Sourdough ideas for Eastern weekend snacks

Easter celebrations will be different for most this year.

Social distancing and shortages of some grocery and household items has us all researching different ways to keep house and prepare meals.

A number of folks have grown, purchased or received a gift of sourdough starter, a hedge against bread and yeast shortages.

One question I have been asked often lately: What can we use the extra starter that builds up for, or do we just throw it away?

There are a great number of recipes to use extra or un-proofed starter. One of my favorites is sourdough pizza crust.

Rather than extended rising time, this recipe requires only a 30-minute resting time, so you can have pizza on the table in about one hour.

Sourdough pizza crust

1 1/2 cups extra starter

4-5 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil, divided

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Measure starter into a bowl that has been rinsed with hot water and dried. Stir in 1 Tbsp of the oil, salt and all of the flour. Mix well until dough clings together.

Knead gently to form a ball on a lightly floured surface. Cover with a warm bowl and let stand 30 minutes for dough to relax.

Meanwhile, bring desired toppings to room temperature. If you are out of pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, taco sauce, smooth salsa, even enchilada sauce will work, or if you have plain tomato sauce or paste, make your own sauce.

Pizza sauce

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

Or

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste, plus 2 Tbsp water

1/4 tsp crushed basil

1/4 tsp ground oregano

Combine your choice of tomato with spices. Yield: 1 cup sauce, enough for 2-3 pizzas. You can freeze the extra.

Back to the pizza dough. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. While oven heats, roll and gently stretch dough into a 14 inch round, or larger if you like thin crust. Brush entire surface with remaining oil. Bake 7 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread with sauce, sprinkle with most of the cheese you want to use and any other toppings, then the remainder of the cheese.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust lightly browned.

Yield: one 14-inch pizza. Pizza for Easter sounds good to me.

Sourdough Cookies are another fun and tasty way to use up un-proofed starter. The recipe calls for chocolate chips, but M&M’s would give an Easter flair and other cookie add-ins would be good as well.

Sourdough cookies

4 eggs

1 cup un-proofed starter

3/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 package (12 ounces) chocolate chips. ( I use miniature if I have them)

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Stir in the sourdough starter.

Add the melted and slightly cooled butter, mixing well. Stir in the sugar and vanilla.

Combine flour and salt and stir into batter. Fold in the chocolate chips or other add-ins.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes until cookies have browned edges. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 5 dozen cookies.

If you like raisin cookies, substitute lemon extract for the vanilla, and 1 1/2 cups raisins for the chocolate chips.

Jenny Hare, posted a picture of Corn Doggies she made recently.

A quick, fun recipe to make with kids while we are social distancing. Made in mini muffin pans, they are perfect as a snack or a meal main dish.

Corn Doggies

1 Jiffy Corn Bread Mix prepared as directed on the package.

1 package of hotdogs cut into thirds

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Fill cups 1/2 to 2/3 full. Press one section of hotdog in the center of each. Bake 15-17 minutes until golden brown. Yield: 24-32 doggies.

Note: I didn’t have a Jiffy Mix, so I used 1/2 the cornbread recipe on the cornmeal package. Jenny’s advice was don’t overbake. Mine were done nicely in 15 minutes. In the spirit of not letting anything go to waste, I took note of a suggestion for dehydrating potatoes for potato flakes. Russet potatoes can look pretty pathetic if not used up in time.

Dehydrators are not just for summer fruits, many things can be preserved and avoid waste and this idea is so easy.

Potato Flakes

Russet potatoes

Peel potatoes, one for each fruit leather tray in your dehydrator. Quarter the potatoes and place in a saucepan and cover with water.

Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and mash until smooth and lump free. An electric mixer speeds up this process.

Do not add salt or seasonings, butter or milk, or the flakes won’t keep.

Spread mashed potatoes in a thin layer on trays and place in dehydrator and dry approximately 24 hours. Break into pieces and pulse in food processor or blender to flake. Store in air-tight jars.

To reconstitute, bring 1 cup water or milk, 1 Tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil. Add 1/2 cup potato flakes.

Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Whip with fork or wire whisk. Or, use in recipes calling for potato flakes, adding to soups, stews and breads.

We are all in this together and can learn from each other. Share your recipes and tips for making the most of ingredients on hand as we get through these times by sending them to Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, send email to: therecord@odessaoffice.com.

For the time being, the Odessa Record office is closed to the public, so US mail or email is the best way to turn in recipes.

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Stay well, keep safe, wash your hands and the stuff you bring into your house.

Meanwhile, think spring and ponder what

you can grow to extend your food supply. Patio containers make nice little gardens.