Patel

Once you grasp how mechanics of sourdough change when using rye flour, it’s easy to predict effects (though not so much the math). Rye adds a moist crumb and an earthy flavor. However, because rye is so dense, dough doesn’t behave as you’d expect. It rise quicker, feels heavier, and slice differently. Much of that … Read more

Bread recipes often call for potato flour, which changes baked crumb’s texture, though there’s more then just your preference at play when deciding on the right amount. The amount affect the strength of the dough, the moisture level, and whether next-day slice cuts cleanly. Too little, and you get no advantage from using it; too … Read more

Using the correct level of bread improver for any particular flour quantity may seem trivial until your rolls is too dense or your loaves turn out flat. Typically, this means flour isn’t providing enough support, depending on how much whole grain and protein it contains. Once you know how the improver works, you stop asking … Read more

Crispy tofu tends to be finicky: one batch will come out golden brown and light; another, well, it’ll be gummy or it’ll fall apart when it hits the pan. It’s the texture of starch that sticks to its surface before cooking that makes difference. But amount varies depending on what type of tofu (weight), the … Read more

If you use low-protein flour instead of the type you intended to bake, you may find your dough is slack and crumb is pale. This is especially true for breads like sourdough boules, which you want to have an open crumb, or bagels, which should be chewy. How do you fix it? With vital wheat … Read more

Comfort food meets practical kitchen math in the form of cornmeal mash. Whether it’s a loose bowlful to be ladled or a slab to slice are up to you; mostly, it depends based off your choice of dry meal and its reaction with hot liquid like water, milk, or stock. Too little meal, and you’ve … Read more

Lasagna is one of those dishes where the parmesan can be quietly critical; too little and the lasagne turns out flat and lifeless; too much and the salt sneaks up on you halfway across the plate. This isn’t just about your baking dish size, either; how much you need varies with that, too. It’s an … Read more

With pearl couscous, the bigger sort. How you get your water is less obvious; unlike its small Moroccan cousin, these little pearls require constant hydration but not too much evaporation on top (otherwise they turn into glue). A measured rest after heat turns them out, rewarding patience in other ways. It all depends on the … Read more

Lasagna has always seemed easy: get the mozz right, and it’s done. This happens until someone cuts into a slice and it separate, or you bite through a large layer of rubbery cheese. Typically that boils down to two things: How many layers is there? And how much cheese did you expect the pan would … Read more

There’s a hush-hush secret in the pond-ownership world about barley straw. You throw a few bales in the water and hope something happens. It depends more on acres of surface area than the gallons beneath it. Your thinking begins at the point where sunlight hits: acres caught in its rays, which determine how much straw … Read more