Calling all bakers. I'm getting ready to "DO IT" again...cook, that is.

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Invited a bunch of family over for a 4th of July BBQ. Nothing fancy...hotdogs, hamburgers, brats, potato salad, cole slaw, corn-on-the-cob...you know...the STANDARD.

However, I HATE those sticky store-bought buns, so I thought I'd make my own. I found this recipe, but how does one determine 3oz of dough without a small scale?

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), June 21, 2002

Answers

Anita,
From your previous accounts, one might think that your post's "subject" should have addressed not bakers, but firemen and emergency medical technicians. 8^)

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), June 21, 2002.

Heh. We'll get to those people after I've figured out how to determine 3oz of dough, David.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), June 21, 2002.

Anita:

It depends on how you make your dough. Based on your description of your talents, that could be as small as a marble. ;<)) I somehow think that you exaggerate, since you raised 3 kids and they didn't starve.

Rule of thumb is on volume. If you are using high protein flour [ie. greater than 12 % gluten] the combination of rising and baking will triple the size. With lower gluten flour [ie, less than 12 %] they will double in volume. Of course the kind of yeast you use will make a difference.

Best Wishes,,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002.


Z: NOW I'm supposed to know the level of gluten in my flour? For cripes sake, all I'm asking is how I determine 3oz of dough! Is that typically an inch, two inches...WHAT?

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), June 21, 2002.

Anita:

If it doesn't tell you on the bag it is less that 12%. If you buy cheap general purpose flour, it can be under 10% [really pastry flour made fro soft wheat and will make crappy bread]. If you buy something called "bread flour" from a major brand, it will be made from hard red winter and be near 12% and double. I use King Arthur flour [local store carries it]. Their bread flours are made from hard red spring wheat [like the old Certana] and go as high as 16% gluten. Does that help?

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002.



By-the-by:

If you want to make buns for burgers, don't give them something to grab onto [like corn meal on the coated pan]. They will go straight up and you will have buns that will hold a silver dollar sized burger. Give them a slippery base so they have to spread out. ;<)))

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002.


Anita:

I have done this before. Here is one thing that I do to make the buns more interesting [not all of them, just some]. A couple of days before the party, I finely chop some jalapenos and garlic and soak it in olive oil in the fridge for a few days. I use that as the oil component in the bread. Takes away the wonderbread taste. Of course, depending on how much you add, it may take away all taste. ;<))))

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002.


One more thing [I have been reading government documents all morning and my mind isn't too organized;<)))]. Add about 1 cup of finely shredded sharp cheddar to each 4 cup flour recipe before the first rise [in addition to the oil, you will need to adjust the water by feel].

Now that is all.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 21, 2002.


Anita,

A cook that I know said to use one tablespoon per ounce of dough and "don't worry about it". I take no responsibility for her statement. Have a good holiday.

-- (lars@indy.net), June 21, 2002.


Hey Anita!

Long time no see! Good luck on your endeavor for the fourth!

I looked at the recipe and 6 TABLESPOONS of yeast seems heavy for only 6 and half cups of flour. If I were you, I would cut the recipe into a third, and do a test run before the big day. Just to see if it turns out ok. I have a great hamburger bun recipe I got years ago from a Fleishman's Yeast cookbook. I'll see if I can find it for you. Also, if you don't feel like heating up the kitchen to bake bread in the middle of summer, I have an alternative. I find using Kaiser rolls from a good bakery to be a great substitute! They are not sweet, they're substantial enough to toast on the grill, and they don't fall apart like the junky buns you can get at the store. You CAN make your own kaiser rolls, but you really need a kaiser stamp for them to look and taste right. Let me see what I can find for ya! Oh, and 3 oz of unrisen dough would probably be about the size of a golf ball or a little larger. Hope that helps!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), June 21, 2002.



Nice to see you posting Anita!

I would just use a large tablespoon full of dough. After you cook the first batch, adjust if you want them larger or smaller.

-- Pammy (pamela_sue57@hotmail.com), June 21, 2002.


Hiya AB! You posted while I was typing. Hopefully Anita's dough will only resemble golf balls in size. ; )

-- Pammy (pamela_sue@hotmail.com), June 21, 2002.

Ya know what, AB? I'm gonna go to the bakery a few days before the event and put in a special order on hot-dog and hamburger buns. It's time I realized that I shouldn't make these holiday events more trouble than they're worth. I'll be quite busy enough with the potato salad, cole slaw, etc., not to mention creating a bubble mixture for the little ones to enjoy, and outside recreational events for the adults.

Thanks for the advice.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), June 22, 2002.


Aunt Bee told me once that she has a spaghetti sauce recipe that takes three days to cook.

I wonder about her sometimes.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeeD@yahoo.com), June 22, 2002.


Hiya Pammy!! ;-)

Anita, I went in search of a recipe for ya! Now that I look at the community cookbook one, it must be more like sweet roll dough! Almost 2 cups of sugar to 6+ cups of flour? Plus it has 7 cups of liquid to to 8 dry ones? Ummm, don't think I'd waste my time on that one after all!

Look at this one: recipe and see what you think. Plus the directions call for dividing the dough into 8 pieces, so no guessing at the weight!

However, I think it's a smart move NOT to do it yourself!

Uh, and thanks Unk, for wondering about me -LOL! See if you and Mrs D ever get invited over for my famous lasagne! Still rainin' there?

-- Aunt Bee (
Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), June 22, 2002.



I would love an invite Abie, but hate the idea of putting you through the hassle of preparing your "six week cooking time" lasagne.

No rain today, cloudy though.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeeD@yahoo.com), June 22, 2002.


Don't give up Anita. Dough floats doesn't it? If so a simple water displacement test will give you the answer. Fill a measuring cup say to 8oz. Drop in a wad of your best guess then depress till it's submerged. Note the rise in water level and if it hits 11oz you've got it. Adjust the wad as needed then use it as a model for undunked cookables. Home baked is always best and think of the pride!

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), June 22, 2002.

Very funny Unkie! Actually making the sauce is what takes the longest. After that chore is done, it just a matter of grating & mixing the cheeses, boiling the pasta and assembling it! A mere 45 minutes in the oven, and voila! Mr and Mrs D are served! (Right after the wine and antipasta of course!). C'mon over!

Although tonight is caesar salad, grilled porterhouse steaks, sauteed onions and mushrooms, grilled corn on the cob and french bread I baked this morning! Dessert is sliced strawberries in Cointreau over a lovely lemon sponge cake, with a little chantilly cream. How shall I grill yours Unk? and for Mrs D?

I don't know how it is in the rest of the country, but steaks have been incredibly cheap this summer. Thick porterhouse was a mere $3.49/# as were boneless ribeyes this week. Well, I do live in cattle country!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), June 22, 2002.


I like mine medium! : )

-- Pammy (be@right.over!), June 22, 2002.

Pammy,

Is that medium well or medium rare? Personally, I like mine mooing!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), June 23, 2002.


Hi Anita, I think a trip to the bakery is probably a good choice, why create more work fer yourself? use that time to have a lil more fun!

AB, I'll take my steak rare as well (pardon the pun), just dehorn the fucker and slap it on the plate : )

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), June 23, 2002.


Yep; the state that I live in is number 2 in beef cattle production. We have nearly one cow for every two people. So what did I have. Well pup shared the meal with us. Remember, this is pup. Three months ago, I gave him a grilled shrimp; he spit it our and hid it under the rug. He has now developed a palate.

Yesterday, he dined on stir fried squid with Japanese noodles in wasabi sauce, a few grilled shrimp and grilled egg plant slices [he still isn't up to salad]. He had a small saucer of Spatlese on the side [doesn't like dry wines].

The development side of my job involves beef cattle. Had about 800 head of angus on plots last year. I guess I am being disloyal, but pup is becoming a fish dawg. The wild salmon have been in the stores for a while. He loves it ;<)))

Best Wishes,,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 23, 2002.


Anita,

Just close your eyes and hope. Why should this part of your life be any different than what most of either your or my life has been.

Just go with what feels right.

It will work out all right.

-- Jack Booted Thug (governmentconspiracy@NWO.com), June 24, 2002.


I have mixed feelings about how things went, but I [sure as hell] don't feel inclined to invite SO's family to another gathering any time soon.

We bought the Kaiser rolls [and hogie rolls, I think]. They tasted good with the hamburgers that #1's new romantic interest made. I'd have to say that Jon was the highlight of my day yesterday. He DOES make a whoop-ass burger, mixing garlic, ground chuck, onion salt, jalapenos, mesquite sauce and other spices. He made up the beef mix, grilled them, and brushed them with more mesquite sauce. He also entertained us by playing SO's guitar and singing. He's talented in more ways than one.

The only other highlight of my day was the unexpected presence of one of SO's best friends and his wife. They were in Texas for a reunion of sorts, so stopped by, ate, and we all had a great time. They were on their way out the door by the time SO's family showed...hold a BBQ for 12 or 1 and his family came at 4 or 5. I'd actually expected SO's sister-in-law to call me yesterday to ask what she should bring. She does this every time [after she knows that everything is already done]. Seems that this time she'd lost my number. Heh.

Funniest part of the day: Lucky went to the bathroom. 20 minutes later, she hadn't yet returned. I always steer her to the bathroom off the master bedroom because it's bigger and will allow her more room to manipulate her walker. Heh. She was laying on my bed. I said, "Watcha doin?" She [not knowing that this was a waterbed] had decided to sit on it for a minute before returning to the frontroom, but waterbeds being what they are, she couldn't get up after sitting down.

So, Lucky had fun talking to all the people and listening to Jon's guitar. We didn't even take her home until after 10pm, so she'd had a full day. SO's family, apparently, got bored. His brother said he was too hot to eat and went into the frontroom and turned on a ballgame [expecting the rest of us to conform to HIS opinion of entertainment], but nobody did, save his wife, who seems content to simply fall asleep during ballgames. None of his brother's kids came. His daughter and grandson didn't even get here until 5pm, and I'd invited other little kids over for backyard games [and she knew that]. That the other little kids never showed up became meaningless after SHE showed up so late.

So...AFAIC, holidays from now on will be spent with Lucky, my daughter, and her new guy [for however long that lasts]. I'll invite friends, but I'm not gonna extend invitations to SO's family anymore. If he wants to see them, he knows where they live.

P.S. I never even got around to making half the food I'd planned. We have a frig full of franks, brats, makings, and will maybe eat it up before taking a vacation this month, but it just stopped making sense to make MORE food when so few people showed up on time.

Heh. Okay...give me some cheese to go with my whine.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), July 05, 2002.


Anita:

We have a frig full of franks, brats, makings,

Well that is a "friggin" shame, so to speak. ;<)))

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), July 05, 2002.


Anita:

I don’t have the problem that you do. Neither me or my wife have a relative within a days drive.

We did have people over for the 3rd of July. We burned a few burgers and brats for those who wanted them.

Otherwise, we had a mixture of stuff. That would be 5 kinds of homemade bread. I hickory/apple [wood I collected here] smoked a duck and some copper river salmon. I made crayfish gumbo that was served over rice. We had pacific cod that was grilled, sandwiched between, pineapple and mango, served with grilled eggplant and garlic. People loved the squid, cooked with olives, capers and other stuff. We had sashimi wrapped in kelp and vinegared rice. Of course there was shrimp. There was a large salad.

We invited 20 people and 40 showed up. Fortunately, the owners of two of our most high- scaled restaurants always show up and help. They brought other stuff. They are friends but, I think, they show up because they are amused at some of the things that I put together. I don’t remember what else we had but nothing was left. The pup wasn’t happy with no leftovers. He ate blind robins. ;<)))

Best Wishes,,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), July 05, 2002.


Anita,

Sounds like you have 2 exceptionaly happy moments to take from yesterday and there are prolly other smaller instances to pack in the memory bank, that's a great day where I come from. Anything that's not a catastrophy is a great event ; )

Yesterday was most excellent here as well, the 4th is one of my fav holidays and the 1st one here in the Cape didn't dissapoint. The early part of the day I collected bananna pups from a friends nanner patch and transplanted them in my emerging zeroscape, planted my newly acquired Ponytail palms and built a sunken/raised bed for my watermelon crop, digging out a small mountain of sand and adding 1700lbs of top soil and such kicked my lil ass, but it'll be worth it.

Then it was time to party! Ice cold Budweisers and hearty attitude adjustments along with marinated grilled chicken, ribs, hot italian sausage and veggies. We had a large time with lotsa downhome driveway humor and spectacular fireworks viewed from the roof.......... no, no one fell off.

Then just as the party seemed to be winding down a manhunt developed, lasting from about 2am till after 5, with dogs and about a dozen cops. We chipped in with our own floodlights and spotlights to lend a hand but the feller got away. Everyone thinks he musta dove into a canal, which is seriously stupid here, especially at night because of the gators. Maybe he'll show up in a few weeks.....or at least parts of him.

The most important thing though...is....Happy Birthday America!!!

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), July 05, 2002.


Z: Well, maybe SOMEDAY [when I become the culinary queen] we'll have more folks show up than were invited.

SO and his friend from Atlanta played golf on the 5th and I boiled up some hot brats for their return. They ate ALL of them. My daughter and her new romantic interest came over yesterday with food for the snake and Jon ended up making another 5-lb of his whoop-ass burgers [many of which they took home with them, as well as my coleslaw and potato salad.] They called their roommate to bring over more BBQ sauce and beer. He came, and choked down about three burgers plus potato salad and slaw. He must have been starving, as he ate so fast and furiously that he spilled the salads all over himself and the floor.

I dunno what time they all left. We watched The Jackal, which the two young men had never seen after eating. The beer and rum/cokes flowed, and I was quite grateful that "little bit" called to say that they'd made it home safely.

Friends and MY family...no prejudice THERE, right? We all have fun together. It's what I wanta do on my downhill slide.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), July 07, 2002.


Anita:

That means that you will change your name to Martha?

I am not sure about pup. He was a stray little thing that showed-up here. The vet claims that he is an Australian Sheperd.

I am not so sure. He not only likes blind robbins. He loves lutefisk and lefse; not to mention fiskeboller.

For breakfest, his favorite is some good salted cod and potato cakes.

I think that he is a Norwegian Sheperd.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), July 07, 2002.


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