Sourdough Baking--A non quilt related post--post 1

Disclaimer: This post contains no quilt related information!

The cookbook

Goal number 10 on my July list was to document the recipes I've made from the "Artisan Sourdough Made Simple" cookbook by Emilie Raffa. Heidi, from my Mystery Mavens group, recommended this cookbook several times. After seeing some of her photos on Facebook of the recipes she made, I decided I would check it out.

Checking it out is exactly what I did. . .from the library! I had to wait almost a month before it was my turn because it is a popular book! If someone recommends a cookbook, I like to check to see if the library has it. I can read it and note how many recipes I like and would make. I can also make some of the recipes to see if they are as good as they sounded!

When I was a kid, my grandmother baked a lot with sourdough. She gave me starter when I went off to an apartment as a junior in college. I managed to keep it mostly going for many years. Early in the process there were a couple times when I forgot to save some and baked all the starter. Lucky for me, she was there to replenish me!

About three years ago, I did lose my starter. Somehow, I contaminated it. It actually developed mold! Yuck! I was sad because the people I had given starter, hadn't kept there starter going so I was out of luck. Then, my friend Alvera offered me a start of hers. This was how I came into the starter I currently have.

Over the last almost fifty years, I've baked my starter into biscuits, pizza dough, muffins, English muffins, bread, waffles and tons of pancakes. It took a lot of affirmative reviews for me to add another cookbook to my shelf! 

Every Day Sourdough

The first recipe I made was the first recipe in the book. I figured why not bake my way through the book! Every Day Sourdough had a super chewy crust because it is actually baked on the oven rack sans a pan a few minutes. We liked it.

High-Hydration Sourdough turned out similarly to Every Day Sourdough. I likely handled the dough too much to get the big air bubbles which when baked gives the bread large holes. Again, we liked it; but decided that moving forward, we'd like a more tender crust. For future recipes, I baked the bread at a little lower temperature for a little longer time and left the bread in the pan.

Stuffed Croque Monsieur Focaccia with Ricotta and Swiss

Stuffed Croque Monsieur Focaccia with Ricotta and Swiss was a later recipe in the book. The recipe sounded delicious. We decided that we would pass on making it again. As a non dairy enthusiast (dairy upsets my stomach), we don't purchase ricotta cheese. The Swiss cheese set up quickly as it cooled. I anticipated eating a gooey serving; but, it wasn't gooey.

I next baked Dill with White Cheddar except that I only had yellow cheddar; but, it was a great loaf. I didn't snap a photo of it though! At this point, I decided that I would purchase the cookbook. Heidi had recommended purchasing a spiral bound edition which was a great recommendation. I purchased my copy through an online company named, Lay It Flat. Spiral bound is more expensive than the traditional glued spine; but, worth the cost because the page really does lay flat.

Olive, Thyme and Parmesan 

Olive bread is a favorite of mine so when I read that recipe, I knew I'd be making it. I used regular black olives and dried thyme because that was what I had on hand. Definitely, I'll bake this loaf again. 

Sourdough Key Lime Ricotta Cookies

Sourdough Key Lime Ricotta Cookies enticed me because wrapping my head around using sourdough in cookies was a big leap! These were easy to bake. Because I transported the cookies to share with my small group, I didn't add the lime icing. They were soft and delicious! I froze the leftovers. Like all the sourdough recipes, they were best eaten the day that I baked them. I would make these again.

Sourdough Zeppoles

Because I had half a container remaining of the ricotta, I next made deep fried the Sourdough Zeppoles. I shared these with the Sew Happy group. They were good reheated in the microwave for a few seconds. They reminded me of the times I ate Indian Fry Bread that was made on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation that is located in Central Oregon near Madras. I'll likely not make these again; but, only because they are deep fried. I don't deep fry often enough to get the most out of the oil.

Skillet Greek Yogurt Flatbreads

My friend Theresa was coming over one afternoon and asked if I would have hummus on hand. She likes my hummus recipe and we have made it together so she knows the secrets. I decided I would make the flat bread recipe to accompany our lunch. These were delicious. Although, if I were serving a crowd, I'd be using two pans to cook them. Best eaten warm; but, good the next day when heated a few seconds in the microwave.

Soft Honey Whole Wheat loaf

Next I baked a loaf of bread. Early in our marriage, I baked all of our bread. I made a lot of sourdough bread in those days. This loaf was tender and light. Although, I need a bigger loaf pan. I'd bake it again.

Ciabatta

The last recipe I made was Ciabatta. This was the easiest of all the recipes because I used the dough hook on my mixer to combine the ingredients. This was the stickiest dough that I have encountered.I was glad I had a dough scrapper to help me form the loaves. These baked wonderfully and were also delicious.

Overall, there is little kneading of the bread dough. The recipes are well written and easy to follow. Of the ten recipes I've tried, only one recipes was a one and done. The author shares many helpful tips about shaping and producing a good loaf of bread so in the end, I'm happy with my purchase.

When it cools off in a few days, I'm going to bake some crackers. Stay tuned for another round of photos as I bake my way through more recipes! If you would like to order the book, check out Lay It Flat. If you use the discount code, TERRY65832, you can get 15% off of your order. I'll also receive a little something back as an affiliate.