Sorry germophobes, but naturally occurring yeast and bacteria are all around you all the time. Just try not to think about it. Thousands of years ago, in the ages way before what I refer to as “industrialized yeast” this was all there was for making bread. Sourdough starter has yeast and other things living in it just waiting to make delicious bread. That means sourdough is effectively just the stuff that makes bread rise. Today, going to the grocery store is all it takes to get a packet or jar of single strain instant yeast. This yeast works amazingly well …
Author: Tina
Deep Dish Cookie Bowls for Two
This is heaven in a cup, for two. Picture a chocolate chip cookie straight from the oven, except it’s cooked in a bowl and it’s got a gooey center and that’s what you have here. If you like chocolate chip cookies or chocolate or ice cream with cookies then you’ll love these. I made these cookie bowls for two reasons. One, there aren’t many ingredients, and the amount you need of each isn’t a lot. Two, my husband loves chocolate chip cookies (he says they are his favorite cookie) so I thought he’d love this variation. Okay maybe there is …
Where Sourdough Lives
Like a doghouse for your dog, your sourdough needs a place to live too. Since practically anything can serve as a vessel for your starter, there are lots of choices. My experience has helped me to narrow down what makes a “good” home for your starter. An obvious feature is that it must be able to hold liquid. A less obvious feature is that it must not be able to hold air. This may sound a little screwy at first, but let me explain. You are adding flour and water to your container, which ends up being basically a thick …
Rizogalo – Rice Pudding
Have you ever had rice pudding? I don’t mean store bought vanilla pudding with rice mixed in. I mean the real deal. There are a ton of rice pudding recipes out there but I’m partial to this recipe for several reasons. First, I like the texture. This is not a custard and not a porridge. Instead, this rice pudding is more like a bowl of rice with very thick and sweet milk. I’m not sure if that makes sense so hopefully my pictures give you a better idea of the texture. Second, it tastes delicious. It’s sweet but not too …
Baker’s Percentages
This is the part where I try to scare you with math. I hope that none of this is actually scary and that it might even help you to understand things that were perhaps scary before you got here. Bakers like to use percentages when talking about recipes, but it’s not just them trying to be confusing. The real reason appears to be as simple as being able to make essentially any size recipe without having to reinvent it. For example, if you have a recipe for a loaf of bread, it’s just as easy to make a version of …
