Starrs Sourdough
  • Home
  • Order bread
  • Subscribe
  • Recipes
    • Recipe testing
  • About
Picture

Sourdough focaccia

8/28/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA RECIPE

This is such a simple, forgiving, and adaptable recipe that I very nearly brushed off writing it up. Focaccia is a pleasure for me to make because of its versatility and variability. Savory or sweet; two-day fermented or same-day baked; in a round or spread out in a pan; it's going to be delicious just about any way. I'll note the plentiful options and side-routes you can take in the process along the way!

This recipe yields one full pan (approx. 9 x 13 in) of focaccia or two rounds (approx. 10 in diameter) of focaccia, and can be topped with just about anything you desire.

Tip: Make sure your toppings are sliced thinly, or else they can weigh down the focaccia and lead to soggy pockets. My current favorites include coarse sea salt, garlic, and rosemary; cherry tomatoes and basil; peaches, herbes de Provence, and goat cheese; and pesto and nuts.
LEVAIN*
  • 40g mature sourdough starter
  • 160g water
  • 160g bread flour (I use King Arthur Baking's Sir Lancelot flour)

*You can skip this step and use ripe sourdough starter at your normal 1:1 ratio or even a meld of overfermented discard and ripe sourdough starter.

FINAL DOUGH
  • 680g water
  • 505g all-purpose flour (​I use King Arthur Baking's Sir Galahad flour)
  • 360g levain (or starter/discard, as noted above)
  • 230g whole wheat flour (​I use freshly milled flour from Castle Valley Mill wheat grains or No. 18 hard wheat flour from Migrash Farms)
  • 18g salt
  • Approximately 25 - 50g olive oil, for drizzling

EQUIPMENT
  • Medium bowl + lid or towel
  • Large mixing bowl + lid or towel
  • Scale
  • High-sided pan or baking sheet OR two cake rounds or high-sided cast iron skillets
  • Parchment paper
Picture
Picture
SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA: TOTAL FORMULA BAKERS PERCENTAGES
Ingredient
Weight (g)
Percentage
Water
840
92
All-purpose flour
505
55
Whole wheat flour
230
25
Bread flour
160
18
Sourdough starter
40
4
Salt
18
2
----
----
----
TOTAL
1.793 kg
​196
SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA PROCESS
​

Mix
  1. Mix your levain approximately 8 hours before you intend to mix your final dough, and roughly a day before you want to eat your focaccia, by dissolving 40g of mature sourdough starter in 160g of cool to room temperature tap water in a medium or large bowl. Mix in 160g of bread flour and leave to rise at room temperature, loosely covered. (I usually do this the night before mixing and let it ferment overnight if I intend to bake the same day that I mix. If intending to let the final dough rise in the fridge overnight, I usually mix the levain in the morning on the day before I intend to bake.)
  2. When the levain has shiny bubbles on top and has at least doubled in size, it's ready for your final mix. In a large mixing bowl (or in the same bowl if you used a large one to build your levain), add 520g of water to your levain and mix until milky. Measure out 505g of bread flour, 230g of whole wheat flour, and 18g of salt and mix with the wet ingredients to combine. The dough will be very hydrated and feel gloopy. 
  3. Let rise for 3 hours at room temperature, with intermittent folds for strength. It will still feel very loose and slick because of the high hydration, but will gain some strength so that the dough holds together rather than tearing when pulled.
  4. If planning to give it an overnight rise, move it into the fridge after 3 hours of fermenting at room temperature and leave it there for about 12 hours. If intending to bake it the same day, let rise at room temperature for another hour.

Final rise
  1. Line your pan or rounds with parchment so that tails of the parchment stick out and are easily grasped. Rub olive oil into any exposed sides and onto the parchment.
  2. Pour the focaccia dough into the pan or the two rounds and gently tug and spread it out so that it spreads to the edges. Let rise for 1-2 hours, so that it is airy and bubbly.

Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 440 F.
  2. Pour olive oil liberally over the top of the focaccia. Then, using your fingers, firmly press into the dough to leave wells and bubbles in the surface.
  3. Arrange your thinly sliced toppings.
  4. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, rotating halfway through if your oven doesn't heat uniformly. The interior should register at 200 F and the top should be crisp and golden. If using a smaller pan or round than called for, poke the middle with a toothpick to ensure it's baked all the way through, or leave in to bake for extra time.
  5. Let cool for 2 hours before digging in! Store leftovers in a plastic bag for a day or two so that they don't dry out, and then slice and move to the freezer.
0 Comments

Sourdough crepes

6/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
SOURDOUGH CREPE RECIPE

The sourdough discard lingering in the back of your fridge, probably for a few weeks, is perfect for this recipe. Sourdough crepes mix up incredibly quickly, cook in lightning speed, and are very versatile: They can be sweet or savory, for breakfast or dinner, or be customized for a big group or just for two.

Recipe yields 6 - 8 crepes, depending on pan size.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup overripe sourdough starter (250 - 275g)
  • 2 eggs (about 100g)
  • 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup milk (50 - 100g)
  • 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (35 - 75g)
  • 1 tablespoon salt

SOURDOUGH CREPE PROCESS
  1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat (I use a 10-inch cast iron dutch oven top).
  2. Measure out the sourdough starter into a medium to large mixing bowl, and then whisk in the eggs and 1/4 cup milk.
  3. Whisk in 1/4 cup whole wheat flour and the salt until no clumps remain. It should be a thin batter, so add more flour or milk as required, 1 tablespoon at a time.
  4. Once heated, melt a pat of butter on the skillet and swirl it around.
  5. Using a  scoop and a heatproof oven mitt, dollop the crepe batter into the pan and swirl it around into a thin layer (I use a 1/3 cup scoop, but the amount of batter needed will vary depending on your skillet size). Work quickly, as it will set fast.
  6. Once bubbles have come up to the surface of the crepe, the underside should be firm and beginning to brown. Using a spatula, flip the crepe over to cook the other side.
  7. Either cook the second side until golden and then remove and set aside (if you're making many more or want to use them cooled, perhaps for a dessert crepe), or add your fillings to one half of the crepe, fold over the other half and press it down to trap the steam, and remove from the skillet once fully cooked.
0 Comments

Sourdough banana muffins with walnuts and cinnamon streusel

5/31/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
SOURDOUGH BANANA MUFFIN RECIPE

The two constants in my kitchen are overripe bananas and excess sourdough starter. I prefer banana muffins to their denser companion, banana bread, which I always struggle to cook through. Plus, these are easy to freeze and then thaw individually when you need a sweet treat for breakfast!

Recipe yields 12 muffins.

MUFFIN INGREDIENTS
  • 3 overripe bananas (about 400g)​
  • 4 tablespoons (60g) melted butter
  • 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt or sour cream (or more butter)
  • 1 cup (250g) ripe sourdough starter
  • 2 eggs (about 100g)
  • 3/4 cup (175g) brown sugar
  • 2 cups (225 - 275g) whole wheat flour*
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 cup (125g) walnuts

STREUSEL INGREDIENTS
  • 4 tbsp (60g) melted butter
  • 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (115g) brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

​For a dairy-free alternative, replace the butter and sour cream with vegetable oil, and use 1/2 cup honey in the streusel instead of the butter and brown sugar.

SOURDOUGH BANANA MUFFIN PROCESS
 
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease or line your muffin tin.
  2. To start the muffin batter, mix together the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl.
  3. Mash up the browned bananas in a medium to large mixing bowl. Using a fork works just fine!
  4. Add the butter, sour cream or yogurt, brown sugar, sourdough starter, and eggs to the mashed bananas, and mix thoroughly if mixing by hand, or for 1 1/2-2 minutes if in a mixer.
  5. Mix in the dry ingredients until no dry bits remain.
  6. Fold in the walnuts.
  7. To start the streusel topping, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  8. Add the melted butter and mix together with a fork until chunks of streusel emerge. If it's too paste-like, add more flour, starting with 1 tsp and working your way up in small increments. If it's too dry, do the same with more melted butter.
  9. Ladle the muffin batter into your pre-greased or lined pan, filling nearly to the top.
  10. Sprinkle the streusel liberally on top.
  11. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, checking halfway through to spin the pan if your oven is anything like mine.
*Updated on 6/13: home-milled whole wheat flour is much lighter than store bought, so this range was updated after some more recipe testing with both kinds of whole wheat flour.
0 Comments

    Recipes

    Picture
    Sourdough banana muffins

    Picture
    Olive, herb, and spelt sourdough

    Picture
    Beginner sourdough

    Picture
    Roggenbrot
    ​

    Guides

    Picture
    How to store sourdough bread

    Picture
    How to maintain a sourdough starter


           Author

    Jenny started baking bread in 2015, and got hooked. Now, she focuses on sourdough and whole, local grain baking for the D.C. community.

    Archives

    February 2021
    October 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020


    Categories

    All
    Banana
    Focaccia
    Muffins
    Pizza
    Rye
    Sourdough
    Sourdough Discard
    Sourdough Starter
    Tomato

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Order bread
  • Subscribe
  • Recipes
    • Recipe testing
  • About