sourdough

Explorations in Baking

mildlygranola, , , 12 Comments

I keep seeing recipes for homemade cinnamon toast crunch in my feeds. I’ve been interested, but didn’t feel the need to try the recipe. Then a sourdough discard cinnamon toast crunch recipe popped up. I had to give it a try.

This recipe was a lot of work. In the end I had delicious little graham crackers that vaguely reminded me of cinnamon toast crunch. We’re going to snack on these dry instead of having them with milk.

I’m not sure if I will make them again, but I am glad that I tried it.

Have you tried any new recipes lately?

Sock It To Me Monday

mildlygranola, , , , , 14 Comments

I finished Audrey’s Rose City Rollers Socks in Rainbow Dashing by Yarn Geek Fibers. I love how fast these socks knit up. Audrey is very happy with them.

We’ve had a lazy morning. Instead of running errands, Elliot and I made sourdough crackers seasoned with Herbs de Provence. They are delicious, but the best part by far is having him as a helper in the kitchen.

I hope you are having a good start to your week. It’s going to be hot here this week, so I imagine we will be very lazy this week.

Sourdough Success

mildlygranola, , 2 Comments

I am currently in the groove with sourdough. I remember to feed my starter. I don’t hesitate before throwing away some of the discard. I’m even finding recipes I like.

I usually stick with Cooks Illustrated or King Arthur Flour for all of my baking recipe needs, but I haven’t loved their sourdough options. I picked up a copy of Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa and it has changed my sourdough world.

The cookbook is worth it for the cinnamon sugar sourdough waffle recipe – if you enjoy mini donuts at fairs and carnivals you would love these waffles. I wish I would remember to take a picture of the waffles, but the waffles are devoured before I remember to take photos every single time. Everyone in my family loves these waffles, even John, who is a self-proclaimed pancake snob. The waffles use discard, so I usually make them once a week when I’m feeding the starter.

I’ve also made country farmhouse white sandwich bread from Raffa’s book. It was delicious, easy, and perfect for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (we eat a lot of those in this house).20190311_1037518648076420246029432.jpg I made the best bread I’ve ever made using another recipe in the book: Decadent Chocolate Chip. It has a flavor similar to pain au chocolat, which means I’m in danger of eating a loaf of bread in a day. This is going to be my going to a brunch and bring a fancy gift bread from now on.20190312_0852566909099110063027743.jpg

In addition to baking enough bread to feed an army I’ve been getting the kids outside as much as possible now that it is above freezing. We went to the zoo yesterday and I snapped this tigertastic photo.20190311_1232406824261146548530294.jpg

I hope your week is carb filled and above freezing too.

Sour D’oh!

mildlygranola, , 6 Comments

Way back in 2010 I spent a year trying a new loaf of bread every week. Most of that time was spent working my way through the Bread Bakers Apprentice. That year I maintained a sourdough starter and baked with it occasionally.

I started day dreaming about sourdough bread after reading Sourdough last year. After mulling over getting back into sourdough bread baking for months I decided it was time to get back to it (having a snowstorm or a polar vortex a couple of days a week for a month will really motivate a person to get baking).

Over the past 24 hours I’ve made sourdough pizza and sourdough English muffins.

Over the past 24 hours I’ve also come to the realization that I’ve been romanticizing my love of maintaining a sourdough starter. Having a starter means feeding it once or twice a week. Each time you feed it you either throw away a large portion of it or you bake from what you discard. I’m need to expand my recipe repertoire or get comfortable throwing ingredients away.

If you have any sourdough recipes you recommend please send them my way. I’m hoping to find sourdough motivation and become a better baker.