Baking Day Check-In #4 I'm Done...Some Success & an Epic Fail

Well, this update is late.  After getting home from Date Night with hubby, baking off the rest of the breads and cleaning up the kitchen(sort of), I was too pooped to write & post this update....so it's posted now, on Wednesday.

I baked off the French Bread dough loaves before leaving for dinner....

Before.....

And After.....

Then we had to leave for dinner.
When we returned 2 hours later I went to prepare the batards to bake(slash the tops and egg wash them).
Here is what they looked like when I left....

And here is what I came home to....

When a recipe calls for letting a bread rise for 1.5 hours, they expect you to bake it promptly at this point.  Since my loaves(which I baked off before going out) needed to bake at a different temperature than the batards I couldn't bake it all together before I left, as there wasn't enough time. And I didn't trust the kids to turn off the oven and take bread out if I had started baking the second batch and went out before it was done.
So my batards continued to rise until they filled the cookie sheet.  Not being in a pan with sides, like the other dough in the loaf pans, the dough had nothing to grab onto, like the sides of a pan and climb it.  They did have some height when I took the kitchen towel off.
Then, since the batards were too full of gas bubbles/air, when I brushed on the egg wash, they crashed like the Hindenburg....oh, the humanity!!
I could have punched the dough down and reformed the batards and left them to hopefully rise enough a third time to have a better product.
But....oh well!  I just baked them off as is.....

Nice and toasty French Flat Bread!lol 
Now I've been bread baking off and on since the '80's.  In my previous uptight self I NEVER would have shown anybody this Epic Fail disastrous bread!!  But life is all about learning and taking the good with the bad.  And if some new homemaker who is attempting their first try at baking bread sees this and sees that ANYBODY can SCREW it up, even someone with many yrs. of experience, so they shouldn't feel too badly when something they try doesn't come out right, then I have done my job here. 8-))
And by the way......this monstrous mutant cojoined loaf still tasted fine.
Especially warm.
With buttah!

Then I put the Brioche in the oven after a quick brush of yolk/sugar wash.....

And I took it out later looking like this....

Good enough to eat!

This was my first time baking in this oven since getting it this summer.  I've discovered that it is runs hotter than the temp. dial indicates(thank you oven thermometer!)so most things came out a tad darker than I like(plus my camera tends to make dark pictures).  Hopefully I've made adjustments to my temp/timing for any future baking.

I still have half a can of pumpkin puree to use, so I'll do the pumpkin/chocolate chip bread later today after my errands.  I never did get to the Scones, Brownies or Bread Pudding.  I just had my hands full with the yeast breads.  Between that and the Pumpkin Rolls, I had fewer items to show for my Day of Baking, but what I did make were the labor intensive items on my list.  I think in the future, if I do a whole day of baking again, I'll stick to 1 labor intensive(yeast bread) product, 1 or 2 quicker products(like muffins/quick breads and pie)and a couple of easy/simple items(bar or drop cookies and cake).
I need more items that are definitely more forgiving if you have to leave them to sit for hours when something comes up or you run out of time.

So, what have you baked lately?  Tell us in the comments below...

Sluggy

Baking Day Check-In #3

While the Bread Dough was rising I mixed up the Pumpkin Roll batter.  Here it is in the pan....before adding the walnuts.

It was baked at 375F for 15 minutes.

After it cooled, I carefully removed it from the pan onto a clean kitchen towel.

Oops!  It cracked.....

Since it cracked I decided to divide the sheet of pumpkin into 3 strips.
I then sliced each strip, so I had 2 layers.  I had to do this because I had doubled the recipe(because of the size of my pan).  Unfortunately, that made my cake too thick to roll.  So I had to split it to make it thin enough to roll.

This gave me 6 pumpkin sheets to roll......well, actually it gave me 4 sheets to roll and 1 thick sheet that cracked. 

Each split sheet was placed on a clean kitchen towel.  Then the sheet and towel were rolled up together.  You have to do this while the cake is warm and let it cool rolled up.  If you don't and then try to roll the cake after it's room temperature with the filling and nuts on, your cake will crack badly.
Leave your cakes rolled in towels to cool.
Then unroll carefully.

 Each sheet gets covered with the filling of cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar.
Then chopped walnuts were added.

A sheet of parchment paper was laid down on the table and the towel with the filled pumpkin sheet was placed on top.  Now began the tricky part--the rolling.
Using the towel for a guide, reroll your cake, but this time, don't roll the towel with the cake.  It's kind of like making sushi rolls....the towel is your bamboo mat.

 Rolling in progress.....

Roll some more.....

Almost done now....

Ta-Daa!!
 Now for some powdered sugar on the outside.....

Doesn't that look good enough to eat?lol

Then you roll the Pumpkin Roll up into the parchment paper it's on.  These are destined for the freezer, so I then rolled mine in a sheet of foil, crimped the ends and labeled the outside whether it had nuts in it or not.

Four Pumpkin Rolls all done and ready for the Holidays ahead.

So what to do with the 1/3 of the Pumpkin Sheet that cracked?  Cut squares, put the filling on top and sprinkle with nuts.....a plate of Pumpkin Bars to enjoy now.

While I was playing with Pumpkin Rolls, the French Bread and Brioche finished rising.
These were divided and shaped into 4 balls.  Covered and left to rest for 10 minutes.

Then half the dough was put into loaf pans(2 balls=2 pans) and the other half of the dough was formed into batards....the traditional French Bread shape....on a greased rimless cookie sheet.   The tops were snipped with kitchen shears.

All loaves were covered and left to rise again for 1 hour or so.

The Brioche Dough was also formed into balls and plopped into greased rectangular pans to rise again under their kitchen towel covers.

I cleaned some major baking messes and I am off again to check on my Bread loaves and hopefully pop them into the oven, as it's been about an hour since they were left to rest.

Sluggy

Baking Day Check-In #2

Ok, here's what I've got done....

Two bowls of dough resting for 2 hours.
One bowl of a Yeast Bread recipe that will become French Bread(4 loaves), and the other bowl of Brioche Bread dough.  I doubled the Brioche recipe.  I know the kids will desimate the single recipe batch and I need a batch for the Brioche French Toast with Caramelized Bananas I plan on making for dinner later this week.  I'm sure I'll have to hide that second batch of Brioche.lol

Off to clean up a bit, have some lunch and start on the Scones and Pumpkin Roll.

Sluggy

BAKING DAY has Begun! Come Follow us....

I am taking part in an online BAKING DAY today.  It's being hosted by Money Saving Mom and Life As Mom.  There will be updates today via Twitter... follow at #BakingDay .   I'll be posting updates throughout the day on my baking progress on my blog here and under my Twitter ID slugmama(if you want to follow me on Twitter), so check back frequently.

I had wanted to get an early start but today is ELECTION DAY, so I had to go vote first thing.  Then a quick run to the store for extra flour, as I was lower than I thought on that.  Then one of the doggies decided to get sick all over the den, kitchen and hallway floors....ugh!

I am back from clean-up detail and ready to roll now.....

Got my supplies on deck.....

Got my recipes all set....

I am ready to go!

Here's what's on my agenda today....

Pumpkin Bread(My variation on this recipe)double batch-will freeze half,
Pumpkin Roll(a friend's family recipe),
Scone Nibbles will freeze,
Old Fashioned Bread Pudding,
French Bread (this is similar to the recipe I use),
Brownies(from mix in stockpile)will freeze,
Brioche (This is my 1st time making this.)

The French Bread and Brioche take the longest so I'm starting those first.

I'm off!  Pictures of the progress in a bit when I get a break....

Sluggy

Saturday Shopping....10/31 Deals at Target & Weis

I had coupons that expired on Sat. so I spent Saturday afternoon picking up some deals at Target.

I did the Mr. Clean Deal again....
1 x Mr. Clean Bottle  $2.99
1 x Mr. Clean Sprayer Bottle $2.59
2 x Mr. Clean Magic Eraser $3.44=$6.88
Subtotal...$12.46

Used Coupons--
1 x BOGO Manu Q Mr. Clean Bottle/Spray=$2.59
1 x BOGO Manu Q Magic Eraser=$3.44
1 x Target Q $.75/1 Mr. Clean Bottle=$.75
1 x Target Q $.75/1 Magic Eraser=$.75
1 x Manu Q $.75 Mr. Clean Bottle=$.75
1 x Manu Q $.75 Magic Eraser=$.75
Coupon Total of $9.03
I paid $3.43+.21tax=$3.64 for all 4 Mr. Clean products.

3 x Rimmel Mascara @$2.24=$6.72
Used Coupons--
3 x Rimmel $2/1 Mascara Manu Q=$6.00

I paid $.72+$.05tax=$.77 for 3 Mascaras.

2 x Chex Mix*1 not pictured* @$1.73=$3.46
Used Coupons--
1x $1/2 Target Q Chex Mix=$1.00
1 x $1/2 Manu Q Chex Mix=$1.00
Coupon total of $2.00

I paid $1.46 for 2 Chex Mix bags.

1 x Degree Deo=$3.29
1 x Degree Body Mist=$3.29
Product total of $6.58
Used Coupons--
1 x $3/2 Degree Deo/Mist=$3.00
1 x $1.50/1 Degree Deo=$1.50
1 x $1.50/1 Degree Mist=$1.50
Coupon total of $6.00

I paid $.58 for 2 Degree products.

Then I went to find the Holiday Glade....and they were wiped out of Glass or Tin Candleholders.
Tons of refill packs and candles though.  I couldn't do my planned scenario of 5 holders + 5 refills and use 5 $1.50 off holders + 5 B1G1 Refill free Qs.
So I did this using other coupons....
2 x Glade Refill Packs @$2.50=$5.00
3 x Glade Candles @$2.50=$7.50
Product total of $12.50
Used Coupons--
1 x $3/1 IP Q Glade product=$2.50 adjusted down
1 x $3/2 IP Q Glade products=$3.00
1 x $2/2  Q inside previously bought product Glade products=$2.00
Coupon Total of $7.50 BUT the cashier didn't adjust down the one Q so coupon total was $8.00.
$4.50 total.
And I used the $5 Gift Card from some past Target deal, so this set of Glade was FREE with .50 overage applied to the rest of my order.   Oh, and I got my new $5 Gift Card to roll next time.  ;-)

The rest of the order was non-coupon goods on clearance.....
1 x large Manwich can clearance $2.08
1 x Doggie Rawhides clearance $2.48(marked down from $9.99)
2 x Melitta filters clearance $1.04=$2.08
Subtotal...$6.64+$.28 tax=$6.92


Grand Total for all....$12.86 OOP
And I received $5 Target Gift Card.
Savings of $59.21, makes this order a value of $72.07
Savings of 82.15%

I spent the morning getting grocery deals at Weis.....

3 x Fresh Pet Dog Food(they FINALLY had this in!!!)@$2.19=$6.57
1 x 2.98lbs. large Fresh Breakfast Sausage=$7.42
1 x 7.55lb Whole Eye Round Beef=$39.94**not pictured**
SubTotal  $53.93

Coupons Used
3 x Fresh Pet FREE Manu Q=$6.57
1 x Meat Discount Q on package of Sausages=$3.00 (making this package $4.42 or $1.48lb.)
1 x Meat Discount for buying whole Eye Round Beef=$24.92(making this package $15.02 or $1.99lb.)
Total coupons used...$34.49

$53.93-$34.49=$19.44 OOP

Steak for $1.99lb.....alriiiiight!!!
I may be forced to go back and buy another Whole Eye Round before the sale ends this week.  If you shop at Weis, be sure and look for this Beef deal this week.  They also have boneless leg of lamb for $3.99lb.....a most excellent price for Lamb!  I may have to get a couple of those for the freezer too.

Oh, and I almost forgot about the other thing(s) I picked up at Weis the end of last week.....

You are looking at 28 boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks/Roll-ups/Fruit Bites.  The last thing I need is more of these....but Weis insisted I take them!!
Weis has them on sale for $1 a box when you bought multiples of 4.  I had .40¢ Qs that doubled to .80¢.
Plus there was a Catalina deal that when you bought 4 you got a $2.50 OYNO Q.  That Deal ended Oct. 31st. 
When I saw this deal on Thursday, the day the new sale week started, I dug out that big wad of Fruit Snacks Qs and hit the self check-out, buying 4 boxes at a time over the course of 3 days.
Total after coupons, $.80, get $2.50 Cat.
Rinse and repeat.....
Weis paid me $1.70 to take every 4 boxes home.  I made a profit of $11.90 buying all this.

Sluggy