When I was getting ready to come up here to my high mountain cabin for several days, I didn’t like the idea of leaving my sourdough starter at home with no one to feed it for most of a week. Then I realized, I could bring it with me. That is what is great about road trips — you have lots of flexibility and options. Every experience of air travel makes me love road-tripping more.
So I did bring my jar of starter, and along with it the likelihood that I would cook something with it, too. Because even if I only fed it every other day, it might outgrow the half-gallon jar I use. I didn’t want to have to throw out, or actually discard, the discard.
I really dislike the thought of throwing away good food such as sourdough starter, which is one reason I keep mine in a big jar, and why I have developed my current bread recipe so that it uses 1 1/2 cups of starter for one loaf. Many people use their discard to make pancakes or biscuits in between bread-bakings, but that is not convenient for me.
I didn’t have a plan for what I would cook, but I knew I could accomplish something like pancakes or even a loaf of bread without reference to a recipe, because I’ve had lots of experience adapting or creating recipes, and nearly all the results were at least edible and nutritious. Last night when I was browsing ideas for sourdough biscuits (which I made a lot of for a big family, but long ago), I ran across a recipe for flatbread, and as I’ve been wanting for a long time to experiment with flatbreads, I went with that.
Last night before bed I mixed the simple dough, of 1 cup starter, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup of milk. I covered it to further ferment overnight, and this afternoon made eight flatbreads with it, in a cast iron skillet. There was frost on the deck this morning, and it was 32 degrees when I checked at 7:00, so it was a good day for baking, whether in the stove or on top. And the first day of autumn. ❤
First I cooked them with a little olive oil in the pan. Then I tried each one in half a pat of butter, and the last few lumps dough I sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar as I folded and rolled them out, so that I ended up with a cinnamon sourdough flatbread. If I were to try this again, I might use water instead of milk, and hope to get a chewier bread; the cinnamon-sugar version wasn’t worth repeating. I’m already half-planning, though, that next summer I will bake a simple loaf of sourdough bread in the Dutch oven I saw in the cupboard.
Other than one pie I baked at the cabin, I have little experience baking at high altitudes; my son-in-law made a great pizza here at 8200 feet. Is it mostly cakes that are tricky, up where water turns to steam at 195 degrees? If any of you has personal experience you’d like to share, I’d be interested.
Gladsome Lights 
I had no idea you had to look after sourdough, a bit like having a pet.
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Maybe a very little bit like a pet! A big difference is, if because of your neglect the starter “dies,” you still don’t have to throw it out (or feel guilty), but can get it revived pretty easily.
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It is sweet to hear of your restful time…tending to your starter and your tummy with flatbreads, admiring the weeds, the clouds, the chipmunks and squirrels…yes…a good rest. I am glad.
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I cherish your affirmation, Jeannette! Even up here, where I somewhat enter an altered, truly restful state, it’s hard not to feel guilty about “doing nothing.” I think I need to stay a little longer next time.
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The Sourdough flat breads look so good. Nice to know you’re enjoying a restful time in such a lovely environment.
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Looks and sounds heavenly! Happy to have temps down to 75 in the mornings! My kids used to keep a sourdough starter going, but I have to be honest that I don’t love the tanginess of sour dough, but prefer just regular yeasty homemade bread, although that flatbread looks delicious. I do still have their kombucha “mother” in the pantry. This reminds me I need to feed it some sugar and tea …
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Emily, how often do you feed that mother? Do you like kombucha?
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I feed the mother rarely – once a month maybe? My daughter had to cut some dead “skin” off of it a few weeks ago when she wanted to give some to a friend to start a new batch.
I like kombucha the way my son makes it – highly flavored with ginger, lemon, and sometimes pineapple juice. He bottles it and lets it sit in the fridge for a while after it’s bottled with the flavoring, so it carbonates. Sometimes I’ll mix it with soda water. It takes a lot of ginger to cut the earthy flavor, but I love ginger. I can barely sip it unflavored – but it does taste healthy!
Real time comments!
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I have considered sourdough. But it’s too much fuss, and I am basically trying to eat as few of these carbs as possible. BUT, if I did turn to sourdough, I’d use the dry method. It keeps well if you aren’t going to make bread often.
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What is the dry method?
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Gretchen, this is the place to learn about it. https://youtu.be/0zHW2chG27Q?si=b9MkwNYh1m1dG6al
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Your flatbread looks and sounds delicious. Years ago when I was teaching, a group of teachers got into sour dough breads, so most of us got our own starter dough and went from there. I did develop a taste for it, but don’t remember how long I kept going with it. I love that you took yours with you when you made your trip.
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I’ve killed my last couple of batches of starter.
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Do we ever get rid of that guilty feeling about ‘doing nothing’? Of course you are doing something! I feel the same and yet … it does us the world of good to get right away from home for a while where there is always something demanding our attention. Enjoy your time away!
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How very clever you are! And smart, too, to bring along the starter! I really love your creativity!
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