SOURDOUGH APPLESAUCE WHEAT BREAD

1 pkg. dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast
¼ c. warm water (110F)
1 c. sourdough starter
¼ c. vegetable oil
½ c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1½ c. applesauce
1 T. salt
1 c. hot water
3 c. whole wheat flour
¼ t. baking soda
3-4 c. flour
melted butter

Mix together the yeast and warm water. Stir until dissolved and set
aside. In a large mixing bowl combine sourdough starter with oil, brown
sugar, applesauce, salt, hot water, whole wheat flour, and baking soda.
Mix well. Let rest for 10 minutes. Blend in softened yeast mixture.
Gradually add flour as needed to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn
out onto a floured surface and knead 10 minutes, adding more flour if
necessary. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a
cloth. Set in a warm, draft-free place and let rise for 1-2 hours, or
until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough. Shape into 2 loaves. Place
in greased loaf pans. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm,
draft-free place until almost doubled. Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes.
Brush with melted butter.

Basic Sourdough Starter:
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3 T. sugar
1 t. dry yeast
2 c. lukewarm water

With a wooden spoon, stir dry ingredients together in a large mixing
bowl and gradually add lukewarm water. Stir until mixture resembles a
smooth paste. Cover with a towel or cheesecloth and set in a war place
(85F) to sour. Stir mixture several times a day. In 2-3 days sourdough
will be ready. Store in refrigerator in a heavy plastic container, with
a hole punched in the lid to allow gases to escape.

To make a batter for a sourdough recipe, take out 1 c. starter and
combine with 1 c. flour and 1 c. lukewarm water. Mix well with a wooden
spoon. Don't worry about lumps in mixture, fermentation will dissolve
them within a few hours. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set in
a warm location several hours or overnight. Before adding additional
ingredients to recipe, return at least ½ c. of the mixture to the
sourdough contain to replenish start.

If starter is not replenished as above, at least once a week add ½ c.
each of lukewarm water and flour. Mix together and leave out of
refrigerator overnight, covered with a towel or plastic wrap. Next
morning stir down mixture, cover with lid, and return to refrigerator
until needed. Occasionally pour all of sourdough starter out into a
mixing bowl. Wash container to remove flour buildup, then replenish as
above.

If starter does not seem as bubbly after continued use, sprinkle with
small amount of dry yeast and mix well. This is also recommended if
thawed frozen starter does not resume its former bubbly appearance. If
clear liquid forms on top of mixture, simply stir down and continue to
use as needed.

Notes: For the applesauce I used my own homemade. I just
peel, core, and cut in 8ths enough McIntosh apples and put
them in a pyrex baking dish with a lid and microwave until
they soften enough to mash up easily with a spoon. I leave
them slightly "lumpy". I don't add any sugar if I'm using them
for the bread, but for just plain applesauce to eat I like to
add some brown sugar and butter and microwave a little longer
to blend. Yum! (I used apples done the same way for the Himmel
und Erde.) I recommend McIntosh because I like their flavor
best of all apples, but you can use what you like best.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?