Three years ago, I deliberately stopped drinking milk and dairy products. Then I wrote an article about, which became quite popular on the Internet. Since then, readers have been asking me the same question over and over. What can I substitute for milk in my diet?
It was high time to write an article with an answer, instead of answering each commenter separately. 🙂
So, I’ll tell you about the options I know for replacing animal milk in a healthy diet. I use some of them myself, and I spied something especially for you from others. 🙂
First, about personal experience.
When they ask me what I replace milk with (and with it sour cream, butter, etc.), the first answer that comes to my mind is nothing. I just deleted all this from my life, for me it is not food, so there are no thoughts about finding a replacement. I just eat plant products, I cook only from them.
Although, if you try, you can still make a list of products that conditionally replace milk and its derivatives in the diet of our family.
What do I replace milk with?
- in drinking - water, natural;
- in coffee (for my husband and guests, I myself do not drink coffee) - coconut milk;
- c - water;
- in cereals - water.
What do I use instead of sour cream:
- for dumplings (for the husband) - homemade mayonnaise;
- to borscht (for the husband) - homemade mayonnaise;
- in salads - olive oil or tahini (and sometimes nothing, many salads are delicious without dressing);
- for pancakes - nothing or thick natural date juice (if you want to enjoy dessert). 🙂 In the photo, he is in the first row - a dark one, in a jar.
My replacement for butter:
- on bread for my husband (and I spread myself on slices of cucumber, tomato) - or;
- for frying something in a pan - coconut oil;
- in cookie dough - coconut oil;
- in cereals - nothing (I just cook cereals in water without oil, I put only salt), but we eat them, as a rule, with salads or.
Instead of cheese we eat:
- in second courses - tofu (although mostly in catering establishments, she cooked with tofu so far only);
- on sandwiches - hummus, avocado (see paragraph “butter” above).
I wrote that water and the listed vegetable products CONDITIONALLY replace milk, sour cream, etc., not one to one. And this is true, take, for example, fats. Having abandoned milk in favor of plant foods, I significantly reduced the amount of fat I consumed (and largely due to this). Indeed, with milk, sour cream, cheese and butter, a person eats several times more fat than with water, date juice, hummus and avocados. Of course, if you do not hamster only avocados around the clock. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Now about the peeped someone else's experience. About soy milk.
Many people at my work do not drink animal milk, but they like to drink coffee with milk. For this they use soy milk. There is always one or two liter packages in the refrigerator at work.
When I was going to write this article, I specifically bought soy milk in the store (in the photo it is in a cardboard box and in a glass in the second row), but at work it never occurred to me to try it. And read on Wikipedia about how it is produced.
What can I tell you… Close enough to regular milk. If you miss its taste, then soy milk as a replacement may be suitable for you.
But I have other needs. Soy milk seemed too sweet to me (sugar is added there), there are a lot of “eyes” in the composition, and information about the production process is somewhat annoying (normal feedstock, but the process is long, multi-stage, with cooking). I probably won't use it everyday, but occasionally I can.
Digging through the Internet, I also looked at how the coconut milk I love is produced. And I realized that I was confused. It turns out that you need to separate the concepts of “coconut milk” and “coconut liquid”. What I use is called “coconut liquid” (it says so on the can). Although it is white and in consistency, if you shake the contents of the jar, it resembles milk.
In short, where “coconut milk” is written on my list of products that replace cow and goat milk for me, it should most likely read “coconut liquid”. Although who will sort it out, this confusion in terminology? 🙂
Okay, friends - healthy lifestyle lovers, the article is written, now it's up to you. Share on social networks, criticize, comment, supplement, talk about your experience and ideas. Who replaces milk and dairy products with what?
Cow's milk and dairy products based on it are one of the main sources of protein, fats and carbohydrates necessary for the normal functioning of the body. What is remarkable is that all these substances are contained in milk in an easily digestible form, so the body practically does not spend energy processing them. You can talk about the benefits of milk for a long time - it strengthens bones, contributes to the normal functioning of the brain and internal organs, and slows down aging. However, there are substitutes for such a unique product.
How can we replace the usual packs of milk that we regularly buy in the store?
1. Oat milk
Oats are rich in fiber and cholesterol-lowering substances. During digestion, oats provide the body with a large supply of energy. Oat-based milk is usually drunk by athletes before training. Today, such milk can be purchased either in sports stores or in large supermarkets. However, it can also be done at home. Fill a large bowl one third with oatmeal and two thirds with water. Stir. Let it brew overnight. The next morning, strain the resulting mixture and you will get a white liquid that can be used instead of cow's milk.2. Raw, unpasteurized milk
Fresh milk has long been considered a cure for many diseases - from psoriasis to high blood pressure. During pasteurization, both beneficial bacteria, responsible for its healing properties, and harmful ones, which accelerate the souring of milk, die in milk. Thanks to pasteurization, milk can be stored much longer, but its useful qualities are lost.
3. Goat milk
Goat's milk is commonly drunk by people who are allergic to lactose, the milk sugar found in cow's milk. Goat milk has a slightly salty taste that not everyone likes. Goat's milk is in no way inferior to cow's milk in terms of its beneficial qualities. It also contains large amounts of vitamin B12, a deficiency of which is common in children under five years of age.4. Soy milk
Today, soy-based foods have become quite popular. Soy milk is not as widely used as, for example, soy meat. However, in terms of its useful qualities, it is in no way inferior to other soy products. Scientists say that if you include just 25 grams of soy in your daily diet, this will significantly reduce the risk of cancer and bone loss in older women.5. rice milk
Despite the fact that ordinary rice is not a raw material for milk, some varieties of brown rice are suitable for the production of this drink. Rice milk contains the same amount of calcium and vitamins as cow's milk, but it is not as fatty. The main benefit of rice milk is that it is rich in fiber, which lowers cholesterol levels in the body and keeps blood sugar at a constant level. Rice milk found in supermarkets is often fortified with calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D, so it's especially good for strong bones.
Based on The Guardian prepared by Alexander Timoshik
- powdered milk or infant formula
- condensed milk, only then you need to reduce the amount of sugar
- cream, sour cream, kefir, curdled milk, cottage cheese - i.e. other dairy products (on kefir and yogurt, pies are more magnificent, and the dough is more airy)
- plain water or milk water (equal to a mixture of water and milk) - such a measure will help to cook porridge and reduce its calorie content, and if the porridge on the water
- mayonnaise, you can make dough for cookies from it
There are a lot of milk substitutes in baking. It can be both ordinary cream and various fermented milk products (kefir, fermented baked milk, etc.).
And of course milk can be replaced with water. Such a replacement will make baking less caloric.
Milk, if baking is being prepared, can simply be replaced with water or even juice, not very good, but this is the way out.
If there is, then you can soy.
If there is powdered milk, then you can use it (dilute a quarter cup with a glass of water).
You can also substitute condensed milk. The proportions can be - two parts of condensed milk for a third of water.
I never add milk to the dough, except for pancakes, it gets stale faster from milk, you can use whey, kefir or just water, but I add 3-4 good tablespoons of mayonnaise to half a liter of water, the dough always turns out tender and airy.
If you need to make pastries, but there is no milk, then you can use ordinary boiled water. Or if there is at least a little milk, then add water to it to the required amount. Sometimes they are replaced with kefir or sour cream, again diluted with water. But it honestly depends on the type of pastry you're making.
If there was no milk in the house, but you really want to bake butter dough, then ingenuity will come to the rescue 🙂
Replace milk with yogurt, sour cream, kefir, milk powder or infant formula. Condensed milk is also suitable, but first you dilute it with water. If the house did not have any of the above, then use water. And for baking to have a spicy taste, you can use coffee or tea instead of milk.
How to use coffee, see the example. Coffee cake - very tasty - without milk, eggs and butter:
If milk is not available, use other liquids that resemble milk.
I think first of all milk can be replaced with kefir
Another option is cream. Lightly heat them up and pour where you need.
And finally, together with milk, you can use simple boiled water.
In general, it is better that a bag of milk is always in the refrigerator.
If we proceed from the fact that there was no milk in the house, then the following options are possible here:
- condensed milk, but you need to reduce sugar;
- powdered milk;
- cream;
- fermented milk products are suitable as a substitute for some types of baking;
- water, a universal substitute for liquid in baking, only a little can be lost in taste;
- non-traditional, for a number of pastries: juice, strong tea, coffee, etc. (they bring a certain flavor note to pastries, tea dates and a shade).
You can substitute a lot of things, depending on what you are going to bake. If something is sweet, then condensed milk diluted with water or yogurt, if unsweetened, then milk powder or cream. In extreme cases, and just water, for example, if you bake bread.
Kefir, mayonnaise plus vegetable oil is obtained
Much better than just milk
and what is the need to bake if there are no ingredients. You can bake pancakes and pancakes on the water, but this is on a hike, in isolation, when only flour and water are at hand, if you bake a pie on water, then this is no longer a pie, but bread, everything can be simplified, and you can do without milk and butter, but is it worth spending time on such pastries
Replacing milk with another product depends on the recipe. So, milk can be substituted:
Is cow's milk really so useful and necessary for us? Traditionally, we believe in it. The question causes a lot of controversy, but more and more biologists and nutritionists are inclined to believe that milk is not only not necessary, but also not useful for an adult body. And that alternative, plant-based milk is a much healthier substitute for cow's milk. Milk from plant products contains many nutrients, is easily digestible and, unlike cow's milk, does not cause negative reactions in the body, has a pleasant taste, no worse than milk of animal origin.
So drink or not drink milk?
Top Reasons to Replace Cow's Milk
Cow's milk is difficult to digest
In adults, the enzyme lactase, which breaks down milk sugar, lactose, is almost not produced, and there is no enzyme that breaks down casein, the main protein in milk. It is akin to the gluten (gluten) contained in cereals - a protein that is also indigestible for humans.
Pasteurization of milk, which protects us from pathogenic bacteria, simultaneously destroys friendly microflora and destroys the enzymes that are in milk and help digest it. Therefore, pasteurized milk does not turn sour, thanks to beneficial bacteria, but deteriorates. You can not drink yogurt from store milk.
Milk is not fully digested, which can be manifested by bloating, cramps, diarrhea.
Milk gives a quick rise in blood sugar
The glycemic index of milk is high due to lactose, and it quickly raises blood sugar levels, especially when drunk on an empty stomach. In response, insulin levels rise. Sugar-insulin "swing" adversely affect the metabolism, especially in overweight people.
Milk is allergenic
despite the external tolerance of dairy.
Hormones and antibiotics
Cattle receive hormonal supplements to increase milk production and antibiotics to prevent and treat disease. These drugs end up in the milk we drink. Is it necessary to talk about their adverse effect?
Milk acidifies the internal environment of the body
Little is said about this action of milk. Acidification stimulates and supports the course of inflammatory processes and chronic diseases, the growth of malignant cells.
Plant-based milk, on the other hand, has anti-inflammatory properties.
milk and calcium
Is cow's milk the best source of calcium for humans? Will we get a calcium deficiency if we don't drink milk? No, we won't! Just the opposite, milk promotes calcium loss.
Normal blood pH is in the range of 7.35-7.45. When milk is consumed, the pH shifts to an acidic, lower side. The body equalizes the indicator, neutralizing acidity with the help of alkaline minerals, primarily calcium, which is taken for this from our bone tissue.
In addition, during pasteurization and boiling of milk, calcium passes into an inorganic form that cannot be absorbed. Such calcium accumulates in the body, giving salt deposits.
Healthy Sources of Calcium
If milk does not give us calcium, then where do we get it from?
Some of the best plant sources of calcium are sesame seeds, almonds and other nuts, leafy greens, especially dark greens, kelp, and beans. Poppy and sesame seeds contain several times more calcium than milk. Plant sources of calcium, unlike milk, alkalinize the internal environment of the body, do not wash calcium out of the bones and contain many more useful nutrients.
Lots of calcium in herring.
Knowing these facts, it is worth thinking about the place of milk in our menu. If you are not ready to give up dairy products, it would be better to limit them, and, if possible, drink natural country, not boiled milk, or yogurt from it, in small quantities. Of course, you need to be sure that the milk is from a pure animal. Such milk contains enzymes that facilitate its digestion, and in yogurt milk sugar has already been processed by lactic acid bacteria.
What can replace cow's milk? 8 Healthy Plant Milk Recipes
What are the types of plant milk? This is, first of all, nut, rice, oatmeal. Their recipes are simple. Homemade plant milk is a healthy and delicious substitute for cow's milk.
How to prepare vegetable milk correctly?
Nuts, rice, and oatmeal should be pre-soaked overnight. This not only makes them softer, but also awakens: it activates enzymes that facilitate digestion, increases the amount of vitamins and reduces the content of phytates - natural plant preservatives that make it difficult for humans to absorb minerals.
Nuts should be taken not fried and soaked in salted water.
Rice and oatmeal for milk are soaked in an acidic environment. To do this, add a little lemon juice to the water, or a tablespoon of whole grain flour (wheat or rye). For oat milk, long-term cooking flakes are taken.
Water after soaking must not be used for making milk! It contains enzyme inhibitors and antinutrients. After soaking, the products should be washed well.
Plant milk is made in both a stationary and an immersion blender. It can be drunk just like that, used for smoothies and baking, cooking various dishes and sauces, added to tea and coffee.
Do not sweeten plant-based milk with sugar, even brown. It will disrupt the absorption of this useful product. If you drink milk just like that, add 2-3 soaked dates for sweetness, or a little honey, maple syrup. If you make smoothies with vegetable milk, then you don’t need a sweetener at all.
If desired, you can add a pinch of salt to the blender. It is better to take sea salt: in addition to ordinary salt, it contains other minerals.
Store nut milk in the cold area of ​​the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar for 3-4 days. Rice and oatmeal - up to a week. Plant based milk can be frozen in molds and used as needed.
The remaining nut cake is good to add to smoothies, pastries, make flour out of it.
We do not consider soy milk here. Most soy is now a genetically modified product. In soybeans, the most powerful protease inhibitors are substances that prevent the activation of enzymes inside the seed and, accordingly, absorption.
1. Almond milk
It is the best and very tasty substitute for cow's milk. One of the best liquid bases for . Almonds are nutritious and high in calcium.
Wash 1 cup almonds and soak overnight.
Rinse, beat in a blender with 3-4 glasses of water at maximum speed for 1.5-2 minutes.
For sweetness, you can add 2-4 dates, previously soaked. Dates will enrich the drink with fiber and micronutrients.
Strain through cheesecloth and squeeze.
Store in a closed jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
2. Coconut milk
Coconut milk is more fatty and high-calorie than almond milk, rich in iron, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and amino acids. Coconut fats are high-quality vegetable fats that are completely absorbed and immediately used by the body as a source of energy. They do not threaten weight gain. This is a great smoothie base. After a smoothie with coconut milk, you don’t want to eat for a long time.
Coconut milk is easy to prepare, and the cost is comparable to regular milk. One coconut makes about 1 liter of milk.
3. Rice milk
Ideal for those who are sensitive to cow's milk and nuts. Rice milk has less protein than nut milk, but contains B vitamins, calcium, manganese, and selenium. Rice milk is easily digestible.
It is best to take unpolished rice: it has more fiber and trace elements. But you can cook from the usual.
Rice milk recipe that preserves its usefulness as much as possible:
- 1/2 cup rice
- 4 glasses of water
Soak rice overnight.
After soaking, rinse well, put in a saucepan and pour two glasses of water. Salt as desired. Bring to a boil and cook over very low heat until fully cooked. Cool down.
Fill the blender bowl with boiled rice with the rest of the water to half the working volume. Pour the same volume of water into the bowl. Beat until smooth for 1-2 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth funnel, using a spoon or hand, or through a sieve.
The remaining mass can be used in baking.
For chocolate rice milk, put 2 tbsp. l. cocoa powder and beat for about a minute.
Store in the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar for up to a week.
Rice milk can be used to cook cereals, sauces, desserts, and use for baking. It is used in baby food.
4. Oat milk
It is an easy-to-make and cheap alternative to cow's milk. Oatmeal is the only cereal that contains the valuable protein globulin, which has a composition similar to that of animal protein. Oats do not contain gluten.
- 1 cup long cooking oatmeal
- 3 glasses of water
Soak the flakes in water for 6-8 hours.
Drain the water, rinse the flakes well.
Blend in a blender for about 2 minutes. Adjust the concentration of milk with the amount of water.
Strain through a sieve, helping with a spoon, or squeeze through cheesecloth.
If desired, sweeten with honey, add cinnamon, or vanilla.
Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.
5. Milk from pumpkin seeds
How often do you eat pumpkin seeds? They have a lot of complete protein, including all the essential amino acids - more than in other seeds or nuts. Pumpkin seeds are a storehouse of trace elements. They are rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, copper, zinc necessary for men, vitamins A, B, E. Pumpkin seed milk is another good way to include this valuable product in your diet.
- Pumpkin seeds 1 cup
- Water 3 cups
- A pinch of salt
Soak the seeds for 8 hours. Add some salt and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the water.
Drain water, rinse well.
Put the seeds in a blender, pour water, salt as desired. Beat 1-2 minutes at high speed. In a stationary blender, the seeds diverge almost completely, in a submersible blender - less, although it takes longer to beat.
Pumpkin milk can not be filtered, especially if cooked in a powerful blender: this way it will be more valuable. Strain it to obtain a finer consistency for cooking some dishes.
Store in the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar for 3-4 days.
6. Milk from sunflower seeds.
It turns out that milk can also be made from ordinary seeds. They are rich in protein and micronutrients. Not fried seeds are taken, soaking time is 8 hours in salted water. Rinse well after soaking.
- 1 cup seeds
- 3 glasses of water
- a pinch of salt
Beat 1.5 minutes at high speed.
The milk is saturated, it can not be filtered to get the maximum benefit.
Seed milk goes well with dates, cocoa powder, cinnamon. Additives are placed in a blender along with seeds and water. If a soft consistency is desired, strain through cheesecloth, pour back into the blender, add the desired additives and beat.
7. Milk from hemp seeds
Hemp seed milk is still rare today, although it is even more nutritious than nut milk. Hemp seeds, unlike the green parts and cones of the plant, do not contain psychotropic substances. Hemp milk is rich in valuable proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, trace elements, B vitamins, amino acids. It is rich and has a slight nutty flavor.
Seeds are suitable both peeled and unpeeled. Peeled ones are soaked for 2-4 hours, unpeeled - overnight.
For 1 cup of peeled seeds, 2-3 cups of water are taken.
For 1 cup of unpeeled seeds - less - 1-2 cups of water.
Rinse the soaked seeds in a strainer, and beat in a blender with water until smooth. Unpeeled seeds beat longer.
Milk from the peeled seeds does not need to be filtered. You can, if you want, pass through a coffee filter. From the unpeeled - strain through cheesecloth and squeeze.
For sweetness, you can add a couple of soaked dates, maple syrup, stevia, vanilla to the finished milk. For chocolate milk, cocoa powder. Optionally, a pinch of salt as a preservative and to emphasize the taste. With additives, beat again in a blender.
Hemp milk is a great base for smoothies and ice cream. For pastries and desserts, more concentrated milk is better.
The cake of unpeeled hemp seeds contains valuable substances. It can be dried and added to cereals, main dishes. It contributes to the cleansing of the intestines and its good work. From hemp cake, you can make face masks, use it as a scrub, pre-resin in a coffee grinder.
Store milk in the refrigerator in a closed jar for 3-4 days.
8. Cashew Milk
Cashews are completely mixed with water even in an immersion blender and the cooked milk does not need to be filtered. Therefore, cashew milk is the most tender, rich and very tasty. These nuts contain a lot of iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, amino acids. Cashew milk smoothies are incredibly delicious.
The only drawback is that the nuts are exposed to temperatures of up to 200 degrees during the cleaning and drying process.
Soak unroasted nuts for 4 hours. Rinse after soaking.
To prepare milk for 1 cup of cashews, 3-4 cups of water are taken.
Put the nuts in a blender, add half the amount of water, a pinch of salt if desired and beat for 1-2 minutes, increasing the speed, until the nuts are completely dispersed.
Add the remaining water to the finished milk, adjusting the concentration.
If your blender is unable to completely grind the nuts, strain the milk through cheesecloth or a fine sieve.
For sweet milk, put 2-4 soaked dates in a blender, or a little honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup.
Store in a closed jar in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Plant-based milk is becoming more and more popular. It is tasty, rich in nutrients and micronutrients. Fresh, homemade, you'll love it as a replacement for processed and de-biologically stored milk from the store.
Nut milk is best made at home. Purchased always contains additives, and sometimes sugar. In addition, homemade nut milk will cost much less than imported store-bought. If you are buying a ready-made product, choose without sugar and artificial flavors, prefer organic.
Sergei Rubanov,
I want to learn how to cook delicious pies, but making dough seems like something from the realm of fantasy? Nothing of the kind, everything is very, very simple, you just need to want and allocate a little time for this.
In fact, making it is quite simple, you just need to know some secrets and cook the dough with pleasure. Then it will reciprocate and it will turn out very tasty. Yes, yes, because experienced housewives know that yeast dough, like nothing else, feels the mood of the cook. Perhaps this is his main secret. But there are others.
The main secrets of delicious pies
The process of preparing dough for pies or pies is quite complicated and depends on many factors: the freshness of the yeast, the quality of flour, milk or water at ambient temperature. That is why pies work out best for those housewives who are very serious about preparing dough for them: after all, pies are always a sacrament, and decorating them and baking is a whole art. And, of course, when preparing pies or pies, there are secrets, having learned which, even young and inexperienced housewives will be able to successfully prepare not only simple, but also quite difficult homemade dough products to prepare, cut and bake. So - carefully get acquainted with the main ones.
Preparation for making dough and baking pies and pies
Having decided on what specific pies or pies you are going to treat your family today, the question naturally arises - where to start?
The preparation of dough products of any kind requires accuracy, attention and, most importantly, perfect cleanliness and order in the kitchen from the hostess. Nothing superfluous from dishes and utensils, only strictly what is necessary to work with the dough. Remember the proverb - “It is clear to the godfather that she baked pancakes - and the head is all in the dough”?
The hostess must be collected, clearly define the order of all technological operations and work quickly enough.
It is then that the dough will definitely “submit” to you and there will be no problems with cooking, cutting and baking it. The quality of baked products is entirely in your hands, so you need to carefully get acquainted with the "kitchen secrets" of baking. Let's start, as they said in the old days, "dance from the stove."
Set the gas or electric oven to the desired temperature according to the recipe and turn it on at least 30-50 minutes before baking. This will create a favorable temperature in the kitchen for proofing prepared products.
For cutting dough, it is better to use a cutting board made of plywood measuring approximately 50x50 cm, laying it on the surface of the kitchen table. If the dough is cut on the table, it must be prepared, freed from excess kitchen utensils and wiped dry. The same dry should be wooden rolling pins (one or two of different sizes), knives and glass or other recesses for cutting blanks into pies, spoons for laying out the filling. When working with the dough, hands can be oiled or dipped in flour so that the dough does not stick to the fingers. When rolling out layers of dough, also spray the rolling pin with flour, and lightly grease the recesses with which the blanks for pies are cut with vegetable oil.
According to the recipe chosen by the hostess, it is necessary to immediately decide whether all the components are for dough and fillings, what products and what can be replaced if necessary. If the products will be prepared from yeast or unleavened dough, all products for it, including flour, must be warm, not lower than the temperature of the kitchen or other room where they will be cut. For puff, shortbread and crumbly dough, on the contrary, it is advisable to cool the products well. In the corresponding recipes, instructions on the temperature regime of the raw materials for the dough are necessarily given.
Having prepared the dough and putting it on the table, immediately fill the pan in which it was fermented with cold water, let it stand for a long time and then wash it with warm water - the rest of the dough on the pan will be very easy to wash off. In the future, wash the rest of the dishes in the same way.
It will be much easier for you to work with the dough if, after each “communication” with it (kneading, rolling, cutting), your hands are necessarily washed and wiped dry. This is especially important when frying prepared dough products, because even a drop of water from your hands that has fallen into a hot pan will instantly cause the formation of fumes.
While the dough is rising after punching, prepare the filling, all the products for which you have already prepared in advance.
Don't forget to prepare your baking sheets or tins and grease the surface of the product before or after baking. If everything was done correctly during the preparation of the products, putting the pies in the oven, washing and wiping the table completely, you yourself will be pleasantly surprised - the kitchen is as perfectly clean as it was at the beginning of your work. There will be no need to wash a mountain of dirty, dried dough, dishes, the same table or cutting board, there are no remains of flour and dough crumbs on the floor. In a word, the mood will be just right to gather the whole family for a tea party with hot, tasty and fragrant, and most importantly, a pie or pies made with your own hands.
The ratio of flour and liquid part of the dough
If the dough for pies is prepared lean, then for each glass of water (together with diluted yeast) there is about 400 g of flour. Depending on its quality, the flour may be a little less or more. If the dough is rich, in which eggs and butter are added, then liquids (water or milk) should be added about 3/4 cup.
Yeast preparation
Yeast, even very fresh, must be checked for germination. To do this, they must be diluted in 0.5 cups of warm (but not hot!) Milk, add a pinch of sugar and stir with 1-2 tbsp. spoons of flour. Let stand for 10-15 minutes: if a head of foam appears above the yeast, then they can be safely used to make dough.
Methods for making yeast dough
Yeast dough, the most common for the preparation of various dough products, including pies, can be prepared in a non-dough or sponge method.
For the SAFE METHOD, the yeast is prepared as mentioned above, combined with all other products according to the recipe, and the dough of the desired density is kneaded.
With the SPARNY METHOD, dough is kneaded from prepared yeast, water and half or a third of the norm of flour, which is fermented separately for 3 to 6 hours. Then, in accordance with the recipe, all other products are added to it in one or two doses. Pie dough should not be kneaded very cool, but thoroughly. The longer the dough is kneaded, the tastier the cake will be.
At the first rise of the dough, it must be precipitated in the bowl in which it is located, using a wooden paddle or spoon. After each next rise (second or third, depending on the recipe), sprinkle the dough with flour and knead it with your hands to make it more fluffy and airy. After the second rise, it is better to put the dough on the table, divide it into 2-3 pieces, knead each well and put it on the table or in a large enameled bowl. Sprinkle the dough with flour, cover the top with a slightly damp towel and let rise again. After that, the dough can be cut.
SOME TIPS FOR PREPARING THE DOUGH
One of the main rules for preparing any dough, which must be followed when preparing any dough, is to pour liquid into flour, and not pour flour into liquid. Flour and starch (if it is provided for by the dough recipe) must be used only freshly sifted (preferably twice) - this will enrich the dough with oxygen and make the dough base of the pies more magnificent. Add the liquid to the flour gradually, in a thin stream, constantly mixing the dough.
Fresh milk is most often used as a liquid component of the dough. If there is no milk, in some cases it can be replaced with other products (instead of 1 liter of milk):
* Condensed whole milk with sugar - 400 g with a decrease in the sugar rate for the dough;
* Condensed skimmed milk with sugar - 330 g with reduced sugar and added fat. Condensed milk should be slightly warmed before use and strained through a sieve.
* Powdered whole milk powder - 130 g milk powder and 870 g water. Before use, milk powder must be sifted and dissolved in warm water.
Raw eggs used in pie or pie dough are best introduced beaten (separate yolk and foam of beaten egg white) and, if possible, last. The dough will be much fluffier.
cutting pies
When cutting pies, roll out the finished dough on a floured table or cutting board into a thin layer of the desired shape and size. Using a rolling pin, lay the layer in a deep form (pan) or on a baking sheet greased with oil. Spread the prepared minced meat or filling over the entire surface of the dough and gently level it.
If the cake is completely closed, a second layer of dough is placed on top of the minced meat layer, the edges are pinched and the surface of the cake is slightly pricked with a fork (it can be in the form of an ornament of pins).
Open or semi-open pies are decorated on the surface of the pie with various decorations made from dough, which not only decorate the pie, but also, placed on its surface in the form of a grid (lattice), hold its shape during proofing and baking. The finishing mesh and the edges of the cake are pinched with a beautiful seam. The product designed in this way should be allowed to stand well, then grease the surface and bake the cake in a medium-heated oven.
So that the dough does not go over during proofing and then does not settle, you need to check the readiness of the rise by slightly pressing your finger on the surface of the cake: if the dent immediately levels out, the cake is ready for baking.
Forming and pinching products
The process of pinching a cut dough product is also a kind of art, quite important for the success of the preparation of the entire product as a whole. After all, if the connecting seams on pies or pies are made poorly, carelessly and ugly, they will not only spoil the aesthetics of the type of product, but they will definitely disperse during baking, and even then the whole product will be completely and irreparably damaged. To prevent this, you need to know that:
* the dough should not dry out during cutting, otherwise it will lose its elasticity, elasticity, adhesive properties and will not merge into a single and indissoluble mass when pinched;
* cutting the dough should be as far away from the hot stove as possible;
* before pinching, grease the edges of the dough with wet fingers;
* apply tucking methods specific for each type of product.
Pies are pinched in four ways: scallop, side, pocket and border.
Cheesecakes and sweet pies are pinched in various intricate ways: a squiggle, a lacing seam, a narrow welt, a welt or an overlay welt.
When plucking pies of various shapes, types of tucks are used: pinch, split serrated, rolled serrated, purse-string (assembly), plucked. .
The main guarantees of a strong dough pinching are not only the use of the correct types of pinches, but also the observance (other than those specified above) of additional conditions under which it should occur:
* exact imposition and rather dense compression of the test in places of pinching;
* the use of the correct techniques when pinching products from different types of dough (for example, crumbly or shortbread dough should be pinched only with a cord seam or a combination of a split and patch welt).
Properly chosen variant of dough pinching is the best guarantee of excellent appearance and taste of finished products.
The mode of heat treatment of products
Many recipes indicate the thermal regime for baking or frying dough products. To better navigate, it does not hurt to know that:
* slightly heated oven - at a heating temperature of 160-180 ° C;
* medium heated oven - 180-220 ° C;
* very hot oven - 220-270 ° C.
Preparing Forms or Sheets
Properly prepared sheets, molds and baking sheets for baking pies or pies are also one of the many conditions for a well-baked product and maintaining its shape.
* for products made from yeast and unleavened dough - dry and clean sheets or forms are thoroughly lubricated with oil with the lowest water content in its composition;
* puff pastry products are baked on a prepared clean dry sheet sprinkled with cold water;
* products from shortcrust or crumbly dough are baked on sheets or in forms thoroughly oiled (preferably vegetable) and necessarily sprinkled with flour evenly over the entire surface of the sheet;
* for choux pastry products - the sheet is only lightly oiled, otherwise, if the sheet is abundantly lubricated, the bottom of the custard product will crack during baking and the product will settle.
Preparation of fillings and minced meats
In order for the pies to turn out tasty and well baked, it is necessary not only to skillfully use yeast and other baking powder. First of all, you need to skillfully choose the fillings so that they are combined with the dough and together create a wonderful flavor bouquet. Salty fillings from meat, fish, mushrooms or vegetables are not suitable for sweet dough. And, of course, salty dough is completely contraindicated for sweet fillings, although some housewives add a very small amount of salt to sweet dough to give a good taste range.
The raw material and weight composition of fillings and minced meats is basically given in each recipe. The amount of minced meat or filling for pies is taken to taste. The filling must be well cooled before use, because when using it hot, hardening (unbaked dough) can form inside the pie.
In addition, if the filling is prepared from products previously fried in oil, it must be thrown into a sieve or colander before use to remove excess oil, otherwise the cake in the middle will also turn out to be unbaked.
Many fillings for pies or pies use porridges, cooked both crumbly and viscous. It is necessary to know the approximate ratio of cereals and water used to prepare porridge.
To prepare porridge for the filling, for 100 g of cereal you need to take liquids (water, broth, vegetable broth):
PORRIBLE PORRIDGE:
* for buckwheat - 150 g
* for wheat and millet 180 g
* for barley - 240 g
* for rice - 210 g
VISCOUS PORRIDGE:
* for buckwheat - 320 g
* for wheat and millet - 320 g
* for barley - 370 g
* for rice - 370 g
* for semolina -370 g
* for oatmeal - 320 g
Secrets of baking pies and pies
* In order for pies and other small-piece products from any dough to bake better and turn out to be more airy, they must be laid on a baking sheet before baking so that there is a little empty space near each product. During baking, you need to put a dish or sheet in the oven and pour 1-2 tea cups of cold water on it - the crust of the pastry base of the pies or pie will not dry out during baking.
* If the cake is baked in a mold and the bottom crust of the cake is frying faster, although the whole cake is not yet ready, you need to pour a layer of salt on the sheet, level it well and place the cake pan on it.
* The top crust of the pie will not burn if it is covered with foil or white thick paper moistened with cold water after browning. It is not recommended to cover the cake with newspapers.
* If, when baking a pie, one side of it begins to fry more strongly, and the other, on the contrary, does not bake, it is necessary to put a bowl of water under the edge that is being fried.
* When baking a closed puff or sand cake, as well as products made from unleavened dough, their surface must be pierced in several places with a fork - the products will be baked evenly and air bubbles will not form on their surface.
* Ready-made pie or puff pastry pies will be crispy if shortly before the end of baking, sprinkle the surface of the products with cold water.
* Often the surface of the cake or pies is smeared before baking.
To lubricate the surface of products, you can use:
* beaten egg or yolk;
* a mixture of eggs, a little water and melted butter or margarine;
* the yolk, carefully mashed with butter or margarine;
* sweet strong tea;
* flour diluted to the desired density, pre-brewed with boiling water.
To get the most beautiful and high-quality surface after baking, eggs or egg yolks must first be beaten well with a little milk or water, adding a pinch of salt. The surface of the products is covered with egg or yolk lubricants very carefully and evenly - then the finished product will have an even golden color and shine. If the lubrication is done carelessly, the surface of the product will turn out with whitish “bald” spots.
Baked products will be no less tasty if they are greased with melted butter, sour cream or vegetable oil after baking.
HOW TO REMOVE THE PIE FROM THE FORM
A ready-made pie made of rich, shortcrust or crumbly dough, without removing it from the mold, must be put on a wet cold towel or put the mold with the pie in hot water for several minutes: steam will help the dough separate from the walls and bottom of the mold and it will be easy to take it out. Pies made from yeast or unleavened dough should be removed from the mold almost immediately, because if such a pie is in a hot mold for a longer time, the bottom and walls will become wet, and the taste of the crusts will not change for the better.
Loading...