On Monday, I baked a streusel apple pie using the first oil-based crust in the KAF Anniversary Cookbook. I used 1/3 white whole wheat flour this time, and as I’ve done before, I replaced the milk with buttermilk. I accidentally put in 1 ½ Tbs. sugar rather than 1 ½ tsp. I forgot that I prefer to put this pie in the deep-dish Emile Henry pie plate. By the time that I remembered, I’d already blind-baked the crust in my 9-inch metal one. I used small Winesap apples that have been keeping cool in our heated garage (temperature at 48F). The original recipe, from Bernard Clayton used 7 large Granny Smith apples, so I used 15 of the little Winesaps. (I intended to use 14 but realized an extra one needed to be used.) I pre-cooked the apple mixture in a skillet after allowing it to sit for 15 minutes. I piled it very high in the pan. I cut the streusel topping ingredients by 25%, except for the butter, which I cut from 1/3 cup to 4 Tbs. I initially baked at 425F for 15 minutes, then 375F for 30 minutes. The filling cooked down just a bit, but it did not run over. (Thank heavens for the drip rim on that metal pie pan.) It is now cooling. While it ought to wait until tomorrow to be sliced, having only finished baking at around 4:45, my husband is unlikely to be that patient.

On Monday, I fed my sourdough starter and used the 2 cups I removed to make the dough for my lower-saturated fat version of Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers. I’ll bake them later this week.

My sourdough starter was nice and strong on Tuesday morning, so I made my version of King Arthur’s Rustic Sourdough bread, and I made it in my Emile Henry long baker. My changes to the recipe are to use 2 cups Irish Wholemeal flour, ¾ cup dark rye flour, 2 Tbs. flax. Meal, and additional 2 Tbs. special dried milk, honey in place of sugar, salt reduced to 1 ¾ tsp., and 2 ½ cup KAF AP flour. I use my milk-based sourdough starter. I always begin with the wholegrains, mix them in, then let them sit for 20 minutes before proceeding. The bread baked very nicely. I’m still working out how to use the EH baker effectively. This time I baked for 15 min. at 425F, then reduced it to 400F for 10 minutes. I removed the cover, and let it go for 15 minutes longer, checking every 5 minutes, until the interior measured 198F. Other than a tiny bit of sinking in the center from when I slashed it before baking, it’s a lovely loaf. I look forward to cutting into it tomorrow and will post about taste and texture after doing so.

I look forward to your report on the FP whole wheat bread, Mike.

The bread that I baked yesterday has great flavor--in my opinion. My husband claims the flavor is not as "robust" as my other breads, while I would say the opposite. It is not as heavy of a bread as some of my others, and I think he prefers the firmer texture, and perhaps the rolled grains.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by BakerAunt.

Your bread looks great, Mike!

On Thursday evening, I baked my Cinnamon-Apple Barley Bread. I’m satisfied with how I altered the recipe, which I now claim as mine and have written into my recipe book. I will post it here at Nebraska Kitchen.

I fed my sourdough starter again this morning. I'm making my sourdough crust pizza for dinner tonight.