sourdough

Cornbread is a timeless + festive fall favorite of mine. The only problem that can sometimes arise is a dry and crumbly texture. This sourdough cornbread is enhanced with a bit of volume and tang from a robust sourdough starter and greek yogurt. The greek yogurt ensures even moisture and lightness, coupled with a spring from the wild yeast. Bits of spicy jalapeño pepper and sharp cheddar cheese further enrich this sourdough cornbread into an all-around delight.

Serve sourdough cornbread with a bowl of cozy chili, or toast it up with some salad or soup. It also makes for a delicious sandwich, open-faced grilled cheese, or toast with eggs! Days after baking, turn sourdough cornbread into luscious croutons or toast!

ingredients

  • 138 grams / 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 35 grams / 2 tablespoons sourdough starter
  • 165 grams / ¾ cup greek yogurt
  • 100 grams / ½ cup brown sugar
  • 6 grams / 1 teaspoon / 6g salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 11 grams / 2 tablespoons jalapeños, chopped
  • 59 grams / ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

steps

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, sourdough starter, and greek yogurt until thoroughly combined. Add the brown sugar and salt and mix. Add the eggs, one at a time, until evenly incorporated. Let sit for 1-2 hours then begin to stretch and fold the dough over itself. 

As you stretch the dough, layer jalapenos and cheddar over the top of the dough, then fold the stretched part over the top of the jalapenos and cheddar. Repeat until all of the jalapenos and cheddar have been incorporated.

Let the dough sit for 1 hour and repeat the stretch and fold for 4, 90° turns. Let the dough rest 12-14 hours for the bulk fermentation.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 475°F and place the loaf of dough on a piece of parchment paper. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the crust turns golden. 

Sourdough bites with roasted red pepper and feta are sweet and savory and salty and cozy. The flavors are a simple + heartwarming combination that can be enjoyed as a snack or elevated into a meal. The dough’s multi-dimensional flavor develops over an extended bulk fermentation which allows the sourdough depth to slowly develop is really when and where the magic happens.

Make these sourdough bites for a crowd when entertaining or freeze them between sheets of parchment paper and bake one off at a time for a quick and delicious, real-food snack. The dough takes a full 14 hours to ferment, so make the dough the day before you intend to bake the bites.

makes about 24 bites 

ingredients

for the dough

for the toppings and assembly

  • ½ cup / 100g feta, crumbled
  • 4 ounces roasted red pepper, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon / 18 grams freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons / 11 grams salt

dough steps

The day before you want to bake the bites, mix together the butter and water then add the starter into a large bowl and mix until combined. Add in the sugar and mix, then add in the flour and salt and mix until the dough is evenly combined. It will be shaggy at first but become blended and somewhat sticky as you mix. With wet hands, pinch and press the dough until it is smooth then cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 hours. 

After the dough has rested for 2 hours, stretch the top of it up and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl 90° to the right and pull the top of the dough up and over. Repeat this 8 times total. Let the dough sit for another hour then repeat the folding process 8 more times. Let the dough sit for one more hour then repeat the series of folds one last time, for a total of three stretch and fold sequences.

Let the dough rest for about 14 hours overnight until it has doubled in size. After this bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut it into squares. I used a 2 ¾ x 2 ¾-inch square cutter, but you can just as easily use a knife or bench scraper.

Let the squares rest for 1-2 hours until they puff up. After this final rest, preheat the oven to 375°F.

assembly steps

Distribute about 1 teaspoon of feta on each square then layer with about 1 tablespoon of roasted red pepper. Top each square with cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. 

Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F, then turn the oven up to 450°F and bake for 10 more minutes. 

I firmly believe that pigs in blankets are one of the greatest crowd pleasers. As a compact finger food and all, they are suitable for guests of any age and can be enjoyed in nearly any setting. I have many childhood memories of Pillsbury crescent rolls appearing at gatherings. Sourdough ham and cheese crescents are essentially a pigs-in-blankets-inspired sandwich. They are built around a naturally leavened dough that is enriched with sour cream for tang and brown sugar for sweetness. During a long rest period of 14-16 hours, the dough develops a deep flavor and elasticity. This dough subsequently envelops the salty ham and buttery manchego, making sourdough ham and cheese crescents a perfectly portable party food.

ingredients

for the dough

  • 120g / 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 200g / ¾ cup sourcream
  • 1 egg
  • 70g / ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 10g salt
  • 120g / 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 120g / 1 cup white whole-wheat flour

for the filling and assembly

  • 8 ounces ham, sliced
  • 4 ounces manchego cheese, sliced

dough steps

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and pinch and squeeze the dough to work the ingredients together until all is incorporated. Wet your hands and stretch the dough up and fold it in half over itself. Turn the bowl clockwise 90° and stretch and fold it once again. Turn the bowl twice more, each time 90° and stretch and fold each time, for a total of four stretches and folds. Then let the dough sit for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch, fold, rotate, and rest sequence for a total of 6 times, over the course of 2 and a half hours. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a dish towel and let the dough sit until it has doubled and nearly tripled, about 14-16 hours at room temperature.

filling and assembly steps

After the dough has rested, transfer it to a floured surface and roll it out into a 12 inch x 24 inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half vertically then in half horizontally to make four pieces, then cut each of the four pieces in half to create eight pieces. Cut each piece diagonally to yield 16 triangles. Place a few slices of ham and a few slices of cheese in the center of each triangle. Fold one corner over the center of the crescent then continue to roll it up.

Repeat with all 16 crescents, place them on a baking sheet, and let them rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the crescents for 25 minutes until puffed up and lightly golden!

Pistachios are one of my all-time favorite nuts. Their brilliant green hue is such a beautiful color and their unique, earthy flavor is all the more enhanced when they are toasted or baked. Pistachios are delightful paired with blueberries. In this blueberry pistachio sourdough, dried blueberries bake with pistachios for a chewy bread, filled with sweet and savory notes. When baked, the dried blueberries create a jam-like consistency so you don’t even need any actual jam. Blueberry pistachio sourdough makes for a self-contained toast with a pat of butter or the flavorful bookends of a sandwich. 

ingredients

for the levain

  • 14g sourdough starter
  • ½ cup / 63g all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup / 80g water

for the loaves

  • 2 ½ cups / 650g water, divided
  • 20g kosher salt
  • 5 cups / 625g all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup / 63g whole-wheat flour
  • 1 cup / 127g pistachios, shelled
  • 1 cup / 159g dried blueberries

process

  • Day 1 (overnight) make the levain in the evening and let rest ~10 hours
  • Day 2 (morning) mix, stretch, fold dough ~4 hours
  • Day 2 (afternoon-overnight) bulk fermentation ~12 hours
  • Day 3 (morning) bake for 55 minutes. 

levain steps

The night before you are going to bake your bread, mix together the starter, all-purpose flour, and water until evenly combined. Cover in plastic wrap and let sit for 10-12 hours until the surface is bubbly and a small bit (about ⅛ teaspoon) of the starter floats in a glass of water.

loaves steps

In a large bowl, mix together the activated levain and 550g of the water until the levain completely dissolves. Add the all-purpose and whole-wheat flour and mix with your hands or a rubber spatula until it forms a shaggy dough. Let this mixture sit for 1 hour to let the flour fully absorb the water, this is the autolyse stage.

After the dough has rested for an hour, evenly sprinkle the salt over the top then add the remaining 100g of water. Pinch and squeeze the dough with your fingers to make sure that the salt and water evenly incorporates.

Starting at the top of the bowl, stretch the dough up and fold it in half over itself. Turn the bowl clockwise 90° and stretch and fold it once again. Turn the bowl twice more, each time 90° and stretch and fold each time, for a total of four stretches and folds. Then let the dough sit for 30 minutes. 

At this point, sprinkle half of the pistachios and dried blueberries over the top of the dough. Using your fingertips, press them into the dough and begin the first stretch and fold of the series. Turn the bowl and stretch and fold once more, then add in the remaining pistachios and blueberries, once again pressing them into the dough with your fingertips. Stretch and fold the dough twice more then let rest for 30 minutes. 

Repeat the stretch and fold process every 30 minutes followed by a 30 minute rest over the next hour and a half for a total of six stretch and fold sequences, including the one adding in the mix-ins. 

Following the final stretch and fold, let the dough rest for 30 minutes then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Work with one piece at a time and fold the dough from four corners, essentially making four flaps which join in the center of the dough.

Dust two bannetons or large bowls lined with dish towels with rice flour and place the loaves seam-side up inside. Place in the refrigerator to ferment overnight.

Once the loaves are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500°F and place two 5 qt. Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pots in the oven to heat. If you only have one, you can bake the loaves back-to-back. Test that the dough is ready to bake by lightly pressing it with your finger. If the indent moves back quickly, the dough is not ready to bake. If it keeps the indentation, then the dough is ready!

Turn the loaves out onto a piece of parchment paper with the top of the loaf as the part that was inside the banneton or bowl. Slice the top in a pattern of your choosing to ensure that the steam can release and the dough can rise to its full potential. 

Lower the oven temperature to 450°. Remove the heated dutch oven, place the dough inside, cover, and bake for 20 minutes without removing the lid. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 35 minutes until crisp. Repeat with the second loaf if you are baking the pistachio blueberry sourdough loaves back-to-back.

This recipe is an entirely sourdough, naturally-leavened dough that I often experiment with. It is extremely versatile and flexible in either a sweet or savory direction. I learned to make pizza with potatoes in Tuscany years ago, and I personally love it, though I know not everyone would agree. These sourdough bites with potatoes, scallions, and cream cheese are a sort of reference to classic potato pizza with an added flair of scallions and cream cheese. These sourdough bites will be sure to satisfy many cravings. 

Makes about 24 bites 

ingredients

for the dough

  • 50g butter
  • 150g water
  • 100g sourdough starter 100% hydration
  • 50g sugar
  • 350g flour
  • 18g salt

for the toppings and assembly

  • 2 ounces (¼ cup) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 russet potatoes, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup scallions, sliced
  • ¼ cup chives, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt

steps

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and water then add the starter and mix until combined. Add in the sugar and mix, then add in the flour and salt and mix until the dough is evenly combined. It will be shaggy at first but become blended and somewhat sticky as you mix. With wet hands, pinch and press the dough until it is smooth then cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 hours. 

After the dough has rested for 2 hours, stretch the top of it up and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl 90° to the right and pull the top of the dough up and over. Repeat this 8 times total. Let the dough sit for another hour then repeat the folding process 8 more times. Let the dough sit for one more hour then repeat the series of folds one last time, for a total of three stretch and fold sequences.

Let the dough rest for about 14 hours overnight until it has doubled in size. After this bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut it into squares. I used a 2 ¾ x 2 ¾-inch square cutter, but you can just as easily use a knife or bench scraper.

Let the squares rest for 1-2 hours until they puff up. After this final rest, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spread about ½ teaspoon of softened cream cheese on each square then layer with potatoes, scallions, and chives. Top each square with cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. 

Bake for 20 minutes at 375°F, then turn the oven up to 450°F and bake for 10 more minutes. 

Experimenting with different flavor and texture mix-ins with sourdough bread is totally gratifying and can really take sourdough to new dimensions. Nuts and seeds add crunch and dried fruit, cheese, or meat add layers of chewiness. These cheddar flax and black pepper sourdough loaves incorporate savory cheddar, chewy flax, and the spice of black pepper. Enjoy a slice on its own or bundled into a delicious sandwich. Cheddar flax and black pepper sourdough can be dressed savory or made sweet but regardless, will satisfy any glutenous craving.

ingredients

for the levain

  • 30g sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 60g whole wheat flour
  • 60g all-purpose four
  • 120g water

for the loaves

  • 250g levain
  • 750g + 50g water, divided
  • 1000g all-purpose flour
  • 20g salt
  • 100g flax seed
  • 100g sharp cheddar cheese
  • 12g freshly cracked black pepper
  • Rice flour (for dusting)

process

  • Day 1 (overnight) make levain in the evening and let rest ~10 hours
  • Day 2 (morning-afternoon) mix, stretch, fold dough ~4 hours
  • Day 2 (overnight) bulk fermentation ~12 hours
  • Day 3 (morning) bake for 55 minutes. 

levain steps

The night before you are going to bake your bread, mix together the starter, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and water until evenly combined. Cover in plastic wrap and let sit for 10-12 hours until the surface is bubbly and a small bit (about ¼ teaspoon) of the starter floats in a glass of water.

loaves steps

In a large bowl, mix together the activated levain and 750g of the water until the levain completely dissolves. Add the flour and mix with your hands or a rubber spatula until it forms a shaggy dough. Let this mixture sit for 1-4 hours as the ingredients absorb into each other, this is the autolyse stage.

After the dough has rested for an hour, evenly sprinkle the salt over the top then add the remaining 50g of water. Pinch and squeeze the dough with your fingers to make sure that the salt and water evenly incorporate.

Starting at the top of the bowl, stretch the dough up and fold it in half over itself. Turn the bowl clockwise 90° and stretch and fold it once again. Turn the bowl twice more, each time 90° and stretch and fold each time, for a total of four stretches and folds. Then let the dough sit for 30 minutes. 

At this point, sprinkle half of the cheddar, flax, and freshly cracked black pepper over the top of the dough. Using your fingertips, press them into the dough and begin the first stretch and fold of the series. Turn the bowl and stretch and fold once more, then add in the remaining cheddar, flax, and freshly cracked black pepper, once again pressing them into the dough with your fingertips. Stretch and fold the dough twice more then let rest for 30 minutes. 

Repeat the stretch and fold process every 30 minutes followed by a 30 minute rest over the next hour and a half for a total of six stretch and fold sequences, including the one adding in the mix-ins. 

Following the final stretch and fold, let the dough rest for 30 minutes then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Work with one piece at a time and fold the dough from four corners, essentially making four flaps which join in the center of the dough like a package.

Dust two bannetons or large bowls lined with dish towels with rice flour or all-purpose flour and place the loaves seam-side up inside. Place in the refrigerator to ferment overnight.

One the loaves are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 550°F and place a 5 qt. Dutch oven or cast iron combo cooker in the oven to heat. Test that the dough is ready to bake by lightly pressing it with your finger. If the indent moves back quickly, the dough is not ready to bake. If it keeps the indentation, then the dough is ready!

Wrap a piece of parchment paper over the top of the banneton and flip it over onto the paper. Slice the top in a pattern of your choosing to ensure that the steam can release and the dough can rise to its full potential. Remove the heated dutch oven, lower the oven temperature to 500°F place the dough inside, cover, and bake for 20 minutes without removing the lid. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 35 minutes until crisp. Repeat with the second loaf if you are baking the loaves back to back. 

Behold: another wonderful use for precious sourdough discard, this time in a flatbread/pancake form. This sourdough artichoke pancake with spicy tomato labneh is filled with herbs and artichoke hearts and fried up to a beautiful crispness. Feel free to mix and match different herbs and spices, but the below combination works quite well. The savory artichokes, fragrant chives and parsley, and spicy tomato labneh, make this sourdough artichoke pancake a tasty snack or satisfying meal. 

ingredients

for the artichoke pancake

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • ½ cup artichoke hearts, diced
  • 1 tablespoon chives
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • ½ cup sourdough discard
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for the tomato labneh

  • ½ cup tomato sauce
  • ¼ cup labneh
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

artichoke pancake steps

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an 8-inch pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2-4 minutes, until golden. Add the diced artichoke heart, chives, and parsley and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Swirl it around so that it evenly coats the pan. Pour the sourdough discard into the pan and add the salt and pepper. Let it cook until the edges begin to brown, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and artichokes. Cook for another 4 minutes then flip and cook for another 4 minutes until the edges are crisp and golden. The pancake will puff up as it cooks.

tomato labneh steps

Mix the tomato sauce, labneh, and crushed red pepper until evenly combined. Serve chilled alongside the artichoke pancake.

I remember when, as a child growing up in Northern New Jersey, I first discovered garlic knots. I was introduced to them by my neighbors who ordered them at a local pizza place, and my young mind was truly blown. Fluffy dough tied in a knot, slathered in olive oil and tons of aromatic garlic, baked to golden perfection, and topped with parsley and parmesan was an ideal situation.

Years later, I now realize that the toppings for garlic knots are among the ingredients for pesto, so I set off to make these sourdough kale pesto knots, as a sort of homage to garlic knots.

Kale is a reliable base for pesto when you want to maximize your green intake and flavor it to your liking. This kale pesto is filled with classic toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and plenty of olive oil. Sourdough kale pesto knots are rolled, twisted, and knotted into sweet little buns packed with a magnitude of savory, cheesy, nutty flavor. 

ingredients

for the dough

  • ¼ cup sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk, cream, or half & half
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

for the kale pesto

  • 2 cups kale
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ pine nuts, toasted
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

dough steps

The night before you plan to bake your knots, place the sourdough starter, sugar, and oil in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle, and mix on medium speed to combine. Add in the eggs one at a time, then add in the milk and mix until all is incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and slowly add in the flour and salt. Mix for 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed until the dough is smooth. (You can of course do all of this by hand as well).

Coat a large bowl with neutral oil, swirl the dough around then flip it and cover in plastic wrap. Let sit 10-12 hours overnight until it is doubled. The longer the dough sits, the more developed the flavor will be. 

kale pesto steps

Place the kale, salt, and pepper in a food processor, and blend for about 2 minutes until finely chopped. Add the pine nuts and pulse. Add the parmesan cheese and pulse more, then slowly add the olive oil, one tablespoon at a time until all the ingredients are combined and the pesto is smooth. Alternatively, you can do this by hand using a mortar and pestle.

assembly and baking steps

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle and spread the pesto in an even layer over the dough. Cut the dough into 12-16 pieces depending on the size you would like your knots to be. Working with one piece at a time, roll it up from the long end of the dough in the direction away from you then tie it into a knot and twist and tuck the ends underneath. Place each knot in a cookie sheet and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 23-25 minutes until the cheese and crust are both golden.

The dough for these sourdough bites is one of my favorites to make using a sourdough starter. It’s fairly simple to mix up, but the 14 hour bulk fermentation helps it develop a deep, complex flavor. Yes, that seems long, but trust me, it is worth the wait. 

I cut these sourdough bites into squares, but feel free to make them round or different shapes, it is really a matter of preference. The prosciutto nicely mingles with the verdant peas, the salty grana padano, and a slight bite of cracked black pepper. Grana padano is super similar to parmesan cheese, but it is slightly sweeter and aged for a shorter period of time. Have these sourdough bites as an any-time-of-day snack or a meal with a side salad or greens!

ingredients

for the dough

  • 50g butter
  • 150g water
  • 100g sourdough starter 100% hydration
  • 50g sugar
  • 350g flour
  • 18g salt

for the toppings and assembly

dough steps

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and water then add the starter and mix until combined. Add in the sugar and mix, then add in the flour and salt and mix until the dough is evenly combined. It will be shaggy at first but become blended and somewhat sticky as you mix. With wet hands, pinch and press the dough until it is smooth then cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 hours. 

After the dough has rested for 2 hours, stretch the top of it up and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl 90° to the right and pull the top of the dough up and over. Repeat this 8 times total. Let the dough sit for another hour then repeat the folding process 8 more times. Let the dough sit for one more hour then repeat the series of folds one last time, for a total of three stretch and fold sequences.

Let the dough rest for ~14 hours overnight until it has doubled in size. After this bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut it into squares. I used a 2 ¾ x 2 ¾-inch square cutter, but you can just as easily use a knife.

Let the squares rest for 1-2 hours until they puff up. After this final rest, preheat the oven to 375°F.

assembly steps

Drizzle about ½ teaspoon of olive oil on each square, then top with prosciutto, grana padano, and peas. I like to create a sort of border around the squares with the prosciutto and cheese, then spoon some peas directly in the center. Top with cracked black pepper.

With the oven at 375°F, bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven up to 450°F and bake for 10 more minutes. 

I love experimenting with different sourdough discard recipes. The possibilities seem endless, and the concept seems obvious – why waste precious, vibrant discard when you can use it to make a delicious new creation? In the vast world of sourdough discard recipes, sourdough crackers rank high on the list of favorites.

Sourdough sesame aleppo pepper crackers combine fruity spice and earthy nuttiness to augment the discard’s sour tang. Pair these with your cheese of choice, a sweet jam, or a charcuterie spread for a helping of flavor and crunch!

ingredients

  • ½ cup sourdough starter discard
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon aleppo pepper
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • Flaky salt for dusting 

steps

Place the starter and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium low with the dough hook. Gradually add in the flour and salt and mix until it is evenly combined, then add in the sesame seeds and aleppo pepper. Transfer the dough to a bowl brushed with the neutral oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 2 hours.

After the dough has rested for 2 hours, preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces and working with one piece at a time, roll it out using a rolling pin and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes until crisp and golden.