Obviously, I don't know the details, but I assume that the yeast operates somewhat like a sourdough starter. It's probably fed a hearty diet of flour and water daily and kept at a warm and comfortable temperature at all times. Basically, it is some thoroughly pampered yeast. And why not? It's been producing delicious dough for five centuries. I think it deserves some serious TLC.
I love the idea of sourdough and sourdough starters, but I don't really have 500 years. In fact, I'm not even patient enough to wait a whole week. So, I searched the internet for an easy and relatively quick starter. I found one on What's Cooking America that only took me two days. I cheated a little by adding some yeast and sugar to start, but the starter smelled lovely after just two days sitting (covered, of course) out in the garage.
Then, I had to find some recipes to showcase my new creation.
Since the lazy days of summer are in full swing (and I only have about two weeks until I'm living the dorm life again), I decided to indulge in a homemade pancake breakfast. Even though the batter has to sit overnight, the sourdough pancake recipe I found on Joy the Baker is super easy and super satisfying. Just be warned, the recipe creates A LOT of batter, way too much for just my mom and I to consume. I ended up with about 20 decent-sized pancakes and, since I don't have a griddle and have to cook them one at a time, it took me about 40 minutes to transform the voluminous batter into more appetizing, buttery pancakes. I didn't feel like using oil in the recipe so I substituted pumpkin that I had on hand for the two tablespoons of oil in the original recipe. Also, because I was going with the slight pumpkin theme and I love the smell of hot cinnamon, I added a generous sprinkling of ground cinnamon to the batter. The pumpkin flavor did not come through in the final pancakes beneath the prominent sourdough taste, but the cinnamon sure did! YUM! Overall, this recipe was easy, delicious and a great first use for my starter!
Sourdough Pancakes
Overnight Soaker:
1 cup starter (mine was fed)
1.5 cups warm water
2.5 cups flour ( I used 1.5 cups wheat and 1 cup AP)
Mix the starter, flour and water in a non-metal bowl. Cover and allow to sit in a warm place overnight.
Batter:
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. baking soda
dash of salt
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. pumpkin puree
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
All of the starter mixture
butter or benecol for the pan
Whisk together egg, milk, sugar, puree and cinnamon in a small bowl. Combine with the starter mixture and whisk again. Heat a griddle or pan on medium-low heat and melt some butter for the pancakes. Scoop batter onto the pan/ griddle to desired size. Cook until you see the edges start to turn doughy and the large bubbles on the surface begin to pop, flip and cook the other side. Place the finished pancakes on a plate and enjoy your bountiful breakfast made from your own delicious sourdough starter!
After being woken up by the smell of pancakes, my mom enjoyed her stack with a hot cup of coffee and a generous layer of maple syrup. I, not being the biggest fan of maple syrup, opted for some homemade strawberry balsamic vinegar jam instead. Either way, the delicious sourdough flavor was the true star of this pancake breakfast.
It seems as though sourdough and homemade starters can be kind of an addiction (Really, it's no wonder some people have used the same one for 500 years.) Once, I made the pancakes, I new I had to try my hand at some real, sourdough bread. This recipe from Key Ingredient was perfect. It was soft, airy and chewy on the outside with a crisp crust on the outside. It, like the pancake batter above, also produced plenty of product (meaning two generous sized loaves). I enjoyed my first slice as a PBJ with some chocolate peanut butter and more of my homemade jam. The sourdough flavor was still prominent, but a little less pronounced in this recipe. So, if you would like to try sourdough but aren't a huge fan of the super tart flavor, I recommend this sandwich bread.
*Note: The flowers in the background are the bouquet that I got for my 20th birthday! Aren't they pretty? I'd say your never too old for a little bright color in your life!
* Warning: This dough requires a lot of rising time! It's definitely worth the wait, but make sure you give yourself and the bread plenty of time!
Sourdough Sandwich Bread
| 2 | cups active starter |
| 1 | cup milk |
| ½ | cup water |
| ¼ | cup oil or melted butter |
| ¼ | cup honey |
| 2½ | cup whole wheat flour |
| 3 | cup white flour |
| 3 | tsp salt |
Mix all ingredients except salt for 2-3 minutes. Allow the dough to rest for about 20 minutes.
After rest, add salt and knead dough for about five minutes. If dough is too sticky, add slightly more flour but dough should be soft and not dry and stiff. Place in oiled bowl and allow dough to rise for 3-4 hours or until nearly doubled in size.
Divide dough into two pieces and shape into loaves and place in two greased bread pans. If a free form loaf is desired, place on greased baking sheet. Spray with oil and cover with plastic wrap to keep from drying out. Allow to rise for 2-3 hours.
When dough has risen, slash the top of the loaf. If baking a free form loaf, you can use the roasting pan method for added humidity while baking.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. For even browning, turn loaves halfway through baking time.
Variations: We really like this doughs for a multipurpose dough. Some of the ways we've enjoyed it were as cinnamon raisin bread and dinner rolls.
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