I make sourdough bread virtually the same every week. I take the starter out of the fridge in the morning, pour it into a bowl and add 2 cups each of water and whole wheat flour. Mix it thoroughly, cover with a tea towel and completely forget about it until about 7PM.
At 7PM, I put one cup of that batter into a quart glass jar, add 1 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of water to that glass jar and mix well. I cover it with cheesecloth and a rubber band and set aside for an hour. At the end of that hour, I place it in the fridge until my next use.
I use 2 cups of the remaining batter in the bowl to make 2 loaves of bread. Any remaining batter either gets used to make pizza crusts or gets thrown into the outdoor compost bin. I always think of doing something else with it but rarely do, until today.
Today I used that 1 and 3/4 Cup of batter to make a yeasted coffee cake that turned out quite well. Here’s how:
Fruit & Nut Filled Sourdough Coffee Cake
Bread:
- 1 & 3/4 Cup sourdough batter
- 1 & 1/2 Cup warm water
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Cup chopped, pitted dates
- 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 Tablespoon salt
- 2 & 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
- 3 to 4 Cups unbleached flour, plus extra for kneading.
Combine everything and knead into a smooth elastic ball. Place dough onto a floured towel and wrap up, allowing it to rest for 45 minutes. While the dough rests make the filling:
- 1 Cup chopped, dried (dehydrated) apples
- 1/2 Cup raisins
- 1/2 Cup ground walnuts
- 3/4 Cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- boiling water
Combine the chopped dried apples and raisins in a bowl and cover all with boiling water. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes until soft and plump. Drain well. Add the remaining ingredients to the fruit and mix well.
Assemble:
Punch down and knead the dough. Divide in half. Roll one half out into a rope, long enough for the ends to touch in the bottom of a 10″ bundt pan. Pat the dough down and into place. Making a little well the entire length of the rope. Spread the filling over the rope, leaving some room around the edge for the dough to rise (I didn’t do this but wish I had).
Then roll out the half of dough into a rope and place on top of the filling. Again, patting it into place. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for one hour.
Bake at 450 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. Turn out immediately to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you have a recipe for sour dough starter? I would love to have a start but know no one who makes sour dough.
Thanks,
Beth
That looks absolutely scrummy. I also would love a recipe for a starter. Do you have one? Would be very grateful if you do.
That looks and sounds delicious. I used to work with sourdough starter till we made a major move, and I gave it away.
MMmmm! Looks delicious! Please email me a piece~
I’m wondering about the 7pm thing. So do you finish up baking loaves that night? Or what? And how about sourdough pancakes or biscuits. I grew up on sourdough stuff. Sad to say, I can’t keep a starter alive to save my bu#T. Perhaps I should try again in 2009.
That really does look great, I’d love to have a tried and true recipe for a sourdough starter also.