What are the impacts of a worn pizza stone?

Question

While cleaning out my oven I noticed that there were some chips in my pizza stone (the one below is about 1.5" long). I would like to know what the impact is, if any, of worn pizza stone.

• What degree of wear and tear is to be expected, and what is dangerous or otherwise the point at which you just need to get a new one? (I.E. Do I need to replace mine for what appears to be such a minor, superficial problem?)
  • Is there anything that can be done to repair cracks, or is it even necessary or advisable?
• What would be the impact of those varying degree of wear and tear, be it uneven heat transference or the likelihood of it cracking in half?

Asked by mfg

Answer

Pizza stones are typically either:

• Refractory ceramic with a high thermal conductivity, moulded into a useful shapes. Fired, but unglazed
• Diamond saw cut slabs of suitable natural stone

Either type will respond well to heating and cooling in a normal oven. And take reasonable amounts of general wear and tear

Both types will chip on the edges if whacked, and will develop cracks over time that will cause it to split, normally only into two pieces

If they crack during normal use, and are fully supported by a metal oven rack, they will still perform fine, and may even continue to be used in the future

Warning: Natural stone that has been submerged in water for a long time may explode when next heated in the oven. But normal washing and care should not cause this situation

Note: According to many recent studies and famous books like "Modernist Cuisine", a pizza stone is not enough, you really need a large slab. e.g. a 10 kg steel sheet

Answered by TFD

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Lightening Bread

Question

Is there a generally accepted method for lightening bread dough that is pretty general for a variety of breads; pizza crust, whole grain bread, dessert breads, etc.

Asked by Canuteson

Answer

Heaviness is caused by fiber and lack of water. A dry wheat dough will make a very heavy bread.

On the other hand a very wet dough that has a lot of protein will be lighter. The steam when baking will inflate the protein structure. The extreme example would be angel food cake which is light enough to not really be bread anymore.

Obviously you don't want it to be too light because then you get wonder bread. A lot of the things that make bread taste good also make it heavier.

The variables you can play with are:

• Water- the wetter the lighter (as long as it isn't so wet to no longer have structure)
• Protein- High protein flour or adding gluten will help.
• Fiber- lower fiber flour will be lighter. (but also less tasty)
• Additives- Chunky additions, such as whole grains, can damage the protein structure if overdone.

Answered by Sobachatina

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Why does bread with filling separate and how do I prevent it?

Question

Sometimes when I make sausage kolaches or cinnamon rolls the bread layers pull away from the sausage or the filling and leave an open space inside. The separation is cosmetically unattractive, and can make the product more difficult to eat because it tends to fall apart when bitten.

This doesn't always happen and I don't want to go to the other extreme where the layers in a cinnamon roll are indistinguishable.

What causes this separation and, more importantly, how do I control when it happens.

Asked by Sobachatina

Answer

The most recent Cook's Illustrated has a cinnamon swirl bread article that discusses this problem. According to them, the root cause is a lack of binding between the dough and filling. Gas from the yeast, and steam generated during baking, push into the spiral, creating pressure that compresses the dough and widens the gap.

In the specific case of cinnamon bread, they recommend using powdered (confectioner's) sugar instead of granulated, and using a large amount of cinnamon. The finer sugar dissolves more easily in moisture from the bread, quickly creating a paste that is reinforced by the cornstarch and by starches in the ground cinnamon. Misting the bread before adding the filling also helps.

In order to make a sausage filling adhere to the bread, you would need a sticky, water-soluble element. Cornstarch or powdered gelatin spring to mind immediately as possibilities.

The other tactic they employ is to actually expose the filling during proofing, preventing the yeast's gas (and later, steam) from building up alongside the filling. Once the filling is rolled into the dough, the loaf is cut in half lengthwise. With the two halves laid side-by-side, cut face up (exposing the filling), they are wound around each other, folding the left piece over the right until the end is reached (this is called a "Russian braid"). The ends are pinched together, and the loaf is placed in the pan to proof. This, obviously, should help with any kind of filling, not just cinnamon sugar.

Answered by Josh Caswell

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Which other spices besides cloves will react with plastic?

Question

I am reading that cloves can cloud the plastic in my grinder at Cooking for engineers

Does this happen with any other spices?

Asked by cptloop

Answer

I've had a good look and as far as I can see only cloves and allspice have this property. Most websites specify that it's due to an oil present in cloves however according to Wikipedia the main chemical components in clove oil (admittedly not cloves but fairly similar) are:

Bud oil is derived form the flower-buds of S. aromaticum. It consists of 60–90% eugenol, eugenyl acetate, caryophyllene and other minor constituents.

Leaf oil is derived from the leaves of S. aromaticum. It consists of 82–88% eugenol with little or no eugenyl acetate, and minor constituents.

Stem oil is derived from the twigs of S. aromaticum. It consists of 90–95% eugenol, with other minor constituents.

As neither eugenol, eugenyl acetate nor caryophyllene have this property the oil that does cause 'plastic clouding' must be fairly low.

Likewise the main chemical components of allspice oil according to Essential-oils.co.za are:

eugenol, menthyl eugenol, cineol, phellandrene and caryophyllene.

None of these chemicals have chemicals with that property. However many of the chemicals in allspice and clove are also present in nutmeg, black pepper and cinnamon.

Answered by Sebiddychef

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Is there any way to “Salt” unsalted cashew pieces?

Question

I picked up a bag of cashew pieces from the bulk bin last night got home and realized they were of the unsalted variety. Which are good but for a snack not quite what I was looking for.

Is there anyway to "salt" those cashew pieces. I googled and found ways to do it when they are still shelled but none after the fact. I may not be using the correct search paramaters though as I cannot think of any other terminology other than "make salted cashews". I don't need a recipe just a direction and if it is possible.

Asked by Varuuknahl

Answer

sir just roast them in a pan with oil for few secons till the shade is not changed and remove. As soon as you remove the casehews from oil they are sticy, then you need to spray salt on it . dont add much. add slightly and check taste and then mix according to your taste you require.... if you are satisfied with the answer you can join us at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/EAT-CASHEW/117386658291706

Answered by n/a

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What is the name (in Chinese) of the utensil that is used to prick lots of tiny holes in pork skin to make it very crispy?

Question

I have seen people mentioning this and I've heard it's available in Chinatown in NY or in Hong Kong but I can't find it listed anywhere for sale online. I think this is because I don't know the term for it so if anyone can help with a name or a link it would be much appreciated. NB: I have tried a German meat tenderiser that looks similar but it's not sharp enough. The thing I'm looking for is wooden and has lots of very sharp pins coming out the botton

Asked by petenelson

Answer

The answer to the question is "Chap Zai".

The name for Chinese Crispy Roast Pork is "sio bak" by the way

talon8 - I bought a tenderizer from Amazon exactly like the one you posted but the pins were not sharp enough to make the required number of tiny holes - and therefore the skin on the pork belly did not get that crystalised look where the fat has flowed out through the skin. My best result was by using a sharp knife but this took a long time.

Anyway - long story short, I got this by emailing a number of Chinese supermarkets (was never listed on their website shops) and they told me the name. Would be good if anyone can verify this name...

Answered by petenelson

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What is the difference between risotto rice and paella rice?

Question

My local supermarket stocks arborio and carnaroli rices for making risotto, and also stocks "paella rice". I have, in the past, used them interchangeably in both risottos and paellas. Wikipedia handily summarises the difference between carnaroli and arborio here, but I can't find a description of the differences between these and a paella rice (aside from country of origin).

Note: I'm aware that the rice is cooked differently in a paella compared to a risotto -- I'm asking about the differences in the rice itself, not the cooking method.

Asked by Ian Renton

Answer

'Paella rice' is not actually a variety of rice, but a category suitable, as the its name suggests, for making paella. Some common varieties are: Bahia, Balilla, Bomba, Senia, and Calasparra; the particular variety should be indicated on the packet that you choose.

These varieties differ from risotto rices, such as arborio and carnaroli, in not creating a creamy 'sauce' around the rice. Paella rice should stick together, but be distinct and not in a creamy 'sauce'.

Arborio rice has a creamy, chewy texture due to its higher amylopectin (one of two components in its starch) content. Paella rice absorbs more liquid than risotto rices, however it too would become 'creamy' if you stirred it like a risotto, since it also has a high starch content.

Answered by Sebiddychef

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