Persimmon Glen

Sourdough cooking can be as much a mystery as you want to make it, but it really is a simple thing to do. The origins of sourdough go back into the mists of time and some starters are alleged to be as old as ancient Egypt! Starters have been passed from generation to generation and some can even  command very high prices. This only adds to the mystery of sourdough.

There is tale after tale of Alaskan sourdoughs and the extreme means they went to to preserve their starters. For example, Mary Lee Davis, in her book, Uncle Sams Attic, tells how one old prospector, having lost his pack mule in a snowslide down a mountainside, painfully climbed all the way down and quickly scraped into his empty tobacco tin some of the sourdough that had spilled over the dead mule's nose.

There are so many variations and 'rules' for making your sourdough starter that it can become intimidating to the point that a lot of people would just throw up their hands and go the local bakery instead. There is also a lot of argument as to what constitutes a 'true' sourdough starter, but I'm here to tell you to relax, it's actually very simple to do and delicious to eat, and do you really care if your starter has a pedigree?

Sourdough starter has a great many uses, not just for making a delicious loaf of bread, but it also makes tasty pancakes, biscuits, cakes, cookies and a fantastic coating for chicken and steaks.

Here's what you do to make your starter:

First thing to do is consider how often you will use it and how much of it you will use. This determines the size of the container to make it in. A crock is the best thing, but you can also use a glass container. Do not use metal, and allow plenty of room for expansion. When I had a family to cook for, I made mine in a gallon sized glass jar. Now, just for me, I use a quart sized crock.

I'm going to give you the larger recipe and you can take it from there.

In a large crock, at least 3 quarts, soften 1 pkg. active dry yeast in 1 qt warm water.  Your water needs to be slightly over body temperature, no hotter or you will kill the yeast. Add 2 tbls sugar. You can substitute honey or molasses if you like. Add 4 c white flour. Beat to mix.

Cover with a cloth. Do not use a tight lid or it will explode and you'll be cleaning glass and sourdough from the ceiling! Let rise in a warm place until light and slightly aged, 24-48 hours. It should have a good sour smell. It is then ready to use and can be kept in the refrigerator without attention for 7-10 days. If you're not going to use it for longer than that, then you can freeze it, just make sure to allow plenty of time for it to thaw and age again before you do use it.

Now, every time you use it, you'll add back in equal parts of flour and water and let it age again. So, if you use 2 cups of starter in a recipe, add back in 2 cups flour and 2 cups water. Got it? That's all there is to keeping your starter going.

When you're ready to use it, stir it well. It will have a liquid on the top that is only slightly less volatile than high test aviation gasoline. This liquid is where the word 'Hooch' came from as the Tlinget indians of Hooch-in-Noo Alaska used to make barrels of sourdough and dip into the liquid that formed at the top for a liquor that would get you rip-roaring drunk and give you a hangover of the same proportions!

Now you're ready to make some bread.  Unless you want to make a sponge 24 hours ahead of time, you're still gonna use a package of yeast. What you're after here is the wonderful aroma and taste of sourdough.

Alaskan Sourdough Bread

1 c milk

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c shortening or oil

1 tbl salt

1 pkg dry yeast

2 tbl lukewarm water

1 1/2 c starter

5 c flour

Make sure all ingredients are lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in 2 tbls lukewarm water, place in large mixing bowl, then add sugar, shortening, milk and starter. Mix,  add salt and  gradually add flour and knead the dough till soft and smooth. Place in greased bowl and cover. let rise in warm place till doubled in size.

Punch down, remove from bowl and knead again, cut in half, shape into two round loaves, place on cookie sheet and let rise again till doubled in size and bake at 350 degress about an hour till done. Enjoy!

Try substituting water for the milk, add 1 teas baking powder and 1 pkg onion soup mix (or 1/2 c chopped green onions) and you'll have a delicious onion bread.

Here's a great recipe for Sourdough Steak

1 inch thick round steak

1 c all-purpose flour

2 teas onion salt

2 teas paprika

1 teas black pepper

1 c sourdough starter

3/4 cup oil

Using a meat tenderizer, pound steak to 1/2 inch thick, cut into serving pieces. Combine flour and seasonings. Dip pounded steak in Sourdough Starter, then in flour mixture. Fry in hot oil.

I know this is not the healthiest thing to cook, but once in a while it doesn't hurt to have some good old-fashioned cooking, and man oh man is this ever good!

Now that you have your starter you're ready to make any number of goodies, from pancakes to biscuits, doughnuts to pizza dough, cakes to Bannock bread.