Skip to main content

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? 

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Awesome! Do you or anyone in your family make it?

      Delete
    2. I've never made it myself, but after seeing this I want to!

      Delete
  2. I make sourdough. Mine is mostly wheat with a little bit of rye, and I have used spelt. I'd probably eat your bread, but I don't think my brothers (except for one) or my dad would. Not regularly at least. And they eat more bread than I do, so I try to keep them happy with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, I get you with needing to make it so everyone likes it. I've made it with wheat before, and it's good, but not the same. Many of my siblings like this, but a lot of them don't. So they eat the other bread :) I give a lot away to people I work for :)

      Delete
  3. Great post! I use to make bread for my family, it wasn't sourdough, just whole wheat but I had a really hard time because the weather always seemed to affect the outcome, especially the rising. I imagine that sourdough is harder though, especially without a bread machine and just an oven. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In some ways it's actually easier, though it's more time consuming :) I've never used a bread machine, but I've seen it used and it looks so horrible, lol ;) Weather does affect baking! It's fun to learn how to work around that.

      Delete
  4. My dad loves sourdough, so I might have to make this for him at some point! Great post! I always love it when people post recipes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that's so neat! If you do make it let me know how it turns out and how you all like it!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Living Like The Amish: Interviews With Three "English" Families PART I

Many people are obsessed with the Amish. I know at one time I was as well, and to a degree I still am. But my perception  has changed with experience. It started a long time ago when my family went to an Amish-held auction (no, it's not a place where you can buy Amish children, but a place where you can buy things from the Amish). I was eleven years old and enthralled to be surrounded by so many Amish. I loved the cockscomb flowers they sold everywhere. I bought a whole box for $2 and dried them for seeds so I could plant my own. But then I experienced my first reality shock concerning the Amish. I had assumed since they lived a simpler life everything about them was completely old-fashioned and natural. Imagine my horror when I saw Amish walking around with soda cans and store-bought ice cream. " Mom ," I said. "He's drinking soda!"  Left to right, back row: Jonny, Jonathan (Dad). Front row: Jacob, Keturah, Rebekah (Mom), Jonah (on Mom's

How Bad Can I Be?: Lyrics That Make You Go "Wow!"

How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturally How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just following my destiny How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturally How ba-a-a-ad can I be? How bad can I possibly be? Well, there's a principal of nature (principal of nature) That almost every creature knows Called survival of the fittest (survival of the fittest) And check it this is how it goes The animal that is has got to scratch and bite and claw and bite and punch And the animal that doesn't (well the animal that doesn't) winds up Someone else's lu-lu-lu-lu-unch! (I'm just saying') How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturally How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just following my destiny How ba-a-a-ad can I be? I'm just doin' what comes naturally How ba-a-a-ad can I be? How bad can I possibly be? Well, there's a principal of business (principal of b

Peace During Patience

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” - Philippians 4:6 My family and I were sitting around the breakfast table several months ago. Mom had just read this verse. One of the kids laughed incredulously, “What is it saying? Be careful for nothing – live recklessly?” “No,” I answered quickly. My tone was very matter-of-fact, blunt, as if I were all-knowing. “It means do not worry.” The kids all nodded among themselves and life continued on for them. But for me life paused at my words. I had heard this verse soooooooo many times. I had always known what it meant. But now? Now it really meant something . “Do not worry.” This path I've chosen. I can not see it. I can not feel it. I do not know where I am. I have chosen to follow God, and no other. But why did He hide the light from my eyes? I must take a step forward. But I do not want to. How long w

Inside The Land Of The Free

Hello. My name is Greg.  I have a lot of time to think. Too much time. Sometimes I think about my life - why I am sitting in prison. I wonder what I could have done different - my life plays before my eyes. "If only..." But even I know that no amount of good works would have stopped tyranny from finding fault with me. It is cold. My clothes are thin. My stomach is empty - occasionally filled with food of no sustenance.  I hide my face in my knees - as if that will somehow protect me from the horrors of this dark cold dungeon.  They keep it cold to freeze me, this I know. It is a part of their game - to drive a lesson into me. As if I have a lesson to learn solely because I was convicted. Convicted, but not  guilty. Years.  68 years for standing against injustice. How many years have I sat in here? I have forgot. All I know is this question, "Was I fated for this? Did God grant my birth