Basic Sourdough Loaf

The sourdough bread method is the traditional way to bake bread which our ancestors did for thousands of years, basically since the cultivation of grain, which dates back to Cain in the Bible (see Genesis 4:2).

The sourdough starter has become known exclusively for use with round, crusty, tangy, sourdough loaves, and perhaps to some, sourdough biscuits. But if you examine the usage of sourdough starter in history, you'll find that the starter would better be known as liquid yeast (referred to simply as "yeast" before baker's yeast was isolated and packaged) and can be used in just about any kind of bread recipe with very little, or no sour taste.

From my research on traditional foods and the nutritional wisdom of our ancestors, I have determined that the sourdough bread method is the most nutritious way to consume bread. You can read more about the science behind that in my post where I began my series on sourdough bread;  Getting Started with Your Starter. Here you'll also find the recipe for the sourdough starter along with instructions on the its care.

But as the practical and frugal modern day cook, the main reason I've chosen the sourdough bread method is because it's doable. It's affordable, does not need lots of unusual and expensive flours, and involves very little time. My basic loaf doesn't even require any kneading!

Most of what I have learned about sourdough bread came from The Vintage Remedies Guide to Bread, which I outlined in my book review here. I highly recommend purchasing and reading this book if you are interested in beginning the sourdough bread method.

A few notes about my sourdough bread method:

1. This is my personal recipe that I've created from my research and trial and error. In general I don't have a problem with folks copying my recipes to their blogs. But in this case please link back to my blog for the actual recipe.

2. You will notice I have some white flour in the bread. Historically people actually ate white flour (they sifted it through sheets), even as far back as biblical times. (According to Jesse Hawkins of The Vintage Remedies Guide to Bread). Because of this I have chosen to use some white flour in my recipe. If our ancestors did not always eat whole grains, then I don't feel like I have to consume whole grains exclusively. Also, considering the high cost of whole grain flours, this is a way to save money. Feel free to experiment with this recipe by adding more whole grains, or all whole grain flour. However, the reason I have not included an option for a completely whole grain loaf is because I have experimented with this and the recipe needs to be altered in order for it to turn out right.  I am successful with this I will post the recipe here on the blog. If you follow the recipe exactly your bread should turn out. If you are looking for a 100% whole grain sourdough loaf, you might try a different recipe. (If you grind your own wheat and use soft  winter wheat, a 100% whole grain loaf should probably turn out from what I know of that kind of wheat.)

3. I use oats in the recipe. These are important for a lower gluten content a oats are naturally gluten-free, though they are sometimes contaminated during processing. Historically wheat had a lower gluten content than the varieties we consume today contain, so adding a gluten-free grain to your recipe will yield a loaf that is more comparable to the traditional bread our great-grandparents consumed. You could also use barley, but oats are considerably cheaper and easier to find, especially if you purchase them from Aldi.

4. Honey, maple syrup, or sucanat are good in this recipe, but I personally always use white sugar and this is why; I don't feel this tiny amount of refined sugar is any kind of compromise considering the quantity of other ingredients. I would rather use my expensive raw honey and grade B maple syrup for a healthy dessert recipe.

5. With proper care of your starter, your bread should not have much of a sour taste. This is a normal bread loaf and not meant to be like San Franscisco-ish sourdough bread.

Basic Sourdough Loaf

1 1/3 cup purified or distilled water (chlorine will inhibit the action of the yeast and good bacteria)
2/3 cup starter
2 Tablespoons real maple syrup, or honey, sucanat (whole cane sugar), or regular sugar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick oats (I use quick cooking since the pieces are smaller)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

About 1 tablespoon thick natural fat such as butter or palm shortening to grease the pan.

In a large glass or ceramic bowl (or high quality plastic), whisk together the first 7 ingredients. Stir in white flour with a wooden spoon until evenly incorporated. For a finer crumb, you can need the bread at this point as you would normal bread. A friend of mine modified my recipe to include kneading and she likes it better this way.

Wet a dish towel and cover the bowl with the cloth. Set on the counter overnight or up to 12 hours (might be able to go longer - haven't tried it yet). Check the dish towel in the morning to see if you need to rewet it. (If it is not wet the dough will get crusty and dry out).

When ready to put your loaf in a pan, very liberally grease a standard 9x5 bread pan, or a small casserole dish with high sides. I used palm shortening for the grease. It should be very thick or else the bread will stick really bad.

On a very clean counter, splash some water. Wet your hands. Reach into the bowl and mash the risen dough into a ball. The water will help your hands to not stick. Place the dough on the counter and mash into a large circle. 

Wet hands as needed to prevent them from sticking to the bread. (I rinse my hands off about 4 times during the whole process to keep them from sticking). Fold the dough in on itself like an envelope. Check the counter; make sure it is still good and wet. Mash the dough into a circle again (you will notice it is getting tighter). Fold it up like an envelope again. (Some sourdough recipes suggest folding it more than 2 times, but when I did it 3 times the dough sort of "broke" and got mushy and didn't bake right...strange.)

Place your lump of dough into the bread pan. You might need to stretch it out a bit with your hands to make it fit better. Cover with a wet dish towel. Let rise until the top of the dough is rounding over the top of the pan. This took my yeast only 4 1/2 hours, but my kitchen is warm. It could take up to 8 hours depending on your local yeast and the temperature and humidity of your house.

Just set in the pan and ready to bake.

Do not let it over rise or it will start falling over the edge of the pan. This loaf was perfect. I found that if I let it rise too long on the counter it would not rise well in the oven while baking and the texture was not right.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 35-40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. The bread should have risen very tall while in the oven.  Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing (if you can wait that long!)

{This post is linked up at Sunday School, Homemade Mondays, Traditional Tuesdays, Teach Me Tuesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Tasty Traditions and Fabulously Frugal Thursday.}

Let me know if you have any questions or need help getting started with the sourdough method!

Healthy Banana Muffins

Bananas are readily available in West Africa where I grew up and so banana bread or muffins were often on the menu. In Africa bananas are allowed to ripen on the stalk and are SO much more flavorful than the bananas you can get in the United States. There are also many different varieties. The most common kind is a little smaller in size than our Costa Rican banana. There are several kinds of finger bananas and even a chubby red-pealed banana. All with great flavor, but the tiny finger bananas are of-the-charts sweet and bursting with flavor!

Liberian boy standing under banana trees. My photo.

Liberians also make their own version of banana bread which I LOVE. I'll be sharing that recipe on the blog as well. Speaking of Liberians, isn't this guy a cutie?

My photo.

I prefer bananas in things: breads, snacks, fruit salads, etc, but am not a huge fan of eating them by themselves. Thus coming up with a nutritious and delicious banana muffin recipe was one of the first items on my agenda when I began my journey to eating healthier food.

For years I searched for a healthy banana muffin recipe that actually tasted good. It was a long and hard quest, with my husband suffering the consequences of dry, dense muffins as I tried less sugar, more whole-wheat flour, and experiment after experiment. Then alas, one day I stumbled upon this recipe for banana bread, and with a few adjustments I realized I'd found that elusive healthy banana muffin recipe! Even my husband likes them!

You seriously cannot tell they are good for you. 

A few notes about the recipe:

This recipe has taken me awhile to post because I wanted to experiment with using all sorts of flour and liquid options. If you have ripe bananas in your house, you'd be hard-pressed to not have any of the other ingredients!

For those looking for gluten-free options, I've made these successfully with buckwheat flour. I also have a great Paleo version that uses coconut flour, which I posted a few weeks ago. Spelt flour has a very low gluten content and is usually well tolerated by people with gluten sensitivities, though not those with celiac.

I did make these once with honey. To keep the recipe from being too cluttered, I'll share the adjustments for liquid sweetener here: In place of the whole cane sugar, use 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey or real maple syrup. Reduce the yogurt to 1/3 cup, or the milk to 1/4 cup.

This recipe can be dairy-free by using coconut oil and the milk substitute of your choice.

Healthy Banana Muffins

1/3 cup coconut oil or 1/2 cup butter, softened or melted
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup whole cane sugar or regular sugar (I usually use 1/3 cup)*
1 egg

2 large very ripe bananas or three completely brown bananas*
1/2 cup yogurt, greek yogurt or sour cream, or 1/3 cup coconut milk, rice milk, nut milk, or dairy milk**
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup whole-wheat, spelt, or buckwheat flour
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt (use the lesser amount if using salted butter)
1 teaspoon baking soda**
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, optional

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium sized mixing bowl blend together the first three ingrediants. Make sure coconut oil or butter is mixed in very well with the egg and sugar so their are no cold lumps of fat that form when the other ingredients are added. (I use a hand mixer.) Stir in the bananas, yogurt or milk, and the vanilla. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the batter and stir just until there are no dry lumps. I always make sure the baking soda and powder have no lumps by rubbing them between my fingers or sprinkling them through a small sieve. (I experienced trauma in early childhood after biting into one too many lumps of baking soda in my banana bread!)

Distribute evenly into 12 muffin liners or a muffin tin greased with coconut oil. They may seem full, but it will all fit! Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until the tops start to brown.

* Go with less sugar if using three completely black bananas. 1/4 cup is plenty.

** If using regular milk or milk substitute, replace the one teaspoon baking soda with one teaspoon additional baking powder.

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Bake time: 20 minutes. Servings: 12.

This recipe is linked at: Traditional Tuesdays, Real Food Wednesday,  Pennywise Patter Thursday, and Full Plate Thursday.

Paleo Banana Muffins

Who knew grain-friee (and thus gluten-free) and dairy-free banana muffins could taste so great! These EASY paleo-diet-approved banana muffins are made with coconut flour and coconut oil. I've been on a healthy muffin kick for months now and have the perfect banana muffin recipe down pat, with many variations. For my non-paleo (a.k.a more normal ingredient)  whole-grain healthy muffin recipe, click here.

The Nourishing Traditions/Weston A. Price diet is all about eating foods our ancestors would have eaten. The Paleo diet is similar to this in its premise, but most Paleo adherents also avoid dairy, grains and beans. Before you think about how strange and restrictive this diet would be, take a moment to remember all the people you've heard of who can't have dairy or gluten, or who have other unexplained illnesses they are trying to correct nutritionally. While my family does not have any special sensitivities, I have learned that for babies and toddlers, the healthiest diet is one similar to Paleo. 

In my research to find the very best diet for my baby, I came across the book Super Nutrition for Babies: The Right Way to Feed Your Baby for Optimal Health. It is like the Nourishing Traditions book but for babies and children. Honestly it is the best nutrition book I've read to date (it's more readable than Nourishing Traditions), and has greatly influenced the way I feed my son and how I plan to feed my kids as I raise them. 

Super Nutrition for Babies explains that babies under one year should not eat grains (more on this later), and until two years of age should not eat grains containing gluten. Because of this I purchased some coconut flour to try making some healthy breads I can feed my little guy. (I purchased my coconut flour from Tropical Traditions. If you wait until they have a free shipping special, this is the cheapest place to buy coconut flour. Sign up for their newsletter to be informed of their ongoing sales and specials.)

I researched recipes using coconut flour, or grain-free Paleo recipes, and found many to be rather complicated, calling for a lot of ingredients. One banana muffin recipe even had you divide eggs, whip half the whites, fold them back into the batter, etc, etc. Yeah... Not gonna happen in my kitchen. Especially if I'm trying to make a quick snack for my kid. So I experimented and came up with this simple recipe for banana muffins that are surprisingly good. You really can't even tell it's coconut flour! 

Paleo Banana Muffins

2 mashed ripe bananas - brown spotted, or 3 completely black bananas*

1/3 cup coconut oil or ghee

3 eggs

2-4 tablespoons whole cane sugar, real maple syrup, or honey*

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first 5 ingrediants until well blended. Stir in the remaining 4 ingredients until smooth. Prepare paper muffin liners, or use coconut oil to grease approximately 10 muffin holes. Divide batter evenly among the ten muffin liners. They should be about half full. You may fill 11 or 12 if the bananas are extra large. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 23-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. I found coconut flour needs to be baked a bit longer than regular flour, and at a lower temperature. 

*Use less natural sweetener if you are using 3 black bananas. The sweetener can probably be omitted completely if you are trying to avoid all sweeteners. If you are using the lesser amount of sweetener, or none at all, the muffins will not get as brown as those in the photo when they are done. Just take them out after 25 minutes.

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Bake time: 25 minutes. Servings: 10 muffins.

{This recipe is linked at: Fight Back Friday, Gluten-Free Friday, and Fat Tuesday.}

This recipe was featured on Gluten Free Fridays!

I am an Amazon affiliate which means if you purchase the books I've linked (or anything on Amazon) after clicking through my site I will get a very small percentage of the profit (4%). I am also an affiliate with the handful of nutrition based ads you see on the right-hand side bar. Every dollar I make through this blog helps my family get closer to our goal of being debt-free.

High Protein Pumpkin Spice Cake

Tis the season for pumpkins! Pumpkins are a huge decorating item and they seem to be everywhere right now, from the doorsteps to the tables. The recipe blogs and food spotting sites are abuzz with pumpkin recipes, from creamy soups, to zesty curries, to delectable desserts. One of the the most popular pumpkin treats is pumpkin bars, sometimes called pumpkin brownies. High Protein Pumpkin Spice Cake is my healthy remake of this popular fall treat. 

Pumpkin bars typically offer little nutritional value beyond a smidgen of vitamins from the pumpkin puree, and are loaded with refined flour and sugar, usually with cream cheese frosting. My version has tons of protein - 7.5 grams per serving (that's more than an egg!), whole grains, healthy fats, and of course pumpkin. I think this healthy version is not only just as good, but better than original pumpkin bars!

As with my High Protein Chocolate Banana Snack Cake, my family mainly uses this recipe for breakfast, but it is a wholesome treat you don't have to feel guilty about enjoying any time of day! It's a great after-school snack for kids, works as a dessert, and would be perfect to bring along to a get-together with friends.

Speaking of pumpkins...

This is my little 9 month old pumpkin.

Here he is with his daddy on a hay ride.

 

And all of us together.

Here are a few notes about this recipe:

I usually use cottage cheese for this recipe as it has more protein than many brands of plain Greek yogurt. Homemade greek yogurt or homemade cream cheese would be an ideal substitute for the cottage cheese if you already have those on hand or make those on a regular basis. Store-bought cream cheese does not contain nearly as much protein as cottage cheese so I don't recommend that for this recipe.

This recipe can be gluten free by using spelt or buckwheat flour.

Made with cottage cheese (which typically contains more protein than Greek yogurt), and walnuts, this breakfast contains 7.5 grams of protein when consumed in nine servings (6 grams as 12 servings.) An egg has about 6 grams of protein, so each serving is more than an egg. Eat it with an 8 oz glass of milk and you more than double that. 

High Protein Pumpkin Spice Cake

2/3 cup whole cane sugar or regular sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil or butter

2 tablespoons molasses

2 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese or greek yogurt

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup whole wheat, spelt, or buckwheat flour

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt*

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (You can also use vanilla chips or chocolate chips, though they do offer more sugar and less protein than nuts - but they sure taste great! Look for a brand with all natural ingredients.)

*Reduce salt to 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the cane sugar and coconut oil. Add the molasses, eggs, cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Stir to thoroughly combine. Dump the flour on top of the batter (don't stir just yet). Sprinkle the remaining ingredients except nuts over the top of the flour. Alternately you can use a small sieve to sift the dry ingredients over the batter. Stir to combine. Poor into a greased 9x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle nuts over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Bake time: 40-45 minutes. Servings: about 9-12.

Search terms:

Healthy pumpkin cake bars

Low sugar pumpkin bars

This recipe was featured on Tropical Traditions coconut recipe blog(!).

This recipe is linked at Real Food Holiday Recipe Link Up from Divine Health From The Inside Out.

High Protein Chocolate Banana Snack Cake

Healthy, breakfast, and delicious; Can these three words really go together? Yes! That's what Sweet Basil 'n Spice is all about!  As a breakfast food this High Protein Chocolate Banana Snack Cake serves the same purpose as a coffee cake. Yet this cake is much more filling than your average coffee cake and provides a good variety of the nutrients an adult or child needs to be their best in the morning. It's also a great afternoon snack, especially for hungry kids coming home from school!

It's a common saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet most people start their days by fueling their bodies with boxed cereals made of ultra processed grains and lots of sugar, or breakfast bars filled with preservatives. Yet what we really need is protein, healthy fats, and fiber, not tons of carbs. But with our food culture today and our busy schedules, most people don't have many ideas for healthy breakfast food, especially something kids will enjoy.

Snack foods are a similar story. Boxed crackers or chips are what many people turn to, with highly processed microwavable foods like pizza bites being a special treat for school children when they come home at the end of a long day. While fruit, veggies and nuts are great choices for a healthy snack, sometimes a baked treat with familiar flavors like chocolate and banana is fun. Nothing beats a warm piece of this Chocolate Banana Snack Cake with a glass of whole milk! Seriously.

Part of my goal as a cook/wife/mom/food provider is to make food that is tasty, healthy, and realistic to prepare on a regular basis. This snack cake is one of my successful creations that I end up making quite often and is a new favorite breakfast food. It can be prepared the day before and served up for a fast and easy breakfast. Though it's not Nourishing Traditions approved (primarily due to the unsoaked grains and chocolate), it's still a rather healthy breakfast or snack I can feel good about eating, physically and mentally :-). 

A few notes about the recipe: 

I usually use cottage cheese for this recipe as it has more protein than many brands of plain Greek yogurt. Homemade greek yogurt or homemade cream cheese would be an ideal substitute for the cottage cheese if you already have those on hand or make those on a regular basis. Store-bought cream cheese does not contain nearly as much protein as cottage cheese so I don't recommend that for this cake.

Since you can usually see a few lumps of cottage cheese in the cake, you can blend the cheese in a blender before mixing it into the recipe if this bothers you.

The chocolate chips are optional. If you do use them - and they really do add to the recipe - look for ones with the most natural ingredients.

This recipe can be gluten free by using spelt or buckwheat flour.

Made with cottage cheese (which typically contains more protein than Greek yogurt), this breakfast contains 6.6 grams of protein when consumed in nine servings (5 grams as 12 servings.) That's about the same as an egg. Eat it with an 8 oz glass of milk and you more than double that. 

High Protein Chocolate Banana Snack Cake

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole cane sugar or regular sugar*
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, softened or melted
2 eggs
2 very ripe bananas,  or 3 completely brown bananas*, mashed
1 cup cottage cheese or thick plain greek yogurt (not fat-free)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat, spelt, or buckwheat flour
1/4 - 1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

*If using three brown bananas reduce sugar by two tablespoons.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the sugar and coconut oil or butter. Add the eggs, banana, cottage cheese and vanilla. Stir to thoroughly combine. Dump the flour on top of the batter (don't stir just yet). Sprinkle the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda over the top of the flour. Alternately you can use a small sieve to sift the dry ingredients over the batter. Stir to combine. Poor into a greased 9x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Bake time: 40-45 minutes. Servings: about 9-12.

Search terms:

Healthy cake

Healthy breakfast for kids

Healthy after school snack

Chocolate banana cake with whole grains

Soaked Whole Wheat Tortillas

This recipe is for those looking for a Nourishing Traditions approved soaked whole grain tortilla recipe.

Many grains, beans, nuts, and seeds contain nutrient blockers called phytates that need to be removed through soaking in an acid medium before cooking so our bodies can get the most nutrition from them. (See my post here on phytic acid.)

As far as homemade tortillas go, these are fairly uncomplicated. They are much more rustic than your classic white flour tortillas, but the flavor is good and they hold up pretty well with heavy fillings.

Creamy white bean and avocado wraps with soaked whole wheat tortillas.

Soaked Whole Wheat Tortillas
(This recipe is adapted from one I found at Passionate Homemakers.)

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon acid medium such as lemon juice, whey or cider vinager

1/4 cup melted coconut oil or butter

3 cups whole wheat flour (The original recipe also suggested Kamut Flour. I would assume you could use spelt as well.)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

In a medium sized mixing bowl, or a large bowl with plastic lid, combine the water, acid medium and melted coconut oil. Stir in the flour. (Mixture will be crumbly.) Cover tightly with plastic wrap or the lid. Let rest on the counter or in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours.

After soaking, sprinkle the baking powder and salt over the dough. Reach into the bowl and kneed to combine. Separate the dough into 8 to 10 balls and let rest for at least 10 minutes. (This step can be done several hours in advance as long as the balls are in an air-tight container so they don't dry out.)

On a clean, unfloured counter using a rolling pin or large glass, roll the dough out into 6-inch to 10-inch tortillas. (For the creamy white bean and avocado wraps in the photo above I made ten 6-inch tortillas. I have also made eight 10-inch tortillas for tacos which were thinner but still held the fillings fairly well.) 

The dough should stick nicely to the counter making it easier to roll out, and peal of easily when it is your desired size. (It's really hard to get these perfectly round, so just embrace the rustic-ness of an oblong shape!) If you are having a problem with your dough sticking too much, you can use a little whole wheat flour on the counter, but don't use too much or else the tortillas will be dry and hard.

Preheat an ungreased medium or large skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes. Place one tortilla on the skillet and bake until it starts to form large blisters, about 2 1/2 minutes for the thicker 6-inch tortillas. Timing it helps you to get them right each time. It is easy to forget how long they've been on there and then they burn. Flip over and bake the other side for another 2 1/2 minutes. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Note: The original recipe did not have you cook the tortillas for nearly as long. She suggests 20-30 seconds per side. The times I have made the 10-inch tortillas they were thinner so I only had to cook them for about a minute on each side. My guiding principle is to cook them until there are no more dark patches of uncooked dough as the tortillas lighten when they are cooked all the way.

Store covered in plastic wrap or in an air-tight container until serving. These keep well in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes plus 12-14 hours for soaking. 

Cook time: 30-50 minutes: Yield: 8-10 tortillas