Warm, Crusty Bread...A Little Slice Of Home

  Warm, crusty breads have always been a favorite of mine.  Their texture and taste remind me of the homemade loaves warm from the oven back on the farm.  Then, the thick slices were used to sop up gravy or syrup depending on the meal.  This is a far cry from the fancy-smancy "herbed oils"  (and I am teasing there.  I love the herbed oils!) used for dipping and, guess what...our way tasted better.  What is the point in eating more oils?  Nope...slather a bit of home-churned butter on the slab of bread and dunk it in some fresh made sugarcane syrup and things are right with the world.  Maybe that is what is wrong nowadays, folks have forgotten the down home goodness of things.

  Today was a rainy, rainy day.  There was not much use in trying to escape the confines of the Little Bayou House so my thoughts turned to baking.  Since it had been a while since I made sourdough bread, I figured today would be a good day to experiment.  A crusty seeded bread sounded right nice but nary a recipe could be recalled at the moment.  When that happens, I just start tossing things in the mixing bowl and hope for the best.  

  The sourdough starter was at its prime this morning so things were easy.  A little of this, a little of that and a good bit of resting time and the dough was ready for the oven.  I am pleased to say that it turned out really well.  My expectations were met.  I sat, ate a slice of warm bread and reminisced about times back on the farm.  The only thing lacking was that cane syrup and I think I have a smidgen of that left from a jar my cousin gave to me.  The second slice will definitely taste like home.

  In a few days, I will try to repeat the bread-making process and, this time, write down the recipe.  I have a tendency to plop things in a bowl with no measurements so I cannot pass this recipe on to you just yet.  Hopefully in a few days, I can tweak it to perfection because this is just too good not to share.  Crunchy, crusty on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside.  Plus!  It is full of flavor!  Perfect for down home style dipping....or, if it is to your liking...herbed oil dipping.  Whatever suits your taste.

Oh, how I have missed you!

  They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.   I can attest that it is true.  Being apart does, indeed, make a love stronger.  The yearning for togetherness is hard.  Then, when the separation is over, joy takes over again!  I know...been there and done that...I have missed you, dear bottle of sourdough starter!  You should have never left me but I am glad that you are back where you belong.  Life is good.  

  For years and years, a bottle of sourdough starter sat on the counter bubbling its way into my heart.  Breads of all sorts endeared themselves to me by sating the hunger pangs and, well, just tasting so delicious!  On one trip to Georgia to see the  Grandlittles, the starter up and died.  "Feed and take out the dog.  Feed and let the cat out.  Water the plants."  Such instructions were handed to Son when we walked out the door but not one mention was made to "Feed the sourdough starter."  The thing literally starved to death!  When we returned, I tried my best to revive the bottle of baking goodness but nothing happened.  I fed the starter but it was in vain.  Poor starter was dead.  Gone.  Kaput!  Never to be bubbly again.

  With all else I have been doing lately, I had forgotten all about sourdough bread until this morning. With our first cold front of the season putting a nice chill on the Bayou, I wanted to bake. On, my goodness!  Sourdough/cheese biscuits would be a delightful breakfast.  Oops!  Having no sourdough starter put a nix on that idea.  

  So, there was nothing else to do but mix together a new batch of starter.  Of course, I will have to wait for about ten days before the stuff is ready to be used, but, at least, I will have it when I wish to bake.  As soon as I covered the already bubbling jar, I had a request for a "start" of starter!  Yep.  I am willing to share.  Yep.  It is a good idea to share since this stuff will multiply exponentially if you do not bake every other day or so.  Yep.  I missed you, sourdough starter!  I am glad to have you back.

Summer Daze..

I was in one of those"do-nothing" moods today so I did just that..nothing! Well, other than the daily chores that are a necessity and personally..I could have ignored those chores if my stomach did not tell me that it was time to eat! So I cooked, cleaned the kitchen and then remembered that I needed to feed the sourdough starter. I pulled it out of the frig and eyed it cautiously. With all of the canning, gardening and yardwork, I had neglected the starter. It sort of had a weird crusty topping on it but once I removed that, I came to the decision that it is difficult to kill this stuff. There, under the crust, was the perfectly wonderful starter. I poured all four jars of the goop into two large bowls and gave the jars a good cleaning. The heavy aroma of the yeast soon filled the kitchen and started the brain thinking of just what should be baked! ....But like I said, I was in a "do-nothing" sort of mood. I did not bake. I promised Son that tomorrow morning I would bake him some bacon/cheese muffins, though! (Just a thought here..someone should consider researching sourdough starter as a possible fuel! This stuff grows tremendously and gives off "gas" so I am thinking that it should be classified as a renewable resource that could save the World...or it should be classified as a possible terror threat as it seems bent on taking over the World one jar at a time! I started out with just two cups and now have nearly three gallons of the stuff even though I bake a lot!)

A bit later in my lazy day, Ezzy, Knox and Shelby joined me for a walk around the yard, Actually, Knox and Shelby flew being as they are birds! We started in the tomato patch picking whatever remnant fruit was left on the dying plants. Knox and Shelby thought this was intriguing. They bounced from one plant to another tasting each and every tomato. I had to hurry to pick any I wanted for the supper table! As we meandered through the paths, I started noticing just how bad this drought really is. We have not had a decent rain since the first week in April. Now, it is starting to show on the plants. Despite my constant watering, the gardens are dead. It is not surprising to me that the tomatoes and squash have perished but when I came across the Golden Rain Tree and realized that it has met its demise, I gasped. The effects of the drought hit me..this lack of rain is not good..not good at all. The grass is brown and crispy, one oak tree has died already and even the Purple Basil in a flower pot is wilted flat and I water that thing every day! I think the gardening is over until Fall. Well, maybe it was just meant to be and there is nothing I can do to change the weather! I will just have to find something else to fill the void until Fall! Fishing, crabbing and shrimping will keep me busy if it does not get so hot that I cannot be on the pier. Then there are the gourds to be made into lamps...and furniture that needs refurbishing...and I guess I could get back to work cleaning that sewing room that ummm..well..I started and never finished. Nah..it won't get too hot to fish...I think I will stick with that!

Sourdough Bacon/Cheese Muffins!

Today started out with the most wonderful sunrise imaginable! I awoke early and peered out the window to see the sky starting to redden in the East so I jumped out of bed and headed to the pier. This being done without even my first cup of coffee! Ezzy, the dog, and I were able to get settled on the bench to watch the full sunrise! Until..she spotted a raccoon on the edge of the marsh..then it was all I could do to keep her from jumping in the mud after him! After a good hour on the pier embracing the new day, I headed to the kitchen to find some sort of breakfast! With the coffee pot brewing, I whipped up some sourdough muffins! Oh my! Did my kitchen ever smell divine!!!!

Sourdough Bacon/Cheese Muffins

3 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 eggs (beaten)

1 cup sourdough starter

1 1/2 cup milk

2/3 cup vegetable oil

bacon 8 to 10 slices fried and crumbled***note~I substitute 1 cup of Hormel Bacon Pieces for the actual bacon and it works great!***

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease muffin pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. To this add the shredded cheese and bacon pieces..stir well. In a medium size bowl, stir together the eggs, starter, milk and oil. Pour this into the dry ingredients and stir until blended.

Fill the greased muffin cups about 3/4 full of the batter. Bake on center rack of oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan immediately as these have a tendency to stick if allowed to cool in the pan. Serve warm.

This will make about twenty-four muffins! Just as an added note..any leftover muffins taste great with Tomato Soup for lunch!

Sourdough Again!

I told you before that I think there is an invasion occurring right under our noses. Sourdough is surely taking over the world! I am not talking about the use of sourdough in making bread becoming more popular..I am saying literally that sourdough is taking over the world! I started out with a mere cupful of starter about two years ago and now this has multiplied into a monstrous quantity. Despite my efforts to make bread at least once a week (usually twice a week) and despite giving away copious amounts of the stuff, I still am being overwhelmed. I know that by feeding and caring for it, the starter grows but come on..get real!! This stuff has an extreme growth disorder! Obesity of the Fungi Kingdom! What started out in a quart jar has taken over three gallon jars! I am running out of jars! True, the jars are just a little over half full but you have to allow room for the yeast to expand after feeding it. And also true, I could just throw some away but then I would have guilt attacks about wasting something and even about killing something. Sourdough starters and sponges have names..it is almost a requirement to name your new "friend". I think this began as a way to make people feel a bit more responsible about feeding and caring for it. Anyone would feel a tad bit guilty about neglecting a named entity..right? Anyway..Ham, Karol and now the offspring, Annabel keep eating and growing. Taking over my kitchen first, then moving on to conquer the world. Watch out..I am warning everyone..sourdough will soon rule!

In an effort to control this usurpation by sourdough, I baked again today. This time the delicious treat is:

Pineapple Upside-down Spice Cake

1/2 cup sourdough starter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup real butter (grated)

1/2 cup butter (not grated)*

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1 egg (beaten)

4 cups crushed pineapple..drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the 1/2 cup of "not grated" butter in a 9x13 inch bake pan. Set the pan in the oven to melt the butter.

In a large mixing bowl, mix (grated) butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir in starter, egg and milk, mix well. Fold in flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Last, stir in 1 cup of pineapple. Set aside.

In the bake pan of melted butter, evenly spread the remaining 3 cups of pineapple. Pour the batter carefully over top of pineapple. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tests done by spring test.

Try this cake on some rainy afternoon like it was here..it is one of those "feel-good" treats. Hope you enjoy this one!

Fruit-filled Sourdough Braid

I know most of the recipes that I post are for sourdough bread of some type. This is just because when you have sourdough starter, you must take care of it. You feed it, keep it warm and even name it (at least, some of us do! I have two jars of dough, "Ham" and "Karol"). Invariably, when you feed something, it grows..and grows..and grows. Unless you use it, sourdough soon outgrows its container. This makes it almost mandatory that you bake frequently.

This is another recipe that is easy but also very tasty. I have a penchant for anything fruit-filled, so this will probably be baked quite often. In these, I used peaches from the garden. I hope you enjoy it!

Fruit-filled Sourdough Braid

1/2 cup butter

4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sourdough starter

1/2 cup milk or water (enough to make a pliable dough)

fruit filling

Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Chop in butter. Add sourdough starter and milk (a little at a time) and stir until a well blended dough is formed. Separate dough into two pieces and place one on well floured board. Roll out dough until 1/4 inch thick, shaping it as much as possible into a rectangle.

Spoon filling down the middle third of the dough. Slice the dough into 1 inch strips on either side of the filling. Fold strips alternately across the filling to form a "braid". Tuck the ends under the braid and place on well-greased bake pan. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let rise for several hours in a warm, draft-free place.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Fruit filling~you can use any canned fruit pie filling that you prefer. Jams and fruit preserves work well, too. To use fresh fruit or berries, place 4 cups sliced, pitted fruit (or berries) in a large pot, add 1 cup (or to taste) sugar. Stir 3 tablespoons cornstarch in 1/2 cup cold water and mix into fruit. Cook on low heat until bubbly, cool.

I apologize for not having a "finished" picture of the braids but as soon as they came out of the oven, my son and two brothers devoured them! I guess that is at least a testimony of the tastiness of this bread! Bake on!!!

Sourdough Carrot/Pineapple Cake

Sourdough Carrot/Pineapple Cake

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter

1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

2 cups grated raw carrots

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

3 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, combine oil, sugar, starter, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Fold in pineapple, carrots and pecans.

In separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring just enough to blend.

Spoon batter into well-greased and floured 12x15 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until testing done with spring touch test. Cool before adding frosting.

Cream cheese frosting

4 oz block cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup butter (softened)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Cream together butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Stir in sugar and ground ginger adding just enough milk to make frosting of drizzling consistency. Once cake is cooled, drizzle frosting over top.

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Dough: 1 cup sourdough starter

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose or bread flour

Lightly beat the eggs: add butter, sugar, salt and vanilla. Cream together until well blended. Stir in 1/2 of the flour, mixing well. Add the starter and the rest of the flour, stirring to form a stiff dough. Turn out on floured surface and knead for just a few minutes. Place in a large, well-oiled bowl and turn dough to lightly oil the surface. Cover, place in a warm, draft-free spot to let rise until doubled in size.

Filling: 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/4 cup butter (melted)

1 cup rum-soaked raisins (drained)

In a small bowl, mix together sugars and cinnamon. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until about 1/2 inch thick. Brush with melted butter leaving a one inch strip along on edge unbuttered. (This is to seal the dough once rolled.) Sprinkle with the sugar mixture and dot with the raisins. Starting at one end of dough (opposite of unbuttered end), roll up until reaching unbuttered edge. Slightly moisten the edge with water and seal the roll closed. With a sharp knife, slice the roll in to 2 inch thick slices. Place these slices cut side down in a well greased 12x12 inch pan. Drizzle the tops with any left over melted butter and let rise until doubled in size. This can take up to 8 hours depending on the temperature. Set the pans in a cool oven, turn oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until puffy and golden. (Do not preheat oven.) Let cool for a few minutes and glaze.

Glaze: 1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

juice of one lemon

finely grated peel of one lemon

Mix together all glaze ingredients adding more sugar if needed to make a glaze that will easily drip from the spoon. Drizzle over the warm rolls and serve.

Note: I rolled my dough and did not cut it into 2 inch pieces. I left it in loaf form and just baked it for ten minutes longer. After baking, I sliced it and then drizzled it with the glaze. It worked just as well.

Never trust sourdough!

To begin with, let me say that I have been making sourdough bread for quite some time. My "starter" is named "Ham" and has served me extremely well, always producing the most tasty treats. Anyone that deals with sourdough knows that you have to feed your starter on a regular basis to keep it active. Monday evening, I fed Ham and left it on the kitchen table so it could do its thing. Big mistake! Tuesday morning, I awoke to an overactive sourdough! It had risen to the top of the gallon jug and spilled down the sides covering a huge part of the table! Sourdough starter everywhere, happily bubbling as if rejoicing at its escape. Or perhaps this sourdough was evilly plotting to take over the world one table at a time starting with mine. Either way, I had a gigantic mess! After a serious cleanup, I mixed up a batch of cinnamon/raisin bread dough to start a slow rise on the back of the stove. This particular recipe calls for one rising before making in to the loaves and then a slow, overnight rise in loaf form. This morning at 6Am, I popped it in the oven and a wonderful aroma filled the kitchen. The incident of the morning before was now forgotten and Ham was forgiven!