Dandelions and Daydreams

My ever growing tummy has pushed me to start cooking up a storm. I’ve been baking and freezing and generally hoarding away food so that when this little baby finally arrives I won’t have to think about cooking for a month. Today’s project has brought me to the very best homemade biscuit recipe I have ever had.

These remind me a bit of the biscuits at McDonald’s or Hardees, and I’m sure they are equally (un)healthy. With 5 T of butter and 3 T shortening what’s not to love? All I can say is that I’ve been looking for this biscuit recipe all my life.

Flaky biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
• 3 Tablespoons chilled shortening
• 3/4 cup milk (or buttermilk if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 450*F. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

Cut in butter and shortening with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture looks crumbly (resembling coarse cornmeal).

Slowly stir in milk until ingredients is just moist enough to form a dough ball (I usually pour in 1/2 c. then add the other 1/4 c. one Tablespoon at a time. This keeps the dough from becoming over-moistened).

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough until 1/2-inch thick. Cut with 2-inch floured biscuit cutter. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheet.

Bake in pre-heated oven 10-12 minutes at 450° F or until tops are golden brown. (optional, brush tops with melted butter).  Serve Hot!

You can also do these as brown-and-serve biscuits by baking 8-10 minutes (just before the tops start to brown), let cool and then freeze in a plastic bag. To re-heat bake at 450°F until tops are golden (I’m unsure of the amount of time).

**For the sake of full disclosure, the final picture is meat wrapped in the biscuit dough (look for this recipe coming early next week)

Today’s the day! Last week, I made Potato Flake Sourdough Starter, and I have been watching it bubble for a week. Today I get to make the bread.

When it’s time to make bread, pull the starter out of the fridge, feed it, and let it sit on the counter top overnight. This will bring the yeasts up to room temperature.

Starter Feeder

• 1 c. warm water
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 T. instant potato flakes

add to starter, let stand on counter top 8 hours or overnight before making bread. Follow this feeder recipe every time you want to make more bread.

Basic Sourdough Bread

• 6 c. Flour
• 1 T salt
• 1/2 c. Sugar
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 1/4 c. warm water
• 1 c. Starter

Mix all ingredients, knead on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes. Grease a large mixing bowl (I use PAM spray), and put dough into bowl, and cover the bowl with a wet dish towel. Let dough rise in a warm place overnight or all day (about 12 hours). Punch down and knead on a floured surface. Divid dough into 3 equal loaves, shape into loaf form, and place in greased loaf pans. Let rise 6-8 hours loosely covered. Bake at 350 ° F 25-30 minutes.

Notes:

• I use 3c. white flour and 3c. Whole Wheat.
• For the first rising, I like to put a layer of greased saran (plastic) wrap between the dough and the wet towel. The plastic wrap will keep your towel from getting all dough-covered. Cover the bowl loosely so that the moisture and air can still get in.
• These are for the larger 5″ X 9″ X 3″ 1.5-Quart Loaf Dish
• After using starter, pour 1c. into container and refrigerate. Discard any extra or feed it and share it with a friend.
• Store starter in refrigerator.
• feed starter when you are ready to make more bread or at least once a week.

The smell of fresh baked bread will bring your family running to your kitchen and invite them to linger and talk for a while. Making a loaf of sourdough bread may seem intimidating, and some recipes make it over-complicated.

Today I’m going to start out with instructions to make the starter. You will have to let the starter ferment for a week before you can make bread. Check back next Monday for the basic sourdough bread recipe.

Sourdough Starter

(first time)

• 1 c warm water
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 package ( 2 1/4 t. dry yeast)
• 3 T instant potato flakes

Instructions:

Mix ingredients and let sit on the counter for two days. You should see bubbles form in the starter. Refrigerate 3-5 days, then feed starter (see directions below) and let sit out overnight before making bread.

Starter Feeder

• 1 c. warm water
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 T. instant potato flakes

add to starter, let stand on counter top 8 hours or overnight before making bread. Follow this feeder recipe every time you want to make more bread.

Other Notes:

Use a glass or plastic container for storing the starter and wooden or plastic spoons to stir with. Some say that if the starter comes in contact with stainless steel it will deactivate the yeasts. I have never experienced this, but I figured I would throw the warning out there.