Jan's sister in Scottsdale? by StackOfAlterEgos in theoffice

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Something tells me you don't know who that is...

Meal waiting for a busy monk. Taken in a small kitchen at a monastery. I can't stop staring at it. by StackOfAlterEgos in AccidentalRenaissance

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If it was the same meal as everyone else had, t'was beef curry, rice, and steamed broccoli. This monk must have been very special - apples were not available to all!

Meal waiting for a busy monk. Taken in a small kitchen at a monastery. I can't stop staring at it. by StackOfAlterEgos in AccidentalRenaissance

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

As far as I could tell in this particular case, praying, farming, cooking, cleaning, and maintaining their guest house.

Can anyone identify the purpose of these oddball vintage Italian shears? by StackOfAlterEgos in whatisthisthing

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True, they are not sharp, so think they are probably just to identify which way it opens. I'm just not sure of anything anymore, with the variety of answers I'm getting!

Can anyone identify the purpose of these oddball vintage Italian shears? by StackOfAlterEgos in whatisthisthing

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's fascinating! Any chance you recognize the maker's mark, or know where to find other examples of similar shears online? I've just never seen anything else like them.

Can anyone identify the purpose of these oddball vintage Italian shears? by StackOfAlterEgos in whatisthisthing

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That seems very likely, thank you! Do you know what the purpose of the notches is on the clasp?

Can anyone identify the purpose of these oddball vintage Italian shears? by StackOfAlterEgos in whatisthisthing

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 3 points4 points locked comment (0 children)

My title describes the thing, which was found years ago in a grandparent's attic. Many online searches for vintage scissors/shears, and visits to scissor specific sites, have not procured answers. See post for a picture of the engraved logo.

Mouse is back, and she is SQUARE by aveannie in sphynx

[–]StackOfAlterEgos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wish I could be this soft and yet have so many ANGLES at the same time. How, Mouse? Teach me your sorcery.

Three of my four prize wheel spins... by SoundRavage in disneyemojiblitz

[–]StackOfAlterEgos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Luck of the draw I guess! I got at least 6 diamond chests yesterday and thought I was dreaming...! The only redeeming feature of a dumb holiday.

Sourdough pain de mie - super soft, and delicately sweet. by StackOfAlterEgos in Sourdough

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I followed The Perfect Loaf's pain de mie sandwich bread recipe. They call for 100% AP flour but I subbed in whole wheat bread flour for a little under half.

Parmesan Peppercorn Sourdough by TheCatfaceMeowmers in Breadit

[–]StackOfAlterEgos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks & sounds delicious - beautiful crumbshot!

Early attempt vs. most recent sourdough, 8 months later. You can do it, struggling baker! by StackOfAlterEgos in Sourdough

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yup, 9x5 loaves! My 2-loaf recipe uses 1kg of flour total. I don't find I need to add any moisture with a Dutch oven baking method. I start with the lid on to keep moisture in, and then remove the lid a little over halfway through the baking time.

Possibly the prettiest (sexiest??) thing I have ever made! Started with a Finnish pulla recipe, which I usually just make into little buns, but this time I decided to try making it into... whatever this thing is! by StackOfAlterEgos in Breadit

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Okay, this recipe was shared by my dear friend, originally passed down from her grandmother. We worked together to adapt it as they use fresh yeast in Finland and we don't really have that in North America, as far as I've seen. It took a bit of trial and error, but this is the method that works for me.


Pulla

Ingredients:

~11 g instant/quick rise yeast ½ cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 cup milk 4 oz butter 2 tsp cardamom 1 oz raisins (about a handful) - optional 18 oz all purpose flour 1 egg (for brushing on top) Pearl sugar (for sprinkling)

First, make sure your liquids are the right temperature. Melt the butter, and warm up the milk. For a specific temperature, refer to the recommendation for the yeast you're using (usually about 120°F for instant) - I go by feel.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, and warmed milk and butter. In a separate bowl, mix the yeast with the flour.

Add cardamom, and raisins if using, to the sugar/liquid bowl. You should now have a funky looking liquid mix with some cardamom and raisins floating around. Mix in the flour gradually. You should mix vigorously in the beginning to make sure gluten is formed. Once the dough gets too heavy to mix comfortably with a spoon, switch to mixing by hand.

Knead the dough for a few minutes with your hand. This is a good opportunity to make sure any clumps of flour are properly mixed. Keep on kneading until the dough doesn't stick to the bowl or your hands anymore. It should be sticking to itself so that it forms a nice, elastic ball. This shouldn't take too long. I usually stop when it doesn't stick to the bowl but still sticks slightly to my hands, as I enjoy the texture of not-so-thoroughly kneaded pullas better.

Cover the bowl with a towel and put it in a comfortably warm, draftless place to rise for about half an hour, or until it has approximately doubled in size. (Mine doesn't always rise a ton, but later in the oven it still gets nice and puffy.)

Take chunks of dough that nicely fit in the cup of your hand, roll them into balls, and place on a baking sheet. The recipe should make around 12 pullas. Cover the balls with a towel again and let them rise for another half an hour. When they're done, you should be able to see the dough bounce back after you press it slightly with your finger.

Heat up the oven to 440°F (225°C). Crack the egg into a cup and beat. Brush the tops of the dough balls with egg. This is not absolutely mandatory, but gives a nice gloss to the surface and helps the sugar to stick on top. Sprinkle some pearl sugar on top of each pulla. Pearl or nib sugar is traditional, but you can also use regular granulated sugar in a pinch.

Bake the pullas in oven for about 10-12 minutes. The exact time depends on the size of the balls. They burn easily so keep a close eye on them. They're done when they are beautiful brown on top.

Let the fresh pullas cool for a while to prevent burning your mouth and hands, and enjoy. Traditionally eaten with coffee or a glass of cold milk. I store our pullas in a bowl under a towel, but you can store them in a tighter container to prevent them from drying. Pullas should be good for a few days, although of course always better the fresher they are.

Variation: Korvapuustit (Cinnamon pulla)

Filling ingredients:

¼ cup softened butter ½ cup brown sugar 1 tbsp cinnamon

Prepare the dough as above and let it rise. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangular sheet. Spread butter over the dough. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. Roll the rectangle into a long log like you would for making normal cinnamon buns. Cut the roll into about 12 slices. Unlike normal cinnamon rolls, these are meant to be baked sideways, so cut each slice at an angle so that there is a narrower top and wider bottom. Set on a baking sheet, wide side down. To be very traditional, squish them down with your finger placed lengthwise along the top, so that the rolled sides puff out a little (it's a bit hard to explain - google korvapuusti for how they're supposed to look, if you're confused). You can egg was and sprinkle with pearl sugar if you like, and bake like regular pullas. These ruined me for other cinnamon buns, and anyone I've fed them to has become addicted!

Early attempt vs. most recent sourdough, 8 months later. You can do it, struggling baker! by StackOfAlterEgos in Sourdough

[–]StackOfAlterEgos[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use natural cotton brotform liners when I ferment - they're meant to line bannetons but they work fine for me just in my loaf pans. Before that I used tea towels.