Subscribe to thisWelcome to My Scratch Baking Blog!
there’s a new presence in my vocabulary and it’s called a blog. it’s not even in the oxford dictionary or on my spell check yet but it has quickly become one of my favorite words! i’m rose levy beranbaum, author of 8 soon to be 9 cookbooks, host of the pbs show “baking magic with rose,” and now host of this brand new blog “real baking with rose.”
when people ask me what my proudest accomplishment is, without hesitation I tell them it is my connection to the world through my work. since writing the cake bible in 1988 I have received thousands of letters and more recently e-mails with responses and questions. I probably could have written another book in the time it took to answer them all but it was worth it. sharing my recipes, ideas, and stories, I have received so many more in return. is there a better feeling than having touched another person’s life in a favorable way? I’ve met kids who have grown up with cake bible birthday cakes, people who have launched businesses with the recipes, and even a woman in holland who taught friends from egypt how to make my bread recipe so that when they moved to a small town in italy with no bakery they would not be deprived of artisan bread. I recently heard from a woman in samoa who is making my multi-grain bread for her german husband who missed the bread of his childhood. story after moving story—this is the power, immediacy, and joy of the internet to join people from all over the world, enriching our lives and connecting us to the universe.
but just as the sheer volume of correspondence was threatening to overwhelm me and it seemed unlikely that I was going to be able to continue answering each person personally, my kindred baking spirit tim bennett, product manager for gold medal flour, came up with the fantastic idea for this baking blog hosted by general mills. it grew out of our lively e-mails talking about our latest baking adventures and ideas, and new recipes and often proud digital photos. tim thought it would be great to share these baking gems with other interested people as a sort of interactive baking diary. I was enraptured by the idea.
I’m especially proud that my blog is sponsored by general mills because in addition to depending on their flour for so much of my baking, many years ago I was the winner of the general mills betty crocker home-maker of the year award in my high school in new york (music and art). I didn’t realize at the time that the prediction of this award now hanging in my kitchen would come true. the certificate says that I possess many of the qualities that would make me a good home-maker, and in fact that was all I ever wanted to be. but I have been fortunate, through my work, to have been able to extend some of these qualities further to the outside world. now, with this blog, I feel I truly have come a full circle. another fortunate coincidence is that my new publisher for my upcoming cake book, john wiley and sons, also publishes the betty crocker cookbooks!
as the purpose of this blog is sharing and extending our baking knowledge and abilities, I invite you to share your baking experiences and to put forth questions. believe me I know what it’s like when doing a recipe and something doesn’t work and there’s no one to go to for the answer. I assure you that if you are wondering about something you are not alone. and if I don’t know the answer I’ll bet that one of our soon-to-be many blog members will have some ideas on the subject.
of course I will post questions only that seem to be of general interest and will still try to respond to those that are more individual in nature when time allows.
so let me start the ball of dough rolling with a favorite cake recipe which defines the title of my blog: “real baking,” and an explanation of why I think it is the only way to bake. (see the blog "why real baking")
Comments
Thanks for the kind words. I'm thrilled that we were able to make this happen. Congratulations and have fun with it.
Tim
Posted by: Tim Bennett | November 11, 2005 3:57 PM #
Hi Rose,
Congratulations on your new blog. Isn't the 21st century great? Who needs a full days supply of nutrients in a pill or a flying car when we can communicate via the internet? I hope you will have a chance to check out my essay on homemade cakes on my web site. You are the queen of cakes!
Much love from your friend,
Greg Atkinson
Posted by: Greg Atkinson | November 15, 2005 5:02 PM #
I have a question about baking with Splenda. I have an at home cake business and just received an order where the customer would like a sugar free cake. She wants a carrot cake (1/4 sheet pan) with cream cheese frosting. I was reading all the information about Splenda on the Splenda website but thought perhaps I could spare myself a lot of experimenting and some money by asking - does anyone have tips for making a great sugar free carrot cake and sugar free cream cheese frosting? Thanks!
Posted by: Amy Dawson | November 15, 2005 8:16 PM #
Welcome to the blogging world Rose!
Posted by: Joe | November 15, 2005 10:19 PM #
Great to hear about your blog, Rose. Congratulations!
Kir
Posted by: Kir | November 16, 2005 6:38 AM #
Hi Rose,
Congratulations on the launch of your blog! I still remember those fabulous classes you taught at my cooking school many years ago when I lived in Montreal. We then did the obligatory culinary tour of Montreal and you fell in love with the whole wheat croissants we discovered.
Your cookbooks are true gems and provide fabulous information and recipes. I still use them as a resource for reference material.
Even though we are in different cities, it's so nice that we can stay connected through the miracle of the internet.
Have a delicious day and bake someone happy!
Norene Gilletz
Cookbook Author/Culinary Consultant
Toronto, Canada.
Posted by: Norene Gilletz | November 23, 2005 8:13 PM #
It is a great honor for me to be commited admirer and (I hope you accept) a great personal friend of yours. Talking to you in the past have been reays of sunshine in my sometimes busy live. For that you have earned a daily big hug from me. Looking forward to our next visit anywhere (after your personal Dr.Med has cured you of the cold spell in the past!! Love Albert
PS. Concaratulation on you latest endeavoer the Newsletter and Rose's Blogs!xxxx
Posted by: albert uster | November 28, 2005 5:04 AM #
thank you norene. you were the first person who ever invited me to travel teach and no one has ever been a better host. your first book "the pleasures of you processor" was truely ground-breaking. so great to hear from you.
and albert--you adorable man--having this blog is like a "this is your life" getting to hear from treasured old friends. (for those of you who don't know, albert uster or albert uster imports in gaithersburg, md, has done more than anyone else i know to improve the quality of pastry in america. several years ago he brought the great pastry master ewald notter from switzerland and opened a school for him to teach the art of pulled sugar. and albert continues to bring the incomparable swiss products and equipment that enable us all to perform pastry magic.
love to you both!
rose
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | November 28, 2005 3:51 PM #
You love baking it looks like as much as I do. If you really want to get some creative recipes you should check out this fun new cookbook I found on Ebay called "the sweet tastes of Oregon" All proceeds from the books go to charity too, its great to see holiday cheer beign spread. happy holidays~
Posted by: linda | December 1, 2005 4:48 PM #
Rose, your book of Christmas cookies is one of my most treasured (and well-used) possessions. I bought it to have a permanent copy of the most fabulous cookie of all time, your almond crescent, which you call "the best present that money cannot buy". And it is! I found the recipe about 12 years ago in the back of a Good Housekeeping or House Beautiful magazine, and they are my signature Christmas cookie now. I call them "Rose's Crescents", and everyone asks, "Who's Rose?" and then I tell them about the cookie book. My children wait 11 months every year for these cookies! I'm so excited to hear you have a blog. Welcome to the blogosphere!
Posted by: Joanne | December 12, 2005 1:29 PM #
thank you joanne! that was one of my very first cookies and i still love it the best. in this day and age, when people can get whatever they want whenever they want, it's so lovely to maintain a tradition of special things once a year that children can look forward to. it's an important lesson in many ways!
i have some left-over pie dough in the frig. from a mini cherry pie i made for us as a special treat and i think i'll turn it into cookies right now! your mention of the crescents makes me long for a cookie. all i do is reroll the dough, sprinkling the counter and the dough with sugar and a little cinnamon, stamp out a few cookies and bake them. (instant gratification) the sugar keeps the dough from getting tough. it's a cream cheese pie crust so should be delicious but not as fragile and melting as those crescents! happy holidays.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 13, 2005 9:19 AM #
You have a blog? Wow, now this is thrilling! I was just looking through the Cake Bible today! What a coincidence!
Posted by: Wow | December 14, 2005 2:46 AM #
Okay, so I can't spell... I was so thrilled to leave a comment that I couldn't spell. Oh well! Kudos on the blog! I'll be a regular around here anyhow!
Posted by: Wow | December 14, 2005 2:48 AM #
Hi Rose. This is my first time to your site. My question, all my life my Mom and my Grandmother always measured flour, sifted it, measured again, added the other dry ingredients and then sifted again to mix. I notice on a lot of cooking shows that they don't sift the flour any more when baking cakes, etc. What's the real story? I always use just plain all-purpose flour when baking. Sometimes just to save time I think, I'm not sifting today. Please comment.
Posted by: Ann | December 14, 2005 5:34 AM #
I have a question. My recipe calls for a 12 cup bundt pan. I have searched around for a 12 inch and it doesn't seem to exist. I ended up buying a 9-5/8 inch. Will my recipe turn out differently?
Posted by: Sue Gunderson | December 15, 2005 11:25 AM #
Yes—there is no doubt about it. weighing gives more consistent results. but there are other factors involved, for example, if it is warmer in the room or the cookies dough is softer when baked they will be flatter and crisper. depending on your preference, you could chill the cookies until firm before putting them in the oven.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 17, 2005 4:47 PM #
for the future, the best way to know pan size is to use a liquid measure to pour water into it. if it’s a two-piece pan line it first with a plastic bag such as a garbage bag.
i can tell you that by june, nordicware will be reissuing the famous 12 cup bundt pan. your 9-1/2 inch pan is almost certainly 10 cup capacity.
a good rule of thumb is to fill it no more than two-thirds full. but i sometimes fill it as much as 1-1/2 inch from the top and then it domes above the center tube while baking.
you will have extra batter using the smaller pan so use it to bake cupcakes.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 17, 2005 4:48 PM #
Rose, I posted a question regarding sifting all purpose flour before baking and I would really appreciate an answer as I am about to bake a cream cheese pound cake. Every time I make this cake it rises to the very top of the pan and almost spills over. Is it from
sifting the flour??
Posted by: Ann | December 19, 2005 4:51 AM #
Original Question:
Hi Rose. This is my first time to your site. My question, all my life my Mom and my Grandmother always measured flour, sifted it, measured again, added the other dry ingredients and then sifted again to mix. I notice on a lot of cooking shows that they don't sift the flour any more when baking cakes, etc. What's the real story? I always use just plain all-purpose flour when baking. Sometimes just to save time I think, I'm not sifting today. Please comment.
Rose Reply
sorry--i seem to have lost your original question. but to answer both now: sifting is the best way to standardize meausring by volume. it is not the best way to incorporate ingredients which is why i whisk the dry ingredients together.for sponge type cakes such as genoise or angel food, sifting helps to incorporate the flour without deflating the air whipped into the egg mixture.
cheesecake is a whole different matter. when it rises too much and then falls it's bc it's been over-beaten. cheesecake doesn't have enough structure to support a rise.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 19, 2005 9:12 PM #
Dear Rose, Just wanted to tell you that when I got married in June, 1985, we decided to have a chocolate wedding cake. I made it myself, using your recipe for the Good Housekeeping Anniversary Cake, with chocolate cake, chocolate whipped cream filling, and chocolate glaze. It was absolutely delicious! I re-created it for our 15th anniversary, when we re-affirmed our vows, and again it was a big hit! I use the Cake Bible and the Christmas Cookie book frequently - they're wonderful, and I enjoy learning the science behind the baking, even though I don't always remember everything I learn. Looking forward to the new book - thanks for great recipes!
Posted by: Debbie Seitz | December 26, 2005 7:32 PM #
thanks debbie--it's so wonderful to hear that a recipe i created so long ago is still alive and well and part of the important traditions of your life
best wishes for continued happiness and joy in baking!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 26, 2005 7:56 PM #
My preteen son and I took your 3 cake class at King Arthur in VT several years ago. I asked you when were you going to write a vanilla cookbook. You said you wanted to, and hoped to. Are you still planning to write one?
Posted by: margarita gagne | January 8, 2006 8:14 AM #
i remember the two of you perfectly! i did write a vanilla article for food arts and will post it on this blog one of these days. as for a whole book, vanilla will always be a part of my baking but i don't plan to write a book entirely devoted to one ingredient. have you seen patricia rain's book on vanilla. she known as "the vanilla queen" for a good reason!
my next book will be a comprehensive cake book with every cake pictured in color!!!!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 8, 2006 10:11 PM #
I am planning to bake the sticky caramel buns for an open house next weekend. I'm not clear about what stage the basic brioche dough should be at when it's used in this recipe. It seems that it should be at at the end of Step 6 (after it's refrigerated)--is that right?
By the way, I made the flaky scones this week, and they are quite possibly the best scones I've ever eaten.
(One of my New Year's goals was to bake a different recipe from The Bread Bible every week I'm home this year).
Posted by: marie wolf | January 15, 2006 1:03 PM #
lucky you having the pleasure of making sticky buns and lucky everyone who getse to eat them. truely they are one of my favorite things to eat in this world!
yes--after step 6 and after refrigeration the dough deepens in flavor and is easier to roll and handle.
if you're like me you won't need a resolution to make a bread a week from the bread bible. i can't keep myself from doing it! but still--an excellent resolution for the new year!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 15, 2006 8:04 PM #
Rose,
I note that in your book The Bread Bible, you talk glowingly about Soehnle scales.
A while back, I bought one of their scales which was an abomination!!!!!
I found that it would drift and not maintain a stable reading. Being as it was under warranty, I got a replacement from the SoehnleUSA folks.
The replacement had the same problems. I concluded that the scale had fundamental engineering design problems. So much for quality German engineering.
The bottom line is that since they could not provide me a scale that worked, they refunded the money I'd paid to the retailer.
I next surfed the internet to find an alternative.
I wound up buying scales manufactured by the MyWeigh company. See:
http://www.myweigh.com/
I did my purchase through one of the online retailers they recommend on their site.
I found their products to have good stability, more features, and better prices than scales such as Soehnle, and Salter.
I initially bought two scales. One for large measurements up to 6 kilograms with 1 gram resolution, and the other for small measurements up to 150 grams with 0.1 gram resolution.
Thus, with the smaller one, I can use it for measuring small quantities of herbs, and even use it to accurately split the yeast in a yeast packet!!!!
I made these initial scale purchases in 2004. I have continued to be pleased with the scales.
However, I like you, found some minor annoyances, such as battery saving shutoff.
I note this past year, they have done some reengineering of some of their scales to add some further improvements.
Their new KD-7000 is an ideal scale for the kitchen. It meaures up to 7 kilograms with a resolution of 1 gram. It has 5 different units readout modes which are especially handy if working with traditional USA pounds and ounces.
Furthermore, you can adjust the scale to either stay on all the time or have a 1 or 2 minute timeout delay. The display can be backlit for easy reading. Also, the display and buttons have a hinged cover to keep spilled ingredients from mucking things up. The stainless steel weighing platform lifts off, so it can be washed easily.
Try it, you'll like it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don Rosencrantz
Posted by: Anonymous | January 25, 2006 8:23 PM #
I have very much enjoyed testing my way through the Cake Bible! I am a true lover of buttercream and am trying to make a dark chocolate version. I love the ease of your Neoclassic version but have been unable to get it to a dark chocolate state - I would love any advice!!
Posted by: Laura | January 26, 2006 9:21 AM #
I am looking for a cookie recipe that I used decades ago. It calls for rolling the dough into ropes and then can be used write out a word such as "joy." They are neither crisp nor chewy, but, well, very short. They hold their shape well during baking, so that the word is quite visible. They are also very tasty. Have such a recipe? Know how to proceed to invent one? Could it have been a Gold Medal recipe? Thanks very much.
Posted by: Sharon Sarles | January 27, 2006 8:45 PM #
re dark chocolate neoclassic buttercream: when i first started cake decorating i added so much brown food color to the icing to make it the rich brown that i wanted that it ended up turning black as did your tongues! then i discovered ganache.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 27, 2006 11:21 PM #
i don't have a cookie recipe like that--anyone???
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 27, 2006 11:32 PM #
Hi Rose,
One a recent seasoning show, you did a wonderful chocolate heart cake and sugar cookies. I cannot find the recipes on the sesonings websites. Can you post those 2 recipes here???
Thanks,
Angel
Posted by: Angel Cooper | February 11, 2006 9:12 PM #
Hi Rose,
I own (and love) your lab accurate candy thermometer (20-500 degrees) and I'd like to know if you make an oven thermometer with the same level of accuracy.
Thanks!
Posted by: Kimberlie Robert | February 13, 2006 9:25 AM #
Hi Rose,
After watching you make the Stud Muffin bread on TV, I asked for and got the Bread Bible for Christmas. Last week I made the Cinnamon-Raisin bread and ran into a problem with very liquid and sticky dough. After the first rise, it was too liquid to form the "business letter." I ended up adding almost 1/3 cup more flour. After being refrigerated overnight, the dough was stiff enough to form, and the cinnamon spirals impressed my little grandson. Got no air gaps, either! But I'm mystified by the liquid-y dough. Any comments?
Thanks!
Posted by: Carol Goltz | February 17, 2006 12:09 PM #
Rose and Fellow Bakers,
Today, I had one portion of an oven-ready loaf of Anadama bread "sink" after I slashed the top. This has never happened to me in my baking experience; needless to say, I'm wondering what happened! Most likely, I exerted too much pressure on that part of the bread. Do you agree? More importantly, could I have, at that point, deflated the dough and reshaped it for a third rise? Or perhaps I should have left it as it was to see if the sunken portion "reflated"??
Any and all advice appreciated!
Posted by: Xanthippe | February 17, 2006 8:44 PM #
Kimberlie, sadly it is no longer legal to produce mercury thermometers for the kitchen.I use an Omega probe digital thermometer.try googling Omega-- I'm sure they have a web site.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 22, 2006 9:25 PM #
carol,i'm delighted that your bread came out so well -- that's the important thing. It is a sticky dough but not liquidy. It sounds like you measured instead of weighing the flour and water which means that either you're measuring cup isn't accurate and you got too much water or there was too little flour. Or you may have used a flour with a lower protein content.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 22, 2006 9:32 PM #
xanthippe, if the dough has risen just a little too much, it may deflate on slashing. For fragile doughs it is sometimes preferable to slash right after shaping to keep this from happening. I don't think it would be a good idea to give it a third rise if it has over-risen during the second rise because the gluten strength has been impaired.in the future, only let the dough rise until, when pressed with a finger, it fills in slowly.if it has reached the point that it keeps the impression, don't slash it.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 22, 2006 9:42 PM #
HELP!!!
I'm making the Triple Chocolate Cake from the Cake Bible for my friend's birthday. Everything is assembled except the Chocolate Praline Sheets.
For the Praline Powder, I've cooked the sugar syrup twice and gotten it to the point that it looked and smelled as described in the book, but the temperature never went above 300 degrees. I didn't have the courage to go any further and did pour the second batch over the nuts. It tastes terrible and I can't imagine that it will enhance the flavor of the chocolate for the sheets.
My question is this: Is this how it should be or have I done something wrong and what could it have been?
Posted by: Paula | February 23, 2006 1:33 PM #
you're right! If it tastes terrible don't use it. Your thermometer is not working. Either use a light colored silicone spatula to determine the color of the caramel or drop a small amount on a white porcelain plate. It will look dark in the pan but on the spatula or plate it should be a nice amber color. Then it will be delicious when aded to the chocolate.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 23, 2006 1:43 PM #
Hi, Rose. I have collected all of your cookbooks and use them constantly. I used your white chocolate cake recipe for my wedding cake. So I am a huge fan!
Currently I am a librarian, and I am thinking of changing careers to a food-related pursuit. So I have been doing some research to prepare me, and I have been wondering where some of my favorite food people have gone to school. Can you please tell me if you went to cooking or baking school and, if so, where? And: how did you like it?
Thanks for all you do!
Posted by: Sue G. | February 24, 2006 12:24 AM #
the food world has changed so very much since I went to school. I got my undergraduate degree and my graduate degree in food at New York University. I went on to study the specific things I was interested in such as cake decorating at the Wilton school of cake decorating in Chicago, cooking with James Beard, and with Lydie Marshall who had cooking schools in New York City, and then cake and pastry at Le Notre in France.all of this was very instructive and enjoyable but my best education of all was by cooking and baking on my own, first by using cookbooks and then by experimenting and seeing what changing an ingredient or quantity of an ingredient would do.in more recent years, traveling and conversations with my generous and talented colleagues have added immeasurably to my knowledge bank and creativity.
Nowadays there are so many excellent possibilities of continuing education and career change in food. I wish you all the best in the best of all possible professions!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 24, 2006 7:47 AM #
Thanks, Rose, for your helpful input regarding my poor, deflated Anadama bread. I've no doubt I *did* allow the dough to over-rise a bit; next time, I'll make sure to employ the "finger press" test as you suggested.
In one of your previous posts, you mentioned you'd be sharing the recipe for your version of Peter Reinhart's Struan bread. Might we look forward to that happening anytime soon??
Thanks,
Xanthippe
Posted by: Xanthippe | February 24, 2006 5:24 PM #
Hello Rose,
I have two questions: First, can you please tell us how feel about using powdered buttermilk as a substitute for fresh?
Second, if you've eaten at Bertucci's, can you tell us if you have a Bread Bible recipe that might approximate their rolls?
Thanks, Heather
Posted by: Heather | February 25, 2006 8:56 AM #
Xanthippe, im so glad you are eager for this recipe. i have photographed the bread and the sliced bread and edited the recipe and now have to submitted it to beloved blog master for input. but he is busy redesigning the blog! thanks to the wonderful response of so many people, we are redesigning it to make it more easy to access information and also more easy for me to keep up with all the questions as well as the new info. i want to offer. should be soon. i also have a great new way to make challah using old starter which makes it much easier to braid, gives it more depth of flavor without a sour quality which i don't desire in that type of bread. stay tuned!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 25, 2006 5:12 PM #
heather, buttermilk powder doesn't hold a candle to the real thing. i wish it did as i hate to buy a whole container of buttermilk just to use 1/2 cup! but it's worth it. and of course, reluctant to waste ingredients, i end up making buttermilk pancakes and other wonderful buttermilk recipes as well as the bread for which i'm usually buy it. for ex., i even add it to the meat mixture for meatballs or meatloaf for extra delicious flavor.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 25, 2006 5:15 PM #
p.s. re bertucci's--haven't been there. if you're looking for a wonderful soft butter dinner roll i have a recipe in the bread bible as a variation to the soft white bread. if you're looking for the type that has a crisp crust try the basic hearth bread.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 25, 2006 5:24 PM #
Hi Rose,
I am an American living in London and I find it difficult to find some products in the UK that I would normally use in my baking - such as buttermilk and cake flour. Do you know if any good substitutes?
Many thanks - Barbara
Posted by: Barbara | March 3, 2006 4:20 AM #
see if you can get an out-of-print UK edition of the cake bible. i revised the entire book using a different combination of plain flour and self raising for each of the butter layer cakes. the problem with plain flour is that it is not bleached so won't hold the butter in suspension. the self raising has too much levaning for most cakes.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 4, 2006 8:44 PM #
Rose,
Reporting in to say that my subsequent loaf of Anadama bread was a stellar success. I used the "finger press" test per your advice, and slashed the top with a gentle hand; the finished product looked beautiful, evenly-risen and golden brown. Thanks again!
Looking forward to both the Struan and "Old Starter" Challah recipes.
Xan.
Posted by: Xanthippe | March 6, 2006 4:01 PM #
thanks for the great report--does my heart good.
i've submitted the struan story, recipe, and photo to blong masters travis and susie to be posted by next week the latest! i'll be at the chicago housewares show when it posts!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 7, 2006 9:26 PM #
Hello, I love your White Velvet Cake recipe but am very partial to cakes with Sour Cream in the batter. I love a heavy dense moist cake. I see you have a recipe for your favorite yellow cake and it has sour cream. Is there a way I can substitute sour cream in the white velvet cake recipe? What is the difference between these 2 cakes. Thanks, Karen
Posted by: Karen Hollister | March 8, 2006 6:09 PM #
i've been planning to test that for the new book though i know i did it in the past and the reason i went with the milk is that it was a lighter texture. so i think the sourcream will give you just what you want! plus extra flavor!!!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 8, 2006 7:09 PM #
Dear Mrs. Beranbaum,
I have enjoyed the Pie and Pastry Bible so much. I, like you, like cake a lot, but there is just something about pie (and tarts) that is even more satisfying.
But aside from your wonderful recipes, I have a question about equipment. In the equipment section in back you discuss a Wusthof tart knife. I collect Wusthof knives, too, and would love to find this triangular tart knife. I have done many internent searches for "tart knife" and "pie knife", and have asked at a few kitchen stores, but no one seems able to tell me about this knife! Do you have a source?
Posted by: Elizabeth Hayes Smith | March 10, 2006 10:01 PM #
when i did the equpiment/ingredient revision of the cake bible i checked about the tart knife and they assured me that it was still available.i listed the model/product #. since i'm travelling i don't have access to it but if you look at the equpiment section in the revised cake bible at any book store you'll see it. and/or call wusthoff 800-289-9898 and ask them where this knife is distributed.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 11, 2006 10:54 AM #
I'm trying to bake every bread in your Bread Bible this year, and am reporting my progress on www.breadbasketcase.blogspot.com. With the exception of my first bread--the rosemary focaccia--all have been deliciously successful. Thanks for this wonderful cookbook!
Posted by: marie wolf | March 18, 2006 10:24 PM #
marie, thank you so much for the feedback. believe me i deeply regret having added that focaccia recipe and created a discouraging experience for so many people!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 18, 2006 10:26 PM #
elizabeth, i spoke to the wushof people at the chicago housewares show and they are indeed still producing the tart knife. they said to give the model number to any place that carries their line and they would order it for you: #4821 for the tart knife and #4823 for the cake knife with the offset handle. be sure to tell them that these numbers refer to wusthof's product code in their catelogue and not the store's!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 18, 2006 10:29 PM #
o.k. marie--talk about obsessive--i visited your www.breadbasketcase.blogspot.com and of course had to read every single posting though i'm trying to answer everyone's blog questions before leaving tomorrow.
i laughed and smiled all the way through--wanting it never to end--and am now moved to tears. i don't quite no how to describe this but i'll make a stab: to hear about your experience with these breads on which i worked so long and hard and with such pleasure, and to see the photos and know they are living in someone else's heart and hearth is truely an indescribable joy. maybe it's akin to throwing a seed to the wind and discovering a whole world has grown from it.
to think you will be experiencing every one of those breads is so thrilling. and how frightening that starting with that one weird disaster could have discouraged you from experiencing all the rest.
by the way, isn't it interesting that i also have 10 pounds to lose. could it be the bread's fault?
i just love the way you describe your bread baking experiences and the name of your blog and believe me i'll be tuning in on a regular basis.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 18, 2006 10:47 PM #
Rose, I love baking and cooking, but when I bake Bundt cakes, I just CAN'T seem to drizzle the chocolate right. It looks so messy. How do I do it and have it look pretty?? Help?? Sincerely, Sherry
Posted by: Sherry Kendall | March 20, 2006 10:18 AM #
Mrs. Beranbaum -- thanks so much for the info on the tart knife. I appreciate it! I've found a store that will order it for me.
And because I'm always full of questions, will you indulge me in another? On p 630 in the Pie and Pastry Bible you intriguingly allude to adding the solids left over from clarifying butter to add flavor to bread dough. This sounds like a great trick! How much do you add per batch of dough, and at what point do you add it? Any particular types of breads that I shouldn't add this to? I have your Bread Bible, but I haven't found directions for this in there yet (though it could be lurking.... let me know what section if that is the case).
Regards,
Elizabeth Hayes Smith
Posted by: Elizabeth Hayes Smith | March 21, 2006 9:01 PM #
Dear Rose,
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.
One weekday, I was home (it must have been a legal holiday) and I saw your program on WYBE in Philadelphia when you were making brioche and sticky buns.
I was so intrigued, I found your website and retrieved the recipes. Later, I sponsored the coffee hour after church one Sunday and made dozens and dozens of sticky buns. I cannot tell you how responsive the people were. Food can bring so much joy into people's lives and can induce communion and loveliness.
Have you ever seen the Danish/French movie, "Babette's Feast?" I think you are a type of Madame Babette Hersant, and I thank you for the joy that you have brought to so many people.
Posted by: Nickolas | March 21, 2006 9:59 PM #
i totally agree, and you couldn't do it more effectively than with those sticky buns!
this brings to mind one of the best experiences of my life which also took place in phila. i was hosted for the book and the cook, an annual event, at partners for sacred places. it was the first time my bibles were in church and the very first time i got to speak from a pulpit!
partners for sacred places is a non-denominational society formed to encourage the survival of the places of worship in the phila. area. people of all races and relgions gathered in one of them to celebrate the event and they prepared food from all of my books for the ultimate church supper in my experience!
the best moment of all was when one of the muscians who had been hired to perform from the rafters but had no interest in the event, told me that after hearing me speak about what cooking and baking mean to me he realized that he had to support his teenage son in his interest in food and that it was indeed a viable profession (this from a musian--read artist--no less!)
yes--i completely identified with babette and actually enjoyed a reenactment of her "feast" by the restaurant petrossian. it was a gift from one of my oldest friends for my 40th birthday.
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 21, 2006 10:27 PM #
elizabeth, all the information you ask about adding the solids from clarified butter to bread is on the fougasse recipe in "the bread bible."
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March 22, 2006 6:42 PM #
HELP!!I've been an avid bread baker for 11 years, and I've never run into this kind of problem before. The recipe for Cracked Wheat bread from The Bread Bible has become our (meaning myself, my husband and our 5 very particular parrots) favorite bread of all time. And while I do tend to create my own variations (as I tend to do with just about every recipe I've ever seen) by adding in oat bran, ground flax seed, rolled oats, whatever I think sounds good that day, a simple adjustment in water volume always gives me excellent results. Until 2 days ago, that is. I did what I normally do, adding some oat bran and wheat bran this time, fermenting at room temperature (about 75 degrees) for 4 hours before proceeding. The first two risings were very sluggish and barely made it to the "doubled" mark. In the loaf pan it barely reached the top of the pan. I hoped oven spring would make up for the lack of volume, but no. It never rose at all in the oven and the crust was pale and pasty looking. The interior texture was dense and somewhat crumbly, reminding me of an Irish soda bread instead of the soft chewy loaf I'm used to. I know my yeast is very fresh, so I figured it was something in my additions that went wrong, so yesterday I made it again, following the recipe to the letter this time. I wound up with the exact same results. After going over every possibility and every step, I'm wondering, could it be the flour? I usually use Gold Medal, but my store was out and I was in a hurry so I opted for the store's brand for now. Could it have made that big a difference in the rise, color and texture? Any help here would be greatly appreciated, as I'm leery to attempt any more bread at this point! The ducks out back are more than happy now but the rest of us would really like some bread! (Our parrots absolutely refuse to eat store bought, and I don't really blame them!)
Posted by: Kim | March 23, 2006 2:46 PM #
very cute note! yes--the flour is surely the culprit. i'll be willing to bet that if you go back to the flour you were using you will get the same results. it's really amazing the difference flour can make--even within brands that aren't consistent. but gold medal flour is, to my experience, extremely consistent. do let us know!
Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | March