heartland Renaissance

Polish Cottage Rye Sourdough Bread

Nov 082010

I have a confession to make. The primary reason for building a rye sourdough this year was purely and entirely selfish.

I wanted a sandwich.

A good one. A good pastrami sandwich with some homemade sauerkraut and spicy mustard.

My dad cures his own pastrami. Makes his own spice rub, allows it to season/dry-age for several days in the rub, then smokes it for several hours. Oh, and did I mention? I love pastrami.

I made a deal with him that if he made a new batch of his pastrami to be ready when we arrived to visit in Colorado a few weeks ago, I would bring a German rye sourdough and bake him fresh bread to go with it.

And this Polish Cottage Rye Sourdough bread didn’t disappoint . . .

November 8, 2010 Posted by Heartland Renaissance Autumn, Baking, Sourdough Sourdough 10 Responses »

Sourdough Crepes

Jan 202010

Reason #214 to maintain sourdough starter.

Because when you run out of bread . . . and tortillas . .. and your toddler requests peanut butter sandwiches or quesadillas for lunch (basic toddler fare), you can make sourdough crepes (crepes instead of pancakes, because we didn’t want syrup for lunch), fill them with cheese or peanut butter (or any other leftovers or jam you like), and then later, when someone asked what you made for him and you mention that you made him crepes (?!?!) they think you’re a crazy gourmand.

They don’t realize how easy these things really are.

January 20, 2010 Posted by Heartland Renaissance Breakfast, Sourdough Recipes from Chef Sarah's kitchen, Sourdough 19 Responses »

The Definitive Guide to Sourdough . . . according to me.

Jan 052010

The Definitive Guide to Sourdough . . . according to me.

Sourdough Do’s and Don’ts.
Tips and Tricks.

And that, “According to me” part? That’s my disclaimer. Who am I? A home baker. A mama – of two boys and a jar (okay, three) of sourdough starter. A sourdough mama who likes to read professional cookbooks and better baker blogs than me, and then tries to relate them to real life and real kitchens who use cups and Tablespoons and not grams and ounces (though I did just get a nice kitchen scale for Christmas . . . ). I don’t grind my own grain, but I am particular about my flour. I don’t have Diastatic Malt in my cupboards, nor Excel spreadsheets for hydration on my computer, but do have honey and eggs and leftover oatmeal. I’m a home baker who happens to have good luck with sourdough. . .

January 5, 2010 Posted by Heartland Renaissance Sourdough Sourdough 21 Responses »

Sourdough French Bread

Nov 162009

This is the bread recipe I’ve been looking to make forever. It easily replaces (and is so much better) than the sourdough boules you’ll find at your local grocery store bakery. Soft and slightly tangy sourdough flavor, with a firm crust that crackles when you squeeze it and a soft interior that squishes down pleasantly to the tooth.

I like this recipe because it’s kind of a “cheater” sourdough recipe. It allows you to make bread in one day, without having to make a sponge or (gasp!) plan for it a day in advance, because you cheat a little and use a little bit of commercial yeast, yet still tastes like amazing sourdough bread.

Plus, the egg wash makes the outside shiny like you bought it at a fancy bakery. . .

November 16, 2009 Posted by Heartland Renaissance Baking, Sourdough Recipes from Chef Sarah's kitchen, Sourdough 7 Responses »

Sourdough Biscuits

Oct 272009

I love biscuits.

My very first job was at a place that shall remain unnamed, but is well known for it’s fried chicken and homemade biscuits. At 15, I was not old enough to be able to do a lot of the back-of-the-house cooking, but I was old enough to make biscuits. And I did. And I ate one, with butter and honey, every day that I was on the clock.

It wasn’t until about three years ago I had ever heard of a biscuit made with yeast, and once I became a sourdough mama, I thought, why not? I’ve been on the search for a good sourdough biscuit recipe for a long time and, through much experimentation, have finally found one up to my standards! They are just like the baking powder biscuits I grew up on, with a sourdough twang. I love them!