Baked Eggs in a Basket using Sourdough Discard Bread

Baked Eggs in a Basket using a Sourdough Bread made from Sourdough Discards

I've been playing with my sourdough discards, just to use them up, and this bread was made on a whim with no object other than play.  But I used it to make 'Eggs in a Basket' this morning.

Bread

Since it wasn't a serious bread, I barely measured anything, and I didn't write it down until now.  It doesn't matter.  This bread isn't important, we are just going to roll it flat anyway.  I think that this is what I did:

• 1 c starter that would be tossed away after refreshing the sourdough starter
• 2 c wwflour
• 1 1/2 c water

Let sit 14 hours while you drive to work and come home.
Pour wet dough onto counter.
Add some salt.  How much?  I dunno, about 1/2 tsp I guess.  Use the palm of your hand and guess.
Add enough whole wheat flour to make a kneadable dough (probably another cup at least)
Shape it and put it in a buttered tin.
Let it sit and proof for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 410 degrees F.
Bake 20 minutes at that temperature, then reduce to 375 degrees F for another 10 minutes or so.

Baked Eggs in a Basket

This recipe comes from the milk calendar.  The original recipe made 4 servings with 4 slices of bread, but here is only 2 of us, and my sourdough bread is somewhat different than the storebought whole wheat bread that the recipe calls for.  I needed 2 slices for each serving.

• 4 slices of my homemade whole grain sourdough sandwich bread
• ~1 tsp butter, softened
• ~1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 eggs
• pepper
• garden fresh herbs like parsley or chives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter your ovenproof bowls.
Use your rolling pin and flatten the bread.
Spread one side with butter and press the bread into the bowl, so 4 corners stick up.

Sprinkle 1 TBSP of the cheese into the bottom of each cup.
Bake 5 minutes or until it is toasted.
Crack 1 egg into each cup.
Sprinkle with pepper.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the cups.

Bake 15 minutes if you like your eggs still a bit jiggly, or 20 minutes if you are like my wife and like the yolk cooked through.  Toss the garnish on.

The original recipe would have you lift the cups from the hot bowls, but if you are not a child, and you are careful not to burn yourself, you can eat it right from the hot bowl.  In that case, serve oven mitts with each ovenproof bowl.

Notes to Myself

• My wife didn't really like the sourness of this bread when she ate one of the toasted corners that was sticking up, although to my taste it wasn't all that bad.  Perhaps if I had used only 1 TBSP of starter, and left it to rise in a cool or cold place, while at work, it might be less sour.  On the other hand, she did say that once you are digging into the egg, the sourness adds something to the taste.  In fact, I was thinking that an eggs benedict, or mustard eggs, would even complement a sourdough bread done this way.  Try that, next time.