Meet Liz Van Every, Pastry Chef from Buffalo, NY. She graduated from culinary in 2002 and has since earned a certificate in Holistic Nutrition. In November 2015 she opened Word of Mouth Bakeshop in Buffalo. She’s all about down to earth food that has a sense of cultural history. She’s also an avid gardener and knitter. In the winter she has an Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/shop/sagehomecrafts) where she sells her home knit goods.
Recipe name: Semolina raisin fennel sour dough
Ingredients: AP flour 6 oz
Semolina flour 17 oz
water 12 oz
salt .58 oz
fennel .48 oz
golden raisin 5 oz
mature levain 13 oz
yeast (instant) 1gProcedure: Soak raisins in 2 to 3 oz hot water for 20 minutes drain before mixing
(If your kitchen is warm use cold water. as cold as you can get out of the faucet)
mix AP, semolina, water, salt and levain (add yeast for same day bake)
mix on 1st speed for 4 to 5 minutes then 1 minute on 2nd
be careful not to over hydrate. Semolina dough go from hydrated to leaking water pretty quickly.
add raisins and fennel once developed. Incorporate on 1st.
Bulk ferment 1 hour with single fold
approximately 2 – 1.5# loaves I usually make batards with an overnight rest in the fridge but would work in greased loaf pans or batard for same day bake.
Bake at 450 till internal temp is 205.note: There are 2 types of flour in this recipe, semolina durum and regular white flour. I stick with King Arthur because it’s unbromated but any all purpose would work. As for final proof after shaping its about 30 minutes could go to 45 on a cold day.
recipe yield: 2 large loaves
Story behind recipe (ex.family tradition? Who taught it to you?): This bread seems perfect for a St Joseph’s table. It makes great french toast. I learned it working in a bakery in Buffalo, NY in 2011. Since then I make it a couple times year at home for winter holidays. Works great with cranberries instead of golden raisins. I’ve added pine nuts and sesame seeds to this recipe. I’ve also occasionally added cooked millet to the recipe, just be careful with the temperature and hydration if you try that.
Common Roots Project 
Wondering if anyone has a sourdough starter…back in the day they were passed on , and many were very old…passed from generation to generation
Lizz, that’s a great question. I know it can be difficult to keep up with a starter as a home cook unless you’re baking bread every other day. Where do you live?