OS in the kitchen

spadoosh

The loaf i made was a bread mix, but made it like a large bun instead of using a tin. Our cooker probably isnt as efficient as it used to be with weakening seals etc so things tend to cook at different rates depending where they are normally shifting things around to make it more even.

And weve made home made pizzas with a pizza base mix a few times. Which ive always enjoyed (though again, can be a bit doughy). Everything is mixed by hand really, got a hand mixer but more suitable for things like eggs and a hand blender which ive used for soups, make a good broccoli and stilton.

Not too bad with a generic tomato sauce, its pretty much the foundation of all our meals just tailor the herbs/spices for whatever the meal is. But well make this on the day as we go. Would something like that be worth doing bulk batches and sticking in a ikea cliptop jar?

Ill track this part of the forum more closely, I think im feeling a bit uninspired because we're not very organised. I see plenty off stuff that takes my fancy but getting on my own plate only happens when i make it my prime focus. Want to make the kitchen second nature.

suki1964

spadoosh wrote: »

The loaf i made was a bread mix, but made it like a large bun instead of using a tin. Our cooker probably isnt as efficient as it used to be with weakening seals etc so things tend to cook at different rates depending where they are normally shifting things around to make it more even.

And weve made home made pizzas with a pizza base mix a few times. Which ive always enjoyed (though again, can be a bit doughy). Everything is mixed by hand really, got a hand mixer but more suitable for things like eggs and a hand blender which ive used for soups, make a good broccoli and stilton.

Not too bad with a generic tomato sauce, its pretty much the foundation of all our meals just tailor the herbs/spices for whatever the meal is. But well make this on the day as we go. Would something like that be worth doing bulk batches and sticking in a ikea cliptop jar?

Ill track this part of the forum more closely, I think im feeling a bit uninspired because we're not very organised. I see plenty off stuff that takes my fancy but getting on my own plate only happens when i make it my prime focus. Want to make the kitchen second nature.

A pizza and bread mix are just flours and yeast and a shed load of preservatives. No need for them

Pizza dough is flour, yeast, salt, olive oil and warm water

Doughy means you made it two thick and you haven't cooked it through enough. That's why I recommend pizza in a frying pan.

And the best bread is hand made. Even though now my hands are no longer strong enough to do a full knead by hand ( I use the Kenwood to start me off using a dough hook, a hand mixer won't have the power) I always finish by hand

Caterina

I love a handmade homemade pizza and they can be very tasty but I give myself and my family the occasional treat of a real pizza baked in a stone, wood-fired oven, in our local Italian restaurant, the way of cooking it makes all the difference.

Never done pizza in a frying pan, am intrigued. Actually yes I have done it but it was fried! A completely different experience from the baked pizza that people know. It is called Pizzette and it is fried dough in a mini pizza shape, then folded and stuffed with tomato sauce and chopped mozzarella. It is divine but oh, so greasy!

http://memoriediangelina.com/2012/09/19/pizzette-fritte-little-fried-pizzas/#.WInj_VOLT3g

I imagine it is not what you are talking about, is it?

arbrighton

What sort of cliptop jar do you mean??

You'd be better off portioning it up into ziplock bags and freezing- just lift out onto the side in the morning.

But, making it as you go isn't a problem if you have the time. I bulkcooked some bolognese this week but I'm planning ahead for arrival of baby when I won't have as much time and 1.5 packs of mince did 7 portions approx (other half pack was cooked up at the same time with lentils for a cottage pie which made three servings). And I have a chest freezer with A LOT of space still

As for HM bread- the book by James Morton from Bakeoff is very good. Lots of the recipes don't even need kneading, more a sit and wait and let it happen (e.g. while you go out for a family walk)


Sounds like it might be worth getting your cooker looked at.

Islandmaid

I'd recommend a slow cooker too, and buying a whole chicken - at the weekend I spent £4.99 on a huge chicken and bunged it in the slow cooker, enough meat for 2 x roast portions, 2 x Chicken and leek pies, 2 x portions of the pie filling (thinking savoury crumble), tonight we are having sweet chilli chicken from it (2 portions) and have enough meat and stock left for chicken and veg soup x 5 portions - I take this for work for lunches, but is a filling and quick meal with a nice bit of bread.

As said above Chicken thighs are so much more tasty than breast and a lot cheaper.

Batch cooking and baking, is as much about confidence in the kitchen as anything else, and practice is the key - I,m sure we can all tell you some horror stories about cooking fails

With the kitchen equipment, again, as above, buy the best you can afford at the time, but don't worry about your 'basic' current stuff, use it till it dies. I always ask for specific 'nice' kitchen stuff for Christmas and Birthday's - this year I requested a Falcon baking set - enamel pans - they are brill.

Bread - 300ml handwarm water, a pack of yeast, stir and leave for 10 mins, then stir into 500g bread flour, a pinch of salt, knead well, leave for an hour, knead and shape (I make free hand bread, so a roundish shape), Leave to rise for another half hour - preheat oven to 200, put an empty oven tray at the bottom of oven - add a cup of cold water to empty oven tray when hot, and pop dough in for 40-50 mins if a whole loaf- less for smaller or rolls and BOOM... bread I always cook something else when the oven is on too, even if it's a fray bentos pie for hubby (his secret vice)

Cooking and budgeting is a skill, and a lot of us have been doing it for years, don't be intimidated by it all - baby steps

Good luck guys x

suki1964

Caterina wrote: »

I love a handmade homemade pizza and they can be very tasty but I give myself and my family the occasional treat of a real pizza baked in a stone, wood-fired oven, in our local Italian restaurant, the way of cooking it makes all the difference.

Never done pizza in a frying pan, am intrigued. Actually yes I have done it but it was fried! A completely different experience from the baked pizza that people know. It is called Pizzette and it is fried dough in a mini pizza shape, then folded and stuffed with tomato sauce and chopped mozzarella. It is divine but oh, so greasy!

http://memoriediangelina.com/2012/09/19/pizzette-fritte-little-fried-pizzas/#.WInj_VOLT3g

I imagine it is not what you are talking about, is it?

I am very fortunate, I do have a wood burning stove in my garden Pizzas cooked in that are to die for


Frying pan pizza is very close. Take a nice large non stick frying pan and roll the pizza base nice and thin to fit that

Heat the pan till it's lovely and hot

Have all your toppings to hand, and get the grill hot

Put the base in the pan and cook till it starts to bubble. Add toppings quickly and flash under the grill to melt the cheese and cook the toppings

About as close as you can get to stone baked, lovely crispy base

Nichelette

I was going to suggest the yoghurt pizza base too. A 45p pot of natural yoghurt from lidl\aldi and 1.5x the volume in SR flour will make 3 pizza bases for very little money and taste amazing! I'm fortunate enough to have a pizza stone which makes a lovely crispy crust.

fairy3

Hi there,

regarding having 'modern tastes' take a look at this guy's website - think he started on MSE - he advises about lots of things but has a recipe section which includes detailed instructions and costings...

https://skintdad.co.uk/tag/fakeaway/

HTH

Caterina

Thank you Suki! I am very envious (in the best sense of the word) about your wood oven, I was about to get one but then decided that now that the kids no longer live with us it would be a waste of money only for the two of us, and it would encourage me to eat too many carbs! But it is still a quiet dream at the back of my mind.

Will try the pan pizza, I have just the right type of pan, one of those heavy ceramic ones that when it heats it retains the heat well, and will report on results.

midnightraven3

if you like pizza/chinese/takeout etc
this is a great book, many of us here have it
It was written by a man who is agoraphobic and missed his take out meals, there are a couple of others he has written, but this one is the best to get started with

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Takeaway-Secret-cook-favourite-fast-food/dp/0716022354

there is an extensive thread about it
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2665259

make yourself a coffee and have a read:j