Sourdough Bread

 

I love this recipe. I works for me and I can start it around 8 am and have a loaf ready to go the next morning by 10 am. 

I would suggest NOT to use cups for measurements ONLY do it by weight!!

Ingredients: 

For the leaven:

• 1 tablespoon 

  active sourdough starter

• 75 grams 

  all-purpose flour or bread flour (1/2 cup)

• 75 grams 

  water (1/3 cup)

For the dough:

• 525 grams 

  water (2 1/2 cups), divided

• 1 tablespoon 

  salt

• 700 grams 

  all-purpose flour or bread flour (5 1/2 cups)

Instructions: 

Make sure your sourdough culture is active. If your sourdough has been in the refrigerator, take it out 2 to 3 days before you plan to bake. Feed it daily to make sure it's strong and very active before you make the bread.

1. Make the leaven and let it sit overnight. The night before you plan to make the dough, place all the leaven ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly to form a thick batter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight, about 12 hours.

2. Test that the leaven is ready. Generally, if the surface of the leaven is very bubbly, it's ready to be used. To double check, drop a small spoonful of the leaven in a cup of water; if the leaven floats, it's ready.

3. Dissolve the salt. Place 50 grams (about 1/4 cup) of the water and the salt for the dough in a small bowl. Set aside, stirring occasionally to make sure the salt dissolves.

4. Mix the leaven and water. Add the remaining 475 grams (2 cups) of water for the dough to the bowl of leaven. Stir with a spatula or use your hands to break up and dissolve the leaven into the water. It's OK if the leaven doesn't fully dissolve and a few clumps remain.

5. Add the flour. Add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until there are no more bits of dry flour and it forms a very shaggy dough.

6. Rest the dough (30 minutes, or up to 4 hours). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. This is the autolyse stage where the flour is fully absorbing the water and enzymes in the flour begin breaking down the starches and proteins.

7. Mix in the salt. Pour the dissolved salt over the dough. Work the liquid and salt into the dough by pinching and squeezing the dough. The dough will feel quite wet and loose at this point.

8. At this point I actually divide the dough into two balls and put them in two separate bowls. 

9. Begin folding the dough (2 1/2 hours). To fold the dough, grab the dough at one side, lift it up, and fold it over on top of itself. Fold the dough four times, moving clockwise from the top of the bowl (or giving the bowl a quarter turn in between folds). Let the dough rest 30 minutes, then repeat. Do this a total of 6 times, every half hour, for a total of 2 1/2 hours. The dough will start out shaggy and very loose, but will gradually smooth out and become tighter as you continue folding.

10. Prepare 2 bread proofing baskets, colanders, or mixing bowls. Line 2 bread proofing baskets, colanders, or clean mixing bowls with clean kitchen towels. Dust them heavily with flour, rubbing the flour into the cloth on the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Use more flour than you think you'll need — it should form a thin layer over the surface of the towel.

11. Shape the loaves. Dust the top of one of the balls of dough with flour. Flip it over with a pastry scraper so that the floured side is against the board and the un-floured, sticky surface is up. Shape the loaf much like you folded the dough earlier: Grab the lip of the dough at the bottom, pull it gently up, then fold it over onto the center of the dough. Repeat with the right and left side of the dough. Repeat with the top of the dough, but once you fold it downward, use your thumb to grab the bottom lip again and gently roll the dough right-side up. If it's not quite a round or doesn't seem taut to you, cup your palms around the dough and rotate it against the counter to shape it up. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

12. Transfer to the proofing baskets. Dust the tops and sides of the shaped loaves generously with flour. Place them into the proofing baskets upside down, so the seams from shaping are on top.

13. Let the dough rise (3 to 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge). Cover the baskets loosely with plastic wrap, or place them inside clean plastic bags. Let them rise at room temperature until they look billowy and poofy, 3 to 4 hours. Alternatively, place the covered basket in the refrigerator and let them rise slowly overnight, 12 to 15 hours. If rising overnight, bake the loaves straight from the fridge; no need to warm before baking.

14. I proof them overnight in the refrigerator and then 4 hours before I want to bake them I take them out of the refrigerator and I leave them on the counter to continue rising. 

15. Heat the oven to 500°F. Place two Dutch ovens or other heavy-bottomed pots with lids in the oven, and heat to 500°F. (If you don't have two pots, you can bake one loaf after the next.)

16. Transfer the loaves to the Dutch ovens. Carefully remove one of the heated Dutch ovens from the oven and remove the lid. Tip the loaf into the pot so the seam-side is down. Repeat with the second loaf. (See Recipe Note if your loaf sticks to the basket.)

17. Score the top of the loaf. Use a lame, sharp knife, or serrated knife to quickly score the surface of the loaves. Try to score at a slight angle, so you're cutting almost parallel to the surface of the loaf; this gives the loaves the distinctive "shelf" along the score line.

18. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

19. Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F and bake another 10 minutes. Resist the temptation to check the loaves at this point; just reduce the oven temperature to 450°F. Bake another 10 minutes.

20. Remove the lids and continue baking 15 to 25 minutes. Uncover the pots to release any remaining steam. At this point, the loaves should have "sprung" up, have a dry surface, and be just beginning to show golden color. 

    Continue baking uncovered until the crust is deeply browned; aim for just short of burnt. It might feel a bit unnatural to bake loaves this fully, but this is where a lot of the flavor and texture of the crust comes in.

21. Cool the loaves completely. When done, lift the loaves out of the pots using a spatula. Transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Wait until they have cooled to room temperature before slicing.

Credit: This is an adapted recipe from: 

1. Make sure your sourdough culture is active. If your sourdough has been in the refrigerator, take it out 2 to 3 days before you plan to bake. Feed it daily to make sure it's strong and very active before you make the bread.

2. Make the leaven and let it sit overnight. The night before you plan to make the dough, place all the leaven ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly to form a thick batter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight, about 12 hours.

3. Test that the leaven is ready. Generally, if the surface of the leaven is very bubbly, it's ready to be used. To double check, drop a small spoonful of the leaven in a cup of water; if the leaven floats, it's ready.

4. Dissolve the salt. Place 50 grams (about 1/4 cup) of the water and the salt for the dough in a small bowl. Set aside, stirring occasionally to make sure the salt dissolves.

5. Mix the leaven and water. Add the remaining 475 grams (2 cups) of water for the dough to the bowl of leaven. Stir with a spatula or use your hands to break up and dissolve the leaven into the water. It's OK if the leaven doesn't fully dissolve and a few clumps remain.

6. Add the flour. Add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until there are no more bits of dry flour and it forms a very shaggy dough.

7. Rest the dough (30 minutes, or up to 4 hours). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. This is the autolyse stage where the flour is fully absorbing the water and enzymes in the flour begin breaking down the starches and proteins.

8. Mix in the salt. Pour the dissolved salt over the dough. Work the liquid and salt into the dough by pinching and squeezing the dough. The dough will feel quite wet and loose at this point.

9. Begin folding the dough (2 1/2 hours). To fold the dough, grab the dough at one side, lift it up, and fold it over on top of itself. Fold the dough four times, moving clockwise from the top of the bowl (or giving the bowl a quarter turn in between folds). Let the dough rest 30 minutes, then repeat. Do this a total of 6 times, every half hour, for a total of 2 1/2 hours. The dough will start out shaggy and very loose, but will gradually smooth out and become tighter as you continue folding.

10. Let the dough rise undisturbed (30 to 60 minutes). Once you've finished the folds, cover and let the dough rise undisturbed for 30 to 60 minutes, until it looks slightly puffed. This dough won't double in size the way regular, non-sourdough breads will; it should just look larger than it did when you started.

11. Divide the dough. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface and turn the dough out on top. Work gently to avoid deflating the dough. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough in half.

12. Shape the dough into loose rounds. Sprinkle a little flour over each piece of dough. Use your pastry scraper to shape each one into loose rounds — this isn't the final shaping, just a preliminary shaping to prep the dough for further shaping. Shape them into rounds by slipping your pastry scraper under the edge of the dough and then scraping it around curve of the dough, like turning left when driving. Do this a few times to build the surface tension in the dough (it makes more sense to do it than to read about it!). Flour your pastry scraper as needed to keep it from sticking to the dough.

13. Rest the dough (20 to 30 minutes). Once both pieces of dough are shaped, let them rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten again before final shaping.

14. Prepare 2 bread proofing baskets, colanders, or mixing bowls. Line 2 bread proofing baskets, colanders, or clean mixing bowls with clean kitchen towels. Dust them heavily with flour, rubbing the flour into the cloth on the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Use more flour than you think you'll need — it should form a thin layer over the surface of the towel.

15. Shape the loaves. Dust the top of one of the balls of dough with flour. Flip it over with a pastry scraper so that the floured side is against the board and the un-floured, sticky surface is up. Shape the loaf much like you folded the dough earlier: Grab the lip of the dough at the bottom, pull it gently up, then fold it over onto the center of the dough. Repeat with the right and left side of the dough. Repeat with the top of the dough, but once you fold it downward, use your thumb to grab the bottom lip again and gently roll the dough right-side up. If it's not quite a round or doesn't seem taut to you, cup your palms around the dough and rotate it against the counter to shape it up. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

16. Transfer to the proofing baskets. Dust the tops and sides of the shaped loaves generously with flour. Place them into the proofing baskets upside down, so the seams from shaping are on top.

17. Let the dough rise (3 to 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge). Cover the baskets loosely with plastic wrap, or place them inside clean plastic bags. Let them rise at room temperature until they look billowy and poofy, 3 to 4 hours. Alternatively, place the covered basket in the refrigerator and let them rise slowly overnight, 12 to 15 hours. If rising overnight, bake the loaves straight from the fridge; no need to warm before baking.

18. Heat the oven to 500°F. Place two Dutch ovens or other heavy-bottomed pots with lids in the oven, and heat to 500°F. (If you don't have two pots, you can bake one loaf after the next.)

19. Transfer the loaves to the Dutch ovens. Carefully remove one of the heated Dutch ovens from the oven and remove the lid. Tip the loaf into the pot so the seam-side is down. Repeat with the second loaf. (See Recipe Note if your loaf sticks to the basket.)

20. Score the top of the loaf. Use a lame, sharp knife, or serrated knife to quickly score the surface of the loaves. Try to score at a slight angle, so you're cutting almost parallel to the surface of the loaf; this gives the loaves the distinctive "shelf" along the score line.

21. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

22. Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F and bake another 10 minutes. Resist the temptation to check the loaves at this point; just reduce the oven temperature to 450°F. Bake another 10 minutes.

23. Remove the lids and continue baking 15 to 25 minutes. Uncover the pots to release any remaining steam. At this point, the loaves should have "sprung" up, have a dry surface, and be just beginning to show golden color.

24. Bake another 15 to 25 minutes. Continue baking uncovered until the crust is deeply browned; aim for just short of burnt. It might feel a bit unnatural to bake loaves this fully, but this is where a lot of the flavor and texture of the crust comes in.

25. Cool the loaves completely. When done, lift the loaves out of the pots using a spatula. Transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Wait until they have cooled to room temperature before slicing.

This recipe was adapted from: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-224367

This is how shaggy the dough will initially appear. 

Appearance after mixing in the water/salt mixture.

Appearance after six folds.

Raised dough after being in the fridge and on the counter. 

Air pockets in the bread.

Sourdough baguettes

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups (283g) water, lukewarm
• 2 cups (481g) sourdough starter, ripe (fed) or discard*
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups (540g to 600g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (15g) salt
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons instant yeast, depending on the vigor of your fed starter*
• 4 teaspoons vital wheat gluten

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the water, starter, and 3 cups (360g) of the flour, mixing until smooth.

2. Stir in the salt, sugar, yeast, and gluten, then an additional 1 1/2 to 2 cups (180g to 240g) of flour. Stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding only enough additional flour as necessary; a slack (sticky) dough makes a light loaf.

3. Knead the dough for about 7 minutes in a stand mixer; or 8 to 10 minutes by hand, on a lightly greased work surface. You may also knead this dough using the dough cycle on your bread machine; once it's finished kneading, transfer it to a bowl to rise, as directed below.

4. Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes.

5. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into six pieces (for thin baguettes) or three pieces (for thicker Italian loaves).

6. Shape each piece into a 16" long loaf, and place the loaves, at least 4" apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets, or in lightly greased baguette pans (French loaf pans). If you're using baguette pans, make the loaves 15" long.

7. Cover the loaves with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let them rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until they're nice and puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F.

8. For a classic look, make three diagonal slashes in each loaf, cutting about 1/4" deep. For taller, rounder baguettes, don't slash.

9. Bake the baguettes for about 25 minutes, or until they're a rich golden brown. If you baked in baguette pans, remove the loaves from the oven and unmold. Turn off the oven, return the loaves (without the pan) to the oven, and crack the oven door open a few inches. If you baked on a parchment-lined baking sheet, simply turn off the oven and crack the oven door open a few inches. Letting the loaves cool right in the turned-off oven helps preserve their crunchy crust.

10. Remove the baguettes from the oven, and cool them completely on a rack. Store any leftovers in a paper bag for a day or so; paper will preserve their crunchy crust better than plastic. Freeze for longer storage.

Credit: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-baguettes-recipe

Whole wheat tortilla's

 I was surprised how much I liked these whole wheat (with some white flour) tortilla's.

Ingredients:

• 
  
  2 1/2 cups (12 1/2oz/355g) whole wheat flour
  1 cup (5oz/142g) all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon baking powder
  1 teaspoon salt
  1/4 cup (2floz/57ml) vegetable oil (or any oil)
  1 1/4 cup (10oz/282ml) warm water

• Instructions:

  • 
    
    In your stand mixer bowl (or any other large bowl), mix the flours, baking powder and salt together. 
  • Next, add the oil into the dry ingredients and mix with your hands, rubbing the oil into the flour until the mixture is crumbly.
  • Start by adding 3/4 cup of the warm water and keep mixing until the dough is smooth, about 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining water if needed to bring your dough to a smooth ball.
  • Cut the dough into 10 pieces about 2 oz. each. Roll each piece into a ball, and let them rest for 15 minutes, covered with a towel. 
  • Once rested, roll out the tortillas into 8-inch x 8-inch circles on a floured surface. If you move around the dough while rolling it makes it easy to get it round. 
  • Put a skillet over medium heat and let it warm up for 5-7 minutes before adding your first tortilla. The pan needs to be hot to brown the tortilla and cook it quick.
  • Place the tortilla into the hot pan and let it cook for 2 minutes on the first side or until the top side starts to puff and the under is golden. Flip over and cook for another minute or 2. Repeat with the rest of your tortillas. Enjoy immediately.
  • Cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

Tortilla's (fat free)

 Ingredients:

• 3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1 ¼ cups hot water

Instructions:

• Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.
• Gradually add in the water and mix together with a fork. Continue adding in just a bit of water at a time, until the ingredients begin to come together. You want a soft dough, that is not sticky. If your dough is too dry, add more water a spoonful at a time. If it is too sticky, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
• On a floured surface, knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth.
• Divide the dough into 10 pieces and roll each into a ball. You can divide it into more or less pieces, depending on the size of tortillas you want.
• Cover the balls of dough with a damp towel and let them rest for 15 minutes. This will help the gluten to relax and make it easier to roll out the tortillas.
• Roll out each ball of dough on a floured surface. You want to make the tortilla as thin as you can.
• Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium heat. Cook the tortilla in the pan until it starts to bubble and develop light brown spots. Turn it over and cook on the other side until it bubbles and forms brown spots on that side.
• As the tortillas are cooked, transfer them to a plate and cover them with a damp towel. The steam will help to soften the tortillas.
• Continue rolling and cooking the tortilla dough until all the tortillas are made.

They dough balls looked a bit bumpy but rolled out beautifully. 

The tortilla's were very soft. Just make sure to cover them in put them in a ziplock bag to keep them moist. 

Credit: https://aplantifulpath.com/fat-free-tortillas/

Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad)

 This is a very simplified version of the salad. If you do the official Gado Gado recipes then it can be a main dish. I made it as a side dish. 

Ingredients:
Cole Slaw Mix
Tomatoes
Carrots
Cucumbers
Bell Peppers
Cilantro (for garnish)

Dressing:

¼ cup + 2 tbsp  peanut butter
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp coconut sugar (I used 1 tbsp stevia)
½ tsp red curry paste (left this out since I didn't have it)
1 tsp sambal
¼ cup + 2 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
pinch salt
¼ cup dry roasted salted peanuts

In a food processor, combine peanut butter, garlic, coconut sugar, red curry paste, and sambal. Process well. Add coconut milk, fresh lime juice, soy sauce, water, and salt. Process until smooth. Add the peanuts and process just enough to break them um but not purée them. Warm gently (in microwave or double boiler) before serving. I added some extra water to make the dressing a little bit more liquid so it would be easier to poor.

Chicken Vegetable dish

Okay, I just threw this together one night. No recipe but so delicious. It was the night before we left on our motor home trip to San Diego and the Grand Canyon and I had to come up with something easy and fast. These were the ingredients I found in my fridge that had to be used before we left. 

Ingredients: 

Chicken breast
Salt
Pepper
Bell Peppers (yellow and red) cut in strips
Onions (sliced)
Tomatoes (quartered)
Asparagus
Sundried Tomato & Garlic Vinaigrette & Marinade (you can use any dressing or marinade, I just happen to have this one in my fridge)

Directions:

Cut chicken breast in 1/3 inch thick strips. Put on salt and pepper. Heat oil in pan on medium/ high and add chicken, turning once or twice. Add Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette and top with the vegetables. Put on a lid and let it simmer until Asparagus are done. 

This can be served over rice or mashed potatoes or just eaten by itself. 

Sesame Chicken with Steamed Vegetables

Ingredients: 

5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey (substituted with Stevia)
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
6 teaspoons canola oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons sugar (substituted with Stevia)
3 to 4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal)

Vegetables (carrots, broccoli, snow peas, peppers)
Cooked rice
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions: 

Whisk 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and the honey together in a medium bowl. Add the chicken, toss and marinate 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade using a slotted spoon. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, turning once or twice, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes (add 2 more teaspoons canola oil between batches). Transfer the chicken to a plate and wipe out the skillet.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil in the skillet. Add the scallions, reserving some of the green parts for topping. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk the broth, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, chili paste and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a bowl; add to the skillet and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil.

Cook rice in rice cooker. For the last 5 minutes I added a basket filled with vegetables to the rice cooker so they would steam while the rice was still cooking. 

Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and heat through. Serve the chicken and snow peas over brown rice, if desired. Top with the sesame seeds and reserved scallion greens.