Yippee's blog

Lately, I haven't been in the mood to update my blog, as all my energy and spare time are being consumed by gardening. Nevertheless, I wanted to create a quick post to show you something that might interest you: me using my electric sieve shaker... to sift soil. 

The primary function of the sieve shaker is to shake and sift, and it performs this task as expected. By default, it sifts using a single 30cm-diameter, 10cm-high sieve. However, I "hacked" it by stacking two such sieves and anchoring them with a 6.5-inch throttled return spring I purchased from ACE Hardware. Hacking the shaker with two sieves produces a clanking noise when it shakes, which could suggest that the spring isn't tight enough. 

I couldn't find a throttled return spring long enough to secure three sieves. It would be cool if I could run three sieves simultaneously.

While fully automating the sifting process with triple sieves is impossible until I find the right spring, I did figure out a "semi-automatic" way to sift with three sieves - by rocking them with a 14-inch stainless steel Ikea serving bowl.

P.S. 20230420

After using and comparing the two methods multiple times, I find that the semi-automatic method is less of a hassle because there's no need to hook up to electricity outdoors and the sieves can withstand a heavier load without straining the motor of the sieve shaker. Since I'm referring to sifting dirt/soil, home-milled flour probably wouldn't put as much strain on the motor.

I lugged these three custom-made sieves back from Hong Kong!

6.5-inch throttled return spring

the "semi-automatic" shaker

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS).

Ingredients

85% fresh whole durum flour

15% whole durum flour from durum CLAS

22.5% water from durum CLAS

10% butter

6% olive oil

22% tomato sauce

1% coarse black pepper

2% salt

Total dough weight ~500g

divided into 50g dough balls

Rosemary and oregano from my garden

Blend the herbs with fresh durum flour in Vitamix

Mix a stiff dough 

Divide and freeze, similar to handling durum noodle dough

Roll the dough thinner to make crisps - pasta roller #5

Halve the dough to fit in the air fryer

Use a trivet to prevent the dough from flying

285F x 2mins

flip

285F x 2mins

whole-durum crisps!

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS).

I need to find a way to speed up using the fifty-pound durum berries I bought from Central Milling when their shipping costs were still reasonable. So I use them to make 100% whole-durum noodles with CLAS. Surprisingly, the durum noodles have some sweet aroma that others don't, although the recipe is similar to spelt noodles. Of all the noodles I've made, my family likes durum noodles the best. Through practice, I am getting better at making stiff dough for the noodles. 

P.S. 20230213 Stress-free "mass production"

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS).

This one is for fun. See my spelt noodle and soba posts for more details. 

 Ingredients

A.

4% whole durum flour from whole durum CLAS 

8% whole rye flour from whole rye CLAS 

68% fresh whole wheat flour

20% fresh whole durum flour

6% water from whole durum CLAS 

15% water from whole rye CLAS 

28% whole egg (1)

1.5% salt 

Use lye water in half of the dough but find little difference in texture, maybe because the dough has sourdough.

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS). 

This whole-spelt noodle requires a little more work than soba, but not too bad.

Ingredients

A.

13% whole spelt flour from whole spelt CLAS

81% fresh whole spelt flour 

19% water from whole spelt CLAS 

33% whole egg (1)

season the dough to taste

B. 

6% extra whole spelt flour  

Dough consistency when done mixing. Total dough weight ~250g. Rest 1-2 hours 

divide into 5 x 50g dough balls

pasta roller#1 x 1, fold; repeat 3-4 times until the dough is smooth.

pasta roller#2 x 2-3

pasta roller#3 x 2

pasta roller#4 x 1

place the dough sheets between parchment paper

fettuccine cutter x 1

What a scene (to a newbie)!

See my soba noodle post for cooking setup. 

Thinner noodles have a more delicate texture.

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P.S. 20230205 whole-spelt noodles with homemade cracklins

Use a much stiffer dough so that I don't have to hang the noodles.

Trying a new technique

A whole-grain version of an old-time Hong Kong street food - noodles with cracklins,（🐷)油渣麵 but I forgot to add the cracklins to the broth!

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS). 

Inspired by Jo_en's post, I've started making 100% wholegrain noodles with CLAS and various grains. Buckwheat (soba) noodles are the easiest to make - the dough has no gluten, so running it back and forth in the pasta maker is unnecessary. The key is to make it fast - the longer it takes to run the dough through the pasta maker, the more likely it is to crack.

My noodle-making experience is limited to making spaghetti twice. If I can make 100% whole buckwheat noodles with CLAS in less than 30 minutes, so can you. The entire process is indeed as simple as 1-2-3! Let me show you the magic of CLAS again! 

I've made buckwheat noodles with water or a whole egg as the liquid. Both work just as well with CLAS, but more flour is usually needed when using whole eggs because it determines how much flour I must add to mix the dough to the right consistency. If I don't use egg as the liquid, I can use less flour and add water accordingly.

Ideally, I would substitute hulled buckwheat groats for a smoother texture, but the whole buckwheat is all I have.

Soba noodles with water

Ingredients

A.

13% whole buckwheat flour from whole buckwheat CLAS 

25% water from whole buckwheat CLAS 

87% fresh whole buckwheat flour, ground by Vitamix

season the dough to taste

I use

3% shaved bonito, ground with the whole buckwheat

2% Kirkland no-salt spice mix, ground with the whole buckwheat

B.  

24% water

Mix

This is probably the easiest dough I've ever mixed! As you drizzle the water into the dough, keep feeling the dough and imagining how well it will pass through the pasta maker. 

dough texture when done mixing

not sticky at all

Total dough weight ~ 200g

Divide into 4 x 50g dough balls 

No rest; start rolling immediately after mixing.

pasta roller #1 x 1

halve the dough

pasta roller #2 x 2

Place the noodles between parchment paper before boiling them.

How to make whole-buckwheat CLAS

 ground barley malt: 25g

 Whole grain buckwheat flour: 75g

 Water T. 45°C: 180 ml

 Vinegar (5% acidity): 10 ml

 Fermentation temperature: 40°C±2°C

 Fermentation time: 24-36h

 Hydration: 190%

 End pH: around 4

To refresh buckwheat CLAS

1:9 (buckwheat flour in CLAS: new buckwheat flour), no vinegar needed

190% hydration @ 40°C±2°C x 12 hours

I set up a water bath (~low 40s C) in the Instant Pot, support the container with a trivet, and use the Instant Pot's yogurt feature to make CLAS:   

Then cover it with the lid.

Bye-bye, pH meter!

I own all five books written by Chef Grégoire Michaud, the owner and founder of Bakehouse in Hong Kong, but I didn't have his autograph. So when travel restrictions in Hong Kong are relaxed, I return to Hong Kong around Thanksgiving to visit family and ask Chef Michaud to sign my book.

I made several types of bread from his books, and they all turned out great.  I am so excited to finally meet him (and his wife, Vianna)! We have a pleasant conversation about his family, his bakeries, how he connects his business to the local communities to sustain them, and his plans to expand it to Mainland. His dedication to maintaining high-quality baked goods and his enthusiasm for developing new products is admirable. He is such a nice guy that he invites us to the central bakehouse, his "playground" in Chai Wan, where his team prepares the dough and his pet starter, Roger, is kept.  It is an eye-opening experience to see the entire production workflow - how the dough is prepared, fermented, baked, and dispatched.  How I wish I could have some of the high-tech toys there! Did you know that some of the mega walk-in freezers there can freeze a human being to the core in under 30 minutes？ "Horrifying" deep freezers like these enable his team to flash-freeze shaped and proved croissant dough and deliver it to his bakeries, where bakers thaw and bake it fresh multiple times during business hours. As a result, customers can enjoy fresh croissants throughout the day. 

In addition to Chef Michaud's central bakehouse, we visit his bakeries at various locations and have a romantic lunch "date" at the Wanchai location. Our visit to Chef Michaud's bakeries in Hong Kong is inspiring and much more enjoyable than the upsetting experience at a local Bay Area bakery I told you about last year. The fond memories of meeting Chef Michaud, one of my favorite bakers, will last a lifetime!

I look forward to having another date at Chef Michaud's bakery next time in Hong Kong!

The first course of a meal - desserts!!!

Bakehouse's best-selling items - SOURDOUGH EGG TART and CROISSANT

It's that time of the year again - panettone time!

Stunning night view of Victoria Harbour

Best time to visit Hong Kong: around Thanksgiving

My must-visit authentic Hong Kong eateries: 

Sheng Kee Porridge & Noodles - famous for its wonton noodles

on the Kowloon side

G/F, 11 Parkes Street, Jordan

MTR Jordan Station, C2 exit, ~ 2-minute walk

Tel: 23513018

Master Low-key Food Shop - famous for its bubble egg waffles

on the Hong Kong side

Shop B3, G/F, 76A Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan

MTR Shau Kei Wan Station, B1 exit, ~ 2-minute walk

Tel: 69868500

When I'm not in Hong Kong and craving authentic Hong Kong desserts and cafe-style fare, I usually follow Jerry and Maggie's recipes to make my own. 

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The following channels have done a much better job introducing Chef Michaud than I do:

Bakehouse Wanchai, where we have our lunch date, and the central bakehouse, where we meet Roger, the starter

https://youtu.be/JNSb5gOECqU

Bakehouse Soho

https://youtu.be/iwd0QnoXiKY

Bakehouse Causeway Bay, where we try the November special - Tiramisu danish

https://youtu.be/dSoa0TT8x7I

Bakehouse Tsim Sha Tsui

https://youtu.be/3MGpnFhyjlk

Bakehouse Stanley

https://youtu.be/T3gVFMwOiFg

Bakehouse outreach 1 - making bread in an old-fashioned Hong Kong bakery

https://youtu.be/iNc7MgaHJiY

Bakehouse outreach 2 - making moon cake

https://youtu.be/Sc7Q_TXd8xM

I need some lard for baking. Instead of buying hydrogenated lard at the supermarket, I air fry strips of (lightly seasoned) pork fat @ 200°C x 13 minutes to render lard. Re-fry the strips @ 200°C until crispy and use them in soup noodles, fry rice, or eat them as is as a snack.

Porky fries Some say it goes well with beer!

Noodles with cracklins （🐷)油渣麵 - an authentic Hong Kong street food.  I followed Jerry's recipe. 

Also made a whole-spelt noodle version, but I forgot to add the cracklins to the broth!

A whole-durum noodle version. This time I made sure I didn't leave out the cracklins!

I could have lowered the frying temperature to make it more "snowy-white",  but I think it's not bad for a first try.

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS). 

This pumpkin bread is made with fresh 100% white whole-wheat flour. Pumpkin puree makes up approximately 85% of the liquid in the bread.

No egg or butter is used. Instead, mascarpone cheese is used to achieve a "cleaner" pumpkin taste.  

It is slightly sweetened; a touch of cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and freshly ground cloves are also added to compliment the pumpkin flavor.

It is served with whole milk, flavored with Michael's Tiramisu espresso-liqueur mixture.

Ingredients

A.

10% white whole-wheat flour from WW CLAS

15% water from WW CLAS

90% fresh white whole-wheat flour, ground by Vitamix

10% sugar

B.

71% pumpkin puree

C.

1.5% salt

0.5% gold yeast

D.

10% whole-milk powder

0.5% cinnamon powder

0.05% freshly grated nutmeg

0.05% freshly ground cloves

E.

10% mascarpone cheese

F.

10% pumpkin puree

G.

toasted pumpkin seeds for topping

Total dough weight ~ 1140g w/o seeds

Total flour 500g

Mix

by Zojirushi bread machine

1. +A, start the machine

2. gradually +B until a dough forms; continue to mix

3. +C, continue to mix to incorporate and develop gluten

4. once the dough gains strength, +D, mix to incorporate them fully

5. gradually +E, mix to fully incorporate

6. gradually +F until the dough can barely absorb more puree

Bulk

32C x 120mins, or until the dough doubles

Shape

with wet hands

fold the dough ~4-6 times into a log

sprinkle G all over the log

place the log into a 9x4x4 Pullman lined with parchment slings

spritz with water 

loosely cover the top with parchment or foil

Proof

33-34C x 45mins

Bake

cold oven w/o stone

place the Pullman in a granite turkey roaster

cover the roaster with the lid, place the roaster in the oven

set oven to 400F; the oven has come to temperature after ~22 minutes

lower to 375F, x 30mins

unmold, place the bread directly in contact with the granite roaster, and then put the roaster's lid on

375F x 15mins

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How to make whole-wheat CLAS

 ground wheat malt: 25g

 Whole grain wheat flour: 75g

 Water T. 45°C: 140 ml

 Vinegar (5% acidity): 10 ml

 Fermentation temperature: 38°C±2°C

 Fermentation time: 24-36h

 Hydration: 150%

 End pH: around 4

To refresh wheat CLAS

1:7 (wheat flour in CLAS: new wheat flour), no vinegar needed

150% hydration@38+-2 C x 12 hours

I usually set up a water bath (~low 40s C) in the Instant Pot, support the container with a trivet, and use the Instant Pot's yogurt feature to make CLAS:   

Then cover it with the lid.

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How I develop gluten for whole wheat dough

https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/68309/how-i-develop-whole-wheat-doughs-gluten 

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Steam the pumpkin under high pressure in the Instant Pot for 30 minutes, or until it's softened to your liking 

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS). 

Thanks to CLAS, I can make delicious 100% whole-wheat bread with freshly milled flour in just a few hours without using fat, dairy, sugar, eggs, or vital wheat gluten!

Ingredients

A.

90% fresh white whole-wheat flour ground in the Vitamix, 450g

10% white whole-wheat flour from WW CLAS, 50g

15% water from WW CLAS, 75g

B.

55% water, 275g

C.

2% salt, 10g

0.3% yeast, 1.5g

D.

8% water, 40g

Total dough weight ~900g

Mix

I find the windowpane test unnecessary and usually skip it when mixing whole wheat dough. Instead, I check the dough's elasticity occasionally by tugging it during mixing. I consider the mixing done once it feels extensible and isn't stiff anymore. This method helps me create tall and airy 100% whole-wheat bread without using any enrichments or additives.

Mix the dough using the Zojirushi bread machine, programmed for 10 minutes - for the first 3 minutes, the paddles are just stirring gently to bring the ingredients together, and in the remaining 7 minutes, the kneading begins.

1. +A, start the machine

2. gradually +B until a dough forms; continue to mix

(1st 10-min cycle)

3. +C, mix to incorporate and develop gluten

4. once the dough feels strong, start drizzling D

(2nd 10-min cycle)

5. continue to mix and gradually +D until the dough can barely absorb more water.

(3rd 10-min cycle)

Bulk ferment 

32C x 120 mins

The dough doubled.

Shape

with wet hands

fold the dough ~4-6 times into a log

dump into a 9x4x4 Pullman lined with parchment slings 

Prove

33-34C x 45 mins

Bake

Preheat to 535F

Lower to 482F once loaded

482F x 10 mins with steam

392F x 30 mins w/o steam; cover the top with foil if it becomes too dark

unmold

392F x 15 mins directly on the stone, or bake longer until it taps hollow

That's it!

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How to make whole-wheat CLAS

 ground wheat malt: 25g

 Whole grain wheat flour: 75g

 Water T. 45°C: 140 ml

 Vinegar (5% acidity): 10 ml

 Fermentation temperature: 38°C±2°C

 Fermentation time: 24-36h

 Hydration: 150%

 End pH: around 4

To refresh wheat CLAS

1:7 (wheat flour in CLAS: new wheat flour), no vinegar needed

150% hydration@38+-2 C x 12 hours

I usually make about 500g of CLAS at a time with 200g of grains. It stays in the fridge until I need it to bake, and I stir it thoroughly before use. I usually warm it up with one of Zo's fermentation features while I prepare the remaining ingredients. When I've used up most of the 500g of CLAS, I refresh it using the 1:7 ratio to make another 500g, give or take. 

I set up a water bath (~low 40s C) in the Instant Pot, support the container with a trivet, and use the Instant Pot's yogurt feature to make CLAS:   

Then cover it with the lid.

P.S. 20230722 

I can also make CLAS in the Zo using its 'Rise 3' feature because it operates within the same temperature range as a yogurt maker. I can either take out the bread pan, place the container with CLAS in the bread machine, supporting it with a trivet, or ferment the CLAS directly in the bread pan.

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How I develop gluten for whole wheat dough

https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/68309/how-i-develop-whole-wheat-doughs-gluten 

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 The mixing is complete. 

It develops very strong gluten even without autolyse. CLAS rocks!💪💪💪

Just sit back and watch the dough rise. Easy peasy!

Ta-da!