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Sourdough is a versatile and healthy comfort food

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Deb Prince

It’s that time of year again, where we find ourselves drawn to the comforts of a warm home – the culmination of efforts from cutting firewood to preserving foods from the garden. I find myself enmeshed in my collection of cookbooks, always searching for new recipes and ideas to make my own foods, particularly baked goods. 

I have been baking bread since I was 19, with the distinctive taste of sourdough always a favorite. 

As the kids came along, I was determined to bake as much as I could to minimize processed foods. Not only a handy skill to have, but thrifty, too. If you price an average loaf of bread, you can make several loaves of bread for the cost of a bag of flour and enjoy the smell and warmth from the baking bread. 

Sourdough starter does require attention, but I have found it is not demanding. For many who begin their sourdough adventure, their first starter is like their first child: overprotected. As you have more, the last ones always end up eating worms and dirt, but everything turns out all right. 

First, you need to make a starter. I keep my starter in a one-quart glass mason jar. This size allows you to have enough, to use it often, and not require a long recovery period. I take it out of the refrigerator to bring to room temperature, stir in the “hooch” (the clear fluid on top), and then feed with flour and tepid water about once a week. 

I am fortunate to have a good well, with no chlorine in the water, to suppress the natural fermentation. 

SOURDOUGH BREAD came be made in all shapes and sizes.

There are many ways to make starter, using potato water, milk, or honey, or even organically, using wild yeast from the chalky bloom on grapes. The simplest is one tablespoon of yeast with two cups of chlorine-free water and two cups of white flour. Mix this up in a glass, plastic, or earthenware container, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for 48 hours to let the magic begin. 

The starter will become frothy and have a slight sour smell. At this point you can place it in the fridge or make bread. The absolute best recipe I have found over the years is also very easy.

Absolute Best Sourdough Bread

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup starter
  • 1 heaping tsp. salt 
  • ½ cup of warm water

Dissolve the salt in the warm water, add the starter, then the flour. Stir and then knead into a ball. If you have an electric stand mixer, use the dough hook. Due to my Luddite tendencies, I use a wooden spoon and biceps. 

Cover bowl with a damp towel and leave overnight at room temperature. The next day, punch the dough down, and choose what you want to bake it in. Grease, (your choice, I use butter) a standard loaf pan, a round cast iron skillet, or a baking sheet. Cover again with a damp towel, let rise again. 

When nearly doubled in size, preheat oven to 400 degrees and place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, according to the temperament of your oven. The loaf is done when it is golden brown and sounds hollow when you thump the bottom. Makes one loaf. Recipe can be doubled.

Starters and discards

You will notice that rising times for sourdough are longer than yeast bread. This makes sourdough very forgiving. As you get practiced, you will be able to determine the stage the rising dough is in, and the areas of your kitchen where it is happiest. Each time you use your starter, you will need to replenish or “feed” it. Just add equal amounts of flour and tepid water, allow it to “eat” for a few hours, and then place in the refrigerator.

MAKE SURE your sourdough starter container is large enough to allow sufficient space to “work” after you feed it.

There are many opinions if starters need to be brought to room temperature before using. I have had success right out of the refrigerator. Sourdough starter can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks, and frozen even longer, and can be revived after a couple of weeks of neglect. Just bring to room temperature and feed. 

Of course, literature states that if your starter turns pink or orange, toss it to avoid bacterial contamination. In my years of sourdough adventure, I have never had this happen, but best to be safe if you see discoloration.

Many options of flour are available, and some people prefer mixing a little rye or wheat flour into their starter. I primarily use an organic, non-brominated white flour in my starter and add variations to the bread recipe. The dried flour collected on the inside edge of the glass contains all the starter goodness that help replenish that “tang” that comes from the sourdough. I scrape them back into the starter to maintain the “tang.” 

Questions are often asked about discarding the clear liquid on top or discarding half the starter before feeding it. I remember doing that when I first cultured sourdough, and thought, “What can I use the discard for?” I felt it was a waste of good starter, and over time, realized that I was not the only one who felt this way. And, with prices increasing, it is reasonable to find ways to save more of hard-earned money.   

I have not discarded any starter in years. From pouring it down your drain to benefit your septic system to making crackers, there are many ways to use every bit of your starter. 

Sourdough discard crackers

Here is a favorite Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe, originally from Amy Duska at Little Spoon Farm (www.littlespoonfarm.com). It takes 10 minutes to prepare and about one hour to bake.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup sourdough starter (stirred down, and you can use cold, right out of the fridge, or room temp)
  • 2 Tbs. of melted butter
  • ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp. of dried herbs (herbs de Provence is suggested, but fresh herbs and grated cheeses can be added to create different flavors)
  • ¼ tsp. of salt to sprinkle on top 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a bowl. Mix the sourdough, herbs, and salt with the butter, stirring to combine well. Spread the entire mixture in a thin, even layer on the parchment. Hint: use a rolling pin to spread.

Sprinkle remaining salt on top. Bake for 10 minutes, take out of the oven, and score the crackers. I have sometimes omitted this step and just broken them into those “artisan” shapes you find on expensive charcuterie boards. Depending on your oven, bake for another 20 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. These are thin crackers. Watch them so they do not overbake. After the crackers are cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a week, if they last that long!

I encourage you to make sourdough part of your healthy lifestyle. It is not a difficult habit to incorporate and much more forgiving than yeast breads. There are many ways to make starters, from potato water to honey, and adjustments for those who are gluten sensitive. All the variables of wild versus tame yeasts to the temperature of your kitchen will make baked goods a tasty adventure as you experiment with sourdough and the many uses it has for biscuits, pizza dough, and more. 

Deb Prince has an active registered nurse license in the State of North Carolina and in May 2024 will celebrate a 40-year nursing career. She was also recently certified as a family herbalist.