Sourdough Adventures IV

Sourdough Tortillas

Sourdough tortillas are so easy to make!  Just follow the basic sourdough recipe and roll out little balls of dough into flat, round sheets and gently brown each side on a skillet. 

I made delicious quesadillas with these tortillas: just add a little grated cheese, sliced tomatoes, celery, broccoli, zucchini, herbs, anything! 



 

Sourdough Adventures: BASICS

This is the basic recipe I use for all my bread.  Yields 1 medium loaf.
 

Ingredients:
3+ cups flour
1 cup kefir (or water)
1 tbsp amazake  (or yogurt)
Dash salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oil


*If you choose to use water or yogurt, the dough may not rise very well.  You may add 1 tsp of baker's yeast to help.



Directions:
1. Mix together 2 cups of flour, 1 cup kefir, 1 tbsp amazake in a bowl, then cover and let it ferment in a warm place for 24 hours.
2. Add the salt, sugar, and oil.  Mix and knead in the remaining 1 cup of flour.  Knead for 10 minutes. 
3. Cover and let the dough sit in a warm place until double in bulk, around 2-3 hours.
4. Punch down the dough and transfer to a loaf pan lined with parchment.  Cover and let the dough sit in a warm place until double in bulk, around 2-3 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Bake loaf for 45-50 minutes.  You may need to reduce the heat down to 300 F  after 30 minutes to prevent burning on the surface.
6. When ready, flip your bread out onto a cooling rack.  To test for doneness, tap the bottom of the loaf with your finger and if it sounds hollow, it is done.  Let the loaf cool before slicing.

Sourdough Adventures IV

Pita Bread/Hamburger Buns


Pita Bread is so easy to make!  All you have to do is flatten little balls of dough into round circles and bake!  To make hamburger buns, just make them slightly less flattened and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Crispy Kale Chips

Fresh, organic, home-grown kale...perfect for crispy kale chips.  They are a wonderful alternative to deep-fried potato chips and definitely a fun way to eat your chlorophyll! 

Ingredients:

20 large kale leaves

1 apple

1 bell pepper

1/2 cup cashews 

2 cloves garlic

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 tbsp soy sauce

dash pepper

Method:

1. Remove the stems of the kale leaves and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

2. Peel and core the apple and remove the seeds of the bell pepper.  Add to food processor with the rest of the ingredients (excluding kale) until desired consistency (I prefer to puree it).

3. Toss the kale with the "dressing" and arrange onto dehydrator trays.

4. Dehydrate until kale chips are dry and crispy.

Variations: add your favorite herbs and spices and experiment with different greens- swiss chard and broccoli greens are delicious!

Sourdough Adventures III

Delicious Dill Rolls

My sourdough rolls turned out successful with a soft, moist texture complemented by the unique aroma of dill.  Once again I used my favorite starter containing koji and kefir bacterial/yeast strains, and allowed the sponge to ferment 24 hours before the first and second risings, which took 2 hours each. 

Dehydrated Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a very nutritious vegetable but due to its intense sour flavor many people dislike it, and the only way they know how to eat it is inside sugar-laden strawberry rhubarb pie.  

To make gorgeous rhubarb "ribbons", simply slice the rhubarb stalks thinly and throw them into the dehydrator until completely dry.  

After dehydrating I like to cut them up into tiny bits and add them to my cereal/granola for mild tartness.  It can be substituted into recipes for dried fruits but you may need to add more sugar to the recipe to counter the sourness.    

Curry Chickpea Cookies: Wheat-free!

These savory cookies are fermented overnight before baking to make the chickpeas more digestible.  I threw in some chopped fresh spinach to add some nutrition, but just add whatever you have on hand because these cookies are delectable and versatile!  I didn't really measure everything but here is the basic recipe, so adjust the ingredients according to your needs.  Substitute in almonds or other nuts for the sunflower seeds, and feel free to be creative and add cooked potatoes, grated carrots, peas, and anything you desire!

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour

1/2 cup of kefir (or liquid culture)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1 egg

3 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup chopped spinach

Makes 12 cookies.

Directions:

1. Combine first 2 ingredients and ferment overnight.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

3. Spoon cookie batter onto a baking sheet into twelve mounds.

4. Bake at 325 F for 15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.