Sourdough Biscuits (and starter)

[Anon001]

Okay, I just couldn't resist posting another sourdough recipe. *Next to my loaf bread, this is my favorite.

3/4 cup sourdough starter
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar bacon grease

1. *Without using any metal, combine starter, milk, and 1 1/2 cups flour. *Stir to mix well.
2. *Cover bowl with a cloth and let rest for 8 to 12 hours or leave out overnight for morning biscuits. *(I skip this step. It depends on when you last fed your starter. If you skip this step you can use metal bowl or spoon. *If you leave it set overnight, do not use anything metal as it causes a reaction with the sourdough and kills the natural yeasts in the sourdough.)
3. *In a separate bowl mix together remaining 1 cup of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. *Flour a smooth surface with 1 1/4 cups flour. *
5. *Turn sourdough mixture out onto the floured surface. *Sprinkle flour mixture over sourdough mixture and work into soft dough kneading LIGHTLY. (Old timers said 'two fingers'). *You don't actually knead. *You use your fingertips to sort of fold it together 3 or 4 times. *The less and lighter you knead it, the lighter the biscuit will turn out.
6. *Roll dough out to 1/2 inch. *Cut out biscuits with a 2" biscuit cutter. *Dip biscuits in bacon grease and place in dutch oven, skillet, or cookie sheet, etc. that has been lightly greased.
7. *Let rise for 30 minutes.
8. *Bake at 375 F until light brown.

Note: *One of my favorite alternative is to "fry" the biscuit. *I will roll the dough a little less than the 1/2" for a regular biscuit. *I will put enough bacon grease or lard in a skillet to come up about halfway on the side of the biscuit. *I use a low flame and I leave it until it is a dark brown and crispy, but not burnt. *This gives a different texture to the "crust" and also gives a little different taste to the biscuit as well. *But... OH! *So Good and tasty. *Especially with fried eggs, juice, and coffee on a cold morning.... and lots of butter and jelly, jam, honey......mmmm! or in the evening.. Dang.. anytime...lol

[MOGal]

Paul do you have a recipe for sour dough starter? Sorry I missed it if you have already posted it. We love good sour dough bread.

[Anon001]

Yes I do have it....

Use 1/4 cup water and 3/8 cup flour. *Use non-chlorinated water if you can. *Bottled will work. *But not distilled. *Use either whole wheat flour or rye flour. I would prefer whole wheat.

Mix it well... *Metal and the sourdough propeties cause a chemical reaction so never use metal with your starters. *Use wood, glass, or plastic. *I prefer glass with a plastic cover and a wood spoon. *My starter stays in a 1/2 gallon jar with a wide mouth. *Make sure that air can get to it. *I have a plastic screw on lid on a gallon jar. *The lid has a pinhole in the top center. *Literally a pinhole and no larger.

Set your flour water mixture in a warm area... Preferably 80 to 85 degrees (in an oven with a pilot is good.) Anything over 95 degrees can kill your starter.

Leave it for about 12 hours. *Check and see if it is bubbled up. *If not, let it set another 12 hours. *If it hasn't bubbled in 2 days, pitch it and start over. *Sometimes it may take a few tries to get it to start. *But do not be tempted to add anything to it as that will hinder the "natural" type yeasts that you want to cultivate.

Once it has bubbled, feed your starter every 8 to 12 hours until it wil double in size after a feeding. *To feed: *Use 1/4 cup water. *Add that to your starter. *Then add another 3/8 cup flour. *Don't leave starter on the sides of the jar. That could foster mold which you do not want. But it is rare for an established starter to get mold.

ONLY after the starter is established and doubles in size when ged, and ONLY after several days of working it you switch to white flour. The reason being that if you continue with whole wheat, you can invite yeastst that you don't want in your starter.

When the starter will double in size AFTER feeding, then you know you have a healthy starter that is mature enough to use in baking. *At this point it will not take long for the starter to rise after feeding. * What happens is that the starter will double in size and then go back down. *But, feed it every day unless you put it in the fridge. It will last quite awhile... up to a month in the fridge without feeding. If you do store it in the fridge, take it out a day or two before using it and let it warm up to room temp. *Then feed it again. *Wait until it has doubled before you use it in a recipe. At this point you no longer have to pour out any starter when you feed it. *I keep mine in a 1/2 gallon jar. *I make sure that when I fee it, it only brings it up to the halfway mark. *Remember, it will double in size when you feed it. *Once it is mature and you switch to white flour, cut back on how much water you add at a feeding because the starter will get thinner with white flour than with whole wheat flour.

One other hint. *The older the starter, the more flavorful it gets. *Also, if you don't feed it one day, be certain to keep it stirred. *Also, if you get liquid, then your starter is too thin. *Stir in the liquid and add flour to thicken it a little. *After every feeding, you want to make sure that you let it double before using it or feeding it again.

Some people don't keep a starter but prefer to make a starter at each baking. *However, these starters must use packaged yeast to get them started which defeats the purpose of sourdough starters and is not a true sourdough. *The point is that with a traditional sourdough starter, there is nothing but flour and water. *You use the natural yeasts that you cultivate, over time, in the starter. *Because it takes several days to get it started and mature and stable, and because it only gets bettere as it ages, people in olden times prized their starters and would pay or barter just to get a bit of starter from an established starter.

If you have any questions let me know.

[rAcErRicK]

Starter.. Always reminds me. As a child, many movies were of the old wagons and homesteaders moving "west". And especially the cowboys coming to the "chuck wagon" to eat. I remember wondering for so many years, what the heck was in that wooden pail that was under each and every wagon ? And no one knew, until I was grown, and someone told me it was the STARTER for making biscuits and bread, and that it was ALIVE, and each time some was used, it was always put back in that bucket to grow for the next batch. I was amazed. Anyone else ever wonder about that ? :D

[Anon001]

I never thought too much about it, but you are probably right.

[Anon001]

MOGal,

Did you try to get a starter going yet? How is it doing?

Paul

[Katrina-Sisu]

Thanks for posting this!

Kat

[Anon001]

You're welcome.

[cwatson]

I think I will try this one tomorrow. I bake bread all the time but not sour dough. I killed a starter a long time ago and just never tried again but something tells me it is time to try again :)

[cwatson]

Okay I have a question. what is sugar bacon grease.

[Anon001]

sugar bacon grease? I never knew for sure... I always just substituted my bacon grease and added sugar.... I never measure the sugar, but just guess at it and add probably somewhere from 1/2 to 1 TBSP. I assumed it was just bacon grease and sugar.

[bookwormom]

I am sure clarified butter will work just as well. I have not had bacon grease in the house for 40 years. I keep my starter in a crock that is used for nothing else. read of sourdough biscuits in lonesome dove, but have never made nor tasted one.

[Anon001]

bookwormom... I hear you have a great ooooold starter. I do sometimes use lard or butter in place of the bacon grease. you should try sourdough biscuits. I love 'em.

[sbemt456]

And darn does it ever make good sourdough pancakes. And if cooked on a wood cook stove so much the better.

(Thanks dear friend)

Have a great day!

stella

[kittencaboodle]

This sounds wonderful.... And will make a great gift for my mom for Mother's Day

[Anon001]

yeah.. and then use stella's idea and make sourdough pancakes for your mother on Mother's Day morning!

[raktrakr]

How do you know when its "established" and ready for the fridge? I started mine about 5 days ago(King Arthur whole wheat) and it now doubles when fed. Also,what "smell" am I looking for? Thanks

Edit: the doubling "peaks" at 4 hrs then receeds

[Anon001]

Raktrakr, I would say your starter is ready. Now you want to start using white flour when you feed. But, you can use whole wheat for the bread. Whole wheat or rye flour is best for starting the starter. But once it's to the point yours is at, if you keep feeding with whole wheat it will start to "grow" other types of stuff that you really don't want... so even if you bake whole wheat, the starter would be better off if you now switch to white flour.

Also, you don't have to refrigerate it if you continue to feed it every other day.

The smell is a "yeasty" "beer" type of smell. The older the starter, the stronger the smell and the more flavor it gives the bread.

I always use sourdough for everything... my bread, biscuits, pancakes, etc. I even have a sourdough peanut butter cookie recipe I want to try next. (I'm a peanut butter freak! LOL)

[raktrakr]

Paul,thanks for the info. Just checked out your site,that's a fine looking spread you've got there

[Anon001]

raktrakr....

Thanks.

[rantinraven]

Starter.. Always reminds me. As a child, many movies were of the old wagons and homesteaders moving "west". And especially the cowboys coming to the "chuck wagon" to eat. I remember wondering for so many years, what the heck was in that wooden pail that was under each and every wagon ? And no one knew, until I was grown, and someone told me it was the STARTER for making biscuits and bread, and that it was ALIVE, and each time some was used, it was always put back in that bucket to grow for the next batch. I was amazed. Anyone else ever wonder about that ? :D

Rick thank you for answering a question! I had always wondered the same thing but I never had anyone tell me what was in that bucket. Now I got to go tell my dad cause I am sure he will get a kick out of that.