Month: August 2021

Sourdough Discard Cheese Crackers

Posted on by Ruth
sourdough cheese crackers

These sourdough discard cheese crackers are one of my “oops, got lots of discard that needs using up QUICK” back pocket recipes. But honestly, these crackers are also tasty enough that I’d build lots of starter just to make a batch. I made probably a dozen batches of these over Christmas, portioning them into little packages to include with my yearly cookie boxes as a savoury counterpart to all the sweetness; and nowadays I make a batch every couple of weeks to satiate all the hungry snackers in my house.

The original recipe for these crackers comes from the ever-excellent Bake from Scratch website; I’ve tinkered just slightly with the spices and salt level and developed some handy tips for baking them.

Baker’s Tips:

  • The starter in this recipe is primarily for flavor, not leavening, so its ok to use discard that’s a little old. I just try to use my discard within a week, before it starts developing a layer of alcohol on top or smelling too fermented. The original recipe says to use room temperature discard but I always use cold from the fridge without a problem.
  • A pasta machine is hands-down my favorite way to roll out these crackers thinly and evenly. Of course you can roll by hand — just go thinner than you think as the crackers do puff in the oven. I highly recommend rolling directly on parchment so it’s easy to transfer the dough to the sheet pan; it’ll be too delicate to move without tearing. You can roll on a silicone mat too; just be careful when scoring that you don’t accidentally damage your mat.
  • I prefer to bake crackers on convection setting — it’s a little quicker and I find the browning more even. Every oven is different, though — the first time you make these, I recommend baking one tray of crackers at a time to gauge how long they take in your oven. Also, how thinly you roll your crackers plays a major role in how long they’ll take to bake.
bowl of sourdough cheese crackers

Sourdough Discard Cheese Crackers

Makes about 2 sheet pans’ worth of crackers | Adapted from Bake From Scratch

Ingredients:

  • 65g white whole wheat or sifted wheat flour
  • 63g all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 5g (1 1/4 tsp) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • 275g sourdough discard (100% hydration; straight from the fridge is fine)
  • 57g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 60g freshly grated sharp cheddar

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, spices, and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sourdough discard and melted butter until smooth. Stir in the cheese.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir/knead together until all the flour is incorporated and the dough has a clay-like consistency. Flatten and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours).

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F (I prefer convection, if possible; but 350F conventional works fine too) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Have ready two large pieces of parchment paper and two large baking sheets.

To roll by hand: Divide the dough in half. Place one half in the center of one piece of parchment. Roll into a rectangle as thin as possible (aim for thinner than 1/8″ thick) doing your best to keep the entire piece even. Slide the rolled out dough, still on the parchment, to one of the baking sheets. Repeat with the second half of dough.

To roll with a pasta maker: Alternatively, roll out dough using a pasta maker (my preferred method). In this case, work with about 1/6 of the dough at a time. For my pasta machine, I roll to the 3rd (out of 6) settings. Transfer the strips of dough to parchment lined baking sheets, cutting the strips as needed to fit.

Dock the dough all over with a fork. Use a pastry wheel to score into desired sizes (or leave them whole, and break into shards after baking). If you want to make them look like certain popular commercial cheesy crackers, you can skip the docking, score them into roughly 1.25″ squares, and poke the center of each with a chopstick (this is easier if you’ve rolled with a pin vs. a pasta maker).

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until the entire surface is evenly golden and the crackers are crisp. Timing will vary wildly depending on how thinly you rolled the dough; start checking around 15 minutes. Crackers can go from pleasantly golden to too dark very quickly; so once they’ve started to take on color keep a close eye on them. Crackers will also make it blatantly obvious where the hot spots in your oven are; so you may need to transfer some crackers to a cooling rack and let other pieces continue baking a little longer.

Cool crackers completely on a wire rack, then break into pieces and store at room temperature in an airtight container. They should keep for at least a couple weeks, though they’ve never lasted that long around here…

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Simple and classic peach cobbler

Posted on by Ruth
peach cobbler
Note: this post may contain affiliate links.

It’s been a couple years since I made any kind of fruit cobbler. So when we were faced with a fridge overflowing with beautiful Red Haven peaches, I knew it was time. Cobblers exist in many forms; this is the good-old fashioned biscuit-topped style. Both the biscuits and fruit are lightly sweetened so you can enjoy it with a big scoop of ice cream, as God intended.

I usually make cobblers / crumbles / crisps when I crave a fruit-forward dessert but don’t have the time or energy to commit to a pie. To that end, I pack a pie’s worth of fruit into this peach cobbler — two whole pounds, weighed after pitting. My favorite peaches to bake with are ripe but firm — soft ones will turn to mush, and I like my filling to still retain a little bite. Save the extra juicy ones to eat over the sink.

Oh yeah — I don’t peel the peaches. You can if you want, but the skins don’t bother me. I don’t find them leathery or tough, especially after they cook down. If anything, the skins add some welcome texture and more vibrant color. Just make sure to scrub them clean before slicing into wedges.

I also take the speedy approach to biscuits and just chop them into square-ish pieces with a knife. No wastage, no re-patting dough together. Fast, easy, homey is the name of the game here. So enough talking; let’s make some peach cobbler.

peach cobbler pre-bake
peach cobbler side view

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Baker’s notes:

  • You know I love some whole grain flour in my fruity bakes; this time I used spelt in the biscuits. Feel free to sub in something like einkorn, kamut, or whole wheat here; or use more all-purpose if you don’t have whole-grain on hand.
  • Feel free to sub in other fruits for the peaches. Berries, nectarines, plums would all be beautiful here without need for adjustment. If your fruits are particularly juicy you might want to add a little more cornstarch; but cobbler filling needn’t be too set — I prefer it a little runny so it’ll soak into the biscuits better.

Simple and classic peach cobbler

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:
  • 175g all-purpose flour
  • 40g spelt flour (or substitute more all-purpose)
  • 40g granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
  • 86g (6T) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 80g buttermilk, cold (regular milk should work here too)
  • 80g heavy cream, cold, plus more for brushing
  • Turbinado or coarse sugar, for garnish
For the peach filling:
  • 900g (~2 lbs) firm but ripe peaches, cut into eighths (weighed after pitting)
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • A pinch each of kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
  • 15g (2T) cornstarch 
  • Juice of 1/2 a medium lemon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the middle.

Start by making the biscuit dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut it into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are roughly the size of peas.

Whisk together the buttermilk and cream. Drizzle the mixture over the top of the dry ingredients and gently fold it into the flour mixture using a fork or flexible spatula. Continue to fold the dough onto itself a few times, just until the dough holds together but is still a bit shaggy with a few dry spots. If the dough seems overly dry and won’t come together, drizzle in extra buttermilk or cream 1 tsp at a time, just until it forms a rough mass. Do not overwork the dough.

Turn the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and fold it gently a few times until cohesive. Use your hands to pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into quarters. Stack the pieces on top of each other, sandwiching any stray floury bits between the layers, then pat into a rectangle about an inch thick. Slide the dough still on the parchment onto a sheet tray or plate and refrigerate until well-chilled, about 20 minutes (or up to 2 hours — if longer than 20 minutes, cover with plastic wrap).

While the dough is chilling, prepare the peach filling. Place the peach wedges in a large bowl. Whisk together the sugar, spices, salt, and cornstarch and pour over the peaches. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Gently stir to combine. Scrape the filling into a 2-quart ovenproof dish (I used an 11×7 oval casserole similar to this Staub one).

Remove the biscuit dough from the fridge. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 square-ish pieces. Arrange the biscuits on top of the peaches, leaving at least an inch between pieces. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle generously (I mean it, don’t be stingy) with coarse sugar.

Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbling vigorously, about 30-40 minutes. If the biscuits are browning too quickly, tent with foil partway through baking. Let cobbler cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Cobbler is best served the day it’s baked (preferably still a little warm), but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Rewarm before serving.

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peach cobbler with ice cream

Gooseberry Cheesecake Squares

Posted on by Ruth
gooseberry cheesecake squares
Note: this post may contain affiliate links.

This summer I have fallen hard for tart fruits such as gooseberries and currants. I didn’t grow up eating either of them but here in Ontario, both grow prolifically. We recently planted both gooseberry and currant bushes in our yard. They’re still a year or two out from producing fruit but I thought I’d start figuring out ways to use these berries so that when the time comes, we’ll have plenty of ideas for the harvest.

One of the simplest ways to use any fruit is just to make compote — basically a lightly cooked, chunky fruit topping. I don’t really use a recipe for compote. Just toss some fruit in a pot with a little liquid and sugar to taste, and cook to desired consistency. Serve with oatmeal or yogurt; spoon it over pound cake or ice cream; or swirl it into these simple cheesecake bars. Delicious!

Baker’s notes:

  • I used red gooseberries for these bars. I image any kind would work, though the color contrast with the purple/red ones will be the most striking!
  • Don’t have gooseberries? Feel free to substitute another berry in the compote or use a thick jam. Or just leave out the swirl for plain cheesecake bars!
  • One key to a crack-free cheesecake is to not overmix your batter. I always use a food processor to mix cheesecake batter because it’s super fast and great at mixing without aerating; but you can also use a stand mixer or even just a whisk. Just remember that you’re not trying to beat air into the batter — just combine until smooth. It’s imperative to have all your ingredients at room temperature or you’re more likely to get lumps in your cheesecake.
  • The second key to no-crack cheesecake is to bake low and slow and not overbake. For the cheesecake portion I bake at 275F and pull it out when the center is still a little wobbly. Also, cool the bars to room temperature completely before chilling in the fridge. Sudden temperature changes can cause cracks as well. Definitely don’t skip the chilling — this helps the bars set up completely and also makes them easy to slice.
gooseberry cheesecake squares

Gooseberry Cheesecake Squares

Makes one 8×8″ pan

Ingredients:

For the gooseberry compote:
  • 200g fresh gooseberries (preferably red), tops and bottoms trimmed
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • 15g granulated sugar (to taste)
For the graham cracker crust:
  • 175g graham cracker or chocolate cookie crumbs
  • 12g light brown sugar (optional; can sub granulated)
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 56g unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling:
  • 340g (1 1/2 blocks) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (I always use Philadelphia brand)
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt (I always use Diamond Crystal)
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 120g sour cream, at room temperature

Method:

Make the gooseberry compote: Combine gooseberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring and smashing the berries constantly, until the berries release their juices and the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the juices thicken, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender (or regular blender) until smooth. Taste and add additional sugar if desired — I like to keep the compote on the tart side to balance out the rich cheesecake. Cool to room temperature. (You can make compote a few days in advance — store in the refrigerator until ready to use.)

Prepare the graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle. Line an 8×8 metal baking pan with foil or two pieces of criss-crossed parchment, leaving about 3 inches of overhang on two sides, and lightly grease.

Stir together the cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter. The mixture should hold together if you squeeze it in your hand, but shouldn’t feel overly greasy. If the mixture doesn’t hold together, add more melted butter 1 teaspoon at a time until it does. If overly greasy, add more cracker crumbs, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you get the right texture.

Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom of the pan, using a measuring cup or shot glass to compact the crumbs firmly and evenly. Bake until just set, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

Make the cheesecake filling: Lower the oven temperature to 275ºF. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Scrape down the sides, add the vanilla and lemon juice, and pulse until smooth. Add the sour cream and pulse until smooth. Scrape down the sides.

Add the eggs one at a time, pulsing after each just to combine. Scrape down the sides and fold the batter a few times to make sure it’s well combined. (Note: you can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to mix this batter; mix on a low speed and scrape down the paddle often to keep the batter smooth and lump-free.)

Assemble the bars: Scrape about half the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust and smooth with an offset spatula. Use a small spoon to dollop on half the gooseberry compote (no need to swirl it in right now). Add the remaining cheesecake batter and smooth it carefully over the top. Dollop on the remaining compote and use a skewer or chopstick to swirl it in.

Bake the bars: Bake the cheesecake bars until the edges are set but the center is still a little wobbly, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered until completely firm (at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight). To serve, use the parchment or foil handles to transfer the cheesecake to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into desired squares, wiping the blade clean after each cut. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

gooseberry cheesecake squares separate

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