Alaskan Sourdough Bread Mix

Earlier in the summer I spent twelve days in Alaska.  This was a bucket list trip for me.  Even though it was intended as a “once in a lifetime” trip, I had no real must-do’s or must see’s.  My goal was to be present and open to whatever the moment brought.

When I got home and was searching the King Arthur Flour website for the rest of our 2018 Sifted Together monthly mixes, I found the Alaskan Sourdough Bread Mix.  I chuckled and then hit that ADD TO CART button.  I laughed because while in Alaska, I had no idea Alaskan Sourdough was “a thing.”  What is it?  And, how did I miss it while I was there?

Looking back, I think I know how I missed that Alaskan sourdough is a thing.  When I left on my trip, I was three months into my Weight Watchers journey.  All of my friends who had been on cruises before warned me to be prepared to gain wight while I was gone because food on the ship would be delicious and plentiful.  Though I didn’t want to deprive myself of enjoying the eating part of this adventure, I also did not want to undo all of the work I had done. I made a promise to myself that I would be mindful and intentional about what I consumed while away.  Fortunately, in addition to all the less than “waist-friendly” choices that were offered onboard the ship, both fresh fruit and veggies were available almost around the clock.  It was relatively easy to make good choices!

If you are wondering, I ate three satisfying meals a day and I had dessert with dinner every night; I never felt that I had deprived myself in any way and I actually lost a pound and a half while on vacation.  I’m sure that walking almost 200 flights of stairs during the seven days on the ship and the almost non-stop adrenaline rush that I had going on helped with that, I think.

Also, when we were in port, though many local restaurants were suggested to us, I did not take time to stop and eat while on shore.  There were too many things  to see and do besides eat.  And, I’m not a seafood, or reindeer, eater so it was easy to pass and wait for meals back on the ship. 

I was mesmerized by the amazing sunrises and sunsets.

The wildlife.

The highlight of my trip was overcoming an intense fear of heights to take a helicopter ride to and walk on a glacier.

All of the blues were rich, abundant, and beautiful!

I guess this is how I missed the Alaskan Sourdough Bread!

All that to say that food and eating is not where my thoughts went first while in Alaska.  That, in and of itself, is a change in habit for me!  As I said, seeing and doing were the more appealing options.

So back to the Alaskan Sourdough Bread…

I had to look up exactly what it is, how it differs from other sourdough breads.

I found this exact statement on several different websites, ultimately tracing it back to Wikipedia.

The sourdough tradition was carried into Alaska and the western Canadian territories during the Klondike Gold Rush. Conventional leavening such as yeast and baking soda were much less reliable in the conditions faced by the prospectors. Experienced miners and other settlers frequently carried a pouch of starter either around their neck or on a belt; these were fiercely guarded to keep from freezing. However, freezing does not kill a sourdough starter; excessive heat does. Old hands came to be called “sourdoughs”, a term that is still applied to any Alaskan old-timer.

Here is another interesting read, followed by a few recipes, if you haven’t read enough about sourdough already.

And now to King Arthur Flour ‘s mix for Alaskan Sourdough bread…

First of all, though sourdough is used as a leavening agent instead of yeast, this mix using regular yeast.  The sourdough flavor comes from a dehydrated rye flour starter.  

In addition to the mix and the included yeast packet, the following ingredients are added:

•  1 TBS vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup warm water

Though dough can be mixed and kneaded by hand, using the dough hook on a stand mixer, or in a bread machine set on the dough cycle.  The instructions say that the bread’s first rise, in which the dogs should double, is about an hour.  Mine took about an hour and a half to double.

After the first rise, the dough is shaped.  It can either be made as two small loaves that are baked on a baking sheet or one larger extra crusty loaf that is baked in a dutch oven.  I chose the latter.  Once placed on the pan of your choice, the dough again rises until it has doubled, 30 minutes to an hour.  Again, mine was took the maximum amount of time.  

The baking instructions are slightly different for the loaves baked on the sheet and the one done in the dutch oven.  The dutch oven version is placed in a cold oven to begin the baking.  The other is placed in a preheated oven.  Be sure to follow the appropriate instructions!

I can’t compare the taste of this bread to true Alaskan Sourdough Bread, but I can say that it is a tasty, chewy, crusty bread that stands up to whatever you want to put on it – butter, peanut butter, or your favorite sandwich meat.  Or, it is delicious perfectly plain, which is how most of our loaf was eaten!

If you want that unique sourdough taste without the responsibility of caring for a starter, this mix is the perfect solution!

On another note, the photograph used in the background with the bread is the work of a talented photographer I met in Skagway, Alaska.  His name is Barrett Hedges, of Bearhead Photography.  Though I took a lot of my own photos, I wanted an image that summed up my Alaska experience in case mine didn’t turn out well.  And, I am always happy to support a fellow artist!  Take a moment to visit his gallery of images.  They show Alaska at its finest!