Dry measuring cups for dry ingredients

Couldn’t find a photo of some dry measuring cups, so I finally took my own snaps. I wish I had this metal type with graduations. They do come in very handy. All I could locate right now were these plastic cups. Not sure where that 1/4 cup measure went. It might still be in the flour canister.

Dry measuring cups

Found a gargantuan set of 19 pieces – every measure imaginable is in this 19-Piece Measuring Set

19 measuring cups and spoons

A new set with skinny spoons that are fantastic for
getting into spice bottles:

stainless skinny spoons

Measuring cups and spoons for exact ingredients

Without the proper tools no one can do a quality job, right? Every baker needs basic equipment to bake bread. Beside the ingredients and an oven, one needs to have measuring cups and spoons to order to bake delicious bread.

Measuring cups come in two varieties, dry and wet. Dry measuring cups are used to measure dry ingredients. Spoon the dry ingredient into the measuring cup. Overfill the cup slightly. Use a knife edge resting on the surface of the dry measuring cup to spread and level the ingredient. Scrape off any excess until the top is smooth and level. This way, dry ingredients can be measured exactly.

Dry measuring cups typically come in 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 cup measures. Some dry measuring cups are graduated so that you might be able to judge that 3/4 of a cup of sugar is in the 1 cup measure. Without graduations it would be better to fill a 1/2 cup and a 1/4 cup measure to amount to 3/4 cup of the ingredient.

measuring spoons Wikipedia

Wet measuring cups are used for liquids. The liquid measuring cups typically have a spout for easy pouring and some amount of free-board or space above the largest measured amount. The free-board allows one to carry the liquid in the measuring cup and not have it spill over the edge. Try measuring 1 cup of milk in a dry 1 cup measure and you will soon appreciate the difference between dry and liquid measures.

Measuring spoons are used in the same way as dry measuring cups. Slightly overfill the spoon and use a knife edge to level the ingredient and to scrape off the excess. Measuring spoons come in 4 to 6 sizes: 1/8 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 tablespoon, and 1 tablespoon. Some measuring spoon sets don’t come with the 1/8 teaspoon or the 1/2 tablespoon measures.

Measure ingredients exactly for baking bread

Baking is not like cooking. Exact measurements are crucial in baking. Cooking is much more forgiving. In cooking you can easily add or take away ingredients without completely ruining the dish. We do this everyday by adding more spices and onions and garlic than most recipes call for. If a recipe calls for mushrooms or olives, I’m bound to leave them out unless I’m making the dish for someone who really likes those things.

It usually doesn’t matter if 1/2 cup of an ingredient is added instead of a 1/4 cup, but baking is a little different. We just can’t add more or less flour or sugar and expect the recipe to turn out right.

When you’re experienced with these things, then yes you can make substitutions and alter the amounts of ingredients. However, you still have to measure the amounts of ingredients fairly accurately.

Measuring cups and measuring spoons are necessary for baking really great bread. When the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of salt, that is what you need to add. Here’s how…overfill the measuring spoon slightly and use a straight knife edge to scrape off the excess making sure the measure is level and full.

Measuring flour is done in the same way. Lightly spoon the flour into a measuring cup instead of using the measuring cup like a scoop. When you scoop up flour you’re bound to either pack the flour in too tightly, or leave some empty air pockets. The best way to accurately measure flour and other dry ingredients is to lightly add the ingredient to the measuring cup. Then use a knife edge to level and smooth the surface.

If you’re measuring a half cup, use a 1/2 cup measuring cup. This way you can measure accurately with the knife-edge technique, and you won’t have to guess on the measurement.

Shopping list for basic white bread

Image via Wikipedia

Grocery shopping is on my list of chores for today. It’s a chore because I’d rather be baking bread! Or doing a bunch of other stuff…anyway, let’s get on with it.

What do you need to make basic white bread? Here’s the most basic list of ingredients:

• bread flour
• water
• butter
• salt
• sugar
• dry milk
• yeast

Bread flour is best, but all-purpose flour can be used as well. The texture of the bread may turn out a little lighter or heavier depending on which flour and leavening agents you select. We’ll take a look at each ingredient so you know why it’s being used. Once you understand that, you’ll be better able to make substitutions and to make the type of bread you really like.

How did I get into making bread?

Glad you asked!

I’ve always wanted to make bread from scratch. Over the years I tried it a few times with mixed results. Sometimes the loaf of bread wouldn’t look or taste quite right. Some hard with too thick of a crust, others not really done in the middle. A few could have been used as door stops or bricks. We won’t talk much about my roll-making experience!

Everything changed after my mother- and father-in-law gave us their old bread machine. It’s a Hitachi, but it looks about like the Sunbeam bread machine does today. Maybe one company bought out the other’s product. I’m not sure, but the paddles are identical.

I take it that you can’t find a Hitachi bread machine unless you look in a thrift store or maybe in Japan? Anyway, if you find one at your local used goods store give it a try. The manuals of older bread machines can usually be found online, so never fear. It would be worth risking a few dollars on an older machine because they really do last a long time. We’ve had ours for over ten years and it’s still beating dough and baking delicious bread.

Homemade Bread Made Easy

Can’t wait for the wintertime for a few reasons and the first one on my list is making homemade bread!

Who doesn’t love the smell of baking bread? Homemade bread is a comfort food for lots of us.

Baking in the summertime doesn’t happen too often around here because it heats up the house and we usually have outdoor things to do. Not that we’re always inside during the winter, but more often than not that’s when you’ll find the oven warm with goodies baking inside.

Baking bread is one of those things that many people wish they had time for. There are ways to cut down the time to make a great loaf of bread.

Sharing the knowledge of bread baking is the goal of this blog. We’ll discuss the various bread machines and stand mixers on the market and take a look at other tools that can help you make that perfect loaf of bread.

Did you know that there are machines that will do practically all the “work” for you? Check it out! Amazon will show you images for the Panasonic bread machine, Sunbeam bread machine, Toastmaster bread machine and other bread makers. All you have to do is measure in the ingredients and turn on the right cycle. When the timer buzzes, your bread is ready! These machines mix the dough, rise it and bake it, all in one unit.

Just think…creamy butter or a drizzle of honey on a slice of just baked bread. It’s still warm so the butter melts and the sweetness of the honey complements the grains so nicely.

…Lizzy, where’s the honey?