• Welcome to BellGab.com Archive.
 

Bakegab: The Bellgab Bakeshop

Started by Roswells, Art, May 06, 2019, 02:53:36 PM

SredniVashtar

Quote from: K_Dubb on September 14, 2019, 09:47:07 AM
It appears to be a flattened ball of dough liberally anointed with fat.


K_Dubb

Your spiteful effort to queer my baking impulse is singularly unsuccessful and I shall dine on a passable recreation of delicious lardy cake while you stuff your watery overgrown cucurbits with bile and tears.

It is gray and dreary today and, with DH on and producer Tony's mewling drone in the background, it's almost like being back in old Blighty.

K_Dubb

This recipe has photos and shaping instructions that seem to match DH's picture, so I will be following them.

https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/best-of-the-bake-off-lardy-cakes

QuotePunch down the risen dough to deflate, then divide into 10 equal portions. Shape each into a neat ball. Roll out one of the balls on a lightly floured worktop to a circle about 14cm across. Spread with one portion of the lard mixture (as if you were buttering bread). Fold about one-sixth of the edge of the circle into the centre. Repeat the folding all the way around, rotating the circle, so it becomes a hexagon.

Not the usual envelope-folding when making what is essentially a laminated dough.

I have made my usual soft white milk dough, cutting back on the sugar and butter (considering the filling) and incorporating a generous helping of Bird's custard powder.  It is on its first rise.

Unlike this recipe the cake in DH's picture appears to have been brushed with additional filling before baking so I will try that with the first batch, being conscious of sugar's tendency to burn.

SredniVashtar

Quote from: K_Dubb on September 14, 2019, 03:40:16 PM

I have made my usual soft white milk dough

If anyone's having trouble visualising something white and doughy I refer you to K_Dubb's avatar.

#PutAShirtOn.

K_Dubb

Quote from: SredniVashtar on September 14, 2019, 03:57:22 PM
If anyone's having trouble visualising something white and doughy I refer you to K_Dubb's avatar.

#PutAShirtOn.

I am also so sweet I will set your teeth on edge.  As these cakes promise to be.

Already I encounter a problem:  the coarse-grained demerara sugar I used stubbornly refuses to dissolve in the lard and the filling is gritty.  I have warmed the whole thing hoping to remedy it (cooling it in the fridge before spreading) and still have piles of grit on the bottom.  I should have ground it first.

I do not know if the baking temperature will allow further dissolution; this may be like eating gravel.

Quote from: K_Dubb on September 14, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
I am also so sweet I will set your teeth on edge.  As these cakes promise to be.

Already I encounter a problem:  the coarse-grained demerara sugar I used stubbornly refuses to dissolve in the lard and the filling is gritty.  I have warmed the whole thing hoping to remedy it (cooling it in the fridge before spreading) and still have piles of grit on the bottom.  I should have ground it first.

I do not know if the baking temperature will allow further dissolution; this may be like eating gravel.

Abort!  Abort!  Just throw out the whole mess and go out and get some King Dons and a 1/2 Gallon of Whole White Milk.


K_Dubb

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on September 14, 2019, 04:24:12 PM
Abort!  Abort!  Just throw the whole mess and go out and get some King Dons and a 1/2 Gallon of Whole White Milk.



After DH went to all the trouble to photograph her cake for me before scarfing it down?  I would be setting myself up for a multipart exposé on my inconstancy and ingratitude, with testimony from Shreddie and Pud, all three of them jawing away at my expense in that quaint way of theirs full of gasps and smacks and snorts and heaving sighs.

Quote from: K_Dubb on September 14, 2019, 04:34:18 PM
After DH went to all the trouble to photograph her cake for me before scarfing it down?  I would be setting myself up for a multipart exposé on my inconstancy and ingratitude, with testimony from Shreddie and Pud, all three of them jawing away at my expense in that quaint way of theirs full of gasps and smacks and snorts and heaving sighs.

Yes.  You have to learn how to stop worrying about what foreigners think about you dude.  The King awaits...................


albrecht

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on September 14, 2019, 04:24:12 PM
Abort!  Abort!  Just throw out the whole mess and go out and get some King Dons and a 1/2 Gallon of Whole White Milk.


Reggie Jackson baseball card contained within!? What is beautiful is that likely to the preservatives and artificial ingredients the food product would still likely be not only edible but taste just as if it was eaten decades ago when Reggie was playing!

Quote from: albrecht on September 14, 2019, 04:42:22 PM
Reggie Jackson baseball card contained within!? What is beautiful is that likely to the preservatives and artificial ingredients the food product would still likely be not only edible but taste just as if it was eaten decades ago when Reggie was playing!

I had to go back in time to find King Dons as I think the modern incarnation is now called Ding Dons.   A subtle slap at Her Majesty's subjects dontcha know?

and no, I do not wish to derail the baking thread into some sort of  fscked up Mandela Effect sideline in the King vs Ding Don arena.

That is *not* my intention because I'm a nice guy.

K_Dubb

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on September 14, 2019, 04:48:20 PM
and no, I do not wish to derail the baking thread into some sort of  fscked up Mandela Effect sideline in the King vs Ding Don arena.

That is *not* my intention.

Facing the prospect of humiliating failure I would welcome any diversion.

chefist

On a side note...I discovered the secret to Hostess Cup Cakes...if you all are interested...has nothing to do with bra sizes either.

albrecht

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on September 14, 2019, 04:48:20 PM
and no, I do not wish to derail the baking thread into some sort of  fscked up Mandela Effect sideline in the King vs Ding Don arena.

That is *not* my intention.
And the odd fact that "Little Debbie" has somehow discovered the secret of eternal youth. But her Faustian bargain came at cost- must bake mediocre items for eternity that, due to a codicil in the deal Old Screwtape added, also never age and have unlimited shelf-life.

ps: K_Dubb you see that article about Finnish cooking and baking up North and the stuff they still make?



chefist

Quote from: albrecht on September 14, 2019, 04:56:45 PM
And the odd fact that "Little Debbie" has somehow discovered the secret of eternal youth. But her Faustian bargain came at cost- must bake mediocre items for eternity that, due to a codicil in the deal Old Screwtape added, also never age and have unlimited shelf-life.

ps: K_Dubb you see that article about Finnish cooking and baking up North and the stuff they still make?

Jesus...you hate them as much as I do after they stopped making German Chocolate Coconut Rounds! DAMN THEM TO HELL!


Quote from: chefist on September 14, 2019, 04:56:16 PM
On a side note...I discovered the secret to Hostess Cup Cakes...if you all are interested...has nothing to do with bra sizes either.

Well, I for one would be interested.  The Cup Cakes were quite good mind you but they were not the foil wrapped King Don.

It would seem as if the K_Dubb could use some cheering up as well.........................

pate

Quote from: K_Dubb on September 14, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
...

Already I encounter a problem:  the coarse-grained demerara sugar I used stubbornly refuses to dissolve in the lard and the filling is gritty...

Oh man Dubya, this is a hard baking life lesson you should pay attention to.  Sugar doesn't tend to "dissolve" in fat.  Sugar is only soluable in water, man.  You could attempt to melt the two together, that might work.  But if the recipe you are using calls for the "creaming" method of incorporating the sugar into the fat you are going to miss out on the leavening effect that method yields at the microscopic level.  The sugar crystals when whipped into the semi-solid fat make tiny air bubbles that lighten/leaven your filling.

Grinding the sugar first is probably a good idea, although it might be easier to just buy confectioner's sugar instead.  I believe you can get that stuff in various degrees of fine-ness. 

---

Hey, my quick search to double-check my wild theories yields results!

You want "Caster Sugar" apparently confectioners' & powdered sugars have cornstarch added into them.

You can make your own DIY "Caster Sugar"

If only my thyme masheen wasn't broken I could tell you this before you start...





ItsOver

Quote from: chefist on September 14, 2019, 04:56:16 PM
On a side note...I discovered the secret to Hostess Cup Cakes...if you all are interested...has nothing to do with bra sizes either.
We're anxiously waiting.  I was hooked on the orange ones when I was a wee lad.

pate

Quote from: DynamoHum on September 14, 2019, 09:56:03 AM
Size wise I would say small side plate size.

...The glaze is a sweet glaze, akin to what you might find on baklava so sugary glaze, not fat based...

Perhaps it is an egg wash glaze?  Either whole eggs (makes a bit softer glaze due to the fats in the egg yolk) or egg whites only (makes a crispier glaze) both shine though.  I think whole egg glazes brown better.

I suppose stirring this "caster sugar" into the eggs would make it sweet.

Maybe I should read the recipe before making things up?

K_Dubb

Hallelujah, salvation is at hand!  In the form of my powerful little immersion blender which churned the whole thing into, if not the texture of creamed honey, at least the grit of your standard table sugar, which I am guessing is the texture of the demerara sugar listed on DH's ingredients -- I'd be surprised if that came any finer.

Thank you, dear pate; that was a valuable lesson indeed.

K_Dubb

Quote from: albrecht on September 14, 2019, 04:56:45 PM
ps: K_Dubb you see that article about Finnish cooking and baking up North and the stuff they still make?

I did not!  Would love to read it if you still have the link.

pate

Quote from: K_Dubb on September 14, 2019, 06:06:17 PM
Hallelujah, salvation is at hand!  In the form of my powerful little immersion blender which churned the whole thing into, if not the texture of creamed honey, at least the grit of your standard table sugar, which I am guessing is the texture of the demerara sugar listed on DH's ingredients -- I'd be surprised if that came any finer.

Thank you, dear pate; that was a valuable lesson indeed.

You could always put some of that demerara sugar into a coffee grinder and make it fine like a Caster Sugar.  I am unfamiliar with demerara sugar, but if it is crystalized all you have to do is grind it up somehow to make it finer, which will make the air bubbles tinier and the filling creamier (due to the smaller size of the sugar crystals).

Of course, you will want to grind your sugar before adding it to the fat.  Nice save on using the hand mixer, it will probably eat just fine but your "Lardy Cakes Mark II" when you revisit the recipe after this first test flight will be even better I am sure.

K_Dubb

Quote from: pate on September 14, 2019, 06:24:53 PM
You could always put some of that demerara sugar into a coffee grinder and make it fine like a Caster Sugar.  I am unfamiliar with demerara sugar, but if it is crystalized all you have to do is grind it up somehow to make it finer, which will make the air bubbles tinier and the filling creamier (due to the smaller size of the sugar crystals).

Of course, you will want to grind your sugar before adding it to the fat.  Nice save on using the hand mixer, it will probably eat just fine but your "Lardy Cakes Mark II" when you revisit the recipe after this first test flight will be even better I am sure.

Yeah next time I will definitely grind first in the spice grinder.  Or just use light brown sugar, which tastes the same to me -- I'm not a connoisseur.

K_Dubb



A view of the rolling and folding process.  First a plain layer of lard/sugar which is folded and rolled back out to the original size, then a layer with fruit.  I gathered and pinched the tops to try to look like DH's picture.

Quote from: K_Dubb on September 14, 2019, 06:40:05 PM


A view of the rolling and folding process.  First a plain layer of lard/sugar which is folded and rolled back out to the original size, then a layer with fruit.  I gathered and pinched the tops to try to look like DH's picture.

Lookin' good!   

K_Dubb

Quote from: pate on September 14, 2019, 06:02:51 PM
Perhaps it is an egg wash glaze?  Either whole eggs (makes a bit softer glaze due to the fats in the egg yolk) or egg whites only (makes a crispier glaze) both shine though.  I think whole egg glazes brown better.

I suppose stirring this "caster sugar" into the eggs would make it sweet.

Maybe I should read the recipe before making things up?

Given her description of baklava-like I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't just drench the whole thing in Lyle's Golden Syrup afterwards.  Seems they put that stuff on everything.  I have some I might try it with.

The problem is there isn't a recipe per se as there are numerous variations.  I'm trying to recreate Dynamo's, specifically, just from the ingredients listed.

K_Dubb



Not bad!  I am pleased there was no grit in the filling -- it all seems to be absorbed by the dough.  And, joy of joys, they have the crispy toffee-like bottoms they're supposed to!  They leak amazingly in the oven (my poor pans!) and bubble away in a puddle of their own making for the better part of 15 minutes so the bottoms are, essentially, fried.

The kitchen smells strongly of lard (it reminds me of making smultringer and fattigmenn in the winter) but I can't really taste it in the cakes.  As DH said, it's all about the raisins.

Next time I will be unable to resist trying the envelope method (which yields three layers with one fold, six with two) instead of the single layer here, just to see if that makes it flakier.  And adding a little mixed spice as seen in some recipes just because I associate that strongly with British baking.  Many thanks to DH for the inspiration!

^^^^  Not too shabby.  Still not a King Don   :P

WOTR

Quote from: K_Dubb on September 14, 2019, 09:57:40 AM
I would love to learn how you do it since I have no experience with starters.  What sort of bread do you make with them?

PITA to start from scratch. You basically have to pull some out and "feed" it twice a day until the fermentation starts. Easier to buy a starter (I may look on the local classifieds...) Also, there is the "friends of Carl" if you google that and sourdough. I may actually try that this time- they have been around forever.

I generally make a french bread or a rye bread. Lots of recipes use some sourdough for flavour and add yeast. I was, for no apparent reason, somebody who refused to add yeast to my dough. Let the wild yeasts do their thing, and trust that will be sufficient. I bought the book "the taste of bread" by Raymond Calvel. Expensive, out of print and difficult to find- but worth it.

I actually did not spend as much time reading it and doing some experimentation as I would Have liked...


K_Dubb

Quote from: Walks_At_Night on September 14, 2019, 09:49:29 PM
^^^^  Not too shabby.  Still not a King Don   :P

Haha I got up to put them away cool and, though it was hardly apparent when warm from the oven, it's clear there is probably more lard in one of these than a whole box of Ding Dongs (which is how they have always been sold here -- I suppose your version is a regional marketing thing).  I have a pretty high tolerance for fat-soaked dough but they are going to be a chore to consume cold.  Yikes!

I will have to warm them in the oven under some foil.

Powered by SMFPacks Menu Editor Mod