Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure - Sweet Potato Bread

This recipe takes time…but the results are luscious. I’ll make a larger batch next time. The combination of the sweet potato, buckwheat, and drizzle of molasses makes it good by itself or as an accompaniment to a special meal. I enjoy toasting slices of it for open faced sandwiches with deli smoked turkey or ham for lunch….or slathering it with butter for mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

In a food processor with the dough blade - combine: 

• 1/2 cup whole wheat sourdough starter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour 

Mix thoroughly. Let sit 2-4 hours (or more) to mature. 

• 1 medium sweet potato, cooked in the microwave until soft, peeled
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or half whole wheat/half buckwheat)
• Drizzle of molasses 

Add all ingredients to the sourdough starter already in the food processor. Process until all ingredients are well mixed and the dough is smooth. It should begin to pull away from the sides of the processor (if not add a little more flour). Spray ovenproof pan or baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the dough evenly and let rise for 2-4 hours until double in bulk. I like to use my oven with just the oven light on (otherwise no heat); it’s out of the way and there are no drafts.

Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes or until the top begins to brown. Remove from oven. Brush with olive oil (optional).

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Buckwheat Pancakes

My first ‘sourdough adventure’ post was about pancakes. It’s a very dependable recipe. Now I’m modifying it to experiment with other grains. The buckwheat experiment was a wonderful success! The change is to feed the starter with buckwheat flour instead of whole wheat flour starter at least 4 hours before making the pancakes! The organisms seem to like the buckwheat as well as the wheat and the pancakes some out with a wonderful airy texture. They are half wheat/half buckwheat which provides a wider variety of nutrients and reduces the amount of gluten.

Note: We eat pancakes as part of a ‘breakfast at dinner’ because we tend to eat together for dinner more than we do for breakfast. They do require cooking but they are a quick addition to any meal - any time.

My basic recipe is -

1 1/2 cups mature sourdough starter (i.e. feed whole wheat starter with buckwheat flour in the container you will make the batter in, cover, leave at room temperature 4-8 hours)

1 egg

2 tablespoons sweetener (sugar or honey…something sweet)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Dash salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or other seasonigs)

~~~~~

1 teaspoon soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon of warm water 

In a large bowl or measuring cup with a spout (to make it easy to pour out the batter), mix sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon (or other seasonings) and olive oil with the sourdough starter. Add warm water to get the right consistency for pancake batter. Set aside.

In a small bowl, dilute 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1 tablespoon of warm water. 

When ready to cook the sourdough pancakes, fold the baking soda/water mixture gently into the prepared pancake batter (do not beat). This will cause a gentle foaming and rising action in the batter. Let the mixture bubble and foam for a minute or so to give the acid (in the starter) and the base (soda) time to react; this makes the air bubbles that produce pancakes with air bubbles rather than densely packed flour.

Cook on a hot griddle or use an electric skillet as other types of pancakes.

Enjoy with your favorite topping!

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Focaccia

I like the ease of no-knead breads. I saw a recipe on the King Arthur Flour site for focaccia and decided to convert it to use sourdough instead of instant yeast. I also experimented with replacing half the wheat flour with quinoa flour. And the result was a recipe I’ll be making again and again - trying a different seasoning every time!

~~~~~ 

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup mature whole wheat sourdough starter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil + additional for drizzling
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 4 teaspoons seasoning of choice (I used Penzeys Forward! Spice) + additional for sprinkling on top

 Spray 9”x13” pan with cooking spray.

Mix water and sourdough starter with an electric mixer (do this step for the same reason to mix the water with the sourdough starter as the first step when feeding the starter - to get the micro-organisms evenly distributed so they will be throughout the resulting batter after the flour is added).

Add all the other ingredients and mix with the mixer for a couple of minutes.

Scoop the sticky dough into the prepared pan and let rise until it doubles in height. It took 4 hours in my oven with the oven light on. I set a pan of water in the oven to make sure the air stayed moist.

When the dough has risen enough - gently poke the dough all over with you index finger. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Brush gently to evenly distribute.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Remove bread from oven, wait 5 minutes, then remove from pan onto a rack. My favorite pan is Pyrex that has a lid so I simply leave it in the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Cornbread Muffins

Continuing the sourdough adventure - cornbread is one of my favorite muffins to have at lunch or dinner although it is a great leftover for breakfast as well. This recipe makes about 24 muffins. 

1 1/2 cups mature whole wheat sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Assemble all ingredients and utensils. Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine starter, cornmeal and milk.

Beat eggs with sugar. Add to batter and stir. Note: Add warm water if the batter is too thick. Starters vary significantly in thickness.

Combine salt and baking soda into the butter. Fold into the batter.

Fill each tin 2/3 full.

Bake until golden brown on top. Serve hot.

The original sourdough adventure post (click on the green text to go to the post) includes a link to how to initiate your own sourdough starter. That original post also includes a recipe for sourdough pancakes and it is still the recipe I am using the most - almost every week.

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Sweet Potato/Pineapple Bread Pudding

I started out to make a sourdough version of the Sweet Potato Cake Muffins that I posted about in April. But made a few too many adjustments and it turned out the consistency of bread pudding rather than cake…hence the name of this post. It is delicious and I will recreate this ‘accident’ again --- maybe as part of Thanksgiving dinner. It looks good in the Blue Tulip Depression Glass nappies and tastes yummy!

1 1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup honey

1 cup apple juice concentrate

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup mature whole wheat sourdough starter

2 cups grated sweet potatoes (note: if your sweet potato has sprouted simply cut off that piece and plant in a pot or put in water on your window sill to root then plant)

1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

2 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a small bowl to combine the flour, cinnamon, cloves, soda and salt. Make sure the spices and soda is stirred in well.

Combine olive oil, honey, apple juice concentrate, vanilla and eggs in a large measuring cup. Whisk.

Put starter, sweet potatoes, and pineapple in a large bowl. This is a large recipe so be sure the bowl is large enough to hold everything in the end. I generally put the starter into the bowl and feed it to make enough starter for the recipe in the morning them bake in the afternoon.

Stir the liquids into the starter. After it is mixed pretty well, fold in the dry ingredients. Do not over mix but make sure all the flour mixture has been incorporated. You will notice the batter bubbling from the reaction of the soda with the acid of the sourdough and apple juice concentrate.

Pour into a large flat pan (may take more than one for the batter). Leave room for the batter to rise a bit. The picture below is what it looked like after it was cooked...but still too soft to serve a cake!

Recipe: Sourdough Adventure: Honey Pecan Cardamom Muffins

Take a break for cinnamon and enjoy the flavor of cardamom for a change. 

1 egg

1 1/2 cup mature sourdough starter

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 and spray pans with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix gently until all is moistened.

Spoon into muffin tins.

Cook until toothpick comes out clean.

Note 1: The density of sourdough starter varies. You may need to add some water if the batter is too thick.

Note 2: Try some different seasonings and nuts. I used maple syrup (instead of honey), peanuts (instead of pecans), cinnamon rather than cardamom and very fine bread crumbs (instead of the flour)....Yummy!

Previous Sourdough Adventure posts:  

• Pancakes
• Sally Lunn
• Spice Muffins
• Italian Spice Bread

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Italian Spice Bread

This is an easy bread that only goes through the rise process once so does not have a ‘sour’ taste. If you want a sour taste - punch it down after the 1st rise and let it rise again before baking.

1 cup mature whole wheat sourdough starter

3/4 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash)

4 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener

Extra flour as needed

Small amount milk and extra seasoning to brush on right before baking

Olive oil to brush on when it comes out of the oven

Mix starter, water, and olive oil in a large bowl. Combine flour, soda, seasoning and sugar in a medium bowl then add to large bowl. Stir until well mixed. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Stir the dough. Put flour on board (or cabinet top) and hands. Roll dough from bowl onto board. Knead for 5-10 minutes - minimizing the amount of flour added. Let rest for 10 minutes. Knead for another 5-10 minutes. Continue kneading/rest cycle until dough is smooth and easily shaped.

Place in pan that has been previous sprayed to avoid sticking. I like to use a Pyrex baking dish that has a lid so that I can later store the bread in the container I bake it in. Spread the dough to the edges of the dish. Cover with a damp towel, place in a warm place and leave until it doubles in size.

When it has doubled in size, sprinkle with Italian seasoning and brush with milk. Place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook until browned on top. Brush with olive oil and wrap in a damp towel while it cools.

Enjoy warm (yummy by itself or with butter/olive oil). Store leftovers in the refrigerator. This bread makes excellent sandwiches (see picture to right with smoked turkey, Italian parsley and Ranch dressing)

Previous Sourdough Adventure posts: 

• Pancakes
• Sally Lunn
• Spice Muffins

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Spice Muffins

Muffins are simple, quick way to utilize sourdough starter. They are like pancakes in that they use the reaction from the combination of the acid in the starter and the base from soda to make moist, cake-like muffins. Here’s my favorite recipe:

Combine in a large measuring cup: 

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup tea or water
• 2 cups whole wheat sourdough starter
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup molasses or honey (something sweet)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 

Combine in a large bowl: 

• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• Dash cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine wet ingredients and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Combine dry ingredients.

Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Spoon into muffin pans.

Cook until a toothpick comes out clean.

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There are lots of ways to use this recipe and make very different tasting muffins. Here are few ideas...I encourage you to experiment and make your own unique muffins! 

• Use honey or apple juice concentrate for the sweetener.
• Add raisins or nuts.
• Use orange or lemon peel as an additional spice.
• Add butterscotch morsels for a dessert muffin 

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Sally Lunn

My sourdough adventures continue. My second success is making Sally Lunn. I had a basic recipe which was significantly morphed to use whole wheat flour, powdered sugar (since I somehow was out of other sugar!), and added cinnamon. Here’s the recipe:

• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (next time I’ll use 1/3 cup regular sugar as the recipe originally called for…or honey)
• 1 1/2 cup sourdough starter (that has been grown on whole wheat flour)
• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 1/2 or 4 cups whole wheat flour (don’t let the dough get too stiff)

Cream butter and sugar. Add starter. Mix well. Alternatively add milk and beaten eggs. In a separate bowl blend together salt, cinnamon and flour. Add to sourdough mixer. Beat until smooth. Cover with a cloth. Set in warm place free from drafts and let rise until double in size.

Stir down and pour into a greased cake pan or loaf pan. Let rise again until double in size. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot or cold.

Notes:

I used a Bundt pan and it did create beautiful bread. We ate it with butter right after it came out of the pan then the next morning for breakfast toasted with butter and smoked turkey on top.

The down side of using a Bundt pan is it is hard to cut into regular slices to make sandwiches and this would be an excellent bread for sandwich making.

I made grilled buttered rounds with this bread to have with dinner --- yummy.

The bread definitely has a wonderful mild sourdough flavor.

Previous Sourdough Adventure Posts: Pancakes

Recipe of the Week: Sourdough Adventure: Pancakes

I like the idea of making my own breads now that I have time - so in early April I started my own sourdough ‘starter’ using instructions from Mike Avery’s Sourdough site. All you need is whole wheat flour and water! Everything worked very easily for me and I took one of the simplest paths possible through the instructions. I find that my two cup measure with a small plate on top is ideal while the starter is outside the refrigerator.

I very quickly got to the point I wanted to use it before I got into the mode of putting it into the refrigerator to slow down the growth enough that it didn’t need feeding every 12 hours. The first thing I attempted to make was pizza dough…and that didn’t work out so well. It was too dense. I’ve already found another recipe that I’ll try sometime soon. Pancakes were my first big success.

My basic recipe is

1 egg

2 tablespoons sweetener (sugar or honey…something sweet)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Dash salt

1 1/2 cups mature sourdough starter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

~~~~~

1 teaspoon soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon of warm water

In a large bowl or measuring cup with a spout (to make it easy to pour out the batter), mix sugar, egg, salt and olive oil. Mix in the sourdough starter and cinnamon. Add warm water or tea to get the right consistency for pancake batter. Set aside.

In a small bowl, dilute 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1 tablespoon of warm water. 

When ready to cook the sourdough pancakes, fold the baking soda/water mixture gently into the prepared pancake batter (do not beat). This will cause a gentle foaming and rising action in the batter. Let the mixture bubble and foam a minute or so to give the acid (in the starter) and the base (soda) time to react; this makes the air bubbles that produce pancakes with air bubbles rather than densely packed flour.

Cook on a hot griddle as other types of pancakes.

Note - Other optional ingredients could be added to the batter. Be creative. Some that I like (one at a time or in combinations): orange zest, chopped pecans, grated apples, or ginger. 

I'll continue to share my adventure with my sourdough starter. I'm working my way up to whole wheat loaves of bread and raisin buns like my grandmother used to make!