The hosts are thrilled with the James Beard Award announcement for the best book in the Baking & Desserts category … the envelope please … it’s Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making by Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman. Equally intriguing is a winner in the Health category: Gluten-Free Baking at Home: 102 Foolproof Recipes for Delicious Breads, Cakes, Cookies, and More by Jeffrey Larsen. Who knew a baking book would ever win in the Health category?
Stefin shares a recent kitchen gadget she’s enjoying, an extensive measuring spoon set that contains unusual sizes such as 3/4 and 1/16 tsp. Andrea is equally fond of her whimsical measuring spoon set that includes a tad, a dash, and a drop!
Recipe Review: Homemade English Muffins by Gemma Stafford
It does seem to be a lot of work to make English muffins at home … is it worth it? Start off by planning ahead, as it involves two rises: one 18 hour first rise, followed by a second, shorter, 45 minute rise. Don’t forget to watch the video. It’s an eight minute investment that pays off. Stefin appreciated the instruction to keep the salt and yeast separate, so as to not accidentally kill the yeast. Both hosts enjoyed the tip to hold back on the wet ingredients until you made sure the dough was the desired consistency. Stefin found her dough extremely sticky, while Andrea (and her husband) enjoyed the boozy vapors from the fermentation.
Both hosts struggled on determining the correct size and thickness for the muffins and finding a cooking temperature that would cook the muffins without burning them. At the end of the day, the muffins were delicious, and both the hosts and their families enjoyed hot, fresh, homemade English muffins. Stefin enjoyed serving hers with some homemade pumpkin butter. However, Andrea thinks she may stick with store-bought in the future.
Bake Along: The Healthiest Breakfast Cookies from Choosing Chia
These cookies contain many of the same ingredients featured in homemade granola and look to be a healthy and fun addition to your morning routine. Bake along with the hosts and post your pictures to the Facebook Listeners Group.
Preheated Book Club: Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin
Both hosts absolutely enjoyed this delightful book that extols the values of simple comforting food: well-prepared and unpretentious, enjoyed in the company of others. Laurie Colwin was really the forerunner of chefs like Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson who have made this same ethos the cornerstone of their careers. Stefin’s final comment wrapped up the discussion perfectly: “It was a big warm hug of a book just when I really needed one, and the kind of book I can see myself dipping into whenever I’m in need of comfort reading or food.”
Listeners, what did you think about the book Home Cooking?
Previously on Preheated …
One Year Ago, Episode 144: Bonus Blue Ribbon for September
Two Years Ago, Episode 94: Pumpkin-palooza!
Three Years Ago, Episode 46: Apple Dumpling Gang
———————————————————————————————————— If you’re intrigued by our podcast, make it easy on yourself and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. That way you can listen to more than one episode, and have them download automatically on your phone or tablet. You can also bake along with us and share photos in our Facebook group, Preheated Baking Podcast Listeners. Finally, if you’d like a weekly email when our episode drops with the complete show notes and recipes, sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Amazon links are affiliate, meaning we receive a few cents when you purchase through our link.