Even though I have more bread recipes than any one person can reasonably hope to bake, I’m always trying new combinations of ingredients to up the nutrition and flavor for that one slice of bread I allow myself to eat every day. Now please understand, if my body would allow it, I would eat some type of bread with each of my meals. Because I love bread. Matters not if it’s in the form of a loaf, or English muffin, or bagel, or cornbread, etc. etc., I love them all. But as I’m aging, or should I say, as both Mr. C. and I are accumulating years, we absolutely need to cut down on carbs. Wahhh. But carbs are what make everything taste good. So how to handle this predicament? (It really is an unpleasant reality of growing older.)

Well, the first thing to consider is the nutritional value of the carbs that we do eat. Because truly, you can’t get away from carbs. For example, we both love sweet potatoes, brown rice, and lentils. Yes they are high in carbs, but they are none the less very, very good for us. We just need to learn to enthusiastically embrace portion control. (Like that’s ever going to happen!)

So this bread contains oats. Oats may be one of the healthiest whole grain foods on this planet. It also contains some whole wheat flour and whole milk. (BTW, since we use very little milk, we always buy whole milk.) An interesting fact about milk from the Guardian:

“Low-fat milks may contain 1% or 2% fat, while whole milk contains 3.25% fat. Cup for cup, whole fat milk contains fewer carbohydrates than low-fat or skim because more of its volume is made up of fat, which does not contain lactose. It also has slightly less protein.”

So bottom line. Yes this bread contains carbohydrates. But it has some redeeming qualities too. Besides being full blown, in your face, really and truly delectable. And undeniably easy to build.

So if there is one bread recipe I would advise a novice sourdough bread baker to try from the plethora of bread recipes that grace this site, it would be this one.

As always, stay safe, stay savvy, and stay happy. Peace and love to all.

Combine the sourdough starter, yeast, honey, olive oil, salt, and milk in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Using your dough hook, stir until combined. Stir in the oats, whole wheat flour, and enough of the all-purpose flour to form a rough, shaggy dough.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. (There probably will still be a bit of dough languishing on the bottom of the bowl. Ignore it.) The finished dough should still be sticky, but should easily form a ball and feel elastic.

Pour a bit of olive oil over the dough, and using your hands, roll the dough (even the recalcitrant dough from the bottom of the bowl) into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 1½ hours. (It won’t quite double in bulk, but it should look larger and puffy.)

Roughly shape the dough into a loaf, then place in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Pat the dough into the corners of the pan and flatten the top as much as possible.

Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray (greased side down). Let loaf rise for 60-75 minutes or until the dough has just cleared the top of the pan.  

When you see the dome of the loaf just starting to peek over the top of the pan, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. (This should give the oven time to pre-heat before the loaf is ready to bake.)

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaf is dark brown and registers at least 190 degrees on an instant read thermometer.

Remove from oven and tip the loaf out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container. 

OK, I’ve baked a lot of bread in the last 50 some years. But I have never, ever baked a loaf of sourdough sandwich bread that compares with this simple recipe I found on the tastesoflizzyt.com site. Easy? OMG! It could not be easier to prepare. Delicious? Truly, could not be better tasting. (I did make a couple of changes, but nothing significant.)

Even the crumb on this bread is perfect. If there hadn’t been a Papa Murphy’s thin crust pizza already in the oven baking away to perfection, we probably would have devoured the whole flaming loaf last evening. (I just had to cut off a piece, spread it with soft butter, and give the bread a taste test. And yes, I cut the piece in half and Mr. C. got to pick which half he wanted.) (And yes, we do buy a “to be baked at home” pizza every once in a while, especially since fear of contracting the coronavirus is preventing us from frequenting fine dining establishments in our area.)

We also do takeout most Friday evenings when our dear friends Mark and Vicki come over to check the progress on their new home that’s being built right next to ours. We remain very adamant about social distancing during their visits however. But truly look forward to our Friday evenings enjoying an adult beverage and eating take out with our good buddies. The fun will really begin when they can actually move into their new digs. (And yes, one of the reasons we do take out is to support the businesses in our community. It might sound corny, but it’s never-the-less a fact.) But back to this bread.

I couldn’t believe how quickly this bread dough came together. And what a beautiful dough this recipe produced. Smooth and silky to the touch and very easy to shape. And I know that sounds strange. But some bread dough just looks and feels better than others. (Perhaps I’ve been making too much bread lately. Or maybe my lack of awareness of how being house bound has actually affected me, and its resulting in my exhibiting undue attention to bread dough pageantry. Regardless, I’m sticking to my original pronouncement. This bread dough is beautiful! And yes I will seek professional help if I become concerned that I’m approaching a bend which I should refrain from going around!)

So if you too find yourself with a sourdough starter that needs to be fed, but don’t relish the idea of discarding the discard, I truly recommend that you bake a loaf of this bread. This luscious loaf is really a thing of beauty and a joy forever. OK, maybe not forever. Maybe not even for a day. But while it lasts, this bread is truly a culinary delight.

As always, peace, love, and understanding to all.

¾ c. slightly warm milk 

1¼ tsp. active dry yeast

1½ tsp. granulated sugar

½ c. sourdough starter discard, room temperature

2 T. vegetable oil, plus more to grease the bowl  

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

2½ – 2¾ c. bread flour, or more as needed (depends on the thickness of your sourdough starter)

cooking spray

Pour the warmed milk into the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the sourdough starter, 2 tablespoons veggie oil, salt, baking soda, and 2 cups of the flour.

Using the dough hook, mix the ingredients on medium speed until they are combined. Then set the mixer to medium speed and knead for 4-5 minutes. The dough should be slightly tacky to the touch. If you feel the dough is too wet, add additional flour, being careful not to add too much. 

Pour a wee bit of vegetable oil in the bowl, and using your hands, form the dough into a ball lightly coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Form the dough into a loaf shape and place in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Pat the dough into the corners of the pan and flat on top. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray, (spray side down over the pan), and allow the dough to rise for another 30 minutes or so. (Dough should just barely be higher than the rim of the pan.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the internal temperature should read at least 200 degrees.

Remove from oven and turn bread out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. (Do not be tempted to slice the bread when it is still warm. It will turn to mush.) Store in an airtight container.

There are two ingredients I am especially fond of. One is sourdough starter and the other is cornmeal. And when I put them together it’s like sunshine in my mouth.

Now I have to admit, sourdough cornbread might not be for everyone. You really have to like the tanginess of sourdough to enjoy it in cornbread. But for those of you who do prize a good sourdough “anything”, this is a recipe you are going to enjoy preparing and eating over and over again. First of all, this cornbread is stinkin’ easy to build. No fancy ingredients required. Don’t even have to get out your mixer. Just stir a few ingredients together, pour the mess in a pan, and throw it in the oven. Bam. You’re done!

And what do you get for this tiny bit of effort? Well, you get a very moist and delicious cornbread that can be eaten for breakfast slathered with butter and honey. Or for lunch with a nice bowl of soup or chili. Or for dinner as an accompaniment to just about anything you wish to serve it with. To my thinking, the definition of cornbread should read “a very versatile bread that can be eaten with every meal”. Pretty much sums it up!

Anyway, we love this cornbread and hope you enjoy it too. Plus it’s one more way to use up your sourdough discard.

So as always – have fun in your kitchen, keep trying new dishes with which to thrill and delight your family, and remember to pat yourself on the back once in a while for a job well done. Life is not easy right now. And good food is probably more important than ever. If nothing else, it’s something for the whole family to look forward to 3 times a day. (Plus treats in-between of course!)

And for all you foodies out there, my dear friend Vicki had been bugging me for weeks to watch a Netflix documentary entitled Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat with Samin Nosrat. Since Mr. C. and I are avid readers, we hardly ever watch TV unless it’s an old British comedy or murder mystery. Even then, only very occasionally. So Vicki had to practically twist my arm to get me to watch this program.

So I decided last night I would watch a bit of it just before bed so that I could talk intelligently with Vicki about the series. Well, two episodes later and well past my bedtime, I was enchanted by both Samin (passionate foodie, chef, and food writer), the foods and countries she visited, and can’t wait to view the other two episodes this evening. Then I plan to watch them again! So much to learn. So little time.  

So if you find yourself with a bit of time, I recommend you turn on your TV and set yourself down with a nice glass of wine, and prepare to truly be entertained. And educated. And possibly enchanted the way I was.

And as always, thank you Vicki for both your friendship and your persistence. I absolutely love the series and hope to incorporate what I am learning into all of my future culinary endeavors.

¾ c. sourdough starter discard

½ c. whole milk  

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 lg. egg

3 T. honey  

¾ c. fine ground cornmeal

¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. fine sea salt

Whisk the sourdough starter, milk, melted butter, egg, and honey together in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Don’t over mix. The batter will resemble thick pancake batter.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel, and leave at room temperature for three to four hours (no more than 4). 

When the batter has finished resting, thoroughly coat an 8-inch baking pan with butter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the pan. Or better yet, take its temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Cornbread is perfect when the temperature reads 195 degrees.

Remove from oven and enjoy hot out of the oven or allowed to cool completely and then warmed slightly in your microwave before serving.

And yes, many people bake cornbread in a cast iron skillet. I prefer a tender crust on my cornbread, but of course you can use a small cast iron skillet if that is your preference. This recipe doubles beautifully.    

OK, I call this whole wheat bread, but it isn’t made with all whole wheat flour. I tried that, and the bread was fine, but just a little too hearty (and healthy) for my taste. However, I did provide the recipe at the bottom of this post for those of you who are purists. But be advised, the 100% whole wheat bread is not for the faint of heart. But it will certainly help you towards your whole wheat badge from the local chapter of the “Indigenous Granola Eaters of America” food club. So there’s always that to consider! But back to this recipe.

First thing I need to admit is that I gave up looking for whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread recipes on the internet. Just plain couldn’t find any recipes that matched what I was looking for. So, being the stubborn pig-headed baker that I am, I winged it based on the 100% whole wheat recipe you find below. And believe me, any resemblance in the recipe for this bread you find below, to what I had originally written out, is mere coincidence. Nothing I assumed would happen, did. Every failure I thought I had created, wasn’t. The final product, that I had prepared myself to throw in the garbage, didn’t get tossed. The bread was actually really good.

The crumb was perfect for sandwiches. The crust was crunchy and would stand up to being stuffed into a sandwich bag. And toasted, then slathered with peanut butter and jam – well just plain yummy. Enough whole wheat and sourdough flavor to bring happiness in every bite. And although the dough required an overnight rise, the required steps to be performed the next day were very easy to accomplish. So all in all – I’m very pleased and will be making this bread for years to come.

If nothing else, this pandemic has forced me to bake bread on a full time basis. And I am truly looking forward to building our daily bread for as long as I can scoop flour out of a container and turn my KitchenAid mixer on go.

So to all my fellow bread bakers, I suggest you make this simple bread for your family. And as always – peace, love, and happy thoughts coming your way from Chez Carr.  

1 c. sourdough starter discard, room temperature

1 c. slightly warm water   

2 T. honey

2 tsp. molasses

2 T. unsalted butter, room temperature (in other words, very soft) 

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. whole wheat flour

2-2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour     

Mix room temperature sourdough starter discard, water, honey, molasses, butter, and salt together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the whole wheat flour and mix with your dough hook. Add enough of the all-purpose flour until the dough doesn’t stick to the side of mixer bowl but much of it remain stuck to the bottom of the mixing bowl. The dough should be a little tacky, but not sticky. (You won’t be able to roll this dough into a ball like you would with most bread doughs. It will not keep a shape. It’s a very soft dough.) Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 12-18 hours.

Punch down the dough, then scoop it into a lightly greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Pat the dough into the corners of the pan and as flat as possible. Cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly greased. Allow to rise for about 1 hour. About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake the bread, pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. Remove from the oven and carefully turn out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Note: There is a lot of information about sourdough starters on line these days. Great information, but some of it paints a sourdough starter as just a little too precious for me to handle. I’m of the KISS principle. (Keep It Simple Sister) Especially since I only use my starter 2 or 3 times a week. I consider a sourdough starter as simply an ingredient, not an honored guest in my home. Yes it must be fed regularly because it contains living fungus – Saccharomyces cerevisiae. (At least my starter does, because I used active dry yeast to start my starter.) But feeding it twice daily as some references would suggest? Not this kid. Plus I insist that I be able to use my sourdough starter any old time I want, regardless of whether it has been recently “fed” or has happily been residing in my refrigerator as discard for the last 7 days! So most of my recipes are based on a very liquidy starter that has come straight from the fridge. In this recipe however, please let the un-fed starter (discard) come to room temperature before adding additional ingredients.

Because there is so much I don’t know about sourdough starters, I have adopted the following simple rules as the guideline for my own recipes:

When a recipe calls for fed sourdough starter, it means flour and water have been added to my existing sourdough starter within the last 12-18 hours and the starter has been left to sit at room temperature overnight.  

A recipe that calls for sourdough discard means the sourdough starter has been languishing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours after being fed and has gotten quite liquidy. It looks weak and dormant, with maybe a bit of liquid floating on top.

If my recipes don’t specify FED or DISCARD, it just means that you will need to adjust the amount of flour you use proportional to how thick or thin your starter is to begin with. Always start with smaller amounts of flour than listed and add flour as needed.   

SOURDOUGH WHOLE WHEAT SANDWICH BREAD (no added yeast) – from the holycowvegan.net site

1 c. sourdough starter discard

1 c. slightly warm water  

2 tsp. molasses

2½-3 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

vegetable oil

Place the sourdough starter discard in the bowl of your stand mixer, along with the water, molasses, and 1 cup of the whole wheat flour. Mix well, cover, and let stand overnight.

The next morning, add the salt, vinegar, and 1 cup of flour. Using your dough hook, mix in enough additional flour to produce a dough that feels sticky, but doesn’t really stick to the sides of the bowl. Continue kneading for about 5 more minutes. You want a supple, smooth ball of dough that’s not too firm.

Pour a little of the vegetable oil into the bowl. Using your hands, roll the dough into a ball that is lightly coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for two hours or until doubled.

Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. When the dough is ready, punch it down, shape, and place it in the prepared pan. (To shape the dough, tuck about a third of the dough under from the right, then tuck another third under from the left, and then tuck in both ends. Then gently pat/finesse the dough into the corners. The dough is basically flat at this point.)  

Cover the dough loosely with a light weight tea towel and let rise for two hours. About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake the bread, pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees.  

Remove from oven and carefully turn out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing. 

I gave up! I had been searching for a sourdough multigrain seed bread recipe for about 3 months to absolutely no avail. And yes, there are lots of recipes out there. But many call for ingredients that I simply don’t have on hand. Or ever want to include in my recipes. Or are way too healthy for the likes of me and mine. Or vegan. Or gluten free. Or whatever!!! My objection list could fill this whole page. I just wanted a straight forward, simple recipe that included basic ingredients I almost always had on hand. Was that too much to ask? Apparently – yes it was! (And yes, I was being lazy and wanted the perfect recipe just handed to me. Waahh………….)

So yesterday I stopped researching recipes and decided to don my mad scientist’s hat instead. After all, I’d been baking and messing with bread recipes since the early 70s. So why not just take a chance. Start with a basic recipe, add ingredients with sheer abandon, and see what happens? Well, what happened is the recipe you find below. And in all honesty, I wouldn’t change a thing about this bread. Really flavorful, lovely crumb, moist but still slices beautifully, and perfect for either toast in the morning or to imprison the likes of meat, cheese, mustard, and mayonnaise for lunch. In other words – I got lucky!

And the beauty of my sourdough bread is that you can start it in the morning and bake it off later that same day. (That’s what a small inclusion of active dry yeast brings to the table, or in this case, the oven!)

So if you too are looking to build a sourdough sandwich bread that is easy to prepare, includes healthy ingredients, and tastes like it came from an exclusive bakery, then give this recipe a try. And change up the seeds, or add more seeds, if that is your desire. Matters not. We just happen to love fennel seeds, so I threw in a couple of teaspoons for good measure. But poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, or flax seeds would also be delicious. Or some of all the above. Live it up! It’s your bread after all.

So as always – happy baking, stay safe, laugh outrageously every chance you get, and never let down your quest to make the lives of those around you just a little bit better by your presence. Virtual hugs from Chez Carr.

1 c. sourdough starter

¾ tsp. active dry yeast

2/3 c. slightly warm water

2 T. honey

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. fine sea salt

2 T. flax meal

2 T. rye flour

¼ c. whole wheat flour

½ c. whole oats

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more if needed

¼ c. sunflower seeds

2 T. sesame seeds, plus more for top

2 tsp. fennel seeds

Combine the sourdough starter, dry yeast, water, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Add the salt, flax meal, rye flour, whole wheat flour, oats, and 2 cups of the unbleached all-purpose flour to the liquid ingredients. Using your bread hook, mix just until combined. Add the seeds and enough of the remaining unbleached all-purpose flour to make a dough that is still a bit tacky to the touch, but basically cleans the bowl. (This process usually takes about 5 minutes.)   

Pour a bit of olive oil over the dough, and using your hands, roll the dough into a ball making sure the entire surface is lightly greased.

Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel, and let rise for 75-90 minutes or until when gently poked with a finger an indentation remains in the dough.

Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. (I use cooking spray.) Deflate the dough, and form into a loaf shape. (I tuck about a third of the dough under from the right, then tuck another third under from the left, then tuck in both ends.) Place in the greased loaf pan and gently pat dough into the corners. (The dough is basically flat at this point.) Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise for 2-2½ hours. (It’s ready when the middle of the loaf is about ½ to ¾-inch above the rim of the pan.)

Lightly brush or spray the top of the loaf with water. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (or seeds of choice). Make 3-4 diagonal cuts across the top being careful not to deflate the bread.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches at least 190 degrees.

Remove from oven and carefully place the bread (after you remove it from the baking pan) on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

And yes, I already have a couple of wonderful focaccia recipes on this site, but they contain active dry yeast. And yeast is still unavailable in some grocery stores. But some good news. If your grocery store carries bulk items, you might find yeast in that section. In fact, the last time Mr. C. was at our local IGA, there was a sign where the regular jars and packages of active dried yeast usually reside that directed shoppers to the bulk section. But there was still no packaged active dry yeast available. They did however have a jar of instant/rapid-rise yeast. So Mr. C. not only bought me a jar of instant yeast, he brought home a little baggie containing bulk yeast. Neither of which I have used to date.

Now I don’t normally use instant/rapid rise yeast, so I thought I better do some research. What I learned was that active dry yeast and instant (or rapid-rise) yeast are the two most common yeasts available to us as home bakers. The two yeasts can be used interchangeably in recipes, but fast-rising, or fast-acting yeast can shorten the rising time by as much as 50%. And basically it’s just as easy to use instant yeast in recipes calling for active dry yeast. Simply use the same amount of instant yeast in your recipe as regular active dry yeast. One difference to note however, is that you don’t need to dissolve instant yeast in water like you do with ordinary active dry yeast. You can simply add instant/rapid rise yeast along with your other dry ingredients. But always keep in mind, if you use instant or rapid-rise yeast in place of active dry yeast, you will need to shorten the rising time specified in your recipe, or at the very least, pay greater attention to the dough as it rises.

So now you know as much about instant or rapid rise yeast as I do. (Actually you probably already knew about instant yeast. I’m the one that needed a good learnin’ on the subject!) Which is to say, I didn’t really know anything about using rapid-rise yeast. But I’m going to learn. And as I discover more about the subject, I will share my knowledge with you. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

I made this focaccia for dinner last evening, and it was so good. Kind of chewy, a faint sourdough flavor, and a lot of garlic power. And although I had played with the dough a lot during the day (you’ll see what I mean when you read the recipe directions), the dough itself was really easy to build. And since I’m pretty much confined to quarters anyway, what better thing to do with my time than play with bread dough instead of thinking about how the world is falling apart around us!

So as always, stay calm, stay focused on what really counts in your life, and if you have any kind of influence with your favorite deity, could you please ask for some additional help here. Mother earth is in dire need of any positive assistance it can get. Thank you.

½ c. sourdough starter

½ c. slightly warm water

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, or more as needed

¾ tsp. sea salt

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus a bit more to oil the dough before letting it rise and to grease the baking pan

3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced 

1¼ tsp. roughly minced fresh rosemary  

fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt

In the bowl of your stand mixer, using your paddle attachment, combine the starter, water, and 1½ cups of the flour to form a thick batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

Switch to your dough hook. Add the sea salt, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and as much of the remaining all-purpose flour as needed to form a sticky dough, but one that clears the bowl and clings to the hook after kneading for about 5 minutes.

Pour a bit of oil in the bowl, and using your hands, form a lightly greased ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 3-5 hours.

Every hour punch down the dough and flip it over in the bowl. When the dough is ready, it will have an almost elastic quality. (My dough took a little over 4 hours.)

While the dough is rising, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and cook over low heat, stirring often, until a very light golden brown. (Be careful not to let the garlic burn.) Remove from heat and set aside.

When the dough has finished its long first rise, lightly oil a small rimmed sheet pan with olive oil. Place the dough onto the oiled pan (trying not to deflate too much) and flip it over to coat it with the oil. Use your fingers to spread the dough to a ½-inch thickness. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour until well risen and puffy.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use your fingers to dimple the top of the dough all over. Brush with the garlic and infused olive oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and the roughly chopped rosemary.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. The internal temperature should register at least 190 degrees.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.

And yes, you can easily double this recipe.   

Some of the time, the easiest recipes turn out to be the tastiest. And this recipe from the Red Star Yeast site is a perfect case in point. Because I honestly don’t believe a sourdough English muffin could get any better. There is just nothing about this muffin I don’t like. And frankly, this could not be an easier recipe to prepare. Honest!

And what’s not to like about English muffins? They make some of the best toast imaginable. And like this morning, I made a breakfast sandwich with the muffins. At Chez Carr, they are referred to as “egg McPatti’s”. Toasted English muffin, thin layer of sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice), cooked bacon (cuz that’s what I had, but a cooked sausage pattie works great too), and a scrambled egg. Lovely way to start the day. And a nice change of pace from breakfast meat, toast, easy-over egg, etc.

So, what are you waiting for? OK, not everyone has a sourdough starter in their refrigerator at all times. And in case you are one of those people, I have provided you with my recipe for a sourdough starter below. Now you really have no reason not to make these sourdough treasures.

And just think of the money you’ll save making your own muffins as opposed to buying them. And the environmental impact of not using gas to run to your local grocery store. And you can save a mask and set of gloves for another occasion. OK, I’ll stop now. I know for most of you, I’ve whipped this dead horse long enough!

It’s just that I’m so darned excited to share this recipe with you. I’m nothing if not zealous about great food. And this recipe has all the attributes that fire my culinary passion. Hope it inspires you the same way.

As always – have fun in the kitchen. Peace and love to all.

1 c. sourdough starter

1 pkg. or 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast

½ c. water

2 T. vegetable oil, plus more to grease the dough

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 T. granulated sugar

3 c. bread flour

cornmeal

Combine sourdough starter, yeast, water, 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle, beat the mixture for 4 minutes on medium speed. Gradually add the flour and knead with dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Pour a little veggie oil in the mixing bowl, and using your hands, roll the dough into a ball making sure the entire surface is lightly greased. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Indentation remains after lightly poking with a finger.)  

Sprinkle cornmeal on a clean surface and pat dough to ¼-inch thickness. (I use a large rimmed baking pan as my clean surface. The pan sides prevent the cornmeal from going everywhere!) Cut into 12-13 circles 4 – 4.5 inches in diameter. And don’t waste the dough that is left after you cut out the first set of circles. Just moosh the remaining dough back together, pat it out, and cut out more muffins. Believe me, you won’t be able to tell the difference between the first and even the third set of cut muffins.

After each muffin is formed, flip it over to also coat the topside with cornmeal. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet at least 1½ inches apart.

Cover the pan with a light weight tea towel and let the muffins rise until indentation remains after gently touching with a finger, about 90 minutes.

Carefully place muffins on a lightly greased (if your griddle is not non-stick), or dry griddle (if yours is non-stick) over somewhere between medium and low heat. (You will just have to figure out the best level of heat on your stove as you go. Not too hot or the muffins will burn before the inside is done. Not too low or you’ll be at it all day!) (On my BlueStar range, straight up “low” works perfectly.)

Bake for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until bottoms are a deep golden brown. (The internal temperature should be 200 – 205 when the muffins are done).  

Place cooked muffins on a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container or freeze for longer storage. Lovely toasted, buttered, and spread with honey, jam, or jelly. Peanut butter is also a great choice for these muffins. But my personal favorite – room temperature unsalted butter. Yum.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast

2 c. warm water

Combine all ingredients in a glass or plastic juice pitcher using a wooden or plastic spoon. (Don’t worry about lumps because the little yeasty beasties will make short work of dissolving the lumps!) Cover with lid and open the pouring spout as if you are about to pour juice into a glass. (This allows air to reach the starter.) Let ferment 3 days at room temperature, stirring several times daily. After the third day, transfer starter to a covered glass container and refrigerate.

To use, remove desired amount for recipe and replenish starter by stirring in equal amounts of flour and water or follow the instructions for the particular bread you are making. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Return to refrigerator.

If a clear liquid forms on top, stir back into starter. Every time you use, replenish with equal amounts of flour and water. Even if you don’t use every week, replenish every 7 – 10 days with equal amounts flour and water. (First remove about ½ cup of the existing starter. This allows room in your container for the new flour (yeast food) and water.)

Use in any of your favorite bread, muffin, or pancake recipes.