SOURDOUGH PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

 

While recently talking to another cookie baker who is a wonderful cook and also my sister-in-law, she mentioned what her favourite cookie is. It is a peanut butter cookie with oats and coconut. I was tempted to make her recipe but decided instead to deviate and make a peanut butter cookie with sourdough discard starter. I added oats and coconut instead of chocolate chips. The chocolate chips were tempting to add but having a kitchen helper who has four legs and likes to sample, chocolate is out of the equation. 

For the ingredients, you can add up to a cup of sourdough starter. I had only 3/4 cup available and just used that. I didn't add the full cup of sugar. I used about 3/4 cup of coconut sugar and 1/4 cup of stevia. The cookies are not too soft but are not crispy. The sourdough starter makes them more softer than a traditional peanut butter cookie. We all enjoyed sampling these cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

 

3/4 cup sourdough starter 

1 cup peanut butter 

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown or coconut sugar 

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

 

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

 

1 to 2 cups chocolate chips  OR

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened shred coconut

DIRECTIONS:

 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

In a medium size mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the sourdough starter, peanut butter, butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and mix well.  

Add the dry ingredients to the sourdough mixture. Mix well. Add the chocolate chips or the rolled oats and the coconut. If the dough is not stiff enough add a bit more flour or rolled oats. 

Using a small cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, place each ball of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press gently down on each ball with a fork. The cookies will not spread but will puff up a bit. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.  Makes up to 54 cookies.

SOURDOUGH BAGELS

 

With having sourdough starter I am always willing to try a new recipe. I have been reviewing sourdough bagel recipes over the past few weeks. Some recipes require more prep time including an overnight rise in the fridge. A long rise in the fridge helps with the fermenting process to give the sourdough its classic flavour.

I decided to make this recipe from baked-theblog who call these bagels a New York style bagel (New York style sourdough bagels). I made mine more of a Montreal style bagel which includes a smaller bagel, larger hole and you use honey or sugar in the boiling water to poach the bagels. There are many debates that go on about which bagel is better.

There are a few things that make bagels different from rolls or buns:

• They are poached before baking which gives them the chewiness and a soft crust. You don't want a bagel to have a crusty texture like a typical sourdough bread. 
• They also don't rise as much as other breads. 
• Part of the joy of eating the bagel are the seeds coated on the bagel.  
• Lastly, they are more dense.

Not everyone is a bagel fan. If you want to learn more about the science of making bagels, this link provides the detail.

If you plan to make this recipe, you need to factor in the time for all of the steps. From the time I put the ingredients into the mix master to knead the dough to putting in the first tray of bagels to bake, it took over 25 hours. The recipe advises that it makes eight to ten bagels, I made 15 of them. I used three kinds of seeds to coat the bagels - poppy seed, black sesame seed and everything bagel. If you don't have a large fridge or a second fridge it may be difficult to make these bagels as the trays are kept in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours. I had these bagels in the fridge for 20 hours. 

They are a delicious bagel and I will be making them again, but not a weekly basis!

Here are some photos to show some of the steps.

Bagel dough is divided up into 15 and resting. 

 

Bagels ready for the first rise

 

 After rising for 20 hours in the fridge.

 

Poaching the bagels in boiling water with baking soda and sugar.

 

 

Ready to bake.

 

Out of the oven and cooling.

Bagels made using this recipe.  New York style sourdough bagels

RAISIN SOURDOUGH BREAD

Sampling already started before the picture was snapped!

With having sourdough starter in the fridge being fed and expanding in volume every week, I look for making different breads, then trying to make them and seeing if the bread rises and tastes as good as they look in the photos. 

After doing some research I decided to make this cinnamon raisin sourdough bread. Lisa's blog 'Farmhouse on Boone' posted this recipe in December 2018.  

I didn't make too many changes to the posted recipe. Since I had a bag of flour that is bread flour, I used that instead of my standard unbleached white flour. You need to knead the bread for about 15 minutes and I used a Kitchen Aid mixmaster with the dough hook. I wouldn't have wanted to knead the dough by hand but it is doable. After kneading, the dough was very pliable and I divided it in half and placed it into two oiled ceramic bowls to rise overnight. I like to cover the bowls with plastic wrap and then cover with kitchen towels for an overnight rise on the kitchen counters. 

In the morning, after the overnight rise, you need to drain the raisins that have been soaking overnight and prep your counter for rolling out the dough. I did flour the counter beforehand and the dough was very pliable and easy to roll out with the rolling pin. I found it easier to use the cinnamon jar and just sprinkle the cinnamon directly on the rolled out dough instead of trying to sprinkle it from a measuring spoon. I also thought of using one cup of raisins and one cup of chopped walnuts instead of two cups of raisins but decided to use just raisins.  

The bread was ready to bake after rising three hours in the tin loaf pans. It is a wonderful recipe and thoroughly enjoyed by myself and the DH. The bread is not too sweet. What I would improve upon for next time is to roll up the dough tighter after you add the raisins and cinnamon. I can also envision using some different dried fruit, nuts or seeds to this recipe.

Rolled out dough with raisins added.

Cinnamon sprinkled on the dough.

Dough is rolled from the short end.

Starting the second rising.

Ready to go into the oven.

Cooling on the baking rack.

WHOLE WHEAT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Whole wheat, rye and raisin bread ready to sample.

A section of the whole wheat and buckwheat bread.

In deciding which bread to make this week, my thoughts went from focaccia to some kind of country loaf. Since I usually prep and feed too much sourdough starter in advice of making bread, I decided to make two kinds of loaves: 1) whole wheat and buckwheat and 2) whole wheat and rye with raisins. I have a few bread making books and spent time looking at these books and on the internet for recipes that used one cup or less of sourdough starter. I was also limited in that I didn't want to let the bread rise for one or two days. I did find some interesting recipes that require two days to make a loaf even if you are using a starter as you use the starter to make a sponge.  

I found these recipes in a wonderful bread book by Martha Rose Shulman. Each recipe makes a large loaf. 

In making these loaves, I used one of my favourite red Emil Henry bake ware pots and cooked the whole wheat and buckwheat loaf covered with the lid for the first half of baking. I also used parchment paper as a liner in the pot. For the whole wheat and rye raisin bread, I used two baking tins, 9 X 5 inches. Since each recipe makes a large loaf, I divided the raisin dough into two after its first rise and put each half into a baking tin for its second rise.

Whole wheat and buckwheat bread just out of the bake ware.

Inside view of the whole wheat and buckwheat bread.

Raisin bread just out of the oven.

Raisin bread cooling off.

INGREDIENTS:

Whole Wheat and Buckwheat Sourdough Bread

2 tsp dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup sourdough starter
3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour

Whole Wheat, Rye and Raisin (optional) Sourdough Country Bread 

2 tsp dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup sourdough starter
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups rye flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 to 2 cups unbleached white flour

2 cups raisins or currents

Whole Wheat Sourdough Country Bread

2 tsp dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup sourdough starter
3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 to 2 cups unbleached white flour


DIRECTIONS:

All three breads are made the same except for when to add raisins or unbleached white flour. The directions for the Country Bread includes a portion of the unbleached white flour added at the start of mixing the flours. The remaining or all of the unbleached white flour is added once you start to knead the bread.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes until creamy. Add the sourdough starter and mix well together.

Kneading by hand: In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, rye flour or buckwheat flour and salt. If making the sourdough country bread, add one cup of the unbleached white flour. Using a wooden spoon mix the flours. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and fold into the flour. Mix. Flour a working surface and using a hard edged spatula, scape the dough out of the bowl onto the flour surface and knead for 10 to 15 minutes, adding the unbleached white flour to the dough to make a pliable workable bread dough.  If making raisin bread, add the raisins towards the end of the kneading.

Kneading with an electric mixer: Combine the whole wheat flour, rye flour or buckwheat flour, salt and if making the country bread, add one cup of the unbleached white flour. Using a paddle, mix the flours on low speed. Add the yeast mixture and mix until everything is combined. Change the paddle to a dough hook and knead on low for two minutes. Start to gradually add the unbleached white flour and increase the speed to medium and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Add enough white flour to make a pliable dough. Add the raisins (if making raisin bread) during the last two minutes of kneading. Turn the dough out onto a flour surface and knead a few times.

Rising: Shape the dough into a ball. Oil a large mixing bowl (non-metal) and place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until double in bulk. Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out from the bowl. Shape the dough a few times into a round ball with your hands. 

Options for second rising:
1. Using a baking sheet, pizza or baking stone: Return the dough to the oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until almost double in size.  If you are using a baking sheet, oil the baking sheet and dust with cornmeal. Gently turn out the dough onto the baking sheet and let it rise for about 20 minutes. Omit this step if you are baking directly on a stone.

2. Using baking tins, Emil Henry or other ceramic/steel baking ware. Oil the baking tins, stone ware or line the ceramic baking ware with parchment paper. If using loaf tins, shape the dough into a more rectangle shape versus round shape that would work for round baking ware. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until almost double in size.

Baking: About 25 to 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the middle. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife just before baking. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, spraying the loaf with a water several times during the first 10 minutes. Another option for providing steam to the loaf is to place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake until the loaf browns and responds to tapping with a hollow sound.  Remove from the baking ware/stone ware and cool on a rack.

Recipes from 'Great Breads" by Martha Rose Shulman

LEMON POPPYSEED SOURDOUGH BRIOCHE BREAD

Several weeks ago I made a sourdough brioche bread. I got the recipe from a friend who also likes to make bread. Last week I had a craving for lemon poppyseed and thought about making a dessert style loaf. I thought about other options of which one was using the sourdough brioche bread recipe and adding lemon juice and zest and poppyseed to the basic recipe. This brioche bread recipe is what I would call a french style egg bread and you could create other kinds of bread based on the basic recipe. For example you could add chocolate chips/chocolate shavings, raisins, dried cranberries, shredded cheddar, chopped walnuts/pecans or herbs to the basic dough batter. What you need to think about is the quantity to add.

To make the sourdough brioche bread (basic recipe) into a lemon poppyseed bread, I added the following to the batter before the kneading started:

2 tbsp poppyseed
3 tbsp lemon juice
zest from one lemon

When I made the basic sourdough brioche bread I used three small baking loaf tins. This time round I used two large ones. I also let it rise for the second rise in the bread pans for over 2.5 hours. The bread turned out great and we both really liked the flavour.

The dough did a nice rise after one hour. 

Egg wash applied and now ready for the second rising.

Second egg wash applied and now going into the oven.

The results at the end.

I couldn't help myself. Butter from grass fed cows.

SOURDOUGH BRIOCHE BREAD

A friend recently shared a recipe that I had to make. It uses sourdough starter and is a brioche style of bread. My friend uses a baguette baker to make several small loaves from this dough. The recipe makes one loaf, about a one kg size loaf. In the ingredient list, I provided two kinds of measurements for the ingredients. I used a scale for measuring everything except the dry yeast and salt and used a teaspoon to measure those two ingredients.

The dough mixture doesn't use a lot of sourdough starter, about 1/3 cup. I fed a bit of starter the day before and left it overnight on the kitchen counter to activate and get bubbly. I highly recommend using a mixmaster to knead the bread. I think it is far easier to knead the texture of this bread with some powered help. I decided to use small baking loaf pans to bake the bread. You could use a baguette baker, Emil Henry or other kinds of bakeware. As I read the baking directions rather quickly the first time, I didn't realize you needed to save the beaten egg that is used as a glaze as you glaze twice, before and after the second rise. After I glazed it for the second rise, I cooked the remaining beaten egg in the microwave and the dog enjoyed some cooked egg. I then had to crack another egg and slightly beat it to glaze the breads before baking.

The breads rose nicely in the three small loaf pans. Because of an errand that I had to do while the dough was rising for the second time, it was left to rise for over three hours. It worked out fine with the extra rising time. As difficult as it might be, it is recommended that you let the bread cool on a rack before slicing into it. While cooling, the smell of the bread was intoxicating. The bread has a wonderful texture and lightness and tastes as good as it smells. 

Starting to mix the dough batter.

After kneading using a mixmaster.

After the first rising.

Cutting the dough into three portions.

Starting the second rise.

Just out off the oven.

Cooling on a rack.

Starting to sample the bread

Prep and Cooking Time:

Mixing and kneading: 15 minutes
First rising: 60 minutes
Second rising: 90 minutes to 2 hours
Baking: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
500 gm (4 cups) flour, plus extra for dusting the work surface
135 gm (1/2 cup) room temperature water
3 eggs
75 gm (1/3 cup) sourdough starter
2 tsp dry yeast
10 gm (2 tsp salt)
25 gm (1/4 cup) dry milk powder
35 gm (almost 1/4 cup) sugar
75 gm (1/3 cup) softened butter, plus extra for greasing the pans

Glaze:
1 egg, slight beaten

DIRECTIONS:
It is best to knead this bread using a stand mixmaster with a bread hook attachment. You can do it by hand but it is far easier to use a bread hook.

Put the flour, water, eggs, sourdough starter, dry yeast, salt, milk powder and sugar into the mixmaster bowl with the dough hook attachment. Knead for five minutes at low speed, then 6 minutes at high speed. Add the butter and knead for another four minutes. 

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball on a cutting board dusted with flour. Cover it with a slightly dampened kitchen towel. Leave it to rise for an hour. 

Dust a work surface such as a large cutting board or your counter with flour. Butter two or three small loaf pans. I used 8.5 X 4.5 inch pans. Divide the dough into two or three equal pieces depending on the number of pans you are using. Fold each piece over itself and roll between your hands to shape it into a small loaf. Place each one into a loaf pan. 

Brush the dough with the slightly beaten egg. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and cover the group of them with a large kitchen towel. If you have cold counters such as granite, I place the pans on a cutting board to sit on the counter. Let the dough rise for at least 90 minutes. I would let it rise for over two hours especially if making smaller loaves. 

Place a small or medium sized baking sheet with at least one inch sides on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the brioche with the slightly beaten egg. Just before putting the bread pans into the oven, pour at least 1/4 cup of water onto the preheated baking sheet. The water will help steam the bread while baking.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bread sit for a few minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool. 

Adapted from 'The Larousse Book of Bread" by  Eric Kayser

DIGESTIVE SOURDOUGH COOKIES

I have been thinking of different uses for sourdough starter and found these digestive cookies made with starter. I have always liked digestive cookies, especially dunked in tea. I followed the ingredient measurements used in this recipe from a UK website. I was going to convert the ingredients from metric to imperial but along the way I decided to weigh the ingredients using my kitchen scale. It was educational to see the what half a cup of oatmeal flour weighs versus unbleached flour and correlate it to metric weights. 

This recipe calls for the dough to be rolled out to the thickness of about one inch. I rolled them out to about half an inch and made just over double the number of cookies. I like smaller cookies. These cookies are wonderful and got a thumbs up from the DH. Next time I make them I may add cinnamon or cardamon.

Dough mixed up and ready to go into the fridge for an hour.

Two cookie trays of dough cookie going to be chilled for 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the sampling begin.

INGREDIENTS:

80gm oatmeal flour

100gm unbleached or wholegrain flour

50gm brown or palm sugar

pinch of salt

110gm unsalted butter at room temperature

100gm recently fed sourdough starter 

DIRECTIONS:

Using a food processor with the blending attachment, add the oatmeal and white flours, sugar and salt. Combine for 10 to 20 seconds. Add the butter to the mixture and mix until it comes together in a rough dough. If you don’t have a processor, combine the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and then add the butter using a mixing spoon or spatula to combine the dough. Since I used salted butter, I didn't add a pinch of salt to the dough. 

Remove dough mixture from the food processor and place into a bowl. Add the starter and stir until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about an hour.

Roll the dough out evenly on a lightly floured surface until it is approximately an inch thick. I like to roll them out between two large pieces of parchment paper. Cut circles of dough with a cutter, such as the rim of small cup and place on parchment/silicone paper lined trays. I used the rim of a small glass cup used to measure liquor. The cookies won't spread but it is good to leave a little room between them.  

Prick the cookies several times with a fork and put them back in the fridge for 15 – 20 minutes. 

Bake them at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes turning the tray once during baking. Check them at the 10 minute mark as you are looking for them to seem dry and firm and browned slightly at the edges and underneath. They will be slightly soft when they first come out of the oven and firm up when cooled. 

Transfer to cookie racks to cool down and store them in an airtight jar or container. Makes 22 cookies.

Adapted from http://brixhambread.blogspot.com/2015/05/sourdough-digestives.html

SOURDOUGH WAFFLES

With keeping a sourdough starter, you need to look at using the starter for other things besides bread. As you feed your starter each week, you increase the volume of starter and you either have to dispose of some of it, give it away or use it in baking and cooking. There are a number of recipes that incorporate a starter. I have researched a number of recipes and started to experiment. One successful recipe that I just made is Belgium waffles that uses a cup of sourdough starter. You can make pancakes instead of waffles with the batter. The batter in this recipe needs to rest for at least four hours before you make the waffles, therefore you have to build in prep time to allow for this to occur.

This recipe made seven large Belgium waffles They were crispy and not too soft on the inside. A favourite for eating waffles is to spread some nut butter over a waffle, followed by jam, applesauce or maple syrup. 

After resting the batter for about 6 hours.

The rest of the ingredients have been added.

Pouring the batter into the waffle maker.

Ready to eat

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sour dough starter
1/3 cup oil such as olive or avocado oil
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar or maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
1 tsp baking soda


DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 1/2 cups water, and the sourdough starter. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and let sit in a draft free place such as the kitchen counter for 4 hours to overnight. There should be large holes and bubbles in the batter. If the room is slightly chilly, place a tea towel around the bowl.

To the batter, add the oil, eggs, sugar, and salt and mix well to combine. Whisk the one tablespoon of water and one teaspoon of baking soda together in a small bowl until dissolved. Fold into the batter with a rubber spatula.

Preheat your waffle iron according to the way you operate it. Pour the batter onto preheated iron and bake until crisp and golden, according to how your machine works. I used a Cuisinart double waffle maker and have it set to 4 on the cooking dial. Makes 7 large Belgian waffles. 

Modified from allrecipes.com