Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!
Do you have a pet? A cat, a dog, a bird or a turtle maybe? I, too have a pet. One that is very convenient and easy to have. It doesn’t need to take it for a walk, or play with it or take it to the doctor. It only needs feeding and this just once a week. My pet is my sourdough.
A few months ago my friend Nectaria was experimenting with sourdough breads and made a sourdough. She was kind enough to bring me a sourdough starter and so my love affair with it has started. I love my sourdough and all I have to do is feed it once a week. I store it in the fridge and I make some beautiful loaves of homemade bread with it.
About every two to three months my sourdough seems like it is losing its vibrancy and strength. So, I take it out of the fridge, leave it in room temperature and feed it every twelve hours. Now, many of you will wonder what “feed it” means? Well, if you want your sourdough to be alive, it means that you have to renew it. By renewing it we mean that we keep 120 gr. / 4 oz. of the sourdough and we whisk it to 120 gr. / 4 oz. all-purpose flour and 120 gr. / 4 oz. water. When we want to liven up our sourdough starter, we do this procedure twice a day for two days.
Now, the problem is what we do with the sourdough that we spare. I have made all sorts of small breads, focaccias and pizza crusts and when I saw this recipe for chocolate cake at King Arthur’s Flour, I was really excited, first, because I would have the chance to make something sweet instead of savory and second, because I was really curious to see how this cake would taste with the sourdough in it.
After making a few changes, I baked it and the experiment was completely successful. All I can tell you is that I am so glad another one great recipe was added to my sourdough list and a sweet one this time! To make it even more decadent and because I am less inclined to frosting, I made this easy butterscotch sauce and poured it on the cake. It was de-li-ci-ous and if you have the sourdough, so very easy. If you don’t have a sourdough in your fridge, I am giving you the recipe to start your own. Believe me it is so easy you cannot believe. In my following posts, I will show you the bread I make and some other savory goodies I bake with it!
Sourdough Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose Flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup corn oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
2 large eggs
Instructions
Combine the sourdough, milk, and flour in a large bowl.
Cover it and let it rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
It may expand a bit.
Preheat the oven to 175° C / 350°F.
Butter and flour a 23 cm. X 33 cm. / 9″ x 13″ pan.
In your mixer, beat the sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder,cocoa and espresso powder. The mixture will be grainy.
Add the eggs and continue to beat.
With a spatula combine the chocolate batter with the starter-flour-milk mixture, stirring till smooth.
Pour the batter into the pan.
Bake the cake for about 30 or until the cake tester comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to cool while you make the butterscotch sauce.
Butterscotch Sauce
Ingredients
½ cup / 125 ml butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
½ to 1 tsp sea salt or fleur de sel
2 tsp best-quality pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the sugar, cream and ½ tsp salt and whisk until the ingredients are incorporated. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
Whisk to combine.
Taste the sauce; if you feel it still needs a little salt, sprinkle some more.
Serve the sauce warm or cool.
The sauce thickens a little as it cools, but it still remains soft enough that you can spoon it straight out of the fridge.
Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp or packet active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
Pour the water into a glass bowl, and add and dissolve the sugar and the yeast respectively.
Add the flour gradually.
Cover the bowl with a clean dishcloth and place it somewhere warm.
The batter will begin to bubble and brew.
Let it stay as it is from 2 to 5 days, stirring it about once a day.
When the bubbling has subsided and a yeasty, sour aroma has developed, stir your starter once more and refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.
The starter should look like the pancake batter.
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups all-purpose Flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup corn oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 2 large eggs
- Combine the sourdough, milk, and flour in a large bowl.
- Cover it and let it rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
- It may expand a bit.
- Preheat the oven to 175° C / 350°F.
- Butter and flour a 23 cm. X 33 cm. / 9" x 13" pan.
- In your mixer, beat the sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder,cocoa and espresso powder. The mixture will be grainy.
- Add the eggs and continue to beat.
- With a spatula combine the chocolate batter with the starter-flour-milk mixture, stirring till smooth.
- Pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake the cake for about 30 or until the cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to cool while you make the butterscotch sauce.
- ½ cup / 125 ml butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ to 1 tsp sea salt or fleur de sel
- 2 tsp best-quality pure vanilla extract
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the sugar, cream and ½ tsp salt and whisk until the ingredients are incorporated. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
- Whisk to combine.
- Taste the sauce; if you feel it still needs a little salt, sprinkle some more.
- Serve the sauce warm or cool.
- The sauce thickens a little as it cools, but it still remains soft enough that you can spoon it straight out of the fridge.
- Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tbsp of sugar
- 1 tbsp or packet active dry yeast
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Pour the water into a glass bowl, and add and dissolve the sugar and the yeast respectively.
- Add the flour gradually.
- Cover the bowl with a clean dishcloth and place it somewhere warm.
- The batter will begin to bubble and brew.
- Let it stay as it is from 2 to 5 days, stirring it about once a day.
- When the bubbling has subsided and a yeasty, sour aroma has developed, stir your starter once more and refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.
- The starter should look like the pancake batter.
- 1 φλ. προζύμι (συνταγή ακολουθεί)
- 1 φλ. γάλα
- 2 φλ. αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
- 2 φλ. ζάχαρη
- 1 φλ. καλαμποκέλαιο
- 2 κ.γ. εκχύλισμα βανίλιας
- 1 κ.γ. αλάτι
- ½ κ.γ. μαγειρική σόδα
- 2 κ.γ. μπέικιν πάουντερ
- ¾ φλ. κακάο
- 1 κ.γ. καφέ espresso, προαιρετικό
- 2 μεγάλα αυγά
- Σε ένα μεγάλο μπολ βάλτε το προζύμι, το γάλα, και το αλεύρι.
- Καλύψτε το και αφήστε το να ξεκουραστεί σε θερμοκρασία δωματίου για 2 έως 3 ώρες.
- Θα φουσκώσει λίγο.
- Προθερμάνετε το φούρνο στους 175° C.
- Βουτυρώστε και αλευρώστε ένα ταψί 23 cm. X 33 cm.
- Στο μίξερ σας, χτυπήστε τη ζάχαρη, λάδι, βανίλια, αλάτι, μαγειρική σόδα, μπέικιν πάουντερ, καφέ espresso και το κακάο σε σκόνη.
- Προσθέστε τα αυγά και συνεχίστε το χτύπημα.
- Ρίξτε τη σοκολάτα στο μίγμα και με μια σπάτουλα ανακατέψτε μέχρι να ενσωματωθούν.
- Ρίξτε το μίγμα στο ταψί.
- Ψήστε το κέικ για περίπου 30 ή μέχρι το μαχαίρι να βγαίνει καθαρό.
- Βγάλτε το κέικ από το φούρνο, και αφήστε το να κρυώσει μέχρι να ετοιμάσετε τη butterscotch.
- ½ φλ. Βούτυρο ή μαργαρίνη
- 1 φλ. καφέ σκούρα ζάχαρη
- 1 φλ. κρέμα γάλακτος 35% λιπαρά
- ½ έως 1 κ.γ. αλάτι ή fleur de sel
- 2 κ.γ. εκχύλισμα βανίλιας
- Λιώστε το βούτυρο σε μια μέτρια κατσαρόλα σε μέτρια φωτιά.
- Προσθέστε τη ζάχαρη, την κρέμα και ½ κουταλάκι του γλυκού αλάτι και ανακατέψτε μέχρι τα συστατικά να ενσωματωθούν.
- Φέρτε σε έναν ήπιο βρασμό και μαγειρέψτε για 5 λεπτά, ανακατεύοντας κατά διαστήματα.
- Κατεβάστε από τη φωτιά και προσθέστε το εκχύλισμα βανίλιας.
- Ανακατέψτε με το σύρμα.
- Δοκιμάστε και εάν αισθάνεστε ότι χρειάζεται ακόμη λίγο αλάτι, ρίξτε λίγο περισσότερο.
- Η σάλτσα τρώγεται ζεστή ή κρύα.
- Αν τη βάλετε στο ψυγείο θα πήξει λίγο περισσότερο, παρ’όλα αυτά μπορείτε και πάλι να την τρώτε με το κουτάλι.
- Διατηρείται σε αεροστεγές βαζάκι στο ψυγείο έως 2 εβδομάδες.
- 2 φλ. χλιαρό νερό
- 1 κ.σ. ζάχαρη
- 1 κ.σ. ξηρή μαγιά
- 2 φλ. αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
- Ρίξτε το νερό σε ένα γυάλινο μπολ, και προσθέστε τη ζάχαρη να διαλυθεί και τη μαγιά επίσης, με αυτή τη σειρά.
- Προσθέστε το αλεύρι σταδιακά.
- Καλύψτε το μπολ με μια καθαρή πετσέτα για τα πιάτα και βάλτε κάπου ζεστά.
- Το μίγμα θα αρχίσει να φουσκώνει.
- Αφήστε το να παραμείνει όπως είναι από 2 έως 5 ημέρες, ανακατεύοντας μία φορά την ημέρα.
- Όταν το φούσκωμα υποχωρήσει, και έχει αναπτύξει ένα ξινό άρωμα, ανακατέψτε το μίγμα σας πάλι και βάλτε στο ψυγείο έως ότου είστε έτοιμοι να τη χρησιμοποιήσετε.
- Το προζύμι πρέπει να μοιάσει με το χυλό τηγανίτας.
