tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post811996295333428131..comments2024-03-28T18:35:54.237+09:00Comments on BigHominid's Hairy Chasms: moving out of my comfort zoneKevin Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-72056796046976816802019-03-21T17:20:45.293+09:002019-03-21T17:20:45.293+09:00Yeah, if it is instant dry yeast, it should be fin...Yeah, if it is instant dry yeast, it should be fine. That stuff will last forever if it is stored properly (I keep mine in the freezer). Also, if you are using instant dry yeast, you don't need to let it sit in warm water first--that's only for active dry yeast. You can just throw the instant yeast straight in with the rest of the dry ingredients.<br /><br />Also, smooth balls are very important. Of course I had to bring it into this. Nobody wants balls that aren't smooth.Charleshttp://www.liminality.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-20246340438000359322019-03-21T01:15:02.840+09:002019-03-21T01:15:02.840+09:00Anonymous,
I don't think I published your com...Anonymous,<br /><br />I don't think I published your comment last time, so I don't understand why you'd be receiving notifications.<br /><br />To be clear, I didn't publish your comment because my comments policy—which sits right above the comments window, and which I encourage you to read if you haven't already—specifically forbids people from leaving anonymous comments. I want people to take responsibility for what they say by at least leaving a consistent screen name instead of going anonymous or engaging in sock puppetry.<br /><br />I published <i>this</i> comment of yours so that I could communicate my side of things, but this is a one-time-only deal. I won't be publishing any further comments of yours if you insist on continuing to comment anonymously. Please understand that that's been my rule for years, and the rule sits right above the commenting window, where it's clearly visible.<br /><br />Anyway, more to the point of your complaint: I apologize for the inconvenience that Blogger is causing you, but whatever problem this is, it's out of my control. Blogger is a convenient platform for writing out one's own thoughts, but it's pretty horrible in almost every other way. All I can suggest is that you simply add a filter to your email (this takes about a minute, tops) to direct any further notifications to your trash or spam folder. Again, on behalf of Blogger and its goofy notification system, I apologize. I don't think anyone is commenting on that post anymore, so the notifications ought to peter out on their own.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-50900603590011092342019-03-21T00:59:58.236+09:002019-03-21T00:59:58.236+09:00After I initially commented I appear to have click...After I initially commented I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments <br />are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I recieve four emails with the exact same comment.<br />There has to be a means you are able to remove me from that service?<br />Thanks a lot!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-36147949782277452952019-03-20T23:12:27.223+09:002019-03-20T23:12:27.223+09:00Charles,
Yeah, lack of kneading is probably the c...Charles,<br /><br />Yeah, lack of kneading is probably the culprit. I don't think your instructions were insufficient; I just need more practice.<br /><br />The yeast came from a new bottle, so it shouldn't be dead: 70 g, Sungjin Instant Dry Yeast, blue label. I let the yeast sit in a warm bath of milk, butter, and sugar for about five minutes. As for the ferment, I did the whole hour, per your instructions.<br /><br />>>you'll want to make sure that your balls are very smooth and even<<<br /><br />You <i>had</i> to bring grooming into this.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-60586269306761065842019-03-20T21:21:39.846+09:002019-03-20T21:21:39.846+09:00Well done! They at least look like pretty good fla...Well done! They at least look like pretty good flatbreads!<br /><br />I should probably preface my comments with a caveat: I was only vaguely trying to produce a true naan with this recipe. This is naan-ish, perhaps (or more likely pure naan-sense). This recipe probably doesn't have as much butter/fat as you might get at an Indian restaurant, for one. But I was basically just trying to produce a flatbread that I would be happy with.<br /><br />You said that the dough didn't really rise. That sounds like an issue that needs some diagnosis.<br /><br />1) How long did you knead the dough for? I have absolutely no recollection of what sort of instructions I included with the recipe (although, judging by your comments, "insufficient" appears to be the answer), but you probably needed to knead it more than you did--the dough still looks a little bit rough on the surface. A properly kneaded (yeast) dough should be smooth and even. (Also, you should end up with a clean bowl at the end. Moving the dough around the bowl as it forms should help to pick up all those bits that ended up left over.)<br /><br />2) How long did you let the dough ferment for the rise? I would recommend at least an hour, or longer depending on the ambient temperature. (Incidentally, "proofing" or "proving" refers to the final ferment before baking, after the shaping of the loaf. Prior to that you just have the "rise" or "ferment" (which is a more general term for the whole process). This recipe does not actually proof.)<br /><br />3) What exactly was the ambient temperature in your apartment? You said it was cool, but unless it was <i>very</i> cool, that shouldn't have had too much of an effect on a dough that was properly kneaded and left for a sufficient amount of time.<br /><br />4) Are you sure the yeast is viable? What kind of yeast did you use? If you want to test your yeast, add some to a little warm water and sugar and let it stand for a bit.<br /><br />Those are the possible issues that I can think of, listed in suspected order of probability. Just based on the photos, #1 seems a likely culprit, but it could also have been a combination of that and #2. This is all the fault of my faulty directions, no doubt.<br /><br />Oh, also, if you want more evenly shaped flatbread (and, to be honest, it's not easy to make perfectly shaped breads), you'll want to make sure that your balls are very smooth and even. You want to sort of cup them with both hands and pull down as you rotate them, making a smooth and even skin over the surface of the balls.<br /><br />(Once you've done that, make sure to wash your hands before you start working on the dough again.)Charleshttp://www.liminality.orgnoreply@blogger.com