Whatever happened to my photo? From now on I just may have to use total word descriptions. Season your meat any old way you like to have it seasoned. I used the Penzeys only because I got a nice collection of jars for Christmas and love their blends. Before Penzeys (BP) I would use the old fashioned garlic, pepper, fennel, oregano, bay leaf routine with anything else close to my fingers on the spice shelf. I made a meat pie the other night and used steak seasoning for the ground chuck, it worked out fine. Good luck and let us know how it turned out. I plan on collecting all of the names into one post along with the suggestions I am getting from other sources. You guys are the best, though. Here is a link that might be useful: traveling and cooking with grandpa

Years ago the ex and I lived in DC in an apartment without AC. DC is VERY humid in the summers. She decided to try to make bread. Unfortunately, she wasn't a very confident cook and tended to follow recipes exactly. She didn't know tricks that most of us know, the rules of thumb, etc. Anyway, all of a sudden she lets out a yell for help. I go into the kitchen and the bread dough is oozing all over the counter and she's desperately trying to keep it from running over the sides of the counter. She added exactly the amount of flour the recipe called for, but it was so humid that the dough was literally still liquid. So, I start working on it, adding more and more flour, until I come close to doubling what the recipe called for. The whole time she's "but I followed the recipe exactly!" while I'm trying to explain to her why baking is different. Never did really get the concept through to her. But, believe it or not, the bread actually turned out fairly decent.

Thanks Teresa, Grainlady and Annie for your help. Mad about Mickey, what a coincidence. The first one was certainly not my best either. Teresa- You answered one of the questions I didn't ask... I wondered if I was supposed to use the paddle then switch to the hook. Do you switch after all ingredients are in I'm guessing? I use my mixer a lot, but for the same few things... cookies, an occasional cake, whipped cream and dog treats. I should probably read the instructions again. Grainlady - here is the recipe... 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons water 1 1/3 cups (10 1/2 ounces) water 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) vegetable oil 1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey, molasses, or maple syrup 3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour 1/4 cup (1 ounce) nonfat dried milk 1 1/4 teaspoons salt Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour, or until it's crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly. Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350F oven for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices. I think when I made it by hand, I basically did what you were saying. When I tried to strictly follow directions, the dough was too sticky to work with, so I added the flour until I could work with it. I finished kneading with the oil. I didn't punch the dough, but I don't think that hurt much of anything, I only have one spot with a bigger air bubble, so I must have smushed it enough when I shaped it. I have never tried the sponge, in fact, I had never heard of it before last year when I was thinking about learning to make some different types of bread. I will try that sometime. I was taught how to bake bread by my great aunt when I was in elementary school (early 80's??) I make some here and there, but years go by without making any, so I have to regain the "feel" of it. That's why I posted, I the dough didn't feel right when I followed the directions, and I was second guessing myself. I have also discovered you can learn A LOT from these forums, so I thought it might be educational to ask! I think I need to re-acquaint myself with bread baking the way I was taught, and then I should try out some other methods. There seems to be a ton of variety out there, and I should learn some of it. Thank you, and BTW, this loaf did turn out much better than the first one.

I wouldn't reduce the yeast or you may find you don't have enough yeast activity to get good ovenspring. According to Shirley O. Corriher in her book, "CookWise", when retarding (chilling) dough overnight or longer, it influences the bread in three ways: -Enhances flavor. The cold temperature forces the yeast into dormancy so it is no longer gobbling up all the available sugars. The bacteria then can feed and produce some of their flavorful acids, which add subtle complex flavors and enhance keeping quality. Acids produced at cold temperatures 30-40-degrees F) are wonderfully flavorful, and even at cool temperatures are good. -Reduces ovenspring and loaf volume. Chilling for a period as long as overnight reduces ovenspring (oven rise) and reduces loaf volume. Alcohol that was made by the yeast from the beginning changes to a gas in the hot oven and is a contributor to ovenspring. During a lengthy cold period, alcohol simply evaporates from the surface of the dough and some goes to vinegar. ...Chilling reduces the carbon dioxide in the bubbles, which contributes to a slight change in texture and possibly slightly reduced ovenspring and loaf volume. -Opens texture slightly. Chilling dough retards the action of yeast and influences texture, though much more subtly than breadmaking method. Another point about refrigerator doughs... Enriched recipes designed for the refrigerator (such as Betty Crocker - Potato Refrigerator Dough) include mashed potatoes (or instant mashed potato flakes). WHY? Lloyd M. Maxon, author of "The Baking Book" and a microbiologist who specializes in yeast biochemistry explains... Mashed potatoes - or any pureed vegetable - is vital for refrigerator doughs because it preserves moisture in the dry climate of a fridge. A regular yeast dough would dry and become unworkable more rapidly. These refrigerator dough recipes are great when you want to make the dough ahead of time and the next day use a portion to make hot dog or hamburger buns, cinnamon rolls another day, and dinner rolls yet another. -Grainlady