Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Sundari on August 09, 2009, 04:37:18 am
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I searched but couldn't find anything
Do you feel the mat is essential? Do you have one? What do you use if you don't have one? Are there cheaper alternatives out there?
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I've been meaning to ask the same thing! My consultant speaks very highly of it. I might have a 2nd demo and get it, but wondering if it is any good. Also - can you just buy it as an accessory?
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i have the silpat one (ie: exactly the same, from thermomix but before they had their own green branded version) and i think it's fabulous. haven't tried any other brands but from googling i know there are heaps of sizes and shapes available and i wish i could afford to buy more!!!
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I just bought a mat from my local bakeware supply store and it works really well. It was quite big so I cut it in half so that I could use it with my baking trays. When I'm using it with doughs I just use them both (one on bottom, one on top tucked in a little). :)
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be careful cutting the mats up - i thought about cutting my silpat (it's too big for my oven) but a google revealed they have fibreglass inside so cutting is extremely dangerous!
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I'm pretty sure mine said on the box that it can be trimmed to size. I wonder if there are different types. :)
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I wouldnt trim the silpat ones! There are different types, the Silpat ones are not made to be trimmed. I bought one from Thermomix and i also bought one on US ebay (smaller size) that I use for putting in the oven
You can purchase the mats so far as I know for $60 or get one for $40 if you have a Varoma demo, well thats what it was last time I checked!
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Solid thick silicone ones I think you can cut as they are made of the same stuff is the cake pans etc, the silpat mats etc you shouldn't cut as they do have fibres in them.
I couldn't live without mine now that I have it. I use it for bread, scones, pastry, biscuit dough it is endless.
Sticks nicely to the bench and doesn't move around when you are working on it ;D
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Do you use them to roll pastry etc on and are they large enough? I have an old tupperware rolling one and it's starting to split. :'( I enquired about replacing it and was told they don't really have anything like that anymore.
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cookie, they do - at time ;) i have one but i think they only come out every few years. check on ebay (australia and america).
but yes, mine (silpat) is almost the same size
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I have been thinking very seriously about getting one of the Thermomats too - yesterday I resorted to heating one of our wheat bag/heat packs and putting it under the bowl with the dough in it to keep it warm....it actually worked really well, but I still like (ie. want) the bread mat! ;D
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oh that's a great idea! my bread didn't rise well this morning considering it was in the minuses outside LOL
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Just wrap your bowl of dough in a duvet and it will rise within an hour.
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I just turn my oven on the lowest setting for about 5 minutes and then turn it off. Put my bread inside my breadmat and put it inside the oven with the door every so slightly ajar..works a treat ;D
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that's a good idea, because the GF bread recipe says to put it in at 50' but my oven switches on at 100 lol
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My new oven has a digital read out which is great and so accurate. So, do I just heat it up to 50o and turn it off or do I leave it on 50o until the dough has doubled in size? I have been doing the latter (not that I cook a lot of bread), covering it but the dough gets a bit of a skin on it. The recipes have still worked but I'm wondering if I am doing it correctly. Before my new oven, I used to have to time it right with using the dishwasher and letting the dough sit in there for a while but now I can make bread whenever it takes my fancy. Once summer comes I might just put it out in the sun to rise. Does this work?
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I always put it out in the sun if it is warm enough but it is winter here and sometimes it is too cold so then I use the duvet - no electricity costs then.
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Yes the sun works, so does the dashboard of a car in the sun on a cooler day ;D
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Mine is definitely a silicone one - I can roll it up etc. I have thrown out my bread mat box so I will go and check it out tomorrow at the store. I'm wondering if the sales lady told me I could cut it - I wouldn't have thought to do it myself. :)
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I have a TM silpat but actually dont know what it does, and how to use it - I just bought it because the demonstrator used it to wrap the bread up in while it rose, and it looked like a good thing to buy at the time. I only recently found out that it can be put in the oven. Can someone enlighten me a little more, and is there a max oven temp?
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It should be safe at any temp in a domestic oven.
The mats have been around for years - mine is the sort that can be safely cut into smaller sizes.
The TMX one is not essential and if it can't be cut, then I would opt for another from the cookery shops.
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I also rise my bread in the oven in the winter. I switch it on to 50 and when the light goes off I open the door and let a bit of heat out and put the dough in there. It seems to rise fairly quickly that way. Or occasionally I put a large bowl of boiling water in the bottom of the oven and put the bread dough on a shelf and close the door. (without the oven on). It sort of rises with a bit of steam in the warmth then.
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I think it is not essential but a nice to have.
I have been using plain old baking paper for both the rising part of the demo ... wrap in the paper ... and I use fresh stuff ready done on the baking tray.
When you come over today Sundari make sure you have ago at making the bread as there are some little techniques to the whole thing. Particularly the easy way of getting it out of the bowl...... which you may or may not have seen at the cooking demo the other night with Cindy.
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I also rise my bread in the oven in the winter.
I do too Cookie - too cold here do it anywhere else. I turn my oven to 50 degrees and set the timer for 4 minutes. When the timer beeps I turn the oven off and it is the perfect temperature for rising. I think that tip was in one of the cookbooks ??? ;D
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When you come over today Sundari make sure you have ago at making the bread as there are some little techniques to the whole thing. Particularly the easy way of getting it out of the bowl...... which you may or may not have seen at the cooking demo the other night with Cindy.
Oh right, so now you've joined the secret society you won't pass on tips to all of us :o :o :o :o
Do you turn the bowl upside down and let it all drop out in one blob ?? ;)
Looks like I'm going to have to sign up ... where's the form?
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When you come over today Sundari make sure you have ago at making the bread as there are some little techniques to the whole thing. Particularly the easy way of getting it out of the bowl...... which you may or may not have seen at the cooking demo the other night with Cindy.
Oh right, so now you've joined the secret society you won't pass on tips to all of us :o :o :o :o
Do you turn the bowl upside down and let it all drop out in one blob ?? ;)
Looks like I'm going to have to sign up ... where's the form?
ha ha bloody ha!! :D
yeah just turn it upside down and twist the blade via the knob and it plops out in one go. You of ALL people do not need any secret hints .... you god like creature you!
;D
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yeah i don't know all these secrets either!!
thermomixer, if you don't sign up under me i will never forgive you 8) ;D :-* ;)
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thermomixer, if you don't sign up under me i will never forgive you 8) ;D :-* ;)
ROFL - I think there would be a lynch mob sent out after you and whoever was BRAVE enough to sign you up :o :o ;D ;D ;D
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lol
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G'day,
Just for info - a chef at my demo saw me fold my silpat around the dough and told me that the folding would eventually destroy the fibreglass, so now I roll the dough up like a sausage roll and it still works fine.
cheers,
Karen3
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Thanks - need to add that to our tips
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i only ever roll mine, too hard to fold lol