Sourdough Starters!

Even though it is not "officially" Fall yet, I am so in the mood for baking.  So I got a couple of my favorite sourdough starters out of the refrigerator and started feeding them yesterday.  Hopefully, they survived the summer living at the back of my refrigerator!  I love some of the names of the starters - Joshua (I am guessing someone name Joshua created it - this is my most favorite starter!), Family Jewels (hmmm - wonder how that name came about!!), Naples - obviously an Italian starter, Okie is from my good friend Old Camp Cook who lives in Oklahoma.

The starters that I am trying to revive are Joshua and Naples.  So far Joshua is showing signs of life (yeah!!).  I will probably bring my sourdough rye starter out next week.  If Naples doesn't respond, I will throw most of it away except for a tablespoon or two and start from scratch to see if I can revive it.  This is a good example why you should always make "back-ups" of your favorite starters.  I have done this with Joshua.

To Create a Back-up Starter

What you want to do is create a dry starter that you can revive at any time.  You will need parchment paper which you can get at any grocery store or Walmart.  Line a cookie sheet with the parchment paper.  Take about 1/4 cup of starter and dump that on the parchment paper.  Add a little bit of water to the starter to make it slightly runny and smear it all over the parchment paper.  Now put this somewhere to let it dry for the next couple of days.  When it has completely dried, I crumble this up into a blender and pulverize it into a powder.  Put it into a baggie with a label - now you have a back up.  I keep this in my refrigeator so I know where to find it.

To Revive Your Dry Starter

Put one teaspoon of the dry starter in a clean container. Add 4 teaspoons of flour* and 3 teaspoons of  water. I have always used tap water without any problems.  Some believe that you should use Spring Water that you buy in the store.  Your choice.  Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a jar lid with a whole punched in the top.

You will "feed" your starter at 12 hour intervals which means you will take a teaspoon of the starter from the jar and throw away the rest.  I know this seems wasteful.  Add 4 teaspoons of flour* and 3 teaspoons of water to the teaspoon of starter in the jar.

*I use all purpose flour for this.

Do not throw the excess starter down the drain - this is like paste.  I just put it in a baggie and throw in the trash.  Saves on plumbing bills!

Continue doing this until the starter is nice and bubbly, then you can start building up to the quantity you need for your recipe.(i.e, you don't need to throw away the excess starter).

Amish Friendship Bread Starter Revisited

For those of you that followed the thread on the Amish (Herman) Starter . , , you can freeze the starter at any time.  Just take one cup of the starter, get a freezer baggie (label it so you know what it is months from now), pour the one cup of starter into it, and place in the freezer.

When you want to make the bread again.  Just take the baggie out, let it thaw out and start with day one of the instructions by feeding it one cup of flour, one cup of sugar and one cup of milk - easy enough!

Peachy Keen!

Peachy keen, indeed!!  Peaches everywhere!  If you love fresh peaches as I do, now is the time to get them.  At least in Ohio, the peach crop seems to be doing well.  The berry crop didn't do so well.  I think our record breaking rains really took its toll on the berries.  BUT, so far, it looks like the peaches didn't seem to mind. 

This is what I did yesterday with the peaches that I bought!

Peach Jam

Isn't that pretty!  I always love how the peach jam turns out and it is so easy to make!  The hard part is removing the skins and chopping up the peaches.

To remove the skin of the peach, just gently drop the peach in boiling water (be careful not to splash any of the water on your skin - it burns! trust me, I know!!).  After a few moments, pick up the peach with a pair of tongs and put it in ice cold water for a couple of minutes.  The skin should peel off fairly easily.  If it doesn't, repeat the above steps again. 

Here's the recipe . . .

Before I start the recipe, I always put my jars and lids in my hot water bath canner which is usually boiling by now to sterilize them.

Peach Jam -  makes 6 half pint jars

4 cups peeled, pitted and chopped peaches

2 T lemon juice

5 cups sugar

1 box fruit pectin (Sure Jell or something similar)

Place the chopped peaches and lemon juice in a large enough sauce pan.  Measure out exact amount of sugar in separate bowl.

Stir 1 box of fruit pectin into chopped peaches and add 1/2 teaspoon of butter to reduce foaming.

Bring to a full boil.  Add sugar quickly.  Stir to dissolve and return to a full boil.  Boil for exactly one minute.  Remove from heat, skim off any foam.

Fill the jars, secure tops and lids.  Process in hot water bath canner for 10 minutes.

After I made the jam, I still had plenty of peaches left (I bought a huge box of peaches) - major dilemma - what to do with all these peaches??  Hmmmm  Then it hit me . . . PEACH ICE CREAM - OH MY!   I knew there was a reason I bought the Ben and Jerry Ice Cream recipe book!!!

The recipe says you don't have to peel the peaches, but I know my finicky son, so I thought I better.  Here's the recipe - this is from the Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book. 

2 cups chopped peaches (doesn't have to be peeled)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 T lemon juice

2 large eggs

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup milk

Mix the peaches, 1/2 cup sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

After 2 hours, remove the bowl from the refrigerator.  Remove the peaches (place in another bowl) and drain the juice into another bowl.  Put the peaches back in the refrigerator.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy (never really knew what that meant - my eggs never look light and fluffy!!) - just whisk them for1 to 2 minutes.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar a little at a time until it is completely blended.  Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.  Add the peach juice and blend.

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the directions for operating the ice cream maker.

After the ice cream stiffens, add the peaches and process the ice cream for another 5 minutes. 

ENJOY!!!  This makes about a quart of ice cream.

My family gobbled this up.  I will probably have to make more today.

Congo Brownies

I have no clue where the name for these brownies came from.  Certainly brings up images of Africa and you would think these would have some wild, exotic taste.  Sorry to disappoint you, but they are basically just chocolate chip brownies.  BUT, what chocolate chip brownies!!  These have to be the BEST chocolate chip brownies you will ever have tasted!

I believe I got this recipe from the Bakerella website.  Her recipe calls for using the regular chocolate chips.  I use the mini chocolate chips.  My family likes my version better.  Try them both ways - make a batch using the regular chocolate chips and another using the mini and see which one you prefer - it doesn't affect the taste at all.  For a variation, substitute either the butterscotch or peanut butter chips - YUM!!

The recipe states that you need to hand mix this.  I have never used my Kitchen Aid mixer for it.  Can't see how that would make any difference.  Someday I will throw caution to the wind and make the brownies with a mixer and see what happens!  Anyway, here is the recipe . . .

Congo Brownies
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened (I always use unsalted!)
1 lb. light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
11.5 ounce package milk chocolate chips (See note above!)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together. - (I always use a fork, helps to mash eveything together better).

Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg.

Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.

Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

Enjoy!!  Really good with a scoop of ice cream!

Amish Friendship Bread Starter - Day 10

If you have been following along with the Amish Friendship Bread, we are now at Day10 - YEAH!  No more squishing baggies.  The days of "hard work" have finally come to an end and you can finally enjoy the "fruits" of your labor.  Today we bake!!

First, you will feed your baggie or container once last time and then divide it up into four cups.  One to use today to make bread, one cup for you to start feeding again for your self and the two remaining to give to friends.

Here is the orginial recipe that comes with your starter:

Amish Frienship Bread
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour

I usually sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of my loaves and I also add chopped and peeled apples - makes a wonderful breakfast bread.

VARIATIONS:
Another variation that works out wonderfully is Lemon Poppy Seed muffins.  Use 2 small packages of lemon instant pudding and add 1/4 cup of poppy seeds (eliminate the vanilla pudding, cinnamon and the nuts).  I bake these in a very small muffin pan for about 20 - 25 minutes.

Another variation . . . Instead of using two loaf pans,  bake it in a bundt pan. Instead of the vanilla pudding, use chocolate instant pudding, and add pecans, chocolate chips and coconut.

For Banana bread, substitute banana cream pudding and a mashed banana.

The possibilities are endless.  Try a couple of these variations or experiment with your own concoctions to see what you can come up with.  I've also found some other recipes using the starter for other things besides the bread.  Stay tuned for more adventures!

Container Gardening

Now what has this got to do with baking, you ask??  Alot, I answer!   About the only thing that is doing really well in my gardens this year seems to be my herbs.  And it is so nice to be able to scurry out to my gardens (you don't walk out there in this heat - you scurry really fast!) and be able to pick a bunch of fresh herbs to be used in whatever you are cooking or baking.  The great thing about growing herbs and vegetables is that you don't have to live on a huge farm to do this.  Almost all of these can be grown in containers (or pots) - so those of you living in apartments or with small yards - have no fear - you, too, can enjoy the fruits of your own labor!!

I found this wonderful book at the library and, eventually, went out and bought my own copy.  It is called The Boutiful Container written by McGee and Stuckey.  Everything you ever wanted to know about container gardening and it also has some great recipes, too.  And, no, I do not get any kick backs for endorsing this book - don't know the ladies that wrote it - just think it is a neat book.

Anyway, what made me think about gardening, etc.  I recently read an article about a pizza restaurant I believe that is located in New York somewhere that had a really great idea.  Right next to the restaurant, the owner is growing a garden loaded with all sorts of tomatoes, onions, every type of pepper imaginable, etc.  When someone wants to order a pizza, they go out to the garden and pick what they want on the pizza, what a great idea is that!!  Talk about using local products!  How much more local can that be!  Of course, that would only work during the warm months.  What a neat idea, though!

Back to the container gardening . . . can you imagine using fresh herbs in your baking and cooking?  You would be surprised at the difference!  Give it try - start out with one of your favorite herbs like basil or oregano and maybe a pepper plant and see how that works out.  If you can't find anything in the stores, you can always order seeds on-line.

Have fun and enjoy your new gardening adaventure (oh my, do I see a new blog??)

A New Adventure - Amish Friendship Bread or Herman Starter

I am sure at one time in your life a friend or acquaintance has given you a baggie filled with a nondistinquishable substance in it with a piece of paper attached and told you this is used to make Amish Friendship Bread (sort of a bread chain letter).  You are supposed to do nothing for 4 days except squish the baggie, feed on day 5 and continue squishing the baggie until day 10.  Then you follow the recipe attached and you make Amish Friendship Bread.  And you have enough extra dough to give to your friends so they, too, can squish and make Amish Friendship Bread.  Sound familiar?  Little did you know that what you were really doing is making sourdough bread - SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!  What that dough is really known as is Herman Starter.

Just in case you never did receive such a baggie, here is the recipe to create the "Amish Friendship Bread" starter or Herman starter.  In this recipe they use a plastic container, you can use a baggie if you prefer.  Also, you use a wooden spoon, do not use metal!!!

Amish Friendship Bread Starter (aka Herman Starter)

Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 cups white sugar, divided
3 cups milk

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.
In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.

On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. (or squish baggie)
Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
Days 6 thru 9; stir only. (again you can squish baggie)

Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe.
Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with Day 2).


Here is the basic recipe that comes along with the Amish Friendship Bread starter:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour

NOTE:  I always sprinkle the tops of the loaves with cinnamon sugar - adds a lot to the bread! 

This bread is wonderful for breakfast!!

I thought it would be interesting to explore the Herman Starter a bit and look at what you can do with it besides the Amish Friendship bread.

So if you are going to follow along on this adventure.  Today is Day 1 - we will combine the packet of yeast with the 1/4 cup of warm water (let that sit for about 10 minutes).  Mix the dry ingredients (one cup each  sugar and the flour).  After 10 minutes, you will slowly add the milk and the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.  Cover them or close the baggie - keep at room temperature.  Days 2 through 4 you will stir or squeeze the baggie.

Have fun!