I am a good cook but................. ........

Pastry, DH reckons he could brick a wall with my mince pies !!! Also toad in the hole, I make lovely Yorkshire puddings but my toad in the hole always ends up soggy!,!

Sarnia

I consider myself a decent enough cook and over the years but the one thing that beats me every time is bread.
My Mum and Mum-in-Law both made lovely bread and passed on their fool proof recipes and tips to me. Try as I might I just cannot do it. Once baked it has risen it looks like a loaf with a crusty top but the inside is doughy instead of soft and springy.
I am not asking for recipes, I waved the white flag a while ago.
Does anyone else have something they can't get right, food wise?

No, the recipe is fine, but it looks as if your oven is cooler than what you set the thermostat to.

I bake all loaves at 180 degrees Centigrade for 39 minutes with the hot air function turned on, and never have the problem you mention.

Delia Smith recipe is foolproof.

Chocolatelovinggran

On a more serious note, my pastry is only good for a missile.

Next time you’re making pastry please let me know. I would love to join you just to see whose missile goes the furthest. I’m willing to bet mine will😀.

Sarnia

I consider myself a decent enough cook and over the years but the one thing that beats me every time is bread.
My Mum and Mum-in-Law both made lovely bread and passed on their fool proof recipes and tips to me. Try as I might I just cannot do it. Once baked it has risen it looks like a loaf with a crusty top but the inside is doughy instead of soft and springy.
I am not asking for recipes, I waved the white flag a while ago.
Does anyone else have something they can't get right, food wise?

Bread is my nemesis too. Mine come out like a brick no matter what I do. Even failed with a bread maker :-).

One thought on your quandary, have you tested the temperature of your oven? I was failing with general baking and when I tested the oven it burns hotter than it should so I have to reduce the Gas number to compensate. Just a thought as yours may be cooking the outside before the heat can penetrate the middle.

I used to make the bread for our family- using fresh yeast from the baker. I gave up when I could no longer get fresh yeast- for me dried yeast did not work as well. My mother made cakes and my sister pastry- apparently I was too heavy handed for either.
I gave up trying to make Yorkshires.

grannybuy

Sky dancer, when I make gravy without meat stock, I use Marmite, a little tomato purée and two or three squares of plain chocolate. I thicken it with cornflour mixed with a couple of tbsps of cold water.

That sounds really interesting, grannybuy. Thank you. I will try it.

My Yorkshires are great but my scones are abysmal! I cannot get them to rise.Any hints anyone ,please!

Scones.
To my disgust, SiL’s are glorious.

Hmm, bread is my main failure. Just not light and fluffy.

I also tend to rush cooking a bit, so that some things that are better cooked slowly (especially some cuts of beef) end up a bit tough. The kids always liked when their dad did the pork chops instead of me.

The best scones I have made are from this recipe. Makes 8

350g SR Flour, 100g chilled butter/marg, 1 tsp baking powder, 50g caster sugar, 200ml buttermilk (or use milk with 2tbsp lemon juice added), 1 tsp Vanilla extract.
Preheat oven and your tray 220/G7
Flour, baking pwd, and butter into bowl and rub together (you can used food processor but I always use hands) til like breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar.
Add buttermilk (or milk mixture, which I use) and vanilla. Stir to combine and then knead gently to bring together.
Sprinkle some flour on worktop and turn dough onto it. Very gently press until it is about 4cm thick. Cut out you scones (do not twist the cutter).
Take your hot tray out of oven and place scones on. You can brush tops with egg if you want. Bake 10-12 mins.
You can add 100g sultanas to dough.

Light handling is the key, and don't press the mix too thin.

Pastry. It comes out like shoe leather, and I have freezing cold hands most of the time so no excuse there

Meringues.
A favourite of DD, but always collapsed…

I think we have the making of a new sport - pastry throwing.
Nightsky and I are up for it - anyone else?

Poached /boiled eggs, rice, toad in the hole.
Luckily my DH makes the best boiled eggs & a good poached egg.
Only use micro rice but not often.
I make good individual Yorkshires but when I do a toad in the hole it's flat in the middle & a bit soggy 🤷🏻

hollysteers

Meringues.
A favourite of DD, but always collapsed…

That’s why we have Elton Mess hollysteers!

I attempted a Baked Alaska once…renamed Alaska Lake!