Each batch of sourdough pizza comes with a twinge of guilt when it comes time to dispose of the last little bit of last week’s leaven. Thought it would be nice to have a catalogue of recipes with ingredients that would include that lonely tablespoon of starter. The recipe quest turned into a longer journey revisiting hydration percentages, tips for converting yeasted recipes to use sourdough, and a revelation that some links to previous research topics are now dangling references. There’s also been a parallel crusade to improve the content and variety of our breakfast choices: to take the cake out of pancake.
The recipe that follows is a bit like a rugelach. As the the pastry is unsweetened, the little scrolls can have a savoury filling: a third of a cup each of parmesan and cheddar made a nice cheesy centre. Alternatively, 2 dessertspoons of sugar tossed with a teaspoon of cinnamon made a tasty sweet version.
Into a large bowl, tip 2 cups of bread flour, and 1 cup of rolled oats. Stir to combine and make a well in the centre. Pour half a cup of water into the container where your sourdough has been hibernating, and stir to dissolve the left over leaven and any smears or scrapes from the container’s sides. Add the contents of a 200ml container of yoghurt, and an egg, and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the flour and oat well, and mix vigorously to make a sticky dough. Cover bowl with plastic and leave to stand for an hour, then tip the dough onto a floured surface and give it a quick knead. Let the dough rest for another hour, give it another quick knead, then divide dough in half and give each piece a stretch-and-fold treatment. Dribble a little vegetable oil into two smaller bowls and turn a piece of dough over several times in each bowl. Cover bowls with plastic and refrigerate for 24-36 hours.
Take one of the bowls from the fridge and tip onto an oiled counter. Use your fingers to stretch the dough into a circle about 5mm thick. Sprinkle dough with your choice of topping, then cut dough through the centre into eight equal sized wedges. Stretch each wedge slightly lengthwise, roll into a neat crescent, and arrange on a paper lined baking tray. Brush pastries with a little egg wash, and leave in a warm place for about half an hour. Wipe down bench top and repeat with the 2nd bowl of dough. Bake pastries in a preheated 190°C oven for about 25 minutes or until golden. Cool on rack and enjoy while they are still warm.
cook in shorts 