My first attempt to make something with my dough whisk... Now I have a question.
So the holidays over and the birthday party's over... it's time to pull out my new toy for some fun. I used my dough whisk to make sourdough waffles this morning. Might not be the best choice because as I was mixing the sponge (developed overnight) with the eggs and other ingredients, I realized strands of gluten began to wrap around the wires. I had to tear off the gluten and put it back into the batter to whisk again. The gluten continues to climb back and form a tube around the wires. No matter how I hard whisked, up and down, back and forth etc, the gluten refused to get mixed. I finally had to discard the chunk of gluten in order to make the waffles. Of course I had to make adjustment because the batter then had become too watery. The waffles turned out all right after the adjustment. But I just can't figure out why the gluten wrapped around the whisk wires. Is there a better to use the whisk? Or is this something I have to deal with every time I use it with sourdough batter? Thanks in advance. Al
The kind that looks like a carpet beater, or a balloon whisk--the kind that looks like a wire cage? You can go here and look at descriptions for various types of whisks (scroll down).
Honestly, I've NEVER had the problems you describe with a dough whisk. It's open structure cuts through all kinds of doughs like they were butter and all I have to do to get the excess dough off the whisk when finished is a few sturdy bangs on the side of the bowl. I can't imagine why you would have problems you describe, especially with a fairly thin batter like a waffle batter.
Now a balloon whisk is a different story. That happens all the time with a balloon whisk, because the "cage" shape tends to trap things. Balloon whisks are great for thin things without much solid matter, like beating eggs and very thin batters. We use it all the time for pancake batter.
I am sure it's a dough whisk. I ordered it from Breadtopia before Christmas and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. Here's the one that I have:
http://www.breadtopia.com/store/danish-dough-whisk.html
If you never have problems with the dough whisk, maybe it's just me. Need a bit more practice. Thanks!
Al
What recipe has such strong strands of gluten that they can wrap around like that and be pulled off in chunks?
I haven't used my waffle iron in years, and I admit that I never made yeasted recipes, but I do remember using my old Gold Rush sourdough back in the day.
I usually made a chemically leavened (baking soda and/or powder) batter slightly thicker pancake batter, mixed very lightly so that the gluten was NOT developed, as that would make a tough waffle. That's why most pancake/waffle recipes state that the "batter will be lumpy". They don't want you to overmix (developing the gluten) and end up with chewy pancakes and waffles.
I'm guessing that if sourdough is your only leavening agent some gluten is desireable, but the gluten you describe sounds like the creature from the black lagoon.
I used King Arthur's SD waffle recipe from here:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-waffles-recipe
Only I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour. You think it might be the culprit?
Al
Hi, Al.
I've not made SD waffles, but I have used a dough whisk to mix SD pancake batter, and I know exactly what you are describing. Here's the solution:
As your first step, put the sourdough starter in the bowl. Add the liquid. Use the whisk as you might a bench knife to break up the starter into small pieces (pea to cherry sized). Now, whisk it like crazy until the starter is almost completely dispersed in the buttermilk. It should get nice and foamy. Mix the sugar and flour and add them to the liquid and whisk it in. If some of the starter clings to the whisk, tell it to "knock it off" while you knock it off on the edge of the bowl.
As Jan said, don't over-mix the sponge. The same goes for the final batter. The eggs don't have to be completely and evenly incorporated. This is not muffin batter.
Finally, please fax me a waffle. I love waffles!
David
When you said "starter" you meant the sponge? I mixed the starter with buttermilk the night before cooking. Didn't beat anything until the next morning. I will try to remember the "knock it off" command" as it sounds very powerful! :-) I bet it will work!
Don't have a fax machine but I have a camera. So here it is, I am beaming you a picture of a lot of them. Enjoy! Al
David (drooling on the keyboard)
when I have nightmares about "tubular gluten" climbing out of my mixing bowls tonight.
And waffles flying through the ether ;o)
Couldn't you just dream you knit the tubular gluten into something cozy to keep the waffles warm?
David (switching the power of suggestion back to stun)
My understanding is that you can extrude just about any substance and make yarn from it--but I think knitting with gluten is taking my baking hobby just a little bit (!) too far ;o)