This is essentially the same recipe as my Basic Sourdough Bread, but spiced up a bit. The method is the same though. Adding herbs and seeds is a good way to make your bread more exciting, even if it's not turning out as well as you'd like...
Showing posts with label Breads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breads. Show all posts
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Herb and Seed Sourdough Bread
This is essentially the same recipe as my Basic Sourdough Bread, but spiced up a bit. The method is the same though. Adding herbs and seeds is a good way to make your bread more exciting, even if it's not turning out as well as you'd like...
Monday, February 6, 2017
Sourdough Starter
Bread's got a bad reputation lately, but it hasn't always been that way. Bread has been a staple of the European diet for thousands of years, so why is it suddenly so bad for us? It's all about how it's made.
Store bought bread has been optimized to be fast and cheap to make. Industrialization is all well and good for some things, but it's turned bread from a nutritious food staple to junk food. There are 2 issues at play here:
It's that simple. The natural fermentation that occurs when making sourdough makes bread a guilt-free nutritious food. Now here's how to make healthy delicious sourdough bread at home:
Making a Starter
Sourdough bread only take 3 ingredients: flour, water, and yeast. A starter is a simple mix of flour and water inoculated with yeast. You can get some starter from a friend, or you can make it yourself.
I think it's a great idea to make your starter from scratch. It helps you get acquainted with the fundamentals of bread making. Also, the flavor of each starter is unique to the place where it was made, so your starter will "taste like home" in a certain sense.
Making a starter from scratch will take about 3 weeks. To do so, mix half a cup or flour and half a cup of water in a glass container (I use a pint sized mason jar). Drape a small towel of cloth over it to keep stuff from falling in there and leave it on the counter. Once a day, scoop off the top half of the mixture and mix in 1/4 cup of fresh flour and water. After a week or two, you'll start to notice bubbles in the mixture. ITS ALIVE! By the end of 3 weeks, the mixture will be a fully mature starter, producing lots of bubbles and a tangy yeasty smell.
Storing and Maintaining a Starter
Taking care of a starter is a little like having a pet. You need to feed it and care for it regularly. I named mine Mittens.
You can keep your starter out on the counter indefinitely. Just remember to keep it covered with a cloth and feed it once a day. Feed it by scooping off the top half and mixing in 1/4 cup each of flour and water.
If you aren't using it regularly, you can put your starter in hibernation in the refrigerator. Feed it as you normally would by scooping off the top half and mixing in 1/4 cup each of flour and water. Transfer the starter to a clean glass container and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic to let it breath and put it in the fridge. I've kept my starter in the fridge for several weeks without any problems.
To wake a starter from hibernation, move it to the counter and feed it. Let it digest 12 hours, feed it again, and wait another 12 hours for it to be fully revived. Now your ready to bake!
Store bought bread has been optimized to be fast and cheap to make. Industrialization is all well and good for some things, but it's turned bread from a nutritious food staple to junk food. There are 2 issues at play here:
- Our guts can't break down the nutrients in most grains. Ever notice corn kernels in your poo? It's not just corn that we can't digest, most grains are that way. Grains are full of nutrients, but our guts need help use them.
- Store bought breads are full of sugar. The sugar makes the bread dough rise fast, which manufacturers love. It also gives the bread a soft texture and sweet flavor, which we love. Unfortunately, the sugar is about the only part of the bread our bodies digest. This gives us a brief sugar high followed by a crash.
It's that simple. The natural fermentation that occurs when making sourdough makes bread a guilt-free nutritious food. Now here's how to make healthy delicious sourdough bread at home:
Making a Starter
Sourdough bread only take 3 ingredients: flour, water, and yeast. A starter is a simple mix of flour and water inoculated with yeast. You can get some starter from a friend, or you can make it yourself.
I think it's a great idea to make your starter from scratch. It helps you get acquainted with the fundamentals of bread making. Also, the flavor of each starter is unique to the place where it was made, so your starter will "taste like home" in a certain sense.
Making a starter from scratch will take about 3 weeks. To do so, mix half a cup or flour and half a cup of water in a glass container (I use a pint sized mason jar). Drape a small towel of cloth over it to keep stuff from falling in there and leave it on the counter. Once a day, scoop off the top half of the mixture and mix in 1/4 cup of fresh flour and water. After a week or two, you'll start to notice bubbles in the mixture. ITS ALIVE! By the end of 3 weeks, the mixture will be a fully mature starter, producing lots of bubbles and a tangy yeasty smell.
Storing and Maintaining a Starter
Taking care of a starter is a little like having a pet. You need to feed it and care for it regularly. I named mine Mittens.
You can keep your starter out on the counter indefinitely. Just remember to keep it covered with a cloth and feed it once a day. Feed it by scooping off the top half and mixing in 1/4 cup each of flour and water.
If you aren't using it regularly, you can put your starter in hibernation in the refrigerator. Feed it as you normally would by scooping off the top half and mixing in 1/4 cup each of flour and water. Transfer the starter to a clean glass container and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic to let it breath and put it in the fridge. I've kept my starter in the fridge for several weeks without any problems.
To wake a starter from hibernation, move it to the counter and feed it. Let it digest 12 hours, feed it again, and wait another 12 hours for it to be fully revived. Now your ready to bake!
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Crispy Chewy Sourdough Pancakes
Pancakes are a sort of indulgent weekend breakfast for Ed and I. This recipe takes some of the guilt out of eating bread for breakfast by making it fermented bread.
Serves 2 | Makes four 10" Pancakes
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup Flour
3/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup Water
2 Eggs
2 Tbs Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Healthy oil for cooking, I use coconut oil
The night before, combine the sourdough starter, flour, and water in a medium sized bowl. Consider using a combination of whole wheat and white flour for added flavor and nutrition. Cover the bowl with a clean dish cloth and let sit on the counter overnight.
In the morning, transfer 1/4 cup of the sourdough starter into a clean glass container. Mix in 1/4 of flour and 1/4 cup of water, cover, and set aside for your next project.
To the remaining sourdough starter, add the eggs, sugar, and salt. Heat a 10" skillet over medium low heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and about a quarter of the batter. You may need to smooth out the batter to cover the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the bottom is golden, flip and cook till the second side is golden. Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep finished pancakes in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Serves 2 | Makes four 10" Pancakes
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup Flour
3/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup Water
2 Eggs
2 Tbs Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Healthy oil for cooking, I use coconut oil
The night before, combine the sourdough starter, flour, and water in a medium sized bowl. Consider using a combination of whole wheat and white flour for added flavor and nutrition. Cover the bowl with a clean dish cloth and let sit on the counter overnight.
In the morning, transfer 1/4 cup of the sourdough starter into a clean glass container. Mix in 1/4 of flour and 1/4 cup of water, cover, and set aside for your next project.
To the remaining sourdough starter, add the eggs, sugar, and salt. Heat a 10" skillet over medium low heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and about a quarter of the batter. You may need to smooth out the batter to cover the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the bottom is golden, flip and cook till the second side is golden. Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep finished pancakes in a warm oven until ready to serve.
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