On Sunday afternoon, I baked Pecan Pie Squares (pecan crust with a pumpkin topping). The original recipe, from the Los Angeles Times food section used ground walnuts for the bottom crust, It was a busy week, with three evening functions, so I didn't get back to baking until Friday when I baked the Cheese Sourdough Crackers (my riff on the KAF recipe) from dough I mixed up a week ago and refrigerated. I also tried a new recipe from the Bon Appetit website titled "Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies," which I discussed in the dessert baking section. On Saturday, I pulled out my sourdough starter and baked Marilyn's Sourdough Oatmeal Bread (The Baking Sheet, Autumn 1988). I wanted a recipe that would bake three loaves. It's a favorite of mine--and the bread I baked fifteen years ago after the 9-11 attacks. Continuing to bake bread, in times of uncertainty, is my way of grounding myself. I've experimented with the recipe over the years, and today I tried substituting in 5-grain cereal for the oats to see how it affects taste and texture. I'll comment tomorrow on the results.

Update: I really like the flavor of the 5-grains in place of only oatmeal. I used the Bob's Red Mill rolled 5-grain, and I cooked it just as I would regular oatmeal, then mixed it with milk and let it cool down to around 90F before adding the starter. I always substitute in 2 cups of whole wheat flour. This time, I added an additional 1/4 cup of spelt flour, as I have it in the freezer and need to use it up. My husband and the dog (she is quite the little bread enthusiast) both like it, as do I. I will bake this variation again.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt.
• This topic was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt.