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posset, no I was not affended at all. Now I have the heads up that it is wrong, I now know to say if anyone mentions it "My name is nothing to do with Italian Bread Sticks, its just a mix of my name. Mrs Nini Grisin Hope your new puppy is settling in OK.

gastrosurf, I have only used 'a starter' when I made Ciabatta Bread once. The starter had to be left for 16 hours or overnight. It was quite a demanding little recipe but the bread was lovely. I think the starter (in this recipe) is to give the bread the 'sour bread' taste. I have read something about bakers always using a quick small starter to ensure they don't waste flour. I put the fresh yeast in a little pot with 2 tblsp warm water and 1 1/2 tsp sugar just to make sure its alive. Do let us all know how you get on with it.

Nini xx

Hi Grisinni

Yes, I'm convinced that wetter dough produces the best results. Working it tends to be the problem though.

I'm still in two minds about whether it's worth making a starter/sponge - as far as I recall, the baker on MK didn't.

I think I'll try two lots - one with a starter, and one without, while keeping all other factors the same.

For all the criticism that is levied at commercially made bread, I admire the lightness they get into their products, and to be honest about it, if you pay enough, there is some delicious bread sold in supermarkets. A few months ago I bought a sliced loaf in TESCO (not their own make btw) it was half price and I paid 75 pence for it, and it was absolutely delicious.

When I can make bread as light and as tasty as that loaf, I will be very happy.

I believe they have steam jets in their ovens, which probably work more efficiently than a bowel of water !

But I have my bench-mark, so I will keep trying.


All the best.

Hi Grisinni

I hope I did not offend you, I didn't even notice the difference in the spelling of your 'name'. Apologies ...innocent error. I am dog tired!!!

I love making bread too. I stopped using any particular recipe ages ago. Flour, salt, olive oil, yeast and I shove the lot under the tap, usually cold water. I read somewhere that slow fermentation gives a better flavour. I find you can always add more flour if a bit sloppy after a good knead. I 'prove' overnight in fridge too. It isn't rocket science is it after all?Sometimes we worry too much and are too precise with measurements of ingredients; texture and look of dough is more important I think. Happy baking

gastrosurf, when you said -

Recently I have been working with my dough much wetter - I think that is the answer to a good 'rise'.

I have found it can make a difference too. I used to knead my dough by hand with a certain amount of water and it was fine. Then I bought a magimix with dough blade, the first time I used it with the same quantities it didn't rise well, this happened a few times.

I was on the verge of not using the magimix again. Just by chance I was making Grissini (note, spelled correctly - not like my name, hang head in shame - realised thanks to posset's post ) anyway back to subject.

The Grissini recipe had more water in it and the dough rose fine. Even though I had used the magimix. So I added more water to my bread recipe and voilà perfect.

So for anyone who has given up using their magimix for bread making, have another go but use more water.

I'm glad it made you smile posset - I was slightly worried you might be offended.

Sounds like you have had an exhausting time - you must be dog-tired?

Oh dear, that was so corny, but I just couldn't resist it.

Take care and all the best.

gastro, you provided me with giggles all day yesterday thanks. They were needed too as it was the first night home with a new puppy...My other dog has a 'face on' and the puppy cried for a lot of the night. So I spent night on the sofa tending to their whims. Life is not always 'a bowl of cherries'!

posset

If lying down in a darkened room stoning cherries gives you pleasure, then let s/he who is without the odd quirk cast the first stone!

But cherries don't do it for me ... lol

I find making bread a tad therapeutic.

Recently I have been working with my dough much wetter - I think that is the answer to a good 'rise'.

Now here's a confession: I saw the master baker on Market Kitchen (the one who weighs the water used) doing his sticky dough technique - it's more of stretch, flip and swing, than the usual kneading method. It really gets the muscles working around the collar bones. The first lot of rolls I made were the best ever - they doubled in size and were light with a soft crust.

But the second lot were not so good :-( - I think maybe the starter/sponge wasn't quite right.

posset, you've given me an idea for a new thread, watch this space ... take care and all the best.

Rush Gastro without delay to TK. Yesterday they had those cherry stoner machines that I wrote about at the start of this thread. It is very satisfying to stone so many cherries so quickly and it gives a theraputic thump as it spits out the stone. Very gratifying. Cherry ice-cream anyone?

Off to have a lie down in a darkened room

Grisinni

Perhaps I should add that I use the cheapie supermarket home brand of clingfilm - the problem I have is that the clingfilm I use is quite elastic and the roll doesn't turn that well within the holder, which means using quite a lot of 'pull' to get the film out, but then when the film is cut through on the inbuilt saw edge, the remainder of the roll shoots back inside the holder, and so I had to remove the roll again to find the end and get it back outside of the holder.

I have a better quality roll of film in the drawer, but it's too long for the holder.

So in short: a waste of time and money! In fact x2, because there are two in a pack!

I guess there is a chance it might work with less elastic clingfilm and a roll core that runs better within the holder - but then I've shied off taking it into the supermarket and trying out different clingfilm rolls like Mr Bean with the kipper and the frying pan!

posset

I've been thinking I must have a pasta tree for some while - I will look out for one the next time I'm in TK Maxx (which will probably be sooner rather than later now !)

I wonder if Paul McKenna has thought of doing a book with a CD for Gadget & Gismo dependent shoppers?

"Look into my eyes, not round the eyes, etc ...! "

I feel I did quite well last time in Lidl's - I didn't buy a very cheap trolley with plastic baskets for shelves. I didn't buy some quaint Japanese (may have been Chinese) tea cups - that was really close because they were very cheap. Oh, and I didn't buy a non-stick loaf tin with a glass bottom!

Ice Cream makers....Yes I have one of those! Of course I thought I had to have one, no, needed to have one. It has a self chilling unit and therefore quite large. The problem is that it should not really be moved about, so if you had this model you would have to give up counter space. It does make delicious ice-cream, really beautiful, but my question is how much ice-cream do you eat?I have used it twice this year for Rhubarb (forced) and Custard Ice cream and Raspberry Ripple. The awful weather this summer has not prompted me to use it further.

Gastrosurf, you may have helped Grissini, but you gave me two other shops I feel I must investigate! T K Maxx is a real Aladdin's cave for kitchen gadgetry. I bought an amazing Stock Pot (among numerous other items)there for a fraction of the cost in a Cook Shop.

I did not succumb to the Mango Splitter....but walked the 12 steps to the till with a pasta drying tree. No more broom handle from work top to work top for me!!

Thank you gastrosurf, you have saved me from buying another useless gadget. After seeing those Lidl cling film rolls on someones link, I was going to pop in a buy them (and probably other gadets while I was there). Glad you wrote about them.

Saved...... for now !!

I'm not sure there is a cure posset ... I think the twelve steps program means saying: "NO ... I really do not need this!" ... and then take twelve steps towards the door!

But then afterwards you will probably think: "if I had that gadget I would do this in half the time" ... "and tomorrow they might not have any left" ... or : "the price might go up next week" ... etc ... etc...!

The nearest I have got to a mango splitter is an apple divider ... which was quite cute because it gave perfectly sized pieces ... but then one day the dam thing turned inside out, and that was the end of that!

The thing is, with the cheaper gadgets and gismo's I tend to just chuck them in the bin when they break rather than taking them back, because you feel, "oh well!, what can you expect for £2.99, £3.50, etc?"

Perhaps a therapeutic approach would involve taking the bag of broken bits back and demanding the return of the £2.99, £3.50, whatever, while suffering the indignity of feeling a cheapskate! ... lol

I find places like Lidl, TK Maxx and TJ Hughes are some of the most tempting places - I might have two at home already, but I think: "wow that's cheap and you never know the other two might break one day!"

Last week I bought a holder for cling film rolls, great idea in theory, trouble is, in practice it's totally useless!

It works OK with foil, but then so does the box the foil comes in

Well I guess I'd better take a look at the Lidl website and see what the specials are this week - I would hate to miss out on a real bargain!

Hi fellow gadget barm pots (thats nutcases to you southern softies darn sarf) I have so bought so many expensive gadgets that I have never used in my time I could open a gadget shop but I am being beckoned once again, lured by the though of an ice cream maker. Is this a practical buy of will it sit on the shelf along with the juicer, choppers (numerous), bread maker, slow cooker, mats that you place on the table so as not to burn same but I keep forgetting Ive got, stainless steel dishes with flame under to keep food hot I have two of these and have never used either, I could go on but am sure you must be bored by now. Anyway would be glad to hear your comments regards lesley50 1

Here's one for you Gastro....

I was drawn like 'a moth to the flame' into a new cook-shop today. With anticipation, I looked for any gadget I didn't already have in my over stuffed kitchen. Found this Mango Splitter

[link]

I would put this into the Corn Stripper and Pineapple cutter gadget bracket? What do you think? Is there any cure for my condition? Shall we set up a self help thread?

Thanks Mary, it really is that simple isn't it

Well done Grisinni. All you need is a bowl and some warm milk and an initial culture. I really don't get these yoghurt machines.

Is the Nicer Dicer one of those things that you 'pump' up and down Fox? I have seen them demonstrated but never tried one.

My pink KitchenAid is coming into its own now that I have started using it. I love it.

I was on the verge of buying a yoghurt maker the other day. Having been influenced by Rhodes in India. Luckily I browsed the internet and found a recipe that doesn't need a machine at all.

I know what you mean, I now run through a routine in my head of : "Do you really need this? OK, it's great value for money and could be useful, BUT do you REALLY need this?"

Then sometimes I walk round the shop again to mull it over, I have been known to get to the car and then say: "ah blow it", and go back and buy the darn thing!

If you know of any group therapy for gadget junkies, please let me know and I'll join up!

My most favourite kitchen gadget this week (As I am a total kitchen gadget freak)

Is a gadget called a Nicer Dicer its brill for dicing onions mushrooms apples etc I use it nearly every day at the moment.

I have a bright red Kitchen Aid mixer but that just tends to sit on the kitchen side looking attractive as I dont use it much.

I have a bread maker that is complete pants and I should really throw it away.

It doesn't sound great Posset! What if the corn doesn't comply with EU standards? The bumps would be in the wrong place. And a knife works just fine.

I bought my mandolin at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham ... oh I don't know how many years ago.

Talking of which I am coming to UK in November to celebrate various family birthdays and I am going to go to the Good Food Show. Is anyone else?

This link shows a mandolin with a safety holder fitted:-

[link]

A cheaper version here but with a less reliable looking holder:-

[link]

Hi Mary, sorry for delay but I have been away. My ex cornstripper was bought in the Southern states of America. If you imagine a pair of tongs with a semi circle 'bump' on each side, in the middle of the tongs, with a serated lower edge to it. You clamped the corn in this bump and pushed down to strip the corn. Well you can imagine, I'm sure, one slip and the corn flys across the kitchen.

I think I could add the pineapple cutter to this league, very wasteful, quicker with a knife.

Doughy Boy, Mandolines are fine with a safety holder as Mary from Oz says and much better for even slicing of potatoes for Dauphinoise.

My mandolin has a safety holder. No worries. I use it all the time ... and have done for years. I still have eight fingers and two thumbs!

Merv, the very thought of a mandolin sends shivers up my spine!!

My mandolin is used almost on a daily basis,my pestle & mortar for grounding my curry spiced & sea salt & black pepper & my electric steamer is used 2 or 3 times a week,same as my George Forman grill.And I agree on the Breville!
Electric bread maker,3 years old & used twice!!
Regards,
Merv