Sourdough experiments

I thought I had  been making sourdough bread for around forty years.  I thought.  Maybe I was fooling myself.  The recipe was called King Arthur Flour Rustic Sourdough bread.  It says it is sourdough bread and it is from King Arthur Flour for goodness sake.  But her is the the problem.  The ingredients are sourdough starter, flour, water, salt, and sugar and yeast.  Yes store bought yeast.  I read somewhere years ago that you can make sourdough starter using store bought yeast because it is a hybrid and cannot reproduce itself in its hybrid form but will revert back to its original wild yeast form. I had heard that when commercial bakeries made sourdough, they used the starter for flavor and regular yeast for dependability. Now I don't know if that is still true today as it might have been a while ago before fast rising yeast was developed.  I found conflicting opinions on whether or not that is cheating. If I have sinned, forgive me.  I want start doing more stuff with my sourdough starter besides making the same loaf I have made since forever. It is easy, dependable and everyone, I mean everyone likes it. 

Now that sourdough has become popular, there is more information about it out there and also the recipes are easier to find.  So I started fermenting flour and water to get 100% wild yeast. I made three starters. One with whole wheat flour, one with AP flour and one with rye flour.  They all started and I grew them all for a while. I ended up keeping the rye starter but have been feeding it with AP flour since then, so now it is just white flour starter. 

In the pictures, the round loaf and the French bread loaf are the same sourdough recipes I have always used but without any yeast other that what was grown in the new starter. It is one cup starter, 1 1/2 C. water, 2 teaspoons water, 1 Tablespoon sugar and about 5 cups of bread flour.  I say about because, since everything else was measured by volume, 5 cups isn't always exactly enough.  This flour with 5 cups of flour was a little wetter and stickier than normal which means it had higher hydration and so the air bubbles are bigger than usual.  The round loaf was baked in a cast iron Dutch oven. 

Sourdough Pancakes

Sourdough Pancakes Recipe: Sourdough pancakes have a delicious flavor & fluffy texture that you’ll fall in love with! These will become your family’s favorite breakfast.

Our fluffy Sourdough Pancakes Recipe uses sourdough starter discard to make homemade pancakes with unique flavor and irresistibly fluffy texture.

PREP TIME: 10minCOOK TIME: 10min TOTAL TIME: 20minutes minutes

Ingredients Sourdough Pancakes Recipe 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sourdough discard at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk at room temperature
• 1 large egg, beaten at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, sugar and salt.
2. Add the sourdough starter, milk, egg and oil to the top of the dry ingredients. Mix well just until combined. It’s ok if there are a couple of lumps in the batter. It’s important not to over mix.
3. Grease a pancake griddle or cast iron skillet with melted butter or oil. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat.
4. Ladle ⅓ cup of batter on the hot griddle. Cook until the batter starts bubbling on top*, then gently flip the pancake.
5. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on the second side or until the pancake is cooked through and golden brown.
6. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Notes 

• I highly recommend sourdough discard for this recipe. It shouldn’t be bubbly and stretchy like active starter, but rather dense and thick, but “runny” in texture.
• The first side will take 2-3 minutes, depending on the temperature of the skillet.
• For buttermilk pancakes, replace the milk with buttermilk. This will make extra tangy pancakes.
• Add chocolate chips or chopped fresh fruit for a fun twist on traditional pancakes. Coconut oil is great for cooking pancakes! It gives them lightly crispy edges.
• To make half a recipe, halve of all the ingredients, but still use a whole egg.
• This batter doubles as a fantastic waffle mix! Many readers have made this recipe as is and cooked it in a waffle iron for sourdough waffles. You can also add an extra egg, which will help the waffle crisp up and be a little sturdier. Preheat your waffle iron and give it a good coat of non-stick spray. Pour in the batter and cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions.
• Many have made the pancake batter the night before and stored it in the fridge to allow the flavors to develop overnight. Some readers say they wait until the morning to add the baking powder and baking soda so it does not de-active overnight.

Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread

Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread: Attention all lovers of sour dough apple fritter bread! This recipe blends the taste of sourdough bread that again derives from the fermented dough with sweet apple fritters in bread format. Why You’ll Love  This Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread

Ingredients

for the bread

• 1 cup (150 grams) All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup (125 grams) Sprouted Wheat Flour (or All-Purpose Flour)
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) Sourdough Discard (or 1/2 cup active sourdough starter + 1/4 cup water)
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) Granulated Sugar
• 2 large Eggs
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) Melted Butter, cooled slightly
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Milk
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

For the Apple Filling:

• 2 large Apples (peeled, cored, and diced) (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg (optional)

For the Glaze (optional)

1 C (125 grams) Powdered Sugar

2-3 T. Milk

How to Make

1. Prepare the Apple Filling:In a medium bowl, combine diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if using). Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the bread batter.
2. Whisk Dry Ingredients:In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients:In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, sourdough discard (or starter and water), melted butter, and milk.
4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Fold in Apples:Gently fold the diced apples and their juices into the batter.
6. Prepare Baking Pan:Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a loaf pan (9×5 inch).
7. Pour Batter:Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
8. Bake:Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Cool and Glaze (Optional):Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. While the bread cools, prepare the glaze (optional) by whisking together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle this glaze over the cooled bread.

Tips & Tricks

• For a richer flavor:Use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar in the bread batter.
• Add a streusel topping:Before baking, sprinkle the top of the batter with a crumble made from flour, butter, and brown sugar.
• Warm it up:For an extra treat, warm a slice of bread in the microwave for a few seconds before serving. Top with butter, whipped

Substitutions and Variations

This recipe offers plenty of room for creativity! Here are some ideas to personalize your sourdough apple fritter bread:

• Flour:You can substitute all-purpose flour for the sprouted wheat flour, but the sprouted wheat adds a nice nutty flavor and extra nutrients. Bread flour can also be used for a chewier texture.
• Sweetener:Honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar can be used instead of granulated sugar in the bread batter.
• Apples:Experiment with different apple varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady. Each will bring a unique flavour and texture. You can also add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
• Spices:Explore different spice combinations like allspice, ginger, or cardamom alongside the cinnamon.
• Sourdough Starter:If you don’t have discard, you can use an active sourdough starter. Simply reduce the water in the wet ingredients by 1/4 cup to compensate for the additional moisture.