Monday Mix 11/27/23
M.A.S.H.
Happy Mondays, everyone. I seem to have caught a bug (not COVID, thankfully) over the long weekend of socializing, so I’m not sure what my output this week is going to be, but I do have some things proofing, so we shall see. Among them is the mashed potato bread pictured above, which is an attempt to cram as much leftover mashed potatoes into a single loaf as possible without the bread collapsing after the bake, which I’ve determined is around 20%, relative to flour weight (I made a version with 100% potatoes that sunk spectacularly, despite the dough seeming sufficiently structured during mixing and proofing). Unlike the previous potato breads I’ve shared, this one is built to accommodate all the extra moisture and fat that pre-made mashed potatoes supply, along with some instructions to deal with the variability in the ingredient, given that everyone has a different approach to making the stuff. It’s a dense bread, but soft and moist, perfect for sandwiches or toast. I’ll do my best to get it written up in the next couple of days so that you can still take advantage of what you have in the fridge.
ICYMI, I sent out a holiday gift guide on Friday with some discounts to be had on some of my favorite new tools. I wanted to also mention that if you were planning to purchase one of my sourdough starter stirrers as gifts, I still have them in stock. I’m almost out of the “vintage” versions for the time being, but have plenty of the new-handled ones. Still, I’d place an order soon—say before 12/15—since can’t promise they will get to you in time for gift-giving season if you wait too long.
What did everyone else bake up recently?
—Andrew
no rice cooker baking, but I was in hong kong and my gluten-loving soul was enlivened by exemplary (properly chewy, not supermarket fluffy) pineapple and "sweet" buns split and stuffed with 2 x 2 in pats of butter.
I made granola discard using your discard recipe and gave some away to friends yesterday. This is about the 3rd time I made it and I really love the crunchiness of the granola. I do not add dried fruit as I found it adds too much sugar for me. My elderly Auntie has been asking for granola bars and have yet to find a viable recipe. I decided to try the discard recipe but pack the mixed granola in a parchment lined 9"x13" pan and pre-scored the bars before baking with my bench scraper. It took 4-5 hours to bake them at 200-225 degrees for them to firm up but didn't want them to be too hard to eat. For the last hour took them out of the pan, separated them and baked them on a rack. She said she loves them! Thanks for the recipe, Andrew.