Do you bake?

[Jrecee]

I was thinking of baking some homemade cinnamon poptarts. It's just brown sugar, cinnamon, and that tannish outside stuff that nobody likes. Come to think of it, they should just sell pop-tart filling in jars like jelly.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/homemade-pop-tarts/

Holy crap. I hate chocolate poptarts but I have to make nutella ones now.

[Haoie]

Everyone should know cooking basics.

But baking is a whole new arena.

[Luke]

I lust after a good kitchen-aid mixer.

My mom has one and it's badass.

I've got a professional Kitchen-Aid with all the attachments. I've been grinding my own ground beef for over five years now, and let me tell you, there is a world of difference between freshly ground beef and what you buy in the stores. I've been known to see an artisan model and ask, "You call that a Kitchen-Aid?".

I bake lots, not as much as when I was catering, but my Kitchen-Aid is never dusty. The thing about baking is that it is more of a science than cooking. I weigh every ingredient on a digital scale before baking. You don't have to do that when cooking, you can season to taste. For anyone who is serious about baking, do yourself a favor and purchase Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For More Food. It's all about baking, and although not the best book for recipes, it's the best book I've seen on the subject matter of baking. I honestly think culinary schools should add it to their list of cooking text books.

For some reason, I've always thought you bake bread, but cook a pizza. Kind of makes sense to say you bake a pizza, I just never thought about it that way. My no-fail pizza crust:

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 T kosher salt, (2 t table salt)
1 pouch rapid rise yeast
1 T fresh chopped rosemary (optional. Can substitute with turkish oregano, or to your taste)
1 cup warm water
3 T olive oil

Put 1 1/2 cups of bread flour in mixing bowl (use hook attach if using Kitchen-aid). Add salt, yeast, and herbs. Mix. Add oil, then water while mixing. Add another cup of bread flour until dough turns in to a ball. Coat hands in flour, knead the dough for a few minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, let rise (about 20 minutes).

Roll dough out, bake on a pizza stone or cookie sheet at 400 for 20 minutes.

Bon Appetite.

[JWatts]

I've never gotten into baking but I do cook almost every day. I make muffins on occasion but that's about as far as I get. Really, baking scares me, so much precision and timing for me to keep up with.

[gtmtnbiker]

I've got a professional Kitchen-Aid with all the attachments. I've been grinding my own ground beef for over five years now, and let me tell you, there is a world of difference between freshly ground beef and what you buy in the stores. I've been known to see an artisan model and ask, "You call that a Kitchen-Aid?".

I have the grinder attachment but never used it. My favorite attachment is the pasta roller attachment. That one is very useful and I've used it a fair amount. I roll out sheets to make northern style lasagna (bolognese & bechemel sauce)

I have made my own ground beef using the Cuisinart. Take 1 lb of sirloin & 1 lb of eye round or chuck. Chop it into 2 in cubes. Throw into food processor, pulse it for a few seconds about 5-10 times until you get the desired consistency. Throw in some kosher sauce and shape into patties for the best hamburgers. This idea came from Alton Brown.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/burger-of-the-gods-recipe/index.html

The Cuisinart (large and mini) are my favorite gadgets in the kitchen. But if I had to choose one tool, that would be a good 8" chef knife. It kills me to go over a relative's house and they have crappy knives. It's not uncommon for me to bring two knives and a pan with me when I go over someone's house.

[EveningEmma]

I used to bake quite a bit, but I haven't in a while as my housemates don't know the meaning of the word "clean" so the kitchen's a dump and everything I want to use has to be washed a second time, since they can't be bothered to do it right the first time

I used to bake cakes mainly, spongecakes and brownies were my favourite. I've done scones a few times, and I've tried my hand at a quiche once or twice.

[Hatta]

Luke, I'm jealous of your mixer. And Alton Brown kicks ass.

But if I had to choose one tool, that would be a good 8" chef knife.

QFT, I got one of these for christmas and it's just amazing.

[Octopod]

I want some pecan pie and some catfish! FUUUUUUU I hate living in the north. I have never made pecan pie, I guess I could learn, but I do not think there is any catfish here. I never see any catfish in the stores, I never see any pecan either though. Maybe I am just not looking hard enough.

[Luke]

I have the grinder attachment but never used it. My favorite attachment is the pasta roller attachment. That one is very useful and I've used it a fair amount. I roll out sheets to make northern style lasagna (bolognese & bechemel sauce)

I have a standard pasta roller that latches on to my counter, which I probably use about once a month. My favorite attachment is the grinder w/ the sausage tube. I'm lucky enough to live close to a pig farm, so running out of casings is never a concern.

Luke, I'm jealous of your mixer. And Alton Brown kicks ass.

But if I had to choose one tool, that would be a good 8" chef knife.

QFT, I got one of these for christmas and it's just amazing.

I'm proud of my knives too. I use Wusthof and Henckels. I've got a real mean Cleaver, two great 8" chef knives, three pairing knives, etc., but probably the pride of my knife collection is my pizza cutter.

This sucker is serious. It looks like a sharpened machete, with handles on both ends.



Not counting the handles, mine is 14".

[Gamerforlife]

Not much baking beyond making cookies from time to time. I do cook stuff on the stove on a regular basis though. Meat, pasta, eggs, etc, etc, etc. I do my own laundry too. I'm pretty self sufficient which some women seem to appreciate.