Sourdough starter
- 1 cake yeast ( or 1 pkg dry)
- 1 t sugar
- 2 cups warm potato water
Combine all ingredients and place in a glass or pottery jar. Cover with cloth and let stand at room temperature for 48 hours. Stir down occasionally.
To make sponge starter: Add equal parts of flour and water (usually 2 cups per recipe) and let stand in warm place for at least 8 hours. Take 1 cup of starter to store, covered, in the fridge. Use rest for recipe.
Basic wholewheat sourdough bread
- 1 recipe starter (4 cups)
- 3 T honey
- 2 t salt
- 1 cup milk
- 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Prepare starter 10 hours ahead of time, adding 2-1/2 cups warm water and 4 cups flour to sponge. In a large bowl mix starter, honey, salt and milk. Stir in flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead until elastic. Divide into 2 parts, shape in 3″ diameter rolls. Sprinkle cornmeal on a cookie sheet. Put loaves on top, brush with cream or oil, and cover. Allow to double. Bake at 374F for 40 minutes. Servings: 2 loaves
Most of us in our family enjoyed crisp, dark, nutty-flavored whole grain crispbread or flatbread. We used it as an accompaniment to the salamis and sausages and cheeses that we all loved.
- 2 cups rye flour
- 2 cups wholewheat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm water (or as necessary)
Blend flours and salt together. Stir in water until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead well. Let sit for a few minutes.
Divide the dough into four or more parts and roll into rounds as thin as possible. Flour a heavy round griddle, carefully roll the flattened dough onto the rolling pin to transfer it to the hot griddle, and cook the flatbread over low heat, piercing the top with fork, until browned and crisp (about 15 minutes).
This has to be a favorite in almost every family that ever made homemade cookies.
Ingredients for Oatmeal Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 T water
- 1 cup wholewheat flour
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cups raisins
- 1/2 cup broken pecans
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and water. Mix flour, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mix to butter mix. Add oats, raisins and nuts. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes or till light brown.
Pflaumenkuchen
- 2 T butter
- 1 T sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 t lemon rind
- 1 t baking powder
- 1/4 t salt
- 1 cup wholewheat flour
- 3 cup halved prune plums
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Stir in milk and lemon rind. Sift together baking powder, salt and flour. Combine with butter mix. Spread in a greased pan.
Cover with halved plums and bake at 325 F for 20 minutes. Cut into squares.
- 1/2 cup oil
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cups peanut butter
- 1-1/2 cups wholewheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-1/2 tsp orange juice or water
- 1 tsp vanilla
Mix oil, honey and egg. Blend in peanut butter. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Blend into peanut butter mix alternately with orange juice or water and vanilla. Place spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet and press down with fork. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until brown.
A quick and easy sweet bread with moist dates and crunchy nuts that’s great for breakfast, as a dessert, or as a snack.
Ingredients for Date and Nut Bread
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 egg
- 1 t baking powder
- 1 cup white flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped nuts
Preparing Date and Nut Bread
Mix together the chopped, pitted dates, brown sugar, oil and boiling water. Allow dates to soften and mixture to cool. Stir in the egg, beaten, baking powder, flours, salt and nuts.
Put into a greased loaf pan (9 x 5″). Bake at 350F for approximately 50 minutes.
Annals of family culinary diversity
