Seasoned Advice
Seasoned Advice

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1500 questions
25
votes
9 answers

What is the ideal hydration for bread dough?

I made a bread that called for 1kg of flour and 700ml of water. That is a 70% hydration. The problem was that the dough became absolutely soaked, so in the end I added more than 500g more flour. Which meant that my salt ratio was off... The…
BaffledCook
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25
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10 answers

Techniques to get a nice golden-brown crust on bread

How do I make sure the crust of a baguette, etc. turns out a nice golden-brown when baking?
derobert
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25
votes
17 answers

How long should I cook pasta sauce?

I recently made pasta sauce, and every couple of minutes decided to add something more... More tomatoes, more pepper, more garlic... After that I let it sit on a small flame for a bit more. As a result, the sauce set in the pot for a fairly long…
hizki
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25
votes
14 answers

What is a substitute for red or white wine in a recipe?

If someone cannot or will not use wine for cooking, what would be a good substitute? Question applies to both red and white wine.
JustRightMenus
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25
votes
3 answers

What is the result of extremely over-fermenting bread dough?

I left some dough to ferment in a 2L container in the fridge, got distracted by a hospitalization, and didn't remember it again until 6 weeks later. The lid hadn't popped open and the dough looked and smelled fine, but the texture was very strange,…
Ray Butterworth
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25
votes
2 answers

Why are chickpeas not sold fresh, like other vegetables, but only canned or dried?

It seems that chickpeas are usually sold either canned (pre-cooked and stored in liquid) or in dried form. Most other vegetables are also sold fresh and raw, like they are harvested. Is there a reason that chickpeas are not sold like this? Would…
sleske
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5 answers

Name of the alcoholic products of fermenting sugar and distilling mead, analogous to fermenting grapes to get wine and distilling wine to get brandy?

As I understand it Ferment grains and you get beer. Distill that beer and you get whiskey. Ferment grapes and you get wine. Distill that wine and you get brandy. Ferment sugar you get ???. Distill that and you get rum. Ferment honey and you get…
micoh123
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25
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2 answers

Why does KitchenAid recommend against using the Dough Hook on Speed 1?

KitchenAid's manual for the stand mixer contains several warnings not to use the dough hook on any speed other than 2. While lots of websites explain how high speeds can overheat the dough, what can go wrong at low speeds?
hunter
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25
votes
5 answers

Will using a knife sharpener reduce the lifetime of my knife?

In the long run, is it better to regularly use a knife honer instead of a knife sharpener once in a while to keep the edge sharp?
Alinium
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25
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7 answers

How can I get cuts of beef I recognize when in Italy

Almost five years ago, my husband and I retired to the Abruzzo region of Italy from the U.S. I've made a lot of cooking adjustments, but beef cuts have me beaten. I want steaks and roasts. Research has helped very little. Dialect gets in the way in…
janilee
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25
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2 answers

Does Boiling Water, Instead of Warm Water, Hurt the Flavor of Tea/Hot Chocolate

I have a counter-top water kettle that I frequently use to boil water for tea, hot chocolate, and powdered drinks (e.g. chai). I don't think anything of it when the water starts boiling and keeps on boiling for 20 to 30 seconds before the kettle…
Chad
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25
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1 answer

Sniffing out a rotten egg from the dozen

Is it possible to tell if an egg has gone off? I am not referring to those eggs that have been especially brined to look like they've been sitting around for decades, but to fresh eggs you want to use and not feel like being punched in the face…
Eight Days of Malaise
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25
votes
1 answer

Milk instead of water in bread

I was looking at mantou recipes (mantou is a fluffy Chinese bun), and the recipes were remarkably similar to bread except less proofing and using milk instead of water. If I were to make regular bread with milk instead of water, what would happen?
cfire19045
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25
votes
5 answers

Test if two foods are the same

I'm Italian, now living in the US for some months. As you may know we like pasta. I tried Barilla here, our best known pasta brand. Well.. the taste seems a little bit different to me. It is actually produced here and not imported, so it could be…
rok
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25
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12 answers

My ginger is blueish... is it safe?

I bought ginger at the grocery store last week and kept it, unpeeled, in the fridge. Today I sliced it open and there is a ring of a blueish colour, instead of the yellow I was expecting. The ginger still smells like I'd expect (I haven't tried…
Daniel Vandersluis
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