Zeravlar Recipes: March 2021

Sourdough Starter Activation

Add packet of starter to 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon water in a quart-size glass jar and stir thoroughly. Cover the jar with a coffee filter or breathable material secured with rubber band and culture in a warm place for 12-24 hours.
After 12-24 hours, feed the starter with an additional 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons water. Stir vigorously. Your starter should have the consistency of pancake batter, and you may need to add more flour or water.
After 12-24 hours, feed the starter with an additional ¼ cup of flour and ¼ cup water. Stir vigorously.
After another 12-24 hours, feed the starter with an additional ½ cup of flour and ½ cup water. Stir vigorously.
Every 12-24 hours, discard down to ½ cup of starter and then feed the starter with ½ cup water and ½ cup flour.
Continue this feeding schedule, and after 3 to 7 days, your starter will be bubbling regularly within a few hours of feeding.

Sourdough Bread

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups sourdough starter
4 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all ingredients except salt in a large bowl, being sure that all of the ingredients are hydrated. The dough should be shaggy and wet. Cover and allow to sit, or autolyse, for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the salt over the dough and mix it in, stretching and folding the dough over itself as you go. The dough will be sticky but less so as the salt mixes in. Flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour and knead gently for 5-8 minutes, adding more flour as needed. The dough should be tacky but not so sticky that it isn’t workable.
Once the dough is soft and pliable, form it into a ball. Oil the mixing bowl you started with and place dough in, rough side up. Move the ball of dough around in the bowl so that the smooth portion is coated in oil. Flip it over and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Set aside to ferment for 8-12 hours, or overnight.
In the morning, slice the dough in half while still in the bowl, being careful not to deflate it too much. Oil a baking sheet generously or line it with parchment paper. Sprinkle the oiled pan or parchment paper generously with flour or a coarse semolina or cornmeal. Flour your hands and scoop out one of the portions of dough. It will be fairly wet and sticky. Shape it roughly into a torpedo loaf, approximately 12″ long, pushing the dough together to make it as high and thin as you can. Place it on one side of the sheet pan. Repeat with the other dough.
Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and allow to proof for 1.5 – 2 hours or until it is puffy. It won’t double in size but should spring up nicely in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap from the loaves, slash as desired with a very sharp knife, and place in hot oven. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate sheet pan, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until it makes a hollow sound when the bottom is thumped or it reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees.
Move to a cooling rack. Serve warm, torn and dipped in olive oil or spread with butter. Or, cool completely and use for garlic bread or sub sandwiches.

Sourdough Discard Recipes

Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sourdough starter
2 large eggs
1 cup milk

1 ½ cups white sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sourdough starter
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Lightly grease or a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl.
Beat in sourdough starter and egg.
Stir in baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda and flour until smooth.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Focaccia

1 1/2 cups sourdough discard
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 200 then turn off
Stir starter before measuring 1 1/2 cups into a large bowl
Mix in salt, sugar, yeast, olive oil & flour
Knead for 7 minutes
Coat large bowl with olive oil
Shape dough into a ball and roll around the greased bowl
Cover and let rise for 45 mins
Remove from oven, preheat oven to 200 then turn off again
Oil 14" pizza pan
Punch down dough and press it out to the edges of the pizza pan, if starts to snap back, let rest 15-minutes before continuing
Cover pan and let the dough rise 30 mins
Brush top of dough with olive oil and poke holes in dough (with fingers, about 2 inches apart)
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Bake 20 mins
For pizza, after 1st 10 minutes of baking add toppings, then continue baking for the remaining 10 mins

Cinnamon Rolls

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sourdough starter
¾ cup lukewarm milk
¾ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon instant yeast
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt

Filling

½ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar, or more to taste
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Frosting

½ pound confectioners' sugar
1 (4 ounce) package softened cream cheese
¼ cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix 1 cup flour, starter, milk, white sugar, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Let stand until spongy and bubbling, about 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup butter, egg, and salt; stir to combine.
Add remaining flour 1 cup at at time until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
Transfer dough to a floured work surface; knead until dough comes together, 3 to 5 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Punch dough down; transfer back to the floured surface.
Roll into a square 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thick.
Spread 1/2 cup butter on top; sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top.
Roll dough up tightly; pinch seam together.
Trim the edges and cut the log into 8 equal pieces using a sharp knife.
Place rolls in the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise until not quite doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven; cool for 20 minutes.
Mix confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, and vanilla extract together until frosting is smooth and fluffy. Top each cooled roll with an equal amount of frosting.