Sourdough Chocolate Cake w/ Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting

I've made bread and coffee cakes and pancakes with my sourdough starter, but until now I've never made a chocolate cake.  Did you know there was such a thing as a sourdough chocolate cake?  I had never even thought of such a thing until recently when I came across a recipe for one.  I'm not even sure where I saw that recipe so I just did a quick search to find one that sounded good.  And then I read the reviews and adjusted a few things.  Of course.

Let me just say that I love this cake!  It's dark and dense and not too sweet and may just be my favorite chocolate cake ever.  Just, so good.

Sourdough Chocolate Cake
adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or soured milk)
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 to 2 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Mix sourdough starter, buttermilk, and 1 cup flour together.  Let sit several hours or overnight, until bubbly.
2. When ready to mix and bake cake, preheat oven to 350°.  Generously grease 13x9" baking dish.
3. In large bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugar with electric mixer.  Add cocoa and instant coffee and mix well.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition then mix in yogurt and vanilla.
4. Add sourdough mixture and mix well.  Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and then mix into batter.  Beat until smooth.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool before frosting. (see recipe below)

Enjoy!

 Since I was making this cake to take for a potluck, I also made a couple cupcakes so we could taste it.  I figured that would be better than taking a cake with a couple pieces already taken out.  Though, judging from some of the other desserts, it's a perfectly acceptable and expected practice to get into your dessert before bringing it to the potluck.   But the cupcakes were perfect.

There was still plenty of batter for the cake. This recipe makes a lot of batter; be sure to use a large bowl to mix it.  It will be full.

Some of the reviewers on the original recipe page mentioned a cream cheese frosting on this cake.  Since I added the instant coffee powder to the cake, I decided to add some to my frosting too.  It turned out really yummy.

Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting
from Perfectly Sprinkled

Ingredients:

• 4 T butter, softened
• 4 T cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. instant coffee
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 to 1-1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Mix butter and cream cheese together and then add instant coffee.  Allow mixture to sit for several minutes and then mix again to incorporate coffee.  Stir in vanilla.
2. Add powdered sugar a bit at a time, mixing well until frosting reaches desired consistency.  Spread over cooled cake.

For best results, store this cake in the refrigerator.  I learned that from the reviews, too.  I don't know if it's because it tastes better, or if it's just to make it last longer because it will be harder to get into.  Either way, this cake will not last long.  It's just that good.

Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Coffee Cake

I've been making this Cinnamon Swirl Bake for a while now, and it's really good, but recently I've started adding apples to the cinnamon swirl part, and it's even better.  I may never make it without apples again!

Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Coffee Cake

Batter

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1 cup lukewarm water (or milk)
• 1 cup unbleached flour

Mix together, cover, and allow to sit several hours or overnight, until bubbly.  Then add:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted (use the same saucepan you'll use for the apple mixture)
• 2 cups flour

Mix in the sugar, salt, eggs, and butter, then add the flour a cup at a time. Once mixed, cover the batter and allow to sit while you prepare the apple mixture. While the apple mixture cools, spread batter into greased 13x9" pan.  It will be thick. 

Apple Cinnamon Mixture

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups peeled and diced apples (4 apples)

1. In saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and cinnamon; add apples and cook over medium heat until apples are starting to soften. Remove from heat.  When apple mixture has cooled, spread evenly over batter and swirl it into and through the batter with a spatula. 
2. Cover and let sit for half an hour to an hour, then refrigerate overnight..  When ready to bake, remove pan from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for a half hour or so.  Then place in a COLD oven; set temperature to 350°F and bake 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned and firm in center.
3. Cool 10 minutes. Combine icing ingredients and drizzle over warm cake.

Icing

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted  (Place bowl w/ butter in already hot oven)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

This is a really moist cake with pockets of cinnamon caramel apple goodness spread throughout.  So good!

The Best Sourdough Bread

I usually make my Whole Grain Sourdough.  But pasta still calls for a white sourdough.  My old recipe was OK - I tweaked the sourdough bread recipe from one of my cookbooks to come up with a bread we liked.  Mainly I think I just didn't use packaged yeast, because why would I want to use packaged yeast in my sourdough bread?  That kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?  And I let it raise longer, to develop the sourdough flavor.

Well, this time I tweaked it a bit more, and I think it turned out perfect! 

The Best Sourdough Bread

The night before you want bread:

• bring starter to room temperature
• measure 1 cup starter
• in large bowl, mix starter with 1 cup lukewarm water, then stir in 1-1/2 cups unbleached flour.
• mix well, cover, and let sit overnight

The next morning:

• your mixture should be all bubbly
• mix in: 1/2 t. salt and 2 T olive oil
• add 2 to 2-1/2 cups unbleached flour, mixing in as much as you can with a spoon and then kneading the rest in
• knead on a floured surface until you have a smooth, elastic dough
• put into greased bowl, cover and set in warm place to rise

When dough has doubled in size

• Punch down and turn out onto floured surface
• Cover and let dough rest for 10 minutes, then shape dough into a ball
• Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more cornmeal; cover with the other end of the towel, or another towel.
• Let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
• About a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450°. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

The flavor is so good, and the texture is perfect.  The crust is that perfect chewy crust I have been trying to achieve since the beginning of my sourdough adventure. What did I do differently?  I omitted the sugar, and I baked it in a covered pan, the same way I bake the Whole Grain Sourdough.  Can it really be that simple?  Maybe. It certainly turned out well this time.  I will definitely be making this bread again.

Homemade Pita Bread

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and I've been making it quite often.  It's really easy, and the way I make it is even easier than the original recipe because I just throw the ingredients into my breadmaker and let it make the dough. I love these pitas for sandwiches.

They're especially good stuffed with tuna salad, avocado and sprouts, but pretty much anything would be good in them.  I especially like that the dough can be stored in the fridge, and I can have fresh-baked pitas in no time.

Homemade Pita Bread
from the Kitchn

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1-2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 tsp. yeast

Directions:

1. Add ingredients to breadmaker in order given and use Dough setting to mix and raise the dough.
2. When the dough is ready, deflate it and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. At this point you can roll and bake the pitas as instructed or refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week, then just bring to room temperature and roll and bake as directed.
3. Sprinkle the pieces you'll be baking with a little flour and then cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap until you're ready to bake them.
4. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn't sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if its starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.  
5. While shaping the pitas, heat the oven to 450°. Put your baking stone, cast iron skillet, or large baking sheet into the oven to preheat at the same time.  (I use my cast iron skillet)
6. Once the oven and baking sheet are hot, place the rolled-out pitas directly on the baking stone or baking sheets (as many as will fit), and bake for about 4 minutes. Carry the pita flat on the palm of your hand and then flip it over into the skillet. The pita will start to puff up after a minute or two and is done when it has fully ballooned. 
7. Remove pita from oven and cover with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.

Enjoy!

Pitas can also be cooked on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet, but I don't really like doing that.  My house gets all smoky!  (the one in the picture was baked in the oven - look how it puffed!)  If you want to try cooking yours on the stove, visit the original recipe.

The last time I made pita I used my sourdough starter.  What I love about using the starter is - no packaged yeast!  And it's fun.  I'm not sure if I'll use the starter to make pita from now on or not, but they turned out great.

Sourdough Pita

Ingredients:

• 1 cup starter
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1-2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups unbleached flour

Directions:

1. Mix starter, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.  Let sit several hours or overnight, until bubbly.
2. Mix in salt and oil, then stir in 1 cup flour.  Mix  in as much of the remaining flour as you can, and then turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface.
3.  Add a little oil to the mixing bowl and place dough in bowl, turning to coat it with the oil.  Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and let rise several hours or until doubled in bulk.
4. When the dough is ready, deflate it (punch it down) and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. At this point you can roll and bake the pitas as instructed or refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week, then just bring to room temperature and roll and bake as directed..
5. Sprinkle the pieces you'll be baking with a little flour and then cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap until you're ready to bake them.
6. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn't sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if its starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.  
7. While shaping the pitas, heat the oven to 450°. Put your baking stone, cast iron skillet, or large baking sheet into the oven to preheat at the same time.  (I use my cast iron skillet)
8. Once the oven and baking sheet are hot, place the rolled-out pitas directly on the baking stone or baking sheets (as many as will fit), and bake for about 4 minutes. Carry the pita flat on the palm of your hand and then flip it over into the skillet. The pita will start to puff up after a minute or two and is done when it has fully ballooned. 
9. Remove pita from oven and cover with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.

or place on wire rack to cool, I guess...

Some additional noted from the kitchn:

Storing the Pitas: Pitas are best when eaten immediately after cooking. Leftover pitas will keep in an airtight bag for several days and can be eaten as they are or warmed in a toaster oven. Baked pitas can also be frozen with wax paper between the layers for up to three months.

Storing the Dough: Once it has risen, the pita dough can be kept refrigerated until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week.

Pitas That Won't Puff: Sometimes you get pitas that won't puff. The problem is usually that the oven or the skillet aren't hot enough. Make sure both are thoroughly pre-heated before cooking. Even pitas that don't puff are still delicious and can be used wraps or torn into pieces for dipping in hummus.

Whole Lotta Fermentation Going On

I started my sourdough starter again on Sunday.  Now it looks like this:

I started Sunday by mixing 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (instead of my usual unbleached white flour) with 1/2 cup water.  I covered it with a cloth and stirred it occasionally.  The next day I added another 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water, and stirred occasionally.  And the next day I did the same thing.  Today I poured out 1 cup of the mixture and added 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour - and stirred occasionally.  It's happy stuff, and it smells good, though not really 'sour' yet, so I'm going to keep working on it.

Also, I'm making sauerkraut for the first time ever.  It looks pretty.  I hope it turns out good, but I'll have to wait a week or two to find out.

Simple Sauerkraut
from Healthilinguist

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cabbage, cored & shredded (save outer leaves)
• 1 T unrefined sea salt

Directions:

1. Toss cabbage & salt together in a large mixing bowl, “massaging” as you toss … squeezing the cabbage and salt together, kneading it thoroughly. This will help break up the cellular structure of the cabbage.
2. Let sit for several minutes so the cabbage becomes limp and begins to release juice.
3. Pack the cabbage a little at a time into jar, crock or fermenter as tightly as you can, pushing down on the cabbage and eliminating air bubbles. The liquid should rise above the cabbage.
4. Continue packing the cabbage until it is completely submerged by the liquid brine.
5. Cover with one of the reserved cabbage leaves and press down so the leaf is also submerged
6. Screw on the lid tightly and allow it to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for at least seven days. It will bubble and pop and you may want to check on it to release some of the air, ensuring you keep the cabbage submerged when you replace the lid.

Now, I just need patience.

Sourdough Biscuits

I'm getting my Sourdough Starter going again, and since part of the process is pouring some out so there's room to add more, I've been looking for things to do with the part I need to pour out.  I decided to try some biscuits, and this recipe was the first on the search list.  So, I tried it.  Well, not exactly - I did not mix it up on the counter; it was just too messy for that.  But I mixed them up, rolled them out - skipped the bacon fat part, let them sit/rise in a warm oven, and baked them.  They kind of spread out - I had to use a cookie sheet because there were too many to fit in the 9" pan the recipe called for.  They tasted OK, but they were kind of tough and chewy and nothing special.  Not bad warmed up a bit with some butter and honey, so I've been eating them for breakfast, and as snacks.

But I didn't really plan to make them again - and then I read through all the comments and the last one pointed out something that should have been obvious, considering I've been baking with sourdough starter for several years now, but I was thinking biscuits which usually means quick, instead of thinking sourdough, which means it takes time - "This recipe, and several others like it on the internet, leave out a critical step – what to do with the milk. I finally found one that had that step. First critical step is: The night before mix starter, milk, and 1 cup of flour. Cover and let stand at room temp." So, of course I had to try them again!

I mixed the starter and milk with a cup of flour and let it sit on the counter overnight.  This morning it was nice and bubbly and ready to use.  I continued with the recipe, mixing the remaining ingredients in the bowl and then kneading lightly before rolling out on the counter.  I rolled them just a bit thicker this time and didn't even try using my biscuit cutter - I just cut them into squares.  This time I rolled them in melted butter - instead of the bacon grease, and I didn't roll them in anything last time, just brushed the tops with butter when they came out of the oven.  So there were some slight differences, but the main one was letting the starter, milk and flour work overnight.  It changed the whole feel and texture of the dough, and this time it worked!

Sourdough Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sourdough starter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• melted butter for dipping (or bacon fat, if you want)

Directions:

1. Mix starter, milk and 1 cup flour; cover and let sit overnight.
2. The next day, when dough is nice and bubbly, mix sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into 1 cup flour and stir it in.  Mix in as much of remaining 1/2 cup flour as you can; turn out onto floured surface and knead lightly.  Knead just till the dough is mixed. Do not over knead. 
3. Roll out the dough to a 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut out biscuits.
4. Dip the cut biscuits into the melted butter on both sides and place into a baking dish - 13"x9" would probably work best. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1/2 an hour. 
5. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 -35 minutes.

  What a difference that one little step makes!

Cinnamon Swirl Bake (Revisited)

Or, how I took a quick recipe and made it take 500 times longer!

Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bake


Batter

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup unbleached flour

Mix together, cover, and allow to sit, several hours or overnight, until bubbly.  Then add:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter OR margarine, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour

Mix well, cover and allow to sit for a couple hours. Then, spread batter into greased 13x9" pan.  It will be thick. 

Cinnamon Mixture

• 3 tablespoons butter OR margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Combine cinnamon mixture in a small bowl by mixing with fork; spread evenly over batter. Using fingers, poke topping thoroughly into batter. 
2. Cover and let sit for about an hour, then refrigerate overnight.  When ready to bake, remove pan from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for a half hour or so. Place in a COLD oven; set temperature to 350°F and bake 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and firm in center.
3. Cool 10 minutes. Combine icing ingredients and drizzle over warm cake.

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon butter OR margarine, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Nobody tell my husband that, as I was posting this recipe I realized that I had basically doubled the batter, but I forgot to double the cinnamon topping.  It looked like I had plenty when I poked it in, but we'll see in the morning.  So, for now, this is how I did it.  If it doesn't seem like enough, I'll change it.
 

Sourdough Bread

I've been making my Whole Wheat (or whole grain) Sourdough Bread most of the time anymore.  Once in a while I just want regular old sourdough bread with white flour - for instance, when I want spaghetti.  A while back I created a tabblo (see bottom of post) with my recipe.  Every time I want to make it, I go to tabblo and look it up.  I figured it was high time I posted it here, too.

Sourdough Bread

The night before you want bread:

• bring starter to room temperature
• measure 1 cup starter
• in large bowl, mix starter with 1-1/2 cups lukewarm water, then stir in 2-1/2 cups bread flour.
• mix well, cover, and let sit out overnight

The next morning:

• your mixture should be all bubbly
• mix in: 3 T sugar, 1 t. salt and 3 T olive oil
• add 3 to 3-1/2 cups bread flour, mixing in as much as you can with a spoon and then kneading the rest in
• knead on a floured surface until you have a smooth, elastic dough
• put into greased bowl, cover and set in warm place to rise
• When it has doubled, punch it down. Put the dough on a floured surface and divide into two parts. Cover these two lumps for about 10 minutes and let them rest. 
• Then make them into two round loaves. Put the two loaves on a greased baking sheet, and cover again to let them rise until they are about double in size (about 30 minutes). 
• Then it's time to bake the loaves, in a 375° oven for about 30 to 35 minutes.

I always take a sharp knife and cut a criss cross pattern into the top of the loaves before putting them into the oven. When they come out, I brush butter onto the hot loaves.

Allow them to cool, slice, and enjoy.

This is great bread with a spaghetti dinner, and it makes wonderful French toast for breakfast.

• Print this recipe

Oatmeal Sourdough Bread

I made this Oatmeal Sourdough bread once before, using 1 cup of whole wheat flour, and I really enjoyed it.  It was really good in my French Toast Casserole, too.  Yesterday I made it again, with a few adjustments:

Oatmeal Sourdough

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1 cup cooked oatmeal 
• 1 ½ cups water, warm
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1-1/2 t salt
• 1 T oil
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 (or more) cups unbleached flour

Directions:

1. Combine starter, oatmeal, water, and 1 cup whole wheat flour in a large bowl and let sit for about an hour.
2. Mix in sugar, salt and oil.
3. Starting with the remaining cup of whole wheat, add in the flour gradually until the dough comes together into a ball.
4. Turn out dough onto a floured surface, adding extra flour if necessary, and knead until dough is smooth and somewhat firm. Place into an oiled bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise at least 4 hours or overnight.  (for overnight, plastic wrap is best)

5. After the first rise, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Divide in half, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Form into two loaves and place in greased loaf pans, cover with a towel, and let rise for 1-1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 425°F.
6. Slash dough two or three times with a sharp knife. Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes.

Yum!  This bread is going to be really good for sandwiches, and toast, and just to eat.

• Print this recipe

My mom linked me to this Sourdough Bread recipe a while back, and I tried it. It didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, so I will have to try it again to see if I can make it work.  The flavor was great, but it just didn't rise worth anything.  That may have been because my starter wasn't quite there yet - but it definitely is now.

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• Making a Sourdough Starter (bethstedman.com)

Sourdough Starter

Once established, a healthy sourdough starter can live forever.  However, because I observe the Days of Unleavened Bread, in which we put all yeast and everything baked with yeast out of our house, I need to start a new one every year when the Holy Days are over.

I started today, so I thought I'd keep track of all the steps.  I always refer to Sourdough Baking, the Basics, though I've been doing it for a while now.  It's a good place to start.

Day One:  Mix 1 cup unbleached flour with 1 cup warm water, cover with a cloth, and let sit.  Stir whenever the mood strikes - just because.  I mix mine in an old peanut butter jar.

Day Two: Pour out 1/2 cup of the mixture and add 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 cup flour.  Mix well.
What to do with the 1/2 cup you pour out?  I suppose you could throw it out, but I have a really hard time with that.  So I use it to bake something.  Today I used it to make a loaf of French Bread, mixing the dough in my breadmaker and then forming the loaf to bake in the oven - because it tastes better that way.

Day Three:  Today my mixture was thick and bubbly, and smelled mildly fermented.  So, it's working!  I stirred it down and let it sit the rest of the afternoon and then fed it again by adding 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 cup unbleached flour.  I did not dump any out first, because I like a little more starter in my jar - that way, when I take out 1 cup of starter for my recipes, I have a little more left in the jar to replenish.

Day Four: My mixture was thick and had begun forming a little liquid on top, which I stirred in periodically.  It should be ready to use, so this evening I poured out 1 cup starter to make my Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread, which I should really start calling Whole Grain because I also add oatmeal, 7-grain cereal and wheat bran to - and I really need to update the recipe to reflect that.  I also replenished the starter with 3/4 cup warm water and 3/4 cup flour, and I will cover it and let it sit overnight.

Day Five:  My replenished starter was nice and bubbly.  I let it sit most of the day and then put the lid on my peanut butter jar and put it in the refrigerator - ready to use next time I want bread.  Speaking of the bread - it's wonderful!  At this stage of the game, it takes longer to rise and doesn't rise as much as it will after the starter has been established, but it tastes so good.  And the best part?  No added yeast.

Yep, I have fun with this!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Recipe: Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf with Oats and Pecans Cookbook Recipe (thekitchn.com)
• Flashback: Get a Rise Out of Sourdough (craftzine.com)
• wild yeast (everydayfoodblog.marthastewart.com)

Whole Wheat Sourdough

I've been making sourdough bread for a while, and after reading this article, Sourdough Bread and Health, I started thinking there's more to it than just the taste. Maybe I shouldn't just be using white flour. Don't get me wrong, I really like my all white flour sourdough bread, and I'll still be making that, for one thing it goes really well with spaghetti, but adding whole grains should really make a healthy bread. So I started experimenting and came up with a bread I really like.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

The night before you want bread:

• Bring sourdough starter to room temperature and measure out 1 cup
• In large bowl mix starter with 1 cup lukewarm water, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 1/4 cup 7-grain cereal (or 2 T 7-grain or 10-grain cereal, 2 T wheat bran, and 2 T to 1/4 cup oatmeal - or any combination thereof - or whatever grains you have, want, like)
• Mix well, cover, and let sit overnight
• Be sure to replenish your starter by adding 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup flour and letting that sit out overnight, too
  

The next morning:

• The mixture should be nice and bubbly
• Mix in:
  2 T brown sugar, 1/2 t. salt, and 2 T oil
• Mix in 1 cup whole wheat flour
• Then add 1 cup unbleached flour, mixing in as much of the flour as you can with a spoon (recently I have been adding whole wheat flour for this 2nd cup of flour and only using unbleached for kneading)
  
• Knead on a floured surface until you have a smooth, elastic dough, adding flour as necessary
• put into greased bowl, cover and set in warm place to rise (about 2 hours)
  

When dough has doubled in size

• Punch down and turn out onto floured surface
• Cover and let dough rest for 10 minutes, then shape dough into a ball
• Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more cornmeal; cover with the other end of the towel, or another towel.
• Let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
• About a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450°. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

I think this is the best bread ever! I say that a lot, because I really like bread, but the whole wheat flour and the brown sugar give this a really nice flavor, as well as the flavor of the sourdough. I love the crust that forms because of baking it this way and the cornmeal embedded in the crust. It's good sliced with butter. It's good toasted. It's good when used to make a grilled cheese sandwich. I love it all!

Besides flavor and health, I just like making sourdough because it's so much fun to make bread without adding packaged yeast. It's like magic! Here's an article that explains How Sourdough Bread Works that I thought was pretty interesting. Not that I want to take away the magic, but it's also fun to know how things work.

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Sourdough Pancakes

I found the original recipe, and then changed it. Mostly I increased it, added whole wheat flour, and made the batter thicker. The original recipe made some very thin pancakes, and we like ours to have some substance to them. Here's my recipe for sourdough pancakes:

Sourdough Pancakes
Ingredients:

• 1 cup sourdough starter (see recipe)
• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 3 cups whole wheat, 1 cup white flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Combine the starter, flour and water in a large non-reactive bowl. Beat until smooth, place the bowl in a warm place, cover and let it stand until morning. (Be sure to replenish your starter by adding 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup water; let stand until next morning; then refrigerate.)
2. Next morning, add the sugar, salt, oil, and eggs.
3. If desired, add the additional flour for a thicker batter. To avoid lumps, sprinkle half the flour on top of your batter, let sit for a few minutes and then slowly stir it in. Repeat until you get the desired consistency.
4. Dissolve baking soda in 1 tablespoon or so of water and mix into batter.
5. Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat (375°F - 190°C). Griddle is ready when a few drops of water bubble and skitter rapidly around.
6. For each pancake, ladle batter onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until surface is covered with bubbles and pancakes appear dry around the edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown.

Yum! Serve with syrup and bananas or peaches or whatever fruit you like on your pancakes.

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