Recently I have been experimenting with my sourdough starter to make it a little more "healthy". The variation in recipe that I have come up with, I think tastes really good.
The original recipe included the following directions:
Evening 1 - Remove the starter from the refrigerator and feed
Add: 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup warm water, 3 tablespoons potato flakes
Stir well and sit out uncovered and unrefrigerated overnight
Morning 1: In large bowl mix: (I use my mixer with dough hook)
- 6 cups Better for Bread flour (for whole wheat bread use 5 cups bread flour and 1 cup wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup starter - stirred thoroughly first
- 1 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup corn oil
Dough will be somewhat stiff. Cover starter jar and return to refrigerator. Grease a large bowl and turn dough into this bowl, turning several times to cover dough with grease. Cover bowl lightly with wax paper (or a towel) and put in a warm place to rise during the day. Dough will rise slowly.
Night 2: Dough should be doubled in size.
- Punch down, kneading a little.
- Divide dough into thirds, kneading each portion on a floured board 8-10 times.
- Place in lightly greased loaf plans
- Brush lightly with oil
- Cover pans with wax paper
- Place in a warm place and let rise over night
Morning 2:
- Brush loaf tops lightly with melted butter
- Place in 350 degree oven, baking for 35 minutes or until done
- Remove each loaf immediately onto a wire rack
- Brush lightly with melted butter
- Wrap and store in refrigerator - freezes well
Feed starter every 3-5 days. If not making bread, feed starter anyway - leave out over night and dump a cup the next morning.
My variation:
Night 1 - follow the directions above
New Morning 1 directions
In mixer stir to combine:
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 cup wheat flour
- 1/2 cup oats (quick cooking kind)
- 4-6 tablespoons ground flax seed (I grind mine in a coffee grinder)
- 2 tablespoons whole flax seed
- 1 tsp salt
In a medium microwave safe bowl combine:
- 1 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons light buttery spread (like Smart Balance)
- heat for 1:30 minutes and then stir
To mixer add:
- 1 cup starter - stirred well
- microwaved water/brown sugar mixture
- stir on low until dough has formed and is springy - add more flour if needed - the sides of the bowl should come "clean" of the dough
Transfer the dough to a large bowl prepped with cooking spray, cover and let rise all day in a warm place
Follow original Morning 2 and Night 2 directions after this point. You can make three loaves - or I have found that today's loaf pans are much larger than loaf pans were 20 years ago. I usually only make two loaves with this recipe - or I make hamburger buns and small baguette type loaves.
Hamburger buns work best if you divide dough into 3 oz portions and roll into balls -place on a cookie sheet prepped with cooking spray 1-1/2 inches apart - wait about five minutes - then lightly press them down - bake at 350 for about 18 minutes
I have found the links below very helpful:
Check out:
Homecooking at About.com link includes directions for how to "start" your starter - the recipe looks the same as the one we have been using for years - so my guess is - it's a good place to start....
LA Times - Food: "Whole wheat sourdough boules" includes baking directions for getting a great crusty loaf of bread by using a baking stone and higher temperature - see steps 8-12 specifically
Farmgirl Fare: Fresh Tomato & Basil Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe I haven't tried this specific recipe yet - but there are great directions for how to make a couche using parchment paper and towels to get that great baguette shape
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