Help! what to do with 800g of very active starter
Hi all, I haven't posted in a while because I hadn't baked in a while. Can you make pancakes with just starter????
Here is what happened -- My starter had been put in the freezer for the interim. I actually found two starters both quite firm. I used to make 60% starter. Needing about 125g for my next baking I used the 45g that I had put up for the first starter and added 50g water and 100g flour. Nothing. I repeated this with more water and got bubbles.
I tried the second starter and made a 100% solution. This had some whole wheat in it. It bubbled. I repeated the process. It bubbled
That's when I came to the forum to investigate and found Mike's answer to this problem. So, I followed his instructions of feeding every 8 hours. Actually I only fed it twice more, but since I needed to bake I went to our somewhat local baker and got 1/4cup of new starter since I had my doubts about reviving my own starter. I had put all the leftover starter attempts into a quart jar and closed it tightly. I didn't stir the firm into the soft, just left it as it was. One last attempt I had put in a warm place just to see if something would finally happen.
When I came home 1.5 hours later the quart jar was overflowing. It had not been full. I put all of this into a gallon container stirred everything up smoothly and closed lightly. This was around noon. At night the gallon container had almost filled up, so it quadrupled.
In the meantime I also made a 1:2:3 solution out of the brand new starter. This tripled by nighttime.
The starter I had put in a warm place was doing nicely as well and in mid-afternoon I prepared my rye levain with this.
Now I have the huge batch of starter as well as the fresh starter from the baker. What to do with all of this. I am definitely not going to toss any of this. I was thinking pancakes.
Doris
Here is a very tasty recipe for super light pancakes which are also hearty :)
I do intend to make savory pancakes for lunch which in our case is dinner. I'll add some cut up onions, salami and greens. This should get quite a bit of the starter used up. The rest will go into blueberry pancakes.
Doris
The recipe David posted looks like it'll be better suited to using up more starter, but I'm also fond of this recipe from KAF.
Both of these recipes are also pretty low in sugar, so if you'd rather make savory pancakes by adding veggies, you could do that. (here's an example recipe)
You can also check out Sourdough Surprises for a plethora of ideas on using starter up. I've taken to making cakes sometimes, which have the advantage of being easier to give away than pancakes.
the blueberry pancakes with this recipe. I would have one cup left over from the first batch for sure, maybe a little more. Since this starter is a mix of all kinds of flours (I didn't go into detail there) WW, Organic whole rye, KAF as well as bleached bread flour the savory pancakes seem a little bit more appropriate, but I'll try anything minus the sugar of course. Who need that anyway. It seems to me that every recipe contains sugar.
I find this recipe works well with plenty of whole grains. I usually only use a small amount of white flour in it, if at all.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice!!!!!
I was watching the gallon container like a hawk.
I would make knäcke bröd, crisp breads, they hold for a long time if stored correctly.
and make a cake out of them. I would pick up some interesting frosting and stick the pancakes together to pile up and make a cake. You only need a thin layer between them. Butterscotch and chocolate comes to mind or even use jam and frost the finished cake with whip cream and fruit.
Nutella and whipped cream used to be my favorit with sourdough pancakes.
great ideas, thank you. However, most of the starter went to our lunch today. Instead of rolling the pancakes around the filling I made something akin to a pizza in a frying pan. I still have starter left over of course. Two people can't possibly eat all of this in one day. I was thinking in terms of cheese blintzes. I love those and haven't made them in a very long time. The calories are scaring me off and I can't eat just one.But now and again................
… if it has made good bread once, then with the proper care and attention it will probably make good bread again.
My starter is called James, (don't look at me like that, it's traditional for bakers to name their starters) after 007 Mr Bond, so named because it is impervious to alcohol (no amount of hooch ever seems to bother it) is very difficult to kill, and it comes back with a vengeance.
I have just resurrected James after 5 years sitting at the back of my fridge un-loved and un-fed.
I have just used his 'extra' to make sourdough English muffins, but then I'm English. I use the recipe on Wild Yeast which works like a dream.
Oh yeah, and if you have a freezer you can always freeze it.
Happy baking.
is a heads up, thanks. I will use some of the leftover starter and make a firm starter to save. I will also freeze some of this again. When I get into the baking phase I make a lot of bread and freeze it. In other words the starter will have to wait it's turn.
Have you tried making sourdough crispbread? it not for the freezer but can bestored for months if stored correctly.
how to go about making rye crispbread. ;) Please, Please, Pretty Please. :)
Mini
probably could find out for you though . Why not start a new subject? There is bound to be someone who has the recipe.
Personally I do not make it since I can get a package dirt cheap. I eat crispbread only sporadically.
I googled it. It's not looking quite like Knäckebrot, but seems to be the same.
It is Knäckebröd. I have just asked the neighours for hers recipe and she gave me this.,
Rye crispbread
100 ml sour dough
600 ml water
600 ml course rye flour.
2 teaspoon salt
Mix and leave for a day under a wet towel or with glad wrap on top
Next day
Turn the oven on to 225 C, Add 600 ml fine rye flour, 1 tablespoon fresh ground carawayseed and 100- 300 ml plain flour.
Knead the dough, until all combined, you might need more plain flour, it should be a bit sticky but not mubbpie.
Make 16 balls and roll them out thinely, if you dont have a kruskavel , Knobbly rollingpin ( http://blogg.mikadesign.se/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/fixad-kruskavel.jpg)
you can take a fork and stab them all over instead of rolling them out one last time with said rolling pin.
Bake the crispbread for 8- 12 minutes on a parchment paper and a baking tray, the edges should be dark, I like mine really dark but some like them medium.
Leave to cool on a rack.