Cooking

Yeast may be intimidating if you ever find yourself baking bread and are new to baking. Overworking it can leave you with a stone hard loaf and a ruined dinner. Here’s everything you should know about getting started with dry yeast. Activating vs. Proofing Yeast An active dry yeast is a form of yeast that has been dehydrated to give it a longer shelf life. This yeast requires adding some liquid and sometimes sugar to ensure it’s alive enough for baking. A recipe may call for “proving” the yeast which can be confused with proofing the bread. Activating Yeast To activate yeast you’ll sprinkle the dry yeast into a bit of water and let it sit until it’s slightly foamy. This water does not need to be hot–room temperature or slightly warm water works best. After the foam is visible, stir it with a spoon or fork until the yeast is completely dissolved. The yeast should be smooth and silky. Proofing Yeast Yeast proofs when the gluten has been developed through kneading the dough. The yeast will feed off of sugars in the starch and expel gas into the gluten. You’ll most likely want the dough to rise double its size before shaping. This ensures the yeast and gluten will have enough time to proof and develop. Baking the yeast will cause the gas inside to rapidly expand and any water to turn into steam. Properly activating the yeast, kneading the dough and letting it rise in a warm area will allow for the yeast to proof itself. Source: The Kitchn

No need to worry about overcooking another burger with this guide. A juicy burger with layers of cheese and perfect condiments is the perfect way to bring in the New Year. Here’s everything you need to know to master the grill. Temperature. Burgers need to be cooked at just the right temperature. If the heat is too high you could end up with a dry and burnt burger. Too low of a temperature and you’ll end up with a placid and rubbery patty. The sweet spot for grilling burgers is 375F to 400F, for most grills this is medium-high heat. If you’re using charcoals you want to fill the grill with two to three quarts in an even layer. Place the burgers directly over the heat source instead of indirectly cooking them. Time. Burgers at the right temperature need just the right amount of time to get the desired patty. The FDA recommends beef to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160F for safety but if you prefer medium-rare and know the beef source, you can remove it at 145F. Medium-rare (red in the middle): 3 minutes each side Medium (pink in the middle): 3 to 4 minutes each side Medium-well (a bit of pink in the middle): 4 minutes each side Well-done (no pink): 5 minutes each side Source: the Kitchn