Folks ask for my recipes all the time; and I’m more than willing to share; but just a heads up —

There are a few things that will always be a bit vague:

Baking Times
My oven is an O’Keefe & Merritt from the 50s — hotter in the back with the bottom broiler door held closed by a bungee cord which stretches from the broiler door handle to the hole in the stove top griddle. In other words, who knows… I bake by smell, touch and appearance.

Salt Measurements
Sure… if you add a cup of salt instead of a cup of sugar, it’s going to taste like shit; however, the difference between a tsp and a Tbsp isn’t going to make or break any recipe.

FYI, just for fun — the last time I baked, the recipe called for a tsp of salt; so I decided to check my usual pour-it-in-the-hand estimation. Ding – Ding – Ding — right on!

Yeast Measurements

There are so many recipes out there that call for 2 tsp yeast. That’s just stupid — yeast comes in 2 1/4 tsp packets.  Use the whole flippin’ thing. In fact, my No Knead Artisan Bread recipe calls for double the amount of yeast in the original.

Yeast packets, especially the generic grocery store brands, are so cheap — three packs for a buck. And every now and then, the name brand shows up at the dollar store. (Sorry, Mrs. Fuller; but starting sentences with conjunctions falls under the poetic license umbrella)

Dough Feel

I can’t tell you when dough feels right.  Do it a couple of times, and you’ll know.

A couple of months ago, someone interrupted me while measuring flour — oops.  Given that I’d made this dough a dozen times or more, I knew it was wrong; and eventually tossed it.  Flour is cheap — especially if you buy in bulk — Costco bread flour: 25 lbs for under $7.00 in Los Angeles. Oy!