While I began my baking prior to the start of the Pandemic, the pandemic has brought a lot of new bakers into the fold, all hoping to learn to make better bread, relieve stress, and have the wonderful aroma of fresh baking in their homes.
Many will have started with some variant of a “No Knead Artisan Bread” which is particularly easy, and if you have a good large-ish Dutch Oven, can make some amazing bread.
But you quickly go beyond that and want something … more.
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Long time readers are aware of my recent fascination with baking bread. Originally I began as a way to de-stress, and like my quest for the perfect pizza, it has become somewhat of a crusade.
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Ever since I bought my first “place,” a condo in south San José, I have been using a gas fired Webber for my grilling needs. First a small Spirit I bought in 1999, and later a Genesis Series (model 310) that I bought in 2009. Both served me well, and made multiple moves.
However, even after several attempts, they have one major shortcoming. They suck for smoking food. I tries all the tricks, mostly in the era of the Spirit, but all the attempts were sorry failures.
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A couple weeks ago, on a lark, I bought one of those Jennie-O frozen turkey breasts, with the intent to cook it on the Kamado. I freely admit that I am not really a fan of the big bird. This is largely due to a confluence of a few factors. The first being that my mother – may her soul rest in peace – cooked a turkey drier than a Monument Valley August afternoon. Bone dry would have been a juicier bird.
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My latest acquisition and fascination is the Kamado grill. One of the benefits of a Kamado, besides the amazing ability to cook at very low temperatures, is its ability to get HOT. Seriously, Steakhouse-Sear hot.
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Last week, I made my first Boston Butt (aka Pork Shoulder) in my Kamado Joe Classic III. Total cook time was about 9 hours, with a 1 hour rest and it was DELICIOUS. Of course, we handed out some leftovers to the neighbors who greedily snarfed on some great pulled pork.
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Last week, I mentioned how some baking success sparked a new passion, to bake bread. Delicious, full gluten, and wholesome bread.
I did buy some special equipment to assist and streamline the baking. Today, I used it.
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My earliest recollection of Pizza was Round Table take out in the early 1970’s. At the time, Round Table was local to the SF Bay Area, and it wasn’t a terrible pie. However, it wasn’t inspiring.
Then sometime in the mid 70’s, we had pizza at a local place. I think it was called Anchors, or something similar. I do know it was at the end of Homestead Road where it hit Foothill Expressway. Continue reading →
Last week, I mentioned how some baking success sparked a new passion, to bake bread. Delicious, full gluten, and wholesome bread.
I did buy some special equipment to assist and streamline the baking. Today, I used it.
The new gear:
A poorly kept secret is that I worked my way through college (and after as well) as a chef. Well, I started in my mid-teens as a dishwasher, and rose through the ranks, ultimately being the Chef at a local chain of Italian restaurants. In this time I wen from bistro food, to American classic, to Seafood and Mexican, to time spent in a large kitchen at a country club.
All through that time, I rarely baked. Sure, we had a pastry chef, and there were some fun around making gourmet pizzas, but I never really baked bread. Continue reading →