Beans, pasta, rice and dough
6 short explainers. Read them in order, or jump to the question you have right now.
- 61Soaking beans in salt waterSoak dried beans 8 to 12 hours in water with about 1 tablespoon of salt per liter. Sodium takes the place of calcium in the skin's pectin and loosens it.…
- 62Finishing pasta in the saucePull the pasta 1 to 2 minutes before the package time. Add it to the sauce with a splash of starchy pasta water and finish cooking together. The pasta…
- 63Choosing the right riceRice starch comes in two types. Amylose keeps grains separate and fluffy, as in basmati and other long-grain rice. Amylopectin makes grains soft and…
- 64Waking up yeastYeast is a living fungus that eats sugar and gives off carbon dioxide, which puffs up dough. It works best at 25 to 35°C (77 to 95°F). Above about 55°C…
- 65Choosing the right flourFlour proteins form gluten when they get wet. Bread flour has about 12 to 14 percent protein and bakes a chewy loaf. All-purpose has about 10 to 12…
- 66Resting pancake batterA perfectly smooth pancake batter is usually an overmixed one. Stirring builds gluten, and gluten makes pancakes rubbery. Stop when the flour is just wet…
