Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

This Week's Bread: Struan Bread

So, after figuring out the problem with the yeast LAST time, I tried the struan bread again, and found ANOTHER problem. The recipe calls for INSTANT yeast. I don't use instant yeast, I use active dry yeast. I didn't know there was a difference, so I was just dumping my yeast into the ingredients like the recipe said.

This time, I bloomed the yeast in water first. I also did the first rise in an oven where I turned the heat on for two minutes, and when I took the bread out, IT FREAKING FILLED THE PAN FIRST TIME. :D

I punched it down, did a quick knead, reheated the oven and let it rise again. Again, it filled the bread pan. And then I baked it for twenty minutes. I couldn't get it to bake for some reason, and left it in for another ten miinutes. At thirty it was done.

I could tell it was WAAAAY better just taking it out of the pan. IT was bouncy, squeezable, and not dense at all. I cooled the bread down and cut it in half - and it's super moist, with Big Crumb. Very happy.

I'm not calling it mastered yet, mainly because I keep screwing up one thing, and that's an egg. I added an eggwash at the end of the recipe to make the sesame seeds stick. The problem? I keep reading my instructions and they say "Add all the ingredients to the mixing bowl." Annnnnd, I forget to read the next part: "Except the egg and sesame seeds." So I keep adding an egg where it's not supposed to be.

I think this is why the bread is INCREDIBLY moist. To the point that it almost seems like the dough is soggy. And I freaking keep doing it.

So this loaf will last me two weeks, so I 'll try it again then. Remind me to not add the freaking egg next time. :)

Finally catching up with Lower Decks.

Yes, please.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Shabarnes

Timely.

Watching the Filmrise Iron Chef Japan YouTube episodes and realizing I prefer my old Food Network VHSes.

The Filmrise versions didn't have the rights to the music so they completely redid it. It's not nearly as bombastic and over the top, which was part of its charm.

I may pick up the series in the future, but probably only to patch holes in my Food Network episodes.

I only just now found Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream soda locally in Zero Sugar AND IT IS NECTAR MIXED WITH AMBROSIA.

There is one place I'd like to visit when I get back to Texas, and that's this spot. It was here, in 1995, I comitted to my transition. It was a rough night. It ended badly. But here is where it happened.

The picture on the left is from 2008, still looking much like it did that night. On the right, May 2023. The road I took to get there has pretty much been obliterated and exists only as a property line now. Thankfully, this segment of "Blind Bandit Creek Road" uses the old Kallison Lane road for it's path.

The woods on the right are protected as they're part of the Government Canyon State Park, but that old power line anchor is all that's left of the area as I remember it.

I should go out there before it's gone completely.

Today's Breakfast: Savory Dutch Baby

I don't normally cook on my cheat day, but I really REALLY wanted a Savory Dutch Baby, and gosh darn it, I was gonna have a Savory Dutch Baby.

# Savory Dutch Baby

Adam Ragusea

2.0 whole eggs (batter)
2.0 pinches salt (batter)
2.0 tsp sugar
0.6666666666666666 cups whole milk
butter
1.0 whole scallion
3.0 ounces salami
2.0 whole eggs (topping)
0.6666666666666666 cups flour
2.0 tbsp mascarpone
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

1 - Preheat an oven to 425 with an oven safe skillet/casserole dish/pie pan inside.
2 - Whisk the eggs, salt and sugar in a bowl until frothy.
3 - Whisk in 2/3 cups flour until smooth.
4 - Whisk in the milk and marscapone.
5 - Let the batter sit for 20 minutes.
6 - Remove the skillet and grease the bottom and sides with a layer of butter (it'll immediately melt, which is fine).
7 - Add your batter and return the skillet to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes.
8 - While cooking, chop your scallions and salami.
9 - Break two eggs into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
10 - After 15 minutes remove the dutch baby and allow to deflate a bit.
11 - Once it's flat enough for the ingredients add the salami, your eggs and cover with chopped scallions.
12 - Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until eggs are done to your liking.

#cooking #breakfast #thisweeksmeals

Of course they did.

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/16/1199803661/ken-paxton-attorney-general-texas-acquitted-impeachment-trial

It's good that I learned a lot of new techniques for the first eight hours of my day. Cause it allowed me to recreate all those files I lost to a hard drive hiccup in two hours.

Sigh. I used to like the IT Crowd.

https://deadline.com/2023/09/richard-ayoade-jonathan-ross-social-media-backlash-graham-linehan-1235546718/

Tonight's Dr Who is The Runaway Bride.

Oh, my goodness, Catherine Tate's Donna is so so so so annoying in this episode. I remember when it was announced that she was going to be the Doctor's companion I rolled my eyes and figured we were in for a nightmare.

She ended up being the best companion of the new series.

Fixing an audio dropout in the VHS by putting a piece of the French audio back in for a split second.

Mom: IAM
Dad: Teamster
Uncle: UAW
Cousin: UAW

Jenn: Nearly gets fired from her job for using "Union" to confirm the letter "U" on the phone at a call center.

WGA, SAG-AFTRA and now UAW. UAW hits close to home as I have family that worked for UAW.

So many strikes. Good. :)

https://uaw.org/standup/