Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough Bread1 Loaf
Ingredients1 cup active sourdough starter 1 cup water, divided 2 TBL set aside1/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour3 3/4 cups Bread Flour1 TBL Salt, Sea or Kosher
Add-In Ingredients1/2 cup sliced Jalapenos pickled or fresh1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Feed starter the night before.
InstructionsIn mixing bowl add 1 cup starter, 1 cup water (minus the 2 TBLs set aside), 1/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour, and 3 3/4 cups Bread flour. Mix for 2 minutes medium speed with dough hook attachment or use hands to combine ingredients. The dough will be clumpy, this is ok. It will be mixed again later. Cover the bowl and let dough rest 1 hour.
While dough is rising mix the 1 TBL of salt with the 2 TBLs of water. Mix until salt is dissolved. Add the mixture to the dough after the hour is up. Mix with until all water is well absorbed in the dough. Dough should be a little sticky. Cover let rise another hour.
Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart, over the next hour and a half. Keep bowl covered between sets.
Add Cheddar Cheese and Jalapenos to the second stretch and fold. You do this by rolling out dough into a large circle or rectangle. Spread cheese and jalapenos evenly over dough. Roll up dough and then fold in half and then half again.
How to do a stretch and fold. While Dough is still in bowl, pick up one side with wet hand. Pull it up and over itself. Then repeat the action for all 4 sides. If using pickled jalapenos I use the jalapeno juice to wet my hand. This adds more spice to the dough.
After 3 set of stretch and folds, cover bowl and allow to rise 2-3 hours or you can cover and let rest in fridge up to 36 hours.
Shape and rise. Turn dough onto a floured surface and shape into rough ball. Flour the top of dough and place on a piece of parchment and place in dutch oven. Cover and let rise 2-3 hours or until it has risen 50 percent.
Take Parchment with dough in it out of dutch oven and place in a bowl to keep shape. Preheat oven to 450 degrees with dutch oven and lid inside. Once oven reaches 450 degrees, score the top of bread.
Place parchment with the dough inside dutch oven, put lid on. Place dutch oven in oven. Reduce Temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove lid and bake 20-25 minutes or until crust is desired color.
Let bread cool. Then cut and serve.
Hearty Bean Bacon and Ham SoupServes 8-10
Ingredients8 slices Bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 cups smoked Ham, diced into small pieces1 yellow onion3 cloves garlic2 carrots2 celery stalks4 cans white beans, drained2 red potatoes, diced into small bite size pieces1 Tablespoon smoked paprika1 teaspoon black pepper1/2 teaspoon kosher salt3 bay leaves4 cups chicken broth
In a stock pot cook bacon on medium-high temperature until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon, place on paper towel.
Add ham to bacon grease in stock pot, cook until browned.
While ham is browning. Place onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in a food processor and process until minced.
Add veggie to ham cook until tender about 5 minutes, stir frequently. Add the spices to the veggies mixture, mix well cook 2 more minutes.
Add chicken broth and potatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add 3 cans of beans. Blend or puree the 4th can of beans. Add to soup. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Add bacon, you can save some bacon for topping soup if you like.
Serve with bread or homemade croutons.
*You can make with a 1 lb bag of white beans instead of canned beans.**You can add 1-2 cups mashed potatoes to soup when you add the beans. it will thicken the soup. I do this if I have left over mashed potatoes from a previous dinner. ***This is a good after easter soup because I usually have left over Ham and mashed potatoes.
