Sourdough - Vintage Recipe Thursday

Sourdough has to be one of the most vintage vintage recipes out there... and I can't find it in any of the older books I have. So, this week for Vintage Recipe Thursday - we created our own recipes inspired by my Alaskan veteran mother-in-law. She hasn't been very motivated to bake lately, so we thought this might be something fun for her to get excited about. In the past, she has always made the sourdough - bread, pancakes, muffins, etc. and she also uses it for things like... glue. I just learned from wikipedia that sourdough has been used to chink cabin walls in the past, too - a fact that I think my MIL would greatly enjoy. This past weekend, Annabel and I got started on our own sourdough starter:

and then we made some bread with it

not bad for our first try, eh? There are plenty of different ways to make a sourdough starter, and it really depends on what you've got on hand, what your preferences are, etc etc... If you're in the Sierra Nevada hills, or anywhere in the San Francisco bay area, I'd try this method with fresh, wild grapes - and maybe you'll get the distinct San Francisco sourdough flavor that comes from the wild yeast that grows in the area. You can start with potato water too, like a Kansas pioneer. You could also send in a SASE for a little packet of a starter that has been kept going since the days of the Oregon trail at Carl Griffith's 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter page. How fun is that?

We cheated, and made ours with packaged yeast :)

Cheater Sourdough Starter
(makes about 3 cups of starter)

1 package dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 cups unbleached flour

Empty yeast into a large mixing bowl, and stir in water until yeast is well dissolved. Add flour and stir until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 48-72 hours. When you check it after a couple of days, it should look a little yellow, and have two separate layers - stir them up. Store in refrigerator with a loose-fitting lid to keep dormant, and remove it from the fridge the night before you'd like to make something with it, to re-activate the yeast. Every time you remove some of your starter for a recipe, feed what's left with 1 cup unbleached flour, 1 cup water or milk, and a third or a fourth cup of sugar. It's that easy! Sourdough shouldn't mold when it's made right (with unbleached flour and pure, clean water) the acids produced prohibit the growth.

Simple Sourdough Bread
(makes 2 loaves)

1 package dry yeast
1/4 C. warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 egg
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C. water
1 tsp salt
1/3 C. sugar
1 C. sourdough starter
3 1/2 C. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water, stir in sugar and let sit for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together egg oil, water, salt and sugar. Add sourdough starter and yeast mixture. Add 2 cups of your flour, blending thoroughly (you can use an electric mixer for this, but I prefer to do it by hand.)

Dump the rest of your flour onto your clean kneading surface, and spread it out a bit. Put bread mixture on top, making sure to scrape all of it from your bowl, and fold the flour into it with your hands - kneading it at the same time. Add a bit more flour if the dough is still sticky, 1/2 - 1 cup may be needed in some climates. Knead 10-20 more times after all flour is incorporated and dough is relatively smooth.

Spray another large mixing bowl with non-stick cooking spray, or coat with a little more olive oil. Put dough into bowl, turning it to make sure the top and bottom of the dough is oiled. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours or until doubled.

After dough has risen, punch it down and knead again for 2 minutes. Divide it into two balls, and form these into rounds or long loaves of bread. Place onto well greased sheets or bread pans, and let rise for another 2 hours or until doubled.

Bake at 350˚F for 22-25 minutes, until it makes a hollow sound when tapped and crust is golden-brown. Remove from pans and place on wire racks to cool.

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Don't forget to check out Joy's blog today for other great vintage (and vintage inspired) recipes!