SOURDOUGH Bread Primer
I don’t know about the rest of y’all but I am completely exhausted with this covid mess! I mean like really DONE! I am not someone who runs around a lot anyway but not being able to see my family (like my mom or siblings ECT) is really wearing thin. Anyway I’ve been cooking SO much more since this all started. In part because I’m trying to stretch our food as much as possible. We’ve been shopping at a local grocery store these last 6 weeks and yikes I hate to say this but it is so much more expensive! I mean like double or triple on most things and the quality isn’t as good😕 its really a bummer because since I redid our grocery budget we had gotten into a really good groove. Anyway sometimes you have to be flexible and right now that’s what I’m trying to do…One great thing about cooking more though is the experimenting I’ve been doing with my baking and fermenting (more on fermentation later) but today we are going to talk all about SOURDOUGH! WOOP WOOP! Who else loves that chewy, crackly crust with just the right amount of tang?
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Scared to try SOURDOUGH?
I totally get it! I mean sourdough is not your predictable, measurable yeast you buy at the store. You are using wild yeast you catch and feeding this thing every few days! Seems kinda freaky, right? And incredibly difficult! Just a hint…IT’S NOT!!!
Over the years I have done some baking with sourdough. Some turned out great, some not so much😬 I have found a starter recipe that I absolutely love and produces a fantastic starter that is not too sour. Ready to get started?
SOURDOUGH Starter Recipe:
First this recipe uses juice (orange, pineapple or lemon) and flour (I use freshly ground wheat flour).
Take 2 tablespoons of your juice and add to 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix well and let it sit in a covered glass jar. Cover the jar with a cloth and rubber band so the wild yeast can find it. Every day feed it with the same amount of juice and flour until on day 3-6 (depending on your starter) you have a bubbly mixture. Make sure to stir it well each day because it will separate.
After its working you can increase your amounts and you can go to just water and flour. Then other sites will tell you to discard a certain amount each week buttttt if you’re regularly cooking with it you don’t need to do that! Just feed it every time you take away some or at least once a week. Do take away some at least once a week or can we say…SOUR!
Now you’ve got this AWESOME starter ready, what to make with it?
First of all, it makes the most incredible pizza dough EVER! And its so freakin EASY! Just take 1 cup sourdough starter, 1/2 cup water and mix with enough flour (whole wheat or your favorite) to make a stiff dough. Let it sit covered for as long as you have (anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours). Now add in 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tsp sea salt. Mix well and knead it until smooth.
Right off the bat you will notice sourdough is bouncy. Now you can lightly coat it with oil and let it rest or stretch it out for your pizzas. Double your recipe for 2 pizzas! You’ll probably want it💖
Cover with toppings and bake at 420 for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden.
Next you could make the most amazing biscuits ever!
Just take 3 cups of flour (don’t forget we use whole wheat, all-purpose or a combo) and pour in enough starter to get a good stuff batter. You can add a little water to make it more liquidy but you want it thick. Let that sit for 30-60 minutes covered.
Now preheat your oven to 420 and oil a baking pan. I love my stoneware baking pans. The crust in fantastic!
Add in 1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter, 1 heaping tablespoon of baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to your batter. Mix and pour out onto a floured counter. Knead lightly. Then roll out and cut biscuits out with a floured glass. Lightly coat in oil by flipping them in the pan and snuggle 12 huge biscuits in your pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Brush with butter and all I can say is WOW!
Ok y’all I know that there is so much more you’re probably wondering about sourdough, but I want to take a moment to address some things…
Why eat SOURDOUGH?
First of all, why would you even want to go to all this trouble (ok its really not much trouble when you get used to it) to make your own sourdough breads? Besides the obvious reason that it tastes AMAZING there are tons of other benefits. Sourdough is a fermented food sorta so it has health benefits from what I’ve read. I have noticed firsthand that my husband doesn’t get heartburn from it and it doesn’t affect his blood sugar like regular yeast bread. Its also supposed to help you digest your grain better because of the soaking process. If you do shorter soak times I’m not sure that really applies but its still wonderful for you!
And sourdough is a super easy way to add more wholesome food to your and your family’s diet! I might add that it will save you tons of money if you make your own breads, biscuits, waffles and more! Plus you know EXACTLY what is going into your food and you can tweak it to your family’s needs. How completely AWESOME is that?
I know that you’re probably wondering about sourdough rolls, sourdough pancakes and more butttt this article is already SUPER LONG so I’m going to stop here and give you those next week, so stay tuned!
Get in the kitchen now and make that sourdough! Oh, yes, use glass, ceramic and quality stainless or heavy silicone or plastic! Don’t use reactive metals like iron, aluminum or copper!
Let me know how it goes for you 🙂 Happy Sourdoughing!