Bob's Red Mill Secrets of Sourdough

Secrets of Sourdough Delicious recipes and how-to’s for creating and cooking with your sourdough starter

The Benefits of Sourdough

An Age-Old Tradition Working with sourdough is an age-old tradition based in necessity, flavor and craftsmanship. We’ll take you on a journey from building your starter, to making delicious sourdough bread, to creating all kinds of baked goods!

Sourdough is different from other types of bread because it’s fermented. Active yeast cultures, or probiotics, produce lactic acid and give sourdough its signature tangy taste. Lactic acid may help other nutrients become more readily available, digestible and absorbable, and it reduces the risk of spoilage.

Contents

Compared to traditional white bread, sourdough contains:

Probiotics

• The Benefits of Sourdough • Ingredients and Tools • Step 1: Making Your Starter • Step 2: Maintaining Your Starter • Step 3: Using Your Starter

Lactic Acid

• Recipe: Sourdough Flatbread with Roasted Seasonal Veggies, Hummus and Goat Cheese • Recipe: Moroccan Lamb Stuffed Eggplant with a Sour Garlic Cream Sauce • Recipe: Sourdough Crêpes Rolled with Labneh, Reduced Balsamic and Sautéed Oregon Cherries

Ingredients and Tools

You probably already have all the tools in your kitchen needed to make sourdough starter from scratch. Start with:

Step 1: Making Your Starter You’ve got all your ingredients and tools, now all you need is time. Here are the day-by-day steps to build and feed your starter: 1. Mix 4 oz flour and 4 fl oz lukewarm filtered water until combined in a 32 oz glass jar 2. Scrape down sides 3. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours Note: Use a clean non-reactive metal or glass bowl or jar. Only use plastic if it is clean and free of odors. 1. Mix well; scrape down sides 2. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours Note: Your starter should start to look bubbly and smell “ripe.” Discard if there is ever mold in the starter. 1. Discard 4 oz starter (or share with friends so they can grow their own!) 2. Add 4 oz flour and 4 fl oz lukewarm filtered water to remaining 4 oz starter 3. Mix well; scrape down sides 4. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours Note: There will be quite a bit of waste when building a starter. Unfortunately, this is necessary so the starter does not get too large to easily maintain or use.

1. Discard 6 oz starter 2. Add 3 oz flour and 3 fl oz lukewarm filtered water to remaining 6 oz of starter 3. Mix well; scrape down sides 4. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours Begin feeding with a 2:2:1 ratio (flour:water:starter) 1. Discard 9 oz starter 2. Mix 6 fl oz lukewarm filtered water and 3 oz starter until incorporated 3. Add 6 oz flour and mix well; scrape down sides 4. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours

1. Discard 12 oz starter 2. Mix 6 fl oz lukewarm filtered water and 3 oz starter until incorporated

3. Add 6 oz flour and mix well; scrape down sides 4. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours

1. Discard 12 oz starter 2. Mix 6 fl oz lukewarm filtered water and 3 oz starter until incorporated

3. Add 6 oz flour and mix well; scrape down sides 4. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours

Step 2: Maintaining Your Starter

When storing your starter for use at a later date, there are two methods to choose from: store it at room temperature with daily feedings, or in the refrigerator with monthly feedings.

Store at Room Temperature Feeding: Daily from Day 8 and On

1. Discard remaining starter as often as needed— always keeping at least 8 oz starter in your jar 2. Mix 2 parts lukewarm filtered water and 1 part starter until incorporated 3. Add 2 parts flour and mix well; scrape down sides 4. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours Or Store in the Refrigerator Feeding: Day 8 and then Once a Week Every 3 Weeks 1. Discard remaining starter as often as needed— always keep at least 8 oz starter 2. Mix 2 parts lukewarm filtered water and 1 part starter until incorporated 3. Add 2 parts flour and mix well; scrape down sides 4. Cover loosely with a lid and store in the refrigerator

Step 3: Using Your Starter Plan ahead! If you are storing your starter at room temperature, make sure to feed it 18–24 hours before you plan to bake. 4 Days Before Baking 1. Remove at least half the amount of starter you will need 2. Place it in a large clean ceramic, glass or metal bowl 3. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours Every Day for 3 Days 1. Mix 2 parts lukewarm filtered water and 1 part starter until incorporated 2. Add 2 parts flour and mix well; scrape down sides 3. Cover with cheesecloth or a clean towel and let sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours Baking Day 1. Measure the amount of starter you need and follow your recipe as directed

A Note on Hydration

Many of the following recipes recommend 3–5 tablespoons of water, which might leave many of you wondering, what’s with the big variations? Cooking with sourdough, and whole grain flours in general, has a wide room for variance. Is your starter a week or a month old? Are you using whole wheat or spelt? Is your flour one-year-old or was it ground this month? All these questions play a big role in the hydration of whatever you’re cooking and how much water you may need to add to a recipe. So feel the dough, taste and smell what you’re cooking, and trust your instincts, as we explore the wonderful world of sourdough. And remember, even ugly bread makes delicious toast!

Sourdough Flatbread with Roasted Seasonal Veggies, Hummus and Goat Cheese

By Sophia Malek for Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods

Yields 6 FLATBREAD. CLOCK Prep: 40 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Directions In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry and bring together into a smooth dough ball. Let rest for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Divide dough into six equal-sized balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each flatbread to a ½ inch thickness. Roll out all flatbread and cover with a damp kitchen towel while working. Brush one side of each flatbread with oil and place, oil side down, on grill. Cook until bubbles begin to form, 2–3 minutes. Brush the other side with oil and flip. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until golden-brown marks form, and remove from grill. Slather two tablespoons hummus on the top of each flatbread and top with roasted vegetables and goat cheese crumbles. Drizzle each flatbread with reduced balsamic and serve.

Ingredients Flatbread 1¼ cups Bob’s Red Mill ® Organic All-Purpose Flour 1¼ cups Bob’s Red Mill ® Organic Spelt Flour 1 Tbsp cane sugar 2 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp baking powder ¼ cup Greek yogurt ½ cup sourdough starter ¼ cup oil, plus 2–3 Tbsp for brushing 6–8 Tbsp water For Assembly 4 oz goat cheese 8 oz hummus 2–3 cups roasted vegetables of your choice Reduced balsamic vinegar

Directions Stuffed Eggplant Preheat oven to 400°F.

Ingredients Stuffed Eggplant 3 medium eggplants 3 Tbsp oil, divided ¼ lb ground lamb ½ small yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic ½ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp ground paprika 1 tsp tomato paste ¾ cup cooked Bob’s Red Mill ® French Green Lentils 1½ cup cooked Bob’s Red Mill ® Brown Rice ¼ cup raisins Sour Garlic Cream Sauce 1 Tbsp unsalted butter 1½ tsp minced garlic ¼ cup sourdough starter 2 Tbsp water 1½ cup milk 3 Tbsp shredded parmesan

Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise through stem. Scoop out eggplant flesh, leaving a ½-inch-thick border. Chop and reserve the scooped flesh of the eggplant. Drizzle eggplant boats evenly with 1½ tablespoons oil. Place eggplant halves, scooped side down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Heat large pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons oil and cook the lamb until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Remove the cooked lamb from the pan and reserve. Add onion, chopped eggplant and garlic to skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add salt, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, paprika and tomato paste to the pan and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in lentils, rice, raisins and lamb. Sauté and allow to cook an additional 5 minutes to marry the flavors. Remove from heat. Divide the lamb mixture evenly among the 6 eggplant halves. Place filled eggplant boats on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15–20 minutes, or until filling begins to brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Sour Garlic Cream Sauce Heat butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes to take the bite out of the garlic. In a small bowl, whisk together sourdough starter and water until smooth. Pour into the pan with the butter and garlic. Begin whisking around the pan, ensuring no lumps form, for about 1 minute to create a roux. Carefully pour milk into the roux, while mixing with your other hand. Keep whisking and cooking over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Add parmesan and yogurt, then remove from heat. Stir well to melt the cheese and set aside. To assemble, place eggplant boats on a serving platter. Drizzle each liberally with the sour garlic cream sauce and sprinkle with mint, parsley and pomegranate seeds.

¼ cup of yogurt ¾ tsp kosher salt

To Serve Pomegranate seeds Minced fresh mint Minced fresh parsley

Moroccan Lamb Stuffed Eggplant with a Sour Garlic Cream Sauce

By Sophia Malek for Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods

Yields 6 servings. CLOCK Prep: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Sourdough Crêpes Rolled with Labneh, Reduced Balsamic and Sautéed Oregon Cherries

By Sophia Malek for Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods

Yields 6 servings (10–12 crêpes). CLOCK Prep: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Directions Crêpes

Ingredients Crêpes ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill ® Whole Wheat Pastry Flour ¼ cup Bob’s Red Mill ® Buckwheat Flour 1 Tbsp sugar ¾ tsp salt ½ cup milk, plus additional 2 Tbsp if needed 1 cup sourdough starter ½ cup melted butter, divided 3 eggs Cherries 1½ lb cherries, pitted and halved 2 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill ® Cane Sugar 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar Pinch of salt

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flours, sugar and salt. Create a well in the middle. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, sourdough starter, ¼ cup melted butter and eggs. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and whisk together until a loose batter forms. Prepare a nonstick or crêpe pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter and place over medium heat. In batches, add ¼ cup crêpe batter and turn pan immediately from side to side to form an even circle. Cook 1–2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Add additional butter to pan as needed. Cherries Place all ingredients in a sauté pan and bring to a boil, stirring intermittently. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, until the cherries begin to break down and the juices thicken. Remove from heat. To assemble crêpes, either roll or fold crêpes and top with a dollop of labneh or Greek yogurt. Pour a spoonful of cherries on top, along with fresh tarragon.

To Serve 8 oz labneh or Greek yogurt Fresh tarragon

The best part of cooking and baking is sharing your creations with others. That’s why we make the very best ingredients for all your creations – so you can show your love.

We believe no modern technology can match the old-world engineering of a stone mill. That’s why, in order to make superb whole grain flours, we stick with the time-honored practice of stone grinding. Unlike high-speed steel rollers, our quartz millstones grind at a slow speed and cool temperature, which helps preserve the texture and flavor of the grain. Nothing is added to or removed during this process, so all you get is wholesome goodness in each bag.

100 POUNDS OF GOODNESS goes in,

100 POUNDS OF GOODNESS comes out,

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Find more sourdough tips and recipes at: www.bobsredmill.com/learning-center/sourdough