Tag: RULES

the rules to follow and the mistakes to avoid – Italian Cuisine

From powdered yeast to the mother's yeast, from flours to water, all you need to know to get perfect leavened products

The leavened dough they are a great test for all kitchen and bakery enthusiasts in particular.
Are there any rules? Are there any mistakes to avoid? Of the tricks to get a perfect leavening?
We explain everything to you.

Types of leavening

Let's start from the basics to understand which and how many types of leavening exist.
IS chemistry leavening from instant chemical yeast powder and occurs by joining an acid and an alkaline element. This is essentially a chemical reaction to heat.
Then there is leavening microbiological which happens using brewer's yeast, fresh or dehydrated, or mother yeast. The micro-organisms present in the yeast, feeding on flour, reproduce by increasing the dough.
Finally the leavening physics it is the one without yeast and it is not a real leavening. It is the one that is obtained by adding to a dough, usually based on egg yolks and flour whipped egg whites.

The yeast

It seems obvious, but it is also very important to talk about the main ingredient of a leavened dough: yeast.
It can be beer or mother yeast, powder or fresh, the important thing is to use it well.
The mother yeast requires some care because it must be refreshed frequently to stay alive and allows to obtain more digestible doughs, compact and soft at the same time and more resistant to time.
Brewer's yeast, on the other hand, causes dough to rise faster making them very tall and soft, but it is less resistant to time after cooking. A bread made with brewer's yeast remains fresh and fragrant for less time than one made with yeast.
The sourdough must be freshened before use otherwise it will have an acid taste and smell.
The yeast instead of beer must be dissolved in warm water and not hot otherwise it does not act and can be activated with sugar or honey.
The baking powder should not be dissolved in water and can be added directly to the flour.

Flours

Always use good quality flours and mix them if necessary.
Very often it is proposed in the recipes Manitoba flour also known as American flour that is very refined and subtle and therefore suitable for leavened dough.
Be careful not to abuse it, because it tends to soften the dough too much and if you want a minimum of crunchiness you have to mix it well with less refined flours.
There 00 flour, also this very refined and low in gluten, should not be used alone, but always with flour with the highest protein index to allow the formation of a stronger glutinic mesh able to withstand the yeast's thrust without yielding.
Very risky preparing dough leavened only with wholemeal flours, always mix them with lighter flours if you want to obtain a perfect leavening.

Salt

It is important in leavening even if it is dosed carefully because it can also counteract it.
When cooking bread, it allows you to obtain a crispy outer crust with respect to the inside that remains softer.
Always add it at the end and away from yeast and sugar.

The water

Let's talk about water, but in reality of all the liquids that are used in leavened doughs, therefore also the milk.
Add them little by little until you reach the right consistency.
Some doughs must remain very soft and almost difficult to work with hands, while others require less liquids.
But if you want to get a very soft pizza with a long leavening then use a lot of water, about 300 ml per 500 grams of flour and then let the dough rise in the refrigerator covered with the film for at least 12 hours.

Browse now the gallery to find out the 5 most serious mistakes to avoid to obtain a perfect leavening.

10 rules for rolling it by hand – Italian Cuisine

From the proportions between eggs and flour to how to use the mattarelo, follow our advice and sfogline grandmothers will be proud of you!

Spread the fresh pasta with the rolling pin it is an art yes, but within everyone's reach.
Of course, it is much easier to prepare a uniform and very thin sheet with the electric or crank machine, but you want to put the satisfaction of doing it with your hands?
Only two ingredients, a pinch of will and a little 'elbow oil and we assure you that you will not buy ravioli, tortellini and lasagna ready.

The ingredients of egg pasta

You only need eggs and flour. Consider that for an egg you will need 100 g of flour and you can choose from 00 flour or durum wheat re-milled semolina.
In the latter case, however, you may need some water to work the dough that will be drier.
No salt, no oil, but if you want color the pasta or make it more flavorful you can add to the dough some parsley leaves or boiled spinach, well squeezed and smoothies. 100 g of flour will not suffice in this case because the spinach makes the dough damper.
For a red pasta, add the steamed red turnip and smoothies and the pumpkin pulp yellow dough.
Both spinach, turnip, and pumpkin must be dosed in small quantities.

How thin should egg pasta be?

It depends a lot on the use you want to make of it.
Noodles and other formats of long pasta they can be thick enough and on the contrary they will have a more pleasant consistency under the teeth.
Tortellini, agnolotti and ravioliinstead, they require a more accurate draft and the sheet must become thin and transparent almost like a veil.
If you are thinking that a similar result can not be achieved by hand, you are wrong, all you need is a little patience.

Roll out the dough: 10 rules

If you are ready with a rolling pin and a pastry board to prepare the pastry at home, you just have to scroll our gallery to find out what are the 10 basic rules to keep in mind.

5 rules to save money in the kitchen, from shopping to the table – Italian Cuisine

Saving does not necessarily mean sacrificing. Here are some smart and fun ways to do it!

In January, with the beginning of the new year, the list of good intentions is drawn up and in the first places there is almost always the saving. For this we want to give you some suggestions for spend the right in the kitchen and to bring healthy and tasty dishes to the table every day. Just organize yourself a little! Such as? Started by these 5 simple rules!

Plan meals

It seems a very sad thing because it does not leave too much room for creativity, but once you have taken your hand you will find that it is a very smart method for save, eat in a balanced way and always change meals.
So we suggest you take an agenda or a calendar or download one of the many pdfs you find online (search for "meal prep ") for write down day by day what you will eat during the week.
So every Saturday or Sunday, think about what the next week's menu will be like based on what you do the shopping.
Prepare even in advance what can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and so it will be easier and hasty to put everything at the table.
Of course, keep in mind that within a week you will have to change a lot protein ingredients and then consider the meat three times, the fish twice, the eggs and the cheeses one day a week. abound with vegetables and legumes and never forget a portion of Whole grains per day.
In yours weekly shopping so they should not miss: legumes also precooked and preserved in glass, barley, spelled, wholemeal pasta, rice, vegetables to be cooked and vegetables to be eaten fresh, milk, yogurt, eggs, fresh cheeses, white meat and fish.
Then always keep in the pantry a stock of different flour and dried yeast to prepare bread and focaccia, aromatic herbs and spices to flavor your dishes and pulses to prepare excellent soups.

Buy seasonal ingredients

Seasonal spending It is good for our pockets and also for the planet.
A sustainable and zero-km expenditure costs less, does not pollute and is healthier.
What you have to do is a nice stock once a week of fruit and vegetables at the market or on the farm and portion it as needed.
You can slice the vegetables and cook them steamed or baked and then keep them in the fridge for the week and you can freeze fruit to make some smoothies to drink as snacks during the afternoon.
The vegetables to be eaten raw instead prepare them at the moment, do not cut and wash them first because if they take too much water then they will ruin.
Respect the seasonality of the products and you will gain in taste and health.

Freeze and recycle

As we have already said, it is very useful to prepare something that could be stored in the freezer.
A minestrone for example. Buy zucchini, potatoes, onions and carrots and then add seasonal vegetables like cauliflower in winter and green beans in summer. Wash everything well, dry and cut into pieces and then keep everything divided into potions in freezer bags.
Same goes for meat and fish. Once cooked, you can store them for the next day or place them in airtight containers for the freezer, but you can freeze them also from raw.
Also to recycle It is very important to save money in the kitchen. And so if you are using cheese, use it to make a baked pasta or vegetable pie. If the bread is fried, fry it in small cubes and serve with the soup, if it is already cooked and seasoned, make an omelette and if the fruit is going badly, make a shake or a cake.
In short, the important thing is to get a little done. It's also very easy and fun!

Schiscetta in the office

If you have lunch outside, do not go to the bar, but bring with you what you have prepared the night before.
At dinner, always cook a little more as an abundant portion of meat or fish or an extra portion of cereals and in the morning fill a container from schiscetta or even a large glass jar with what you have and take to the office.
You can prepare salads of cereals and legumes with steamed vegetables, you can slice the grilled chicken and accompany whole wheat bread and vegetable dip, or you can simply heat the pasta the day before if you have a microwave available.
If you do not have the time to prepare a complete meal, once in a while you will also be fine sandwich, but always with what you have at home, a slice of meat with tomato and salad or a chickpea hummus for example.

Buy only what you need

This is the most difficult rule to put into practice because when you enter a supermarket you are always kidnapped by the charm of novelty.
But first let's focus on the goal, that is what you really need and then maybe we choose the product, one only a week, which intrigues us more. And then of course, when possible, we try to take advantage of the offers.
And how are the temptations managed? Snacks, biscuits, baked goods and packaged are the extra expense that is not required that week after week weigh on the bill. How to deal with the problem? Once in a while you can, but it must be the exception.
For the rest, we suggest you to make a nice weekly escort of dried fruit is dark chocolate. Treat yourself a little 'every day and always keep at home everything you need to prepare a dessert when you feel like it.

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