Herman Starter Coffeecake Recipes

Steps:

• In a large glass or plastic container, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Stir in the flour and sugar, mix until smooth. (DO NOT USE A METAL SPOON)! Cover loosely and store in a warm place overnight.
• The next day, stir and refrigerate.
• Stir once each day for the next four days. On the fifth day, stir, then divide in half. Give half away with feeding instructions.
• Feed starter with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Stir until smooth. Cover and place in refrigerator. Stir once each day for next four days.
• On the tenth day feed again with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Return to refrigerator and stir once each day for the next four days.
• On the fifteenth day it is ready to be used for baking. Reserve one cup of the starter in the refrigerator and continue to follow the stir and feed cycle (Stir once a day for four days, stir and feed on the fifth day, ready for use on the tenth day.)

Steps:

• To Make Starter: Mix 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 cups warm water, 1/4 ounce yeast in a bowl, cover and let stand over night (cover should be loose). Refrigerate and stir daily. On fifth day feed Herman one cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar; stir and refrigerate. Stir daily until 10th day. On 10th day remove 1 cup starter and feed as on fifth day.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease four 8 inch pans or three 9 inch pans.
• Mix together 1 cup starter, white sugar, self rising flour, salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, oil, eggs, raisins, 1 cup chopped nuts, honey (optional). Stir until combined. Pour into prepared pans. Top with sugar-nut topping.
• Dot with 1/2 cup butter or margarine and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from oven and pour glaze over still-warm cakes.
• To Make Sugar-Nut Topping: Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup chopped nuts.
• To Make Glaze: Combine 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons melted margarine, 2 tablespoons milk. Use immediately to glaze cake.

Steps:

• STARTER: Stir Ingredients together, mixing well, in a gallon container.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate.
• Feed Herman the same 3 Starter ingredients (above) every 5 days for a total of 4 times (20 days).
• Stir Herman daily.
• When you are ready to bake a Herman Cake, you should have about eight cups of starter.
• Bake Herman cake (recipe below) on the 25th day from the first feeding.
• ***Keep your own starter growing, use some to bake a Herman Cake, and give some to friends.
• ***SHARING YOUR STARTER: If someone gives you a cup of Herman Starter, you must feed it for 10 days before you bake with it.
• Day 1: Feed Starter with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk.
• Stir, cover and refrigerate.
• Day 2-4: Stir.
• Leave in refrigerator.
• Day 5: Feed Starter again with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk.
• Stir, cover and refrigerate.
• Day 6-9: Stir.
• Leave in refrigerator.
• ***Herman should now be about 4 cups: use 2 cups to bake, give 1 cup to friend, and keep 1 cup to grow more Starter.
• ***Day 10: MAKE HERMAN CAKE AS FOLLOWS: Mix all Herman Cake ingredients together, along with 2 cups of Herman Starter, and pour into a greased/floured bundt pan.
• Sprinkle top with Topping mixture.
• Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
• Or use a 15x19-2" pan and bake 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
• TOPPING MIXTURE: Mix together all Topping ingredients and sprinkle over cake BEFORE baking.
• GLAZE: Mix all Glaze ingredients together and cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour over top of hot baked Herman Cake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 pan.
• Beat eggs; add sugar and oil, beating well.
• Add remaining dough ingredients (starter, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, milk, baking soda, salt, nuts &/or raisins) and beat 2 minutes with electric mixer at medium speed. (Note: This goes against my policy to not mix flour any more than necessary to get the dough to come together. I don't beat it this much myself.).
• Pour dough into greased 9x13 bakign pan.
• Combine the topping ingredients: 1T flour, 1t cinnamon, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup butter. Sprinkle topping over batter in pan.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Check middle of cake for doneness; otherwise it may turn out soggy.
• Note: 1 teaspoon each of nutmeg and ginger may be added as well. Another variation places the nuts in the topping and folds one cup of drained, crushed fruit (pineapple, peaches, etc) into the batter.

Steps:

• combine all ingredients to a smooth batter in a 2-quart glass or ceramic container (no metal). Cover with cheesecloth or other loose covering, and keep in a warm place (around 80 degrees F) for 3 to 4 days to ferment. It should expand and bubble. When ready it should have a yeasty, slightly sour smell.
• At this point, this is Herman's "First Day" in the ten-day cycle of Herman Life. He's ready for his first feeding.
• Feeding Herman: Mix together 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir this into Herman, cover loosely, and place in the fridge. It will be lumpy. Stir daily (but if you forget a day, he'll be fine).
• In five days, you'll need to feed him again. (Day 5).
• In five more days (Day 10), you'll feed him again and/or use him to make something. Pay attention to the specific recipe to see whether you feed him just before making the item or afterwards.
• Herman can be used for biscuits, coffeecake, pancakes, cookies, banana bread, sweet rolls, and more. I believe the recipes I have have been handed down from one Herman owner to another for decades. Hope you enjoy!