Fun with Sourdough

You mean there's bugs in here?

Yes! Meet the invisible world of yeast and bacteria!

I had never baked my own bread before O came along. During his toddlerhood, when he and I had nothing but time, we began experimenting in the kitchen. Before I knew it, a friend of the family (Carol Kenney) offered to teach me about baking with sourdough. Carol first wooed our family by delivering loaf after loaf of flavorful sourdough bread. Her long-lasting, hearty loaves seemed to complement every meal we made- whether it was eggs, soup or pasta. We could not get enough. And, we didn't even realize how healthful it was!

Under Carol's tutelage, we keep learning more about sourdough. This morning, we used "sourdough starter" to make pancakes. If you don't have a "sourdough starter" connection, you can make your own sourdough starter or order a packaged sourdough starter mix.

Sourdough Pancakes
adapted from http://whatscookingamerica.net/
serves 4
1 C sourdough starter, room temperature
1 C whole wheat flour
1 T honey or sugar
1 egg
2 T melted butter or organic coconut oil
1/4 t salt
1/4 C milk
1/2 t baking soda
1 T warm water

The day before, feed the sourdough starter with flour and water. Watch it grow.

Mix Sourdough Starter with all ingredients except baking soda/water.

Using an electric mixer helps since starter can be gloppy/tough. Heat your griddle. Fold in baking soda/water just before cooking.

Our sourdough pancakes were gorgeous tasting-- light and melting in our mouths. 

Why sourdough?
Besides being delicious, sourdough is practically a superfood. Some health benefits of cooking with sourdough include:
-enabling the body to absorb its vital minerals like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.
-a slowed rate at which carbohydrates enter the bloodsteam, helping to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes. note: If you want to dramatically reduce the blood sugar effect of pancakes, you could allow the ingredients (before adding the baking soda) overnight.
-through its fermentation, nutrients like B12 arise.

Much more about on this on our guru-friend, Carol Kenney's website, Pathways For Health.

To learn even more about sourdough, please visit Carol's friend, Ellen Arian's gorgeous new sourdough-instructional blog.

We have also used our sourdough starter to make . . .

Sourdough Blueberry Breakfast Bread

Despite being made with whole wheat flour and date sugar, O 

got confused about the name and kept calling it candy cake!
Who am I to correct him?

Our First-Ever Loaf of Sourdough Bread

Carol says, "No matter how it looks, it always tastes amazing." We agree!