• Sourdoughs and SCOBYs,  The Perfect Loaf

    Two Yellow Breads with Recipes

    Sourdough lemon poppyseed cake.

    Rebecca Firsker published this recipe for a sourdough discard cake in a recent posting to The Perfect Loaf. My version of the cake was denser and chewier than what I’m used to for a lemon poppyseed cake, but it was oh, so-lemony. It lasted a day-and-a-half.

    I was making a vegan red lentil almond dal the other night. Usually, when I make dal, I also prepare some sourdough naan to go with it, but, just to change things up, I revived this old recipe from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

    Here is a quick summary of their recipe.

    2 cups atta flour (sifted whole wheat, but I just used freshly milled whole wheat flour)

    1 cup unbleached white flour

    1 tsp black pepoper

    1 tsp ground cumin

    1/2 tsp turmeric

    1 tsp salt

    1 Tablespoon veg oil or ghee

    1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, or more as necessary

    Oil for deep frying

    1. Mix flour, spices, salt in a bowl.
    2. Sprinkle in the oil and rub in with your fingers.
    3. Add yogurt a little at a time until kneadable; should be stiff but kneadable.
    4. Knead dough on lightly floured surface 8 – 10 minutes.
    5. Return dough to lightly oiled bowl, cover, let rest 30 min – to two hours.
    6. Divide dough into 16 balls. Flatten each ball with your palms, cover with plastic, do not stack.
    7. Roll pooris to 6 inches diameter, cover, do not stack.
    8. Heat oil to 375 degrees.
    9. Lay poori on oil. It sinks. When it rises, poke it with spoon until it puffs Turn over and cook another 10 – 15 seconds.

  • The Perfect Loaf

    The Breads of Morocco

    This is a longform article about the geography, history, culture, and value of bread in Morocco. It can be found at The Perfect Loaf.

    The coincidence of the article’s release and the devastating earthquake is horrible. If you feel moved to make a contribution, I strongly encourage you to visit The High Atlas Foundation. I have worked with HAF for many years and can vouch for their commitment to sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and reforestation. No one knows the communities hardest hit better than HAF does.