The newest innovation to hit Australian shores (probably old hat in all
other parts of the world) is bakeware made of silicone rubber.

To me that was the missing ingredient for a venture into baking muffins -
which reportedly are at their best if baked shortly before eating.

A diligent search of the internet uncovered 21 recipes for sourdough
muffins and 22 recipes for microwave muffins.

Nothing for sourdough microwave muffins.

All <advice | pointers to URLs> will be gratefully received.

Felix Karpfen

--
Felix Karpfen

Felix Karpfen wrote:

>
> To me that was the missing ingredient for a venture into baking muffins -
> which reportedly are at their best if baked shortly before eating.
>

Assuming that you mean muffins in the American sense of small cakes
usually without frosting, it can be done, but I am not sure that you
really want to go the bother. Yes, warm muffins are a treat, but they
are just as nice baked conventioally and just warmed in the microwave.


> A diligent search of the internet uncovered 21 recipes for sourdough
> muffins and 22 recipes for microwave muffins.

I am not sure why you would want sourdough muffins. The essence of a
cake type muffin is tender cake structure and a sweet taste. This is
just the opposite of what is usually sought in sourdough bread.
>
> Nothing for sourdough microwave muffins.

And, I think for good reason.
>
> All <advice | pointers to URLs> will be gratefully received.
>

To achieve the cake structure, you will have to minimise any gluten
development. Use cake or pastry flour and a chemical leaven.(baking
powder and/or baking soda). The sourdough starter will have to be aged
in the cooler long enough to become acid and lose its structure.

If I were to play with this kind of project, I would start with
something like the chocolate sourdough cake recipe and look to one of
the microwave muffin recipes for hints on timing and power settings.

I think that the sourdough componet in any cake like food would be only
useful for the flavor and not for leavening. It could go well with
chocolate flavor, but the leaven should come from chemicals. Possibly
old , acid sourdough could leaven with baking soda, but I am a fan of
baking powder for cake and would use soda only in small quantities to
nutralise tha sourdough acid.

Good luck,

Charles

Felix Karpfen wrote:

>

>>I would start with something like the chocolate sourdough cake recipe
>
>
> Yet-to-be-discovered.
>

There are several, although most seem to be derivative from a single
source (unknown). Here is one from the Sourdough FAQ's:

http://samartha.net/SD/file-corner/r...ecipe903.shtml


I would prefer one that used Baking powder if you have access to that.

I wish you good luck with your muffin quest. I am curious to hear how
it turns out for you. I do think that there is a greater probability of
good outcomes with the English Muffin or Crumpets style of muffins.
Although, hands down for those with a sweet tooth, the American cake
style is better eating.

Regards,

Charles

>Triple-action baking powder is an American innovation. It (or something
>like it) exists in Australia, but you have to read the fine print on the
>label (and understand what it says) to realize that you have bought a
>jewel. Most baking powders sold in Australia are just repackaged baking
>soda - correctly identified in the fine print and sold at several times
>the price of packets labeled "baking-soda

Triple acting baking powder,,? Triple acting baking powder exist only
on dry mixes for cakes tailored specifically for such purpose and you
can never buy that anywhere.
Its three level baking powder as its composed of three acid salt,
Sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, calcium acid
phosphate. or dicalcium acid phosphae, sodium acid pyrophosphate,
calcium acid phosphate. You can't buy this stuff from the shelf but you
have to prepare it yourself if you know how....<G>

It does not exist normally but only a double acting type do....A
combination of two leavening acids, sodium acid pyrophosphate ( SAPP)
and calcium acid phosphate ( CAP)reacting with the sodium
bicarbonate....Another american baking powder wihich has robust
performance has sodium aluminum sulfate and calcium acid phosphate as
the acidulant, You can buy this in Chinese groceries labelled as
Calumet which manufactured overseas.
Most of the baking powder sold in australia is the single acting type
which is just SAPP with baking soda.

Chembake wrote:
> Another american baking powder wihich has robust
> performance has sodium aluminum sulfate and calcium acid phosphate as
> the acidulant, You can buy this in Chinese groceries labelled as
> Calumet which manufactured overseas.
> Most of the baking powder sold in australia is the single acting type
> which is just SAPP with baking soda.

Roy, are you saying it's only the Chinese-market, overseas manufactured
Calumet that contains SAS and CAP? Or is *all* Calumet that kind?

Dave

Dave, that is what I found out when I was in Australia,
The OP AFAIK lives there.

When I was in the land of Oz and connected to a bakery there making
cakes, I had difficulty getting the right ingredients as Australia
follows the British standards regarding cake making ingredients.
Most of the baking powder sold in Australian groceries and others
stores contaiin the SAPP only. Its even difficult to find the double
acting type which in addition to the SAPP also contains the CAP acid
salt.
I searched the city ethnic markets where you can buy imported goods
hoping I can buy a good quality baking powder that contains aluminum
salts among its components such as Clabber Girl and Calumet .
Soon I discovered the latter in the shelves. ,,and
It solved my problems with robust bakery cake formulation for my
client..

or.... you can mix 2 parts Cream of Tartar, 1 part baking soda, and
(optional, but good if you live with humidity) 1/4 part corn starch.

Cream of tartar is a byproduct of grape fermentation, you see it
ocassionally on wine corks.

On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 05:25:50 -0700, Will wrote
.com>):

> or.... you can mix 2 parts Cream of Tartar, 1 part baking soda, and
> (optional, but good if you live with humidity) 1/4 part corn starch.
>
> Cream of tartar is a byproduct of grape fermentation, you see it
> ocassionally on wine corks.


The Australian baking-powder jewel, which I mentioned in my previous email,
is the suggested mix of Cream of tartar (available in our supermarkets)
and Baking soda.

Unlike our standard baking powder, it does not hide its light under a
bush but clearly lists all the ingredients from which it is made.

Felix
--
Felix Karpfen

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 23:56:02 +0000, Charles Perry wrote
.net>):

> I wish you good luck with your muffin quest. I am curious to hear how
> it turns out for you.

Although it is still "work-in-process", I would welcome if others get into
the act and shared their experiences. I therefore supply the following
recipe - that almost worked:
---
c. 1/2 cup Left-over old sourdough starter (100 % hydration) -
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup currants

Mix and allow to stand at room temperature until needed (4-6 hours)

Sift

3/4 cup flour
1/2 ts baking powder (I use potassium bicarbonate)
1/4 ts salt
1/2 ts cinnamon powder

Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the above, mix and then add the aged starter mix.

Stir (with a wooden spoon) and add a little milk if the mix is too dry.

This amount is enough to fill a muffin tray of silicone rubber that
holds 6 large muffins and leave enough for another two. The individual
cavities hold about 1/2 cup and I fill them about 2/3rds full.

Microwave for about 4 minutes at c. 600 watts setting.

Allow to cool somewhat and eat.
---

I am not satisfied that the cooking time is correct. But the problem
might be with the muffin tray. The manufacturer was not content with
simple cavities but molded a flower pattern into the base and sides. If
it worked, the muffins would have a flower pattern on top; at present some
of the flower-shape sticks in the tray. But what comes out is quite
edible.

Felix


--
Felix Karpfen

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:27:31 -0700, Chembake wrote
s.com>):

>
> Triple acting baking powder,,? Triple acting baking powder exist only
> on dry mixes for cakes tailored specifically for such purpose and you
> can never buy that anywhere.

SNIP

....Another american baking powder wihich has robust
> performance has sodium aluminum sulfate and calcium acid phosphate as
> the acidulant, You can buy this in Chinese groceries labelled as
> Calumet which manufactured overseas.

Thank you for the memory-jogger.

I had a hunch, when I posted my previous reply, that triple acting
baking powder contained phosphates; it is therefore different from the
baking powders that I have located in Australia. My hunch
was based on memories dating back some 40 years. In those days, triple
acting baking powder could be bought in American supermarkets.

A material sold as Calumet was also readily available then and used
as a water-softener. Again, I am no longer certain of its chemical
composition, but I believe it was just trisodium phosphate.

And, I did an injustice to Australian marketers. Our standard baking
powder - marketed by White Wings (a subsidiary of Goodman Fielders)
lists the following ingredients:

Starch (wheat), raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, 450, 541, 575).

Not really informative for the supermarket shopper, but it might be
<the same as| similar to> the product normally used in the US.


Felix
--
Felix Karpfen

>Starch (wheat), raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, 450, 541, 575).

So felix , triple acting baking powder now exist in Australia?
I did not notice that when I was in Oz years back.
I oould have recommended that instead of Calumet
BTW the white wings brand baking powder which you displayed the
components contains acid sodium pyrophosphate as the major leavening
acid, then followed with the sodium aluminum phosphate and glucono
delta lactone
Presumably this is a new product from Goodman fielder as I used also a
related product from the same company which is just sodium bicarbonate,
sodium pyrophosphate, and calcium acid phosphate.in the past.

Calumet is actually sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum sulfate,
calcium acid phosphate and starch...
Sodium tripolyphosphate is not used as leavening acid in baking
powders

In the past the possible triple action baking powder may contain
combination of sodium pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum sulfate or
phosphate and calcium acid phosphate, but so far I was not able to
locate a manufacturer as American manufacturers want to keep things
simple but efficient.
Say for example in this baking powder. If the calcium acid phosphate
can duplicate the speed of faster acting Sodium acid pyrophosphate
grade then there is no need for redundancy and let it be sodium
aluminum sulfate( which is dirt cheap if compared to sodium aluminum
phosphate which cost twice more than sodium acid pyrophosphate,) be the
slower acting acidulant combnation with the fast acting calcium acid
phosphate.

A dirt cheap alum salt along with the moderately priced calcium
phosphate is still cheaper than the combination of sodium acid
pyrophosphate and CAP.

I was just surprised how Good man Fielder was able to use the GDL (
glucono delta lactone) which the most expensive leavening along with
another expensive sodium aluminum phosphate in their White Wings
composition.

I was wondering how much does this new baking powder cost if compared
to the common baking powder you can buy anywhere in Australia in weight
for weight basis?

Felix Karpfen wrote:

> A material sold as Calumet was also readily available then and used
> as a water-softener. Again, I am no longer certain of its chemical
> composition, but I believe it was just trisodium phosphate.

> Felix

Sure you aren't remembering Calgon?

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 05:57:39 +0000, Dave Bell wrote
>):

> Felix Karpfen wrote:
>
>> A material sold as Calumet was also readily available then and used
>> as a water-softener. Again, I am no longer certain of its chemical
>> composition, but I believe it was just trisodium phosphate.
>
>> Felix
>
> Sure you aren't remembering Calgon?

Bingo!

And that will teach me to show off my imperfect memory.

Thank you

Felix
--
Felix Karpfen

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 15:05:02 -0700, Chembake wrote
.com>):

>>Starch (wheat), raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, 450, 541, 575).
>
> So felix , triple acting baking powder now exist in Australia?

SNIP
>
> I was wondering how much does this new baking powder cost if compared
> to the common baking powder you can buy anywhere in Australia in weight
> for weight basis?

It is now the standard product in our local supermarket.

My wife buys it, because she only reads the big print.

And I just pay up the total at the checkout. Next time I will look at the
price. But I believe that it is about $A 2.00 for 125 g

Felix

--
Felix Karpfen

> > Sure you aren't remembering Calgon?



Bingo!

And that will teach me to show off my imperfect memory.


Thank you

Nope they are different animals..<G>
calgon is a brand of water softener...
http://www.calgon.us/
Calumet is a brand of baking powder
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...derHistory.htm

>But I believe that it is about $A 2.00 for 125

That' not very expensive<G>,,,
Therefore the amount of expensive acidulant sodium aluminum phosphate(
SALP) and gluconodelta lactone( GDL) is miinimal, just enough to
slightly boost the performance of the faster acting SAPP 28 or SAPP
32( Acid sodium pyrophosphate). at the baking stage...Looks like a
double acting type to me...
I came to realize its not as good as the Calumet... for high
performance baking...in cakes.