Terrific Tuesday With A Recipe

Our dear friend, sealedbygrace asked me to post a few recipes. She asked for my sourdough starter recipe which got me to thinking!

When we lived in Alaska it was fun to see so many regional recipes and learn the way of frontier cooking.  I had a sourdough starter a few times while living up there.  I killed it a few times as well.  Our home had so much temperature fluctuation (due to supplemental wood heat) it was hard to find a spot in the home where I could keep my starter with great success.  I think I also killed it by mixing it in a metal bowl.



I have not had any sourdough starter going since we lived in Alaska.  I love the flavor of homemade sourdough pancakes, sourdough biscuits, sourdough pizza crusts and a great loaf of crusty sourdough bread!



The recipe I am sharing is making a sourdough starter with yeast.  If you are patient, you can try to make your starter from scratch.  Some tips~  use unbleached flour, try un-clorinated water (I'm going to use melted snow, it's what I have on hand!)  Do not use metal!! ( No metal spoons, no metal bowls.)  Every 3/4C. sourdough starter= 1 pkg active dry yeast.  For some tips on feeding and keeping a sourdough starter find a good web page or try this or this ~

Beth's Sourdough Starter

Into a large ( 2 qt or larger) plastic container
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water

Stir with wooden spoon handle.  Let work until generously bubbly, then add 2c. flour, 2c water and 1 T. honey, stir with wooden spoon handle.  Cover with cheese cloth, leave open or put an old nylon stocking over top of jar.  Store in warm place. 

The mixture will begin to bubble right away.  Let it work 2-5 days, stirring once a day.  Eventually bubbling will subside and mixture will have developed a yeasty, beer smell.  It will also be the consistency of pancake batter. It is now ready to use.

For each 2/3 C. starter used, you need to replenish your starter by adding 1C. flour, 1C. warm water and 1T. honey stir with wooden spoon until smooth.  Cover loosely.  In 24 hours starter will be ready to use again.

Classic Sourdough Bread

1 C. sourdough starter
1  1/2 C.  lukewarm water
5-6 cups flour
1T.salt
1 T. sugar

Yield: 2 loaves

Pour the cup of starter into a large mixing bowl. Add the warm water and about 3 cups of flour. Beat vigorously. Cover this sponge with plastic wrap and put it aside to work. This period can be very flexible, but allow at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. A longer period (at a lower temperature) will result in a more sour favor.

After the dough has bubbled and expanded, remove the plastic wrap. Blend in the salt, sugar, and remaining 2 cups of flour. Mix until the dough comes together, then knead, using your hands, an electric mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add only enough extra flour to keep the dough from sticking. Place the dough in the bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into an oval loaf, and place on a lightly greased, cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet. Cover, and let rise until doubled (this can take up to 2 hours). Remove the cover, slash the tops, and bake in a preheated 450°F oven for approximately 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on rack.

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Another recipe that goes around every once and a while, Amish Friendship Bread.  It is basically a sourdough recipe and the starter contains milk.  I have in my files a few recipes for this delightful concotion!  I've posted links to a couple sights that include variations on the standard loaf of Amish Friendship Bread.  Link 1 and Link 2

 

 

Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe

 

Starting from scratch, it takes 27 days before you can bake the bread. From that point on - the starter is ready to bake every 10 days.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup flour

Directions:

Combine ingredients in large, airtight container. Store at room temperature; do not refrigerate. The starter will stay alive up to 100 degrees farenheit.*

Stir starter with WOODEN SPOON every day for 17 days. On day 18, do nothing.

On days 19, 20, and 21, stir. On day 22 stir with wooden spoon and add: (Blend before adding)

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

On days 23, 24, 25 and 26, stir. On day 27, add:

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

Take out 1 cup three times. Give 1 cup each to 2 friends and keep 1 remaining cup to bake and save 1 cup as starter for your next batch.

Your friends can either make up bread the day they receive the starter or they can join in on the fun.

Amish Friendship Loaves

1 c. starter

2/3 c. oil

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix

3 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 c. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1. t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 c. chopped nuts

(1 t.ground Cinnamon optional)

Oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Stir all ingredients  but soda and nuts together in large glass bowl with wooden spoon.  Mix well.  then add soda and nuts.  Stur to incorporate.  Divide batter between pans.  Bake 1 hour or until bread tests done.  *Make powdered sugar glaze for top of loaves!

**Chocolate Bread **Omit cinnamon and vanilla pudding from the basic recipe and add 1 - (5.1 oz) box of instant chocolate pudding, 3 tsp. cocoa and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours.

**Butterscotch Bread**Add 1 box of butterscotch pudding (omit vanilla pudding) and 1 cup of butterscotch chips.  Bake the cake in a 13" x 9" pan Check for doneness after about 35-40 minutes.

**Lemon Poppy Seed**  Add 2 sm. boxes of instant lemon pudding instead on the vanilla pudding, replace poppy seeds for the cinnamon, & use lemon peel instead of the vanilla. ((May also substitite 1/2 applesauce for 1/2 c. oil)) Bake for about 1 1/2 hrs.