Sourdough (587 views)

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Did I talk about starting a sourdough thread? Oops! I guess I've had my mind on too many things. I do remember talking about grabbing theads to save. I hope I caught most of the sourdough discussions. I'm willing to post whatever anyone is looking for, but I really don't have anything new going.

Since it's fall, I will start with these -

Sourdough Waffles or Pancakes

If you pull your starter out the night before and feed it, the batter and the waffles will be lighter than you would think anything filling the deep pockets of a Belgian waffle iron should be.

Sourdough Pancakes or Waffles
Makes 4 full sized waffles (4 squares each) (we make a half batch and have half left for the freezer)

2 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sourdough starter at room temp (esp important for the waffles)
2 T sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp water
FOR WAFFLES (omit for pancakes)
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled (can reduce to 4-5 T)

Combine the egg yolks and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together until
they become thickened. Stir in the sourdough starter (you can use the
whisk for everything -- it helps keep the batter light when you fold in
the egg whites). Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, gradually adding the
sugar. Fold into the sourdough mixture. Dissolve the soda in the water and
add just before baking. (If making waffles, add the melted butter with the
soda and water.) Cook on a griddle or in a waffle iron.

I have played with this recipe and added things to it. It is pretty versatile, and especially good with pecans. We have added pumpkin puree
and spices, a litle molasses and spices for gingerbread, mashed bananna, chopped apples and cinnamon, even some uncooked malt-o-meal cereal (try 1-2T)l. They've all been really good. The only thing I had a problem with was adding berries in waffles, and that was because they stuck to my iron. Berries go on top after baking. Sliced bananas and chopped pecans are rgeat too (toasted pecans, even better). As I said before, the very lightest ones seemed to result from the starter having just been fed and still being out on the counter. If you use less than 4T of butter, the waffles may not get crisp on the outside.

That's funny. I like using (Beth's) regular sourdough starter, but I killed an Amish Friendship Bread in no time flat a few years ago when someone gave it to me. Have turned it down a few times since then.

Beth, thanks for posting the waffles--I have your waffle recipe from The Time Before (ha!), but now I want to make sourdough waffles this Saturday morning & have made a note to feed my starter this Friday.

I had the starter out last week with the intent of making waffles, but then after feeding it and getting put off schedule, I wound up making cinnamon rolls. I had just made some pumpkin dog treats and had pumpkin on the brain -- added 1/2 cup of pumpkin and some orange to the mix. I made half plain and half with dried cranberries and pecans in the filling. The filling needed more cinnamon -- they were a bit milder than I wanted, but still good. I think I will try waffles again this weekend.

After the waffles, you might want to try

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe makes 2 dozen and can easily be halved


1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups sourdough starter -- at room temperature
5 cups all purpose flour -- approx (4-4/12 may be enough)
FILLING
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1-2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 cup melted butter
CONFECTIONER'S ICING
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
(I use any leftover butter in the icing as well)

Combine the yeast and water in a large mixing bowl, stirring until dissolved. Blend in the sugar, salt and butter. Stir in the sourdough starter and 2 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft, workable dough. Turn out on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Don't add too much flour -- the dough should be sot and light, but not sticky). Let rise until doubled.

Divide dough in half and roll out each half into a rectangle about 15 inches long and 9 inches wide. Brush with the melted butter, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar, pecans and cranberries, leaving a narrow edge of uncovered dough. Roll the dough from the long side, seal the edge and then sliced the rolled dough into 12 sections, each a generous inch wide (yeah, should be 15 rolls, but you lose a little something in the slicing process, so it's pretty close. If you are OCD, adjust the width or number and don't stress yourself over it. Doesn't matter - it's dough, but 12 fit nicely on my baking sheet.)

Place the rolls on a prepared sheet (I use parchment -- it's so easy to slide the whole thing off onto a cooling rack and the icing doesn't make a mess, but you can also put the rack over your baking sheet to contain any drips when you get to that point). I like to brush the tops of the rolls lightly with melted butter or give them a quick spray with an unflavored cooking spray to make sure the tops don't dry out. I often let the rolls go through the second rise in the fridge overnight, so I like to give them a little added protection. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap (definitely plastic wrap if placing in the fridge) and let rise until doubled, about one hour, or place in fridge overnight.

If doing the overnight rise, remove the rolls first thing in the morning and let them come to room temp while you heat the oven (or a little longer).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove to wire racks.

Icing is a matter of personal preference -- the warmer the rolls are, the more the icing will run of and be thinner. If you like a thicker icing, let the rolls cool down a bit more. I like to make a slightly thinner icing and drizzle it across the rolls. It looks nice and doesn't overpower the rolls with sweetness.

My notes: I think I have cut the butter in the dough back by 1/2 and gotten good results.

This recipe adapts to a marvelous orange cinnamon roll: Add the grated zest of one orange to the water, yeast, and butter mixture. For the filling, soften 2-4 T butter and stir in the zest of one medium orange (if you have a large orange just divide the zest between the dough and the butter for the filling and icing. Brush over the dough and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. You can also add orange oil and/or zest to the icing -- I have even made the icing with the leftover butter from the filling. Orange in one place is good -- all three is good -- just depends on how much you prefer.

Like I said, I have also added pumpkin with the sourdough starter. I used about 1/2 cup, slightly less starter and slightly more flour. I know commercial and artisan bakers are very much into their exact percentage formulas and hydration ratios, and if I were running a bakery, I would probably be more formula driven, but I have always baked at home and with a certain amount of feel and winging it. If you need a precise formula, I hope you can do the math.