs ranging in duration from a few days to a few years. There, students learn the ins and outs of making lamian, always by hand, starting from mixing and kneading dough all the way to pulling and cooking. In order to be certified, students must pass a final exam: Roughly twenty minutes to produce nine varieties of noodles of different sizes and shapes.

The process is simple: Wheat flour, water, salt, and sometimes an additive are mixed and kneaded until a pliable dough forms. This kneading stage takes anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour, depending on the formula and the practitioner. The dough is stretched, doubled over, twisted, and stretched again, and this process is repeated until the dough can be stretched easily to arm’s length. The dough is then rolled in flour or oil and pulled into thin strands. The key to success is repeatable extensibility—or the ability to stretch the dough over and over without it breaking or tearing—which, as we’ll see, defies many of the commonly understood laws of gluten.

Sometimes additives like fat, alkalis, or other ingredients are incorporated into the dough to improve texture or to facilitate extensibility. The most common and traditional additive is a mysterious powder called penghui, which is derived from a desert plant called penghuicao (halogeton). The plant is roasted and processed with potassium carbonate and packaged as a commercial powder. Minute quantities of penghui are mixed with flour, resulting in a dough with ideal extensibility and chew. One source claims that the addition of penghui transforms the dough to putty, allowing the cook to stretch the dough seemingly at will.

The problem? Unless you or someone you know lives in China, finding penghui isn’t easy. And seeing as I didn’t feel comfortable asking people to import a sketchy white powder across international borders, I was left to find other ways to develop that all-important repeatable extensibility.

Gluten’s Role in Dough: Beyond the Basics.
To fully understand my noodle journey, it’s useful to know a bit about dough, and specifically gluten. If you’ve ever dealt with a dough in your life, you probably know something about gluten. Simply put, gluten is the protein matrix (basically a molecular web) that forms when wheat flour is mixed with water. Gluten is what gives wheat flour dough its structure and properties: The stretch, the texture, the snap, the stickiness, and flow.
If you’ve delved a little deeper, you might also know that gluten comprises two protein molecule units: glutenin and gliadin. The larger glutenin molecules are mainly responsible for the strength and elasticity of a dough. Look at them closely enough and you'll see they are kinked, linear, and chain-like, and have many sites for bonding with other glutenin molecules.
Smaller gliadin molecules, on the other hand, are said to contribute to the extensibility of a dough. They are spherical (or “globular”), have less surface area, and have limited capacity for bonding with other molecules.
Together, these two proteins are what give dough its viscoelastic properties—meaning it can simultaneously flow (viscosity) and be elastic.
Before going any further, let’s also define elasticity and extensibility—both of which are important to understanding noodle-pulling.

Elasticity.
Elasticity refers to a dough’s ability to return to its initial position after deformation. If you stretch a dough and it snaps back to its original shape, that dough is said to be elastic. Elasticity is important because it gives dough both structure and integrity. Without elasticity, a bread dough wouldn’t hold its shape or have any chew. Similarly, without elasticity, a noodle dough would fall apart if stretched too far, and likely disintegrate when cooked. On the other hand, a dough with too much elasticity would tear under too much stress, like a rubber band snapping.
Elasticity is the result of those large, chain-like glutenin molecules bonding together. Mixing, kneading, and resting dough all encourage this bonding. The more bonds between glutenin molecules, the more elastic a dough becomes.
(In some circles, dough nerds like to distinguish tenacity from elasticity. Tenacity is the property of a dough to resist a stretching action or deformation in the first place. You might encounter this phenomenon while trying to shape or stretch a low-hydration bread dough, for instance. For our purposes, this distinction is not too important. But the more you know, you know?)

Extensibility.
Extensibility is defined as the ability of a dough to stretch. For a pulled noodle dough like lamian, extensibility is crucial. In general, the more compact and spherical gliadin protein molecules contribute to extensibility because they move freely within the gluten matrix. They do not bond in the way that the larger glutenins do.
The balance between elasticity and extensibility determines how well a noodle dough fares. In general, the ideal noodle dough has high extensibility and just enough elasticity to retain its structure and chew.

Bonds Between Gluten Molecules.
The last and most critical concept—the one that most people gloss over—has to do with bonding between gluten molecules. Both glutenin and gliadin involve disulfide bonds. For gliadins, these bonds occur within single molecules to stabilize their spherical structure. But for glutenins, disulfide bonds (a.k.a. disulfide bridges) can occur between their larger, chain-like units. These bonds are strong, and they’re believed to determine the elasticity of a dough. In other words, the more disulfide bonds there are between glutenin units, the harder a dough is to stretch.
Think of a single glutenin molecule as a train with several train cars hooked together. Now imagine a second train on a parallel track with chains joining it to the first train. Those chains are disulfide bonds. That’s basically what occurs between glutenin units, but in multiple directions and multiple orientations, forming a complex, strong web that is difficult to break.
Luckily, these bonds can be broken.

Testing.
Trial 1: Hand Mixing, No Additives
By certain accounts, it was possible to pull noodles through sheer force of will and a little elbow grease. Apparently, you could even do it without additives. This was the first strategy I tested years ago: I mixed flour, water, and salt, and kneaded until the dough came together. I kneaded, tore, and stretched the dough further until I could get some semblance of extensibility. On average, this process took anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour of sweaty, rage-inducing labor. At best, I could get the dough to stretch a couple times before tearing. At worst, I was stuck in dough purgatory, cursed with a dough that refused to relax and tore at the slightest suggestion.
I tinkered with hydration, flour type, and salt concentration. I tried no less than 35 times. But no matter which formula I used, I couldn’t readily produce a dough with repeatable extensibility. I did have some success with low-protein cake flour, which seemed to relax after persistent kneading and twirling, but I was still nowhere near pulling passable noodles.
One source recommended an overnight rest after initial mixing. In theory, this extended rest allows the dough to hydrate and gluten to develop fully, and relaxes gluten enough to facilitate stretching (a familiar phenomenon if you’ve ever made fresh egg dough pasta). There is also some enzymatic breaking of disulfide bonds, which contributes to extensibility. At first, this technique seemed promising. I could stretch the dough a few times easily. But after a few more passes, the dough eventually snapped back and tore in my hands. I still wasn’t producing enough extensibility.
If hand-mixing didn’t work—or wasn’t feasible in a sensible amount of time—then how else could I get an extensible dough?

Trial 2: Really, Really Aggressive Kneading.
The second strategy I found involved kneading a dough in a stand mixer for an extended period of time. The logic here was that aggressive, sustained kneading weakened the gluten network sufficiently to produce a plastic dough with low elasticity and high extensibility. (Initial mixing and kneading develops gluten to a point, producing a decidedly un-stretchy, elastic dough. But excessive kneading beyond that point could actually weaken the gluten network.) More precisely, those strong disulfide bonds could be broken mechanically; with sufficient force over time, enough bonds could be broken to produce a dough with repeatable extensibility. And instead of the back-breaking work of stretching and kneading by hand, a stand mixer could accomplish this more efficiently and in less time.

Anecdotally, this logic made sense to me. I remembered spotting a giant Hobart mixer at that noodle shop in Montreal, whirring away, kneading dough for the entirety of my meal. I even found interviews of noodle chefs in which they admitted to using large bread mixers to meet the demands of a large operation. In the most extreme example, I found a recipe that recommended kneading a dough for nearly two hours in a stand mixer.
And you know what? This method definitely worked. After two hours of kneading in a KitchenAid, I found this “over-kneaded” dough to be pliable, extensible, and similar to silly putty in texture. There was very little elasticity. Just a few minutes of stretching and twirling later, I was able to pull some respectable noodles.
But I still wasn’t satisfied. After all, I couldn’t justify the risk of burning out the motor of a pricey stand mixer just to make some noodles. I didn’t want to leave legions of would-be noodle pullers with $300 paper weights. Plus, two hours is a criminally long amount of time. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Fortunately, there exist recipes with more moderate kneading times. The most popular of these comes from Luke Rymarz himself. The key feature is a 12-minute kneading time in a stand mixer, followed by another 15 minutes of stretching and twirling by hand. “I was doing it all by hand initially,” he says. But one day, after posting his recipe online, he was invited to demo his technique at a nearby cooking school. The instructor prepared his dough in a huge industrial mixer. “When he gave me that dough, I went, ‘Holy cow. This is amazing. This is the best dough.’ It was warm, it had a nice texture, it was like clay. Very pliable.”
Up until that point, Luke’s recipe was the closest I had come to successfully and consistently pulling noodles within a reasonable amount of time. The resulting dough was pliable, extensible, and fairly easy to pull into thin noodles. But the technique still had some disadvantages: The cooked noodles lacked the chew and structure I was after; the recipe required very specific brands of flour; and the technique demanded extensive stretching and twirling for success, despite all that time kneading in a stand mixer. The recipe had too many variables, and took too long to make. It was inconsistent. Most of all, I wanted a simpler method that didn’t rely so heavily on machinery. “I’ve repaired my stand mixer probably four or five times,” Luke warns. “So it’s not a great option for the home cook.”

Trial 3: Alkali Madness.
Since I couldn’t rely on machinery, I turned toward uncharted territory: additives. Using penghui was out of the question—I just couldn’t get my hands on any. But could there be any substitutes?
Popular opinions online suggested that it was the alkali in penghui that changed the texture of the dough and made it extensible. In reality, adding an alkali to a dough just made it tougher and harder to stretch. According to Luke, who tried every possible combination of kansui (a popular alkali solution used in ramen noodles), baking soda, and baked baking soda (sodium carbonate), “it helps with texture, and gives you a better chew, but it makes it harder to pull.”
I found his observation to be largely true. I tried adding baking soda and lye water in varying concentrations to a working dough recipe, kneading by hand and stretching until I could stretch the dough. As the concentration of alkali increased, the dough became increasingly difficult to stretch—in many cases tearing under stress.
If adding alkali wasn’t relaxing a noodle dough, then what was it doing, and how? This study suggests that the addition of kansui increases disulfide bond formation between glutenin units. More disulfide bonds mean more elasticity, and more elasticity means more chew at the expense of extensibility. Long story short, it appears that adding alkali makes pulling noodles harder, not easier.

to be continued .

Agustus 02, 2020