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Show By Angie Martin i ! I ; This column will be devoted to Sourdough. I have kept a "starter" going go-ing for about fifteen years. It was given to me by a lady who said that her grandmother had brought it over the plains, and the lady, herself, had been using it for over 50 years. I used to use it faithfully every week, but now that my family is smaller, I use it every two or three weeks, and it still keeps going for me. (Old timers used it every day ! ) Also, in this cold weather, my kitchen is really too chilly for the sourdough sour-dough so I put it on a heating pad (low setting) overnight, and it's just fine in the morning. Some notes on sourdough: For best results, keep the starter in glass or pottery containers. Never use a metal container or leave a spoon in the starter. A good starter is made with flour, water and yeast and has a clean sour -milk odor. The liquid li-quid will separate from the batter when it stands for several days, but this does not matter. If the starter should turn moldy or develop an off-odor, off-odor, throw it away and start over. I hope you will enjoy using this as much as I have. The procedure for making your own starter is as follows: Sourdough Starter 2 cups flour 2 cups warm water 1 pkg. dry yeast or 1 yeast cake Mix well, then place in a warm place or closed cupboard overnight. In the morning, it should be bubbly or frothy, and is called a sponge. Take out Vz cup of the sponge and place it in a pint jar with a tight cover and store in the refrigerator or a cool place for future use. This is Sourdough Starter. The remaining sponge is ready to be used for pancakes, waffles, muffins, bread, or cake immediately. To use the starter again, place it in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add 2 cups milk and 2 cups flour. Beat well and set in a warm place to develop overnight. In the morning the batter will have gained lk again its bulk and bp rnVPrprl with air hllhhlp Spt aciHp 1A nun cmnoa in iho rofr inorr NOTE: Traditional sourdough is replenished by adding water and flour ; however, I prefer to use milk and flour. If you wish, you could use 2 cups flour and 2 cups water, following the same instructions. Sourdough Hotcakes Set the sponge for sourdough Hotcakes the night before. Be sure to save 'k cup for your next starter. To remaining sponge add: 1 or 2 eggs 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. soda 1 tbsp. sugar 3 tbsp. melted shortening or oil 1. Beat eggs with a fork and add to sponge. 2. Add melted shortening. 3. Mix together soda, salt and sugar and sprinkle this on top of sponge. Fold in and let "work" for 5 to 10 minutes. 4. Bake on hot griddle, turn once. 5. Serve with a mixture of hot brown-sugar syrup or honey and melted butter. but-ter. Variations: Add lk cup whole wheat flour, cornmeal, wheat germ or branflakes to the batter. (Using two eggs will be needed for this addition. ) NOTE: For waffles, I use the same ingredients and method, but increase in-crease the melted shortening to V4 cup and use 2 eggs which I usually separate, folding in the stiffly beaten whites. I think this makes a lighter waffle. Sourdough Bread Set sponge and let stand in warm place overnight or for 6 to 8 hours. Save out 'k cup for next starter. To remaining sponge (which should be about 2 cups) add: 4 cups sifted flour (or more) 2 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp. melted shortening '4 tsp. soda 1 or 2 eggs (optional) 1. Sift dry ingredients, except soda, into a bowl, making a well in the center. 2. Add shortening to the sponge and mix well. 3. Add beaten eggs. Pour them into the well of flour. 4. Add enough flour to make a soft dough for kneading and knead on a floured board for 10 minutes. 5. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 2 to 4 hours until light. ( If you want the bread to rise faster, add 1 pkg. dry yeast dissolved in lk c. warm water to the sponge.) 6. Dissolve the 'A tsp. soda in a tbsp. of warm water and add to the dough. Knead it in thoroughly. 7. Shape dough into loaves in bread pans and set aside to rise. 8. When doubled, bake at 375 for 50 to 60 minutes. Sourdough Chocolate Cake Make up sourdough and in the morning, take out 12 cup for new starter and use lk cup of remaining for the cake. This will leave some for biscuits, etc. Method for cake: V2 cup starter 1 cup milk v2 cups flour Mix and let stand 2 to 3 hours in a warm place until bubbly. Add: 1 c. sugar lk c. shortening 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. cinnamon Vk tsp. soda 2 eggs 3 squares melted chocolate 1. Cream sugar, shortening, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and soda. 2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 3. Combine creamed mixture and melted chocolate with dourdough mixture. Mix on low speed until blended. 5. Pour into 2 layer pans or one 9" x 13" pan. 6. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and frost with icing of your choice. Sourdough Muffins To the remaining sponge described above add: Vk cups whole wheat flour i2 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt A cup non-fat dry milk 1 tsp. soda 1 cup raisins (optional) V2 cup melted shortening or oil lor 2 eggs 1 Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a well in the center. 2. Mbt thoroughly the egg and melted shortening with the sponge. 3. Add this to the "well'' in the flour. Stir only enough to moisten the flour. Add the raisins. 4. Fill greased muffin tins full. 5. Bake in 350" oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Sourdough Biscuits Vk cups unsifted flour 1 tbsp. sugar tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 12 tsp. soda Salad oil and margarine Mix your V2 cup starter with 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of flour the night before if the biscuits are for breakfast; if for dinner, then in the morning. Cover the bowl and keep at room temperature to rise. Turn this very soft dough out onto 1 cup flour on a bread board. Combine Com-bine sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda with remaining k cup flour and sift over the top. With your hands, mix dry ingredients into the soft dough, kneading lightly to get correct consistency. Roll out to M-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with a cutter and dip each in a mixture of half salad oil and half melted margarine. Place close together in a 9-inch square pan and set in a warm place to let rise for about 'k hour. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375) for 30-35 minutes. Makes about 14 (2'4) inch biscuits. A,PP |