Test poll: How often do home bakers use thermometers to determine their water and dough temperature?

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TeckPoh's picture
TeckPoh 2008 March 26

Appreciate if you could take time to participate in this test poll. It's a rather simple question, no deep thinking needed here. If there isn't a large enough sampling size, the results of this poll or subsequent ones (we're forming one for Baking Terms) would not be meaningful.

Thank you.


Graham's picture
Graham 2008 March 26
Yeah! We love polls!

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Danubian's picture
Danubian 2008 March 28
Hmmm, 160 odd reads but 13 votes; shy home bakers? Get your votes in because this poll closes tomorrow. Once the time frame is set in motion, as it has been, it seems there's no turning back!!

Sure, it's a test poll, but I'm always curious how many use thermometers. Unfortunately thermometers are often not used in small bakeries either, which may explain some of the variations seen on bakery shelves from one season to the other.

Home bakers have more lattitude since timetables aren't as rigid or demanding, nor is there the pressures of having paid customers to supply.
Boonderoo Farm 2008 March 28
Dear Danubian!
We bake 300+ loaves of bread every friday, I am not sure if this qualifies us
as homebakers. Time pressure on doughs, proofing, etc. will take on a different dimension when you bake in a wood fired oven, this is where true artisan craft comes into play without any proofers, retarders, additives-for a long time I did not know what VC stands for. So, no thermometer just hands and eyes and feelings for a true dough development.
Danubian's picture
Danubian 2008 March 28
and understand the skills of which you speak. However, is it a possiblity that a thermometer for accurate measurement, if you used one, would assist in consistency, especially during those subtle seasonal changes?

Do you gauge the oven temp by light dusting and determining the speed at which it turns brown, or do you have a thermometer fitted?
I really shouldn't comment though, since this is not a ploy to convince people to change and use thermometers. I'm genuinely interested whether a simple instrument like a thermometer is widely used or not.
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I've got a nice Tagliabue castiron face oven thermometer from the 1920's.

  






































Also this angle tempering tank thermometer









































They are both from a by-gone era but they can still help with measurement, nothing wrong with that IMHO.
Thanks for making your opinion known, and for voting, if you did.

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