How to Make a Loaf of Plain Sourdough Wheat Bread and a Pan of Date, Pear, and Pecan Sweet Rolls With a Cup of Starter (Diabetic Friendly, Fruit Sweetened)

If you need to feed your starter but don't need a large quantity of the same type of bread, this option is for you. You make a basic mixture, cut it in half, and make a simple loaf of wheat bread and a pan of sweet rolls. The bread is simple, tasty, and great for breakfast, sandwiches, and alongside soups and sandwiches. The sweet rolls are soft lightly sweetened with date puree, chopped pear, and ginger and are quite good, even without a lot of refined sugar. If you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy," both the bread and rolls are good options with their high nutritional content. We like the bread for multiple options, and the sweet rolls make a nice weekend or holiday treat. Enjoy!

How to Make a Loaf of Plain Sourdough Wheat Bread and a Pan of Date, Pear, and Pecan Sweet Rolls With a Cup of Starter (Diabetic Friendly, Fruit Sweetened)

Basic Mixture

1 cup of sourdough starter/discard

1/3 cup of milk

1/3 cup of canola oil

1 large egg

1 cup of white whole-wheat flour

In a large bowl whisk together well the starter/discard, milk, oil, and egg. Stir in the flour and loosely cover the bowl. Let the mixture sit for at least an hour (I routinely let the mixture sit on the counter for three to four hours, and it's fine.

Plain Wheat Bread -- Makes 1 Loaf

Divide the basic mixture in half, putting each half in a separate, large bowl. To the first half add:

1 tablespoon of date puree (cover 1-2 dates with hot water, let them sit, and mash them

with a fork)

3/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon of salt

Mix, then knead in the date puree, flour, and salt. Knead the dough for three to five minutes, adding in an additional 2-4 tablespoons of flour as you knead to prevent the dough from being too sticky to knead. Shape the dough into a loaf. Spray an 8- x 4-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and place the loaf in the pan. Spritz the top of the loaf with a little oil, loosely cover the dough, and let it rise until it increases in volume by about one-third (usually one to three hours). Bake the bread in a 350-degree, preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or air fry the dough at 320 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let the bread cool completely before slicing it for neater slices.

How to Make a Loaf of Plain Sourdough Wheat Bread and a Pan of Date, Pear, and Pecan Sweet Rolls With a Cup of Starter (Diabetic Friendly, Fruit Sweetened)

Date, Pear, and Pecan Sweet Rolls (Makes 8)

To half of the basic mixture add:

1 tablespoon of date puree

3/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon of salt

Mix, then knead in the date puree, flour, and salt. Knead the dough for three to five minutes, adding in an additional 2-4 tablespoons of flour as you knead to prevent the dough from being too sticky to knead. Pat or roll the dough out into a rectangle, roughly 10- x 10-inches. Spread the filling (see below) on top of the dough, leaving an edge of about 1/2-inch on each side without filling. Roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, and cut the dough, cross-wise, into 8 slices, each about 1-inch thick. Spritz an 8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and place the slices in the pan, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space between the slices. Let the dough rise until it increases in volume by about one-third (usually one to three hours). Bake the dough in a 350-degree, preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or air fry the dough at 320 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Filling

1/2 cup of date puree (cover dates with hot water, let them cool, and mash them with a

fork)

1 peeled, cored, and chopped pear

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

Mix all of the filling ingredients together and spread the filling on the rolled-out dough.

How to Make a Loaf of Plain Sourdough Wheat Bread and a Pan of Date, Pear, and Pecan Sweet Rolls With a Cup of Starter (Diabetic Friendly, Fruit Sweetened)