Sourdoughnaturalgrapestarterandsourdoughbiscuits Recipes

Steps:

• FOR THE SOURDOUGH STARTER: Stir the 1 1/2 cups flour (use a soft wheat flour like White Lily if the primary use of your flour is for biscuits; if you vary frequently between biscuits and bread, use all purpose flour)and 2 cups mineral water or spring water together in a large plastic or earthenware bowl. Add the bunch of grapes, pushing it down into the gooey batter. Cover the bowl lightly, with cheesecloth or a dishtowel, so that the starter continues to get air. Leave the bowl in a warm place.
• Each day give the bowl another tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of water, stirring to incorporate the additions. Within a couple of days the mixture should show signs of "starting," bubbling up a bit as yeasts feed on the starch and sugar. If this doesn't happen, throw the mixture out and begin again. Continue feeding the starter each day with one tablespoon flour and one tablespoon of water. If the mixture separates, stir it back together. After about 5 days, the starter will begin to smell sour. The smell won't be unpleasant, and won't overwhelm your kitchen.
• Let the starter ferment another few days, continuing to feed it. You'll end up with a mass that looks like a thick pancake batter. Remove the grapes with a slotted spoon, and discard them.
• Cover the starter, and refrigerate it. Take the starter out of the refrigerator the evening before you plan to use it, or even a couple of days ahead for a more sour taste to the bread or biscuits. Every time you use the starter, replenish it. For each cup of starter you remove, add 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Let it sit on the counter again for about a day before putting it back in the refrigerator. If you don't want to use the starter at least once every week or two, just feed it that often: Pour off about a half cup of starter, and add 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water.
• Properly tended, the starter can last for years, developing more complexity over time. It can be used for sourdough pancakes, breads, and other dishes in addition to biscuits.
• FOR THE SOURDOUGH BISCUITS: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Sift together the flour, and salt into a medium bowl. Add the starter, and stir with a sturdy spoon until the flour is incorporated in the dough. It will remain sticky.
• Flour a pastry board or your counter. Grease or flour your hands to make kneading the dough easier. Turn the dough out, and knead lightly a few times, just until it is smooth. The dough will remain soft. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of eggs, or, for a more modern look, roll out the dough and cut it with biscuit cutter.
• Melt the bacon drippings (for real range flavor) or butter in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Dip one side of the biscuit in the fat, and then put it in the pan with its other side down. (Or melt the fat in a small dish, dip each biscuit in the fat, then place the biscuit on a baking sheet.) Arrange the biscuits so they just touch one another, which helps them rise.
• Bake the biscuits 15 minutes. Serve them immediately. Makes 1 dozen biscuits.
• Texas Home Cooking.

Steps:

• Prepare the Sourdough Starter the night before. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sprinkle yeast in the starter and stir. Add sugar and stir. Add salt and stir. Add baking powder and stir. Add oil and then gradually add flour. Place dough on a floured board and sprinkle more flour on top of dough. Flatten dough by hand and then cut with a biscuit cutter. Spray a 16-inch Dutch oven with non-stick cooking spray and then add a little oil to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Place biscuits in Dutch oven, being careful not to overcrowd them. Top with melted butter and set aside to let rise until wrinkles are gone. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water and whisk to combine. Add sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves. Add sifted flour, 1 cup at a time, whisking after each addition to combine. Peel, wash, and grate the raw potato and add it to the flour mixture. Place starter in a very clean, wide bowl, cover it with a towel, and let rest in a warm place overnight. The starter should be made ahead of time, even 3 to 4 days ahead.

Steps:

• Prepare the Sourdough Starter the night before. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sprinkle yeast in the starter and stir. Add sugar and stir. Add salt and stir. Add baking powder and baking soda and stir. Add oil and then gradually add flour, stirring well after each addition. Place dough on a floured board and sprinkle more flour on top of dough. Flatten dough by hand to about 1/2-inch thickness and then cut with a biscuit cutter. Spray a 16-inch Dutch oven with non-stick cooking spray and then add a little oil to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Place biscuits in Dutch oven, being careful not to overcrowd them. Top with melted butter and set aside to let rise until wrinkles are gone, about 1 hour. Bake, with coals on the lid, for 25 or 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water and whisk to combine. Add sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves. Add sifted flour, 2 cups at a time, whisking after each addition to combine. Peel, wash, and cut the raw potato into quarters; add potato to the flour mixture. Place starter in a large, deep bowl, cover it with a towel, and let rest in a warm place overnight. The starter should be made ahead of time, even 3 to 4 days ahead.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Stir together baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, sugar, and 1½ cups flour with a fork in a large bowl. Add ½ cup chilled butter and toss with your hands or fork just to coat. Using your fingers, smash butter into flat disks (if you miss a few, it will be fine). Using a pastry cutter or fork, work butter into dry ingredients until shaggy crumbles form (you should have some large pieces, some small pieces, some flat pieces, and some sandy flour).
• Add sourdough starter and mix gently with fork to incorporate, then fold with your hands just until dough comes together with just a few crumbly pieces in the bottom of the bowl.
• Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and pat out with your hands until about ½" thick (the shape doesn't matter too much at this point). Fold into thirds as you would a letter to create a rough rectangle. Working from short sides, fold in thirds like a letter again. Pat dough out to a ½"-thick square. Repeat folding process. Pat out dough for a third time to a 1"-thick square-it should feel airy, like a pillow at this point. Using a floured 2½"-diameter biscuit cutter or glass, punch out as many biscuits as you can (do not twist cutter). Transfer biscuits to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, spacing at least 1" apart.
• Using your hands, gently press scraps into a rectangle, then fold in half. Pat out to a 1"-thick rectangle and cut out more biscuits. Gather remaining scraps together to form 1 final biscuit (you should have 10 total). Transfer to baking sheet. Brush biscuit tops with 2 Tbsp. melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt if desired
• Bake biscuits until tall and golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of a biscuit registers 205°F), 12-15 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine Sourdough Starter and buttermilk; stir into crumb mixture with a fork until dough forms a ball. , Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 10-12 times. Roll to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. , Bake at 425° until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
• Cut in the margarine or butter.
• Mix in sourdough starter.
• Turn out dough onto lightly floured board.
• Knead a few times, until all of the flour is mixed in.
• Pat/roll dough to 3/4" and cut out biscuits; place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes, until slightly brown.