New Book now on Amazon "O'Donnell Gets Bread"

Just published my new book "O'Donnell Gets Bread; Bread Recipes and Stories from the Camp"

See it at https://tinyurl.com/ybkewpwd.

Sourdough Bread

You can't talk about Sourdough Bread with out first talking about Sourdough Starter.

Starter is a method of getting a fermented mixture of flour, water and yeast.
Here is how I make my Starter. Start with a potato and shred it like you were making Hash Browns.
In fact make Hash Brown from the potato when done.  Take the shredded potato and put them into a strainer, and run cold water over them, catching the water.  Put the water in a jar and refrigerate it for 48 hours. The water will turn dark brown.  Use this water in the following recipe.

Sourdough Starter

1 Cup of Flour 
1 Cup of Potato Water (At Room Temperature)
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast (1 Packet)

Mix all ingredients together and mix well.  Put in a container with a loose fitting lid.
Put the container draft free place at. Let is set 48 hours. Feed the Starter, by adding 1 Cup of flour, 1 Cup luke warm  water, and 1/4 Cup sugar. Mix well and let stand 2 hours, and and then you can use in a recipe.  After taking out the Starter for the recipe, feed the starter again. After the starter has set a couple hours,  it can be put in the fridge for a week or more. Take the starter out of the fridge and stir it well, let it stand two hours, then the feed it and let it stand until full of bubbles and it will be ready to use.

Sourdough Bread

2 1/8 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 cups Sourdough Starter

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup lukewarm water

Directions

Combine all the ingredients and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough; about 15 to 20 minutes by hand, 7 to 10 minutes in a mixer, and 20 to 30 minutes in a bread machine.

Place the dough in a bowl oil with olive oil and let it rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.

Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

On a lightly floured work surface, gently deflate the dough, and form it into a 9" log. Place the log in the prepared pan, cover, and let it rise until it crests about 1" over the rim of the pan. This will take 60 to 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 40 to 50 minutes, until it is light golden brown, and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F.

Remove the bread from the oven, and let it rest for a couple of minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

This is a loaf of bread I made today using the above recipe.

 

O'Donnell’s Biscuits

I have been making biscuits for as long as I can remember. At first I used Bisquick, but I soon realized that you could make your own biscuit mix cheaper and better than store bought. I did not have time to take a picture of a batch of biscuits. I Will add it later.

O'Donnell’s Biscuits

1/4 cup sugar

5 cups self-rising flour

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup water (If Needed)

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon Cream of Tarter

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in Shorting until small crumbs form. Stir in wet ingredients and knead. Turn onto a floured surface. Pat or roll to ¾ inch thick. Cut into circles and place on baking sheet. Let rest 5 minutes before placing in oven. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with butter after removing from oven.

My Valentine Prayer

Heavenly Father, You know our need for companionship and our need for the grace to overcome all obstacles and sins that block a happy marriage. You made Eve for Adam as a helpmate or suitable counterpart to love and cherish so he would learn to deny himself and love his wife as Jesus loves His church. You made Adam as a loving complement to Eve, to love and cherish her as Jesus does for His bride. It is written, “There is an appointed time for everything,” so I thank You for bringing me the blessing of my wife, Violet at the appropriate time and not before. Thank You for making me whole in every way so I can be a blessing to Violet. It is also written, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,” and “It is not good for the man to be alone,” and “a prudent wife is from the Eternal”—a gift from You, our Heavenly Father, the Giver of every perfect gift. Indeed, You provided Boaz for Ruth. Heavenly Father, I am thankful for your loving gift of the best mate for me, and that You are preparing me to be the best husband for the wife you have given me. You have said to seek Jesus and His righteousness first, and that all things would be added to us. Thank You for adding the joy of a loving partner to share my life, an opportunity for me to learn to love and serve her with the love you have showered upon me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

O'Donnell's Corn Bread

 I once served with a unit in Alabama. The Capt told me beans were an excuse to eat Cornbread and Pepper Sauce. After he tasted my Cornbread he said, he did not an excuse to eat Cornbread.

O’DONNELL’S CORNBREAD

As pictured it was baked in a skillet in the conventional oven.

1 cup of self‑rising cornmeal

1 cup of baking mix

1 small can of evaporated milk

1 egg

a little water

1/2 cup of Honey

Pre-heat Dutch oven.  Mix all ingredients well.  Add water as needed to make a thick smooth batter.  Pour into a prepared Dutch oven.  Bake 20‑24 minutes or till golden brown on top.  (Bake at 400 Degrees in a regular oven for 15‑20 minutes) This recipe makes a enough batter for a 10 inch skillet. if you were to bake it in the oven.  To make ever larger batches increase the amount of each ingredient in incre­ments of one half except for the egg.  Add an additional egg for each whole cup of cornmeal used.  Variations with onions, peppers and cheese or anything you like are possible using about 1 cup of the additive per cup of cornmeal, and increasing the water used.

You can get a copy of my Cookbook "O'Donnell's Kitchen" at Amazon.Com.
 Here's the link: https://tinyurl.com/y8txddbt

Next time O'Donnell's Biscuits