Seedy Multigrain Sourdough Bread
It’s FINALLY here!! I apologize for the long wait for this recipe. I’d like to say I just have really great boundaries about not working in the evenings/while my children are awake, but ultimately I’m just too lazy to do anything productive after 5:30 pm 🤪. If you’re interested in seeing a video of this in real action, head over to my instagram stories. I tried to make it a little more succinct and did some 2X speed. It’s not super cohesive, but it gives you the idea.
It’s FINALLY here!! I apologize for the long wait for this recipe. I’d like to say I just have really great boundaries about not working in the evenings/while my children are awake, but ultimately I’m just too lazy to do anything productive after 5:30 pm 🤪. If you’re interested in seeing a video of this in real action, head over to my instagram stories. I tried to make it a little more succinct and did some 2X speed. It’s not super cohesive, but it gives you the idea.
You’ll need a sourdough starter in order to make this. If you have a friend who makes it, ask them to share the love and give you some. If not, I made my own starter using this post. I’ve been making regular white sourdough for a year and a half now and we’ve really enjoyed it. But THEN.... Then I discovered this bread. I LOVE the nuttiness and chewiness of this recipe and we enjoy it both warm and soft or toasted. And if you want to be really crazy, have it both savory and sweet. Cut a nice thick piece and top half with avocado, garlic salt, and an egg and the other half with almond butter, cinnamon, and strawberries.
This recipe DOES take a long time to make and is a bit involved, so I suggest making it on a Friday/Saturday night and baking the next morning or a Saturday/Sunday morning and baking it in the evening. Either way, the end result is 100000% worth it.
Although I’ve been making sourdough for awhile, I still feel like a novice. I don’t know all the ins and outs of it, and I certainly don’t follow all of the sourdough “rules,” but I find that this works for me. Even if it turns out a little flat, it’s still delicious. One major thing that I do is bake it in a 6-inch saucepan. The smaller circumference of the dish allows it to rise more and completely circular. If you have a saucepan with a lid that can go in the oven, I HIGHLY recommend you do it that way.
This bread is only fresh for the first few days, so I recommend cutting and freezing a few pieces if you don’t expect to eat it everyday. However, there are weeks that we have zero difficulty eating it all. I am perfectly okay with eating it everyday, or even twice a day. 😉
If you end up making this, please please let me know what you think!!
Seedy Multigrain Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 50-75 g sourdough starter
- 300 g water
- 100 g whole wheat flour
- 400 g all purpose flour
- 10 g salt
- 2 Tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 2 Tbsp millet
- 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, salted
- 2 Tbsp quinoa
- 2 Tbsp flax seed
- 3 Tbsp oats (old fashioned or quick)
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Feed your starter with 1/4 cup all purpose flour and 1/4 cup water 1-2 hours before making dough to activate your starter. You can add a teaspoon of starter to a bowl of water to see if it is ready. If it floats immediately, it’s ready to make bread with.
- Using a food scale, add 50-75 grams of sourdough starter to medium sized bowl. Add 300 grams of water and stir to combine. Add whole wheat, all purpose flour, and salt and stir until fully combined. You may have to use your hands to get it fully incorporated. Cover with saran wrap or wet towel and set aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all of the seed/grain mixture in a small bowl and add boiling water.
- After the dough and seed mixture have rested for 30 minutes, add the seed mixture and combine with your hands until is it fully incorporated. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Once your timer goes off, “stretch” the dough by wetting your hand, grabbing the dough and pulling it up and towards the center, and continuing in a counter clockwise direction until you’ve stretched the dough 1-2 times completely around. Cover and stretch 1-2 times more (30 minutes apart) or just leave on the counter. More stretching increases the gluten structure strength. Leave the dough on your counter for 8-12 hours or until it is jiggly and has bubbles.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, heavily flour a work surface and place dough on the flour. Shape the dough by folding the dough in a counterclockwise direction. Once you’ve gone completely around, flip the dough seam-side down and tuck the dough under. Place into a large dutch oven with parchment paper or a greased 6 inch oven-safe sauce pan seam side down. “Score” the dough by cutting the top of the dough with a sharp knife.
- Turn the oven down to 450 and place the dough in the oven WITH the lid on and bake for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
- Once the bread is fully baked, take out of the pan and cool on a cooling rack for an hour. Devour! Store in an airtight bag or container for up to 4 days.
Guest Post: Improve Your Mental Health With These Six Self-Care Habits
Hello everybody!! Today's post is a little different than normal, because I am have a guest! Brad Krause, from Self-Caring, reached out to me wanting to write a blog on the importance of self-care and how to incorporate it into everyday daily life. And since I'm really big on truly taking care of ourselves, I thought it would be great for him to share.
Brad graduated from college in 2010 and went straight to the corporate world at the headquarters of a popular retail company. But what started as a dream job soured quickly. After four years of working 15-hour days and neglecting his health, he decided enough was enough. Through aiding a friend during a tough time, Brad discovered his real calling--helping people implement self-care practices that improve their overall wellbeing. He created selfcaring.info to share his own knowledge and the many great resources he finds on his self-care journey. Hope you enjoy his article! I'd love to hear any self-care practices you have!
“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” -Eleanor Brownn
The old Sermon on the Mount command goes “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In other words, treat others like you wish to be treated. Self-care, a critical part of your mental health and well-being is taking that adage and turning it upside down. Instead of waiting for others to do unto you, you do unto yourself by prioritizing you.
Sounds simple right?
Not so fast. Identifying your own needs and making the time to take care for them is an often-overlooked practice.
Here are six self-care habits that will help you get started.
1. Make Sleep A Priority
Numerous studies have shown that even the most minimal sleep disruptions can result in a significant effect on one’s mental health, so finding ways to improve your sleep is important. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are six key ways to improve your sleep.
1. Follow a sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and stick to a maximum of eight hours of sleep each night.
2. Watch what you eat and drink. You shouldn’t feel hungry or full at bedtime and be sure to avoid caffeine for several hours before rest.
3. Create the perfect sleeping environment. Make sure your room is dark, cool and quiet.
4. Nap wisely. Don’t take a nap longer than 30 minutes and never take a nap in the later part of the day.
5. Get moving. Exercise improves sleep.
6. Eliminate worrying. Handle worries long before bedtime.
2. Make Time For Relaxation
With work deadlines, carpool demands and social plans, it’s easy to get caught up in a schedule that doesn’t permit you the proper time to unwind. To protect your mental health, though, it’s important to make time and to employ creative ways to relax; you can manage this in just five minutes.
3. Learn The Art Of Saying “No”
Are you a people pleaser, always feeling obligated to say “yes” to every request? If so, it’s time to change and there’s several good reasons you’ll want to.
● People that say no are typically more successful.
● There’s value in realizing you’re not responsible for someone else’s reaction.
● It’s important to establish personal boundaries.
4. Get Physical
One of the most tried and true remedies to improve your mental health is introducing yoga or meditation into your regular routine. If you’re suffering from depression, anxiety or in addiction recovery these practices are proven to help. Here are some benefits.
● Increased self-awareness
● Increased energy levels
● Emotional healing
● Improved sleep
● Increased strength
● Reduces fatigue
5. Eliminate The Stress Addiction
According to a survey by NPR and Harvard Health, 63 percent of Americans feel stressed, and of those, a quarter reported feeling a “great deal” of stress. For some, stress even becomes an addiction. If you’re complaining a lot, finding yourself without any free time, dealing with relationship struggles, unhappy, and overworking in the present to payoff for the future these are signs you might be dealing with an addiction to stress. Here are some ways to break the habit:
● Stop overscheduling
● Unplug
● Practice relaxation techniques
● Surround yourself with positive influences and friends
● Make your happiness a priority
6. Take Up A New Hobby
One of the unique ways to eliminate stress or replace negative habits such as addiction is to find a passion for something that creates positive experiences in your life. Consider getting creative with one of these hobbies:
● Playing an instrument
● Cooking
● Volunteering
● Journaling
● Cooking
● Woodworking
● Gardening
● Photography
● Coloring
● Knitting/Sewing/Crochet
It’s important to remember that self-care should not be seen as selfish or self-indulgent. Instead, self-care should be seen as taking ownership for making you the best you can be. You’ll see improvements in self-esteem, relationships, work performance and almost all facets of your life. Start today by setting aside some special “me time.” We’re confident you’ll see improved mental health in no time.
Galentine's Day Brunch
Hello and happy Valentine's Day!!! I hope yours has been off to a good start! I know this post probably would have been more helpful had I posted it sometime last week, or even the week before, but let's be honest; I'm the WORST at thinking ahead for holidays and special occasions. I'm seriously the person who buys shower gifts the day before and then buys the bags or wrapping paper the morning of. Christmas cards? Puhlease. I'm never going to think about doing them in time to send them out before Christmas. Please tell me I'm not the only one???
BUT, this idea isn't too late, because it's Wednesday and it's totally acceptable to throw a Galentine's Day brunch the weekend after Valentine's Day. Hopefully your gal friends are flexible and able to make plans a few days before. 😳 I was trying to think of what Valentine's Day themed recipe or post I could do and as I was thinking through it, I realized that there is probably a large majority of you who aren't in a relationship. Or maybe just got out of one and the day is really painful. Or maybe one of you is longing for a lifelong companion and has yet to find that person. So instead, I decided to focus this on celebrating with girlfriends. And let's be honest, hanging out with my girlfriends, eating good food, and watching chick flicks is more fun than hanging out with my husband sometimes. 😉
So for all you ladies out there--married, single, dating, "it's complicated", or recently single, this is for you!! I present to you Hearty Orange Raspberry heart waffles and Chocolate Covered Cherry smoothies. I wanted to do a strawberry mint mojito-like drink, but didn't get around to it. I totally think you should make slushy-like drinks with frozen strawberries, champagne (or moscato), fresh mint, and a squeeze of lime juice. Holy moly that would be refreshing.
So these waffles are super hearty, dense, and crispy. I don't like my cookies or my pancakes being crispy, but it's a must for waffles. And these also have a slight hint of orange that makes them refreshing. The trick to getting them to look like a heart is pouring a V into the middle of the waffle iron and giving is a reeeeally deep plunging V-neck. It's okay for your waffles to be indecent--we're going to looks, not decency.
For the chocolate covered cherry smoothies, you actually need to start them the night before (or a few hours before). They have soaked oats in them that give them a nice flavor AND make them super thick. I think adding a tablespoon of almond butter would also be a good addition, but you do whatever your heart desires. The day of the party, just throw the ingredients in your blender and then stick in the fridge. Because of the oats and chia seeds, the smoothies hold up really well in the fridge. In fact, mine held up for several days.
For the movies, I'm giving you a list of several of my favorite chick flicks. You're probably going to judge me for my choices.Please check out this trailer for Pride and Prejudice. The movie is absolutely ridiculous, but I think it's hilarious and super sweet 😍. I know Baby Mama isn't a romantic movie, but it's so funny and great for a girl party. Oooh, and I just thought of She's the Man. Add that to the list FOR SURE!
So there you have it! A delish waffle recipe, decadent smoothie, and stellar movie playlist. I'd love to hear if you end up having a Galentine's Day and what you did for it!!
