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Touching base with finally firmly dipping my toes into breadmaking. Quite a bit of information upfront to digest ranging from tips & methods to ingredients & effects. Very daunting initially, even after all the research. However, after a few different breads, I find the process start to finish rather enjoyable and can confidently say I have a new permanent hobby. So far, I have made a couple of milk bread loaves using the tangzhong or yudane method of "scalding" the flour. First & third ones used a slurry of 20 grams flour to 90 grams milk heated up in a pot until gelatinized then allowed to cool before resting in the fridge overnight making sure all the flour was thoroughly gelatinized and something about forming maltose. (Yay science!) Second bread I took 50 grams heated milk poured on top of 50 grams flour mixing until everything gelatinized then rested in the fridge. Of the two methods, I prefer the first with the slurry as it is easier. Some of the milk will get boiled out but I can account for that by adding a smidge more than needed to compensate. Second method worked just as well but felt like more effort to mix well. In between the breads, I tried making a walnut raisin cake. First iteration was a little dry like a brownie. Second attempt was better being more moist but perhaps too much. I am narrowing down the recipe with each attempt. My last bread best as I could describe was a pizza sandwich or a mortazza I believe. I made a 100% hydration dough using 500 grams flour to 500 grams milk (it should have been 400 grams milk for 80% hydration but I kind of goofed). It was a sticky dough for certain but using a no-knead cold fermentation method (and a little olive oil), it turned out perfectly. I would even say it was the best gosh darn thing I ever made by golly. It was like a huge grilled cheese sandwich ....but pizza. Next on my list, brioche. Additional, egg white whipped with a little milk makes for a nice double glaze.

Noticed the Stranger Things journal finally sold out. It was the cheapest in the theme to get as everything else has skyrocketed. Hard to believe I can get $250+ for my Castle Byers in-store build. Totally worth the embarrassment of getting pushed around by the 8 year olds at the time.

If you click on it, even if you already claimed it, it does not show as "Sold Out" yet. Try it compared to Wonders of the world that is "Sold Out" once again.

Couldn’t say no at $35. Preorder is up now.. https://www.target.com/p/lego-city-space-science-lab-toy-building-set-60439/-/A-89144415

I built this using the head from the Stormtrooper BrickHeadz set (set 41620) and the body from the Stormtrooper Mech (set 75370). The result was better than I expected.