I’m not the cook around here but I’ve watched my spouse make many batches of pizza and a milk-brioche he uses for burger buns. So take my advice with a grain of salt.
Something I haven’t seen mentioned yet is the yeast. Mr. Kii always blooms the yeast before mixing. No matter the bread, he uses some of the liquid called for let the yeast bloom for about 10-15 min while he does something else.
I asked him about it once and he said it’s because the jar yeast can take a while to wake up from the fridge and blooming helps him make sure he’s got enough live beasties as well as making the gluten form more quickly. This is particularly critical for the pizza dough because he’ll make a double batch in the morning before work. But he also blooms the yeast for the milk-brioche in warm milk before making that. He’ll use a half cup to a cup of milk or water and warm it a bit.
I also noticed the milk-brioche is always kind of sticky compared to any other bread dough he makes. Oh, he also lets the milk warm up before mixing. I accidentally poured the milk away thinking kii-kitten had left a cup of it out on the counter.
I hope that helps! Milk bread is yummy. Even if it doesn’t, what you are doing right now looks delicious
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I use bread machine yeast, which typically doesn’t need blooming. Which is why I use it. But what the hey, I’ll try it next time. At worst, it will make no difference.
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^^^this!
i wanted to suggest something like that, too. i did not have that term “bloom”, my great grandmother called it “making a sponge”. room temp to tepid warm water (or liquid you are using - i use warm beer for my bread), yeast, a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of flour, cover with damp cloth and let it wake up and look “spongy”. then mix in the flour and kneed it until it “feels right”.
edit: i see @danimagoo is using bread machine yeast. i don’t know how that works, but as you say, couldn’t hurt.
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Ooh, never thought of freezing the batter first! That’s a great idea! I’ll definitely be using that next time I’m doing battered [item] (my wife is from the UK and misses battered sausages something fierce)
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oooh! then you must try air fryer scotch eggs! i posted a recipe for that on this thread!
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O.M.G, I think you just massively improved my marriage.
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Stop it y’all! I went to Brazilian in laws yesterday and now I have to buy a pressure cooker or they’ll bring one back from Brazil (for feijoa) and now I need an air fryer.
It’s one in one out in the kitchen.
Which of my children goes first?
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I just purchased an air fryer and have been using panko breading with the triple dredge. I would like to know more about this technique. Do you freeze them solid of just enough to freeze the batter?
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you can do either. but if you want to keep your catch “fresh, never frozen”, you could chill it long enough to freeze the batter. anything to let it stay on the filet long enough to start cooking before it runs all over the place. we get so much fish, i always have some in the freezers. prepped this way, it makes for a quick meal with some air fried potatoes for chips.
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So I did a little research. There are two basic types of commercial dry yeast: active dry yeast and instant yeast (also called bread machine yeast, rapid rise yeast, or quick rise yeast, depending on the manufacturer). The main difference between the two is the grain size. The instant yeasts have a smaller grain size, so they incorporate into the dough faster.
As far as proofing (aka blooming) goes…actually this really isn’t necessary today for either. Apparently when active dry yeast was first developed, it was. But modern yeasts do not need this step, unless you think they’re old. In that case, proofing it can tell you if the yeast is still alive. No bubbles = dead yeast do not use.
Having said all that, I need to double check how much yeast I’ve been using because 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast doesn’t weigh the same as 1 teaspoon of instant yeast, so it’s possible I used the wrong amount of yeast. Although I can’t imagine it would be a huge difference, or result in my kneading issues.
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Good research! I hope the yeast weight was your issue. I didn’t realize grain size was the difference between active dry and instant.
I just checked and Mr. Kii uses active dry yeast. Not that I’m about to tell the producer of the delicious food in our home to change his process. I know which side my bread is buttered
ETA: I’m mostly joking. He probably already knows this and, if he doesn’t, he’s always open to ways to improve his cooking. I miss his cooking already 
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On another subject, I always ordered the same thing from my favorite Chinese restaurant when I lived in Kansas City. The Dan Dan noodles from Bo Lings. I haven’t found that dish even offered at Chinese restaurants near me here in New Jersey, but this video just popped up on my YouTube feed. I’m going to have to try this.
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Since we were talking air fryer not long ago, I made some “roasted” potatoes in the air fryer. These were mini-Yukon Golds but I think it works for any potatoes more on the starchy side of the spectrum.
I cleaned them, cut them into chunks, boiled them for about 5 minutes, and put the chunks in a covetable metal mixing bowl. I dressed them with olive oil, a clove of micro-planed garlic, and gave them a shake in the bowl until there were mashed potato-ey paste on the surface of all the chunks. I air fried them at 380 for 10 minutes, gave them a shake, added some rinsed rosemary from the garden, then another 12 minutes at 400.
I didn’t add salt prior to cooking because we have different levels of salt preference in the house, so everyone could salt their own. With the salt, these might have been a bit crispier, but they were really tasty!
Recipe I based it on:
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11th Commandment: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s mixing bowls.
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Now that you mention it, I’ve had guests give those bowls longing looks…
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We are a Dan Dan noodle family!
If you are vegetarian/vegan, Spicy Moon (two locations in NYC) makes an excellent version.
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I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, but I am not opposed to eating meatless meals. I do it all the time!
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