To make it easier for everyone to remember the blog, we have moved to a new address.
http://hillcrest1stwardrs.blogspot.com/
We have transferred everything from this blog over to the new one, so you will still be able to find the recipes that have been shared. If you have any questions, feel free to ask one of the presidency. Thanks for your patients.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Rocky Road Goodness
For those of you who were able to indulge in the yumminess that Ann brought in a few weeks ago to share with us, I have good news. Here is the link to her blog with the recipe. I don't know about you, but I am really excited to make this . . .and then eat it all up. Enjoy!!!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Nutrition Class
Thank you so much Bridget for teaching us this class. You had a lot of great ideas on how to incorporate healthy foods into our diet.
Nutrition Quiz
True or False? (answer key at the bottom of post)
1. Butter and margarine have about the same amount of calories.
2. Popeye was right: Spinach builds strong muscles.
3. Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables contain fewer nutrients than the fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. A cup of white rice and a cup of brown rice both have about 200 calories.
5. A rich, fudgy brownie, before bedtime, is more fattening than the same brownie eaten at lunchtime.
6. An apple has the same amount of fiber as the equivalent amount of apple juice.
7. One cup of cottage cheese is just as good of a source of calcium as a cup of milk.
8. Soy milk is an inferior source of calcium as compared to cow’s milk.
9. Brown eggs have a higher concentration of nutrients compared to white eggs.
10. Flax seed has been shown to lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and my reduce blood triglycerides, and blood pressure. It also is a source of fiber and aids in digestion.
Recipe's
Oven Roasted Vegetables
2 red potatoes, cut into 1” cubes
1 sweet potato, cut into 1” cubes
20 baby carrots
½ red onion
1 TB olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 handfuls of green beans
Preheat oven to 400°. Combine prepared vegetables in bowl (leave out the green beans). Pour olive oil over vegetables and stir until all are coated. Stir in salt. Spread the vegetables onto a jelly roll pan (baking sheet with raised sides) in one layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in green beans. Add a little more oil if the vegetables seem to be sticking to the pan, stir and spread the vegetables out again. Bake for 40 more minutes (stirring halfway) or until desired tenderness is reached.
Tomato Feta Quinoa Pilaf
1 TB olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa
1 ½ cups broth – vegetable or chicken
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TB fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
¾ cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled (if Eating Clean use low fat)
1 TB chopped basil
1 TB lemon juice
1. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan and when warm add in the shallots. Cook for two minutes and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Add rinsed quinoa and sauté for two minutes. Add broth, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 to 18 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for five minutes.
2. Stir in parsley, thyme, basil, lemon juice, tomatoes and feta. Enjoy! This recipe also works well the next day turned into a cold salad.
Spinach and Fruit Smoothie
1 cup apple juice
4 cups fresh spinach
½ - 1 banana
3 cups frozen fruit and/or fresh fruit
1 TB ground flax
Add apple juice and then spinach to blender. Blend until smooth. Add banana and blend til smooth. Add frozen fruit and blend again until smooth. Add flax and blend to incorporate. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
When I make this I use 2 different fruit blends from Costco for my 3 cups total of frozen fruit. I use 2 cups of the Kirkland brand berry blend (marionberries, raspberries, and blueberries) and 1 cup of the Wawona brand Spectrum fruit blend.
Nutritional Information (without added flax):
450 calories
~18 g fiber
1 Tbs ground flax adds:
35 calories
~2 g fiber
If you were to split this smoothie in half you would each get about 240 calories and 10 grams of fiber! As well as 1 serving of vegetables and over 2 servings of fruit!
Bulgur Chickpea Salad
1 cup bulgur
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup olive oil / vegetable oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped green onions
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ peeled, chopped cucumber
1 cup grated carrots
1. In a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over bulgur. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, beat together oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over bulgur; and mix with a fork.
3. Place bulgur in the bottom of a nice glass serving bowl. Layer vegetables and garbanzo beans in this order on top of the bulgur: green onions, garbanzo beans, parsley, cucumber and carrots on top. Cover, and refrigerate. Toss salad before serving.
Answer's to quiz
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. F
6. F
7. F
8. T
9. F
10. T
Nutrition Quiz
True or False? (answer key at the bottom of post)
1. Butter and margarine have about the same amount of calories.
2. Popeye was right: Spinach builds strong muscles.
3. Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables contain fewer nutrients than the fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. A cup of white rice and a cup of brown rice both have about 200 calories.
5. A rich, fudgy brownie, before bedtime, is more fattening than the same brownie eaten at lunchtime.
6. An apple has the same amount of fiber as the equivalent amount of apple juice.
7. One cup of cottage cheese is just as good of a source of calcium as a cup of milk.
8. Soy milk is an inferior source of calcium as compared to cow’s milk.
9. Brown eggs have a higher concentration of nutrients compared to white eggs.
10. Flax seed has been shown to lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and my reduce blood triglycerides, and blood pressure. It also is a source of fiber and aids in digestion.
Recipe's
Oven Roasted Vegetables
2 red potatoes, cut into 1” cubes
1 sweet potato, cut into 1” cubes
20 baby carrots
½ red onion
1 TB olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 handfuls of green beans
Preheat oven to 400°. Combine prepared vegetables in bowl (leave out the green beans). Pour olive oil over vegetables and stir until all are coated. Stir in salt. Spread the vegetables onto a jelly roll pan (baking sheet with raised sides) in one layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in green beans. Add a little more oil if the vegetables seem to be sticking to the pan, stir and spread the vegetables out again. Bake for 40 more minutes (stirring halfway) or until desired tenderness is reached.
Tomato Feta Quinoa Pilaf
1 TB olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa
1 ½ cups broth – vegetable or chicken
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TB fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
¾ cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled (if Eating Clean use low fat)
1 TB chopped basil
1 TB lemon juice
1. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan and when warm add in the shallots. Cook for two minutes and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Add rinsed quinoa and sauté for two minutes. Add broth, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 to 18 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for five minutes.
2. Stir in parsley, thyme, basil, lemon juice, tomatoes and feta. Enjoy! This recipe also works well the next day turned into a cold salad.
Spinach and Fruit Smoothie
1 cup apple juice
4 cups fresh spinach
½ - 1 banana
3 cups frozen fruit and/or fresh fruit
1 TB ground flax
Add apple juice and then spinach to blender. Blend until smooth. Add banana and blend til smooth. Add frozen fruit and blend again until smooth. Add flax and blend to incorporate. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
When I make this I use 2 different fruit blends from Costco for my 3 cups total of frozen fruit. I use 2 cups of the Kirkland brand berry blend (marionberries, raspberries, and blueberries) and 1 cup of the Wawona brand Spectrum fruit blend.
Nutritional Information (without added flax):
450 calories
~18 g fiber
1 Tbs ground flax adds:
35 calories
~2 g fiber
If you were to split this smoothie in half you would each get about 240 calories and 10 grams of fiber! As well as 1 serving of vegetables and over 2 servings of fruit!
Bulgur Chickpea Salad
1 cup bulgur
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup olive oil / vegetable oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped green onions
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ peeled, chopped cucumber
1 cup grated carrots
1. In a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over bulgur. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, beat together oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over bulgur; and mix with a fork.
3. Place bulgur in the bottom of a nice glass serving bowl. Layer vegetables and garbanzo beans in this order on top of the bulgur: green onions, garbanzo beans, parsley, cucumber and carrots on top. Cover, and refrigerate. Toss salad before serving.
Answer's to quiz
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. F
6. F
7. F
8. T
9. F
10. T
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Apologies
I was just notified that I put "tsp" instead of "Cup" under Sarah's Apple Pie recipe :( . It was really late when I typed these up and I am so sorry for those of you who have already printed this off. If you have, please write in "Cup" for "tsp." and change my mistake, if not, you are in the clear. Also, I was given a few more "Pie Tips" from the class, so I added them. Have fun making pies.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Pie Class/Dessert Exchange
To start, a big thanks to Sarah for this great class. There was a lot of information given and I know that it motivated me to make my own pie crust. I've included the recipes from the class as well as the other desserts that were there. If you have a dessert you would like to share, please email me and I will include them in this post. Happy Holiday Baking!!!!
Pie Crust Tips
Measure carefully
Mix flour and salt together
Put an ice cube in water if using a recipe calling for “cold water”
Do not over mix or the pastry will be tough
Flour board lightly or roll between wax paper or a pastry cloth and use a rolling pin cover
Less flour will make it light and flaky
Can chill for 30 minutes
Pie pans should be dull finish aluminum or glass. Shiny pans produce a soggy crust
Do not grease pans and do not prick a double crust pie crust.
For recipes that call for a baked crust, prick holes in the bottom with a fork. Bake empty pie shell at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool then fill.
The secret to a good pumpkin pie is to put the crust in the freezer for a while before adding the filling and baking. Use the recipe on canned pumpkin and bake at two temperatures as directed.
Fruit pies sometimes bubble over, put a foil lined baking sheet in the oven on a rack under the pie to prevent a mess in your oven.
Cut long strips of tinfoil and place them around the edge of the pie. N This will prevent the crust’s edge from burning while it bakes. Take the foil off about ten minutes before the pie is done to give it a golden brown edge.
Pre-heat oven for 10-15 minutes and bake in center of oven.
Pie tops:
Use a pastry brush
Shine: 1 egg while and 1 tsp. water before baking
Glossy and golden: 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp. water
Slight shine: half and half cream
Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar on top for a sparkle
Thickeners:
Flour (opaque)
Cornstarch (clear)
Tapioca (clear)
When making a fruit filling, drain juice in a saucepan and add sugar and thickening agent. Add fruit last so it will stay whole.
Tips from the class
-Do not use a mixer. The less friction you have on the dough, the flakier it will be. Instead use a pastry cutter or a fork.
-Use cold ingredients-put shortening in fridge the day before you know you are going to make the crust
-Never roll your rolling pin over the edge of the dough until you are about to finish. This will help prevent the dough from splitting.
-Spread water around the edge of the bottom crust before you put the top crust on. This will help the two crusts to stick together.
-Before rolling the dough out, tap the dough down from side to side horizontally and vertically.
-Use a lightweight rolling pin (fondant one is best)
-Bake the pie for 30 minutes, then put a piece of foil over the pie (just laying on top, not tucked around) until -10 minutes before it's done. Then take the foil off to let the top brown.
-Chill the pastry cloth in the fridge.
-While the dough is chilling in the fridge, make the filling.
-Youtube is great for learning pie making tips and techniques.
Recipes
No-Fail Pie Crust-Sarah Nolte
4 Cups Sifted Flour
1 TB Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 ¾ Cup Shortening
1 Egg
½ Cup Ice Water
1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix the dry ingredients together. Using either a fork or pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles pea size amount clumps. DO NOT over mix. In separate bowl, beat together the egg, ice water and vinegar. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Shape dough in a disk and tightly wrap with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 15-30 minutes or until the dough is cold to the touch but is still pliable. This dough makes a perfect double crust apple pie or two single crust pies. It can be kept in the fridge for 3 days or 3 months in the freezer if it is tightly wrapped.
Favorite Apple Pie-Sarah Nolte
3 TB Flour
3 Lbs. (8-12) of Apples
½- ¾ Cup Sugar (depending on how many apples you use)
½ tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Ground Ginger
½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
½ tsp. Allspice
½ tsp. Ground Clove
(Only us this much spice if you are doing a full pie with 12 apples. Otherwise cut back on the spice)
1 TB Fresh Lemon Juice (you can substitute orange juice)
1 tsp. Lemon Zest (or orange juice)
Pinch of Salt
2 TB Unsalted Butter-cut into small pieces
2 TB Milk or Heavy Cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl combine everything except butter and milk. Toss to combine and pour into pie dough. Dot top of apples with butter and layer with the top crust. Seal off edges and cut vents into the pie for steam release. Trim edges to about 1 inch away from the rim of pie plate. Tuck under the excess dough and shape the edge with thumb and forefingers. Chill the pie for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove and dust with milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar. Place a rimmed cookie sheet on the bottom rack of oven and the pie on the middle rack. Bake for 45-65 minutes. About half way through the cooking time, place foil around the edge of the crust to prevent it from browning up too much. Remove pie from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool for at least 1-2 hours before serving.
Pumpkin Spice Swirl Cheesecake Pie
2 packages (8 oz each) softened Cream Cheese
½ Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
1 package (6 oz) Graham Cracker Crust
38-40 Hershey Kisses Brand Pumpkin Pie Spice candies-divided
1 TB Milk
Sweetened Whipped Cream or Whipped Topping
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside ¼ Cup batter, spread remaining batter in crust. Remove wrappers from candies. Place 30 candies in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium (50%) for 1 minute; stir, if necessary, microwave at medium an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until candies are melted and smooth when stirred. Gradually blend reserved cheesecake batter into melted candy. One teaspoon at a time, gradually blend mild into candy mixture. Drop candy mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls onto vanilla batter. Gently swirl with knife for marbled effect. Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack, cool completely. Cover’ refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with whipped cream and remaining candies. 6-8 servings. *Note-For mini cheesecakes, cut the recipe in half. It will make 24 mini cheesecakes. You can also sprinkle cinnamon on top if you would like.
Congo Bars
2/3 Cup Oil
2 ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
2 ¾ Cup Flour
2 ¼ TB Baking Powder
¼ tsp. Salt
6 oz. Chocolate Chips
Mix oil and brown sugar, beat in eggs until smooth. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Add chips and spread on greased and floured baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Frosting
Melt ¼ Cup Butter in a saucepan. Add ½ Cup Brown sugar and boil for 1 minute. Cool slightly and a dd 2 TB of Milk and 5/8 Cup Powdered Sugar. Frost while warm.
Chocolate Berry Trifle
1 Pan Brownies-make according to the package directions
1 Large box of Chocolate Pudding-make according to package directions
Frozen Raspberries
1 Large tub Cool Whip
Cut brownies into cubes. Layer in trifle dish as follows: brownies, pudding, Cool Whip, raspberries. Make 3 layers ending with Cool Whip and raspberries on top. Chill till served.
Chocolate Toffee Trifle
1- 9X13 pan of Chocolate Cake-make per package directions
1 Large Box Chocolate Pudding-made per directions
4-6 Heath Bar/Skor Bars or 1 Bag of toffee chips
1 Large Tub of Cool Whip
Cut cake into cubes. Crush Heath/Skor bars. Layer in trifle dish as follows: cake pudding, Cool Whip, toffee chips, making 2 complete layers. Chill till served.
Chocolate Oreo Pie
1 premade Graham Cracker or Oreo Crust
1 big box Chocolate Pudding-or 2 small ones
1 ½ Cup Milk
1-8 oz container of Cool Whip
½ package of Oreo’s-crushed
Mix milk and pudding together till thickened. Fold in Cool Whip, once combined add about ¾ of the crushed Oreo’s. Pour mix into crust and top with remaining Oreo’s. Chill till served.
Sour Cream Pound Cake
½ Cup Butter
3 eggs
½ Cup dairy Sour Cream
1 ½ Cups all-purpose Flour
¼ tsp. Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla
1. Allow butter, eggs, and sour cream to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and lightly flour your pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each additional and scraping bowl frequently. Alternatley add flour mixture and sour cream to butter mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. (I added about a cup of blueberries into the batter)
3. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a rack.
Vanilla Glaze
In a small bowl stir together 1¼ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup, and ½ tsp. vanilla. Add enough half-and-half or light cream (1-2 TB) to reach drizzling consistency.
Easiest/Best Pumpkin Cookies in the Whole Wide World-Big Batch
1 large can pumpkin
2 boxes spice cake mix
Bag of Chocolate Chips (maybe more if you want)
Mix first two ingredients by hand in a bowl (makes it fluffier). Add chocolate chips, as much as you would like. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Pie Crust Tips
Measure carefully
Mix flour and salt together
Put an ice cube in water if using a recipe calling for “cold water”
Do not over mix or the pastry will be tough
Flour board lightly or roll between wax paper or a pastry cloth and use a rolling pin cover
Less flour will make it light and flaky
Can chill for 30 minutes
Pie pans should be dull finish aluminum or glass. Shiny pans produce a soggy crust
Do not grease pans and do not prick a double crust pie crust.
For recipes that call for a baked crust, prick holes in the bottom with a fork. Bake empty pie shell at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool then fill.
The secret to a good pumpkin pie is to put the crust in the freezer for a while before adding the filling and baking. Use the recipe on canned pumpkin and bake at two temperatures as directed.
Fruit pies sometimes bubble over, put a foil lined baking sheet in the oven on a rack under the pie to prevent a mess in your oven.
Cut long strips of tinfoil and place them around the edge of the pie. N This will prevent the crust’s edge from burning while it bakes. Take the foil off about ten minutes before the pie is done to give it a golden brown edge.
Pre-heat oven for 10-15 minutes and bake in center of oven.
Pie tops:
Use a pastry brush
Shine: 1 egg while and 1 tsp. water before baking
Glossy and golden: 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp. water
Slight shine: half and half cream
Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar on top for a sparkle
Thickeners:
Flour (opaque)
Cornstarch (clear)
Tapioca (clear)
When making a fruit filling, drain juice in a saucepan and add sugar and thickening agent. Add fruit last so it will stay whole.
Tips from the class
-Do not use a mixer. The less friction you have on the dough, the flakier it will be. Instead use a pastry cutter or a fork.
-Use cold ingredients-put shortening in fridge the day before you know you are going to make the crust
-Never roll your rolling pin over the edge of the dough until you are about to finish. This will help prevent the dough from splitting.
-Spread water around the edge of the bottom crust before you put the top crust on. This will help the two crusts to stick together.
-Before rolling the dough out, tap the dough down from side to side horizontally and vertically.
-Use a lightweight rolling pin (fondant one is best)
-Bake the pie for 30 minutes, then put a piece of foil over the pie (just laying on top, not tucked around) until -10 minutes before it's done. Then take the foil off to let the top brown.
-Chill the pastry cloth in the fridge.
-While the dough is chilling in the fridge, make the filling.
-Youtube is great for learning pie making tips and techniques.
Recipes
No-Fail Pie Crust-Sarah Nolte
4 Cups Sifted Flour
1 TB Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 ¾ Cup Shortening
1 Egg
½ Cup Ice Water
1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix the dry ingredients together. Using either a fork or pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles pea size amount clumps. DO NOT over mix. In separate bowl, beat together the egg, ice water and vinegar. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Shape dough in a disk and tightly wrap with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 15-30 minutes or until the dough is cold to the touch but is still pliable. This dough makes a perfect double crust apple pie or two single crust pies. It can be kept in the fridge for 3 days or 3 months in the freezer if it is tightly wrapped.
Favorite Apple Pie-Sarah Nolte
3 TB Flour
3 Lbs. (8-12) of Apples
½- ¾ Cup Sugar (depending on how many apples you use)
½ tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Ground Ginger
½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
½ tsp. Allspice
½ tsp. Ground Clove
(Only us this much spice if you are doing a full pie with 12 apples. Otherwise cut back on the spice)
1 TB Fresh Lemon Juice (you can substitute orange juice)
1 tsp. Lemon Zest (or orange juice)
Pinch of Salt
2 TB Unsalted Butter-cut into small pieces
2 TB Milk or Heavy Cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl combine everything except butter and milk. Toss to combine and pour into pie dough. Dot top of apples with butter and layer with the top crust. Seal off edges and cut vents into the pie for steam release. Trim edges to about 1 inch away from the rim of pie plate. Tuck under the excess dough and shape the edge with thumb and forefingers. Chill the pie for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove and dust with milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar. Place a rimmed cookie sheet on the bottom rack of oven and the pie on the middle rack. Bake for 45-65 minutes. About half way through the cooking time, place foil around the edge of the crust to prevent it from browning up too much. Remove pie from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool for at least 1-2 hours before serving.
Pumpkin Spice Swirl Cheesecake Pie
2 packages (8 oz each) softened Cream Cheese
½ Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
1 package (6 oz) Graham Cracker Crust
38-40 Hershey Kisses Brand Pumpkin Pie Spice candies-divided
1 TB Milk
Sweetened Whipped Cream or Whipped Topping
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside ¼ Cup batter, spread remaining batter in crust. Remove wrappers from candies. Place 30 candies in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium (50%) for 1 minute; stir, if necessary, microwave at medium an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until candies are melted and smooth when stirred. Gradually blend reserved cheesecake batter into melted candy. One teaspoon at a time, gradually blend mild into candy mixture. Drop candy mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls onto vanilla batter. Gently swirl with knife for marbled effect. Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack, cool completely. Cover’ refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with whipped cream and remaining candies. 6-8 servings. *Note-For mini cheesecakes, cut the recipe in half. It will make 24 mini cheesecakes. You can also sprinkle cinnamon on top if you would like.
Congo Bars
2/3 Cup Oil
2 ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
2 ¾ Cup Flour
2 ¼ TB Baking Powder
¼ tsp. Salt
6 oz. Chocolate Chips
Mix oil and brown sugar, beat in eggs until smooth. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Add chips and spread on greased and floured baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Frosting
Melt ¼ Cup Butter in a saucepan. Add ½ Cup Brown sugar and boil for 1 minute. Cool slightly and a dd 2 TB of Milk and 5/8 Cup Powdered Sugar. Frost while warm.
Chocolate Berry Trifle
1 Pan Brownies-make according to the package directions
1 Large box of Chocolate Pudding-make according to package directions
Frozen Raspberries
1 Large tub Cool Whip
Cut brownies into cubes. Layer in trifle dish as follows: brownies, pudding, Cool Whip, raspberries. Make 3 layers ending with Cool Whip and raspberries on top. Chill till served.
Chocolate Toffee Trifle
1- 9X13 pan of Chocolate Cake-make per package directions
1 Large Box Chocolate Pudding-made per directions
4-6 Heath Bar/Skor Bars or 1 Bag of toffee chips
1 Large Tub of Cool Whip
Cut cake into cubes. Crush Heath/Skor bars. Layer in trifle dish as follows: cake pudding, Cool Whip, toffee chips, making 2 complete layers. Chill till served.
Chocolate Oreo Pie
1 premade Graham Cracker or Oreo Crust
1 big box Chocolate Pudding-or 2 small ones
1 ½ Cup Milk
1-8 oz container of Cool Whip
½ package of Oreo’s-crushed
Mix milk and pudding together till thickened. Fold in Cool Whip, once combined add about ¾ of the crushed Oreo’s. Pour mix into crust and top with remaining Oreo’s. Chill till served.
Sour Cream Pound Cake
½ Cup Butter
3 eggs
½ Cup dairy Sour Cream
1 ½ Cups all-purpose Flour
¼ tsp. Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla
1. Allow butter, eggs, and sour cream to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and lightly flour your pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each additional and scraping bowl frequently. Alternatley add flour mixture and sour cream to butter mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. (I added about a cup of blueberries into the batter)
3. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a rack.
Vanilla Glaze
In a small bowl stir together 1¼ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup, and ½ tsp. vanilla. Add enough half-and-half or light cream (1-2 TB) to reach drizzling consistency.
Easiest/Best Pumpkin Cookies in the Whole Wide World-Big Batch
1 large can pumpkin
2 boxes spice cake mix
Bag of Chocolate Chips (maybe more if you want)
Mix first two ingredients by hand in a bowl (makes it fluffier). Add chocolate chips, as much as you would like. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
New Feature
Hey ladies, I'm happy to announce that I have figured out, with the help of our amazing Primary President, how to serve you better. At the end of each blog post, there is a link that says "Printer Friendly." If you click on this, it will make that post either into a PDF or just make it more printer friendly for you. So, no more copying and pasting, yeah for technology.
Coming soon, the yummy recipes and tips from our recent Pie Making/Dessert Exchange class. Thanks to Sarah for all her hard work and preparation for this class. It was a huge success.
Coming soon, the yummy recipes and tips from our recent Pie Making/Dessert Exchange class. Thanks to Sarah for all her hard work and preparation for this class. It was a huge success.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sourdough Class
Thank you soo much Chris for teaching this class for us yesterday. It was great, I know I learned a lot about sourdough. We are all really excited to start our own start.
Sourdough Cookery
by Chris Gleed
Sourdough Starters
There are several ways to make a starter. The easiest is to use commercial yeast from the grocery store, but sourdough purists will mock such an idea. The most authentic method is to culture the yeast from your kitchen, but it takes a little more effort. You should try both ways so you are familiar with them.
Easy Sourdough Starter
1 packet active dry yeast (2¼ tsp.)
½ cup warm water
2½ cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 tsp honey
In glass or plastic bowl, dissolve yeast in the ½ cup of water. Let sit for five minutes or until bubbly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover loosely, and let sit overnight in a warm location. You now have a starter! Store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter
1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
Combine ingredients in a pint glass or plastic container. Cover loosely and sit out on your counter for 24 hours. Remove half of the starter and replace with ½ cup of flour and ½ cup of warm water. Continue this for three to five days. When your starter is frothy and bubbly and has a nice yeasty smell your starter is ready. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Improved Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter
This method reduces the chances of having a starter fail
1. Mix 3 ½ tbs. white flour with ¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice. Cover and set aside for 48 hours at room temperature. Stir vigorously 2-3x/day. (“Unsweetened” in this case simply means no extra sugar added).
2. Add to the above 2 tbs. white flour and 2 tbs. pineapple juice. Cover and set aside for a day or two. Stir vigorously 2-3x/day. You should see some activity of fermentation within 48 hours. If you don’t, you may want to toss this and start over (or go buy some!)
3. Add to the above 5 ¼ tbs. white flour and 3 tbs. purified water. Cover and set aside for 24 hours.
Add ½ cup white flour and ¼ to ⅓ cup purified water. You should have a very healthy sourdough starter by now.
Sourdough Pancakes
Add blueberries to make this an extra special treat.
Overnight Starter
4 ½ cups flour
4 ½ cups water
1 cup of starter or 1 packet yeast (2¼ tsp)
1 Tbsp. honey or sugar
Combine all ingredients in glass or plastic bowl. Cover loosely and let sit in warm place overnight.
Pancakes
Remove 1 cup of starter and put in your crock or glass jar for the next time. To the remaining starter add the following:
1 egg
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. oil or melted shortening
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup powdered milk
Blueberries (optional)
Mix well and let sit for five minutes. Then cook on a hot buttered griddle. Do not make these large, but rather smaller than normal (dollar-sized) for optimal results. If using blueberries, pour your pancakes then dot with a small handful of blueberries, then flip when ready.
Serve with real Maple syrup and Buttermilk Syrup.
Buttermilk Syrup
½ C. Butter
½ C. Buttermilk
1 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Corn Syrup
½ tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
In a large pot mix together the butter, buttermilk, sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil on med-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. Stir well and stir immediately. Makes 3 Cups.
Note: It is very important to use a large pot and watch constantly. It boils over very easily and can make a HUGE mess! Also, we usually double this recipe for our family...it goes fast!
Sourdough Bread
from Famous Mormon Recipes
2 cups starter 2 Tbsp. salt
4 cups warm water 6 Tbsp. melted shortening
¾ cup sugar 10-12 cups of flour
Combine ingredients in order given, using only enough flour to make dough so that it can be handled. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl and allow to rise. (This takes longer than regular yeast bread).
Knead down and allow to rise again. Divide dough into four parts and shape each loaf; placed into greased loaf pan. Allow to rise. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.
Maggy Moo’s Heavenly Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits
from Alaska Magazine
2 cups flour ½ cup butter
1 tsp. salt ½ cup buttermilk
½ tsp. baking soda 1 cup sourdough starter
1 tsp. baking powder melted butter
Sift together flour, salt, soda, and baking powder. Cut butter into dry ingredients with a fork until mixture resembles cornmeal. Mix together the buttermilk and the starter with a fork, stir mixture into dry ingredients until a soft dough is formed that cleans the side of the bowl. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead GENTLY for 30 seconds. Roll dough into a circle 1/2 inch thick. Cut. Place in a lightly greased pan, biscuits touching. Brush tops with melted butter. Cover and let rest for 30 or 40 minutes.
Bake in a 425 degree oven 10-15 minutes or until golden brown
Sourdough Chocolate Cake
from NPR.com
Set 1/2 cup sourdough starter on counter for about an hour. You'll use it later in the recipe. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan.
For the Cake:
1 cup water 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter 1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons Dutch process baking cocoa ½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup cake flour 2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar ½ cup sourdough starter that you set out
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring water, butter and cocoa to a boil in saucepan or in microwave. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cocoa mixture and mix well. Beat in vanilla, coffee and eggs until thoroughly blended. Gently stir in sourdough starter.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip. Cool on wire rack. Frost with your favorite frosting.
Chocolate Creme Cheese Frosting
3 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
4-5 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash of salt
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioner's sugar and cocoa until thoroughly blended. Stir in vanilla extract and salt.
Sourdough Scones
Makes 12-16 scones
⅓ Cup warm water 1 tsp. honey
2 ½ Tbsp. dry yeast 1 egg, beaten
⅓ cup sourdough starter 1 ¾ cups flour (divided)
2 Tbsp. softened butter ¼ cup milk ½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar Vegetable oil for frying
Place the warm water in a medium bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve. Add the sourdough starter, butter, sugar, honey, egg and enough flour (about 1 cup) to make a batter. Beat until smooth.
Stir in the milk and salt and them work in the remaining flour. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough springs back when pressed with your thumb.
Form into 1-to1½-ounce balls (the size of a golf ball or slightly larger) and then flatten to ⅜ inch thick. Place on a well-floured surface and cover with a light cloth. Allow to rise until tripled in size, about 1 hour.
In a deep pot, heat oil to 350 degrees F on a candy or deep-fat thermometer.
Remove the scones from the floured surface being careful not to deflate them. The easiest way to do this is to form them on well-floured parchment paper sheets. When the scones have raised, cut around the scones and lift them on the parchment paper to the fryer. Gently slide the scones into the hot oil.
Fry the scones, a few at a time, until they are golden brown about 1 to 1½ minutes. Turn the scones after 30 seconds to fry the second side.
Remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with butter and jam.
Rich Sourdough Pancakes-thicker
From Breadtopia.com
3 large eggs 2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk 1 ½ tsp salt
2 cups sourdough starter ¼ cup sugar
1 ¾ cups flour ¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp. baking soda
Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add milk and sourdough starter. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar; add to the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in melted butter. Lightly grease a hot griddle. Drop the batter by ¼ cup onto the griddle and cook turning once. Makes six servings.
Sourdough Waffles
Heat the following in a pan until the butter is melted, then let cool to room temperature.
½ cup butter
1 cup milk
Add the milk/butter mixture to:
1 cup sourdough starter
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 ½ cups flour
Mix these together to form a thick batter. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place overnight.
The next morning preheat your waffle iron. To the batter add:
2 large eggs
¼ tsp. baking soda
Pour ½ to ¾ cups of batter on the waffle iron and cook according to directions.
Sourdough Recipe and Information Websites:
Carl Griffith’s 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter: http://carlsfriends.net/
Northwest Sourdough: http://www.northwestsourdough.com/NWSD/index.php?cID=100
Sourdough Home: http://www.sourdoughhome.com/
Breadtopia: http://www.breadtopia.com/
Sourdough Companion: http://sourdough.com/
How to make San Francisco Sourdough: http://www.joejaworski.com/bread/bread1.htm
Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/233
Sourdough: More than bread: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6061648
The Biology of Sourdough: http://discovermagazine.com/2003/sep/featscienceof
San Francisco Sourdough Bread
from Bread Alone by Daniel Leader & Judith Blahnik
First make up a sponge and let it sit at 74 - 80 degree draft free place for 24 hours:
Starter - ⅔ cup
Water (dechlorinated) - 1 cup
White flour - 1½ cup
Final dough:
Water - 2 cups
White flour - 5½- 6½ cups
Fine sea salt - 1 T
Mix final dough and knead it for 15 to 20 minutes. Let it ferment at 74 - 80 degrees in a draft free area for 2½ hours in a large bowl, covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Deflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. Cover bowl with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm (74-80) draft free place for 30 minutes. Turn out on a floured area and knead briefly.
Shape into a tight ball. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a warm (74-80) draft free place for 30 minutes. Shape. You may divide the dough into two pieces and shape into two round logs or into round loaves (free form) or one large freeform loaf. Proof the loaves in a warm (74-80) draft free place till they rise 1½ times the size - about 1 hour - on a floured towel.
Preheat oven for an hour before baking. Bake an a baking stone at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 425 for 20 minutes longer. Turn out and thump the bottom to test for doneness (sounds hollow) and cool on a wire rack for 25 minutes before cutting. Spritzing the oven at the beginning and every 3 minutes for the first 10 minutes will make a hard crust. One can use two conventional baking pans if desired.
Sourdough Pizza Dough
adapted from Breadtopia
makes two 12"-pizzas
1½ cups sourdough starter 2 Tablespoons olive oil
1½cups flour Water (optional)
¾ tsp. salt
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well, adding water or flour to make a soft dough (I keep my starter at 100% hydration normally - meaning I feed it at a 1:1 ratio of flour and water - so did not need to add any additional water to the dough). Knead for about five minutes until dough is soft and elastic and is not sticky to the touch. Form into a ball and let rise in an oiled bowl (turning the ball in the bowl to cover with oil) covered with plastic in a warm place until doubled in size.
Once risen, turn out onto a floured surface and cut into two pieces. Believe me when I tell you that this dough is beautiful and silky and soft as a baby's bottom; you're going to love it! Roll out each piece to about ¼-inch thick, 12" rounds.
Sourdough Dinner Rolls
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup sourdough starter
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups flour
4 Tbsp spoon oil
pinch of salt
In a large bowl combine yeast and warm water. Add sourdough starter, flour, salt and oil. Mix well. Let rise (about 30 minutes) Shape into 16 rolls. Place on a greased pan and let stand 30 - 40 minutes to rise again. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until brown. (Depending on
your oven)
Sourdough English Muffins
Makes about 12
½ C starter
1 C milk
2¾ C flour
1 TBSP sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Cornmeal, for dusting
Combine starter, 2 C of flour and milk in a large bowl. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap, and leave out for 8 hours or overnight.
After the overnight rest, add remaining flour (I didn't add any), sugar, salt and baking soda and mix well. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes. Roll out to 3/4" and cut with a biscuit cutter into rounds. You can reroll the scraps, but you may need to let the dough rest before cutting more muffins from them. Place muffins on a piece of parchment dusted with cornmeal and let rest for 45 minutes .
Spray griddle or skillet lightly with spray oil. Heat to medium and cook muffins for about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until browned on the top and bottom and cooked through. These have great griddle spring and rise quite a bit during the "baking".
Split with a fork and enjoy with your favorite topping! I don't even toast them if I want to eat them right off the griddle--they don't have that raw taste that store bought english muffins have.
1847
Oregon Trail
Sourdough Starter
The Wild Yeast Born
When the West
Was Young!
This is the brochure that comes with the 1847 Sourdough Starter. You can get more starter for free, as well as find out more info, at: http://carlsfriends.net/
To REACTIVATE the starter from the powdered form:
Dissolve the contents of the packet with 3/4 cup warm (90 degree) water, add 3/4 cup white bread flour, and 1 teaspoon sugar in glass or plastic container (NOT METAL!).
Place bowl (covered with damp towel) in warm place (the oven with the light on is about 85 degrees-Test it first!) for up to 48 hours. It will get bubbly from the fermentation. IT’S ALIVE!!
Mix in 1 cup warm (95) water, add 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon dried potatoes or use potato water and let sit in the warm place till bubbly again. Don’t worry about the lumps as the fermentation will take care of them.
Now, you can store it in the frig till needed. It may develop a clear liquid on top, if so, stir it back in as this is alcohol - keep it happy! It will need feeding about every couple of weeks, just add 1 cup warm skim milk or water, 1 T Sugar and 1 cup flour. Once in a while add 1 tablespoon of dried potatoes (or use potato water). If it looks sick, add 1 T CIDER vinegar to give it a kick in the behind! Give the excess to a friend or you can keep some of it in the freezer for several months between feedings.
When you want to bake something, bring the starter up to room temperature, mix in 1 cup flour, 1 c warm water or skim milk and let sit overnight to ferment. The next morning, remove one cup to keep in a covered jar as a starter for use next time, feed it, then do your baking.
Sourdough BISCUITS
1 TB Active Dry Yeast 1 c Sourdough starter
1 1/4 c Water-Lukewarm 5 c Bread flour
1/3 c Sugar Melted butter or Margarine
3/4 ts Salt
If you desire dissolve the yeast in warm water with a little sugar till bubbly. Sourdough is a yeast but rises faster with added commercial yeast. In a large mixing bowl add sugar, salt, sourdough starter, yeast and flour. Cover; set in warm spot and let rise until double. Punch down and turn out onto floured work surface. Roll out to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut with biscuit cutter. Dip both sides in butter or oil, and place on well-greased baking sheet. Let rise 15 min. Bake at 425 - 20 min. or until golden brown.
Sourdough HOTCAKES
The NIGHT BEFORE mix 1/2 c Starter, 1 1/4 c Water, 1/2 c Flour, and let sit in warm place till the NEXT MORNING then add 2 Eggs, 1 T sugar, 1/4 t Salt, 1/2 c Flour, 2 T Oil
and ADD LAST, just before cooking 1 ts Soda.
Bake on a Hot griddle (water bounces). For WAFFLES just add a little more flour! Sourdough BISCUITS: If you have dough left over, mix in some more flour for heavier dough, kneed a few minutes, cut with biscuit cutter, dip in butter or oil, and you have biscuits for lunch!
Alaskan Sourdough BREAD
1 c Sourdough starter 2 1/2 c Warm Water
4 T Melted lard (or oil) 1/2 c Sugar
1 t Baking soda 1 T Salt
8 c Bread flour (approximately)
Combine starter, all the water, and 3 c flour the night before and place in warm, draft free place. The next morning add other ingredients and knead till smooth and elastic. Place in
greased bowl in warm place and let rise to double. Knead down again, shape into loaves, let rise to top of pan plus a little and bake in greased pans in moderate oven -375 for about an hour till done. When it is ready it sounds hollow when thumped. Turn out on racks, cover with dish cloth and let cool.
This should work with a bread machine also, just adjust the amount of water (1 1/4 c) to reduce the volume as it will not take as much flour.
Depending on the flour, especially whole wheat, it may be well to add 1 pkg dry yeast.
The Doctor’s Sourdough BREAD
1 c Sourdough Starter 7 c Unbleached Flour
2 c Warm Water 1/4 c Wheat Germ
2 c Warm Milk 2 tb Sugar
1 tb Butter 2 ts Salt
1 pk Active Dry Yeast 2 ts Baking Soda
1/4 c Honey
OPTIONAL: Add 1/4 c wheat bran, 1/4 c oat bran Add 1/4 c soy flour 1 c whole wheat, rye, or kasha flour (adjusting the white flour volume) to increase the dietary fiber.
Mix the starter and 2 1/2 cups of the flour and all the water the night before you want to bake. Let stand in warm place overnight. Next morning mix in the butter with warm milk and stir in yeast until dissolved. Add honey and when thoroughly mixed, add 2 more cups of flour, and stir in the wheat germ. Sprinkle sugar, salt, and baking soda over the mixture. Gently press into dough and mix lightly. Allow to stand from 30 to 50 minutes until mixture is bubbly. Add enough flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Then place the dough on a lightly floured board and knead 5 minutes until a silky mixture is developed. Form into 4 1-lb loaves, place in well-greased loaf pans 9 x 3 size. Let rise until double, about 2 to 3 hours in a warm room. Place pan with 3 c water in bottom of oven for steam. Then bake in hot oven, 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees F. and bake 20 minutes longer or until thoroughly baked. Remove from pans and place loaves on rack to cool. Butter tops of loaves to prevent hard crustiness. Makes 4 1-lb Loaves.
BREAD MACHINES - BASIC RECIPE
from The Bread Machine Cookbook by Donna Rathmell German - Nitty Gritty Cookbooks
1 1/2 t yeast 1 1/4 T Oil
2 c Bread Flour 6 T Milk (mixed from dry or canned)
2 t Salt 3/4 C Starter
1 1/3 T Sugar
Medium setting
If it does not rise as well as other bread remove it from machine after mixing, put in greased pan to rise to double, (l to 1 1/2 hours) shape and bake in pan at 400 for 30 to 45 min.
My bread machine says to add the wet ingredients first, and then the dry ingredients (protecting the yeast from the wet stuff), then the butter in four pieces in each corner, with the yeast in a well in the middle. I baked it on Basic, Medium crust.
Drying starter
Cover a dish or a pan with plastic wrap or waxed paper to prevent sticking. After you have fed your starter and let it get active, pour some onto the covered dish. The thicker the layer the longer it will take to dry. I use a broiler pan and pour it 1/4 inch deep as I use a lot of it. This takes nearly a week to harden.
Set aside at room temperature till it gets brittle - may be a few days. Break into small pieces and grind in a blender, coffee grinder or food processor. There you are! It will keep a long time. The yeast has sporulated and will stay that way for years. At one time it was used to “chink” the walls in log cabins and some of that stuff has been reactivated.
Hard water
If you have hard water in your area (hardness is graded from 1 to 14 with 7 being neutral and 14 the hardest), add 1/2 c of cider vinegar per 2 cups of water used in the sponge. This will cause it to rise better as it reacts with the soda. It is well to add 1 T of vinegar to your starter pot about once a month as it likes the acid environment.
Soft water
If the water is too soft (less than 6) it may be well to add 1/2 t baking soda as a reading of 6 to 7 is best.
Sour
There is a lot of speculation about the sourness of bread. One idea is every once in a while use dark rye flour to feed the starter or some in the bread dough. Another is to let it rise at a lower temperature (60?) so it rises longer and gives the bacteria a longer time to do their work. I have been told that the special San Francisco flavor is created by the bacteria they have in the water there which comes from the Sierra Mountains under the ground. Maybe so ????
History
The history has been asked for. All I know is that it started west in 1847 from Missouri. I would guess with the family of Dr. John Savage as one of his daughters (my great grandmother) was the cook. It came on west and settled near Salem Or. Doc. Savage’s daughter met and married my great grand father on the trail and they had 10 children. It was passed on to me though my
parents when they passed away. I am 76 years old so that was some time ago. I first learned to use the starter in a basque sheep camp when I was 10 years old as we were setting up a homestead on the Steens Mountains in southeastern Oregon. A campfire has no oven, so the bread was baked in a Dutch Oven in a hole in the ground in which we had built a fire, placed the oven, scraped in the coals from around the rim, and covered with dirt for several hours. I used it later making bread in a chuck wagon on several cattle drives - again in southeastern Oregon.
Considering that the people at that time had no commercial starter for their bread, I do not know when it was first caught from the wild or where, but it has been exposed to many wild yeasts since and personally I like it. I hope you enjoy it.
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
½ cup starter or 1 packet yeast (2¼ tsp.)
2 ½ cups warm water
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
Combine ingredients and place in large glass or plastic bowl and cover loosely. Put in warm location and follow the instructions below for the next ten days.
Day 1: Begin (or receive) your starter.
Day 2: Stir
Day 3: Stir
Day 4: Stir
Day 5: Stir
Day 6: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk
Day 7: Stir
Day 8: Do nothing
Day 9: Do nothing
Day 10: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk
After all ten days are completed, put 1 cup of the starter into four separate containers. Give three to your friends, along with the instructions on the next page, and keep one for yourself to bake later. You can give the starters in Ziplock bags, but make sure your friends “burp” the bag each day to keep excess air out.
When you give the starter to your friends they are ready to begin the Day 1 instructions. Immediately.
When you are ready to bake the bread add the following ingredients to the remaining starter:
Remaining Starter (about 1 cup) 1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup oil 3 eggs
1 cup sugar 1 large box (or two small) vanilla pudding mix
2 cups flour ½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon
In a separate bowl combine 1 tsp. cinnamon with 4 Tbsp. sugar and sprinkle into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD
Day One: You have just received an Amish Friendship Bread Starter. Do nothing! Just place the bag on your kitchen counter. DO NOT REFRIGERATE!
Day Two: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Three: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Four: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Five: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Six: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Close bag and squish to mix.
Day Seven: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Eight: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Nine: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Ten: Empty contents of bag into a large plastic or glass bowl (not metal) and
combine batter with 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Combine well.
Pour three one-cup starters into one-gallon Ziploc bags. Give these starters away to others with a copy of these instructions.
Preheat Oven to 325 Degrees. Grease two bread loaf pans with butter:
To the remaining batter in the bowl add and mix well together:
1 cup oil 3 eggs
1 cup sugar 1 large box (or two small) vanilla pudding mix
2 cups flour ½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
In separate bowl mix 1 tsp. cinnamon with 4 Tbsp. sugar and sprinkle into the two well-greased loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
Place in oven and bake for sixty to seventy-five minutes (when a toothpick comes out clean)
Makes two, very moist and sweet, loaves.
Sourdough Cookery
by Chris Gleed
Sourdough Starters
There are several ways to make a starter. The easiest is to use commercial yeast from the grocery store, but sourdough purists will mock such an idea. The most authentic method is to culture the yeast from your kitchen, but it takes a little more effort. You should try both ways so you are familiar with them.
Easy Sourdough Starter
1 packet active dry yeast (2¼ tsp.)
½ cup warm water
2½ cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 tsp honey
In glass or plastic bowl, dissolve yeast in the ½ cup of water. Let sit for five minutes or until bubbly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover loosely, and let sit overnight in a warm location. You now have a starter! Store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter
1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
Combine ingredients in a pint glass or plastic container. Cover loosely and sit out on your counter for 24 hours. Remove half of the starter and replace with ½ cup of flour and ½ cup of warm water. Continue this for three to five days. When your starter is frothy and bubbly and has a nice yeasty smell your starter is ready. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Improved Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter
This method reduces the chances of having a starter fail
1. Mix 3 ½ tbs. white flour with ¼ cup unsweetened pineapple juice. Cover and set aside for 48 hours at room temperature. Stir vigorously 2-3x/day. (“Unsweetened” in this case simply means no extra sugar added).
2. Add to the above 2 tbs. white flour and 2 tbs. pineapple juice. Cover and set aside for a day or two. Stir vigorously 2-3x/day. You should see some activity of fermentation within 48 hours. If you don’t, you may want to toss this and start over (or go buy some!)
3. Add to the above 5 ¼ tbs. white flour and 3 tbs. purified water. Cover and set aside for 24 hours.
Add ½ cup white flour and ¼ to ⅓ cup purified water. You should have a very healthy sourdough starter by now.
Sourdough Pancakes
Add blueberries to make this an extra special treat.
Overnight Starter
4 ½ cups flour
4 ½ cups water
1 cup of starter or 1 packet yeast (2¼ tsp)
1 Tbsp. honey or sugar
Combine all ingredients in glass or plastic bowl. Cover loosely and let sit in warm place overnight.
Pancakes
Remove 1 cup of starter and put in your crock or glass jar for the next time. To the remaining starter add the following:
1 egg
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. oil or melted shortening
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup powdered milk
Blueberries (optional)
Mix well and let sit for five minutes. Then cook on a hot buttered griddle. Do not make these large, but rather smaller than normal (dollar-sized) for optimal results. If using blueberries, pour your pancakes then dot with a small handful of blueberries, then flip when ready.
Serve with real Maple syrup and Buttermilk Syrup.
Buttermilk Syrup
½ C. Butter
½ C. Buttermilk
1 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Corn Syrup
½ tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
In a large pot mix together the butter, buttermilk, sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil on med-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. Stir well and stir immediately. Makes 3 Cups.
Note: It is very important to use a large pot and watch constantly. It boils over very easily and can make a HUGE mess! Also, we usually double this recipe for our family...it goes fast!
Sourdough Bread
from Famous Mormon Recipes
2 cups starter 2 Tbsp. salt
4 cups warm water 6 Tbsp. melted shortening
¾ cup sugar 10-12 cups of flour
Combine ingredients in order given, using only enough flour to make dough so that it can be handled. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl and allow to rise. (This takes longer than regular yeast bread).
Knead down and allow to rise again. Divide dough into four parts and shape each loaf; placed into greased loaf pan. Allow to rise. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.
Maggy Moo’s Heavenly Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits
from Alaska Magazine
2 cups flour ½ cup butter
1 tsp. salt ½ cup buttermilk
½ tsp. baking soda 1 cup sourdough starter
1 tsp. baking powder melted butter
Sift together flour, salt, soda, and baking powder. Cut butter into dry ingredients with a fork until mixture resembles cornmeal. Mix together the buttermilk and the starter with a fork, stir mixture into dry ingredients until a soft dough is formed that cleans the side of the bowl. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead GENTLY for 30 seconds. Roll dough into a circle 1/2 inch thick. Cut. Place in a lightly greased pan, biscuits touching. Brush tops with melted butter. Cover and let rest for 30 or 40 minutes.
Bake in a 425 degree oven 10-15 minutes or until golden brown
Sourdough Chocolate Cake
from NPR.com
Set 1/2 cup sourdough starter on counter for about an hour. You'll use it later in the recipe. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan.
For the Cake:
1 cup water 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter 1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons Dutch process baking cocoa ½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup cake flour 2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar ½ cup sourdough starter that you set out
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring water, butter and cocoa to a boil in saucepan or in microwave. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cocoa mixture and mix well. Beat in vanilla, coffee and eggs until thoroughly blended. Gently stir in sourdough starter.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip. Cool on wire rack. Frost with your favorite frosting.
Chocolate Creme Cheese Frosting
3 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
4-5 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash of salt
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioner's sugar and cocoa until thoroughly blended. Stir in vanilla extract and salt.
Sourdough Scones
Makes 12-16 scones
⅓ Cup warm water 1 tsp. honey
2 ½ Tbsp. dry yeast 1 egg, beaten
⅓ cup sourdough starter 1 ¾ cups flour (divided)
2 Tbsp. softened butter ¼ cup milk ½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar Vegetable oil for frying
Place the warm water in a medium bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve. Add the sourdough starter, butter, sugar, honey, egg and enough flour (about 1 cup) to make a batter. Beat until smooth.
Stir in the milk and salt and them work in the remaining flour. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough springs back when pressed with your thumb.
Form into 1-to1½-ounce balls (the size of a golf ball or slightly larger) and then flatten to ⅜ inch thick. Place on a well-floured surface and cover with a light cloth. Allow to rise until tripled in size, about 1 hour.
In a deep pot, heat oil to 350 degrees F on a candy or deep-fat thermometer.
Remove the scones from the floured surface being careful not to deflate them. The easiest way to do this is to form them on well-floured parchment paper sheets. When the scones have raised, cut around the scones and lift them on the parchment paper to the fryer. Gently slide the scones into the hot oil.
Fry the scones, a few at a time, until they are golden brown about 1 to 1½ minutes. Turn the scones after 30 seconds to fry the second side.
Remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with butter and jam.
Rich Sourdough Pancakes-thicker
From Breadtopia.com
3 large eggs 2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk 1 ½ tsp salt
2 cups sourdough starter ¼ cup sugar
1 ¾ cups flour ¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp. baking soda
Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add milk and sourdough starter. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar; add to the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in melted butter. Lightly grease a hot griddle. Drop the batter by ¼ cup onto the griddle and cook turning once. Makes six servings.
Sourdough Waffles
Heat the following in a pan until the butter is melted, then let cool to room temperature.
½ cup butter
1 cup milk
Add the milk/butter mixture to:
1 cup sourdough starter
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 ½ cups flour
Mix these together to form a thick batter. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place overnight.
The next morning preheat your waffle iron. To the batter add:
2 large eggs
¼ tsp. baking soda
Pour ½ to ¾ cups of batter on the waffle iron and cook according to directions.
Sourdough Recipe and Information Websites:
Carl Griffith’s 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter: http://carlsfriends.net/
Northwest Sourdough: http://www.northwestsourdough.com/NWSD/index.php?cID=100
Sourdough Home: http://www.sourdoughhome.com/
Breadtopia: http://www.breadtopia.com/
Sourdough Companion: http://sourdough.com/
How to make San Francisco Sourdough: http://www.joejaworski.com/bread/bread1.htm
Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/233
Sourdough: More than bread: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6061648
The Biology of Sourdough: http://discovermagazine.com/2003/sep/featscienceof
San Francisco Sourdough Bread
from Bread Alone by Daniel Leader & Judith Blahnik
First make up a sponge and let it sit at 74 - 80 degree draft free place for 24 hours:
Starter - ⅔ cup
Water (dechlorinated) - 1 cup
White flour - 1½ cup
Final dough:
Water - 2 cups
White flour - 5½- 6½ cups
Fine sea salt - 1 T
Mix final dough and knead it for 15 to 20 minutes. Let it ferment at 74 - 80 degrees in a draft free area for 2½ hours in a large bowl, covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Deflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. Cover bowl with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm (74-80) draft free place for 30 minutes. Turn out on a floured area and knead briefly.
Shape into a tight ball. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a warm (74-80) draft free place for 30 minutes. Shape. You may divide the dough into two pieces and shape into two round logs or into round loaves (free form) or one large freeform loaf. Proof the loaves in a warm (74-80) draft free place till they rise 1½ times the size - about 1 hour - on a floured towel.
Preheat oven for an hour before baking. Bake an a baking stone at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 425 for 20 minutes longer. Turn out and thump the bottom to test for doneness (sounds hollow) and cool on a wire rack for 25 minutes before cutting. Spritzing the oven at the beginning and every 3 minutes for the first 10 minutes will make a hard crust. One can use two conventional baking pans if desired.
Sourdough Pizza Dough
adapted from Breadtopia
makes two 12"-pizzas
1½ cups sourdough starter 2 Tablespoons olive oil
1½cups flour Water (optional)
¾ tsp. salt
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well, adding water or flour to make a soft dough (I keep my starter at 100% hydration normally - meaning I feed it at a 1:1 ratio of flour and water - so did not need to add any additional water to the dough). Knead for about five minutes until dough is soft and elastic and is not sticky to the touch. Form into a ball and let rise in an oiled bowl (turning the ball in the bowl to cover with oil) covered with plastic in a warm place until doubled in size.
Once risen, turn out onto a floured surface and cut into two pieces. Believe me when I tell you that this dough is beautiful and silky and soft as a baby's bottom; you're going to love it! Roll out each piece to about ¼-inch thick, 12" rounds.
Sourdough Dinner Rolls
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup sourdough starter
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups flour
4 Tbsp spoon oil
pinch of salt
In a large bowl combine yeast and warm water. Add sourdough starter, flour, salt and oil. Mix well. Let rise (about 30 minutes) Shape into 16 rolls. Place on a greased pan and let stand 30 - 40 minutes to rise again. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until brown. (Depending on
your oven)
Sourdough English Muffins
Makes about 12
½ C starter
1 C milk
2¾ C flour
1 TBSP sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Cornmeal, for dusting
Combine starter, 2 C of flour and milk in a large bowl. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap, and leave out for 8 hours or overnight.
After the overnight rest, add remaining flour (I didn't add any), sugar, salt and baking soda and mix well. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes. Roll out to 3/4" and cut with a biscuit cutter into rounds. You can reroll the scraps, but you may need to let the dough rest before cutting more muffins from them. Place muffins on a piece of parchment dusted with cornmeal and let rest for 45 minutes .
Spray griddle or skillet lightly with spray oil. Heat to medium and cook muffins for about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until browned on the top and bottom and cooked through. These have great griddle spring and rise quite a bit during the "baking".
Split with a fork and enjoy with your favorite topping! I don't even toast them if I want to eat them right off the griddle--they don't have that raw taste that store bought english muffins have.
1847
Oregon Trail
Sourdough Starter
The Wild Yeast Born
When the West
Was Young!
This is the brochure that comes with the 1847 Sourdough Starter. You can get more starter for free, as well as find out more info, at: http://carlsfriends.net/
To REACTIVATE the starter from the powdered form:
Dissolve the contents of the packet with 3/4 cup warm (90 degree) water, add 3/4 cup white bread flour, and 1 teaspoon sugar in glass or plastic container (NOT METAL!).
Place bowl (covered with damp towel) in warm place (the oven with the light on is about 85 degrees-Test it first!) for up to 48 hours. It will get bubbly from the fermentation. IT’S ALIVE!!
Mix in 1 cup warm (95) water, add 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon dried potatoes or use potato water and let sit in the warm place till bubbly again. Don’t worry about the lumps as the fermentation will take care of them.
Now, you can store it in the frig till needed. It may develop a clear liquid on top, if so, stir it back in as this is alcohol - keep it happy! It will need feeding about every couple of weeks, just add 1 cup warm skim milk or water, 1 T Sugar and 1 cup flour. Once in a while add 1 tablespoon of dried potatoes (or use potato water). If it looks sick, add 1 T CIDER vinegar to give it a kick in the behind! Give the excess to a friend or you can keep some of it in the freezer for several months between feedings.
When you want to bake something, bring the starter up to room temperature, mix in 1 cup flour, 1 c warm water or skim milk and let sit overnight to ferment. The next morning, remove one cup to keep in a covered jar as a starter for use next time, feed it, then do your baking.
Sourdough BISCUITS
1 TB Active Dry Yeast 1 c Sourdough starter
1 1/4 c Water-Lukewarm 5 c Bread flour
1/3 c Sugar Melted butter or Margarine
3/4 ts Salt
If you desire dissolve the yeast in warm water with a little sugar till bubbly. Sourdough is a yeast but rises faster with added commercial yeast. In a large mixing bowl add sugar, salt, sourdough starter, yeast and flour. Cover; set in warm spot and let rise until double. Punch down and turn out onto floured work surface. Roll out to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut with biscuit cutter. Dip both sides in butter or oil, and place on well-greased baking sheet. Let rise 15 min. Bake at 425 - 20 min. or until golden brown.
Sourdough HOTCAKES
The NIGHT BEFORE mix 1/2 c Starter, 1 1/4 c Water, 1/2 c Flour, and let sit in warm place till the NEXT MORNING then add 2 Eggs, 1 T sugar, 1/4 t Salt, 1/2 c Flour, 2 T Oil
and ADD LAST, just before cooking 1 ts Soda.
Bake on a Hot griddle (water bounces). For WAFFLES just add a little more flour! Sourdough BISCUITS: If you have dough left over, mix in some more flour for heavier dough, kneed a few minutes, cut with biscuit cutter, dip in butter or oil, and you have biscuits for lunch!
Alaskan Sourdough BREAD
1 c Sourdough starter 2 1/2 c Warm Water
4 T Melted lard (or oil) 1/2 c Sugar
1 t Baking soda 1 T Salt
8 c Bread flour (approximately)
Combine starter, all the water, and 3 c flour the night before and place in warm, draft free place. The next morning add other ingredients and knead till smooth and elastic. Place in
greased bowl in warm place and let rise to double. Knead down again, shape into loaves, let rise to top of pan plus a little and bake in greased pans in moderate oven -375 for about an hour till done. When it is ready it sounds hollow when thumped. Turn out on racks, cover with dish cloth and let cool.
This should work with a bread machine also, just adjust the amount of water (1 1/4 c) to reduce the volume as it will not take as much flour.
Depending on the flour, especially whole wheat, it may be well to add 1 pkg dry yeast.
The Doctor’s Sourdough BREAD
1 c Sourdough Starter 7 c Unbleached Flour
2 c Warm Water 1/4 c Wheat Germ
2 c Warm Milk 2 tb Sugar
1 tb Butter 2 ts Salt
1 pk Active Dry Yeast 2 ts Baking Soda
1/4 c Honey
OPTIONAL: Add 1/4 c wheat bran, 1/4 c oat bran Add 1/4 c soy flour 1 c whole wheat, rye, or kasha flour (adjusting the white flour volume) to increase the dietary fiber.
Mix the starter and 2 1/2 cups of the flour and all the water the night before you want to bake. Let stand in warm place overnight. Next morning mix in the butter with warm milk and stir in yeast until dissolved. Add honey and when thoroughly mixed, add 2 more cups of flour, and stir in the wheat germ. Sprinkle sugar, salt, and baking soda over the mixture. Gently press into dough and mix lightly. Allow to stand from 30 to 50 minutes until mixture is bubbly. Add enough flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Then place the dough on a lightly floured board and knead 5 minutes until a silky mixture is developed. Form into 4 1-lb loaves, place in well-greased loaf pans 9 x 3 size. Let rise until double, about 2 to 3 hours in a warm room. Place pan with 3 c water in bottom of oven for steam. Then bake in hot oven, 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees F. and bake 20 minutes longer or until thoroughly baked. Remove from pans and place loaves on rack to cool. Butter tops of loaves to prevent hard crustiness. Makes 4 1-lb Loaves.
BREAD MACHINES - BASIC RECIPE
from The Bread Machine Cookbook by Donna Rathmell German - Nitty Gritty Cookbooks
1 1/2 t yeast 1 1/4 T Oil
2 c Bread Flour 6 T Milk (mixed from dry or canned)
2 t Salt 3/4 C Starter
1 1/3 T Sugar
Medium setting
If it does not rise as well as other bread remove it from machine after mixing, put in greased pan to rise to double, (l to 1 1/2 hours) shape and bake in pan at 400 for 30 to 45 min.
My bread machine says to add the wet ingredients first, and then the dry ingredients (protecting the yeast from the wet stuff), then the butter in four pieces in each corner, with the yeast in a well in the middle. I baked it on Basic, Medium crust.
Drying starter
Cover a dish or a pan with plastic wrap or waxed paper to prevent sticking. After you have fed your starter and let it get active, pour some onto the covered dish. The thicker the layer the longer it will take to dry. I use a broiler pan and pour it 1/4 inch deep as I use a lot of it. This takes nearly a week to harden.
Set aside at room temperature till it gets brittle - may be a few days. Break into small pieces and grind in a blender, coffee grinder or food processor. There you are! It will keep a long time. The yeast has sporulated and will stay that way for years. At one time it was used to “chink” the walls in log cabins and some of that stuff has been reactivated.
Hard water
If you have hard water in your area (hardness is graded from 1 to 14 with 7 being neutral and 14 the hardest), add 1/2 c of cider vinegar per 2 cups of water used in the sponge. This will cause it to rise better as it reacts with the soda. It is well to add 1 T of vinegar to your starter pot about once a month as it likes the acid environment.
Soft water
If the water is too soft (less than 6) it may be well to add 1/2 t baking soda as a reading of 6 to 7 is best.
Sour
There is a lot of speculation about the sourness of bread. One idea is every once in a while use dark rye flour to feed the starter or some in the bread dough. Another is to let it rise at a lower temperature (60?) so it rises longer and gives the bacteria a longer time to do their work. I have been told that the special San Francisco flavor is created by the bacteria they have in the water there which comes from the Sierra Mountains under the ground. Maybe so ????
History
The history has been asked for. All I know is that it started west in 1847 from Missouri. I would guess with the family of Dr. John Savage as one of his daughters (my great grandmother) was the cook. It came on west and settled near Salem Or. Doc. Savage’s daughter met and married my great grand father on the trail and they had 10 children. It was passed on to me though my
parents when they passed away. I am 76 years old so that was some time ago. I first learned to use the starter in a basque sheep camp when I was 10 years old as we were setting up a homestead on the Steens Mountains in southeastern Oregon. A campfire has no oven, so the bread was baked in a Dutch Oven in a hole in the ground in which we had built a fire, placed the oven, scraped in the coals from around the rim, and covered with dirt for several hours. I used it later making bread in a chuck wagon on several cattle drives - again in southeastern Oregon.
Considering that the people at that time had no commercial starter for their bread, I do not know when it was first caught from the wild or where, but it has been exposed to many wild yeasts since and personally I like it. I hope you enjoy it.
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
½ cup starter or 1 packet yeast (2¼ tsp.)
2 ½ cups warm water
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
Combine ingredients and place in large glass or plastic bowl and cover loosely. Put in warm location and follow the instructions below for the next ten days.
Day 1: Begin (or receive) your starter.
Day 2: Stir
Day 3: Stir
Day 4: Stir
Day 5: Stir
Day 6: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk
Day 7: Stir
Day 8: Do nothing
Day 9: Do nothing
Day 10: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk
After all ten days are completed, put 1 cup of the starter into four separate containers. Give three to your friends, along with the instructions on the next page, and keep one for yourself to bake later. You can give the starters in Ziplock bags, but make sure your friends “burp” the bag each day to keep excess air out.
When you give the starter to your friends they are ready to begin the Day 1 instructions. Immediately.
When you are ready to bake the bread add the following ingredients to the remaining starter:
Remaining Starter (about 1 cup) 1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup oil 3 eggs
1 cup sugar 1 large box (or two small) vanilla pudding mix
2 cups flour ½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon
In a separate bowl combine 1 tsp. cinnamon with 4 Tbsp. sugar and sprinkle into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD
Day One: You have just received an Amish Friendship Bread Starter. Do nothing! Just place the bag on your kitchen counter. DO NOT REFRIGERATE!
Day Two: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Three: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Four: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Five: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Six: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Close bag and squish to mix.
Day Seven: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Eight: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Nine: Open bag and allow excess gas to escape. Close bag and squeeze several times.
Day Ten: Empty contents of bag into a large plastic or glass bowl (not metal) and
combine batter with 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Combine well.
Pour three one-cup starters into one-gallon Ziploc bags. Give these starters away to others with a copy of these instructions.
Preheat Oven to 325 Degrees. Grease two bread loaf pans with butter:
To the remaining batter in the bowl add and mix well together:
1 cup oil 3 eggs
1 cup sugar 1 large box (or two small) vanilla pudding mix
2 cups flour ½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
In separate bowl mix 1 tsp. cinnamon with 4 Tbsp. sugar and sprinkle into the two well-greased loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
Place in oven and bake for sixty to seventy-five minutes (when a toothpick comes out clean)
Makes two, very moist and sweet, loaves.
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