Allan Adler > wrote in message >...

> Actually, I do know how to make bread, even if I don't know the formal
> definition. I've made bread for decades in conventional ovens. However,
> since I was experimenting this time, I didn't think it was worth going to
> the trouble of doing it right only to have the microwave possibly stomp
> on it. So, I did something I considered minimally in the direction
> of bread. It isn't that far off, since it isn't very different from
> the batter I mix for making pancakes in a frying pan: I consider Indian
> chappatis and the big Ethiopian pancakes to be varieties of bread. Also,
> I since some of what I am getting this way is edible and not displeasing,
> even if it is not actually bread and has some drawbacks such as high
> density, it wasn't unreasonable to hope that some genre of baking could
> emerge from these efforts. I still think that is possible and others
> might want to experiment with it too.

I used to sucessfully make speciality rice apple cakes in the zapper.
Made from powdered rice (no wheat), apple chunks, baking powder and
water. I dont think there was anything else in them. Water content was
critical, I would certainly add some fat if trying that recipe now.

These were 1 roll sized things, made serially. I tried bigger items
but a zapper really cant heat anything larger with sufficient
evenness.

I'm trying to remember the cook time, something like 2 minutes on
full, or thereabouts.


> The stuff I was making was generally not the size of full loaves but
> more the size of rolls. They were so dense that I usually only wanted
> to eat one slice at a time. Even when nothing else was added to it,
> it was good enough to dunk in soup. It was also ok for spreading
> cream cheese and marmalade on. Once I tried adding raisins and cinnamon
> to the recipe and the results were not bad.
>
> I never heard of convection microwaves and am glad to have learned about
> them here. How much do they cost, typically?

in UK, 100-150 new. I dont see them about second hand.

> It's true that the surface of the "bread" is fairly pale and doesn't looked
> baked. Maybe that can be corrected by brushing the surface with egg white
> or sugar water.

I made those in a plastic bowl with straight sides, it was perfect,
but you wont get any crusting in a nuke. Thats just a non starter. The
closest you can get is drying out plus brown dye, so keep it soft.

> I also tried making the "bread" flatter in the microwave.

IME a small ball like disc is the only shape that works. Even heating
is the issue, flat things dont work. The container needs straight up
sides, small plastic storage jars are just right.

> Next time, I'll try frying the flat "dough" in a frying pan instead and
> see how that works out. The results might be better and there will be
> no problem with browning it. I'm less optimistic about trying this with
> rolls in a frying pan.

Yes I think this would be much better. Drop scones, waffles, no
problem. To make life easier I'd consider frying one huge one and
cutting it up, maximum yield per work that way.

> I'm less concerned with the appearance than with the density. In other posts,
> I asked about making my own yeast and was kindly informed about making
> sourdough. So, maybe when I can let the dough rise the results will be
> less dense.
>
> The reason I'm trying these experiments is that my kitchen is a little
> afterthought with no oven. So, I'm trying to manage with the appliances
> I have. If that fails, I'll consider getting a toaster oven or something
> like that.

those things are total junk, trust me. Hopeless. A candle is more
useful. I had one once as an overflow oven and I couldnt get it to do
anything successfully.


> I called the manufacturer, GE, and was informed that they have a 126 page
> cookbook for their microwaves for about 7 dollars plus S&H.

you didnt find anything online? Might find nuke cookbooks in used book
stores too.


Finally theres one last option. If youve got a ring/hob you can put a
wire tray in a metal biscuit tin, sit it on the gas and youve got
yourself an oven. With trial you can find a heat setting that bakes
well. This was done more often in the early 20th century, with
paraffin cookers etc. Overdo the heat and your oven melts

If youre doing all this because of budget, dont make the wire tray
from copper wire, it reacts with the bread to form toxic green copper
compounds.

If you want to make it a proper calibrated oven, Mrs Beeton tells you
how to calibrate an oven with no temperature dial or thermometer. Its
a matter of how long a bit of flour takes to go brown. Then you can
use it for any book recipe.


Regards, NT