Years ago, I lived in North Carolina, at a time when you couldn't get good bread. As a result, I started baking bread, and haven't stopped since. I experimented with sourdough there, with little luck, and gave up. Then, when I moved to the Northwest, I took it up again. The problem was getting a good starter going, so finally I caved and bought some starter from King Arthur. It's been 15 years of baking, and the starter is still going strong! I get asked for starter and starter recipes pretty regularly, and decided that the best solution would be to just put my recipes up on the blog and point people there.
As for starter, if you live near me, I'm happy to give you some starter, if not, click through to King Arthur!
Sourdough Pancakes:
Night before, mix:
1.5 cups white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup starter
1.5 cup water
Mix well, cover and let stand overnight someplace warm, I always use the stove with the light turned on. Use a big bowl – it will about double in size.
The next morning, mix:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mix together with the starter, let stand about five minutes, then cook on hot griddle. I like to throw in blueberries on the griddle!
Sourjacks:
Combine and mix well:
2 cups starter
1 egg
1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
.25 cup milk or buttermilk (buttermilk is best)
In small bowl, combine:
2 tablespoons sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoon baking soda
Add dry ingredients to the liquids all at once. Stir lightly, the batter will foam and about double in volume.
Cook and eat!
No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 14 to 20 hours' rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting (I use 1.5 cups bread flour, 1.5 cups whole wheat
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (don’t use this – use 1 cup sourdough starter
1 tablespoon salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed. I use 10 grain cereal, plus a bit of salt
1. In a large bowl combine flour, starter and salt. Add 1.5 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with 10 grain cereal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more cereal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.