GNOWFGLINS eCourse

ABCs of Grain Preparation

These are the notes from the "ABCs of Grain Preparation" webinar hosted by GNOWFGLINS on Friday, February 3, 2012 at 1pm Pacic. Whether you made it or not, all the information shared that day is included for your easy reference in this document. I'm Wardeh from GNOWFGLINS. I blog and teach online cooking classes at gnowfglins.com. My family numbers five and we live in Southwest Oregon. We raise chickens, goats and a dairy cow and we homeschool. Preparing grains traditionally allows my daughter to eat them (especially the gluten grains), so I'm really happy to be sharing this information with you. While our ancestors ate whole grains, they did not consume them as presented in our modern cookbooks in the form of quick-rise breads, granolas and other hastily prepared casseroles and concoctions. Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions

Historical Perspective
In this webinar, we're going to talk about 3 methods of traditional grain preparation soaking, sprouting and fermenting. I want to give you some historical perspective before we get into the nuts and bolts. Egyptians as early as 4000 B.C. were probably the rst to ferment grains also know as sourdough. A bundle of dough left in a warm place too long was discovered to have risen. Baked, the puffy, warm lump of dough, probably had a pleasant sour avor and probably digested better. This was the rst "sourdough" bread and is the same as the leavened bread of the Bible. This rather long, but very good, quote from an article at the Weston A. Price Foundation explains how the proper, slow preparations of grains mimic Gods natural design. "Animals that nourish themselves primarily on grain and other plant matter have as many as four stomachs. Their intestines are longer, as is the entire digestion transit time. Man, on the other hand, has but one stomach and a much shorter intestine compared to herbivorous animals. These features of his anatomy allow him to pass animal products before they putrefy in the gut but make him less well adapted to a diet high in grainsunless, of course, he prepares them properly. When grains are properly prepared through soaking, sprouting or sour leavening, the friendly bacteria of the microscopic world do some of our digesting for us in a container, just as these same lactobacilli do their work in the rst and second stomachs of the herbivores. So the well-meaning advice of many nutritionists, to consume whole grains as our ancestors did and not rened ours and polished rice, can be misleading and harmful in its consequences; for while our ancestors ate whole grains, they did not consume them as presented in our modern cookbooks in the form of quick-rise breads, granolas, bran preparations and other hastily prepared casseroles and concoctions. Our ancestors, and virtually all pre-industrialized peoples, soaked or fermented their grains before making them into porridge, breads, cakes and casseroles." Be Kind to Your Grains Bread was a substantial part of the Biblical diet and was made through the slow process of natural yeast leavening. Soaking porridges for long periods seems to be the universal practice around the world in preindustrial societies.

"ABCs of Grain Preparation" Tip Booklet

GNOWFGLINS eCourse Why Use Traditional Preparation Methods?

Gods design for all seeds (whether grain, nuts, or what we usually think of as seeds, like pumpkin seeds) was for them to be stable until the time of germination. So he put some protective measures in place these protective measures get in the way of nutrition or digestion. Most of these anti-nutrients [phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, primarily] are part of the seed's system of preservationthey prevent sprouting until the conditions are right. Plants need moisture, warmth, time and slight acidity in order to sprout. Proper preparation of grains is a kind and gentle process that imitates the process that occurs in nature. It involves soaking for a period in warm, acidulated water in the preparation of porridge, or long, slow sour dough fermentation in the making of bread. Such processes neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Vitamin content increases, particularly B vitamins. Tannins, complex sugars, gluten and other difcult-to-digest substances are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption." Be Kind to Your Grains Let's talk about the anti-nutrients and how slow preparation benets us. First, phytic acid. All whole grains contain phytic acid in the outer layer, or bran. This phytic acid combines with minerals in the digestive track, blocking their absorption. A diet high in untreated, cooked whole grains may lead to mineral deciencies and bone loss. Second, enzyme inhibitors. Raw, untreated, and uncooked whole grains, like all seeds, contain enzyme inhibitors. Digestion is impaired when the enzyme inhibitors prevent our digestive enzymes from doing their work. And if our body is busy making digestive enzymes to compensate, it makes less metabolic enzymes (which are essential for overall health and living disease- and condition-free). Third, hard-to-digest proteins. The process of soaking (and fermenting) grains partially breaks down the difcult proteins, like gluten, into more easily digestible components. I love the balance here! While we can rejoice in Gods perfect design to protect seeds until planting time, we can also take special care with our grains to make them fully nutritious.

The Methods of Grain Preparation

I want to tell you about the traditional methods of grain preparation (what they do and so on) then show you how easily you can employ them. Soaking Let's start with soaking. You can soak whole or cracked grains, or you can soak our. The same principle applies whether the grain is whole or ground up. Earlier in the week, I asked you to take a poll (through the blog) to see what you knew about this topic. Let's see what you answered for this question: "What does the work of preparing grains/our for best digestion during soaking?" (By the way, results were continuing to trickle in, but I had to capture the results at some point.)

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An overwhelming majority said that acid does the work in the soaking method. And you were right! Interestingly, a signicant number of people said benecial bacteria do the work. You could be correct, too, given the right circumstances. Let me explain the overall soaking method and then why benecial bacteria could be involved. What happens during soaking is you take your whole grain or whole grain our and combine it with liquid and acid (like lemon juice or vinegar) and leave that mixture in a warm location overnight, or even up to 24 hours. This soaking period mimics germination, and the enzyme phytase (present in some grains but not all) gets unlocked. The phytase neutralizes phytic acid. Now... some people use raw apple cider vinegar or ker or yogurt for the acid. These foods are not only acidic, but usually (unless the culture has perished through heating) contain benecial organisms. The organisms eat and break down the food during the soaking period enhancing it. So, that's how your answer (if you said benecial bacteria (or yeast or both) can be correct, too. Included at the end of this booklet, you'll get a grain cooking chart and instructions telling you how to soak and cook all whole or cracked grains. Also, I include my soaked mufn recipe so you can see what the process of soaking looks like in a whole grain our based recipe. Sprouting Now, let's talk about sprouting of grains. In the poll, I asked "What does the work of preparing grains for best digestion in "sprouting"? This is what you answered.

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The majority of people answered germination and you were right! The idea behind germination, or sprouting, is that you allow the seed to complete its germination (remember with soaking we mimicked this). What happens? Phytic acid is neutralized, gluten (among other things) is broken down, and the locked up starch gets converted into a vegetable. The overall process looks like this: soak the whole grains overnight (but you don't need acid), drain, then allow them to sprout at room temperature for a few days, or until the sprout is 1/8" to 1/4" long. Be sure to rinse twice daily to keep them fresh and moist. You can mash up the sprouted seeds into crackers or breads and bake/dehydrate. Or you can dehydrate the sprouted berries and grind them into our and use them that way in your regular recipes without much modication no soaking time required because the grains were already sprouted. While sprouted our is pretty easy to use, because the sprouting has in effect predigested the grain, it is more fragile and doesn't behave quite the same. I'll include a sprouted spelt cake recipe in this booklet. Sourdough We have one more category of preparation left: fermentation. Let's see what you answered in the poll when I asked two questions. First, "Which grain preparation method is considered a fermentation?" and second, "What does the work of preparing grains/our for best digestion in sourdough?"

You got this right benecial yeast and bacteria do the work. I was surprised that so many said just "benecial bacteria". I really thought it was common knowledge that sourdough was like natural yeast so I would have expected the second most common answer to be yeast, not benecial bacteria. In any case, the majority was right good for you! A sourdough starter is a colony of benecial yeasts and bacteria in a batter of our and water. We use it instead of commercial yeast (which is a single isolated strain, not an ecosystem of organisms as in the starter). We keep it alive through regular feedings and could conceivably keep a starter alive for our whole life, plus more!

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Once again, you were right. Overwhelmingly so. Good job! Sourdough = fermentation. Fermentation comes from the word "fervere" which means to boil. When those organisms combine with grain or our, they consume the sugars in the grains, heat up the mixture and produce gases which bubble up. That's how fermentation got its name from the action of the organisms. How this method works is you combine sourdough starter with our and additional liquid (if the recipe calls for it). You give it time to "sour" at room temperature 8 hours at a minimum for the most health benets. Then you add the rest of the ingredients (like salt, sweetener, etc.) and bake. This way, all the our was exposed to the starter for a good long time. The organisms in the starter neutralize phytic acid, break down gluten, add B vitamins, and produce benecial and avorful acids. You can see all the benets in-depth at this free video: gnowfglins.com/starter. I'll include some sourdough recipes at the end of this booklet, too. I could say much more about the three methods I've just covered. You can learn more in my online classes Fundamentals, Fundamentals II, and Sourdough or eBooks.

Combining Methods
Let's talk about one more thing: combining preparation methods. In the poll, I asked you this question: "What's the most effective method of grain/our preparation?"

I was shocked by these results. Most people said "sprouted + sourdough." If you answered this, you are right. I just had no idea so many people knew about it. I think it is circulating as a method since Rami Nagel's work on phytic acid came out (see his article Living with Phytic Acid).

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How this looks is: 1) you make sprouted our and then 2) use that our in a sourdough recipe. Some people even take the step of sifting the our to remove the bran, which is where the phytic acid is located. In the article I mentioned above, not one single method reduces phytic acid completely. Plus there's the question of whether the grain contains phytase, the enzyme required to break it down. So by combining methods and using the benecial organisms of the starter you can do the most thorough job of preparing the grain for best digestion and health. Does this sound a little over the top to you? Well, it does to me. I don't sift my our (sprouted or otherwise) and I don't use more than one grain preparation method. I can't say I never will, but here's why I currently don't. First of all, in the words of Sally Fallon (author of Nourishing Traditions): ...if you are preparing [grains] properly and in the context of a good diet, you don't have to worry too much about the phytates. If you have good gut ora, you make some phytase [the enzyme to help digest phytates] which can get rid of some. And apparently vitamin D is involved in getting rid of phytic acid in the gut. My family and I have pretty healthy guts. We eat fermented foods regularly, we keep our sweets low, and so that's why I think we have good gut health. Now if we had severe tooth decay (like Rami Nagel's daughter), I might reconsider. Second, the same article I referenced previously, Living with Phytic Acid, shared one study where phytic acid was totally reduced after eight hours of sourdough fermentation. Keep in mind that eight hours at a cool room temperature is not the same as at a warm room temperature warmer temperatures are more effective for fermentation. Anyway, back to my point. If there is phytic acid left after a good eight hours of souring at warm temperatures, there's not much. So, you might be wondering, if we take sourdough + sprouting out of the equation as possibly overkill, what is the best method? Here again, I was surprised by the poll results. Your answers: sprouting came next, followed by soaking, and that was followed by sourdough. This is all wrong. Sourdough is the most effective, followed by sprouting, followed by soaking. What came in last bears mentioning: soaking + sprouting. This is an interesting option. Here's an example of how this could apply. Take sprouted wheat or rice berries (or spelt, rye, kamut, etc.), dehydrate them, leave them whole, then cook them after a good soaking. This is not only easy but yields a healthfully prepared grain. I guess it is a lot to sort through. I don't know that we'll ever have all the answers. My approach is to do what I can... and trust my gut and God for the rest!

What Now?
Whether you're brand new or just simply overwhelming by the ins and outs of soaking, sprouting and sourdough, I would love to help you gain condence in these skills and see how easy they are to do really! You're already cooking, spending time in the kitchen. All that's required is to get your head around a new approach. You don't need more time, you just need to get over the mental hurdle. I know these resources can help you with that. Recipes in this booklet. The recipes included in this tip booklet can get you started with traditional grain preparation methods. Try them and let me know what you think. :-) Recipes on the blog. Browse our free recipes soaked, sprouted and sourdough tortillas, biscuits, granola, oatmeal and more!

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Affordable and unlimited online classes. Learn the basics of soaking, sprouting and fermenting through membership in my unlimited online classes. As a member, you get access to all the video and print classes. We cover grain preparation methods in-depth in Fundamentals, Fundamentals II and Sourdough. You'll get access to all of them, and can pick and choose what to learn or go through them methodically. Study independently, offline. Our eBooks help you work through the lessons of the online classes, but without the online component. To learn about grain preparation methods, you'll want to check out Fundamentals and Sourdough A to Z.

Thanks for coming and participating in today's webinar! I hope you've found it helpful to navigate the confusing world of traditional grain preparation methods. My goal was to give you the basics, so you can see the overall pictures. Now it is up to you to figure out how and what to apply to your life. I appreciate being able to be a part of your process!

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Grain Cooking Chart

Notes. Cooking times are for unsoaked whole grains. Soaked whole grains usually cook in about half the time. Add more water or broth to simmer them longer. *Soak, dont cook. **Rinse rst. ^Gluten-free (oats are gluten-free if purchased certied gluten-free). (credit: Molly Katzens Enchanted Broccoli Forest)
Rice (1 cup) ^Brown Rice (long grain) ^Brown Rice (short grain) ^Brown Basmati Rice ^Brown Jasmine Rice ^Black Japonica Rice ^Wild Rice Water 2 cups 2 cups 2 cups 2 cups 2 cups 2-1/2 cups Cooking Time 35 to 45 minutes 35 to 45 minutes 45 to 50 minutes 45 to 50 minutes 45 minutes 1-1/4 hours Yield 3-1/2 cups 3-3/4 cups 4 cups 4 cups 3-1/2 cups 4 cups

Grain (1 cup) ^Amaranth** Barley, hulled Barley, pearl ^Buckwheat/Kasha Bulgur* ^Cornmeal (Polenta) Couscous Kamut ^Millet ^Oat Groats ^Oats, Rolled ^Quinoa** Rye Spelt ^Teff Wheat, Cracked Wheat, Hard (Red) Wheat, Soft (White)

Water 1-1/2 cups 3 cups 2 cups 1-1/2 cups 1-1/2 cups 2-1/2 cups 1-1/4 cups 2-1/2 cups 2 cups 2-1/2 cups 2 cups 2 cups 2-1/2 cups 1-1/2 cups 3 cups 2-1/2 cups 2 cups 2 cups

Cooking Time 25 minutes 1-3/4 hours 1-1/2 hours 10 minutes 30 to 40 minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes 1-3/4 hours 25 minutes 35 to 40 minutes 20 to 30 minutes 25 to 30 minutes 1-1/4 hours 50 to 60 minutes 15 minutes 7 to 10 minutes 2 hours 1-1/2 hours

Yield 2 cups 4 cups 4 cups 3-1/2 cups 3 cups 3-1/2 cups 2-3/4 cups 2-1/2 cups 3-1/2 cups 2-1/2 cups 3 cups 4 cups 2-1/2 cups 2 cups 3 cups 3-1/2 cups 3 cups 3-1/2 cups

"ABCs of Grain Preparation" Tip Booklet

GNOWFGLINS eCourse How to Soak and Cook Whole Grains or Whole Cracked Grains
(Refer to the Grain Cooking Chart for amounts of grain and water.) Rinse the full amount of grain, if necessary (or desired). In the pot for cooking, combine the grains and full amount of warm water* along with an acid, such as Kombucha, raw apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, buttermilk, ker, whey, yogurt, etc. Use 1 tablespoon of the acid per cup of liquid. Start the soaking the night before, so the grains will soak at least 7 to 8 hours. Keep the mixture warm. After the soaking time has passed, it is time to begin the cooking process. There is no need to drain the water. However, some prefer to drain and rinse the grains, then replace the amount of water that was drained. *To cook with stock, do the overnight soaking in half the total amount of water required, and with 1 tablespoon per cup of water used. After the soaking, add the remaining liquid in the form of stock and proceed with the cooking, adding salt or oil as desired. To cook, add 1/2 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil or unrened virgin coconut oil per cup of grain (optional). Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt per cup of grain (optional). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Do not lift lid during cooking time, except very quickly once or twice to make sure it is simmering gently. The grains are done when all the water is absorbed and they are quite tender, which is usually about half the time normally required for cooking dry whole grains. However, grains benet from extended simmering time, which may be accomplished by adding extra liquid and allowing extra cooking time. When done, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Let stand, covered, for about 15 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Basic Soaked Mufns

Makes 1 dozen mufns 1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry our 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 or 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar 1 cup raw milk 2 local, pastured eggs 1/2 cup Rapadura, Sucanat, or evap. cane juice 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup virgin, unrened coconut oil or butter (barely melted if solid at room temperature) 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 teaspoons aluminum-free and non-gmo baking powder

Spices of your choice: (I like) 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Add-ins of your choice: (I like) 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 1/2 cup chopped crispy nuts (from lesson 2 optional) 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional) 1 cup shredded zucchini, apple, or carrot (may require additional cooking time)

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In mixing bowl, combine our, rolled oats, apple cider vinegar, and milk. Cover and let soak overnight, up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In separate mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sweetener, and vanilla. While whisking, add the coconut oil. Whisk until smooth. Add salt, baking powder, and spices to the wet ingredients. Whisk fully. Add wet ingredients to the soaked our mixture. Mix until smooth. Add add-ins and mix to incorporate. Fill oiled mufn tin, or paper-lined mufn tin, with the batter to a generous three-quarters full each. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a mufn comes out clean and mufns are gently browned. Take out of oven and transfer mufns to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container when fully cooled.

Sprouted Spelt Lemon Cake

The cake: 6 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional) 1 cup coconut milk, not light 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unrened, virgin coconut oil (softened) 1-1/2 cups powdered Rapadura* (or evaporated cane juice) 2 eggs 2-3/4 cups sprouted spelt our 2 teaspoons baking powder grated zest of 4 lemons 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

The syrup: 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup powdered Rapadura* (evaporated cane juice)

If using poppy seeds, combine poppy seeds and coconut milk in a small bowl. Let soak for about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a bundt pan well with coconut oil and then dust with sprouted spelt our. Mix well the coconut oil, Rapadura and eggs in mixing bowl. Add our, baking powder, sea salt and lemon zest, along with coconut milk or coconut milk/poppy seed mixture. Stir until smooth and just combined. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and/or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Meanwhile, bring to a boil the lemon juice and 1/2 cup Rapadura. Let boil, while stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, to allow it to thicken. Remove from heat and let it cool. When cake is done baking, place cake in pan on baking rack. Poke about a dozen holes in the cake, using a bamboo skewer or a table knife, all the way to the bottom. Pour all the syrup over the cake. Let the cake cool in pan on rack for at least 1/2 hour. Turn cake out onto serving platter. Let cool completely. Cover tightly. (Original recipe says to let sit out at room temp overnight before serving.) *To powder the Rapadura, whizz it in the Vita-Mix dry container or in a food processor.

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Sourdough Wafes
Recipe courtesy Erin Vander Lugt, Sourdough eCourse and Sourdough A to Z eBook. These wafes are delicious, quick, easy, and nutritious! We love to serve ours topped with homemade yogurt, fresh fruit, and a slight drizzle of maple syrup. Our two boys also love eating them plain or toasted as a mid-morning snack, treat in the car, and on occasion, the bread for their sandwich. The wafes keep in the fridge for a week (they will not last that long!) and freeze beautifully. Just pop them in the toaster, top with your favorite goodies, and enjoy your very own You Are Special Today breakfast! This recipe is adapted from Simply Sourdough: The Alaska Way.

Ingredients
2 cups sourdough starter 4 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 eggs 2 tablespoons sweetener (honey, maple syrup, sucanat, etc.) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla or vanilla/almond combo 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon water spices to add-in (optional) yogurt and maple syrup for serving (optional) fresh or thawed frozen fruit for serving (optional)

Method
Yield: 6 to 7 10" wafes. Plug in your wafe iron. It should be hot and ready to go by the time you have nished making your batter. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter (not too hot), 1/2 teaspoon sea salt,2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional), and a healthy dash of cinnamon (optional). Stir until ingredients are nicely combined.Pour in two cups of sourdough starter.Stir well with whisk. Set aside. In a little cup, combine 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon water. Pour this mixture on top of your batter. Stir quickly to incorporate the baking soda into the batter. Your batter will get pillowy looking. Begin the wafe making fun following the instructions for your wafe maker! Place your nished wafes on a plate and serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer. For best results, toast your leftovers. They may be toasted directly out of the freezer. For more ideas or variations, see the Sourdough eCourse and Sourdough A to Z eBook.

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Oh-So-Fluffy Skillet Pancakes

Recipe courtesy Erin Vander Lugt, Sourdough eCourse and Sourdough A to Z eBook. Our boys enjoy sourdough pancakes pretty much every morning of the week; our favorite breakfast at the moment. This particular recipe and method is quick, easy, delicious, and nutritious, and it makes uffy-beyond-your-wildestdreams pancakes. I also love how I get all of my batter cooking at one time. Sitting with my family to eat breakfast is always fun! You may need to try this recipe a couple of times to perfect it (level of heat/cooking time), but believe me when I say your efforts will be rewarded with smiles and empty plates. So good! This recipe is adapted from Simply Sourdough: The Alaska Way."

Ingredients
2 cups sourdough starter 4 tablespoons butter, coconut oil, or olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 egg 2 tablespoons sweetener (honey, maple syrup, Sucanat, etc. ) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla or vanilla/almond combo 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon water spices to add-in (optional) fresh or frozen fruit (optional) yogurt and maple syrup for serving (optional)

Method
Yield: Two large 10" skillet pancakes. Begin by heating your cast iron skillet. I turn my electric burner to level 3 (of 11). I want my pan hot, but not too hot or the bottom of the pancake will burn. If you dont get a perfect golden brown the rst time you try this method, take note of what you did and make a change the next time. A golden uffy-beyond-your-wildestdreams pancake is worth every effort! While the skillet is heating, take a medium size bowl and whisk together melted butter, egg, salt, honey, vanilla (optional), and cinnamon (optional). Pour in two cups of sourdough starter. Stir well with whisk. Set aside. In a small cup combine 1 tablespoon of water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Set aside.Take a bit of butter or coconut oil and grease the bottom and sides of your hot cast iron skillet. Pour the water/soda mixture into your waiting pancake batter. Quickly stir to incorporate. Pour the batter into your waiting skillet. How much? Oh, I dont know for sure. Maybe an inch thick maybe a touch more? Out of my batter, I make one large and one small cast iron pancake and two griddle pancakes.

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If you only have one cast iron skillet, here are two options for you. Make one skillet pancake and use the rest of your batter for griddle cakes. Or, before adding baking soda and water to your batter, divide the batter into two bowls. Add 1/2 teaspoon and 1/2 tablespoon water to one bowl. Stir well. Make one pancake. Once the rst pancake is complete, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 tablespoon water to the other bowl. Stir well. Make your second pancake. I believe you will get more rise out of your second pancake if you don't let the baking soda batter sit while the rst skillet pancake is cooking. However, if the left over batter is waiting for you patiently, I am condent the second pancake will be just as tasty as the rst! Now, watch for bubbles. I let mine cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the stovetop. If you choose, now is the time to add fresh or frozen fruit. Give the fruit a little push to sink them down into the batter. Toward the end of this initial cook time, I turn on the broiler. Finish your pancake off by placing it in the oven. Do not use the very top shelf; the second or third shelf works best. Remember, your pancake bottom will continue to cook while the top cooks and browns. Remove from oven once tops are golden, and ip out onto a cooling rack. If you've lled your pancake with fruit, ip onto a plate to prevent a mess! They are ready to dress, serve, and enjoy! For more ideas or variations, see the Sourdough eCourse and Sourdough A to Z eBook.

Crepes
Recipe courtesy Erin Vander Lugt, Sourdough eCourse and Sourdough A to Z eBook. How many sourdough creations are fancy enough to serve at the highest of teas but simple enough for a hungry toddler? Nutritious enough to satisfy the most conscientious eater but delicious enough to fool the uninterested?Elegant enough to bring on the "wow"s but quick enough for the busiest of moms? Look no further. Sourdough crepes are the answer. Quick, delicious, and nutritious, making crepes is not only fun, but they are an unbelievably delicious and satisfying treat to enjoy. Grab your pan, ve simple ingredients, and give them a try today!

Ingredients
1 cup sourdough starter 3 eggs 3 tablespoons butter 3 pinches of salt milk to thin (1/4 cup more or less)

Method
Yield: 8 or 9 10" crepes. Choose a skillet. Any skillet will do. I use my cast iron. Use what you have on hand, and see if you can get it to work for you! Turn the burner to medium heat.

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In a medium size bowl, whisk 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons melted butter, and 3 pinches of salt until combined. Add to this mixture 1 cup of sourdough starter. Stir well. Add milk until you get a thin batter. I recommend you watch the video to see how thin I make my batter. If your batter is too thin your crepes will not hold together. If you batter is too thick, they will not come out like the thin crepes you think you should be getting. If you are nervous about getting it right, add a bit of milk, but know you can always whisk in more as you carry on with the crepe making process. Take a butter stick and quickly run it around the base of your hot skillet. Pour 1/4 cup or more of crepe batter into the center of your skillet. Quickly pick up the skillet and roll the batter outward (aiming for a circle shape if that is important to you). Put the skillet back on burner and cook until edges are a bit dry and small bubbles dot the surface of the crepe. It may take less than a minute to cook each side of the crepe. Cook times depend on the skillet type, burner heat, and crepe thickness. If you try to ip your crepe and it does not seem ready, let it cook a few moments longer. Flip. The second side will take less time to cook than the rst. Place your crepe on a plate. Make your second crepe. Continue stacking nished crepes until you are ready to serve. Stacking keeps the crepes soft and warm. Serve and enjoy! For more ideas or variations, see the Sourdough eCourse and Sourdough A to Z eBook.

Copyright 2012 by Wardeh Harmon. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated, and signed permission from the author.

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