Monday, October 7, 2013

Sourdough Starter

A few months ago our neighbors invited us over for a waffle breakfast. Not a small task considering we are a traveling party of five, not including my father-n-law who went with us that morning. Being the incredible woman she is, she went above and beyond with fresh berries, homemade whip cream, chocolate pieces, and syrup. As if that was not enough she also had a platter of spicy sausage waiting on the table by 8:00 a.m. I was so impressed. That is the morning I discovered Sourdough starter. Where has this been all my life?! I am not a huge waffle lover. Do I feel the need to get one every time we are at a Brunch? Yes... but I realy don't know why, to me they are not worth it. BUT, a sourdough waffle is a divine creation all to itself.

She sent me home with my beginner starter. To say I wasn't intimidated would be a lie. Here are the rules.
  •  store it in a glass or plastic container.
  •  Only mix it with a wood spoon, or spatula coated in rubber. Get the drift? the starter cannot touch metal.
  •  The starter can be stored on the kitchen counter if you know you will be using it in the near future. Otherwise, you can store it in the refrigerator. When brought out of the refrigerator make sure you let it sit for a day before you start adding to it.
  •  You need to add flour and water every few days to "grow it". How much you ask? a handful. (Trust me I struggled with that one, a small handful or large handful? Doesn't matter it is all about consistency). Oh, and don't add while it is in the refrigerator, because that is when it is resting. Only when it is on the counter (and active) do you want to add to it
  • Do NOT place anything but water or flour in there.
  • If you develop mold, get rid of it and start over.

Trust me, I was pretty glazed over by this point! If they had not been so darn good, I would have probably nixed the whole idea of trying it myself. After the first week, I got the hang of it. It really is not difficult, and the cool thing is all of the possibilities for your starter. Waffles, Hotcakes, Bread, Doughnuts, Cookies, Chocolate Cake (I have been told it is delicious), and so much more.

The best part? When it comes time to make the waffles, all you do is add 2 tbsp. sugar, 4 tbsp. oil, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking soda to 2 cups of your starter. Mix and make! A pretty fancy breakfast mixed in under two minutes.

So needless to say we have been eating a lot of waffles. Our favorite so far is with whip cream and homemade strawberry preserves. Ok and maybe a side of bacon!

I did purchase from Amazon, this book which is full of recipes for your starter. It also tells you how to make a starter for those who don't know someone that they can take a half cup from. I can honestly say I don't think I will ever be without a starter again.

3 comments:

  1. hmmm, guess I know what I can expect for breakfast when I come visit in the Spring! :>)
    Oh and feel free to perfect the Chocolate cake recipe before I arrive! lol!
    hugz

    ReplyDelete
  2. Get it ready for when we come visit. Sounds scrumptious. Love, Aunt Linda

    ReplyDelete

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