Question for bakers: what do you do in the summer?

[Jane in NC]

Of course I prefer homemade bread, but heating up the house is unpleasant during the dog days of summer. So you Bakers of the World--just what do you do? Forego baking? Perhaps you have cool mornings which makes turning on the oven not as unpleasant.

 

Beyond bread--things like muffins and cookies. Again, homemade is preferable in our lives. I can't see doing these in a crock pot!

 

I have been freezing local fruit for pies and cobblers to be made in the fall and winter. And as I write I remember my mother grumbling that Dad always chose the hottest days of summer to can pears! (Nostalgic wave passes over.)

 

What do you do to satisfy urges for baking when it is hot as Hades with no apparent relief in sight?

 

Jane

[Quiver0f10]

I bake in the mornings and try to bake a few things at that time insead of spreading it out over the week. So while your bread is rising you can have your pies baking and so on.

[nmoira]

It gets quite cool here most evenings, so I set up the bread machine to finish at 7 am.

 

Am acquaintance of mine has an unusual solution: She has a summer kitchen (consisting of an oven) set up in a detached garage.

[LisaNY]

I (usually) make Challah bread every Friday, but during the summer, not on a regular basis. If I *do*, it's early in the morning before the heat of the day sets in. I only use Red Star yeast in the big vacuum pack. It reduces rise time by 50%.

[enigma]

If you choose to bake bread in the morning, one option is to make the dough the night before, and refrigerate it (first rise) overnight. In the morning, take it out of the fridge as soon as you get up to let it warm up a little. Then punch down, shape, let sit 20 min or so, and bake as usual. The slow refrigerated rise gives it better flavor and texture. I usually do this even in winter, because the result is better, and it's easier for me to break my baking up into two shorter sessions without feeling like I have to babysit my dough.

[MJN]

I cut on the fan above the stove on low and I have a box fan to help move the heat out of the kitchen. We're heading to bed soon after the things I cook cool off. We don't notice the heat from the oven as much as during the day. I don't really like cooking after the kitchen is clean so I try to bake as much as I can at one time while it's on.

 

I use the crock pot in the summer and put it in the garage during the day, since it's already hot out there.

 

HTH -

 

Molly

[GSMP]

Unless you have a hubby like mine who is building a solar oven for me along the line of the JunkYard Wars show that used to be on.......I would suggest use my friends solution......:D

 

It's really a great idea.......and since I'm still waiting on the oven to have it's finishing touches added and then tested.....I may just do what she does....

 

 

She does use her crock pot.....but she went out and bought one of the $39 roaster ovens you see at WallyWorld. She and my friend from Texas place these outside on their decks so they don't add anymore heat to their houses.

 

I have personally witnessed this........My one friend can bake anything in one of those..........make sure you have a rack that will fit in the bottom so that you can get air flow around the pan......

 

Coffee can baking in the crock pot isn't so bad........the kids have lots of fun........

 

 

Sometimes I will cook late at night.....I hope you are able to come up with something that will help you..........

[jmgconner]

I was going to suggest a solar oven, as well. I haven't baked in one yet, but I'm anxious to get started.

[Plaid Dad]

My dw is a night owl, so has been baking bread after dinner. Makes for great midnight snacks!

[E_Edgerton]

I agree with previous posts about early in the morning or late at night...but honestly, my kitchen is so hot anyway, I just pick a day and sweat a bit more. My kitchen feels like an oven!:glare: Good luck.

[G5052]

I tend to be up before everyone else and can't sleep once the sun is up, so it's nice to get it done then along with some other kitchen/laundry chores.

 

Tomorrow I'm doing whole wheat loves. Right now I do have some foccacia dough perking for tonight, but it bakes pretty quickly and there's nothing like foccacia with spaghetti...

[*anj*]

I'm another one who tries to get it done early in the morning. If I want to bake anything else I try to do it at around the same time so that the oven only gets turned on once.

[In The Great White North]

Can you tell me more about baking in a crock pot? (Recipe please?) This sounds llike something I need to try. :001_smile:

 

We don't have a/c, so if it gets hot, I don't bake. Hot spells usually only last a few days though, then it cools off at night again (and I can bake again.)

[Tracy in Ky]

I just keep on baking, even when it is hot. We've gotta eat!!! ha

[MJN]

solar oven with us?

 

Thanks,

 

Molly

[Carol in Cal.]

A solar oven can't take any recipes that generate steam, or the window fogs up and the temperature drops. But, those covered cobbler recipes that you make on camp outs where you pack hot coals around and on the lid of a big ol iron pot work just great!

 

Here it usually cools off at night, so I can close the door between the kitchen and the dining room, and open the back door, and bake in the evening without heating up the house too much. I turn off all the kitchen lights to keep from attracting bugs, and go for quicker recipes like baking powder breads and biscuits, and also pizza--though a yeast dough, it's so thin that you don't have to have the oven on all that long. Then I leave the back door open until we go to bed, and usually the kitchen cools off pretty much by then.

 

I have threatened to run an extension cord outside and put a bread machine out there, but have not actually tried it. I bought a bread machine at a rummage sale a few years back, but unfortunately that was right around the same time that I stopped baking as much and so I never really explored what all it could do.

[Jane in NC]

One suggestion that I will add to my own thread is that I tend to make bar cookies as opposed to drop cookies in the summer. I don't know what it is about swimming, but the boys seem to love chocolate chip cookies after being in the water. (Hmmm...maybe they love chocolate chip cookies even if they haven't been in the water!) But the oven is on for less time for a single pan of bar cookies then several trays of drop cookies. Less time involved also.

 

Thanks again.

Jane

[Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady]

I bake at least one day per week, even in the summer. If I have a very cold and icey drink nearby (non-alcoholic so I can keep my senses..LOL), the baking experience is fairly pleasant. I think that maybe I am getting a steam facial or mini-sauna everytime I open the oven (grin). It also helps to keep a small, oscillating fan on the counter nearby.

 

If it is too hot day after day, I will not bake but purchase those goods. My family prefers the homemade. I tell them that we are fasting from homemade bake goods to remember our appreciation. LOL.

 

Blessings,

 

Camy

[Beth in SW WA]

Of course I prefer homemade bread, but heating up the house is unpleasant during the dog days of summer.

 

I agree. I've been grilling flatbread on my new barby at night w/ whatever we are grilling for dinner. Its yummy :)

 

I just roll out the bread dough flat and cut in 4" strips and lay them across the grill. I drizzle olive oil and sprinkle w/ parmasan cheese.

[Jane in NC]

I've been grilling flatbread on my new barby at night...

 

 

 

Beth, this is one of our mainstays as well but we grill disks of dough and then make sandwiches from our grilled bread, fish or chicken, veggies, etc. I have found that the old fashioned potato dough which lives in the fridge will make a great grilled bread. This allows one to have dough that is ready to go!

 

Jane

[classicteacher]

Eat those fresh vegetables from the garden. Wonderful tomato/cucumber/onion salad comes to time without any heat to the kitchen. Coleslaws & broccoli salad would be next on my list.