Tag: sourdough starter

Sourdough English Muffins

I have been on an English muffin kick. I love the size of them and the flavor is definitely a step above a bagel. They pair so well with a little jam and a piece of ham. We also have our own chickens, so an egg on the side is divine. However, for months, I was buying them because baking them myself and finding a recipe didn’t seem to be the best use of my time. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking, “These aren’t hard to make. And you have sourdough starter. You should make sourdough English muffins.” 

I mentally added “make Sourdough English muffins” to my to do list every weekend. Then life happened and I never would get to it. Life of a mom and a teacher and a person who generally is a doer. 

Finally, the day came that I had time, but I couldn’t find the recipe I had used one or two other time in the past from Sunrise Flour Mill. I read a few different recipes, tried a few recipes, and then took what I loved from each to develop my own. 

And while lots of sourdough recipes have a lot of wait time, I love that you can have English muffins before lunch time with this recipe. Yes, this recipe results in between 2 and 2 ½ dozens muffins, but let me tell you, if you are making six you might as well make thirty. English muffins freeze incredibly well and keep well in the fridge as well. 

And I promise, it may seem like this is a long recipe, but it comes together so quick and had minimal work. It’s worth every moment! Let’s start cooking! 

Your Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ teaspoon dry active yeast 
  • 2 cups milk (warmed)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened 
  • 1 cup sourdough starter 
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon salt 
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour 
  • 3-4 cups white flour 
  • Cornmeal, for dusting

Your Steps to Sourdough English Muffins

In a stand mixer, combine milk, dry yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. 

Add the sourdough starter, butter (cut into ½ tablespoon pieces), eggs, and salt. Mix until well combined. Slowly add flour, alternating wheat and white, by the ½ cup increments, until it forms a ball. The dough should not be too sticky. That is, you should be able to touch it and not have dough stuck to you. 

Allow the mixer to knead the dough for 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and put it in a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rest for 1-2 hours, until it has doubled in size. 

When the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down and then form it into another bowl. Remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into two portions. Set one aside. 

Roll one portion out until approximately ½ inch thick. Cut into discs using a 3 inch biscuit cutter (or a glass if you don’t have one!) Continue to roll out leftovers and cut discs until dough is used up. Do the same with the other portion. 

Place discs on baking sheets that have been sprinkled with cornmeal, leaving space for them to rise. Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal as well. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another hour or so. 

Let’s Cook them up!

Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees. Leave it ungreased. Transfer discs to the griddle and cook for 5 minutes. Flip muffins. Once all muffins have been flipped, place a light baking sheet on top to keep the flat muffin shape rather than a rounded muffin. Cook an additional 5-7 minutes, until the muffins have reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees. 

Store muffins at room temperature for 4-5 days, in the fridge for a few weeks, or freeze them for longer storage. They freeze REALLY well.

Mixing it up!
Let it rest!
Let’s cut some discs!
Getting closer!
Rest time!
On to the flip!
Oh my yum! Bring on breakfast!

Tools of the Trade

Now, I have done English muffins with an electric griddle and without and let me tell you, the griddle is the way to go. You can get them done so much quicker. And I am always surprised how often I want to pull out my biscuit cutter for various things. Definitely a couple tools that are handy to have on hand!

Sourdough English Muffins

Grab that leftover sourdough discard or fresh starter and create these delicious English muffins in no time!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 3 hours
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 2 dozen

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ teaspoon instant dry yeast
  • 2 cups milk warmed
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 3-4 cups white flour
  • Cornmeal for dusting

Instructions
 

  • In a stand mixer, combine milk, dry yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
  • Add the sourdough starter, butter (cut into ½ tablespoon pieces), eggs, and salt. Mix until well combined.
  • Slowly add flour, alternating wheat and white, by the ½ cup increments, until it forms a ball. The dough should not be too sticky. That is, you should be able to touch it and not have dough stuck to you.
  • Allow the mixer to knead the dough for 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and put it in a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rest for 1-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
  • When the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down and then form it into another bowl. Remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into two portions. Set one aside.
  • Roll one portion out until approximately ½ inch thick. Cut into discs using a 3 inch biscuit cutter (or a glass if you don’t have one!) Continue to roll out leftovers and cut discs until dough is used up. Do the same with the other portion.
  • Place discs on baking sheets that have been sprinkled with cornmeal, leaving space for them to rise. Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal as well. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another hour or so.
  • Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees. Leave it ungreased. Transfer discs to the griddle and cook for 5 minutes. Flip muffins.
  • Once all muffins have been flipped, place a light baking sheet on top to keep the flat muffin shape rather than a rounded muffin. Cook an additional 5-7 minutes, until the muffins have reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees.
  • Store muffins at room temperature for 4-5 days, in the fridge for a few weeks, or freeze them for longer storage. They freeze REALLY well.

Notes

The recipe can easily be halved, but I wouldn’t. The work to make 2 dozen is just about the same as it is to make 1 dozen and they freeze really well. 
Keyword baking, breakast, breakfast breads, English muffins, sourdough, sourdough English muffins
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for some other breakfast inspiration?

Check out a couple of the posts below or just head right to my breakfast page for more recipes!

JessLeave a comment

Milk and Honey Sourdough Bread

Gosh, I adore sourdough bread. I love watching the starter grow when it gets fed. I feel good about the food I am feeding my family when I serve them bread with three to four ingredients rather than a list of things I can’t pronounce. For years, I did a simple water, flour, salt dough. My kiddos ate it, but they yearned for something better for sandwiches. Something less dense with a little more flavor. I did some research, and have started baking a delicious milk and honey sourdough bread that I am so excited to share with you. 

But first, can I share a SHORT story with you? 

A few years ago, I decided to make a list of 33 random things to do while I was 33. They varied from bake a fruit tart, to compete in a sprint triathlon, go to a concert, visit three new state parks, etc. It was so much fun to challenge myself to try new and fun things I wouldn’t normally do. One item on the list that truly changed my life was, “take a class at one of two foundations in town.” Initially, I took a Restorative Yoga class, which led me to the instructor, which lead me to her studio, and now, I get to lead barre classes 2-4 times a week. This has brought a beautiful community of women into my life that I am grateful for every day. 

I also took a class on sourdough baking put on by Sunrise Flour Mill. And honestly, I knew nothing about sourdough. I knew some people loved it, but had no idea how it was created, baked, anything. The idea of a sourdough starter was foreign to me. But I took a little portion cup of my starter I fondly called “Fred,” and got to work. I made terrible bread. Then I made beautiful bread. I played with sourdough bagels, crackers, tortillas. I made all the things, and I am at a point in my life and gut health that I strive to only eat bread products that I have created. 

Why do I share?  

Because this little list that I was inspired to create truly has molded my life in a way I never could have imagined. I am a teacher at heart, but never thought I would lead fitness classes. I love to bake, but never had heard of sourdough in my life. It led me to buying flour from the natural food store and having better, whole foods in my home for my family. If you at all feel inspired, make yourself a list for a year and do some wonderful and out of your comfort zone things. Future you will thank you. 

But this is a blog post about a delicious milk and honey sourdough bread that I am beyond excited to share with you. Ready to get preparing? I hope so! Oh, and you say you don’t have a sourdough starter? Check out King Arthur’s Flour for a great recipe!

Your Ingredients for Milk and Honey Sourdough Bread

  • 250 grams fresh and active sourdough starter 
  • 300 grams bread flour 
  • 50 grams whole wheat flour (you need a little whole wheat in your life)
  • 250 grams white all purpose flour
  • 20 grams kosher salt
  • 400 grams skim milk 
  • 40 grams honey 

Determining Your Time Line

If your starter hasn’t been doubled in the last 12-24 hours, be sure to start there. I usually do this the morning I am going to put it together or in the evening if I want to mix it up in the morning. The thing about sourdough is that it takes time and determining how to fit it into your schedule can be the hardest part. Here’s what has worked for me: 

If you want to bake in the late morning: 

The morning before, double the starter. 

The evening before, you will mix the dough. It will rest overnight. (Mixing and folding the dough will need about 40 minutes of time, but can be done while you are doing other things)

The morning of, do the final folding of the dough about 2-3 hours before you want to bake it. 

If you want to bake in the evening: 

The evening before, double the starter. 

The morning of, you will mix the dough. It will rest overnight. (Mixing and folding the dough will need about 40 minutes of time but can be done while you’re getting ready for the day)

The evening of, do the final folding of the dough about 2-3 hours before you want to bake it. 

Your Steps to Delicious Milk and Honey Sourdough Bread

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl with a cover (plastic wrap or bees wraps would work too)  Mix together with hands that have been run under water and then shaken off, but not dried (damp hands?). And I have to say, truth be told, I have forgotten the salt more than I care to admit because I can mix this by memory. Don’t do that! It’s amazing what 20 little grams of salt does to bread. 

Allow the dough to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes. It WILL be very wet. After the 15 minutes has finished, fold in the “corners” (think, north, south, east, west) of the bed to the center with damp hands. I keep one hand wet and it does the folding the and the other hand spins the bowl. Repeat this process 4-5 times, every 5-10 minutes. (“Alexa, set a timer for 5 minutes” is heard at our house so often. But if you miss the 5 minute mark for any reason, it’s very forgiving.) Cover and allow the rest approximately 12 hours. 

Note: My dough generally rests overnight or during the work day. If you need to speed up the process, find a warmer spot for your dough to hang out. I have set it on the porch on a warm, humid day and had bread ready to go in 5 hours. You can slow it down by putting it in the fridge. 

About 12 hours later

Uncover the dough. Fold in the corners once more. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Heavily flour a surface (I LOVE to have an old, large spice container for this. It’s a must in the kitchen for a baker). With damp hands, lift the dough out of the container and onto the flour. Cut into two equal pieces (I use a turner in a pinch if you don’t have a pastry scraper). Fold the top and bottom of each piece in. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes. With damp hands, repeat this process, flipping the seam onto the table, resting once more. Place loaves into greased bread pans, cover with a towel, and allow to rest until doubled. I generally preheat my oven at this point, and allow the loaves to rest on a burner that is NOT the vent. This speeds up the doubling process just a little bit. 

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place bread in oven, baking for 30 minutes. If your oven bakes unevenly at all, rotate the bread half way through. 

Now, I challenge you to take it out of the oven and NOT cut right into it. I can’t help it, every time. Fresh bread is just the best. Get a little butter, or homemade jam from my canning page, and man, life is so good. It’s the simple, little things, right? 

  • A food scale is a must!
  • Add the milk
  • and then the honey!
  • Mix it with one hand. Keep the other clean.
  • Fold it in 5-10 times.
  • After a little rest.
  • Getting ready to be baked.
  • Perfection.

Tools of the Trade

Here are a few tools I love to have around when I am baking sourdough!

Dough scrappers are great for not only cutting the dough, but cleaning the mess off the table and getting the dough out of the bowl.

I love that this scale is rechargeable. I can’t tell you how often I used to take out my kitchen scale only to find that the battery was dead and I didn’t have another one on hand. No more waste!

And my go to bread pans. I love bannetons too, but when I am baking sandwich bread, these are the pans I use!

Milk and Honey Sourdough Bread

A simple, seven ingredient milk and honey sourdough bread that is ready for sandwiches, jelly, and more!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rest TIme 12 hours
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Sourdough
Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams fresh and active sourdough starter
  • 300 grams bread flour
  • 50 grams whole wheat flour
  • 250 grams white all purpose flour
  • 20 grams kosher salt
  • 400 grams skim milk
  • 40 grams honey

Instructions
 

  • Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl with a cover. Mix together with hands that have been run under water and then shaken off, but not dried.
  • Allow the dough to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes. It be very wet.
  • After the 15 minutes has finished, fold in the “corners” (think, north, south, east, west) of the bed to the center with damp hands.
  • I keep one hand wet and it does the folding the and the other hand spins the bowl. Repeat this process 4-5 times, every 5-10 minutes.
  • Cover and allow the rest approximately 12 hours.
  • Uncover the dough. Fold in the corners once more. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Heavily flour a surface With damp hands, lift the dough out of the container and onto the flour.
  • Cut into two equal pieces. Fold the top and bottom of each piece in. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes.
  • With damp hands, repeat this process, flipping the seam onto the table, resting once more.
  • Place loaves into greased bread pans, cover with a towel, and allow to rest until doubled on a preheating stove (400 degrees), but away from the vent.
  • Place bread in oven, baking for 30 minutes. If your oven bakes unevenly at all, rotate the bread half way through.
Keyword sandwich bread, sourdough, sourdough baking
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess1 Comment

Lemon Glazed Black Raspberry Scones (Sourdough!)

“The best scones you’ve ever made!” That’s what the Mr. said with such enthusiasm I was thrown off when I noticed he had eaten a couple off the cooling rack when he got home from work. He’s a donut fan. I don’t think he can stop at Kwik Trip without picking up a box of glazers. Me, I am a scone fan and I generally refuse a donut. Since he is a donut guy, when he raves about a scone I made, I take notice. It helps that these little treats are lemon glazed black raspberry scones. 

Black raspberries are his favorite fruit and we grow a lot of them. I generally process them into beautiful deep purple jam and then freeze what we don’t eat. Then I pulled out a bag of them to top my yogurt and granola with and decided some scones were in order. I had freshly doubled sourdough starter. I had time. And I was in the mood to change up the recipe a little. 

When I turned 33, I made it a goal to perfect my scone recipe. At the time, a parent of a former student of mine shared that she always freezes her butter before making scones. Honestly, I didn’t listen. I don’t like to have to plan that far ahead. But I tried it this time and I am digging the results. I also added more fruit than normal–a whole cup! Again, I am digging the results! 

Ready to give these beauties a try? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients to Lemon Glazed Black Raspberry Scones

  • 6 tablespoons butter, diced small and then put into the freezer for at least 40 minutes
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (I use this great heritage blend from Sunrise Flour Mill 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ¾ -2 cups sourdough discard
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup black raspberries, frozen 

Glaze Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

A couple notes before you get started:  

Don’t thaw the raspberries, but you may want to break them apart a bit. Also, if you don’t have black raspberries I would substitute blackberries. They aren’t the same, but will give a similar flavor profile. If those aren’t available either, frozen red raspberries would work too! 

Some lemon zest would be a great addition in the dough as well or even into the glaze. Feel free to add it. 

Glaze is a highly subjective flavor. If you want more lemon flavor, feel free to put ¼ teaspoon lemon extract or some zest. If you dig a sweeter scone, feel free to add less juice and let the powdered sugar flavor shine more. 

Let’s get baking! 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in frozen butter. Add 1 ¾ cup starter, lemon juice, vanilla, and black raspberries. Work in by hand, incorporating the flour into the starter, turning as you go. I almost always have to add more starter in the end. The dough will be moist due to the berries warming up and breaking apart. It will be okay. 

Once fully incorporated, cut dough into four equal pieces. Form each piece into a one inch thick disc on a parchment lined baking sheet and cut into 6-8 pizza slices using a dough scraper, a turner, or even a pizza cutter. I usually form and then flip the discs before cutting. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until the scones are firm to the touch. Remove and allow to cool. These are great on their own, but if you want to glaze them, feel free! Combine about ¾ cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk until smooth. Give it a taste test and see if you need more lemon. If you like a thicker glaze, use ¼ teaspoon extract and then 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Drizzle over cooled scones. Then devour your black raspberry scones!

  • Boring dry ingredients..
  • Mix in some frozen butter.
  • Add fresh sourdough discard,
  • some vanilla and lemon juice,
  • and black raspberries.
  • Mix, mix, mix
  • Form into discs. Don’t worry about your hands!
  • Bake!
  • So good!

Looking for some other great baking or sourdough recipes? Click the buttons below to get to my other pages!

baking
Sourdough Adventures

Lemon Glazed Black Raspberry Scones

Leftover sourdough discard transforms into beautiful purple scones with the help of some black raspberries from the garden. Great texture and even better flavor!
4 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 24 scones

Ingredients
  

  • 6 tablespoons butter diced small and then put into the freezer for at least 40 minutes
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ¾ -2 cups sourdough discard
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup black raspberries frozen

Glaze Ingredients

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in frozen butter.
  • Add 1 ¾ cup starter, lemon juice, vanilla, and black raspberries.
  • Work in by hand, incorporating the flour into the starter, turning as you go. Add more starter if necessary. The dough will be moist due to the berries warming up and breaking apart.
  • Once fully incorporated, cut dough into four equal pieces.
  • Form each piece into a one inch thick disc on a parchment lined baking sheet and cut into 6-8 pizza slices using a dough scraper or turner.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until the scones are firm to the touch.
  • Remove and allow to cool.
  • Combine about ¾ cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk until smooth. Give it a taste test and see if you need more lemon. If you like a thicker glaze, use ¼ teaspoon extract and then 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Drizzle over cooled scones.

Notes

Don’t thaw the raspberries, but you may want to break them apart a bit. Also, if you don’t have black raspberries I would substitute blackberries. They aren’t the same, but will give a similar flavor profile. If those aren’t available either, frozen red raspberries would work too! 
Some lemon zest would be a great addition in the dough as well or even into the glaze. Feel free to add it. 
 
Glaze is a highly subjective flavor. If you want more lemon flavor, feel free to put ¼ teaspoon lemon extract or some zest. If you dig a sweeter scone, feel free to add less juice and let the powdered sugar flavor shine more.
Keyword black raspberry, sourdough, sourdough baking, sourdough scones
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess4 Comments

Dark Chocolate and Coconut Sourdough Scones

With the garden game slowing down as we move into October, my sourdough game is ready to step up to the plate. Over the weekend, I pulled out my starter and had a lot of excess. And you know what? I hadn’t baked a batch of scones in a while. I looked around my kitchen to see what I had and my eyes were drawn to the bag of dark chocolate chips. Then the bag of unsweetened coconut. Finally, almond extract. What’s not to like?! And so, my dark chocolate coconut sourdough scones were created. 

While this recipe is specifically for dark chocolate coconut sourdough scones, it’s a flexible recipe with all sorts of variations. Maple pecan? You got it. Simple cinnamon and sugar? That’s great too! Look around your kitchen and play with the recipe, leaving the base alone. Who knows? You may just develop a perfect, one of a kind recipe that is to die for! 

Let’s get cooking! You’re about 30 minutes away from fresh baked dark chocolate coconut scones! 

Your ingredients

  • 2 ½  cups of flour 
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½  cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½  teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup unsweetened coconut
  • ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • 1 ½ cups sourdough starter 

Glaze and Toppings Ingredients

  • ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil 
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract 
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and unsweetened coconut. Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Mix by hand, pinching the butter in your fingers until it’s mixed together-ish. It will look somewhat like sand. To that mixture, add sourdough starter and almond extract. Mix by hand, adding starter as needed to fully incorporate all the dry ingredients but not be wet. Mix in chocolate chips. Once you have a soft dough, cut into four pieces and form them into four discs, approximately 6 inches in diameter. Cut these discs into 6-8 slices, your preference. Bake for 15 minutes, until firm to the touch and just beginning to brown. 

Allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, put glaze chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave until just melted, about 30 seconds. Stir in extract. Place chocolate in a plastic baggy, cut the tip, and drizzle onto scones. (Hint: Recut the scones right after they come out of the oven.) Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Allow chocolate to cool prior to storing. 

  • Dry ingredients. Mix it up!
  • Cut up the butter and mix by hand!
  • Add some starter and a little extract.
  • Mix…mix…mix..
  • Add some chocolate chips!
  • Time for some glaze!
  • Yum!
  • And even more yum!

Hints and Tips for Dark Chocolate and Coconut Sourdough Scones

Love toasted coconut? You can toast all of the coconut (or just the topping) by spraying a small frying pan with cooking spray and heating over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut. Heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. It will go from perfection to burned quickly, so watch it. 

Looking for other sourdough recipes or hoping to start your own starter? Check out my sourdough page by clicking the link below! Maybe you just want to bake. I have some awesome sweet treats on my baking page too!

Sourdough Adventures
Baking

Dark Chocolate and Coconut Sourdough Scones

Dark Chocolate and Coconut Sourdough Scones: Extra sourdough starter? These scones use it up nicely, making a subtly sweet breakfast treat!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 24

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups of flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup unsweetened coconut
  • ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • 1 ½ cups sourdough starter
  • Glaze and Toppings
  • ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Whisk flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and unsweetened coconut.
  • Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture.
  • Mix by hand, pinching the butter in your fingers until it’s mixed. It will look somewhat like sand.
  • To that mixture, add sourdough starter and almond extract.
  • Mix by hand, adding starter as needed to fully incorporate all the dry ingredients but not be wet.
  • Mix in chocolate chips.
  • Once you have a soft dough, cut into four pieces and form them into four discs, approximately 6 inches in diameter.
  • Cut these discs into 6-8 slices, your preference.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, until firm to the touch and just beginning to brown. Recut scones as soon as they come out of the oven.
  • Allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, put glaze chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small microwave safe bowl.
  • Microwave until just melted, about 30 seconds.
  • Stir in extract. Place chocolate in a plastic baggy, cut the tip, and drizzle onto scones.
  • Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Allow chocolate to cool prior to storing.

Notes

Love toasted coconut? You can toast all of the coconut (or just the topping) by spraying a small frying pan with cooking spray and heating over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut. Heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. It will go from perfection to burned quickly, so watch it.
Keyword chocolate, coconut, Scones, sourdough, sourdough baking, sourdough scones
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess1 Comment

Sourdough Bagels

Do you love bagels in the morning? Or perhaps you have excess sourdough starter, and my goodness, you aren’t about to waste it? Well, then it seems sourdough bagels are a recipe begging to be made!

In the months prior to turning 33, I made a list of 33 things to do while I was 33. They ranged from bake a fruit tart, compete in an obstacle run, visit three new state parks, all the way to take a to class at the local farm to table foundation. Oddly enough, this little list changed my life forever. I chose two different classes: Baking Bread with Sourdough Starter (having no idea what sourdough really was) and a Restorative Yoga Class (totally outside of my comfort zone). The Restorative Yoga Class led me to the instructor who exactly one year later led me through a training to become a barre instructor, which I now do on the side. And the Baking Bread with Sourdough Starter class? Well, my family hasn’t eaten store bought bread since I started baking 2 years ago. 

Fast forward a few months after the class

The scene: My husband making his usual breakfast of an egg and bagel sandwich. Consequently, this got him husband thinking. He off-handedly said, “I wonder if you could make sourdough bagels…” A Google search later, and I had a recipe I was ready to follow, which I found at EveryDayFull (Click here for the link). 

I promise making sourdough bagels is so much easier than it seems. You just need a little time and be willing to spend it in the best room in the house, the kitchen. My bread baking schedule usually has me feeding my starter and prepping my loaves to ferment over the weekend. Because of this, it is also a perfect time to make bagels since your starter will be nice and healthy. There will also likely be a lot of it; a perfect time to use up two cups of starter! Remember, if you don’t have two cups of starter to part with, just pull it from the refrigerator a few days early and double it each day. You’ll have enough before you know it! (Thank goodness for exponential growth-I am a math teacher in my other life 🙂 ) 

Enough small talk. Let’s get to creating sourdough bagels! 

Your ingredients for sourdough bagels

  • 2 cups healthy sourdough starter
  • 1 ¼ to 1 ½  cups water
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 5 ½  cups flour (I like to do a combination of white and wheat; most recently, 3 cups white and 2 ½ cups) 
  • 1 T kosher salt
  • 1 T of baking soda (to be used when you boil the bagels)

Additionally, you will also need a wash to brush the bagels with prior to baking. You have lots of options: 

  • 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water, beaten (This is the best choice, but I don’t love how much egg is “wasted” when you get done so I often choose one of the other options)
  • 2-3 tablespoons of milk 
  • 1-2 tablespoons of butter 

Your steps To Sourdough Bagels

  • In a stand mixer, combine the starter, flour, water, salt and olive oil. I start with 1 ¼ cup of water, and then judge if I need the other ¼  cup when I get to the next step. Mix for 30 seconds or so. Then allow to rest for 10-15 min.
  • Turn on the mixer again and mix on low for 4 minutes. You have to watch this and take care of your mixer. The dough is thick and will cause your mixer to struggle. Just watch it. If it doesn’t seem to be combining well, you can slowly add another ¼ cup of water. 
  • Turn your dough into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rest for 4-5 hours. I have let it rest as long as 6 hours without issue in the winter. However, my house is cooler, so just play with it. That’s the joy of sourdough, the time has some flexibility.

resting time

  • Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into anywhere from 12-18 pieces, depending on the size of bagel you enjoy. Roll these pieces into balls, flatten, and use your thumb and forefinger to create a hole in your bagel, about 1 ½ – 2 inches diameter. Set these on parchment paper, cover with a towel, and allow to rest an additional hour.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large kettle of water 1/2 full to boil. Once it reaches boiling, add the baking soda. Do this SLOWLY. It can boil over and make a big mess. Believe me, the glass on my oven has forever stains to prove it. Also grease two large cookie sheets so they are ready for you!
  • Drop each bagel into the boiling water for 1 min, flipping halfway through. You can put 4-7 in the kettle at a time. Then place them on the greased cookie sheets.

Baking Time

  • Use a brush to put the egg wash on each bagel (this gets them nice and shiny!), and put toppings on if interested! Our favorites are dried minced onion, cheddar cheese, and sesame seeds.
  • Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Then you must enjoy one straight out of the oven. It’s required. They are THAT good.

What are your favorite toppings? How do you eat your bagels? Are they just a breakfast food or an all day kind of thing? Me, I like the cinnamon and sugar ones for a mid morning snack 🙂

  • All the ingredients, ready to be be mixed for 30 seconds.
  • After mixing 30 seconds, your dough should look something like this.
  • Fully mixed and allowed to rise for 4-5 hours.
  • Cut the dough on a floured surface. 12-16 pieces.
  • Make a disc, and then a hole in the center.
  • Let’s rise one more time!
  • Boil for 1 min, turning halfway through.
  • Toppings: Minced onion and freshly grated cheddar cheese.
  • Butter wash, cheese and onion.
  • And what about some cinnamon sugar? Yum!
  • Freshly baked bagels

Don’t have a sourdough starter, but you want to create one? Check out King Arthur Flour’s directions here.

Once you have created a starter, I bet you’ll be baking bread. You’ll also have to maintain the starter. I have a set of videos on how to do that! Just click here!

JessLeave a comment

Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

I have loved my sourdough starter from day one. I named it “Fred” (I mean, it rhymes with bread) and put a reminder in my phone to remember to feed it. Once I felt I had “mastered” (Do we ever really master anything?!) regular sourdough bread, I immediately got on Pinterest and started looking for other recipes to use my starter discard. Anything that I could bake with or without yeast, I wanted to use my sourdough starter. It was a challenge I made for myself and I loved bringing in new recipes for my colleagues at school to share and get input.

Like so many things, that wained over time. I still baked beyond bread, but generally not more than once a month. Then I decided to teach a few friends how to bake with sourdough and my passion was re-lite. (Thank you new sourdough friends! I appreciate you all so much!)

Enter this sourdough chocolate cake.

Before I share the recipe for sourdough chocolate cupcakes, I want to give just a little background. Working from home with my kids has brought some unexpected perks, one being a newfound kiddo interest in cooking and baking with me in the kitchen. My 10 year old has kicked butt and my 5 year old daughter is just itching to help. For Easter, she insisted she wanted to make cupcakes from scratch. “Great,” I say. “What kind?” “CHOCOLATE!” she says. I tried to convince her we should do a carrot cake but there was no talking her out of chocolate.

Then I saw my healthy, just doubled starter sitting on the table in all it’s glory. Inspiration station baby. I did a little research and I stumbled upon this recipe from King Arthur’s Flour. After some tweaking here and there and came up with my own version. I know I haven’t had a chocolate cake in quite some time, but I did declare one of the best I have had. They turned out marvelous, light and fluffy, sweet but not overly so. I hope the next time you either have excess starter or are just in the mood, you give these a try! –Jess

Your ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard, recently fed
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (regular milk would do just fine too!)
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup real maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate (I used Nestle’s dark chocolate chips…a recent obsession at our house)

Your Steps for Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes

In a small bowl, combine starter, almond milk, and flour. Cover and set aside for 1/2 hour to an hour.

Meanwhile, mix cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Combine maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla, and egg (beaten ahead of time) in a large bowl. Stir cocoa powder mixture and chopped dark chocolate into the liquid ingredient bowl. Add starter, milk, and flour mixture. Mix until well combined. It will seem as though it won’t combine. Be patient and take your time. I used a large fork to combine the sourdough starter and chocolate mixture, using a gentle lifting motion.

It may take a few minutes, but suddenly, it will look like a chocolate cake batter rather than a strange marble cake, I promise. Once fully mixed, place in a lined or greased muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 14-18 minutes. Mine were done in exactly 16 minutes, bouncing back when I touched them. Allow to cool, then, if you are feeling especially “from scratch,” check out the frosting below!

Note: You could totally double this recipe and have a whole 9 by 13 cake. I just know my family didn’t need that much hanging around our house (We still have slices of lemon pound cake in the fridge that my son put together!)

  • Bubbly starter, nice and healthy.
  • Flour, milk, and starter, pre mixing.
  • Liquid ingredients….
  • mixed with dry ingredients and chopped chocolate
  • Mixing in the starter. Be patient. Use a large fork.
  • Ready to bake.
  • Almost ready to frost!
  • Umm..freaking yum.

For the frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons almond milk

I am not calling myself a frosting expert by any means, but I will say that my husband ate ALL the leftovers with pretzels as soon as he got home from work, so it must have been pretty good?

Using an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Sprinkle with a dash of salt. Add vanilla and almond milk. Mix an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Frost your sourdough chocolate cupcakes. Then try a favorite “delicacy” from my childhood: Frosting on saltine crackers! Might I recommend frosting the non-salted side so that the salt goes on your tongue when you eat it? Yum!

Looking for other sweet treat inspiration? Check out my baking page by clicking the link below:

Baking

Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes

Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting: Simple in flavor profile but oh so delicious and a great way to bake sourdough style!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rest Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Sourdough
Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard recently fed
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or regular milk
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup real maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons almond milk

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine starter, almond milk, and flour. Cover and set aside for 1/2 hour to an hour.
  • Meanwhile, mix cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Combine maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla, and egg (beaten ahead of time) in a large bowl.
  • Stir cocoa powder mixture and chopped dark chocolate into the liquid ingredient bowl. Add starter, milk, and flour mixture. Mix until well combined. It will seem as though it won’t combine. Be patient and take your time.
  • Once fully mixed, place in a lined or greased muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 14-18 minutes, until they bounce back when touched.

Frosting

  • Using an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy.
  • Gradually add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.
  • Sprinkle with a dash of salt. Add vanilla and almond milk.
  • Mix an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Frost cooled cupcakes.
Keyword chocolate, cupcakes, dessert, sourdough
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Homemade Sourdough Pizza Crust

One thing at a time is what I am telling myself, but I am not so good at that. Earlier this week, I went on Facebook Live to share out how I work with my sourdough starter and how to bake bread from scratch. I am by no means an expert (both at sourdough and at going live on Facebook haha) and it was so scary for me. I wish you could have felt my heart beating. It was crazy! Back to the one thing at a time…I have a list a mile long of things I want to get up on my blog, but with friends starting sourdough starters, I wanted to quickly share out our FAVORITE use of our extra sourdough starter: Pizza Crust.

Homemade pizza has always been a go to at our home. My husband would make a yeast dough that we would have to plan hours ahead and it was good. Then I started doing sourdough and had the inevitable extra that happens when you double your starter and hated wasting it. A friend joined us on the sourdough adventure and stumbled on a pizza crust recipe, which he shared with us. This is our version of the pizza crust he found and our go to whenever we are craving pizza (about every other week). (Edit: I just read this aloud to my husband and he said, “Once a week! Generally on the weekend!”–And yes, that might be true because I double on the weekends 🙂 )

Your ingredients (for one thick crust or two thin on 13 inch pizza pans):

  • 2 cups active sourdough starter (that being said, we OFTEN use starter that has been in the fridge for a few days. It still works)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1-1 1/2 cups flour, to consistency
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Optional mix-ins: 1 teaspoon dried oregano, basil and/or garlic powder. When I am feeling especially fancy, I might mix in 1/4 cup or so of shredded parmesan as well.
  • extra olive oil

Your Steps for Sourdough Pizza Crust

Measure out and mix all ingredients in a large glass bowl until it forms a nice ball. It will come together with a little flour on the outside. Cover and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. The dough won’t rise too much so don’t worry if yours is approximately the same size after resting.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you are making 2 crusts, cut the dough in half here. Grease the pan(s) using olive oil (cooking spray [our go to!] or regular). Place dough on the pan and spread by hand (keep your hands floured so it doesn’t stick!). Once the dough is spread, brush or spray the dough with additional olive oil.

Note: The crust will shrink as it bakes so spread out to the edges as much as possible. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the the bottom is becoming golden brown (less time for thin crust). Remove from oven and top with your favorite toppings. Return to oven and bake until the cheese is golden brown, approximately 8 minutes for us. If you’re Wisconsin born and raised like us, enjoy during a Packer game with a nice cold beer :). If you aren’t fortunate enough to be Wisconsin born and raised, you should probably still enjoy your pizza with a Packer game and a cold beer.

Other hints:

  • We canned our own pizza sauce this summer, but quickly ran out. In a pinch we will use store bought, but our go to has become one 15 ounce can of tomato sauce mixed with some basil, oregano, garlic powder, dried minced onion and maybe some red pepper flakes to taste. We heat it on the stove to a boil and then bring it down to a low heat, stirring often. We cook it down until it thickens, approximately 30 minutes. We start it shortly after we finish putting the crust together to rest.
  • Since the pizza isn’t cooking all too long with the toppings on it, you may want to sauté some of the vegetables first (I am thinking onions, green peppers, etc)
  • I like to be extra fancy and sprinkle a little more basil and oregano on top of the cheese before I put the pizza in the oven. 🙂
So simple: Just a few ingredients!
Sourdough Pizza and beer. A classic combination.
I will update with new pictures soon! Check back, but for now, get some pizza going!

tools of the trade

You don’t need much to create a stunning homemade pizza. But a great baking stone is a good place to start! Not only do I use it while making pizza, but I also bake some “fancy” sourdough bread on it. A nice addition to your kitchen if you’re a baker like me!

Looking for other sourdough recipes? Check out my sourdough page.

Homemade Sourdough Pizza Crust

A few simple ingredients and some sourdough discard and you are set with some homemade pizza!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Rest Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups active sourdough starter
  • 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cups flour to consistency
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • extra olive oil
  • Optional mix-ins: 1 teaspoon dried oregano basil, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Measure out and mix all ingredients in a large glass bowl until it forms a nice ball.
  • It will come together with a little flour on the outside. Cover and allow to rest for at least 45 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you are making 2 crusts, cut the dough in half here.
  • Grease the pan(s) using olive oil.
  • Place dough on the pan and spread by hand (keep your hands floured so it doesn’t stick!).
  • Once the dough is spread, brush or spray the dough with additional olive oil. Note: The crust will shrink as it bakes so spread out to the edges as much as possible.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the the bottom is becoming golden brown (less time for thin crust).
  • Remove from oven and top with your favorite toppings. Return to oven and bake until the cheese is golden brown, approximately 8 minutes.
Keyword pizza, sourdough
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Sourdough Inspiration!

sourdough discard crackers
xr:d:DAGCZT6Ont4:3,j:6159097336235485885,t:24041413

JessLeave a comment