You need starter, but allow me to demystify that in my recipe here.

My Basic Recipe for easy Sourdough bread.

I know this recipe by heart and have made at least 50 times. Even though I’ve used the same recipe each time, I have gotten better in making it. Practice matters, but no matter what, it still tastes good.

Showstopper Sourdough

I hope you will one day make Camembert Wreath

This is fun and a true showstopper and is easier than you think. Even kids love it.

Sourdough Biscuits

Sourdough biscuits are something fluffy and slightly tangy.

Sourdough Focaccia

Sourdough Focaccia could also be considered a showstopper. I know how people love this.

Sourdough French Toast

I don’t really have a recipe for this, but am sharing it to inspire you to use your sourdough with your favorite french toast recipe.

I LOVE this Bread Slicer

If you’re making your own bread and you want even slices, this bread slicer is amazing.

Consider these Spreads

• Roasted Garlic
• Garlic Confit
• Compound Herbed Butter

Freezing Sourdough Bread to Create Resistant Starch

Did you know that if you freeze sourdough bread prior to eating, you will lower the glycemic count of the bread. The fermentation (process in sourdough) partially breaks down starches, and is healthier than regular bread.

When baked and frozen, the starches recrystallize forming a resistant starch, which lowers blood sugar spike.

Tips for Freezing Sourdough

• Cool Bread Completely, prior to Slicing
• Slice Bread
• Wrap in plastic
• Reheat by lightly toasting frozen bread

To further aid is lowering blood sugar spike, serve with butter, olive oil, cheese to slow the process.

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The post My Favorite Sourdough Recipes and Resistant Starch appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The beauty of this cookie is how thin and crisp it is, which makes it so addicting. I haven’t yet met a person who eats just one and can stop.

My Aunt Rita was the only one in the family who made made them and I still have her handwritten recipe. I combined it with a recipe I found in an Amish cookbook, Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams.

It’s the only recipe I’ve seen that separates the eggs and  beats the egg whites stiff. You must use real butter, no substitutes, which is funny because my Aunt Rita hated butter, and the only time of year you could find butter at her house was when she was making sand tarts.

The sentimentality goes deep for me. Her son, Sam, my closest cousin was like a big brother to me. He passed away at 42 and left me everything including this book. I can actually remember the day he bought the book and showed it to me. He was very influential in how I view food.

It was years before I delved into the book, but it’s quite marvelous, highlighting all the regional dishes I grew up eating, and the type of cooking that has enjoyed a renaissance. I can’t bake these cookies without thinking about both of them, and I will pass this down to the children in my life, which is why I made a video.

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts Must be Rolled Very Thin

A very simple cookie, but one not so easy to get exactly right, as they must be rolled quite thin. The cookies are challenging only in getting them thin enough; otherwise it’s an easy cookie dough to make, but they must be made the night before and refrigerated.

It’s very tricky to send cookies out of town and keep them from going stale. I used cylinder tins and made a cookie that the recipe says will keep indefinitely.

You will want a lot of different cookie cutters.

I made these for Thanksgiving, and used a maple leaf cookie cutter and placed a pecan in the center. For Christmas, you might see them just like this, or you might see them with colored sugar.

I Grew up Eating Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts Every Christmas

When I mention sand tarts to people who know and understand the regional component, they get excited and plead with me to make them a batch. I hope you and your family will enjoy this long time Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas tradition.

You will have to hide the cookies though, because they are so thin and crisp, it’s easy to eat a dozen at a time. This was the first time I’ve made Pennsylvania Dutch sand tarts and now I’ll be making them every year.

Tell me about your food traditions at the Holidays. Do you have a recipe that’s been passed down and have you ever heard of Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts? I put a lot of baking and cooking posts on Instagram and Pinterest.

Family Italian Christmas Cookies from Spinach Tiger

• Chocolate Biscotti
• Lemon Almond Biscotti
• Cucidati (Italian Fig Cookie)
• Ricotta Cookie
• Date Cookies

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Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts

A Pennsylvania Dutch cookie, thin and crisp and traditionally served only at Christmas.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 day day

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 day day 10 minutes minutes

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound butter softened (no substitutes)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs separated
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Topping

• 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg beaten
• 4 cups whole pecans although I didn’t use that many

Instructions

• If using a kitchen aid, beat the egg whites stiff first and transfer to another bowl.
• In the mixing bowl, beat butter until very softened. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add salt, and vanilla. Beat egg yolks and add.
• Fold in the egg whites, but not totally. You should still be able to see some of the white patches.
• Add in flour 1 1/2 cups at a time.
• Chill overnight.
• Bake the next day at 350 degrees.
• Roll out a quarter at a time, keeping dough in refrigerator.
• Roll very thin and use a 2 inch scalloped cookie cutter to form or use any Christmas cutter you desire.
• Brush with beaten egg, top, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and top with pecan.
• Bake 9-10 minutes, not allowing cookie to get too brown.
• Cool thoroughly on wire racks.
• Pack in tins.

The post Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts, an Amish Christmas Cookie appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

There is nothing like sourdough bread out of your own oven. The outside is crispy, crunchy and chewy, while the inside is spring. The tang of a fermented loaf promises a satisfaction that is hard to beat.

ANYONE CAN MAKE SOURDOUGH if they use this recipe.

I am reposting this because I’ve made three loaves in the last week and tweaked my recipe once more. My family noticed the difference and say it’s the best bread I’ve ever made and better than we buy at the Farmer’s Market.

EVERYONE loves this bread. It’s above average and the recipe is so easy and straightforward, you will be able to bake a sourdough loaf that your family loves.

Most of the sourdough recipes I have made here have come from my favorite sourdough book. This recipe is an adaptation of one of the recipes I’ve used most often.

I decided that I would share it, because this is for the everyday person who hasn’t devoted a lot of time to baking sourdough and might be a bit intimidated.

This loaf, while delicious, had sporadic holes, which led me to add more water and change the flour. The point is that I’ve never made a bad sourdough loaf, but some were better than others.

What is Sourdough Bread?

In basic terms, it’s made with flour and water and leavened with a sourdough starter (fermented mix of flour, water, wild yeast), not using commercially sold yeast. It has a delicious aroma and tang due to the fermentation. It should have a crusty crust and a springy inside with lots of holes.

In complex terms, there are hundreds maybe thousands of ways to combine flour, water, and salt to get a of loaf of bread and there are volumes written about it.

There are so many opinions on water to flour ratio, temperature of water, temperature of room, how long to bulk rise, final rise, refrigerate, etc. and how to handle the dough. I have seen spread sheets on making sourdough that take a genius to decipher. You don’t need to do that.

This is why I’m sharing this. If you’re new to sourdough, this is a great place to start and you will have a way to make sourdough bread without intimidation for the rest of your life.

This is a high hydration recipe, meaning a more water in the recipe. High hydration results in bigger holes and we want bigger holes (a more open crumb) in our sourdough. I used to follow the book’s exact high hydration recipe, but I wasn’t getting the bread I wanted. It was a very good loaf of bread, but didn’t have the exact interior I was looking for.

While the loaf on the left is good, the loaf on the right is bigger and turned out better, as I made a few changes that I’m sharing here in the recipe. The loaf on left was over-proofed; the loaf on right perfectly proofed. See below to know how to test.

Tips on Proofing Sourdough

There is a window for perfectly proofed sourdough, but the timeline on this recipe will help you reach that without too much fretting. I have never had a proofing issue with this recipe.

• Perfect Proof Time: Press finger lightly into dough and if it slowly springs back, it’s ready to bake. Don’t wait.
• Under-Proofed: The dough springs back too fast and disappears. Continue proofing, while heating oven 30 mins. Check in 30 minutes.
• Over-Proofed: The dough doesn’t spring back at all. You missed the baking point. Do not slash. Bake right away. Your bread will not rise as much, but will still taste good.

A good spring means your bread got off to a good rise in the oven before it began to crust and you will have an even loaf. Not flat. Not dense.

My Secret to a Good Spring

One of the things I have discovered after years of baking sourdough bread is a combination of bread flour and a 00 all-purpose flour. The soft wheat combined with the bread flour for some reason gives my bread just the right amount of stretch and spring. We have noticed the difference.

However, if you don’t have 00 flour, following these directions will still result in a great loaf of sourdough bread. The bread below is made with traditional all-purpose flour and still has the holes.

You do not need a proofing basket, and can use a deep glass bowl, but I like the shape it gives.

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Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe

How to Make Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe with Tips

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword bread, sourdough

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 53 minutes minutes

Resting Time 10 hours hours

Servings 8 pieces

Equipment

• Dutch Oven
• Parchment Paper
• Lame
• Food Scale
• Food Thermometer
• Proofing Bowl

Ingredients

• 400 grams unbleached bread flour
• 100 grams unbleached all purpose flour 00 see notes
• 12 grams sea salt
• 50 grams bubbly starter recipe here
• 385 grams warm water (filtered) 80-85 degrees F.

Instructions

• Prepare starter by feeding several hours In advance to have bubbly starter.
  
• Combine bread flour and 00 all purpose flour and salt. Set Aside
• Put warm water In glass bowl (85-90 degrees). Add Starter, stir into water. If starter doesn't float, it's not active enough. Feed starter with equal parts warm water and flour and wait until it's very bubbly.
• Add flour to water/starter bowl. Mix with hands to a rough dough. Cover with damp towel for one hour. After an hour, form dough roughly into a ball. Cover with damp towel overnight for 10-12 hours. Place in warmest part of the kitchen.

  Or if you start this in morning, refrigerate after 8 hours.
• Replenish starter with 25 grams water, 25 grams starter.
• Once dough has rested for 8 hours, it should have doubled.
  
• Now, you can spread flour on counter, place dough on floured surface and stretch dough out as shown. Use finger to poke holes. Allow to rest 10 minutes.
  
• Bring dough together gently, pulling edges up and over from each end, forming a dough ball. Do this from every side, gently until the dough resists, maybe 10 times. Pull dough up and over as If to wrap the dough. You want to get the dough ball firm.
• Place in your sourdough bowl, smooth top side down, seams up. The smooth side will be your top. Keeping the bottom with seams up will allow air bubbles to form there, thus, when baked those air bubbles at the bottom will help bread rise in oven.
• Cover with plastic or damp cloth. Refrigerate for 6-24 hours. In this particular loaf, I refrigerated 24 hours as my plans for the bread had changed. Either way brings a great loaf of bread.

Ready to Bake

• Take dough out of refrigerator, while preheating oven to 500 degrees F.

Test for Proofing

• Allow oven to heat up for at least 30 minutes. I did NOT preheat my dutch oven.
• Test dough for proofing. If after poking gently with finger, dough quickly bounces back, it's under-proofed, needs more proofing. You're probably at a perfect point waiting for oven to heat, while it proofs more. The perfect proofing point will result when gently poking, dough slowly bounces back. It's ready to bake. If the dough appears over-proofed, no bounce back at all, you can still bake it, but it will not have an optimal rise and will be dense.
• Using a lamé, or very sharp knife, slash the dough to allow for steam.
  
• Reduce heat to 450 degrees F. Bake in dutch oven with lid on for 20 minutes. Take off lid, bake for 25-30 minutes. Bread Is done when internal temperature is 208 degrees F.
• Cool for one hour minimum. If you try to cut sourdough high, it might be gummy. Wait (If you can). Use serrated bread knife.

  NOTE: We often cut right into the bread and we have not had a gummy bread, but that can happen.
  

Notes

Use an Italian 00 flour if you can for your all purpose. It makes a difference. 

The post Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I decided to partner with Minerva Dairy Amish butter, I knew exactly how I wanted to use this creamy butter. A dessert that would entertain guests, take advantage of seasonal summer fruit and show off this delicious  85% butterfat butter.

I envisioned a recipe that involved a buttery pie crust, a sheet pan, seasonal fruit and a little wow factor. The sheet pan slab pie  with fresh peaches and blueberries is a the perfect recipe to show off quality butter and make summer entertaining easy. Unlike a messy pie, a slab sheet pan, can be adorned with what guests think is fancy pie crust topping made from cookie cutters and  can be pre-cut right in the pan, making it easy for guests to grab.

Perfect for holiday entertaining, you can use the freshest fruit of the moment such as peaches, plums, berries, cherries, apricots, pears or apples. While I used fresh peaches and blueberries, you can just as easily use this same concept with apples in the fall, and change the decoration with your favorite cookie cutter.

The All Butter Pie Crust Tastes Best

There is often a controversy over the fat used for a great pie crust,  but I’m here to tell you my firm belief in using all butter. Lard or shortening will not deliver the right flavor and I don’t like them refrigerated. As crazy as this sounds, I always taste my pie dough raw, and it has to be all butter for me.

Slow-Churned Real Amish butter Makes the Best Pie Crust

Using Minerva Dairy Amish butter turns ordinary pie crust into something quite special because of the high butterfat (85%) and the extraordinary flavor that comes from slow-churning the butter in small batches. The secret to a flaky pie crust is the right ratio of flour, liquid and fat and keeping the butter very very cold and in little pieces in the dough so that when it bakes, it causes the flaky dough to rise.

Another problem pie bakers often face is how thin or thick to roll out the dough. As this is not the typical pie, I tested this three times to get that exact right measurement so you don’t have to guess. One regular pie crust recipe is not enough. Doubling it can be too much. I settled at about a 1.5 measurement using a classic quarter sheet pan that measures 13 x 9.5 x 1 inches.

Star cookie cutters turns this sheet pan slab pie into something special, perfect for summer holidays. The stars were so flaky and buttery, it was almost like a puff pastry, only much easier to make. In fact this is a very easy recipe that looks much more challenging.

Minerva Dairy Amish Butter Enjoys a Wonderful History

I have a great appreciation for small family farms. Minerva Dairy Amish butter is 125 years old, and six generations strong. The butter is made from pastured-raised cows using old fashioned churns. Minerva Dairy Amish butter is the kind of butter I could almost eat with a spoon and it makes pastry dough extraordinary.

Recipe Process for Sheet Pan Slab Pie

In this recipe for sheet pan slab pie I used peaches and blueberries. You can use all berries or all peaches, but this recipe is easily adaptable and you can use this caramelized apple pie recipe stove top filling (only double it).

If using peaches, it’s important to peel, slice and drain in a colander to extract the juice out. If using apples and peaches, I like to pour over a brown sugar, butter mixture for that extra flavor. Remember, butter is more than a fat. It’s a flavor deliverer, and the secret to good tasting pastries.

This only takes 35 minutes to bake, unlike pies that take an hour, so cooking the fruit on top of the stove first is helpful, especially if you decide to use apples.

A few tips for Making a Sheet Pan Slab Pie

• Refrigerate dough for at least one hour. I like to make pie dough the day before and wrap in plastic bag.
• Separate dough into 2 pieces before refrigeration. I will divide 1/3 for stars, 2/3 for bottom.
• Make your stars (or top decoration) first. Arrange the stars on the baking sheet on a piece of parchment paper, so you’ll know you have enough. I get 18 small stars and 15 larger stars. Cookie cutters can be found at any craft store. The dough you have left over will be just the right amount for the bottom.
• Refrigerate the stars while you’re rolling out the bottom.
• Use milk and sugar to top the stars. I do this BEFORE I place them over the fruit. The milk will aid in browning. I prefer this over egg wash.
• Bake for 35 minutes, checking at 30 minutes where you might need to cover loosely with foil for the last five minutes to avoid excess browning.
• Do not over-bake. I made this twice and both times 35 minutes was just right, but this may vary from oven to oven.
• Cool completely before cutting into squares. The fruit needs time to set.

If you do not have the quarter sheet pan, you can put into a rectangular 13 inch baking dish, but don’t bring the crust all the way up the sides.

I would love to hear from you if you make this recipe. Leave a comment and tag me #spinachtiger on my Instagram account, where daily stories show my kitchen testing.

Make these Blueberry Desserts

• Blueberry Thyme Galette
• Blueberry Crisp (GF)
• A Million Ways to Make Blueberry Pie

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Sheet Pan Summer Cobbler with Pie Crust

Summer Fruit Sheet Pan Cobbler with Pie crust, perfect for large gatherings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 
  Fruit Filling

Prep Blueberries

• 2 pints blueberries
• 1/3 cup sugar may need a few tablespoons more
• squeeze lemon

Prep Peaches

• 10 peaches
• 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon sifted corn starch

Make Pie Dough

• 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour 448 grams plus more for dusting
• 12 ounces Unsalted Butter 24 tablespoons or 3 sticks
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cups iced cold water 2 more tablespoons, (if needed)

Instructions

• Prepare the pie dough below first, and refrigerate for one hour, while you are preparing the fruit.

Prep Blueberries

• Place blueberries in a bowl with sugar and squeeze of lemon. Set aside.

Prep Peaches

• Peel Peaches.
• Mark peaches with x on one side.
• Submerge in boiling water for 60 seconds.
• Cool, Peel. Slice.
• Put one tablespoon butter in frying pan with 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
• Put peaches in brown sugar butter, toss gently. Add 1 tablespoon corn starch.
• Set in colander to drain.
• PIE DOUGH
• Cut butter into small pieces. Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Mix flour, sugar, salt in food processor or kitchen aid mixer. You can whisk or do this with your hands.
• Cut butter into flour mixture. Use a kitchen aid mixer or large food processor.
• You can, however use a pastry cutter and mix butter into flour by hand, making sure to keep the pieces pea sized.
• Add in ice cold water. Mix just enough to be able to squeeze dough together.
• If the dough stays together when you press, it’s processed enough.
• Put in plastic bag, separating it into 1/3 and 2/3. Bring it together in bag. Refrigerate for one hour. You can do this a day in advance of recipe.

Preparing Slab Pie

• Bring out twenty minutes before rolling.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange rack in oven on bottom third.
• Once you are ready to assemble, first roll out 1/3 dough to make stars. You can make 15 large stars or 18 smaller stars. You can use more dough from the other section if need be. The recipe will make the stars and the remaining dough is just enough for the sheet pan.
• Make the stars and place in refrigerator, while rolling out the dough for the bottom.
• Roll into rectangle and place in sheet pan.
• Fork holes all over the bottom. Place in freezer for a few minutes.
• Arrange the blueberries and peaches in the pan.
• Before placing stars over fruit, using your finger, rub milk over each star, and sprinkle raw sugar.
• Bake for 35 minutes. Check halfway through and turn pan around.
• Check at 30 minutes and loosely cover with foil if it’s already golden brown.
• Allow to cool before cutting.
• Keep at room temperature, covered with foil.
• Can be frozen for 60 days. Take out and allow to defrost at room temperature. Can be reheated in oven.

The post How to Make Sheet Pan Slab Pie with Fresh Peaches and Blueberries appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I want to show you how to make a starter without too much complication. You can read volumes on making sourdough starter. For the beginner, this is quite daunting. I’m hoping to give you a fairly easy explanation of what a starter is, what is does, how to make it and how to maintain it. I’ve successfully made and maintained a starter for three years, making bread and various sourdough recipes in our kitchen that disappears in about ten minutes.

I’ll be totally honest with you. A few years back I didn’t know what a starter was, why sourdough was so different from yeasted bread. I only knew I loved it.

Long before the sourdough craze during the lockdown, I wanted to crack this mysterious sourdough starter code, but it needed to be EASY!

What is Sourdough Starter?

Sourdough starter is a fermented, culture, made from flour and water. It’s science, chemistry, and a God send all in one. It captures wild yeast in the air (microbes, bacteria) and ferments into a gooey, bubbly reaction that must be fed to keep it going, because it is alive.

What Do These Bubbles Mean?

In simple terms, as acidic substances are produced, and a large amount of carbon dioxide is released, the bread will rise in the oven.

All the yummy, crusty fermented sourdough loaves begin with bubbly starter! It will result in a tangy bread with holes, which means the starter did its job rising and moving the dough up and around as it is baked.

This picture is in the early stages of building my starter.

What You Need to Make a Sourdough Starter.

You will need flour, water and a food scale. Don’t let food scale or the idea of weighing in grams scare you away. If this is your first time using a scale, measuring in grams, it’s easy.

When you place the empty jar on the scale, hit zero or tare. This will eliminate the weight of the vessel. When you add your flour, hit zero or tare again and add the water.

• Place vessel on scale. Press tare.
• Add flour. Press tare.
• Add water.

Starter Doubles Overnight: Here is one of my starters that was fed the night before and is made from all purpose flour.

Discard 40 grams of starter. Add in 20 grams flour, 20grams filtered water. Stir.

If you plan on making sourdough every now and then, keep starter in refrigerator and feed once a week. There are times when your starter will look quite unpleasant. Sometimes it will smell like nail polish remover. Don’t throw it out. Feed it. It will turn around.

If you plan on making bread daily, keep it on the counter and feed it daily.

What Flour Do You Use for Sourdough Starter?

You can keep it simple and use all purpose flour or bread flour.

I began my original starter with a mix of all purpose flour and wholewheat flour 3 to 1 ratio. You can use all purpose flour, bread flour and add in some wholewheat flour. Bread flour is high in protein. Whole grain flours tend to contain more organisms to feed the yeasts and bacteria.

Switching Flours

Adding whole grain flour is not necessary, especially if you have several days to build your starter. I would not switch from 100% wholewheat flour to all purpose flour. If you start off with one flour and choose to change, do a gradual change.

How to Give Sourdough Starter to a Friend

I will usually pour out about 100 grams of sour starter that I would be discarding and give it a good feeding for a day or two before I gift it.

When You Receive Sourdough Starter – What To Do

• Before you do anything, give your new starter a good feeding. Pour out half or up to 50 grams of your starter and replace the same amount of grams. 25 grams warmish water, 25 grams flour. Stir enough to not have dry flour patches. Put lid back on.
• Decide is you want to keep your starter on the counter to bake a loaf or refrigerate for a time in future.
• If you’re not ready to bake, keep in refrigerator, and feed once a week.
• Prior to baking a loaf, you will want to make sure your starter is bubbly.

My Sourdough Bakes

Now that you have conquered making a starter a fairly easy way, get to baking. I love the recipes in this book, because they are spelled out for the home cook in easy fashion. I only caution that her baking times for the bread are a bit too long. You might reduce them. I’ll be blogging some of the recipes with my adjusted baking times.

• Sourdough Biscuits (what to do with Starter)
• Sourdough Foccacia
• Camembert Sourdough Wreaeth

Helpful Articles on Sourdough Starter

Help. Something is Wrong with My Sourdough Starter.

How to Switch Your Sourdough Starter to New Type Flour

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Sourdough Starter

How to make sourdough starter and how to maintain it.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword sourdough, sourdough starter

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Development Time 6 days days

Equipment

• Food Scale
• Mason Jar

Ingredients

• 150 grams unbleached all purpose flour see notes
• 150 grams filtered water

Instructions

• In morning, mix flour and water together In jar large enough to allow mixture to double. Keep In warmest part of kitchen.
• After 24 hours, discard 150 grams of starter.
• Add 75 grams each of flour and water. Mix. Put lid back on. Keep In warmest part of the kitchen.
• Repeat this twice a day for the next four to five days,
• You can now assess if your starter is ready to bake. Take a tablespoon of the starter at its peak, (risen and bubbly) and drop into some warm water. If it floats, you can probably feel confident to bake. I like to build a starter for two full weeks, but you may not need to do that.

Maintaining Starter

• If you are keeping your starter out on counter, you must feed daily. If you are keeping your starter in fridge, feed weekly.

  Remove 50 grams of starter. Add 25 grams water, 25 grams flour.
• You want to have at least 50 grams of starter available for baking, which means you want to have at east 100 grams of starter in your jar.

When Ready to Bake

• Make sure when you are ready to use starter, it's at the most bubbly stage, which is active fermentation.

Notes

You can use bread flour, but I  have found keeping my starter going with all-purpose flour works just fine. Feel free to change to bread flour.

 

The post How to Make Sourdough Starter and Care for It appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This Italian date cookie started with an email. A reader named Sara asked me if I had the recipe for the date cookie on my Pinterest board that was from La Cucina Italiana Magazine.

I had pinned it when the American version of this magazine was still in publication. Sadly it closed down this year, but still thrives in Italy. Fortunately, I had a subscription and have the last five years of the magazine and I’ll never get rid of them. The recipes are accompanied by the most gorgeous pictures of modern classical Italian cooking. It’s the kind of food one will get at an upscale restaurant in Italy, yet presented with approachable recipes.

As I was halfway through the magazines, I found the recipe she was looking for and I got so excited to be able to email her back with this recipe. It was in the November 2010 edition.

These date shortbread cookies trimmed with sesame seeds are so very Italian, in that they are not too sweet, just perfect for my adult taste. Everyone loves them and they make a fantastic Christmas cookie!

This is not the date filled cookie called Cucidati, which is also a wonderful Sicilian cookie. I made that earlier in the week and you can find it here.

I was so excited about the ease of this Italian cookie, I made a video for you.

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Italian Date Cookies with Sesame Seeds (Biscotti ai Datteri)

An Italian cookie, not too sweet, perfect for coffee or special holiday.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chocolate chip cookies, Christmas cookies, dates, Italian cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 48

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• pinch fine salt
• 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped out and reserved or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large eggs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pitted dates about 8-9
• 1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds

Instructions

• Mix salt and sugar together.
• Cream sugar, salt with butter until smooth.
• Add vanilla seeds, egg and dates.
• Stir in flour, just enough until combined.
• Divide dough into three logs. Roll each log in the sesame seeds. Wrap in plastic.
• Freeze for 30 minutes or longer.
• Slice about 1/4 inch thick.
• You may need to cover each with plastic and pat down to make even. (see video)
• Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, 180 C.
• Bake rotating pan once halfway through until cookies are golden about 25 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

The post Italian Date Cookies with Sesame Seeds (Biscotti ai Datteri) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Cucidate, little fig cookies, while appearing quite demure in appearance, hit the senses, as a true Christmas cookie,  first with an aroma of the dried fruits soaked in a liquor and then  ombined with nuts, cinnamon, and honey, wrapped in a delicate pastry.

Cucidate, the Italian Fig cookie from Sicily is a tribute to my grandfather.

Biaggio came to America twice before he actually decided to stay, and I can understand his trepidation to settle in the United States, after visiting his hometown some years ago.

As I walked around the village of Isnello outside of Palermo, I rested my eyes on one of the most beautiful mountain backdrops I’ve ever seen, while the ocean was only twenty minutes away.

Sicily is an earthy place of tradition, created by many visiting cultures over centuries of acquisition. 

The people are humble, and yet rich in a food culture that is probably the most flavorful and robust of Italian cuisine, much like their personalities. American television has done a great disservice to Sicilians, using hyperbole, stereotypes and the sensationalism of organized crime. Most Sicilians are victims of crime, are not murderers and are not one dimensional.

This is probably a little extra special for me, because my grandfather had a fig tree he treated like a bab. Right before he died, he kept talking about “her.” Yes, he had decided his fig tree was a she, and he was worried, that she needed to be covered up for the winter or in his words, “shessa gonna die.”

My grandfather was never part of any organized crime, so please scratch your ideas about the people of Sicily.  He was a kind soul who extended everyone who knocked on our door in for coffee. The family joke would be that we might find him serving coffee and cake to a burglar that tried to rob the house.

I found his warmth and patience compelling, especially contrasted with my grandmother who was an Italian diva, sometimes warm, and sometimes a little too sure of herself. They always seemed a mismatch, as she was born in America as a first generation Italian and exuded first class glamour. His kind would be referred to as “from the old country,” and that was considered a step down in status from first generation born.

She was divorced with a small child (my Aunt Rita of the stuffed shells legend) and yet could have had her pick of any man. How in the world my grandfather snatched her as a bride is quite stunning, and one of the good things that happened for me prior to my life.

They had a daughter, my mother (Retro Rose) who inherited more that Sicilian hospitality.   I can’t tell you how many times, I would visit her apartment and she was feeding the maintenance men. She’s making someone a pot of meatballs at least weekly. When I first gave her some of these cookies, her first words were “can you make these for one of the elders at church.” I emphatically said no, these are just for the family. This attitude needed to be adjusted. Her desire to give the elders these special cookies is what being Sicilian is all about.

Cucidate Make a Great Gift

I had to think about that because aren’t Christmas cookies something we make to give away, to show our love for others?  After researching  these cookies, I read many stories about how often these cucidate are given away as gifts, and it got me thinking that I should plan to make several batches.

These cucidate excude the heart of the Sicilian culture. The dough is sweet; the fig filling full of flavor and life, and they make the perfect Christmas cookie gift, because they hit the heart.

The Process for Cucidate, Italian Fig Cookies

• Soak the raisin in bourbon for at least an hour.
• Chop figs or use a fig jam.
• Bring figs, dates (or dried plums/prumes) together with marmalade, honey and walnuts and process.
• Allow this filling to be refrigerated overnight to meld the flavors.
• Make pastry same day you make the filling and refrigerate overnight.
• Take out one pastry roll at a time and roll out and cut in squares.
• Fill and bake.
• Top with glaze and Italian sprinkles.

There are many ways to roll and fold the cookies. I did some in triangle, some folded over evenly. Some will turn the seam on the bottom, so you can’t see it. You can choose your own way.

Orange Glaze for Cucidate

I made an orange glaze and poured this over the cookies when hot, then sprinkled with these Italian cookie sprinkles I found in an Italian grocery store.

So tell me do you have a traditional cookie you like to give away as a gift? Have you ever had cucidati, the ultimate Sicilian fig cookie?

More Italian Christmas Recipes

More Cookie Recipes

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Cucidate – Sicilian Fig Christmas Cookies

An Italian Christmas Cookie from Sicily made with figs, dried fruit, liquor, nuts.

Course Cookie

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 1 day day

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 day day 15 minutes minutes

Servings 36

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Fig Filling

• 2 cups dried figs or 2 cups fig jam
• 2 cups dried dates or dried plums
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup bourbon or Grand Marnier Cognac or Brandy
• 1 cup almonds or walnuts chopped
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pastry

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar I always cut my sugar. I used 2/3 cup sugar
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
• 2 eggs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Glaze

• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons orange juice) I used juice of one satsuma.
• small colored sprinkles

Instructions

Fig Filling

• Soak Raisins in bourbon for an hour up to overnight.
• Add to the rest of the ingredients.
• Grind all ingredients in food processor or Vitamix. The mixture should be ground enough to spread in the cookie. I substituted fig jam for dried figs and dried plums for dates.
• Refrigerate filling overnight.

Pastry

• Mix flour, baking powder, sugar together.
• Cut butter in. I used the Kitchen Aid Mixer. You could cut in with pastry blender or use a food processor also.
• Beat eggs and milk to together. Reserve 1 tablespoon milk. You may not need it.
• Add to flour mixture, and form a dough. Add the extra milk of it’s too dry.
• Separate dough in 4 sections. Wrap each in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for one hour or overnight.

Glaze

• Mix confectioner’s sugar with orange juice. Add water a little at a time, until you have a thin glaze.

Assembly

• Work with one section of pastry dough at a time.
• Roll each section into a tube. Divide into two sections to make it easier to work with.
• Flatten out each tube. Put mixture in center. Pull sides up to reach. Cut into 1 1/2 inch cookies.
• Bake at 375 Degrees F, 190 C. for 15 minutes.
• Spoon glaze over each cookie. Top with sprinkles.

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I used my basic focaccia recipe that is adapted from my favorite Italian cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking from Marcella Hazan. It’s a perfect focaccia recipe, yielding that pillowy, springy crumb and rising beautifully.

This bakes a nice big focaccia, using a large stone baking sheet or regular baking sheet. My favorite baking sheet is this USA pan. I  own several sizes.

I found this  new stone baking sheet just added to my Amazon shopping guide.

The dough rises very quickly, but the dough needs a solid four hours before baking.

We start with this amount of dough which doubles in about an hour. After two hours, the dough is stretched out on the pan, but not baked for another two hours.

I chose to cut the peaches in small pieces to fit into the indentations. This dough was so springy (a good thing) that the indentations kept rising back up.

Check out the crumb of this peach rosemary  focaccia. It’s springy, bouncy and perfect.

We used the fresh rosemary three times for peach rosemary focaccia.

Ryder chopped the rosemary using this mezzaluna (affiliate), a safe way for kids to start chopping.

We incorporated some of the fresh rosemary into the flour before making the dough and put some more on during the last 8 minutes of baking. We decided to add a little fresh rosemary once it came out of the oven.  You can even further this by adding fresh rosemary to some extra virgin olive oil for dipping.

I’m thinking this is one of those dishes you can take to a party or picnic, serve with a charcuterie board or cheese board.

Peach rosemary focaccia would be especially nice with prosciutto.

It’s not gluten free, but I do have a gluten free focaccia that you can adapt this recipe to here. It won’t make the same amount, so reduce the peaches and rosemary as necessary.

• Rosemary Focaccia with Olives
• Fusion Radish Focaccia
• Gluten Free Focaccia

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Peach Rosemary Focaccia the Comfort of Summer

Peach Rosemary Focaccia, springy and so delicious.

Course Bread

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 hours hours

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1½ packages active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water divided (1/2 cup, 1 1/2 cup)
• 6 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary divided
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• heavy duty rectangular baking pan about 18 x 14
• extra virgin olive oil for pan
• pastry brush Order Here
• A mixture of ¼ olive oil 2 tablespoons water, 1 t salt
• 2 peaches cubed, with skin on.

Instructions

• Dissolve yeast into ½ cup lukewarm water. (110 degrees F.) Rest 10 minutes.
• Add salt and 1 tablespoon of flour. Incorporate well.
• Add 1 cup flour, mix. Add olive oil, half remaining water and half remaining flour.
• Mix well with hands.
• Add remaining water and flour. At this point you can put into mixer with dough hook, or food processor. If you knead by hand, slap down on counter several times and knead for 8 minutes or until the dough is very workable and soft.
• Rest in oiled bowl with covered damp towel for two hours.
• At end of this rising time, punch down, place on oiled baking sheet, stretch by hand to the edges, trying to keep a uniform thickness, especially in the corners.
• Allow to rise for two hours
• Using a wooden spoon, small ball or finger tip, make indentations.
• Using pastry brush, carefully brush olive oil water mixture over top. Top with peaches.
• Put in oven, reduce heat to 400 and bake for 15 minutes.
• Top with tablespoon finely chopped rosemary and bake for another 7-8 minutes.
• When you take it out of the oven, the top will be a little crispy. As the focaccia cools, it softens up and will become springy.
• You can now add in some more fresh rosemary if you want and drizzle olive oil or serve with an herbed dipping oil.

Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links which earn a small commission, but do not affect prices.

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Some of these are easy. Some a little more complicated. Some made grain free. Enjoy!

It’s not too soon to start the Christmas Cookie Baking. Be sure to include some Italian Christmas Cookies in your holiday plans. Some of these are very easy, some a little more complicated, but every year I challenge to make at least one new cookie, along with some of my most treasured favorites from childhood.

The Easiest Cookie is the Italian Ricotta Cookie. If baking is a challenge for you, make these. There’s a video.

Gluten Free Ricotta Christmas Cookie with Pomegranate Glaze is just Divine. I’ve made two batches already gone!

Now I also have a Grain Free Ricotta Christmas Cookie, which is just delicious, soft, and pillowy. 

When I saw the Italian Date Christmas Cookie in an Italian magazine, I knew I had to make it. It’s easier than it might look. It’s a multi-textured cookie made with dates, rolled in sesame seeds.

The actual story is that a reader contacted me to ask me if I had the recipe for the Italian Date Christmas Cooke that was in the Italian Magazine, La Cucina Italia. I just happened to have all the issues I had saved for years and I went through all of them searching for this recipe and found it. Of course, I had to make it too.

Italian Christmas cookies wouldn’t be complete without Cucidate, the Italian Fig Cookie.

I love to say the words cucidate. ( pronounced kooch’ i da’tee). These are Sicilian Cookies, often given as gifts. A soft pastry envelops a fig mixture and is everything a good fig cookie ought to be. There are a lot of ingredients and it takes a little time to put together, but so worth it.

Cucidate. Recipe Here.

Italian Cookies Must include the cookie most likely to be dunked, the Biscotti, or the twice baked cookie.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti will satisfy that chocolate tooth.

No Italian Cookie Collection is complete without something lemon, something pistachio.

Candied Lemon Pistachio Cantucci will garnish your kitchen with good aromas and delicious cookie.

We also have some amazing Christmas Cookies not so Italian.

Oatmeal Cookies with Rosemary and Dried Plums has a wonderful holiday flavor and chewy texture.

Gingerbread with Chocolate and Ginger Salt.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie and I’ve made many versions here.

Butter Tarts, A Canadian Tradition, and you can see why.

The Pecan Tassie.  My First Recipe I ever Published here 11 years ago on Christmas Eve.

Grain Free Keto Version if Pecan Tassies is simply amazing.

The French Sable, A Shortbread Cookie is what you want if you like crispy cookies.

 Salty Nutty Double Chocolate Cookie for Chocolate Lovers.

The Gluten Free Iced Oatmeal Cookie the Vintage Oatmeal Cookie.

The Soft Sugar Cookie. You can cut these out into Christmas Shapes. You also glaze them.

French Madeleines have earned their reputation as one of France’s most beloved cookies.

The French Macaron These are so pretty, so good, filled with a chocolate ganache.

Perfect Vanilla Sables

Gluten Free, Grain Free Lemon Basil Shortbread Cookies, little bite sized cookies at only one carb.

This Christmas Fudge is simply the best and the recipe makes Five Pounds

Peppermint Ice Cream is my husband’s favorite. This is the old fashioned Howard Johnson’s copy cat.

Just in case you need more Christmas Sweets, I always make this almond tart and this flourless chocolate cake.

We are crazy for Red Velvet and you can make it regular, gluten free or grain free, sugar free.

Christmas Red Velvet  or try Red Velvet in a Jar.  

Grain Free Sugar Free Red Velvet. 

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes

And, this Christmas Apple Pie will never disappoint.

My Most Proud Christmas Dessert is the Christmas Ice Cream Bombe filled with raspberry sorbet. There’s a chocolate sauce that goes with this.

Perhaps,  you  prefer a  Holiday Cocktail Dessert. If you can’t bake, you can do this. It’s sorbet, fruit, bubbly, done!

My Most Popular Christmas Anything is the Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas Sand Tart, and there’s a video.

What are you planning to make for Christmas, or do you go to bakery. If you do, the Triple Crown Bakery in Franklin, TN will make your cookies for you.

I hope you have the sweetest holiday with lots of cheer, friendship, and good food.

More Christmas Recipes from Spinach Tiger

The post Family Italian Christmas Cookies and Bonus Holiday Sweets appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I started this blog over ten years ago, I cracked the code on Southern Fluffy Biscuits. Today, I’m baking fusion biscuits combining Southern culture with my Italian roots.

I am still using the absolutely no fail, perfect southern fluffy biscuit recipe, but I’m adding Italian sausage, Pepperoni, Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Parmesan, and fresh oregano. If your mouth fell open, I completely understand, but it gets even better.

Instead of plain old butter, I’m using Minerva Dairy Amish Garlic Herb Butter, which was my inspiration for this recipe.  It not only adds extra flavor in the dough, it’s served with the biscuits when they come out of the oven. Double butter heaven!

The mozzarella gets melty and the flavors remind you of pizza. Once you take a bite, you’ll be swept away into Italian bliss with a buttery, southern flair.

You probably know by now that I love Minerva Dairy Amish Butter, which is 85% butterfat, churned for the past 125 years by over six generations of butter makers, using old fashioned butter churns. The butter is made from pasture-raised cow milk, ensuring the highest quality.

As far as biscuit making goes, I’m pretty much of an expert, as there are over 25 different biscuit recipes here. I’ve made biscuits for home shows, and demonstrated two kinds of biscuits at Williams Sonoma. I know what it takes and it takes a good amount of butter and the higher the butterfat, the better.

What is the one mistake to avoid when making biscuits?

The one mistake to avoid is adding too much flour to the biscuit dough. Take a look at what the dough should look like. It needs to be sticky. You will use no more than 2 cups of all purpose flour and please don’t be tempted to add one teaspoon more outside of putting a little flour on the bottom of your biscuit round prior to cutting.

You will use 6 very cold tablespoons of Minerva Dairy Amish Garlic Herb Butter. Then to this add in a cup of cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, a few tablespoons finely chopped pepperoni (optional), a cup of shredded mozzarella, a cup of buttermilk, and fresh or dried herbs.

I used fresh oregano because I happen to have it. At other times, I used fresh basil, but you can use dried oregano and it will be fine. I also added in chopped sun dried tomatoes and grated pecorino romano to give it that extra Italian flavor. You can feel free to play around using sausage only, pepperoni only or a combination of both.

If you need to make these using my grain free biscuit recipe  or gluten free biscuit recipe, the recipe still works and so does Minerva Dairy Amish Garlic Herb Butter. At some point I will make you separate recipes for those basic biscuits, as I don’t want you to miss out if you have special needs.

Italian Style Biscuits Make a Great Dinner

Suppose you want an easy dinner yet with some heft. Serve these biscuits with an Italian salad or a bowl of soup.

These are also great for eating on the run. I’m not a fan of rushing out with food in my hand, but those days happen. These Italian style biscuits can be frozen and quickly reheated for that very purpose.

What is the secret to a good Southern biscuit?

I actually know the answer to this. It’s sticky dough and cold butter. It’s a natural inclination to want biscuit dough to look like bread dough, but that will only result in rocks. You want your biscuit to be crispy on the outside and very soft and fluffy on the inside. Your butter should be pea sized into the flour, but not smeared smooth. As the butter melts in the oven, the biscuits rise and get their flakiness.

Does the order of ingredients matter when making Southern biscuits?

Yes, it does, the dry ingredients should be thoroughly whisked together first. Butter is always second, the rest of non-wet ingredients next and the buttermilk is the very last thing. Once the milk hits the flour, you have dough and at that point will not be able to disperse any other ingredients in a balanced manner.

Can I make Italian Style Southern Biscuits ahead of time?

My husband says no, but I say yes. Under bake by about 2 minutes and simply reheat in the oven with loose foil over top.

I would refrain from microwaving any kind of bread or biscuit as texture changes, but I’ve been known to do that anyway.

What is the best flour to use when making Southern biscuits?

I’ve made these biscuits with all purpose flour and with bread flour. Either works fine. Do NOT use a self-rising flour ever! It will not work with any of my biscuit recipes.

Can You freeze Southern biscuits?

You can freeze them baked. Wrap in saran wrap and place in ziplock type bag.

What size should You cut the biscuits?

I recommend  anywhere under 3 inches across. These are filling and I think 2 inches across is a good helping. Keep in mind, they do expand when they bake. Just make sure they are the same height and touching so they rise together.

You might want to take a look at the slab pie I made using Minerva Dairy Amish Sea Salt butter this past summer. It has berries and peaches, but you could use apples and follow the same pie dough instructions. Change the stars to cut out circles or at the holiday, cut out Stars or Christmas Trees!

You may also be excited to visit these biscuit recipes, and don’t forget that butter matters. Minerva Dairy Butter also features a sea salt and an unsalted butter in addition to this garlic herb butter used in this recipe.

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Italian Style Biscuits with Sausage and Mozzarella

Fluffy Southern Biscuit with Italian Sausage and Flavors, perfect for Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Potlucks.

Course Biscuits

Cuisine Italian

Keyword southern biscuits, Italian-style,

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Biscuits

Equipment

• Whisk

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoons fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces cooked Italian sausage drained
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1 ounce pepperoni chopped
• 2 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

• Mix all dry ingredients together with a whisk, including herbs.
• Add butter to flour mixture, using a pastry cutter or your hands.
• Add in cheese, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, sausage, pepperoni.
• Add in buttermilk with a wooden spoon. Mixture should still be very sticky.
• Pat into a round about 7 inches in diameter. Depending on size of your biscuit cutter, you will get from 8 to 10 biscuits.
• Arrange them in a circle, touching each other.
• Bake at 450 degrees, F. 230 C. for 15 minutes.

Notes

You can make buttermilk by adding 1 teaspoon white vinegar to whole milk. I

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