Sourdough

All of my lovely blogging friends, many people I know in real life have been asking for this post. So this is for them. But if you so desire, this post may be for you, too. 

Because everyone deserves to enjoy sourdough.

In fact, all lovers of sourdough, this post is for you!

Everyone else can go starve. 

Story Time

Many of you may know that I lived in Tennessee for sometime, doing office work for a ministry called Above Rubies. Mrs Campbell, the woman I worked for and lived with, made the most delicious sourdough I ever had. I decided I wanted to learn to make it just as well - I had previously tried, following the THM recipe, but I couldn't get my starter to turn out. 

Living and watching Mrs Campbell, everything made much more sense than the book. And so when she went away on a trip and she asked me to take care of the sourdough I was excited for the opportunity!  
I knew what to do and everything was going well - until I got it in the oven and it burned black all the way through. I was multi-tasking, cleaning and baking, and I guess I plain forgot the bread once I shut the oven. 
I was upset, but I finished up that bread, then tried once again. 
The second time went well, too. Until . . . guess what? I forgot it again. In the oven. Though it burned black only part way through this time, it still burned horribly. 

You'd think I wouldn't have even wanted to try again. But I was determined that I would make good sourdough bread. I was quite stubborn about it, actually ;) 

Also, I had just attended a sermon with the Campbells. It was about three water wells Isaac dug in Genesis 26:18-22. He dug a well, but there was strife as others fought over what he had made. He moved on and dug another well. And here again was strife once more. So he continued on and he dug a third well and there was peace at last. The lesson was sometimes we don't succeed the first time, but that doesn't mean there's not something to learn from those first two "wells" or that we shouldn't keep on building wells.  

Mrs Campbell was hesitant letting me make bread again, but I argued, "This third try will be my peaceful well". 

And it was! 

And has been ever since. When I left Tennessee she gave me some starter and I've been making amazing sourdough for the last two years. 

Here is a tutorial video I made, with the help of my sister, Jerushah.

Let's Make Sourdough! 

You'll need: 
Sourdough starter (rye flour and water that has sat and caught the yeast from the air)
Rye flour
Kamut or spelt flour - I prefer kamut
Pink Himalayan salt
Water
Coconut oil to oil pans

Bread pans (I use large casserole dishes, then cut the bread into loaves)
Glass jar for measuring water
Measuring utensils
Plastic or wooden spatulas
Metal stirring spoon

Never put metal into your sourdough starter. I recently read that "metal touching sourdough kills it" is really a myth. But . . . I'm still going with it. Once you have mixed the starter into your flour mixture it's O.K. to use metal, but I never use metal in the bowl that grows the starter. 
Metal is alright: for mixing the dough (metal pan or metal spoon) or baking in (metal baking dish). 

If you'd like me to send you some sourdough starter or bread already made email me at keturahskorner(at)gmail(dot)com and see if  I have any extra to send you. I'll charge just a little for supplies and shipping.  

What you do:
 I grind my kamut flour, filling the holding compartment twice.
I fill my pan almost 1/3 full of rye flour. I add the kamut flour. This fills the pan just over half full of flour. I use at least three tablespoons of salt. 
I mix that altogether, then pour in my sourdough starter, using a wooden or plastic spatula to pour the starter into my flour mixture. I leave about half a cup of starter in the bowl, change into a new glass or plastic bowl, and cover it and put it away to begin growing more starter.
I add several quarts of water. I stir with a sturdy metal spoon, adding water as needed. Eventually it becomes too hard to use a spoon so I stir with my clean hands. They don't stay clean long. 
Once it's done it looks like thick, smooth slop ;D
Pour bread into greased baking dishes. 
Wash your hands, then use water and smooth the top of your bread.
Cover and let set for 8-10 hours. I prefer 10 hours. I've noticed it's lighter when it sits just a bit longer. 
Then I bake for about an hour at 350.
You should stick in a knife and it will come out mostly clean. 
Let cool for a few moments.
Tastes great hot!

Eat:
I love to fry it in butter or coconut oil with my eggs. I like it with plain peanut butter. I love it toasted. I like it on top of my plain Greek yogurt drenched with real maple syrup. It makes great egg-avocado sandwiches. 
Also - I've ate it with white cheese and peanut butter. Most people think that last one is a bit weird.

Pictures: 

Grinding the kamut

Kamut is like huge translucent grains of rice. 

Tip: Cover the grinder with a towel and flour won't fly out of the vents all over the kitchen ;) 

Almost looks like cornmeal ;)

Supplies

Sourdough starter - it's natural for it to form a "nasty" crust around the edge. Sometimes I use some of the crust if I can scrape it off and it doesn't look too moldy.

Dry ingredients

Pink salt

White, Yellow, Pink

Make it wet

Add starter to flour, using wood or plastic

Stir (you can use metal here). . .

. . . Add water . . . 

. . . keep adding water 'till you get this glob of gooey goodness

Pouring in pans

Almost looks like the porridge they eat at the beginning of Oliver! It falls in heavy, so I often have to use a measuring cup to transfer the dough into the pans.

Looks rough when you first pour it in . . . 

. . . So smooth the top with clean, WET hands, splashing water generously on top of the bread

And then it looks so nice and smooth!

Baked

Cut into loaves

Love the bread with a selfie

Cut and enjoy!

And that is what I live off! Seriously, I eat so much of this stuff and little else. 

I will admit I didn't LOVE this stuff right away, though I've always liked it. It does take time to get used to it as it's really sour. 

And some people really LOVE it or HATE it. 

Which kind of person are you or do you think you are? Would you like to try some? Will you make it?