Tag Archives: baking

Do you need purified water for sourdough baking?

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

I read somewhere that you should use purified water for sourdough baking because the chlorine in tap water retards the yeast. Have dutifully done this for years without questioning. Then I noticed my purified water actually has chemicals added (baking … Continue reading →

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A visit to Educated Palate in San Francisco

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

Educated Palate is a bakery operated by the students in the Culinary Arts and Hospitality program at San Francisco City College. It is only open on Thursdays, between 9:30 and 11:30 am, and by chance we were there on the … Continue reading →

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Boozy Baking with Great Exbaketations

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

Last night we attended a Yelp event, Boozy Baking with Great Exbaketations. Cheyenne, the master baker, led us through the creation of a rich chocolate cake and then hit it hard with a simple syrup infused with booze of your … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Ivy German Baguette

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

Ivy German Baguette is a tribute to our beloved mini-schnauzer, who had a habit of jumping up and stealing bread from the counter. In spite of her preference for whiter loaves, Ivy was Germanic in most of her habits, so … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Injera (Ethiopian steamed flatbread)

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

[3/20: before you begin, see UPDATE at the bottom of this post.] We have long been obsessed with making an injera recipe at home, as evidenced by this thread on The Fresh Loaf started in 2015. We achieved a satisfying … Continue reading →

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The surprising truth about kouign amann

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

I hungered for a sugary, buttery kouign amann (pronounced QUEEN followed by “almond” in which the “d” is silent) before I knew such a thing existed. I had recently moved to Saratoga Springs, NY and discovered the excellent croissants at … Continue reading →

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The secret to baking with steam in a home oven … at last!

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

I have previously written of my attempts to steam baguettes in a home oven. Steam produces nice “ears” and a glossy, caramelized crust similar to what you’d get from a professional bakery. You can closely replicate the effect for batards … Continue reading →

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Chasing Khachapuri

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

Did you know that the Soviet Union once shut off electricity to what is now Georgia, plunging the region into stone age darkness for 14 years? Or that the country’s current leader is an oligarch who has built an enormous … Continue reading →

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Food for Thought: The Writer’s Guide to Bread Baking

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

Richard Dooling is a polymath who has sold screenplays and written bestsellers yet still teaches law at the University of Nebraska. His blog covers diverse subjects of interest to him, one of which is bread baking. The Writer’s Guide to … Continue reading →

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Register now for 2016 Kneading Conference

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

It’s just a couple of weeks till the 2016 Kneading Conference, a full schedule for which is available here. From what I understand from past participants, it’s like the best of spending time with the great bakers and teachers at … Continue reading →

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