Garlic Soup (quick cheater method)

While we may think that the term "sourdough" originated in Alaska, the history of sourdough breads goes back almost 6,000 years to the Egyptians. For centuries, the accepted method of leavening bread was with sourdough "starter." Early bread makers may have found that moistened flour, when exposed to air, fermented and expanded. It may have been another accident that caused the thrifty housewife to use a bit of this fermented mix in the making of another batch of bread. Since it made the bread "light," she formed the habit of saving a portion which became the "start" of another batch of dough. And so the "starter," that sourish fermentation of flour, water, and yeast used to leaven a variety of baked goods, came into being.

Sourdough is often associated with the prospectors swarming over the California gold fields in '49 and later moving to the Klondike. Sourdough products, baked over camp fires, along with beans and pork, constituted the main diet of the strapping men who pioneered the virgin country, found its riches, and survived to triumph over the harsh and demanding environment. Men who carried a crock of starter in the miner's gear were called "sourdoughs."

"Starters" were treasured gifts of the early prospectors and adventurers and were treasured items during the rugged frontier days. Many families handed down the starter through several generations, always passing with the starter the directions for its care and preservation. Pottery was the preferred container, loosely covered to allow the gas to escape.

It is said that miners and Indians from the Thlinget tribe or Hooch-in-noo in southeast Alaska extracted a drink from the liquid rising to the top of a batch of sourdough allowed to complete its fermentation. "Hooch," also known as beewack, was reputed to be a highly volatile mixture, causing a hangover of sledgehammer proportions the following day.

Cowboy cooks usually kept their starter in five-gallon crocks, which they sometimes took to bed on chilly nights to keep the cold from halting fermentation. Legend says that if all else failed, the successful cook would coax his starter to perfection with tender looks of love.

Sourdough's unique flavor has remained in the minds and hearts of many and has doubtlessly contributed to the renaissance of making sourdough breads.

You may make your own starter-which you may keep going for years, perhaps perpetuating it as an heirloom for your family to pass down-or you may purchase the starter in dry form and proceed as directed. For good results, use glass or pottery containers and keep your starter loosely covered with waxed paper. The starter is meant to be used at least every two weeks. It can be kept in the refrigerator for that time without replenishing, or indefinitely if used daily. The liquid will separate from the batter when it stands several days, but this doesn't matter. Just remember to feed your starter with one cup flour and one cup water for every cup of mixture you take out.

Before use, starter should be left out at room temperature until the mixture bubbles-at least 18 hours or over night. Treat your starter with love and affection, and it will provide you with the same tempting treats that sustained and satisfied American pioneers, prospectors, and a host of westward-bound frontiersmen.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

2 Cups flour into crock, jar or Tupperware at room temperature

2 Cups lukewarm water, 80 to 100 degrees:

If you wish to have a more potent starter, substitute potato water for the plain water (boil a potato in 4 cups of water, let cool, remove potato and use this for your starter).

Cover with cheesecloth, this will allow the mixture to breathe and will also allow the natural yeast from cooking in the kitchen to enter the sourdough.

Set this mixture in a warm (but not hot) place in the kitchen. In 4 – 5 days the pot will start bubbling. This is your personal yeast factory.

Sourdough Hints:

Never use a metal container, a bean pot, butter crock, plastic bowl or even a mason jar will work. The container you choose should be scalded before using to inhibit the growth of unwanted bacteria. Cover with either cheesecloth or a loose fitting lid just to keep the dust out. Just don’t seal the lid tight, starter needs to breathe and collect wild yeast spores from the air. And a starter that is really working well will explode out of a tightly covered jar or container.

If you want a real old-time sourdough, do not use any yeast in the starter or your recipes. The less yeast added the richer and heavier the sourdough, but the longer it takes to rise and the thicker the recipes will be.

Batter should always be at room temperature (above 75 degrees) before you use it. If starter is kept in the refrigerator, take it out well in advance and bring it to room temp before trying to use it. Starter should be working. Starter must always be fed (replenished) after use. If you used two cups, then feed two cups of equal parts liquid and flour. Never put back anything but flour, water or milk, and when feeding remember not to add liquid that is either too hot or too cold, 80 to 100 degrees is best.

Never feed your starter self-rising flour, we use only high gluten flour.

Here are three old-fashioned sourdough recipes that will tempt any hungry buckaroo.

3 eggs-separate whites

3 cups flour

2 cups starter

1 Tsp baking soda dissolved in water

1 Tsp salt

½ Tsp cream of tartar

4 Tbsp Sugar

4 Tbsp melted lard or shortening

2 cups milk

1 cup water

Hint: make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature (about 80 degrees) and that the sponge (flour, starter and sugar) is working before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Mix flour, starter and sugar the night before and allow to stand in a warm place overnight.

The next morning mix the rest of ingredients (except egg whites and cream of tartar) into starter mixture.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until they peak and then fold them into the batter mixture.

Allow the batter to stand for at least 30 mins. prior to using.

For hotcakes you may thin the batter slightly with water or milk.

(if you wish a smaller batch, cut your flour to 2 cups and omit water)

We use this batter with a Wagner cast iron waffle iron. Pretty sure it will work in an electric, but haven’t got one

8 Cups high gluten flour

6-7 Cups starter with sugar

¼ Cup butter

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp baking soda

2 Tbsp baking powder

(if there is no sugar in your starter add ½ cup of sugar)

2 Pkg fast acting yeast in one cup of 130 degree water

Mix your ingredients well and turn out onto a floured board. Knead aggressively for 10 to 15 mins (the more you break it down the better it will be).

Allow kneaded dough to rise to double in a covered bowl with a light coating of olive oil.

(The best container for this is a ceramic roofing bowl brought to room temp)

Punch down, knead again.

Break into 6 equal parts for large biscuits (these are big darn biscuits!) and place in a greased roaster or other large pan and allow to rise to double again.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 mins.

Adjust for altitude and decrease your baking tem to 350 degrees for 20 mins.

Check for doneness by pushing on biscuit, done when they pop back up. Should be golden brown.

You may also put this dough into bread pans or dutch ovens or cast iron skillets… use you imagination.

SOURDOUGH BISCUIT WHEEL

These are just damn good.....

2 Cups self-rising flour

* Enough high gluten flour to make a workable dough 1 to 2 cups

2 Cups sourdough starter

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tsp baking soda

Crisco or lard

Start this recipe the night before: mix self rising flour, starter and sugar. Cover and let work in a warm place.

In the morning mix the remaining ingredients into the mixture along with enough additional flour to make workable dough. Slightly sticky is preferable to dough that is too stiff.

Turn out onto a floured board, coat hands liberally with Crisco or lard and begin to knead.

Knead dough well, not as much as bread dough but more than most biscuit recipes.

Coat dough with olive oil, cover and place in a warm spot to proof (should double).

Knock down and let the dough rest again for 30 minutes.

Grease a 14" cast iron skillet or dutch oven, pull off egg sized balls of dough and place in skillet so that they are touching.

Allow full skillet of biscuits to rise one more time until double then bake at 375 degrees until brown and doubled in size (around 40 to 60 minutes).

The Camp Cook