The Oven

We use the oven a lot.

Today was oven day. I baked two dozen Jalapeño Cheese Muffins, and Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Squares. Attila is baking Croutons for our green salads.

It takes a bit of coordination to bake continuously in one day, but it is worth the effort. I’ve monitored our hydro usage, and this old oven uses quite a bit of electricity to get up to temperature. Once there it uses a lot less to hold the temperature. So baking items one after the other helps keep our electric bill within reason.

We have indulged ourselves this past winter and into the spring, with daily green salads. Today our green salad primarily consisted of fresh baby spinach from our garden. I planted that spinach in the raised bed, along with some beets. The salad was amazing! The green salad always includes shredded carrot, chopped onion, and diced English cucumber. We make our own salad dressings, and Attila provides the croutons.

When we visited my Mom, sisters, and brother-in-law, my youngest sister gifted us a Kombucha SCOBY, and a small jar of sourdough starter. The Kombucha is fermenting slowly, it is coolish in our house. The sourdough is turning out to be a big hit with us.

This is the recipe I am using for my sourdough bread, and since I use 1 teaspoon of yeast, it isn’t truly sourdough bread.

Sourdough Bread with Yeast (Bread Machine)
1 cup Sourdough starter (see below)
1/3 cup Milk
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/8 teaspoons Salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white pizza or bread flour (high protein white flour)
1 teaspoon Yeast
Put everything in the machine in the order given.
If not quite enough sourdough then put in 2 cup measuring cup, add milk to make 1 1/3 cup liquid, stir to mix, add to bread machine.
Use regular cycle.
NOTE: This recipe can be dry, check when it begins to mix and add water to attain right consistency, or you could increase the amount of liquid to 1 3/4 cup to see how it goes. Always check when the machine starts mixing.
Starter
I use 1 tablespoon of the starter in a jar with lid, add 1/4 cup of filtered water to the jar, shake to mix with the starter, then add all purpose flour and mix with a spoon, scrape down the sides, put the lid on, and finally place on the countertop overnight. In the morning it will be doubled in size and is ready to use to bake one loaf of bread.
I have starter from my sister, she got it from her son-in-law, they both make true sourdough bread, using no yeast. You can buy starter online (e.g. Kensington Sourdough), you can get some from a friend, or you can start your own). I did start my own when we lived at the country house, but Attila did not like it, so I abandoned the project; I do think that had I persisted it would have worked out!

I have to say that this bread is even better than my original recipe that does not use sourdough starter. The bread is lighter, less dense, has a better crumb, and it is lighter colour as well. It toasts better, and it makes amazing croutons. This is my new preferred recipe for homemade bread!

I am going to try to dehydrate and freeze some of the starter my sister gave me, that will be my backup in case I inadvertently destroy the starter I am working with.

Worldly

Weather

Updated on Mon, May 27 at 9:27 PM
20°C
FEELS LIKE 21
A few clouds
Wind 14 SW km/h
Humidity 80 %
Visibility 23 km
Sunrise 5:30 AM
Wind gust 21 km/h
Pressure 99.9 kPa
Ceiling 9100 m
Sunset 8:40 PM

Quote

“The deeper sorrow carves into your being the more joy you can contain.”
Kahlil Gibran
1883 – 1931