Entries in sourdough (47)

Thursday
Jun082017

nut butter cookies

There are days, weeks where my life gets turned on its ear.  I have a lot of unplanned paths taken.  This morning has been all of that as I try to get things I screwed up not so screwed up.  As I get ready for a family memorial/reunion.  This cookie recipe is actually that as well.

Koda Bear was helping me make bread.  I always make sourdough.  He was laughing because we always talk about the yeastie beasties farting, and peeing, and dancing.  To a tune, that is exactly how it is said.  This particular morning, I was asked if we could make cookies with the yeastie beasties instead of bread.  Realizing that bread still needed to be made because it always does.

I said yes.  I have enough cookbooks and read enough cookbooks that I had a plan.  I followed Sarah Owens nut butter cookie recipe the closest.  But remember, I cannot follow a recipe.  I even cannot follow my own and never write down all the variations for all the recipes on here.  The boyos thought these were pretty fabulous and the tin I sent with Koda Bear to his other grandparents came back empty.

I have even gotten asked for them again which is always a good sign.  They are similar to a peanut butter cookie but much moister.  I would say like a breakfast bar and the keeping quality was exceptional.  

sourdough nut butter cookies

140 grams sourdough (I freshen it for bread and make extra so I have 140 grams for cookies)

2 eggs

60 grams maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

400 grams peanut butter

180 grams organic cane sugar or turbindo (something not completely processed and white)

300 grams quick rolled oats

70 grams rye flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the sourdough, egg, and maple syrup together.  Mix in the nut butter and sugar.  Mix in the vanilla.  Mix in the rye flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Drop by teaspoons on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake about 8 minutes or until the edges are firm.  The batter is already brown so it will be difficult to see the browning of the edges.  Do not over bake.

You can roll into a ball and press a sugared fork into them if you prefer.  That way they look more like a peanut butter cookie.

All I know is that the boyos were happy.  And I have been asked for them again.  I would not be surprised if I get asked for the yeastie beasties to be in a cake sometime!  It is doable.

Friday
Jan272017

panettone experimentations

I have been telling people for years that I do not like cake.

I have come to realize that I do not like cake leavened with baking powder.

And the texture of most American cakes.

I do like yeasted cakes so I decided to play with panettone.

I thought I had failed with the recipe I tried, and there are many out there.  But my end product did look like other people's finished cake, though I should have hung it.

The texture was not quite like what I had seen in purchased panettone.  The texture really did remind me of cake.  Now, I will admit that my kitchen has been very cold and I did not get the rise I hoped but I do not think I every would have.  Because I used just sourdough and not extra yeast.  The recipe also called for malt and I did not have any in the house.  I was not willing to either order or go hunting.

It was tasty.  I chose to do chocolate and vanilla.

Koda Bear requested a piece toasted with butter and frosting.  I have to admit that was quite good.

The flavor was good enough that I am going to try again.  The original recipe is from the 1300's so I am going to see if I can find one that does not use and electric mixer.  And I wish I could find one that is just naturally leavened.  I do have some possibilities but there may be further "failures."  I know people who would be willing to take the failures off my hands!

Tuesday
Nov012016

cinnamon buns

October 4th is cinnamon bun day in Sweden.  Many of the people I follow on instagram and twitter where talking about cinnamon buns.  It is a contrived holiday created by Sweden's Home Baking counsel in 1999 but it rang a chord in many people so it continues.  It is also something that is eaten frequently at fika (afternoon coffee) in Sweden. 

My heritage is Norwegian but my Dad talks about the women in the small town in North Dakota where he grew up getting together for coffee.  Morning coffee was done in house dresses and aprons, at the kitchen table.  Afternoon coffee with a cake or a bun was a more dressy affair.  It is how he talks about it.  This would be served in the afternoon.

Cinnamon buns are not sticky like American cinnamon rolls.   I loved the flavour and the not so stickiness of these rolls.  Boyos wanted sticky!  These will be for me.  They are similar to my cardamom rolls.  I personally think that the filling without the butter might be very nice rolled into kouign amman.  But I like laminated doughs.

I found a recipe on Call Me Cupcake.  Of course, I modified it to use sourdough.  I did sign up to do a sourdough study.  Life could be interesting.

cinnamon buns

Note:  I adapated Call Me Cupcake recipe for sourdough

sourdough

100 grams flour

100 grams water

150 grams soft butter

90 grams granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt 

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

500 ml milk

840 grams flour (I used a mixture of all purpose and white whole wheat)

175 grams soft butter

90 grams  sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg, lightly beaten

The night before, mix the sourdough with the 100 grams flour and 100 grams water.  Cover and let sit until bubbly in a warm place.  Remove some for next time.

To the starter, mix in the milk, butter, sugar, salt, and 2 teaspoon cardamom.  Slowly mix in the flour until you have a soft dough.  Turn out and knead until smooth and elastic.  Put in a clean bowl, cover, and let rise until double.

Mix the 175 grams butter, 90 grams sugar, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Set aside.  This is your filling so it needs to be soft and spreadable.  Do not put it in the refrigerator.

Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.

When the dough has risen, portion the dough in half.  Roll it out into a large rectangle, about 16 inches by 20 inches.  Spread half the filling mixture on it.  Fold the bottom up and fold the top down.  You want a letter shape.  Cut into strips.  Without unfolding, tie each strip into a knot.  Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat with the other portion of dough.

Cover and let rise until puffy.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brush each bun with the beaten egg.

Bake for about 15 or 20 minutes.  They should be golden brown.

I thnk they are lovely.  Boyos want more sticky.

They were really good the next day toasted with butter and a cup of tea.  Talk about a bit of heaven.

Monday
Aug082016

baked piroshki

When I have been traveling lately, I have been eating my own food.  It means I can travel more.  It is actually what I would like to be doing right now but autumn is going to be busy.  Cooler too.  I do not particularly like to camp when it feels to hot to breathe.  It feels that way around here lately.

I did send the boyos off to Tennessee.  A different set of boyos then normal but boyos still.  I was asked to make some type of hand pie that was filled with a savoury filling.  The adults loved these.  The picky boyos, and I am not exaggerating, did not think they were food.  I was not surprised.  I have tried to feed them before.  

This is a keeper recipe.  Especially traveling or a surf day or in the refrigerator when I am not home so the boyos will have quick food.  I did tweak it a bit to make it easier for my life.  Part of that, of course, was using sourdough.  They are the only yeastie beasties that I have and I do not go to the store for yeastie beasties.  I also like that they are baked but I did not precook the cabbages.  It was not needed.

This recipe does take time but it is well worth it.

baked piroshki

Note:  I found this on pinterest.  I modified this recipe.

sourdough starter

100 grams flour

100 grams water

1 1/2 cups milk

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled until warm

3 to 4 cups flour plus flour for kneading

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground meat

4 small potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

A few hours or the night before, mix the sourdough with 100 grams flour and 100 grams water in a large bowl.  Cover and let sit in a warm place until bubbly.

In a pot of water, put the peeled and quartered potatoes.  Bring the water to a boil and turn down to a simmer.  Cook the potatoes until soft.

In a skillet over medium heat, put the olive oil and onion.  Cook the onion until some brown is showing.  Add the garlic.  After about five minutes, add the ground meat.  As it is browning, add the potato, cabbage, salt, and pepper.  Once the meat is browned, taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.  Set aside in a bowl to cool  It is easier to make the piroshki when the filling is not hot to handle.

 

Reserve a bit of the sourdough for next time.

Mix in the milk, sugar, and warm water.  Mix in 3 cups of flour.  Turn out onto the counter and knead until smooth and silky.  Cover and let rise until double in a warm place.

Portion out the dough into 2 inch balls.  I got about 24.  Flatten out the ball of dough and place a tablespoon of the meat of filling in it.

Bring the sides up and twist to close.  Place on a baking sheet with the twist down.  

Fill all the buns.  I had extra meat filling which is waiting for next time or for a pie.  Allow to rest covered for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  When the oven is preheated, bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden.

So good!  So handy.  Good traveling food but good lunch food too.

Monday
Dec142015

Kugelhof

The Great British Bake Off is a bad thing.  My Beloved keeps saying "if you want to make that . . ."  When the yeasted cake week came about, the kugelhof looked very interesting.  I know from past experience that I would have to say yeasted cakes are a favorite.  Since I have started making this kugelhof, there has been one in the house.

Kugelhof is nice by itself.  It is nice warmed with a bit of butter.  It is nice toasted or warmed with Boursin.  Boursin with garlic and herbs.  I have not tried the others.  It is just lightly sweet.  I do not have the traditional pan and my bundt pan is quite interesting so the first loaf I tried in that was yummy but very ugly.  I have been making small loafs since.  I actually made loafs for the Christmas boxes I send out.

I started with David Lebovitz recipe tweaked it.  Levain (sourdough) like normal.  I changed the fruit and changed the porportions of flavorings.  Then I tweaked the sugar glaze that you brush over it.  It is a lovely recipe without any tweaks but I like how I have changed it.

Kugelhof

Note:  adapted from David Lebovitz.  I make a small loaf or cob.

sourdough

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup chopped sour cherries (1/2 cup unchopped)

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg yolk

about 2 cups flour

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons orange extract

In a large bowl, mix the sourdough, 1/3 cup water, and 1/2 cup flour.  Cover and let sit over night until it is bubbly.  Save a bit for the next bake.

Mix in the milk and 1/3 cup flour.  Mix well.  Let sit a bit to let the yeastie beasties start bubbling.

Mix in the cherries.  Mix in the butter.  Stir until most of the lumps are gone, or appear gone with the cherries in the dough.  Mix in the sugar and salt.  Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla.  Mix until the lemon looks like it is all through the dough.  Mix in the egg yolks.  Mix well enough until the egg yolks are completely incorporated.  Mix in 1 1/2 cups flour.  It should be a soft dough.  If not add another 1/2 cup flour and mix well.

Turn out the dough onto a clean surface dusted with flour.  Knead until the dough turns smooth.  Yes, there is lumps of cherries.  When the dough is kneaded smooth, put in a clean bowl and cover.  Let rise until double.  It can be a slow rise.

Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper.  When the dough has risen, shape into a small loaf and place into the pan.  Let proof about an hour or until puffy.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.  The bread will be golden and thump hollow.

In a saucepan, bring the 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, and orange extract to a boil for one minute.  After the loaf has rested for 10 minutes, brush with the glaze.  This is enough glaze for many loaves.  I brush the loaf multiple times.  It helps with the keeping time.

It is just so yummy!

I have baked enough to share and take to the mountain next week.  I am hoping I can eat more of this then food out.