sourdough

• In a big bowl, combine the discard, the two flours, oil, seeds, and kosher salt. It should be cohesive and slightly tacky.
• Dust with flour to shape into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap. Place in fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
• Divide dough in half. Spread out a piece of parchment paper. Add a light sprinkle of flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out half the dough to about a consistent 1/16-inch thickness.
• Use a pizza cutter or other cutter to cut dough into squares or other small shapes; don’t separate. Use a fork to dock every cracker at least once. Sprinkle with pretzel or flaked salt. Repeat process with other half of dough.
• Bake until crisp and lightly browned, with the center of the dough firm, not spongy soft; this could be anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.
• Use parchment to lift crackers off pan to cool, then separate crackers. Store in an airtight container up to one week.

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• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Generously grease mini muffin pan(s).
• In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, molasses, eggs, and pumpkin. Add the starter and vanilla, scraping bottom of bowl to incorporate everything.
• In another bowl, mix flour, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until evenly combined. Fold in pepitas and cranberries to distribute.
• Use a small cookie scoop to dole out the batter. Each well in the pan should be about 2/3 full. Add a pinch of turbinado sugar on top of each.
• Bake for 10 to 11 muffins; they should look set, and a middle muffin should pass the toothpick test (don’t discard that toothpick). Let muffins set for 5 minutes, then use the toothpick to gently lift each out of pan and onto a cooling rack.
• Store in a sealed container, with waxed paper between layers if stacking. The muffins will be moister after a day, and hold up well for a couple days.

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• In bowl of bread machine, place the sourdough starter, water, soft butter, egg, and sugar. Gently whisk. Add flour, placing the yeast and salt on separate sides. Start machine on DOUGH setting. Check during the mixing to ensure the process is going well, and let it complete an initial rise.
• Lightly grease the two cake pans. Set to one side. In a microwave safe bowl, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Stir in paprika; it will add color and mild flavor to the swirled bread.
• Transfer dough to a lightly greased surface. Roll the dough out to a 12×16-inch rectangle. Use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to coat the top of the dough. Starting with a long side, roll it into a log.
• Use a sharp knife or a looped piece of dental floss to cut dough slices 1 inch apart; there should be about 16. Place 8 rolls in each pan, slightly spaced out.
• Cover pans with a towel or plastic wrap to rise in a warm spot for an hour. The rolls should look puffy. Near the end of the hour, start preheating oven at 350 degrees.
• Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter. Uncover the pans. Spread most of the butter atop the buns.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. They will remain fairly pale. A digital thermometer plunged into the center of a bun should read over 190 degrees.
• Remove the buns from the oven. Turn them out onto a cooling rack. Brush with any remaining melted butter.
• Serve hot or warm. The oven is best for reheating. Leftovers will keep sealed at room temperature for a few days. They can also be frozen for weeks.

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• Put the butter in the skillet and place it in a cold oven. Start heating at 425 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, milk, and eggs until combined.
• Meanwhile, the butter is browning in the oven. When it is fully melted with a nice golden brown hue, remove the skillet and let cool for only a few minutes. Carefully pour most of the butter into the wet mixture, leaving roughly a tablespoon in the skillet.
• Mix the wet ingredients again to fully incorporate the butter. Add the dry ingredients, mixing to form the batter.
• Carefully swirl the remaining butter in the skillet to coat the bottom and sides. Pour in the batter and spread it into an even layer.
• Bake the sourdough cornbread for 15 to 20 minutes. It should look set and golden at the edges, with the middle passing the toothpick test.
• Remove from oven and allow cool briefly before serving warm or at room temperature. Cornbread is best enjoyed the day it’s made. However, leftovers can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for a day, or freeze for longer storage.

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• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking pan.
• Combine the discard, butter, seasoning, and salt in a bowl. It will be sticky–beat well to make sure the melted butter is incorporated.
• Dump batter into the middle of the parchment. Use an uneven spatula to create an even, thin layer about 11×15 inches. Sprinkle on the desired topping.
• Bake crackers for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven to use a pizza wheel or other device to form the bitesize cracker shapes. Don’t separate the pieces.
• Continue to bake for another 35 to 45 minutes. The crackers should not only be brown, but the very middle needs to be firm to the touch. If it is soft, bake a little longer, even if the edge pieces become a deeper brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before breaking apart crackers. Store in a container at room temperature. They keep at least 3 days, but they are so tasty, they may not make it past one.

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• Move the central oven rack up a level, closer to the top heating element. Preheat oven at 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a fork or fingers to work the butter into the mixture until it becomes crumbly. Add the starter, mixing until cohesive.
• Flour a section of counter or more parchment paper. Shape the dough into an evenly thick round about 6 inches across. Use a small biscuit cutter or the top of an empty jar to cut four rounds that just touch each other. Set those rounds on baking sheet, spaced out a few inches. Reshape dough scraps to cut out more biscuits, if need be, patting the last bit of dough into a mini biscuit.
• Pour a smidgen of milk into a saucer. Brush onto the tops of the biscuits.
• Bake biscuits for 20 to 25 minutes. They won’t brown much, but the milk on top would help them gain a golden tint.
• Remove from oven. Serve warm.

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