The Sourdough Experiments: Days 3 and 4

in #keto4 years ago

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Shown here is a result I honestly wasn't expecting. The almonds fermented all by themselves! I was honestly thinking I'd have to add a tablespoon of maple syrup into it to get it going, but look! Bubbles! Which meant I was now obligated to halve it, feed it, and do something with the other half.

Me? I abhor waste. If I ruled the world, there would be no wasting anything at all. Find a use for it or pay a fine or something I dunno. So I was exceedingly happy to discover that you can do things with the leftover starter. Or, as I like to call it, "harvest". Harvest feels like you're ahead of the game, not trying to do something with the stuff nobody else wants.

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My first harvest from the almond starter looked a little bit more like scrambled eggs. Not a lot of cohesion in almond flour products.

Because I did one-for-one feeds [one quarter-cup of flour also got a quarter cup of water], the resulting harvest from the other two starters was... really goopy.

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And when I added the bread flour, I also added the seeds that were in there. This may bite my butt at a later date.

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So my first harvest demanded a whole lotta pancakes because I was so gosh darn proud of myself. Naturally, I rejected all recipes that used actual flour and decided to use some Protein Pancake Powder [since it wasn't exactly flour] That I picked up from I-Forgot-Where for the novelty of it.

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[The almond flour stuff is the stuff on the bottom of this pic]

Kraz's Unpatented Sourdough Starter and Protein Pancakes

Implements

  • At least one mixing bowl
  • Measuring cup(s) of choice
  • Mixing utensil/Dosing utensil
  • Frying-type cooking utensil/handy heat source [I was using a Sandwich Press(heated to 210 Celsius), which cut down on time of manufacture]

Ingredients

  • Sourdough harvest
  • 1/2 cup protein pancake flour [if you can't find it, protein powder will do, or just use your favourite flour substitute]
  • A generous dollop of cream [feel it with your heart, but add more than you think you need to the Almond Starter if you're using that]
  • 1 egg
  • A very generous handful of shredded cheese [pick your fave!]
  • Herbs and spices to taste, but definitely salt [As a side-note, this only enhances the smell, not the flavour. YMMV depending on how fresh the herbs/spices are and the amount you use]
  • Milk or milk substitute of choice [feel it with your heart] henceforth referred to as "milk".

Instructions

  • Pile everything into a bowl, sifting as necessary, except for the "milk"
  • Mix as best you can, pausing to scrape the utensil or bowl as needed
  • If way too stiff, dribble in your "milk" until the mixture is dough-like but still moist
  • Allow to sit whilst you heat up your frying surface(s)
  • You may think it necessary to add a dribble more "milk" if your dough has dried out
  • Dollop onto your hot frying surface and cook on both sides.

Mine cooked at 6 minutes per side, but just watch and time your own in case things go bad for you. The verdict, according to Miss T, was, "Meh." Yet she still loved them with the spread of her choice.

I recommend avocado dip, cream cheese, butter, sour cream, or nut butters for tasty toppings.

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The Almond Starter pancakes came out like this.

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And these were the wholemeal starter pancakes.

Now we're up to day four, and I have three disparate harvests to use. And a whole lotta pancakes from the day previous. Therefore I was working on Minimum Yield Starter Harvest Pancakes.

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It was at this point that the Almond Starter began generating its own liquid somehow? Maybe it was the rain? Anyway, I fed them with a half cup of the relevant flour and a quarter cup of filtered water. I'm simulating a loose cling-wrap seal by unscrewing the lid a quarter turn and then replacing the paper towel and rubber band over the top.

This one is a definite "by feel" recipe to see what works. Though some changes are definitely allowed.

ALWAYS ADD ONE EGG MINIMUM TO YOUR ALMOND SOURDOUGH STARTER

Hashtag, learn from my mistakes. Documented below.

To each bowl of harvest, I added:

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Roughly a tablespoon of Oregano.

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A "three finger pinch" of shredded cheese [use three fingers and a thumb to delicately gather your cheese. No squeezing!] but the Almond Starter got a little extra on purpose.

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A generous teaspoon of crunchy peanut paste for alleged structural enhancement [spoilers: it failed. Use an egg]

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After mixing, I realised that the Almond Starter Mix was not looking good...

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So I added a very generous teaspoon of Protein Pancake Powder.

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It... held? I guess?

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Once again, cooking all the goo at 210 Celcius for five minutes.

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My biggest problem was dividing it into four equal parts.

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Stacked in neat columns. From left to right: The Instructions Starter (with bread flour), the Pure Wholemeal Starter, and the Almond Starter pancakes.

Young K refuses to touch my Starter Pancakes. He claims he's waiting for the bread. Miss K prefers these to the others, possibly because of the lack of Protein Pancake flour. She does say that these ones are better on their own, and likes them.

Success! I think...

What I do with tomorrow's yield depends entirely on how many pancakes remain in the house come the morrow. Stay tuned, folks.

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