Like EVERYONE else during the pandemic, I decided it was as good a time as any to dabble in the craft of sourdough. I got my starter up and running, and have been successfully making bread, but only about once a month. It just isn’t a regular thing on my rotation (probably because my sandwich bread is still my go-to staple), partly because it takes some foresight to use it as the leavening agent in bread. When I need bread, I need it now… or at least in a couple of hours, not days. THIS RECIPE THOUGH… the sourdough gives it a delicious flavor, but it isn’t what makes the coffee cake fluffy, yet rich. It’s a total win for sourdough use and though I doubled the recipe, it was gone in a flash. This one WILL be a rotational regular.
Ingredients:
Crumble Topping
4 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
⅓ cup light brown sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Sourdough Coffee Cake Batter
8 tablespoons butter softened
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
½ cup sourdough starter discard
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour
For the crumble topping, melt the butter in a bowl and stir in the light brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Add the flour and pecans, if using, and stir again until the mixture comes together into a big clumpy mass. Set it aside and let it cool.
For the cinnamon sugar filling, sift the cinnamon, flour and light brown sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
For the sourdough batter, preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 9″ x 9″ metal baking pan with butter or cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, sourdough starter, milk, salt and baking powder to the bowl and stir until combined. Add the flour and mix until ingredients are fully incorporated.
Pour half of the cake batter into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the surface of the batter. Carefully pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar mixture to cover. Use an offset spatula to gently spread the batter evenly. Break up the crumble topping with your fingers and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Enjoy!
