Sourdough Journal #14 - Preserving Your Thriving Sourdough Starter

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Have a great sourdough starter, but want to save some just in case it dies? Want to give some to a friend that lives a few states away? Need a long break from making sourdough or planning a long vacation this coming summer?


Dehydrating your starter is the way to go. 


Having dehydrated starter will come in handy "just-in-case" your fresh starter suddenly stops working, a family member (not familiar with your healthy, fermented food collection) tosses out your lively starter thinking it was food gone bad, a friend wants to try making sourdough (dried starter less messy to ship ~wink~), everybody is growing tired of sourdough (hope that doesn't happen with us!) or you are planning a month or two away from home.


These are many good reasons to preserve your sourdough for those "just-in-case" moments!


Storing your starter in the fridge is a good, simple solution for short vacations and weekly breaks, but when you need to store your starter for longer periods... dehydrating is the best way to go.


Its easy!


If you don't have a dehydrator... don't sweat it. You can do it without one!

I did this back before we left for our 2 1/2 month trip stateside and I'm so glad I did! I made the batch of dehydrated starter, but also left a small amount of live starter in a jar in the back of the fridge.

Well, guess what we found when we got back? Yep, an explosion... cracked jar with dried/wet, moldy starter all over the back of my fridge. I thought I let it settle down enough (dormant) before tightening the lid, guess not! It was truly a pain to clean up.


But I didn't worry because I had my dried starter in the freezer. I mix it up with some water and had a thriving sourdough in 2 days! Sweet!

Dehydrating Your Starter
All you need is:

• 1/4 - 1/3 cup of mature, thriving sourdough starter, fed within the last 12 hours (Allow the starter to build up before drying it out to be at a maximum level. I dehydrated mine after I fed it and left it alone for about 5 hours)
• Parchment paper or non-stick dehydrator sheet
• Dehydrator tray or baking sheet
• Dehydrator (optional)

Place the parchment paper on the dehydrator tray or baking tray. Spread starter in a very thin layer on the parchment paper. You can dry your starter in one of two ways:


In room temperature. Dry your starter in a clean area, at room temperature (between 70 to 80 degrees F) until dry. When it develops a dray skin on top, cover with a light cloth to keep dust and bugs off. If temps are much lower than the 70s, mold may be an issue. If temps are much higher than the 80s, the organisms may die.


In dehydrator. Put tray in dehydrator and turn the dial so that it is just barely turned on. Dry for about 6 to 10 hours, depending on thinness of the starter. Check it often if you can.


Now, when your starter is crispy dry... break into smaller pieces (you will now have "starter flakes" and transfer to a freezer bag or container. Store in freezer for up to a year (according to Sourdough A to Z eBook). We don't know for sure how long a dehydrated starter will last, but it would be best to repeat the process yearly with fresh starter.


That said, I'll most likely be dehydrating a batch of my starter every August! Better safe than sorry!


Rehydrating Your Starter
Mix together 2 hefty tablespoons of dehydrated starter flakes and 1/3 cup of water into a clean, quart size jar or medium/large glass bowl. Mix well. Allow the flakes to soften for about 5 minutes.


Add 1/3 cup of whole wheat or your choice of flour and mix vigorously. Get as much air into it as you can. Cover with a cloth towel and place in a warm area or room temp area for about 24 hours. The warmer the temperature, the quicker it will rehydrate and bubble up. Don't let the temps go beyond 85 degrees F if you can help it. The mixture may or may not be bubble after this first step, but don't stop there!


Mix in 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour. Mix vigorously to get air in. Cover and return to a warm spot for 12 hours.


Repeat this process every 12 to 24 hours until the starter is light and bubbly with a nice sour smell.


Now you should have a reactivated starter!


Your starter is considered reactivated when it continues to get light and bubbly for at least 3 good feedings. In cooler areas (like mine!), it may take longer... up to several days. But I did say up there that is was thriving after 2 days and this was during a very cool & rainy time in my area. My starter must have been very strong!


Now, go get your stuff together and get some starter preserved! Better now, then have regrets later  :o)

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Sourdough Journal #13: Chili Beef Sourdough Pot Pie

Honestly, I didn't like pot pie when I was a child and because of that... I never made pot pie for my family. Even though chicken pot pie is one of my hubby's favorite childhood comfort food, I couldn't get myself to make one.

Well, GNOWFGLINS Sourdough eCourse changed all that!

I tried Wardee's recipe for Chili Beef Pot Pie and it was delicious and it tasted even better then next day for leftovers! I was very surprised how much I liked it. My hubby loved it and it was the first time that my oldest daughter asked for seconds! Of course, I was thrilled!

The crust was light and fluffy while the chili beef was creamy and tasty. I loved that the crust was SUPER EASY to make and there was no need to roll out the crust. Just simply slap the dough on that skillet!

Now I should get going on finding a good chicken pot pie recipe. Anybody got one to share with me? If I find a good recipe and make some changes... I'll make sure to share it with y'all!!

I would like to share this recipe, but it is not my own and it comes from Wardee's Sourdough ebook, which has copyrights. SO, If you would like to try Wardeh's Chili Beef Pot Pie, go buy her wonderful Sourdough A to Z eBook which includes a lifetime of updates!

Have a wonderful day and be sure to check out the new upcoming Fundamentals II eCourse! Seriously great stuff that you don't want to miss!!

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Strawberry Pineapple Oatmeal Bake

The other day I shared with you about porridge pancakes using leftover oatmeal. Today I am sharing one of my family's favorite breakfasts... Oatmeal Bake.

Really, you can't go wrong with oatmeal bake. So satisfying, nourishing, delicious & simple. Do I need to say more?

For those of you who are in the cold winter months right now... this will bring a little bit of sunshine and tropical warmth right into your kitchen!

My favorite way of enjoying a hot piece is surrounding it with a deep moat of fresh milk, 2 thick slices of butter and a heavy drizzle of raw honey or real maple syrup. Sometimes I throw some fresh fruit on top, if I didn't use it all for the bake!

Oh la la! Mmmm!

What I love about oatmeal bake is I can use whatever fresh & dried fruits, spices and nuts I have sitting in my kitchen. Since making my first oatmeal bake (inspired by Wardee's recipe), I've made at least 10 different varieties of oatmeal bake.

This is one of our top 3 favorites and...no... I am not sharing with you the other 2 (grin), you will have to wait another time for those  ;o)

Strawberry Pineapple Oatmeal Bake

• 6 cups regular rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whey, raw apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or sourdough starter
• 8 cups water

Combine oats, choice of acid and water in a big bowl. Cover and let it soak overnight (if using sourdough) or up to 24 hours (using whey, vinegar or lemon juice).

NOTE: I usually use sourdough starter to soak my oatmeal overnight. I learned from my friend, Wardeh, at GNOWGFLINS that sourdough starter improves the effectiveness of soaking by adding phytase to reduce phytic acid and organisms to accomplish an overnight soaking effectively. Don't worry, it won't be sour as long as you drain and lightly rinse the oats in the morning!

• 1/2 cup lightly melted butter, coconut oil or olive oil
• 2 cups coconut milk or whole milk
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup rapadura or palm sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1-2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups chopped strawberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup dried pineapple
• 1 cup coconut flakes

Morning arrives: preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Drain the oats through a fine sieve. Gently rinse and allow to drain while mixing together other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter, milk, eggs, sweetener, vanilla, almond, nutmeg and sea salt. Add in strawberries, pineapple, coconut flakes and oats. Mix it all together gently, yet well.

Pour oatmeal mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Smooth out the top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. It should be golden brown when done. Insert a knife or toothpick, it should come out clean when the bake is done.

Take bake out of the oven and set it on a cooking rack. Let it cool for about 15 - 30 to set before cutting into bars.

Enjoy it simply topped with butter and raw honey... or do it my way (read above)... Store leftovers in the fridge, but you can leave it out for a day.

Excellent snacks for around the house, park, traveling via airplane or car!!

What are you favorite ingredients for a good, nourishing Oatmeal Bake??

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Sourdough Journel #12: Delicious Sourdough Cookies

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Have you checked out the great deals at GNOWFGLINS? With any of your purchases of classes, menus, ebooks and videos... you will get up to 5 free thank you videos (value $10!).

THROUGH NEW YEAR'S DAY (Monday 11/28/11 at 10pm thru 1/1/12) you can get:

   • Any 5 thank you videos with a yearly subscription

   • Any 2 thank you videos with a monthly recurring subscription

   • Any 1 thank you video with a single month subscription

I seriously can't say enough good things about Wardeh's wonderful e-courses! They have been so simple and easy to follow. So fun, too! Thank you Wardee!!!

So... 


I mentioned two weeks ago that I have TWO different cookie recipe to share with you all. I am hooked on making my cookies with sourdough now!


I love it because I can now serve cookies knowing that they are much healthier and we don't feel sick after eating a cookie or two.


For a long time I've made our family favorite - Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies - and they were healthy, for the most part... except the oatmeal part. I find that when I don't soak our oatmeal... we feel pretty yucky afterwards. Especially if we eat too much of it, which is hard not to because they are so good!


So, when I learned that I could change my recipe a little and add in the sourdough into the dough to help break down the oatmeal... I was all for trying it out!


Our first batch was gone in one night.


I kid you not!


Yeah, it was so good with some fresh milk and we didn't have that ache in our stomaches after having one too many cookies. Yeaaaa!

Stuffed Oatmeal Sourdough Cookies

1 cup sourdough
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups whole wheat flour (plus more, if needed, to get a stiff batter)
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 - 1 cup rapadura or coconut sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (sometimes I throw in 3 cups!)
1-2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1-2 cups dried fruit (optional)


In a medium size bowl stir together the sourdough starter and butter. Add 1 cup of flour and the oatmeal. Stir to incorporate. Continue adding flour until you have a thick dough. You may need more or less flour, depending on your starter consistency and your flour choice. Cover and allow to sour for 8 or more hours.


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease your baking sheets.


In a small bowl mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, sea salt,  optional cinnamon and baking powder. Pour mixture on top of your soured dough. You will need to get both of your hands in the bowl and use a squeezing motion to break up the very firm dough or use a thick, strong fork (that's what I do). Stir until free of lumps and of one mind, stir in your chocolate chips, nuts, coconut flakes and optional dried fruit. Then sprinkle on the baking soda. Stir well to incorporate.


Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (about 15 minutes in my higher altitude) OR spread the whole batter in the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Next I wanted to make some unique sourdough cookies for a Thanksgiving Potluck that we were invited to go. We met a lot of missionaries and made some new friends.


It was a little too crazy and loud for me, but I was glad to see that people were enjoying my cookies! I made them pan-style so I didn't have to spend hours laboring over every drop of dough and cookie to make enough for 80+ people  ;o)


I started off following the recipe from the Sourdough eCourse for Molasses Ginger cookies, but then realized I didn't have molasses. So, I used honey instead and started changing up the recipe from there.


The final touch was the orange zest... oh my sweet goodness! I actually threw that in there in the last minute because I felt that it needed something.


Wish I had a picture because they looked pretty & yummy!

Cranberry Orange Spice Sourdough Cookies

1 cup sourdough

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups whole wheat flour (plus more, if needed, to get a stiff batter)

1-2 cups oatmeal

scant 1/4 cup raw honey

1/2 - 3/4 cup rapadura or coconut sugar

3/4 tsp sea salt

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cloves

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger
1-2 Tbsp orange zest (I used a whole orange's worth of zest!)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1-2 cups dried cranberries, chopped
1-2 cups walnuts, chopped

In a medium size bowl stir together the sourdough starter and butter. Add 1 cup of flour and the oatmeal. Stir to incorporate. Continue adding flour until you have a thick dough. You may need more or less flour, depending on your starter consistency and your flour choice. Cover and allow to sour for 8 or more hours.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease your baking sheets.

In a small bowl mix together the honey, eggs, sugar, vanilla, sea salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and baking powder. Pour mixture on top of your soured dough. You will need to get both of your hands in the bowl and use a squeezing motion to break up the very firm dough or use a thick, strong fork (that's what I do). Stir until free of lumps and of one mind, stir in cranberries and walnuts. Then sprinkle on the baking soda. Stir well to incorporate.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (about 15 minutes in my higher altitude) OR spread the whole batter in the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy! 

Have a beautiful Christmas everyone!


PS- don't forget to enter for a chance to win some fabulous cookbooks (check it out here & here)!!

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Sourdough Journal #11: Buttery Sourdough Biscuits

Sweet, buttery biscuits... oh so good! I've already made this three times now and we never have leftovers. Simply delicious slathered with butter, but take it a step further and add some honey or jam makes it a delicious dessert... well, at least for me it does! LOL!


I can't believe how much I've been using my Honduran sourdough buddy and having good successes! The only failure I've had so far is the pasta. I didn't follow the recipe very well and ended up with soggy noodles. Will try again later!


I've been trying different ways to care for my sourdough buddy and find that I enjoy just having him out on my kitchen table. I use him almost every other day, so I figured it was easier to have him out instead of in the fridge. I feed him only once a day and he is thriving! I'm sure it would be even better if I fed him twice, even three times, a day! I figure if he's doing well with only one feeding a day... why give him more? Everybody's sourdough is different and mine seems to be pretty laid back  ;o)

I would love to try making cobbler and drop biscuits with this recipe! What else could you do with biscuit dough? I've already made Chile Beef Pot Pie and used the dough as the crust... it was fantastic, my hubby devoured his portion and couldn't stop moaning how good it was!


Anyway, with these biscuits... I pretty much followed the recipe from GNOWFGLINS Sourdough eCourse, but I used 8 Tbsp of butter instead of 6. Mostly because it is easier to put a whole stick of butter in then trying to measure it out. The butter I get doesn't have those lines marked on the paper to let you cut out a tablespoon at a time. So, I figure... what's the harm to adding more butter?! Plus, I used whole wheat instead of pastry wheat and they came out light with a dense flavor. Delicious!

Buttery Sourdough Biscuits

8 Tbsp cold butter
2 1/2 cups whole wheat, plus more if needed
1/2 cup sourdough starter, fed within the previous 12 hours
3/4 - 1 cup whole milk
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda


Cut fat into the flour. Mix in the starter and whole milk until just wet enough to hold together. Cover and let it sour for 5 to 8 hours. If the temperature in your kitchen is very warm, put the dough in the fridge.


Preheat over to 450 F. Mix in sea salt, baking powder and baking soda. Don't overmix. Flour the counter or cutting board. Roll the dough out into a 1/2" rectangle. Cut into squares or circles (using a glass). Put on baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.


When done, take them out and let them cool a bit. Serve slathered with butter and jam!

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Sourdough Journal #10: Strawberry Coconut Pecan Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Oooh la la la! These cinnamon rolls were so good, especially with the strawberries. Who doesn't love a good, thick, hot, somewhat gooey cinnamon roll?! I just love how I can now take it a several steps further and make it healthy and nutritious with my sourdough starter!


When I first started GNOWFGLINS Sourdough eCourse, I was super excited to see a recipe for cinnamon rolls. I don't make cinnamon rolls often and when I do... it is a real treat! I like to make it different each time, but I know I will be making the strawberry with coconut and pecan again soon!

So, I made two different batches of cinnamon rolls. One with strawberries, coconut & pecans and the other one with blackberries, ground ginger & coconut. The latter batch was good, but not as good as the first batch! I think it was the ginger... it was a tad bit too much. I don't think I will do that again.

I also needed to let it bake longer because the rolls were so big, but I like it big! I made a quick frosting by mixing together whole milk, powdered raw sugar (just blend it in the blender till fine and powdery) and vanilla extract. I start with a cup of milk and add in about 1/2 cup powdered sugar... mix and add more sugar until it is thick, but loose enough to dribble it on the rolls. SO yummy!

Strawberry Coconut Pecan Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

I can't share the recipe because it is not my own. If you would like this fantastic recipe... you can either join the Sourdough eCourse or purchase the Sourdough A to Z eBook (which is the whole eCourse in one book for only $20 and it includes lifetime updates!).


I will share with you that I used coconut palm sugar as the sweetener and butter as the fat in the dough. For the filling I used LOTS of butter, rapadura, cinnamon, coconut flakes, chopped pecans and strawberries.


For the second batch I used coconut palm sugar, ground ginger and butter in the dough. For the filling I used butter, rapadura, ground ginger, coconut flakes and blackberries. Next time I will leave out the ginger and add in chopped almonds.

Mmmmm! Just smell them... gotta make more this week! LOL!!

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Sourdough Journal #9: Sourdough English Muffins

Okay, call me crazy if you want... it is 12:00 am and while I am typing up this post... I am in the middle of making a quadruple batch of these amazing Sourdough English Muffins! They are SO SO good! Thankfully, I don't do late night baking often. Only when I need to make a large batch of something or couldn't find the time to make it before dinner. So, I have to wait till the kiddos get into bed, organize the house a bit and then get started.


I think it is worth it because we will have fresh english muffins for breakfast tomorrow... well, actually, later this morning  :oP  LOL!!

Anyway, I remember loving english muffins growing up. There was just something about the texture and taste that is so much better than a piece of toast for breakfast  :o)  My hubby especially loves english muffins. I remember him talking about how much he loved making egg sandwiches, tuna melts and slathering jam/butter on thick slices of english muffins. So, of course, when I saw that GNOWFGLINS Sourdough eCourse had a recipe for sourdough english muffins... I had to try it out!

I made these guys last week and can't believe how easssy they were to make. I was a little apprehensive when I first started out, but was so excited at the end how awesome they came out. When my hubby ate 3 english muffins the next day, gave me 2 thumbs up and my girls begged for more... I knew I had a winner!

Whole Wheat Sourdough English Muffins

I pretty much followed this recipe for the english muffins and only had to add a little more flour after kneading in the the honey, sea salt and baking soda. I found it very sticky... even after I used olive oil to prevent it from sticking all over my table and hands. I almost gave up and was ready to toss it because it was so sticky. Thankfully, I was able to save it by add more flour and kept on kneading it until it was smooth. I was too stubborn to give up that easy! LOL! Because I added more flour, I was worry that it was going to come out heavy and thick, but it was fluffy and thick in a light way... perfect! Plus, the flavor was simply superb!


This time around, I made sure to add more flour to get the dough pretty stiff. I found that it relaxed alot during the fermenting time. It wasn't as sticky as the first time around, but I knead the dough in flour instead of olive oil. I like it better that way  :o)

Don't waste time thinking if you should do this or not... go and get it done! It is so easy and SO yummy! My family and I are in love with these delicious guys  :o)

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Sourdough Journal #8: Chocolate Coconut Sourdough Cake w/ Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Rich... tangy... moist... amazingly good.


I can't get over how easy it was to make it! For so long I always thought that sourdough seemed... complicated and a lot of work. Boy, I was so wrong! I am SO grateful for the gals who put together the Sourdough eCourse... they made it so simple and easy.


Now, look at what I've made... a sourdough starter from scratch, crackers, pancakes, tortillas, muffins, pizza, cornbread and now a chocolate CAKE!

Yeah, it tasted just as yummy as it looks!


I doubled the recipe and made a 2-layer cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. I made so much frosting that it almost seemed more like a cheesecake than plain old cake! My oldest, Naomi, loved the frosting so much that she ate it all off her cake and was too full to even finish the cake. LOL!

Chocolate Coconut Sourdough Cake w/ Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup sourdough starter (fed in the last 12 hours)
1 cup coconut milk (or other milk)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup coconut palm sugar
1 cup coconut oil, butter or both (lightly melted)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa powder (preferably not Dutch processed)
1 tsp finely ground coffee (optional)
2 eggs


Mix together the starter, coconut milk and wheat flour in a large bowl. Cover and let it sour for 5 to 8 hours.


Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9x13 cake pan or two 8"-9" cake pans with butter or oil and set aside.


In a different bowl, mix together sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt, baking soda, cocoa powder and coffee. Add eggs and beat it up well. Combine the sourdough mixture with the chocolate batter. Mix till smooth and pour into prepared pan(s).


Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick in the center to see if its done. Remove from oven and let it cool completely before tipping them onto a plate.


Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting


1 cup homemade cream cheese (store bought is fine too!)
1/2 cup raw honey (more or less)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
Coconut flakes


Whip together everything except the coconut flakes in a blender or food processor till smooth. 


If you are doing a 2-layer cake, tip out the first cake onto a plate and spread with frosting. Tip out the second cake on top and spread frosting on top and the sides. Sprinkle heavily with coconut flakes. Serve and enjoy!


TIP: This cake is great at room temperature, but my family loved it cold. They said it was like having ice cream cake  :o)

See! So easy! Hope you try this sometime. Great for all those summer barbecues with friends and family  :o)

By the way: I updated my recipes page. Hopefully I will stay on top of that from now on!

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Sourdough Journal #7: Cast-Iron Skillet Sourdough Molasses Cornbread

Well, things have been quiet around here for many reasons... Writer's block, lack of motivation, my parents visiting, tired and life is busy on our homestead in Honduras. But that's normal and the life God has called me to embrace! I am learning to accept the changes that God wants to do in my life. Better to go along than put up a fight that I know I will never win  :o)


Anyway...


I am still on a roll with my Honduran Sourdough buddy and loving it! I know I am sounding like a broken record, but seriously... you gotta get the Sourdough A to Z eBook and try it out! I've already made several things that I need to catch up on and share with you all... chocolate sourdough cake, sourdough biscuits and noodles. Right now, I gotta share with you my cornbread...


Who doesn't love a warm, thick slice of sweet cornbread with a steamy bowl of chili or soup?! Oh man, it's so good! Especially served straight out of my hot cast-iron skillet. Using sourdough only made it even better... the slight tang of sourdough dances lovely with the spice of molasses!

The girls always ask for an "adult size" slice of cornbread and chow it down with lots of butter & honey... LOL! My hubby loves it too, but has been begging for me to make cornbread with jalapenos, oh yuck! To me, that is just wrong... BUT I will do it for my hubby and I just might like it. I can change up the recipe a bit and add some herbs to make it more savory to blend well with jalapenos.

I also made some blueberry molasses sourdough cornbread muffins for breakfast the other morning... it was a hit! Will need to make it again, take some pictures and share the recipe with you all... hopefully  ;o)

Cast-Iron Skillet Sourdough Molasses Cornbread

1 cup sourdough starter (fed in the last 12 hours)

1 cup milk

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup raw honey & molasses

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

In a glass bowl, stir together starter, milk, cornmeal and whole wheat flour. If needed, add more flour to make a THICK batter. Cover and let it sour for at least 8 hours (less if you have a warm kitchen).

Preheat oven and your cast-iron skillet to 400.

Pour 1-3 Tablespoon of molasses (depends on how strong you want the molasses flavor to be) into the 1/3 cup and fill the rest with raw honey. Pour into a small bowl and mix together with butter, eggs and sea salt. Make a hole in the soured dough, pour in liquids and stir. Sprinkle in the baking soda and baking powder. Stir carefully till fully incorporated.

Pull skillet out of the oven and slap on some butter... swirl it to spread it out. Pour in the batter and bake on the center rack for about 20 minutes (more like 30 with the high altitude for me) or till it looks golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for about 10 minutes (if you can wait that long!) and serve with LOTS of butter & honey.

Like my hubby above... hope you enjoy your delicious, crispy, fluffy cornbread  :o)

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