Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread (with Starter)

If you don't like a strong sourdough taste but want the benefits from healthier bread (keep reading), this is the bread for you.

The trick with most sourdough bread, though, is getting the sourdough to rise.  It can get complicated, especially if you're creating a traditional sourdough starter from just flour and water.  There can be issues with the amount of warmth during the process, the amount of fermentation (which can result in a light, holey bread or a dense rock), and something else that I'm apparently not very good at.  I tried three different sourdough recipes, and this one came out the winner, by far.  It's sourdough, so it takes some time, but it's actually easy!

I wanted one more recipe that I could serve as sandwich bread for the 21-Day Meal Plan I'm creating from the recipes here at this blog.  Storing tuna, canned chicken, mayonnaise, peanut butter, and jelly for emergencies is great, but sandwiches need bread.

The recipe I'm sharing with you today reminds me a lot of the Soft Two-and-a-Half Whole Wheat Bread, but to my way of thinking it's a little healthier with the sourdough added.  First I'll go over the health benefits of sourdough!

You do have to plan ahead to make this bread because the sourdough starter takes 4 days to create before you make the bread.  But that's only the first time--you'll have more starter left over so you can make more bread without the 4-day wait.  Don't worry--I'll walk you through the whole thing.

WHOLE WHEAT SOURDOUGH BREAD (WITH STARTER)

PREP TIME:  4 days for the original starter, 1 overnight starter feeding, 15-20 minutes to make the dough, then 1 hour 30 minutes total rising
COOK TIME:  30 minutes

First, a little about sourdough.  (Some important tips here, too!) 

• Sourdough is one of the healthiest breads you can eat!  It's more nutritious, easier to digest, and commonly thought to be better for even blood sugar.
• The sourdough starter needs to ferment.  As such, do not use chlorinated water to make your starter as it will inhibit in the fermenting process.  
• If a clear (sometimes light brown) liquid appears on top of your starter, don't worry.  It's just something that can naturally occur with fermentation.  Just mix it back in.
• The starter is going to become sour smelling, but it's really okay.  What's not okay is a pink or orange (or any other color) tint to it, in which case you should throw it out.  Your sourdough starter should be bubbly with a pleasant sour smell. 
• Sourdough starters should be "fed," replacing the used amount with equal amounts of water and flour.  (For example, if you use 1 c. starter in a recipe, you can feed what's left with 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. flour.  Leave on the counter until bubbly again, then refrigerate until ready to use.)  Sourdough starter isn't active unless it's fed (bubbling).
• Sourdough starters improve with age.  It might seem strange to keep your sourdough starter for a long time, but sourdough starters were often passed down from one generation to another!

SOURDOUGH STARTER INGREDIENTS

• 1  3/4 c. flour (plus more each day)
• 2 c. very warm water (plus more each day)
• 1  1/8 tsp. yeast

SOURDOUGH STARTER DIRECTIONS (Making your first sourdough starter takes 4 days, but you can keep the starter going so you always have it!  After making your starter, you only need about 24 hours to make bread the next time.)

4 days before making bread:  Combine flour and yeast in a large glass or plastic container; it cannot be metal.  The starter will expand to about 4 times its original size, so choose a container large enough.  Gradually stir in the water until it is smooth.  Cover with a lid, but be ready to remove the lid to let the air out a couple of times a day.  Leave on the counter in a warm place.  (I use a quart jar for my starter, putting the lid itself on the top of the jar but I don't screw the ring on.  That way, if too much air gets in there, the lid isn't on tightly and can pop off.  Also:  I read about putting a cheesecloth or fabric cover on instead of a lid.  I tried that the first time and felt like the starter didn't get a chance to get very sour.  It also dried out a little.  I think an actual lid is better than a breathable one--just make sure you let the air out or don't put the lid on tightly.)
3 days before making bread:  Mix in 1/3 c. water and 1/3 c. flour.  This is called "feeding" the starter.  Cover (as described above) and leave on the counter.
2 days before making bread:  Same as day 3.   Before "feeding" the starter today, you may have to discard some of the starter to make room.  The starter will expand, so depending on the size of your container, you may have to discard a lot.  Mix in 1/3 c. water and 1/3 c. flour.  You should see bubbling and growth (expansion) by now, and you should smell a pleasant sour smell.  (As I mentioned, I use a glass quart jar, and I haven't had to discard any.  This recipe just fills up the jar.  It does bubble and grow some, though.)
1 day before making bread:  Same as day 2.
On bread-making day when using brand new starter:  Make the bread using the starter.  Refrigerate the remaining starter for next time.  See additional instructions below.

The night before bread-making day when using leftover starter that has been refrigerated:  Remove the starter from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 1-2 hours.  "Feed" the starter by stirring in 1/3 c. water and 1/3 c. flour, mixing well.  Let it stay on the counter overnight.  The next day, use the starter in your bread recipe.  After using it, stir in 1/3 c. water and 1/3 c. flour.  Let it stay on the counter about an hour, the refrigerate.

SOURDOUGH BREAD INGREDIENTS

• 1  1/2 tsp. yeast
• 1  1/3 c. warm water
• 2/3 c. sourdough starter
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda 
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 c. white flour

SOURDOUGH BREAD DIRECTIONS

In a large mixer bowl, mix water and yeast.  Add starter, salt, sugar, and soda.  Slowly add in both flours.  Knead well and cover with plastic wrap to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.  Punch down and shape into 2 loaves.  Place in greased loaf pans and rise another 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remember:  You'll have leftover sourdough starter.  You can keep making this bread with the same starter, just remember to take it out of the fridge the night before you want to use it.  After taking out the amount of the starter you need, you can "feed" it with equal amounts water and flour as explained above, letting it sit out until bubbly then refrigerating it.  In addition to using the starter for this bread recipe, you can also use the starter for other recipes like these and these.

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Macaroni Bean Salad

I love a good cold macaroni salad in the summer, and this one is flavorful with three sources of protein, to boot.  This really just hits the spot.  My family loves this pasta salad.

The only change I made to this salad to make it pantry-friendly was the cheese.  And, as usual, you can't even tell.  I really love that about freeze-dried cheese!  You could also consider the cheese optional, if you prefer.

MACARONI BEAN SALAD

PREP TIME:  20 minutes
CHILL TIME:  about 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
• half of a 6-oz. can olives, sliced in half
• 15-oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 c. freeze-dried Monterey Jack cheese, rehydrated (original recipe:  1 c. cubed Monterey Jack cheese)
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. Italian salad dressing 
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. seasoned salt

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate the cheese according to package directions.  (Suggested rehydration time for cheese is 2 hours.)  Drain the macaroni and let it cool enough that it won't melt the cheese.  In a small bowl,  combine the mayonnaise, Italian dressing, white wine vinegar, and seasoned salt.  In a large salad bowl, combine both beans with olives, cheese, and macaroni.  Stir in the dressing mixture.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours before serving.

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Potato Bacon Breakfast Casserole

I'm not much of a breakfast cooker, but I'm a big fan of breakfast for dinner.  This yummy casserole is great both ways.  I made a few changes to the original recipe to make it pantry-friendly, but I'll give you the original recipe ingredients as well.  You'll love this breakfast casserole.

POTATO BACON BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

PREP TIME:  20 minutes + cheese rehydrating time
COOK TIME:  45-60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2  c. freeze-dried shredded cheddar cheese, rehydrated (original recipe:  fresh cheese)
• 4 c. dried shredded potatoes, rehydrated (original recipe:  26 oz. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed)
• 1/4 c. dried minced onion
• 3 oz. bottle real bacon bits (or pieces)
• 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• equivalent of 2 freeze-dried eggs, rehydrated  (I like this brand; original recipe: 2 eggs)

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate the cheese according to package directions.  (Suggested rehydration time for cheese is 2 hours.)  Rehydrate the shredded potatoes according to package directions.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Layer half the potatoes on the bottom, topped with half the bacon, half the onions, and half the cheese.  Repeat layers.  In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs.  Pour over casserole.  Cover with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes at 375 degrees.  

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Freeze-Dried Mint-Chocolate Green Smoothie

Did you know cocoa is good for you?  The flavonoids in unsweetened cocoa powder lower inflammation, relax blood vessels to lower blood pressure, and are a good source of iron, magnesium, and zinc.  Unsweetened cocoa powder is also rich in polyphenols, which are antioxidants linked to better cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels.  (source)  Plus, there are almost 2 grams of fiber in 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa. (source)  

Which is exactly the amount in this Freeze-Fried Mint-Chocolate Green Smoothie!

 

I was so happy with how my Freeze-Dried Fruit Smoothies turned out that I wanted to try a green smoothie using only dry freeze-dried ingredients.  So I combined two smoothie recipes I like and made some pantry-friendly ingredient swaps, and viola!  

I am loving that I can still make smoothies using only freeze-dried ingredients.  It's pretty amazing!  I love this tasty, healthy backup to fresh-ingredient smoothies.  This blog is intended to help us eat well in a pinch or in an emergency, and I am pretty happy that smoothies make the list!

Because this smoothie recipe lacks the classic frozen fruit (not being pantry-friendly), it may be thinner than you are accustomed to.  If you want to thicken it, you can add any of the following pantry-friendly ingredients:

• a small amount of cooked and cooled cream of wheat cereal
• navy beans, mashed
• tapioca
• a small amount of cooked and cooled oatmeal

This recipe makes one smoothie, so multiply these ingredients as needed to serve more people.

Check out those bubbles--this picture is straight after mixing!

FREEZE-DRIED MINT-CHOCOLATE GREEN SMOOTHIE

PREP TIME:  8-10 minutes
COOK TIME:  0

INGREDIENTS

• 1  1/2 c. cold milk (either shelf-stable or rehydrated from powdered; see options here)
• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 1 Tbsp. protein powder (preferably chocolate flavor)
• sweetener equivalent to 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. mint extract
• 1/2 c. freeze-dried Greek yogurt (or vanilla, if you prefer; both available here)
• 1/4 - 1/3 c. freeze-dried spinach (I like this brand; also available here)
• 1 tsp. chia seeds
• if desired, add a thickener such as a small amount of cooked and cooled cream of wheat cereal, some mashed navy beans, tapioca, or a small amount of cooked and cooled oatmeal

DIRECTIONS

Stir together all the ingredients in a smoothie-maker cup.  Let stand 5 minutes to allow the freeze-dried ingredients a little rehydration time.  Process with the smoothie-maker until smooth.

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Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

This is one of my family's all-time favorite meals.  When my daughter came home for Christmas during her first year of college, she--of course--was only here for a couple of weeks--and Cheesy Baked Spaghetti was on the list of requested dinners while she was here.  We've loved this recipe for years, and it's now kind of the definition of "comfort food" around here.

Most of the time, I prefer using freeze-dried sausage to make this meal anyway because it's so much faster and easier (and less messy) than cooking up a pound of sausage.  So I really only needed one other swap to make this recipe entirely pantry-friendly.  We really couldn't even tell the difference between this swapped-out recipe and the original.  And that's perfect.

I have to say, too, that having a delicious dish like this one just "waiting" in the pantry is pretty awesome.  You're going to love this.

CHEESY BAKED SPAGHETTI 

PREP TIME:  15 minutes
COOK TIME:  30-35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• two 14.5-oz. cans of diced tomatoes, undrained (I prefer petite diced)
• 1/4 c. dried minced onion
• one 2.25-oz. can sliced olives
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 - 1  1/2 c. freeze-dried sausage (or you could use freeze-dried beef instead)
• 12-16 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
• 2 c. freeze-dried shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/4 c. water
• grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate the sausage and cheese according to package directions.  (Suggested rehydration time for cheese is 2 hours.)  In a large bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, olives, and oregano.  Place half the cooked spaghetti in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Spread half the meat-vegetable mixture on top.  Sprinkle half the cheddar cheese on top.  Repeat the layers.  In a bowl, mix the soup and water until smooth.  Spread on top of the last cheese layer, being careful to cover all the spaghetti pieces so they don't dry out in the oven.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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Creamy Cracked Wheat Cereal

Cracked wheat cereal is a nice alternative to oatmeal for breakfast, and wheat has lots of health benefits.  This recipe is made with some nice, tasty additions to plain old wheat, too.

I had never cracked wheat before I tried this recipe.  It was easier than I thought!  You can buy cracked wheat, but if you have wheat berries, you can make your own cracked wheat.  It's easy.  I'll tell you how.  "Cracked" wheat is just broken down wheat berries.

I suggest cracking the wheat for this recipe ahead of time.  Maybe that's just because I'm not a morning person.  Especially a loudness-in-the-morning person.

Here's how to crack wheat.  Just put 1/4 c. wheat berries in a blender and process using the ice crush setting.  It's pretty loud, but it only takes about 15 seconds.  The wheat berries will get cut up in pieces.  The only trick is that if you do more than about 1/4 c. at a time it doesn't work very well, so you need to just repeat the process.  But that's pretty easy!

CREAMY CRACKED WHEAT CEREAL

PREP TIME:  5 minutes
COOK TIME:  25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2  1/4 c. water
• 1 c. cracked wheat
• 3 Tbsp. powdered milk
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• optional:  fruit and/or nuts

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Turn heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.  Stir every 6-7 minutes.  Serve with fruit or nuts if desired.  Serves about 4-6. 

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Pantry-Friendly Mini Omelets (microwave)

I've never been a breakfast-making type of person.  Probably because I'm not really a morning person.  Get up, eat.  Good enough.  Cereal, fruit, yogurt.  It's all ready to go without much time or effort.

I recently came across a few items that inspired me to try out a more protein-filled breakfast in keeping with my "without much time or effort" requirement.  So, of course, I wanted to see if I could make it pantry-friendly, too!

I'm honestly not a fan of scrambled eggs UNLESS they're served with enough other ingredients to hide the taste of the eggs.  So this vegetable-filled, pantry-friendly, microwave omelet is just the thing.  When you put pantry-friendly (dried) ingredients together with microwave cooking, it's super fast, too.  And that's just my thing, too.

I made this omelet using the Ceramic Egg Cooker from Pampered Chef, and I loved it!  If you don't have one, you can--aside from ordering one at that link--use a large ceramic mug or a cereal bowl.  They aren't covered like the Egg Cooker is, so I imagine cooking times would vary.

This recipe is a one-egg omelet for one.  Double it for a two-egg omelet if you like, and of course multiply it for however many people you want to feed.

PANTRY-FRIENDLY MINI OMELETS (MICROWAVE)

PREP TIME:  8 minutes
COOK TIME:  1-2 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Tbsp. water
• 2 Tbsp. freeze-dried scrambled egg (That brand is the best I've tried.)
• dash salt
• 1 Tbsp. freeze-dried spinach
• 1 tsp. dried onion (I like the ultra small, thin dices of dried onion here, but you can buy dried minced onion at your local grocery store if you prefer.)
• 1 Tbsp. freeze-dried cheddar cheese (I like this brand; or you could use colby cheese available here.)
• 1 Tbsp. undrained diced tomatoes from a can

DIRECTIONS
Stir all ingredients together in a Ceramic Egg Cooker or a bowl (or large mug).  Let sit 5 minutes to partially hydrate the dried foods.  Stir again, then microwave 1 minute or 1 minute 10 seconds.  (If using a bowl or mug, cooking times will vary because they are not covered like the Ceramic Egg Cooker, so adjust cooking time as needed.)

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Green Bean Onion Casserole

This is that classic recipe with one little pantry-friendly twist.  My family really loves this casserole, and my swap went completely unnoticed!  So the great news here is that this dish can be on-hand in my pantry any time.

GREEN BEAN ONION CASSEROLE

PREP TIME:  5 minutes
COOK TIME:  35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• equivalent 3/4 c. milk mixed from powdered milk (I use the Nido brand from Nestle because I like the taste much better than the usual nonfat powdered milk--or you could also use one of the fresh milk substitutions listed here)
• 1  1/3 c. french fried onions, divided
• 2 cans green beans, drained

DIRECTIONS

Mix soup and reconstituted milk with a whisk in an 8x8 pan.  Stir in beans and 2/3 c. onions.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Top with remaining 2/3 c. onions and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Try this pantry-friendly recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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Fruity Cream Salad

You're going to love this fruit salad!  It uses both canned and freeze-dried fruit along with a few other pantry-friendly ingredients, so it can be your go-to fruit salad in a pinch. 

I am putting together a 21-Day Pantry-Friendly Meal Plan which I will share with you in November!  I'm finding recipes (and sharing them here at the blog) that use only ingredients which store well in a pantry.  This is great in case of emergency (big storm, COVID-19 panic-buying) but also fantastic to have on hand just in case (totally forgot about the potluck tonight).

I wanted to incorporate plenty of fruits and vegetables in my Plan, and I discovered I was a little short on fruit recipes that are pantry-friendly.  I created this recipe from two others with some pantry-friendly substitutions.  And I have to say, I love it.  There is such a wide variety of fruit in this creamy mixture that it really hits the spot.

FRUITY CREAM SALAD

PREP TIME:  15 minutes
REFRIGERATION TIME:  at least 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 15 oz. fruit cocktail, drained
• 8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 c. freeze-dried raspberries (I like these, but you can also get them here and here.)*
• 1/2 c. freeze-dried strawberry slices (I like these, but you can also get them here and here.)*
• 21 oz. cherry pie filling 
• 1 envelope Dream Whip mix
• 12 oz. evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional; or try almond flavoring)

DIRECTIONS

Combine the evaporated milk, Dream Whip, and vanilla in a large salad bowl.  Whip with a mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thickened.  Fold in all the fruit until well-combined.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours to give the freeze-dried fruit time to soften. 

*When comparing freeze-dried fruit, the freeze-drying methods will vary and will have an effect on flavor, so see which you like best.  When comparing prices, don't forget that ThriveLife has a monthly delivery special which saves you 15%.  (See the sidebar.)  I am not a ThriveLife rep--I use it a lot and love it.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

This is one of my favorite homemade breads.  Its rustic nature reminds me a little of a bread you might get in an Italian restaurant, served with olive oil for dipping.

ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL BREAD

PREP TIME:  2 hours
COOK TIME:  30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 packet yeast (or 2  1/4 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1  1/4 c. warm water
• 1/2 tsp. salt + additional salt
• 2-3 tsp. dried rosemary  (original recipe:  2 Tbsp. fresh snipped rosemary)
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil + additional olive oil
• 3  1/2 c. flour

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixer bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar, and water.  Let sit 10 minutes to become bubbly.  Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt, rosemary, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, and flour.  Mix well.  Cover and let rise in warm place for 1 hour.  Roll into a ball (using a floured surface, if needed) and place on a baking sheet covered with a foil sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Let sit 20 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with additional salt.  Optional: sprinkle with additional rosemary.  Let cool somewhat before slicing.

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