Sourdough & Beer!

Since graduating, I've been enjoying some time off to learn new skills & settle into my house.  One of the things I'm working on is baking sourdough bread.  I'll post the recipe once I've perfected it, but that might be a while.  I've tried two so far, so the next one will be a combination of them.

The first loaf was pretty & tasty, but too dense (forgot to take an interior shot before it got devoured!).  It rose overnight in the fridge, but it wasn't enough to create airiness or a significant sour flavor.

The second loaf was airy & sour, due to it's 18 hour, room temp. rise, but not as pretty as the first one.  It could have been baked a little longer as well, because I like when they have a crunchy crust.  Maybe next time!

In other yeast-crafting news, my amazing friend Ryan is teaching me to brew beer!  He let me choose which kind to make, so I picked porter---he even had a favorite recipe on hand, which is a Black Butte Porter copycat.  We made it last weekend, so it's got to do its thang for a couple weeks, then we'll bottle it up!  It smelled sooo good as it was brewing.  The weather was nice, so we made it outside with their propane stove.  I had a little helper too...Clementine!  She deserved a "stick break" after all that hard work.  :)

  

Our work station:

Steeping the grains:

Simmering the hops:

I'll make another beer post when it's bottling time!

Food for Chilly Weather

Just posting some food stuff...these rolls are so good! They stayed pillow-y soft for days afterward. Coral, Ryan, Clementine & my sister came over for dinner. Coral brought over some homemade soup & I baked these dinner rolls.


Best Soft Dinner Rolls (from Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book)

*2 teaspoons active dry yeast
*1/2 cup warm water
*3/4 cup very hot water
*1/4 cup honey
*1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk
*3 cups all-purpose flour
*2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
*2 teaspoons salt
*4 tablespoons cold butter, diced

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. In a separate small bowl, mix the hot water & the honey. Add the buttermilk; the mixture should be just warm---if it's hot, it will kill the yeast, so let it cool!

In a large bowl, stir together the flours & the salt. Pour the yeast mixture & the buttermilk mixture over the dry ingredients & mix it together. It should be a pretty soft/wet dough (I had to add some water to mine). Turn dough onto a lightly floured counter & knead for 15 minutes. Really work it! Gradually knead in the butter chunks; it's awkward at first, but it'll get in there. Once it's incorporated, you're good to go.

Place the dough into a large, oiled bowl & cover with a damp towel. Keep in a warm, draft-free spot (like the oven) & let rise until doubled (about 90-120 minutes). Punch down, & let rise again (45-60 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400*F. Turn the dough onto the counter & cut into about 18 pieces. Shape the dough into 18 balls & place onto an oiled cookie sheet. They should be about an inch apart, so they have room to rise. Let them rise until doubled, then bake for about 20-25 minutes. I took mine out a little earlier than I thought was best, but Coral knew what was up (they continue baking a little, once you take them out.) After they cool for about 5 minutes, serve them with butter & some steaming hot soup!

Veggie Chowder, made with carrots, onion, corn, potatoes, celery & love!


Also, I'm addicted to this granola. A big scoop of yogurt, covered with this stuff, is the best snack ever!


Granola (based on this recipe)

*2 cups oats
*1 cup nuts/seeds (sunflower seeds, walnuts & hazelnuts are great)
*1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
*1/4 cup flax seed
*1/4 cup honey
*1/4 cup maple syrup
*2 tablespoons oil
*1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
*spices to taste

*3/4 cup dried fruit---added towards the end of baking (raisins & cranberries are my favorite)

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment & set aside.

Place the oats, nuts, coconut & flax into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the honey, maple syrup, oil, salt & spices. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones, stirring to combine. Spread onto the cookie sheet, making an even layer. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring a couple times. Add the dried fruit, stirring it into the granola. Turn the oven off, but leave the granola in the cooling oven for several hours, or overnight. Once cool, break it up & store it in an airtight container.

Old Timey Preservation Fun

Last year, my super-talented, beautiful friend, Coral, taught me how to prepare & can jam & I've been hooked ever since! We picked strawberries, raspberries, blueberries & blackberries, from various u-pick farms, which were either turned into jam or frozen for later. I then tried my hand at pickling: spicy green beans & jalapeños. Salty goodness. Finally, I canned some unsweetened (to make up for the GOBS of sugar in the jam) applesauce & pears that we'd picked around the neighborhood.

This year, us ladies (my sister, Coral & I) headed to our usual strawberry spot, Sauvie Island Farms & this is the result...

Well, that is PART of the result. I canned 25 pints of jam, in all, some in pint jars, some in half-pints. So fun! I'm looking forward to making a TON of applesauce, since it's one of the healthiest things to can, plus peaches & maybe some weird pickled things. Luckily, I got a shit-ton of cheap jar at Goodwill when I was visiting Mom. :)

It's so amazing to take a bite of toast, laden with floral, Summer-y jam, in the middle of Winter, especially if the bread is home-baked!