Working the Lame

The art of sourdough making is truly that, an art form.  This delightful bread truly is the bread of 2020 when so many couldn't find yeast so decided to try this older method using wild yeast.  The yeast actually comes for the flour used, not the air.  In general, rye flour has the highest yeast content but rye flour is hard to find in smaller communities so most resort to using whole wheat flour.  Unbleached white flour will work but bleached flour will not.  You must use filtered water or non-chlorinated water as well as chlorinated water will kill the yeast.

 

Traditional sour dough uses a starter, flour, water and salt.  That's it.  That was one of the appeals of this bread for the first part of the pandemic.  However, a good sourdough bread will take 18 to 24 hours or longer before baking.  Once ready for baking, the bread must be slashed.  This allows for a higher rise and expansion of the dough while baking.  A good simple tool to make small cuts are kitchen sheers but if a lamb is better.

The lamb is a handle that holds a straight edge blade.  The straight edge may or may not be replaceable.  I highly recommend one with a replaceable blade.  They aren't expensive, about $12 and replacement blade will likely cost about $3 for a multipack.  The lamb should be sheathed when not in use and kept well out of reach of children.  

This tool is essential for fancier slashes like the spiral or heart as shown.  It takes a lot of practice which hubby doesn't mind given he gets the resulting bread.  Some slashes are rather fancy while others are plain but all add to that lovely artisan look of sourdough breads.  If you need inspiration for creative sourdough slashes, YouTube definitely won't disappoint!

Full Sourdough Bread

Honestly, I think 2020 was the year of sourdough bread.  Many folks with extra time on their hands turned to baking bread and sourdough was the choice likely because finding yeast was difficult to find.  Within a couple of weeks, stores were sold out of the packets of yeast.  The larger 1 lb and 2 lb packages of yeast I buy were suddenly unavailable at the warehouse stores and online.  Folks who couldn't find yeast turned to sourdough.

Sourdough bread is almost an art form right from the starter with its own lingo like percent hydration, stretch and fold, lame, tang and etc.  Many lump any bread made with a sourdough starter as sourdough even if they added yeast, sugar or other ingredients.  A true sourdough contains only: starter, flour, water, and salt.  There are some very fundamental differences between a yeast bread and a true sourdough bread.

1. Yeast bread are kneaded to form a smooth dough.  Sourdough is sticky, so it is stretched then folded onto itself every 30 minutes until it holds it shape (about 2-4 hours).
2. Yeast bread is allowed to rise, punched down, shaped then proofed before baking for a total time of about 4 hours if that.  Sourdough is allowed autolyse (about 30 min) after mixing, then the stretched and folded, before being placed in a banneton and allowed to ferment for at least 12 hours but no more than 24 hours.  The final proof is after the slow bulk ferment that can take a few hours before the dough is ready to bake.
3. Yeast breads do not require extra moisture when baking so any baking pan or sheet can be used depending on your desired outcome.  Sourdough bread is either baked in a covered Dutch oven or on a baking sheet with a pan of water on the rack below.
4. Yeast breads start to finish take 3-4 hours.  Sourdough bread takes 24 - 30 hours.
   

 

 

Double Cheeseburger Bread Bowl

Bread bowls are simply a loaf of bread or larger buns that have been hollowed out to form an edible vessel for serving dishes like stews, chowders, chili, dips and so much more.  They are a lovely, rustic way to present these types of dishes.  Sourdough with it's delightful tang and firmer texture is perfect for bread bowls. 

I hollowed out a full boule of sourdough bread for the Double Cheeseburger Bread Bowl.  Then I lightly seasoned extra lean ground been and divided to make two thin patties about 8" diameter.  I baked the patties but they could have been fried.  The first layer consisted of two cheeses, a burger patty, bacon, sauteed mushrooms and onions, spinach and tomato slices.  I repeated that layer to create a second layer carefully tucking everything into the bowl.  Then I put the top back on and wrapped in foil, placed a weight on top and let it rest for 30 minutes.   I removed the foil* and baked at 350°F for 25 minutes.

The end result was a huge tasty double cheeseburger in a unique presentation.  There was enough for 6 healthy servings!  This bread bowl would be ideal for a smaller get together and work equally well on the grill as in the oven.

My Notes:  Overall I was quite pleased with the results but I would *leave the foil on while baking.  From start to finish this meal took about 80 minutes so it's definitely not a quick meal! 

Sourdough Daily Bread

We are incredibly blessed to live in Southwestern Ontario, right in the midst of some of the richest and most productive farmland in Canada.  We are also within a stone's throw of the Great Lakes and several connecting tributaries making locally caught fresh fish available year round.  The area is home to orchards, mushroom farms, cheese factories, flour mills, salt mines, maple syrup bushes, apiarys, and multitude of food producers.  We don't buy meat at a grocery store; we buy a cow from a farmer who takes it to an abattoir for processing.  The vast majority of our food is bought directly from several local farmers or producers.  Essentially, we can acquire most of our food locally grown or produced within a 100 mile radius of our home.  So we have been locavores before it ever became a movement.

Unless you live close to a bakery, the best bread you can get is homemade.  I don't even know the cost of bread in the grocery stores!  However, the most basic homemade bread is made with flour, salt, yeast (or starter) and water so very, very inexpensive even using higher end flours.  Moving up, you might use an egg, milk or milk powder, sugar, honey and any number of seasonings or additives like onion, cheese, raisins and etc. that increase the cost but only by pennies.  Aside of the cost savings, you are getting a more nutritious, higher fiber loaf of bread without preservatives or high fructose corn syrup.  If you make sourdough or sprouted grain breads, you are getting an easier to digest bread.

Our Daily Bread is stone ground organic flour from 1847 Stone Milling, a family run mill outside of Fergus, Ontario.   The McKeown's began by grinding small amounts of flour for their own personal use.  They brought a stone burr flour mill from Austria in 2013 and now produce a variety of high quality flours for their customers.  Their customer service is stellar with fast and friendly shipping! 

Daily Bread is made without fortification, bleaching agents or levelers.  This is their all-purpose flour ground from a blend of hard red wheat and soft red wheat to create a perfectly balanced protein level for everyday baking.  The buttery smooth texture has sweet notes of nougat and subtle notes of Brazil nut.   It can be used in place of unbleached white flour in most recipes.  In fact, I would say all recipes to be honest.  Pie crusts would be a bit darker but also more nutritious if made with Daily Bread flour.

I used Daily Bread flour to make a loaf of sourdough bread.  This flour did not disappoint - such a beautiful flour to work with!  The flour itself is silky smooth.  The dough came together nicely and developed into a smooth dough quickly.  The bread had a nice rise with a bit smaller aeroles than sourdough made with unbleached flour.  Unlike breads made with  regular whole wheat, the texture was quite smooth and lovely!  As you can see, it is a bit darker.  Of note, hubby normally doesn't like a full whole wheat bread but he loved this bread. 

Sourdough Crackers

Sourdough discard is inevitable with maintaining a sourdough starter.  It is never ending but can be controlled or reduced if necessary.  There are a lot of great ways to use up sourdough dough discard.  Basically work it into any recipe using water and flour.  I don't even measure when using in certain recipes but others are a bit more precise.

Sourdough crackers are a perfect way to use up sourdough discard.  This recipe only takes three ingredients, has no rise time and the dough will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.  So you can always have a ball of dough ready for another batch.  It is also very, very versatile in that you can use any seasoning desired on top or simply sprinkle on a little sea salt.  We prefer these sourdough crackers topped with Za'tar seasoning and just a wee sprinkle of sea salt.

The secret to a good soughdough cracker is to roll the dough out to the thickness of a sesame seed.  One half of the dough will be enough to cover a 13" x 18" cookie sheet.  It's best to roll out the dough on a Silpat or parchment paper.  Once rolled, the dough is cut into the desired size.  I like using a pizza cutter for this purpose.  I also use a straight edge but that isn't necessary.  

These crackers are beyond delicious!  Don't let the thinness fool you as they are very filling.  They are a perfect snack tray item that pair nicely with a multitude of other offerings.  I made a quick snack tray using peameal bacon , freezer pickles and smoked chipotle cheese from Stonetown Artisan Cheese.  Delicious!

Sourdough Flatbread

I have two sourdough starters on the go which means about 2 cups of sourdough discard daily when fed normally.  Some folks store their sourdough starter in the refrigerator, feeding when needed.  Others feed on a reduced schedule of every third or fourth day. Sourdough discard can be reduced via micro feeding on days you won't be baking. 

An easy way to use up a bit of sourdough discard is flatbread.  Flatbreads are very versatile, easy to make and freeze well.   Each batch makes 6 nice sized flatbreads and uses a cup of sourdough discard.  These are extremely easy to make because there is no rise or proof time.  There is a 30 minute rest time before the dough is ready to be shaped into balls then rolled out.  The shape does not have to be perfect.  In fact a bit oddly shaped is part of the charm.

I roll one out, brush the top with olive oil the place oiled side down in a hot ungreased cast iron skillet.  It is hot enough to cook the flatbread without smoking.  Then I brush the now top with olive oil.  When dark marks appear on the bottom, I flip and let it cook on that side.  While that is cooking, I prepare the next one.  I remove the finished flatbread to cool in a cloth lined basket.  I continue on in this fashion until all the flatbreads are cooked.  The whole process, dough to flatbread takes about an hour.

We like using flatbreads for quick personal homemade pizzas.  Pictured is my Margherita pizza and hubby's cheese pizza.  I used home canned roasted tomato garlic pizza sauce for both pizzas.  A few days later we took a double batch of flatbreads and the fixing to friends for a pizza party.  Their kids had so much fun topping their own pizzas!

 

Sourdough Starter

A sourdough starter is the basis of sourdough breads.  It is not difficult to make but it does require maintenance.  Only two ingredients are required:  flour (unbleached, whole, rye) and non-chlorinated water.  Nothing else should be added!  The vessel used needs to be large enough to allow the starter to double in size without overflowing.  A kitchen scale is highly recommended.

I have two sourdough starters on the go, both in 500 ml mason jars.  To the right in the older Crown mason jar, is my whole wheat starter.   I began with 50 g whole wheat and 50 g water (1:1) plus the weight of the jar (important when feeding).  The next day, I removed all but 25 g and fed with a 1:1 giving a final result of 1:2:2.  By Day 4 the discard can be used for other baking and I switched to a 1:3:3.  When the starter doubles in size 4 - 5 hrs after feeding it is ready to use for sourdough breads.  The discard can be used anytime.  

To the left, is a white flour starter made using sourdough starter I dehydrated circa 1999.  This demonstrates an important part of sourdough making.  Once you get a good starter going, always dehydrate some just in case the starter dies.  That way, you always have a backup source.  I currently have 454 g of the 1999 rejuvenated starter and 386 g of the whole wheat starter dried dehydrated for future use.

The fermentation process for making sourdough starter relies on wild yeast in the flour.  Rye flour has the highest wild yeast content followed by whole wheat.  White flours have the lowest wild yeast content.  You can always start with one flour then slowly shift it over to another if desired.  The liquid that forms on sourdough is the hooch.  It will have an alcohol smell and is a normal part of the process.  Simply stir it back into the starter and continue your feeding schedule.  If your starter develops a vinegar smell (also normal) it means the fermentation is occurring at too low of a temperature.  Feed the starter and move to a warmer location.  Whole wheat starters require higher maintenance.  While some put their starters and discard in the fridge if going on vacation, I don't.  A couple of days away won't hurt the starter and for longer periods of time (cottage, vacation home) I take my starter with me.  Worse case scenario, I can restart a starter from the dehydrated starter.
 

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

I think 2020 easily wins the title Year of the Sourdough!  Everyone was baking sourdough breads and for good reason.  If you run out of yeast and can't get to the store but have plenty of flour on hand, within a week you can have a nice sourdough starter ready to make a wide variety of sourdough delights!  However, there is another reason to use sourdough.  It is easily digested so for those like myself not tolerating commercial breads, sourdough is very well tolerated.  If you have this problem, another bread line to try if you don't like the tang of sourdough is bread made with sprouted flours.   Of note, sprouted flours should not be used for sourdough but both are very good options.

Most folks think of sourdough artisan breads as rustic boules, often with fancy cut lines and for the most part they are.  The aeroles are large, the crust chewy and there's that unmistakable tang.  Sourdough bread does make a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich!

Keeping a sourdough starter means daily feeding that result in sourdough discard.  It's called discard because it is not active enough for bread baking but that doesn't mean you can't use it.  Some folks toss this discard while others bake other goodies with it.  I have two starters which means I have a lot of sourdough discard!  One of the ways I like to use this discard is sourdough sandwich bread.

This particular recipe uses a sourdough levain.  A levain is made using sourdough discard and other ingredients, then left to ripen for 12 hours prior to making the bread.  Unlike the sourdough artisan breads, this bread has no characteristic tang.  It's soft with small aeroles.  The only difference between the two loaves is one was brushed with butter while still hot and the other not.  I wanted to see which one we liked better.  Definitely brushed with butter was the winner!

I tested the bread by making grilled cheese sandwiches.  Mine was filled with two cheeses, swiss chard, red onions and roast beef.  Hubby's was a Monte Cristo (French toast) filled with two cheeses and roast beef slices.  Both sandwiches were amazing!  Of note, this sandwich bread has a higher longevity of close to a week in comparison to artisan sourdough bread that usually lasts three days maximum.  Any leftover sandwich bread can easily be made into croutons or bread crumbs.
 

Sourdough Starter

I've talked a discussed sourdough breads that rely on sourdough starters. The most common questions that arise with sourdough breads is how to create and maintain the starter. The starter is critical to a good sourdough bread! Essentially the starter is nothing more than equal amounts of flour mixed with water then set in aside at room temperature to collect the wild yeast. If you have made a lot of bread there will be a lot of wild yeast in your kitchen. If you don't it will take longer for your mixture to become inoculated with wild yeast.

There are two warnings your must head when using sourdough starter. First, you cannot make yogurt and keep the starter on the counter. The reason is the bacteria that causes the yogurt to yog (get thick) competes with the yeast. This is why you eat yogurt if you have bacterial stomach or gastrointestinal problems such as thrush. The yeast from the yogurt kills off the bacteria. Well this principle demonstrates why yogurt making and sourdough starter cannot co-exist in the kitchen. Either or both will fail. Second, despite all good maintenance your starter may get contaminated. If at any time your starter does not look right, discard it and start again. For some, fruit flies (Drosophilla melanogaster) that feed on the yeast not actual fruit can be a problem so either protect your starting using cheese cloth or use your starter mainly through the winter months when these insects are less likely to be present.

Before

Sourdough starter requires regular maintenance normally referred to as feeding. That is because the yeast population that is doubling exponentially in the starter uses up the food resources. In this case the food resource is flour. Once the food resource is depleted the yeast population will begin to die off. You don't want that because the starter will no longer have leaving power. To prevent yeast die off from happening a portion of the starter is removed and either used for a second batch of starter or discarded. An equal amount to what was removed is then added in the form of half flour and half water, mixed well into the remaining starter. A plastic container is preferred because any starter on the sides can easily be scraped back into the main starter. The starter must be fed before making bread.

Pictured is the starter just after feeding. As you can see it immediate reacts by showing signs of bubbling. If your starter does not do this discard it and start again. You should smell a deep, aromatic, yeast smell to the starter that is rather tangy. If you notice any other smell, discard the starter and start again. If you notice any peculiar colour that indicates spoilage, discard the starter. Note: It is normal for a liquid to form on top of the starter. This is called hooch. The hooch should be stirred back into the starter before feeding.

After

Many sourdough recipes tell you to let the starter get spongy. Well that can be a bit confusing to those new to making sourdough breads. A sponge is just that. The starter takes on the appearance of a sponge with a lot of air pockets and somewhat springy texture. Think of it as an edible form os spray foam insulation that expands after spraying! The sponge will be light and airy while more than doubling it's size so be sure to use a large container.

If you want the sponge to form quicker or if your kitchen is cold heat a grain pack in the microwave oven. Cover it with a tea towel then set the starter on top. This will provide enough warmth for the starter to form a sponge. When measuring the sponge, spoon it into a measuring cup and always warm any liquids going into the bread dough to allow the wild yeast to continue multiplying giving that lovely sourdough flavour that just can't be beat!

Sourdough French Bread (Oven Baked)

Sourdough breads are always a delight. What sets sourdough breads apart from other breads is the slight tangy flavour derived from the sourdough starter. The starter gets it's flavour and leavening properties from wild yeast. Traditionally sourdough breads were a staple in pioneering days. Starters were protected to ensure being able to make future loaves of leavened breads. The started was passed from family member to family member as well as often being dried to keep the starter safe while traveling. I have previously written about plain sourdough bread, sourdough French bread (ABM), and sourdough muffins. Last Saturday I made two loaves of sourdough French bread baked in the oven.

Drying Sourdough Starter

When you have an established starter with just the right flavour you will want to save some of it for future use. To dry sourdough starter thinly spread the starter on a sheet of parchment paper. Allow it to dry naturally out of direct sunlight. Peel off the dried starter and break it into small pieces. It will be quite brittle. Place the dried starter pieces in a mason jar. Vacuum seal and store in a dark cool location.

Sourdough French Bread Loaves Cut

This is essentially the same recipe as the sourdough French bread (ABM) however the results are quite different due to the cooking method. This is considerably closer to a traditional sourdough French bread. The addition of yeast ensures a lower rise time however, if you want to make this bread traditional omit the yeast and give it an extended rise time. This may take longer but the results are very good. Trust me on this one, the method is a bit more involved but the bread is oh so good you will want to make it quite often!

Sourdough French Bread

1½ c sourdough starter
½ c water
1½ tsp organic sugar
1½ tsp sea salt
3½ c unbleached flour
3 tsp instant yeast


Measure the dry ingredients in into the bowl of a KitchenAid® stand mixer or similar. Mix on setting 1 and mix thoroughly. With the mixer still on setting 1 mix in starter and water. If necessary add just enough water for the dough to clean the sides of the bowl. Set the mixer to setting 2 and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Remove the dough hook. Cover with a warm, moistened tea towel until dough is doubled in size. Punch down the dough. Divide in half and form into two elongated loaves. Sprinkle ¼ c cornmeal on a Silpat® lined baking sheet. Place the loves on the cornmeal. Cover with a warm, moistened tea towel and let rise until double.

Cut 4 deep, diagonal slices across the tops of the loaves. Combine 1 tsp cornstarch and ½ c water in a sauce pan. Heat to just boiling without boiling. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place a large baking pan with ¼-inch boiling water in the oven. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Brush the loaves with the cornstarch mixture. Place the dough in the oven above the water. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Sourdough French Bread (oven baked)

Sourdough French bread baked in the oven is absolutely wonderful! It is rich and tangy with a beautiful golden, chewy crust due to the baking method. Adding humidity during the baking process is what gives the chewy crust texture.

Pictured is the the beautiful golden crust and lovely inside. The inside is denser than a regular loaf of bread but that adds to it's character. It's very good, piping hot from the over with just a little butter. When cooled cream cheese goes nicely with it or cut on a diagonal for making sandwiches. Two of my favourite ways to use sourdough French bread when entertaining is to use the bread as a base for garlic bread with cheese or lightly grill slices then top with bruschetta in a jar toppings.

Creamy Greens Soup & Sourdough Bread

Soup is an year round favourite, easy to make and inexpensive. As a frugal meal goes, you cannot get much cheaper than a soup made from garden greens and homemade sourdough bread.

Creamy Greens Soup

This recipe was adapted from an episode of Christine Cushing Live on Food Network Canada. I use fresh picked vegetables and herbs where possible for this soup for a nice garden fresh flavour.

Creamy Greens Soup

2 tbsp butter
1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
4 c chicken stock (use homemade if possible)
2 handfuls fresh spinach (about a half package)
2 handfuls fresh Swiss Chard (about half package)
1/3 c basmati rice
1/3 c heavy cream

garnish: chopped chives, sour cream

Prepare the vegetables. Heat butter on medium heat and stir in leek, onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring often about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then stir in the rice and reduce heat. Simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove the thyme sprigs and remove from heat. Stir in greens until just wilted. Purée the soup in a blender. Return soup to a large, clean pot and stir in the cream. Heat over low heat. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with a dab of sour cream and sprinkling of chopped chives.

Garnish: To make the sour cream teardrop, drop about 1/2 tsp of sour cream in the centre of the soup. Insert a toothpick in the centre of the sour cream on a slight angle facing away from your. Draw the toothpick away from you then up.

I've been experimenting with sourdough breads. This recipe used no yeast to help with rising so that means a longer rise time. Sourdough purists will tell you that adding yeast means you do not trust your starter. The rise time can be five hours or more but the taste is worth it. This particular loaf was left overnight before it was finally doubled.

Sourdough Sponge

Sourdough recipes always refer to the sponge. Some will start out having you make the sponge that day but the best sourdough is one that has been left to ferment and age. I know I mentioned how I made the sourdough starter but to save you from going through the archives, I use 1 c of flour and 1 c of water. Stir that together then set it aside. Once the wild yeast has had a chance to multiply, the starter develops a sponge like texture. It is thick and bubbly. This is what you are looking for when using a sourdough starter.

Sourdough Dough

Sourdough at its simplest is starter, flour, salt and sugar. This dough was made using no additional yeast. I can't recall where I got the recipe but I have made a few changes. The important thing to remember when making sourdough bread without additional yeast is to have patience. The rise time can be long so start early in the morning if you want the bread for dinner. Or start the dough so that it can rise overnight. This particular dough was left to rise overnight.

Sourdough Bread

2 c sourdough sponge
2 c unbleached flour
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
about 1/2 c to 3/4 c water

Place dry ingredients in Kitchen Aid bowl. Mix then attach dough hook. In a separate bowl stir the wet ingredients together with the exception of the water. Set the mixer to setting 2 and slowly pour in the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. Depending on your kitchen temperature and humidity levels you may need to add water to get the dough to the right consistency. Knead 2 minutes. Remove from the bowl and shape into a round loaf. Pour about 1/2 oz olive oil in your hands then rub over the loaf. Set the loaf on an ungreased cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise until double. Place a cookie sheet filled with water on a lower shelf in the oven. Place the dough above the cookie sheet on another rack. Do not preheat the oven. Bake at 350ºF 30 to 45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow on the bottom. Allow to cool then store in a paper bag to keep the crust crunchy.

Note: The rise time for this is quite long. That's ok because it is developing flavour as it rises.

Sourdough Bread

Here's the finished loaf fresh from the oven this morning. It has a nice rustic appeal with a deep, rich flavour and pleasant aroma. It is a perfect, low cost bread for any meal but really lends itself well to simpler, down home type meals. The crust has a nice crunch with a typical sourdough bread texture.

Soughdough Muffins

Sourdough starter can be used for more that bread. Sourdough muffins are a nice way to perk up your morning and are just a delight anytime.

Pictured here are the sourdough muffins I made today. They were enticing enough my husband snitched the top off of one just before I took the picture. This batch was made using sultana raisins but cranraisins could be used instead. For a stronger rye flavour use a rye based sourdough starter.

Sourdough Muffins
source: Susan Jane Cheney, Breadtime. 1998. Pp. 180.

1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c rye flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 c vegetable oil (recipe specifies sunflower)
1/3 maple syrup (100% Pure Canadian)
1 egg
1/2 c milk
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 c orange juice
3/4 c sourdough starter
1/2 c raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup coarsly chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (375ºF convection). The instructions said to gease the muffin cups but I was using silicone so omitted this step. Mixt the flours, salt and baking soda with a Kitchen Aid or sift together. Zest the orange then squeeze the juice from it. Pour in the liquid ingredients if using a Kitchen Aid otherwise mix the liquids together then stir into the dry ingredients along with the raisens and nuts. Fill the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until center tests clean with toothpick.
Makes 12

Note: I modified the instructions to use the Kitchen Aid mixer and I tinkered just a bit with the ingredients. This is a nice hearty muffin!

Enjoy!

Garden Gnome
© 2007

New Kitchen Toys & Sourdough

I'd like to start this entry by thanking Taste of Home for their very flattering comments regarding my cooking blog. This is a real honour for my blog. I have accepted the invitation to include their Meal of the Day search box so please take the time to check them out for recipes and meal ideas. I'd really appreciate it. And to Tast of Home cheers to good cooking!

My husband dragged me shopping yesterday under the pretext of having to buy a new tv for Superbowl Sunday then would put it in our bedroom to replace a smaller model. I'm not even going to go into that issue! The end result was he got the 37" digital LCD tv and I decided to get a couple of kitchen toys since I'll be doing the hosting for the superbowl party. The guys bring snacks but I make the main meal, breads and like to wow them with a few of my snacks. What better way to get the undivided attention of about thirty guys than cooking great food the will love.

One of my new toys is a Kitchen Aid Professional HD mixer. I debated over this purchase for ages and finally said what the heck. My kitchen is spacially challenged so any appliance I can get to do double duty or one that will eliminate one or more appliances is more than welcomed.

I need to buy a new food processor and my handheld mixer needed to be tossed. The breadmachine, while a true workhorse in my kitchen, will likely not last much longer and the last few years it is used to make dough only because I prefer the results of oven baked bread. With this one appliance, the handheld mixer was tossed and the breadmachine has been moved to the backroom. I've checked out the attachments I can get and the one that really looks appealing is the attachment kit that comes with the food grinder. There is also an attachment that would replace the food processor so I am considering that as well. Any attachment I buy will certainly take up a lot less room than the appliance version and since some of the attachments fit right in the bowl for storage, I will be freeing up cupboard space as well.

My other new toy is an Aroma rice maker. My old one was giving up the ghost and believe me as talented as I am with cooking certain things rice is not one of the. We eat a lot of rice so a rice maker is a must!

I have been asked so many times as to how I make sourdough starter. My simple reply is always mix one part water with one part flour. Other starters will add yeast, sugar, milk or any number of a lot of ingredients but this is not traditional starter. The only things you need for a good starter is water, flour and wild yeast. Stir well and set aside until bubbly. Now this picture does not do justice to the bubbly of the starter but it has the consistency of a very thick, foamy milk shake with a lot of bubbles and a nice sour smell. A starter is not ready to use unless you can smell it and it should not be used unless active (bubbling). I used 1 1/2 c of starter for the following loaf and 1/2 c for drying. When your starter is to the right degree of sourness always reserve 1/2 c for drying. This can be used to seed future batches. I ended up taking 2 c of starter from the original so replaced with 1 c flour and 1 c water. Since I really need this starter for Superbowl Sunday, it will be left until early Sunday then fed just before making a couple of loaves. But before that the starter had to be tested. Watch for the recipes made for this big event!

This was my first time using the Kitchen Aid Mixer and I do have to say I'm impressed. This is a small video clip of the dough making process. It was just as fast and efficient as the breadmaker. The nice thing is this appliance can do more than knead dough!



This is the first loaf of bread from the fresh starter. While the crust could be a little darker, for a sour dough french bread it came out just fine. My husband loved coming home to hot bread fresh from the oven. Me, being critical and wanting perfection for Superbowl Sunday, wanted more. The bread essentially came out as it should. However, I would have liked just a bit more of the developement of the sourdough flavour. By Sunday and given the traditional recipes I will use it should be fine. Since this was a test loaf I used an ABM recipe. All I was really interested in was the taste. This recipe does call for the addition of yeast and when making sour dough bread that is almost an insult as it means you do not trust your starter. But this recipe is really fine for getting the taste right before you make a loaf or two using no yeast. I only make the dough in the ABM but this time used the Kitchen Aid mixer. Either way, let the dough rise until doubled, shape then let rise again and bake.

Sour Dough French (ABM)

1 1/2 c sourdough starter
1/2 c water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 c unbleached flour
3 tsp dry yeast
1/4 c cornmeal
1/4 c water

Make the dough in ABM without using the last two ingredients. When dough is ready, shape then place on a cookie sheet sprinkled with the cornmeal. Place in pre-heated 400ºF for 30 minutes. Pour the 1/4 c water into a shallow baking pan and place under the cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown or loaf sounds hollow.

Note: This is a French style sour dough bread so the crust is expected to be hard, crispy and crunchy.

Enjoy!

Getting Back to Normal - Bran Muffins, Sourdough Starter and more

If you read my journey blog you will see our waterbed mattress sprung a leak in the early morning of the 15^th so we had little sleep that night followed by a busy day of last minute prep and travelling. Once arriving in Las Vegas we enjoyed a whirlwind of activity along with way too much food and drink coupled with minimal sleep. We arrived home over fed and exhausted to snow and cold, a kid needing an immediate tooth extraction, an almost empty fridge, no energy and sleeping on a temporary air mattress in the waterbed frame. Yesterday my husband picked up a loaf of bread, milk and eggs on his way home. We had a simple meal of grilled cheese and turkey sandwiches since neither of us were even hungry! Today, he ordered a new mattress, extra long queen for the bed. During the vacation we had a chance to talk and decided to forego another waterbed mattress but use the waterbed frame if possible.

We discovered a couple of dishes I'd like to duplicate at home but for now the first step is getting things back to normal. That means I need the basics up and running. These include: sourdough starter, yogurts, breads and quick breakfast options. My first step was to get the sourdough starter going along with the yogurt. Now normally these should not be made at the same time nor should bread or yogurt be made at the same time as the yeast and bacteria compete for resources. Ultimately one or both will fail. My solution was to get the sourdough starter (yeast) going then move to another warm room. While the yeast can be distributed throughout the house with the forced air heating, it shouldn't be in large enough quantities to cause the yogurt (bacteria) to fail especially when the starter is fresh. That is why I decided to make a fresh batch instead of thawing starter. With those two important ingredients in the making, I decided to make a batch of six week bran muffins. I omitted the raisins for the first batch but will stir in fruit as needed. Tomorrow is bread day as the yogurt will be ready for the fridge and it won't interfer with the sourdough starter.

Bran Muffins

Whole grain muffins and breads are a must after a vacation simply because they help cleanse your body. One of the easiest ways is to include a whole grain muffin with your breakfast. I decided on the recipe from Jean Paré simply because it gives a large batch of muffin batter that will take a little pressure off of me for the next couple of weeks. The batter is a good one to keep on hand for quick muffins anytime. Customize the recipe by substituting cranraisins or frozen blueberries for raisins just before baking.

Six Week Bran Muffins
source: Jean Paré, Company's Coming, Muffins & More, 1983. Pp. 31

Store batter in refrigerator. Bake a fresh supply every day if you like.

4 c Bran flakes cereal
2 c All bran cereal
2 c Boiling water

1 c Butter or margarine
1 1/2 c Granulated sugar
1 1/2 c Packed brown sugar
4 Eggs

4 c Buttermilk
1/4 c Molasses (optional)

5 c All purpose flour
2 tbsp Baking soda
1 tbsp Baking powder
1 tsp Salt
2 c Raisins

In large bowl put cereals and boiling water. Let stand.

In mixing bowl cream butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Mix in buttermilk. Add molasses. Stir in cereal mixture.

In another bowl put flour, soda, baking powder, salt and raisins. Mix thoroughly. Add to batter. Stir to combine. Store in refrigerator. It will keep for six weeks. As required, fill greased muffin cups % full. Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan after 5 minutes.

Variation: Brans may be switched to use 2 cups (500 mL) bran flakes and 4 cups (1 L) all bran cereal. Or you may use natural bran to replace one cereal.

Note: cranraisins, frozen cranberries or frozen blueberries make a lovely substitute for raisins.

Sunday Delights!

I seldom do any canning on Sundays because we often have company or do a little travelling ourselves. The weather has been quite cool here the past few days. Neither of us felt like going outso it ended up being a rather laid back day. I decided to make us a little comfort food.

The Perfect Sandwich

There is nothing more comforting this time of year than BLTs! I toasted sourdough bread then added mayonnaise, romain lettuce, a thick slice of fresh picked Beefmaster tomato, topped with peppered bacon and just a hint of Kosher salt. My husband declared them a delicious lunch! We sure will miss these tomatoes when the season is over. I sacrified one of the Beefmasters to save the seeds for next year.

Sunday Pot Roast

When the weather turns cooler, we enjoy pot roast some Sundays. This was a sirloin tip roast placed on a rack in a stainless steel roaster. I seasoned it with a sprinkling of garlic powder, and little onion powder, Lea & Perrins Worchestershire sauce and sliced fresh onions. The roast was slow roasted in the oven set to regular bake at 250 degrees farenheit, covered with vents open. After about three and a half hours at this temperature, I added chopped "new" potatoes, baby carrots and quartered mushrooms. The temperature was increased to 350 degrees farenheit. The vegetables were roasted until almost ready. The lid was then removed and the roast along with vegetables was allowed to brown a little. The roast was removed and allowed to rest while the vegatables were removed from the rack and kept hot. I made a thinner type gravy, served up a garden greens salad with homemade vinaigrette and the meal was ready.


Pot Roast Plated

This nice comfort meal looked great on the plate and tasted even better. The meat fell apart without having to cut. The vegetables accented with the gravy came out just the way we like them. There were a lot of left overs that were packaged for one of our kid's care packet and for Monday's lunch.

I've been experimenting with the options in iPhoto. I liked the effect of the plated meal with this matte even though it does not show the actual plate. I'll be using a few more of these effects in future.

Enjoy!