SOURDOUGH NATURAL GRAPE STARTER AND SOURDOUGH BISCUITS

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Sourdough Natural Grape Starter and Sourdough Biscuits image

Sourdough gets its start from the wild yeast in the air. Many contemporary recipes call for using packaged yeast, but the starter will develop a more interesting flavor without it. Jacqueling Higuera McMahan, a cookbook author who suggests using organic grapes. Their natural sugar helps feed the natural yeast to activate the starter. It takes 7 to 10 days to develop a good starter, but it can last you a lifetime. A range cook's measure as a man was the quality of his sourdough biscuits. Many Texans still pride themselves on make these airy and slightly sour treats, though few follow the camp tradition of baking them over an open fire in a Dutch oven covered with glowing coals. If you don't already have sourdough starter see the recipe.

Provided by Olha7397

Categories     Sourdough Breads

Time 1h

Yield 1 doz

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 1/2 cups wheat flour (use a soft wheat flour like White Lily if the primary use of your flour is for biscuits, if you vary)
2 cups mineral water
1 bunch unwashed organic grapes, on the stem
additional flour, as required
additional water, as required
1 cup soft wheat flour, preferably White Lily (or cake and pastry flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons bacon drippings or 3 tablespoons butter

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1642.7, Fat 44.7, SaturatedFat 16.3, Cholesterol 36.8, Sodium 1788.5, Carbohydrate 291.4, Fiber 40, Sugar 63.5, Protein 43.8

hope senft
[email protected]

I would give this recipe a 10/10. It's easy to follow and the biscuits are delicious.


Sheryl Reeves
[email protected]

These biscuits are amazing! I've never had sourdough biscuits before, but I'm definitely a fan now.


Moemen Alameddine
[email protected]

I've tried this recipe several times and I can never get the biscuits to rise properly. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.


Selma Med
[email protected]

These biscuits were a bit too dense for my taste. I prefer a lighter, fluffier biscuit.


Santosi Khadka
[email protected]

I'm not a big fan of sourdough, but these biscuits were really good. I would definitely make them again.


Hhch Thxnh
[email protected]

These biscuits are a bit time-consuming to make, but they're worth the effort. They're so delicious!


Ab_RaHMaN SH
[email protected]

I love the tangy flavor of these biscuits. They're the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of chili or soup.


Musaif Khan
[email protected]

These biscuits are a great way to use up leftover sourdough starter.


Zia Wazer
[email protected]

I've made these biscuits several times and they're always perfect. They're my go-to recipe for biscuits.


Nimrod Holozane
[email protected]

These biscuits are so easy to make, even a beginner can do it!


Kfkfid Hddr
[email protected]

I made these biscuits for a party and they were a huge success! Everyone loved them.


Rustam Ali
[email protected]

These biscuits are the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch. They're also great for snacking on!


Md Shaju
[email protected]

I followed the recipe exactly, but my biscuits turned out dry and crumbly. I'm not sure what I did wrong.


Russell Mark
[email protected]

These biscuits were a bit too tangy for my taste. I think I would have preferred a milder sourdough flavor.


Luke B
[email protected]

I love sourdough bread, so I was excited to try these biscuits. They didn't disappoint! They were light and fluffy, with a perfect amount of tang.


usama waqas1
[email protected]

These biscuits were easy to make and turned out great! I used a store-bought sourdough starter, and they still had a nice tang.


Saif Arman
[email protected]

I'm not a huge fan of sourdough, but these biscuits were surprisingly good. They were moist and flavorful, and the sourdough tang was subtle.


Lacy Beech
[email protected]

These sourdough biscuits were a hit! They were light and fluffy, with a slightly tangy flavor. I used my own sourdough starter, and the biscuits had a wonderful depth of flavor.


Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »

    #60-minutes-or-less     #time-to-make     #course     #preparation     #healthy     #sourdough     #breads     #rolls-biscuits     #dietary     #yeast