All baking papers are not the same!

July 4, 2024July 4, 2024 / sbaskitchen / 2 Comments

Some may be aware that I run the occasional “Knowledge Sharing Session”/Cooking Class in our region, and one of the most popular sessions is my Gluten Free Sourdough. In these sessions I encourage those attending to line their loaf tins with baking paper – the main reason is because of the long rising time for the loaf – if the tin doesn’t have a non-stick coating, or even if it does, it may be scratched or damaged, then no matter how well you grease the tin, it would more than likely begin the rusting process during the rise due to the moisture in the loaf – not really desirable.

At a recent session, I had forgotten to pack enough of my baking paper, and had to use a different brand to what I usually do. Tins were lined, loaves made and set aside to be taken home for proving and baking, then we started to prepare some dishes using the gluten free soudough discard, as well as a loaf of bread that I had baked at home and brought along.

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More on Zucchinis – Pickled Zoodles

May 3, 2024May 16, 2024 / sbaskitchen / Leave a comment

I know… my last post was about zucchinis – but when one has zucchinis, one must share.

Inedible – Zucchini Preserved in Oil – How can it taste so bad when it looks so good!

Last year I was on a quest to find a way to preserve zucchinis, one that would provide me with an ingredient to use in a variety of ways throughout the year. Canning just overcooks them, dehydrating works well with grated zucchini, but I wanted something a little different, so I turned to a reputed Italian preserving book that I had, it had a simple recipe that I thought would be perfect – the zucchinis were generously salted, weighted down for 24 hours before being drained, white wine vinegar added, weighted down for 12 hours, drained again before being packed in oil. I followed the recipe to the letter, the end result was nothing short of inedible! So salty, I asked others for their opinion, and they agreed, there was no way you could eat it, the salt level was over the top. I tried again, this time heavily reducing the salt, followed the same process, again, inedible! One more time, using minimal salt, and still it didn’t work. I gave up. But they looked so beautiful in the jar. Continue reading →

There’s a Monster in My Garden!

February 22, 2024February 22, 2024 / sbaskitchen / Leave a comment

Most of us know what happens when zucchini is in season… Everyone you know with a veggie patch will be trying to offload their excess of jumbo-sized zucchinis to anyone and everyone they know, even those they don’t know! Oh what joy when our then, little grandson, found a monster lurking in our friend, Maggies’, garden some years ago!

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Dehydrating Zucchini

Dehydrating zucchini is a great way to store the seasonal abundance for use throughout the year! It can be stored for up to a year and used almost anywhere you would use fresh zucchini. All it needs is a little time in hot liquid and it will plump up beautifully. Continue reading →

The Mulberries Continue to Give…

February 14, 2024February 14, 2024 / sbaskitchen / Leave a comment

Continuing from a previous post ‘We have a Mulberry Tree in Our Garden‘, while the harvest finished some time ago, we are still reaping the benefits.

When we were picking the berries I would sort them, for jam/freezer, for our breakfast, to make desserts, and, to make a Sweet Mulberry Vinegar. I poured approx three cups of white wine vinegar into a largish glass jar, and whenever I brought mulberries in, I picked out those that were not quite right and didn’t really suit any of the other uses, and popped them into the jar of vinegar, slowly the jar began to get a little more full and the colour of the vinegar turned the deepest darkest beautiful burgundy/blackish red colour. I just let it sit – I was crazy busy, and I knew that really, there was no rush to move on to the next step.

On Christmas day I needed a non-seafood starter, so decided to use greens from the garden, goats feta, some fresh berries, a little mint and a sweetened reduction of the (yet to be finished Sweet Mulberry Vinegar), I didn’t get to taste the starter, but was told that it was very nice.

Goats Cheese, Avocado and Berry Salad with Sweet Mulberry Syrup Dressing-2-r

Goats Cheese, Avocado and Berry Salad with Sweet Mulberry Syrup Dressing

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No Yeast – No Rise!

January 20, 2024January 20, 2024 / sbaskitchen / Leave a comment

What’s for dinner? I had no idea! So I thought, I’ll make a focaccia, I’m sure something will come together then.

Whipped up a batch of my baguette recipe, spread it onto some baking paper to rise, and wandered off to do a few things. When I returned it was still the same – it hadn’t risen! Tilted my head this way and that, yes, it still hadn’t risen… Then a light bulb moment – I hadn’t added the yeast – no yeast, no rise!!!

I’d already washed up and put away the stand mixer, and being lazy, just reached into the drawer for a bowl , scraped the dough/batter into the bowl, sprinkled over the dry yeast, used up a bit of elbow grease and mixed and mixed by hand. There were little dots of yeast through the batter, I kind of new that it wasn’t right, but perservered, put down another sheet of baking paper, spread out the dough/batter, and set it to rise… Did a few more things, still no rise.

OK, out comes the stand mixer, again, scraped in the dough, spread it out, went away did some more jobs, come back, a little bit of rise… finished the top off with sprinkling of salt flakes and freshly picked rosemary and put it in the oven to bake.