the gluten situation

I know this gluten-free thing must keep you up at night wondering, so I thought I'd follow up and put you out of your misery.

I'm great like that.

The happy news is that the issue that was plaguing me is completely unrelated to gluten.  It's almost totally resolved a week after its final diagnosis. As a result, I am now back to eating properly-prepared gluten foods - that is, soaked, sprouted, and fermented/dourdough.  A thousand yays!

The past week has been a long one, but one of the bright spots has been my happy reunion with sourdough and other gluteny items.  I've relished pancakes (pictured above), soaked biscuits made with tallow, and a buttered slice of sourdough just out of the oven.  *swoon*

This morning we had sourdough English muffins, and I am greatly looking forward to making sourdough crepes again this week.  So, so good!

I'm so pleased to be able to eat the foods I love again, and very thankful.

in the kitchen: sourdough for a week

You may have heard that I've (*cough*) kind of gotten "into" sourdough lately.  In fact, I've described my sourdough starter as my favorite toy.  It only takes a little loving care, and it can really perform.  Sourdough is so versatile - not to mention the health benefits it provides!  I've heard it said that whole grain sourdough is the very healthiest way to consume grains, that the fermenting role of the sourdough starter does a better job of neutralizing the anti-nutients - found in all whole grains - than even soaking or sprouting.

Also, it's delicious.  I mean, sourdough bread as French toast?  To die for.

"salty" sourdough crackers

With these factors in mind, I thought it might be fun to note all the ways sourdough serves my family during the span of a week.  You know, for kicks.

Because we eat it a lot.  Just recently, I mixed up my second batch ever of No-Knead Dough (Sourdough dough.  Shall we just say for the sake of simplicity that all bread items mentioned in this post are, in fact, sourdough?).  The method is outlined in both the wonderful Sourdough A to Z ebook (a great investment if you are a newcomer to the ways of sourdough) and a great book I just bought The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fermenting Foods by Wardeh Harmon.  It's basically a sourdough version (simplicity or not, I can't stop writing sourdough!  Sourdough, sourdough, sourdough!)of THIS METHOD.  You make a big batch of dough (huge, actually), and it keeps in the refrigerator for almost a week.  When you're ready to use it, just scoop it out and shape it as you wish.  It's pretty stinking cool, actually.

So anyway, that dough I often use for things like loaves of artisan-type bread, English muffins, and cinnamon rolls.  I also have been having fun with sourdough recipes I've found on various sites.  I love gleaning from other people's experimentation!

sourdough flatbread

Here it goes: a week of sourdough. It should be noted that our meals do not consist of only bread products.  I'm only sharing what part sourdough plays in our lives during this week.

Sunday - breakfast: leftover English muffins & leftover pancakes.
                lunch dessert: brownies or cinnamon rolls

Monday - lunch:  flatbread (with egg salad) sandwich
                dessert: brownies
                snack: crackers
                dinner: artisan bread
             
Tuesday -  breakfast: waffles
                  lunch: flatbread (as a side)
                  dessert: crackers
                  snack: cinnamon rolls
             
Wednesday - breakfast: caramel apple skillet pancake
                      lunch:  flatbread sandwich
                      snack: cinnamon raisin muffins
                      dinner: English muffins

Thursday -    lunch: spelt sandwich bread
                      snack: crackers, cinnamon raisin muffins
                      dinner: pita bread

Friday -  breakfast: biscuits
                lunch: flatbread, spelt sandwich bread
                snack: crackers, cinnmaon raisin muffins

Saturday - breakfast: raspberry skillet pancake wedges
                   lunch: flatbread


There you have it.  Keep in mind that this is just seven days' time.  One of my family's favorite sourdough recipes, as pizza crust, wasn't on the menu plan this week.  My next goals are tortillas, pita bread, and noodles. In many ways, I'm just beginning my sourdough journey, but as you can probably tell I'm having fun playing with my "toy"!

my darlin'

I'm afraid this this bubbly beauty may not end up with a clever name after all.  The simple fact is, I just automatically refer to her as Darlin'.  

"And how are you today, Darlin"?"

"There you go, Darlin'.  Eat your flour and be happy!"

"Good morning, Darlin'! You're looking refreshed!"

You get the idea.  I'm afraid, that, even if I do give her an official name, she may always be Darlin' to me...  Oh dear.   Perhaps I should try referring to her as Clementine?

Incidentally, I loved this post today from Kelly the Kitchen Kop: The BEST No-Knead Sourdough Bread and Why Sourdough is the Best Bread You Can Eat.  It shares a little bit about why sourdough is so wonderful. (And yes, that is the recipe I use.  I make a lovely round loaf of sourdough at least twice a week.  We love it.)  As for me, I'm smitten!  In case you hadn't noticed.

I don't call just anyone Darlin', you know.

sourdough kick

I am on a huge sourdough kick lately.  Huge.

To quote my husband, "[I am] one sourdough maniac."

But don't let him fool you; he's been loving it, I promise.

So far, we've enjoyed bread, pancakes, waffles, and pizza crust.  Next up?  English muffins.  But I think that one's going to require a little extra adult support (in regard to the children).

I think I'm finally getting this thing with the starter.   Ever since I got this new starter, it has seemed totally healthy and happy.  Which makes me happy.  I just love seeing it bubble and grow.  Pretty much everything I've made has been a big hit with the family, and I'm having a lot of fun experimenting.  

In case, you're interested, here's a list of the recipes we've tried (and approved!) so far.

1) No-Knead Sourdough Bread.

This recipe is so easy.  It only takes a few ingredients, and it requires absolutely no kneading - just some careful timing.  I don't even have a dutch oven, I just use a heavy ceramic casserole with a lid. It works great! We love this recipe; I make it at least twice a week.   I've even played with the wheat/white flour ratio a bit, and it works great with mostly wheat flour.  

2)  Sourdough Pizza Crust. 

Seriously awesome.  It just requires a little kneading the morning before you want to make your pizza, and the dough is so pleasant and easy to work.  The whole family adored this pizza, it's our new favorite.  And they've always liked the crust I made.  

3)  Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.

An instant hit.

4)  Sourdough Pancakes.

My family has always loved the soaked, whole wheat pancakes I've always made.  I'd also heard a few reports of people not liking the sourer version, so I was very unsure of how these would go over.  However, I was thrilled to discover that everyone loved them.  Every. Single. Person.  Score!

5)  Sourdough Waffles.

We tried these for the first time this week, and they were delicious.  No leftovers whatsoever.  Another great option when I don't have time to soak waffle batter the night before, or just feel like something different.  A definite winner!

Several of these recipes (and more I'm planning to try) came from my friend Wardeh's fabulous website, GNOWFGLINS.  Wardeh has also put together a collection of sourdough recipes: Sourdough A to Z. It's just been bumped up on my list of Books I Want to Buy.  I just know it'd be a boon to anyone dabbling in sourdough.

I hope you enjoyed my list!  And no, I have not yet officially named my starters.  Suggestions are still being taken, so please do share if you'd like.  My darlin' definitely needs a moniker here.  I can't keep referring to her (and her infrequently-used, pale-faced sister) as "Hey you," now, can I?

 

what do you suggest?

Here's the thing:  I want to give my sourdough starter a name.  Don't worry, I haven't gone off the deep end.  It's a done thing, apparently.  I spent an amusing period of time the other night, reading different names people have chosen for their starters.  It was hilarious.  There was a pair of starters named Herman and Lily Munster.  And one guy mentioned a starter which had revived, against all odds, again and again.  Its name? Lazarus.

I thought I'd see if you lovely readers have any suggestions for me.   But please do consider that I tend to think of my starter as a she.  When I croon sweet words as I give it a stir, I see it as a female entity.  After all, starters are always having babies.  Just something to keep in mind...

A few ideas I'm tossing around: Punky, or Punky Brewster.  I am considering keeping a wheat flour starter and a white flour starter, in which case I think Goodness and Mercy, respectively, could be fun.

So, any thoughts?  I'm very open to suggestions.  What do you think would be a good name (or names) for my lovely, bubbly little friend?

And please, don't judge me.  Some people play music to their plants; I talk to my sourdough starter.

sour and sweet

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to bake sourdough bread.

The girl did a little reading.  She found a place where she could get deactivated sourdough starters, and ordered two little packets of dehydrated goodness.  One of them, she opened.  The other one, she tucked away for a rainy day.

But she never had much luck with baking sourdough.  She tried and tried, but the bread never seemed to rise properly.  It tasted okay, but it was very dense.  Then life's business stepped in, and the little starter began to fail.  It didn't thrive.  The girl let it go in the process of packing and moving, and the starter was no more.

Once, the girl was given a fresh starter.  But she was confused by wildly varying instructions, and the starter died.

Fast forward a few years.  The girl developed a new passion for sourdough bread, and bought it regularly.  She began to think of that other deactivated starter, and finally decided to go for it.  She studied up on the stuff.  She took meticulous care of it, following instructions precisely, fretting over whether it's warm enough, getting enough air.  Did it look right?  Was the kitchen too cold?  What was wrong, that it wouldn't perk up properly?

The girl studied and studied.  She felt that she was cramming for a test.  She watched video tutorials, asked people's advice.  Finally, she deduced that she'd neglected the second starter for too long - it was, simply put, too old.

And so, she starts fresh.

A friend has offered to share some of her starter, and she eagerly accepts.  When she brings it home, she vows to take good care of it.  She feeds it regularly (and with great tenderness), learns more about the problems she had in the beginning. At long last, she has a bubbly, healthy, happy sourdough starter.  And there is much rejoicing!

And not long afterward, she pulls this out of the oven:

She swoons.  She is in love.  Her husband is in love too....and they are not just in love with each other...but with the wonder that is sourdough. Great sourdough tastes awfully sweet!