One of the more involved recipes, but so worth it, this Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee is absolutely heavenly! Think a mix of Brioche, croissant, and cinnamon roll, with layers of flaky, rich dough. The sourdough adds a pleasant tang and easier digestibility. I have given 2 filling options below: Cinnamon and Chocolate, which are equally good. A sprinkling of brown sugar on top gives a lovely crunchy crust. Perfect for the holidays as breakfast!
Why You Want to Make This
I won’t lie, there is a bit of labour of love in this Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee. So why would you want to put in the work when you could just buy Brioche?
Flavour
While I have seen Brioche Feuilletee on its own and am sure they are sold in patisseries in France, I have never seen a sourdough version of it. “Feuilltee” means “folded” and describes the process of a brioche dough being folded multiple times around a block of butter and rolled out, to create flaky layers. Very similar to croissants.
Sourdough however, apart from acting as a raising agent, helps with digestibility, adds nutrients and layers of amazing flavour you would never get without. If you ever thought Brioche is…nice, but maybe a little boring, this is for you. Or if you love Brioche, but want to up your game a little.
This recipe was adapted into a Brioche Feuilletee with different fillings from the fantastic Sourdough Brioche recipe by “Bread by Elise”. If you’d like to make a classic and really good brioche that uses sourdough, this is the best recipe I have found so far.
Special Holiday Treat
If you are looking for a seriously impressive holiday breakfast for your loved ones, this is certainly it. You’ll be sure to get lots of impressed comments of “You made this!?” and then very satisfying purring noises while they are enjoying it.
Can be prepared ahead of time
While it does take some hands on time to roll out the dough a few times, to laminate the butter in, creating those flaky layers, you can do most of the preparation the day or even 2 days before. On the day, you simply put your loaf pans in the oven and enjoy breakfast with your friends and family.
Makes incredible leftovers
While I loved this re-heated on its own, you could make a seriously amazing bread and butter pudding from the leftovers. If there are any. Which is doubtful. Maybe make double, so you can try it?
Not hard to make
I know this sounds counterintuitive, after saying this takes a little work. But if you can fold a towel and roll out dough, you will have a very easy time making this Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee.
The Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
Since we want a good rise, I’m using active, fed starter here. If you don’t have one yet, here is how to make it. Sourdough starter can be used in a million recipes, not just bread. It makes sweet baked goods more flavourful and better for you, helps even with gluten intolerance, as the little bacteria basically pre-digest the gluten for you. (Apologies for the picture in your mind now. But yoghurt and other fermented foods work the same way.)
Tangzhong
Bless you! What?
That was my reaction when I first heard about Tangzhong. The Tangzhong method basically pre-cooks a portion of the dough using hot liquid, which causes the starch to gelatinize and make the bread softer. And with Brioche, I’m all about soft bread!
Though this method says there will be no crust, I do love a crunchy crust, so I brushed the bread with butter and sprinkled some brown sugar over it just before baking.
Yeast
Although you could make this with just sourdough, I opted for adding a tiny bit of yeast, since I’m adding quite a lot of butter to the dough with the lamination, so it’s a fairly heavy mix that can use a little help on the rising front. If you don’t want to use yeast or can’t eat it, leave it out.
Ascorbic Acid – Vitamin C powder
Same as with the yeast, this is to help with the rise and crust, as it will strengthen the gluten in the dough. I found the trick of adding it when researching the best Banh Mi buns and have used it in various bread recipes since, loving the results. It’s not a huge change, but noticeable.
This is pure vitamin C powder that I got fairly cheap from “Bulk”.
It will last me for ages and can be used not just in baking, but also simply add to water, for a refreshing drink and boosting your vitamin C intake. Win/win really.
Same as with the yeast: If you don’t have any, leave it out.
Flour
Traditionally Brioche, even more so Brioche Feuilletee is made with plain or bread flour. But as usual I wanted to see if whole wheat flour works too, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I’m replacing about 1/3 of the white flour with whole wheat, for a slightly nutty flavour and better nutrition profile. The results were lovely: Still soft and fluffy, but with a satisfying bite and flavour to it. This feels less like the cloud-like Brioche texture and more like a really satisfying sweet, soft, crunchy, and flaky bread. Very hard to describe, but utterly addictive.
Eggs and Butter
Brioche is an enriched dough with lots of butter and eggs. Most certainly not for your diet days, but oh so satisfying! And I firmly believe, if we eat most of the time healthy, a proper treat now and then is entirely ok and needed. This is a really good one for those days.
Use good European butter for this. Living in Ireland, I used Irish of course, which may be the best butter you can get. As it adds flavour to the dough, you want it to be delicious.
Milk
Being lactose intolerant, I only have plant milk at home. With all the butter and eggs, this Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee is not the place to save on fats, so I’m using full fat Oat Milk here. My favourite is Oatly Barista, which I always have around for my coffee. You can use any full fat milk of your choice.
Sugar
Only a little sugar is used in this Brioche dough, which might feel surprising, as this is essentially a sweet bread. But trust me, it’s enough to give a slightly sweet flavour and support the fillings.
Filling Options
As usual, I couldn’t decide if I wanted chocolate or cinnamon filling, so I simply made both. To me, even though I’m a complete chocoholic, the cinnamon-sugar won. But I’d love to hear in the comments which one you chose to make or preferred.
The Process
Start ideally 2 days before you want to eat the Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee.
2 days before baking:
Sweet Sourdough Starter
Mix 40ml (about 2.5 tbsp) with 40g flour, 10g sugar and 30g active sourdough starter. Cover and leave in a warm spot over night or until doubled in size.
Tangzhong
Make the Tangzhong by adding 140ml milk to a small pot and whisk in 35g flour. Gently warm on medium heat while whisking. After a while, your mixture will start to thicken quite quickly. Once it has thickened and reached about 150°F/65°C it is ready.
Transfer into a small bowl and cover tightly with clingfilm touching the whole surface of your Tangzhong, to prevent a skin from forming. Leave to cool to room temperature.
1 day before baking
Mix your dough
In a stand mixer, as the dough gets fairly soft and sticky, or a large bowl, if you are kneading by hand, add all your ingredients except the butter and salt. Mix to combine, then let it stand for 30minutes for the autolyse.
Knead
Adding the salt, knead for 5-10 minutes, until the dough comes apart from the sides and starts to look really smooth.
Slowly add half of the butter at room temperature, cut into cubes, bit by bit, slowly incorporating it into the dough.
Keep kneading for 15-25 minutes, until the gluten has fully developed, and your dough passes the windowpane test.
Your dough will still be pretty sticky, but that should improve during the resting time.
Rest
Lightly grease a bowl. Use your hands to form a ball from your dough and let it rest, covered on your counter, in the prepared bowl for about 3h. By then it will have about doubled in size.
Now you can go ahead to either start the lamination process or rest your dough in the fridge overnight, to continue the next day.
Laminating the Dough Or: Putting the Feuilletee into the Brioche
The lamination process will take about 2.5h including 3 rests in the fridge for 20-30min each.
For this step you need a stick (about 100g) of cold butter. Place the butter between 2 layers of baking parchment and smash it a little flatter first, using your rolling pin or the bottom of a cooking pot until you have a roughly 8 x 8 square.
Lightly flour a surface for rolling out your dough. Take your dough from the bowl and roll it out into a rectangle that is about 16″ x 24″.
Remove the top layer of baking parchment from your flattened butter block, turn it around, so the butter lands in the middle of the dough rectangle. Then fold your dough like an envelope over it, covering it firmly. Pinch the sides of the dough close, so the butter doesn’t escape.
Roll your dough out again, to seal in the butter.
Turn your dough by 90 degrees and repeat the folding and rolling out.
Wrap into plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
After that time, take out your dough and repeat the folding and rolling out twice. Put back into the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Preparing the filling
Decide if you’d like to make both fillings or just one. If using only one, double the quantities given below for the chosen filling.
Melt 2 tbsp butter for brushing onto the rolled out dough.
For the dark chocolate filling:
Chop your dark chocolate roughly. You want some nice chunks and some finer bits that melt into the dough.
For the Cinnamon Sugar:
Mix 3 tbsp sugar (white or brown will both work) with 1 tsp cinnamon.
Last rolling out and filling
Roll your dough out one last time. Aim for a rectangle of about 1/16th thickness.
Slice in half through the middle, if making both fillings. Brush the rectangles with the melted butter.
Sprinkle one with dark chocolate, the other one with cinnamon sugar evenly, leaving about 2” room on one end of the short side.
Start rolling up the dough from the short side, where the filling is spread all the way to the end. Roll all the way until you reach the end and gently pinch to close. It probably won’t close perfectly, which is fine.
I only had one long and one shorter bread pan, so I chose to keep the chocolate roll longer and the cinnamon roll shorter.
Cover both rolls tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
On the Day of baking:
Cut and add to Loaf tins
Grease 2 loaf tins or line with baking parchment.
Cut your dough rolls into 3 equal pieces each and add them to your loaf tins, so the side showing the spiral with the filling is pointing up.
Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with some brown sugar with cinnamon. I only sprinkled the cinnamon version here and regretted it later. Don’t be like me.
Cover and let them rise outside of the fridge for another hour.
Now you can either bake them or cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge until ready to bake.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cover with aluminium foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer. Depending on your oven.
Take out and leave on a rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar if you like.
Enjoy just as they are, with jam, or more butter.
Meal Prep
Make Ahead
The resting time of the dough makes this recipe predestined for meal prep, as you can do all the steps in the days before you want to bake it. Pretty perfect for the holidays, to have a really impressive breakfast treat, while relaxing with your loved ones.
Freeze
While this Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee lasts a few days in a bread tin, I tend to freeze leftovers and just reheat them in air fryer or oven for a bit, to get the crunchy crust and warm, buttery insides, that makes it so utterly delicious. Freeze the separate thirds in small bags or lidded containers, for an indulgent breakfast treat any time you crave it.
Still looking for a main course?
Have a look at this super delicious Vegetarian Mezze Feast.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee
One of the more involved recipes, but so worth it, this Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee is absolutely heavenly! Think a mix of Brioche, croissant, and cinnamon roll, with layers of flaky, rich dough. The sourdough adds a pleasant tang and easier digestibility. I have given 2 filling options below: Cinnamon and Chocolate, which are equally good. A sprinkling of brown sugar on top gives a lovely crunchy crust. Perfect for the holidays as breakfast!
2sticks butter. 1 cubedat room temperature. One whole, cold from the fridge.
Filling and topping
If you want to make both fillings:
4tbspbuttermelted
½cupdark chocolatechopped (don’t use chips here, as we want the irregular and rather fine pieces.)
5tbspbrown sugar
2tspcinnamon
If you only make one of the fillings:
4tbspbuttermelted
1cupdark chocolatechopped (don’t use chips here, as we want the irregular and rather fine pieces.)
2tbspbrown sugar
1tspcinnamon
or
8tbspbrown sugar
3tspcinnamon
Part of the brown sugar/cinnamon mix will be used for sprinklingso you’ll need some of it.
Instructions
2 Days Before Baking:
Sweet Sourdough Starter:
Mix 40ml of oat milk with 40g flour, 10g sugar, and 30g active sourdough starter.
Cover and leave in a warm spot overnight or until doubled in size.
Tangzhong:
In a small pot, whisk 140ml oat milk with 35g flour.
Warm on medium heat, whisking until thickened and reaching about 150°F/65°C.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with clingfilm, touching the Tangzhong to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool to room temperature.
1 Day Before Baking:
Main Dough:
Combine all ingredients except butter and salt. Allow a 30-minute autolyse.
Add salt, knead for 5-10 minutes, then slowly add half the room temperature butter.
Knead for 15-25 minutes until gluten develops and the dough passes the windowpane test.
Let the dough rest covered for about 3 hours until doubled in size.
Store the dough in the fridge overnight.
Laminating the Dough:
Flatten a cold butter stick between parchment paper to an 8x8 square.
Roll out the dough to a 16" x 24" rectangle.
Place the butter in the middle or your rolled out dough, fold like an envelope, and roll out to seal in the butter.
Turn by 90 degrees, repeat the folding and rolling out.
Wrap into plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Repeat the folding and rolling process twice, resting in the fridge between each cycle.
Preparing the Filling:
Melt 2 tbsp butter for brushing onto the rolled-out dough.
For dark chocolate filling: Roughly chop dark chocolate.
For cinnamon sugar filling: Mix 3 tbsp sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon.
Last Rolling Out and Filling:
Roll out the dough thinly to about 1/16” into a rectangle.
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the chosen filling.
Roll up the dough, cover, and chill for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
On the day of baking:
Cut and Add to Loaf Tins:
Grease 2 loaf tins or line with parchment.
Cut dough rolls into 3 equal pieces each and add to tins, cut side facing up, so you see the pretty spirals.
Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Let rise covered outside of the fridge for an hour.
Baking:
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, then cover with foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer.
Cool on a rack. Dust with icing sugar if desired.
Enjoy your Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee with jam or butter!
Notes
Meal PrepThe resting time of the dough makes this recipe predestined for meal prep, as you can do all the steps in the days before you want to bake it. Pretty perfect for the holidays, to have a really impressive breakfast treat, while relaxing with your loved ones.While this Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee lasts a few days in a bread tin, I tend to freeze leftovers and just reheat them in air fryer or oven for a bit, to get the crunchy crust and warm, buttery insides, that makes it so utterly delicious. Freeze the separate thirds in small bags or lidded containers, for an indulgent breakfast treat any time you crave it.Total Calories per Portion: Approximately 285 calories
Total Protein per Portion: Approximately 5.7 grams
Total Carbohydrates per Portion: Approximately 33.1 grams
Total Fat per Portion: Approximately 15 grams
Total Sodium per Portion: Approximately 347 milligrams
Nutrition
Calories: 285kcal
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Brioche Feuilletee
Amount per Serving
Calories
285
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Breakfast, For Guests, meal prep, sourdough
Soft and fluffy Sourdough Flatbread with Feta hits the spot when you want the perfect flatbread to dip into anything from Hummus to Stew. Sourdough gives a lovely tang while the potato keeps these really soft and moist. Fill with feta for an extra cheesy treat or leave them as they are. An aromatic Za’atar-oil brushing makes them utterly irresistible.
Why You Want to Make This
Not sure about you, but I was always on the hunt for the perfect flatbread recipe and think I have finally found it. A bread that is easy to make, stays soft and fluffy, even the next day, has sourdough in it and tons of flavour. This really is the one.
The Inspiration came from Claire Saffitz, who made her version just with yeast and white flour. I’ve added sourdough and a bit of whole wheat flour to mine, for both flavour and nutrition.
Versatile
While I made mine specifically to go with the large Mezze Feast I have started to post bit by bit over the last few days (you will get the complete article soon), which meant filling with feta and brushing with Za’atar oil, you can use them for literally anything that requires a soft and fluffy flatbread.
Fill with different cheese or leave plain, add different herbs to the oil (rosemary and garlic would be lovely) or just brush with some garlic butter to finish.
Easy
Most of the work is done by the stand mixer and the sourdough. You could even make them virtually no-knead, by just leaving them over night, to let only the sourdough develop the gluten.
Or knead yourself by hand, if you don’t have a stand mixer.
Basically it’s mashing a boiled potato, mixing the wet with the dry ingredients, kneading (or waiting) and rolling them out to quickly pan fry.
The Ingredients
Potato
This sets these Sourdough Flatbread with Feta apart from other flatbreads you might have tried. It adds moisture and softness to the dough, you don’t get from just flour and water alone and makes them quite unique.
Don’t throw out the starchy cooking water, since we will use it as liquid for the dough, helping the yeast to rise and the dough to stay lovely and soft.
Sourdough
I realise some are intimidated by sourdough, but it’s really just water, flour and time that makes it. Top up with more water and flour every few days, and you always have the base for all kinds of breads and even sweet treats on hand.
Here is a guide on how to start your own.
Flour
You can use plain white flour if you like or bread flour, both will come out fine. I had bread flour on hand and more than plain for that matter, so that’s what I used. I replaced some of the white with whole wheat flour, for nutty flavour and nutrition.
I wouldn’t raise the whole wheat content much further than this, as you might get very firm instead of soft and fluffy flatbreads.
Yeast
If you leave the dough to ferment overnight, you can skip the yeast. Since I wanted them on the same day and give a bit of extra rise, I included just a tiny bit, which helped with the extra fluffy texture.
Salt
I’m using kosher salt, as most of the time when cooking, So if you are using fine sea salt, half the amount, as it has about double the salting power of fine kosher salt.
Olive oil
This helps the dough stay moist and soft but makes for a pretty sticky and soft texture. Which is what we want. So apart from the 2 tbsp that get added to the mixture, use it liberally on your hands when working the dough, instead of the usual flour, which would dry it out.
That’s already everything for the plain flatbread version. If you’d like to take them over the top, there are two more.
Now since you can make the flatbreads plain, I didn’t include the Za’atar and Feta in the first ingredient picture. Both come only in towards the end and are optional.
Za’atar
A middle eastern spice mix, Za’atar usually contains dried soft thyme, sesame, and sumac (a sour dried and ground berry). Sometimes with other added ingredients, depending on the brand. It’s absolutely delicious mixed into olive oil as dip or topping for all kinds of bread or sprinkled over all sorts of dips like Hummus or Labneh. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/hummus-two-ways/
In this case we are brushing the flatbreads with a mix of this and olive oil while frying, to get the flavour to really soak into the bread.
Feta
Use good quality creamy feta here, as you want it to melt into the dough, for little cheesy pockets of salty tang.
The Process
Start by boiling your potato until soft. Just barely cover it with water, don’t salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until you can pierce the pieces easily with a knife.
Drain over a sieve with a cup underneath, to catch the cooking water. We need about ½ cup of it.
Leave both potato and water to cool to room temperature, so they don’t kill the sourdough or yeast when we mix them in.
Once cooled enough, in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the potato with a fork or a potato masher.
Add the flour, sourdough starter, salt, and olive oil.
To the ½ cup lukewarm cooking water, add your yeast and let it stand for about 5-10 minutes, to allow it to activate. Once it has started to bubble a little, add the mix to your bowl with the flour and potato.
At this point I usually mix briefly with a spoon, to get the wet and dry roughly incorporated, as my stand mixer never gets to all the flour on the sides of the bowl if I don’t. If yours does, feel free to skip this step.
Knead on medium speed for about 8-10 minutes, until you have a very smooth and sticky dough that comes off the sides of your bowl.
If you are kneading by hand, you may add a little flour, to make it easier to work with, but you still want a fairly soft and moist result.
Once your dough is smooth and elastic, form it into a ball and leave it to rise in an oiled large bowl you cover with clingfilm for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
I usually put mine overnight in the fridge, which gives the sourdough time to ferment and add all it’s goodness to my flatbread. You can get away making it on the same day, I just feel the flavour develops much better overnight and it gives me a more flexible schedule on the day I plan to use it in whatever meal I want it to go with.
Once your dough has doubled in size and you want your flatbreads ready in about 1h, oil your work surface (I like using a silicone mat, for easy cleaning) and divide it into 8 pieces.
Now we are getting them into a round shape and give them even more rise by tucking in any irregular edges, until you have a round and smooth dome top, then put them on a parchment covered, oiled baking tray for their second rise. Here is a great video that shows this process with buns.
Cover them loosely with oiled clingfilm and let them rise for another 30-40 minutes while you prepare whatever dip you plan to have with them.
If you are filling them with feta and topping with Za’atar oil, crumble your feta into a bowl and mix the Za’atar with olive oil.
Once the dough had it’s second rise, oil your work surface again. Take a piece of dough and roughly flatten it with your hands until it’s the size of about 2 hands. This doesn’t have to be exact.
Crumble 2 tbsp of your feta over the dough, then roll it up like shown in the pictures.
First into a sort of sausage shape.
Then in a spiral into itself, as if you were making cinnamon rolls one by one. Try not to pierce it, so the feta stays inside. But don’t worry if a bit crumbles out, these are homemade after all. We are not looking for perfection.
Put each spiral back on the oiled baking sheet, while you form the rest.
Get your pan lightly oiled first, then slowly heat it to medium/high heat. We want the dough to puff up pretty much instantly when it hits the pan, but not burn.
While working with the dough, you will have noticed how sticky and soft it is, so we need a trick to get it into the pan in one piece. Claire Saffitz had a great one for that:
2 lightly oiled pieces of baking parchment. Transfer your dough onto one, flatten a bit with your hands, then top with the second piece and roll out to a round-ish shape about 8in across.
Peeling off the top piece of parchment, carry the flatbread on the bottom one to your pan and just flip it over, to transfer the dough into it.
If using Za’atar oil, brush it onto the top side of the flatbread, while the first side is frying.
Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Fry until one side is golden brown and comes off the pan easily. Since these behave very similar to pancakes, the cues will be little bubbles appearing on the top and the dough going from very shiny to a little matte. You will also start seeing slightly browned edges.
In doubt take a peek underneath with your spatula.
Flip and fry the second side until done. This will take less time than the first side.
Keep warm in the oven, which you turned to the lowest temperature, while you fry the remaining pieces.
Enjoy your warm homemade Sourdough Flatbread with Feta with all sorts of dips, as a side for stew or, just as they are with some olives and maybe pickles. I always want pickles. But maybe that’s just me?
Meal Prep
These Sourdough Flatbreads with Feta are fantastic for meal prep, as there are multiple ways to prepare and store them.
For one you can prepare the dough the day before and let it rise overnight in the fridge, then take it out about 1h before you want to eat, to shape and fill them.
The fried ones can be stored in a lidded container or plastic bag for about 2 days and just reheated when you’d like to eat. They reheat fantastic in air fryer, oven or pan.
Alternatively you could freeze the portioned dough (though I wouldn’t fill it, as cheese isn’t ideal for freezing, since it can get watery) and just take it out a few hours before you want to eat them to thaw and roll out.
The Mezze Feast
Here are the recipes posted for the Mezze Feast so far. Mix and match whatever you like, use just one as super quick snack or dinner or all of them for one stunning feast:
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Sourdough Flatbread with Feta
Soft and fluffy Sourdough Flatbread with Feta hits the spot when you want the perfect flatbread to dip into anything from Hummus to Stew. Sourdough gives a lovely tang while the potato keeps these really soft and moist. Fill with feta for an extra cheesy treat or leave them as they are.
An aromatic Za’atar-oil brushing makes them utterly irresistible.
1/4cupextra-virgin olive oilplus more for rolling out
Instructions
Start by boiling your potato until soft. Place the potato pieces in a pot, just barely covering them with water (do not add salt). Cook for 10-15 minutes until you can easily pierce the pieces with a knife.
Drain the potato over a sieve with a cup underneath to catch the cooking water. You'll need about ½ cup of this water. Allow both the potato and the water to cool to room temperature to avoid killing the sourdough or yeast when you mix them in.
Once the potato has cooled enough, mash it in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer using a fork or potato masher.
Add the all-purpose or bread flour, whole wheat flour, sourdough starter, kosher salt, and olive oil to the mashed potato.
In the ½ cup of lukewarm cooking water, add the active dry yeast and let it stand for 5-10 minutes until it starts to bubble. Then, add this yeast mixture to the bowl with the flour and potato.
Mix briefly with a spoon to roughly incorporate the wet and dry ingredients, especially if your stand mixer doesn't reach all the flour on the sides of the bowl.
Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8-10 minutes until you have a very smooth and sticky dough that comes off the sides of the bowl. If kneading by hand, you can add a little more flour to make it easier to work with, but the dough should still be fairly soft and moist.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and let the dough rise for 2-3 hours or until it has doubled in size. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight for better flavour development.
Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 8 pieces on an oiled work surface.
Shape each piece of dough into a round, smooth dome top, then place them on a parchment-covered, oiled baking tray for their second rise. Cover them loosely with oiled clingfilm and let them rise for another 30-40 minutes.
If you plan to fill the flatbreads with feta and top with za'atar, crumble the feta into a bowl and mix the za'atar with olive oil in a separate bowl.
After the second rise, oil your work surface again. Take a piece of dough and flatten it with your hands until it's about the size of two hands. It doesn't need to be perfectly round.
Crumble 2 tablespoons of feta over the dough, then roll it up. First, roll it into a sausage shape, then roll it into a spiral, making it resemble cinnamon rolls. Try to keep the feta inside, but don't worry if some crumbles out.
Place each spiral on the oiled baking sheet while you shape the remaining flatbreads.
Heat a pan to medium/high heat with a light coating of oil. We want the dough to puff up almost instantly when it hits the pan but not burn.
To transfer the dough into the pan, use two lightly oiled pieces of baking parchment. Transfer the dough onto one piece, flatten it with your hands, then place the second piece on top and roll it out to a round-ish shape about 8 inches across. Peel off the top piece of parchment and carry the flatbread on the bottom piece to the pan, flipping it over to transfer the dough into your frying pan.
If using the za'atar oil, brush it onto the top side of the flatbread while the first side is frying. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Fry until the first side is golden brown and comes off the pan easily. Flip and fry the second side until golden brown.
Keep the flatbreads warm in the oven, which you turned to the lowest temperature, while you fry the remaining pieces.
Enjoy your delicious Sourdough Flatbread with Feta and Za'atar!
Notes
I’m giving you the nutrition of flatbread and topping+ filling separate here, so you can decide if it fits your diet.Flatbreads plain:
Calories per Portion: Approximately 166 calories
Protein per Portion: Approximately 4 grams
Carbohydrates per Portion: Approximately 30 grams
Fat per Portion: Approximately 3 grams
Fiber per Portion: Approximately 3 grams
Sodium per Portion: Approximately 524 milligramsZa’atar with oil and feta:
Calories per Portion: Approximately 94 calories
Protein per Portion: Approximately 4 grams
Carbohydrates per Portion: Approximately 2 grams
Fat per Portion: Approximately 8 grams
Sodium per Portion: Approximately 276 milligrams
Nutrition
Calories: 265kcal
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Flatbread with Feta
Amount per Serving
Calories
265
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
A moist and crunchy fall treat, these Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein have it all: Lots of soft and juicy apples, that get pre-cooked and smothered in cinnamon spiked sourdough-pumpkin puree mix. The Protein powder adds nutrition and sweetness, replacing part of the flour. A cinnamon sugar sprinkling gives an extra crunchy top in contrast to the soft insides.
Why You Want to Make These
In Autumn, we want apples and pumpkin for sure. But why choose one when you can have both, right? Right.
I’m greedy, so I always want both. Why would I have to choose?
While watching yet another great Claire Saffitz Video I remembered an apple cake very similar to hers I kept making when I was in my 20s. Unfortunately the recipe was lost, but it had pre-cooked apples and a very similar batter to the one in the video. So of course I had to make something similar.
But, having evolved to incorporating sourdough and protein into pretty much everything sweet I bake, I made a few modifications, to be able to do both. And pumpkin Puree. Because more veggies are always a plus!
Sourdough
I’m using sourdough discard here, as we are not needing its rising power here and we don’t want to let it ferment either, since that would develop the gluten and lead to tougher muffins. Instead we are looking for light and tender. So the sourdough is mainly for adding tangy flavour, to contrast with the sweet pumpkin puree.
And a way to use up sourdough discard, which is always welcome. If you prefer to make it without, replace with ½ cup liquid (more of the apple cooking liquid would be great) and 1/2 cup flour of your choice.
Apples
These Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein have loads of apples. Layers of tender, cinnamon tasting pieces all throughout the dough, in every single bite.
I achieved that by pre-cooking them with cinnamon in the oven, until they are really soft.
I don’t want them to fall apart though, so I’m using Pink Lady apples, which keep their shape nicely and I leave the skin on. That will also keep the nutrition from the skin, which holds most of it.
I quite enjoy a bit of acidity in my apples, hence the Pink Lady. They are easy to find in supermarkets and have just the right balance of sweet, intense apple flavour and fresh acidity with a firm flesh.
If you enjoy a different type of apple, feel free to use it.
One note: Even though Bramley apples or cooking apples are usually great for cooking, I wouldn’t use them here, as they just fall apart into a mush. And we want slices that hold their shape.
Since I live in Ireland, Fallon & Byrne seems to be the only shop that has Pumpkin Puree.
And occasionally one American food shop online.
If you live in the US: Lucky you! I hear you get it pretty much everywhere.
And while I usually think most things are better from scratch, I don’t think I want to go through the effort of chopping, peeling, cooking, and de-watering a whole pumpkin to get this. So cans are just fine.
Protein Powder
As with so many of my recipes, I’m adding my favourite Protein Powder here. In this case “Cinnamon Danish” from “MyProtein”.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you actually enjoy, give this one a try.
I’m replacing up to ¼ of the white flour with it, to up my protein intake and be able to lower the added sugar even more. So if you’d like to make the Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins without protein, replace 1:1 with flour and add some sugar. I’d say about 1 tbsp.
Why Protein?
If you read a few of my baked or breakfast recipes, you can skip this part. For those of you who haven’t:
Personally I found, while tracking my macros during my weight loss journey, I’m not even close to eating enough of it every day, as I’m not the biggest fan of meat and pulses. And while nuts for example are a great source for protein, they also have a lot of calories, so I can add them only sparingly, if I want to keep my weight.
Considering protein can help you keep your bones strong, help with building muscle, and help with feeling fuller for longer, I find it pretty important to get enough of it. And Protein powder is a very practical way for me to do so.
Now of course I could just drink a protein shake or two per day, but I’d rather not drink my calories, and instead prefer to find ways to include it into my food.
How do I do that? I replace up to ¼ of the flour and sugar in a recipe with it. Which, in my mind is a win/win situation.
Flour
For once I’m not mixing white and whole wheat flour but using only fine whole wheat flour, since it goes just so well with the apples with its nutty flavour. Plus, with these muffins being incredibly moist and juicy, it can soak up more of it.
Olive Oil
While butter could work here if melted, oil (you could also use coconut oil, if you don’t mine the flavour it adds) adds even more to the moist character. Batter with oil tends to be very tender and soft, which is the aim here.
Spices
You could use 2 tsp ready made pumpkin spice or make your own using the separate spices stated in the ingredients. If you are planning to make more pumpkin based recipes, it might pay out to prepare a bigger batch and keep it in an airtight container in your cupboard. It’ll last as long as the spices on their own would. Though if you do, use 1 tsp cinnamon, rather than ½ on the same amount of the other spices. Maybe add some clove if you like. Just a tiny amount, it can be overpowering.
The Remaining Ingredients
The raising agents are needed, because we won’t let the sourdough ferment and with that it won’t act as raising agent. But a bit of fluffiness is required. And since the apples and whole wheat would make this dough pretty heavy, there is a decent amount needed here.
Apple Cider Vinegar activates the baking soda and gives a nice tang to these otherwise rather sweet muffins.
The honey is used to sweeten the apples while pre-roasting and lends fantastic flavour to the dough later. Some brown sugar for sweetness, chewiness, and structure.
Vanilla essence. How could I not? It just belongs into muffins or pretty much any sweet dough.
Eggs of course. We are making muffins after all. And a hint of salt for balance.
The Paper Muffin Cases
I feel most of the time it doesn’t matter much, if you bake muffins with or without the little paper forms, but for these Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein I would urge you to line your muffin tin with them, as they are just so juicy, they might stick too much to get them out or fall apart.
The Process
Pre-heat your oven to 175°C (350°F)
Apples
Slice the apples first. I just cut them straight down around the core, then sliced them thinly.
If you have an apple corer, that will work really well, as you could just use a mandolin to slice after. Alas, I don’t own one, as I always found it leaves too much of the core in my apple. And that, to me, feels similar to surprisingly found fish bones. But then, I might just be weird.
Now lay some baking parchment into an oven proof large dish that will hold all your sliced apples. We will stack them alternating apples with drizzles of honey. Finish with honey and a little bit of olive oil drizzled over, to keep them moist.
Bake for about 1h-1h15min, turning the apples every 15minutes, so the top doesn’t dry out and all bake evenly.
Take them out to let them cool a while. Whatever you do: Do NOT throw out the liquid. The juices from the baking with all the flavour of apples and honey will provide the fluid content of the muffins. That was my favourite part from Claire’s Apple cake. It’s such a good use for them and adds so much flavour!
Once they are cooled to room temperature, while holding back the apples, pour the liquid that has formed into a cup. Measure out ¼ cup.
The Protein Powder
If you read some of my recipes, you know what I’ll tell you and can skip ahead. If you haven’t, here is the secret to the protein powder being integrated into the batter without any lumps and floury texture: Pre-mix well with the wet ingredients.
I often use my Nutribullet (again, neither affiliated, nor sponsored), add eggs, olive oil, the ¼ cup liquid from the apples, vanilla, pumpkin puree, apple cider vinegar, the protein powder and, if it fits the sugar and sourdough. Give it a 1 minute mix and admire the super creamy, fluffy mixture you just created.
If you have no Nutribullet, any high speed blender will work. No blender or just a slow one? That or a bowl and a hand mixer or whisk are fine too. Without high speed blender however, add everything above except the olive oil. Mix until you have a creamy mixture, then, slowly, similar to making mayonnaise, first drizzle, then, once half is incorporated, stream in the olive all, while mixing. This will emulsify it instead of creating greasiness.
Mix the wet with the dry
Mix the baking powder, spices, salt and flour in a large bowl. Add the creamy protein mix and stir until the four is just incorporated. Don’t overmix, to avoid tough muffins.
Now take out some of the non-broken apple slices from the cooked apples and set aside for the top of the muffins. Carefully fold the rest into the batter.
Filling the Muffin Cases
Line your muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
If you don’t have any, grease your muffin tin really well, using melted butter and a pastry brush. Then dust some flour over them and shake, so the moulds are all well coated. I still wouldn’t guarantee you get all the muffins out perfectly, but this will give you the best chance.
Using either an ice/cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons, spoon your batter into the muffin cases. You can either make about 15-16 smaller muffins or 12 really large ones. I filled most of mine about 2/3, not wanting them to overflow. Then made 3 pretty full, to have the top puff up. Those 3 were my favourites in the end. But use your preferred shape.
Top with the remaining apple slices and some brown sugar with cinnamon. About 2 tbsp with ½ tsp cinnamon works well. I used demerara sugar for this, as it gives the best crunch.
Bake
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let them cool a little, as they will be very soft straight from the oven and firm up a bit while cooling.
Serve as they are or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Meal Prep
These Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein freeze really well. I keep them in portions of 3-4 in small freezer bags and whenever I want them, I pop them into the air fryer or oven for about 8 minutes, for a juicy and crunchy treat. They are great for breakfast or dessert, and will keep you satisfied for a while.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein
A moist and crunchy fall treat, these Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein have it all: Lots of soft and juicy apples, that get pre-cooked and smothered in cinnamon spiked sourdough-pumpkin puree mix. The Protein powder adds nutrition and sweetness, replacing part of the flour. A cinnamon sugar sprinkling gives an extra crunchy top in contrast to the soft insides.
1poundfirm sweet-tart applesabout 5 medium – Roast, take out ¼ cup of the liquid
4tablespoonshoney
1cuppumpkin puree
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
2teaspoonsapple cider vinegar
1cupsourdough starterunfed/discard
½cupprotein powder
3large eggs at room temperature
1tablespoonplus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4cupsfine whole wheat flour
1 3/4teaspoonsbaking powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonDiamond Crystal kosher salt
1 1/2teaspoonground cinnamondivided, 1 tsp used for cinnamon sugar
1/4teaspoonground allspice
1/8teaspoonground nutmeg
1/4cupsplus 2 tablespoons demerara sugar2 tbsp used for cinnamon sugar
Instructions
Start by preparing the roasted apples:
Slice the apples thinly, removing the core.
Lay baking parchment in an ovenproof dish and stack the sliced apples, drizzling honey between layers.
Finish with honey and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake for 1 to 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning the apples every 15 minutes to prevent drying.
Once baked, let the apples cool, but do not discard the liquid.
When the roasted apples are at room temperature, pour the liquid that has formed into a cup, measuring out ¼ cup.
Pick out a few of the slices that look good and put aside, to top the muffins later.
Prepare the protein powder mixture:
In a blender (Nutribullet or similar), combine the eggs, ¼ cup of liquid from the apples, olive oil, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, apple cider vinegar, protein powder, and, if desired, the sugar and sourdough starter.
Blend for about 1 minute until you have a creamy, fluffy mixture.
If you don't have a high-speed blender, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. Mix until creamy, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while mixing to emulsify.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients:
Mix the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
Mix the wet with the dry:
Add the creamy protein mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the flour is just incorporated. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough muffins.
Fold the apple slices from the roasted apples into the batter.
Filling the Muffin Cases:
Line your muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
If you don't have any, grease the muffin tin with melted butter and a pastry brush, then dust with flour.
Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to fill the muffin cases, about 2/3 full.
Top with the remaining apple slices and sprinkle with a mixture of demerara sugar and cinnamon (about 2 tablespoons of sugar with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon).
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool slightly as they will firm up a bit while cooling.
Serve the Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein as they are or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Notes
Meal PrepThese Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein freeze really well. I keep them in portions of 3-4 in small freezer bags and whenever I want them, I pop them into the air fryer or oven for about 8 minutes, for a juicy and crunchy treat.Calories per Portion: Approximately 189 calories
Protein per Portion: Approximately 4 grams
Carbohydrates per Portion: Approximately 27 grams
Fat per Portion: Approximately 8 grams
Fiber per Portion: Approximately 2 grams
Sugar per Portion: Approximately 14 grams
Sodium per Portion: Approximately 297 milligrams
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Protein
Amount per Serving
Calories
189
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Creamy Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds, just the breakfast you want for a cool fall morning. The pumpkin puree sneaks in a portion of veggies and adds sweetness, while the apples add some much needed acidity as contrast and more fibre. For the addictive crunchy topping, quickly caramelise pumpkin seeds with maple syrup and a pinch of salt.
Why You Want To Make This
I absolutely love Protein Oats, as you probably noticed if you had a look into my breakfast recipes. But even the best one (My favourite are the Apricot Almond Protein Oats https://forthepleasureofeating.com/apricot-almond-protein-oats/) will get boring at some point. So clearly we need variations.
Seasonal
Fitting the autumn theme of Pumpkin, I’ve added some pumpkin puree that I had left after making Sourdough S’mores Cookies https://forthepleasureofeating.com/sourdough-pumpkin-smores-cookies/. It adds a lovely gentle sweetness here and a stunning orange colour. It’s great for kids who might not like their veggies savoury, as you can just sneak them into their sweet breakfast. Though for kids I’d leave out the protein powder.
Apple
I’m using one whole apple including skin in my Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple, which might seem a lot. But the one thing I took away from my weight loss journey was, that the more fruit and veggies I add to each meal, the longer I feel full at the cost of fairly low calories.
You could stew the apple first in a little water if you like it soft, but personally I love the crunch it adds, so I just cook it together with the oats, to cook it slightly, but still have the texture.
Depending on the apple variety, you can control how much acidity you’d like to add to your oatmeal. I quite enjoy it, so my favourite one is Pink Lady, which is sweeter than Granny Smith for example, but with the same crunch to it and similar acidity. If you’d like it sweeter, you could use Gala for example.
In many of my recipes, sweet ones in particular, I try to add protein powder. Why, I hear you ask: I find it difficult to eat enough protein, as I eat very little meat and pulses. Plus I’m not the biggest fan of protein shakes, as they mean I would be drinking part of my calories.
My personal favourite is “MyProtein”, in this case “Cinnamon Danish”, which goes perfectly with the pumpkin spice theme.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you actually enjoy, give this one a try. As a friend said about the Buttered Popcorn flavoured one: It tasted like really good custard or melted vanilla ice cream. I agree.
The Method
During my weight loss period, while tracking my macros and seeing the deficit, I started to look for recipes that added protein powder and still taste good.
Unfortunately back then I didn’t find many. Most would taste unpleasantly floury and just have clumps of protein powder. And honestly, I’d rather not ruin my breakfast! Let alone other sweets.
Which is how I came up with my method of pre-mixing the powder with 1/3 of the milk in case of oats, as the powders have a habit of taking on a strange texture if you cook them with all of it from the start. The mixture would also stick badly to the bottom of your cooking pot. So we are adding it only within the last few minutes on very gentle heat, since we still want warm and creamy oatmeal, but no clumps.
This way it will act more like a custard, adding sweetness, flavour and creaminess to your bowl of oats, without compromising the flavour and texture.
Plant Milk
I’m using 2/3 unsweetened Almond Milk for lower calories and less sticking to the pot when cooking my oatmeal and 1/3 Soy Milk for added protein and creaminess in pre-mixing my protein powder.
I’ve (accidentally) tried using only soy milk, but found it sticks really fast to the bottom of the pot. So I would recommend using some sort of low fat, unsweetened plant milk or, if you are fine with lactose (I’m not) simply use low fat milk.
Oats
I’m using Jumbo Oats (or rolled oats, for those of you not in Ireland) for my oatmeal. I like that they keep a bit of texture and have more fibre than porridge oats. They do need slightly longer to cook (I cook mine for about 10 minutes), but I feel it’s worth the time.
Being German, for me oatmeal/porridge wasn’t really a typical breakfast, until I learned about the benefits they provide and was looking for healthier breakfast alternatives to my usual white rolls with cheese. .
Let’s just say I’m pretty hooked, since I started making them my way. They are not something I feel I have to eat, but rather a breakfast I really enjoy.
Chia Seeds
I tend to add 1 tbsp Chia seeds to my oatmeal or overnight oats. I really love the creaminess they give and if that wasn’t enough, they are really good for you too.
Pumpkin Seeds
And now for the fun part. I mean, this Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple is delicious as it is, but if you want to take it over the top, I urge you to go the super short extra step of adding Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds. I promise, it’s not hard and will add the ultimate crunch and flavour to your morning bowl. Plus, who doesn’t like salted caramel?
Plums
Optional but delicious. Since we have still plenty of lovely sweet-sour plums in the supermarkets, I munch them with pretty much anything. Or just as I pass the fruit bowl on the counter, they are just so good. And as mentioned above, I’m trying to add more fruit and veggies to every meal.
For this oatmeal, I just added them on top and you could think they are just decoration, but they add so much fruity flavour and go great with both pumpkin and apples.
Pumpkin Spice
You could use just cinnamon here and it would be fabulous, but the added allspice, nutmeg and cloves of pumpkin spice gives this a really lovely autumn touch.
If you can’t find it, mix your own. It’s a base of 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8th tsp clove, ¼ tsp allspice and ¼ tsp nutmeg. Since I live in Ireland, where it’s not easily available in supermarkets, I usually mix a bigger batch and keep it in a little container in my spice cupboard.
The Process
Despite my ramblings above, making this Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds is super quick and easy.
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds
If you decided to give them a try, get a small pan, non-stick is best. While heating it up on medium-high temperature, add your pumpkin seeds, pour over the tbsp of maple syrup and a pinch of flakes sea salt. Let them gently caramelise. They are ready when they are getting pretty sticky and most of the liquid in the maple syrup has evaporated. Be careful not to burn them. The caramel should be a medium brown colour. Depending on how dark your maple syrup started, it might be a little lighter or darker.
While they are cooking, add some baking parchment to a small plate. Spread the caramelised pumpkin seeds onto the parchment and let them cool and crisp up while you prepare the oatmeal.
The Oatmeal
If you’d like your apple softer, add it first to a pot with 2 tbsp of water and let it cook for about 5 minutes before adding the ingredients as listed below.
Add the chia seeds, oats a pinch of salt, and your pumpkin spice or cinnamon, followed by 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, your pumpkin puree, and your chopped apple to a small cooking pot. Non-stick is ideal, though I’m using stainless steel quite happily. Stir everything well.
Switch to medium high heat until your milk comes to a boil, then turn down a bit, having them cook low and slow to get really creamy. You want a slow simmer, rather than a fast boil. Stir regularly, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan, so nothing sticks.
Mixing the Protein Powder
While your oats a cooking, in a protein shaker or with a whisk in a small bowl, mix the soy milk with your scoop of protein powder. Make sure you choose one that you actually enjoy.
Once the oats have absorbed nearly all of the liquid, add your protein mix and stir again. You should have a really creamy texture already. We don’t want to burn the protein powder to the bottom of the pot, so turn the heat down further. Keep stirring now, try to not fully boil, but gently heat through the protein-custard, while basically massaging it into your oats.
Once the Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple is done to your liking, serve in a bowl topped with the sliced plum, maybe more apple and the Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds.
Chances are, this is sweet enough as is. If not, add a little maple syrup.
Meal Prep
You could use the exact same ingredients to make overnight oats. Just mix them in a jar, stir thoroughly, wait about 15 minutes and stir again, to break up any chia seed clumps that may have formed, then add the lid and store in the fridge overnight.
Prepare the Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds as described above in the evening and store in a lidded container (not in the fridge, or they will become soft).
The warm version is best eaten fresh.
Enjoy.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds
Creamy Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds, just the breakfast you want for a cool fall morning. The pumpkin puree sneaks in a portion of veggies and adds sweetness, while the apples add some much needed acidity as contrast and more fibre. For the addictive crunchy topping, quickly caramelise pumpkin seeds with maple syrup and a pinch of salt.
1appleChopped into bite sized pieces, ideally skin on.
1scoop Protein powder
1tbspchia seeds
1tspPumpkin spiceor cinnamon
pinchof salt
1cupunsweetened almond milk
1/2cupsoy milk
1plum. Optional but very delicious. Sliced.
Instructions
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds:
Place a small non-stick pan on medium-high heat.
Add 4 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds to the pan.
Pour in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and add a pinch of flaked sea salt to the pumpkin seeds.
Allow the pumpkin seeds to gently caramelize. They are ready when they become sticky and most of the liquid in the maple syrup has evaporated. Be cautious not to burn them. The caramel should be a medium brown color, which may vary depending on the initial color of your maple syrup.
While the seeds are cooking, prepare a small plate with baking parchment.
Spread the caramelized pumpkin seeds onto the parchment and let them cool and become crisp while you prepare the oatmeal.
Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple:
If you prefer your apple softer, start by adding 1 chopped apple to a pot with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook for about 5 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients.
To the pot, add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice (or cinnamon), and 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree.
Pour in 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk and add the chopped apple.
Stir everything together.
Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until the almond milk comes to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a slow simmer, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
In a protein shaker or a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of soy milk with 1 scoop of protein powder. Make sure to choose a protein powder you enjoy.
Once the oats have absorbed most of the liquid, add the protein mixture to the pot and stir well. Be cautious not to let the protein powder stick to the bottom of the pot.
Continue to gently heat the oatmeal, stirring consistently to create a creamy texture. Avoid boiling, but ensure the protein is thoroughly incorporated into the oats.
Once the Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple reaches your desired consistency, serve it in a bowl.
Top the oatmeal with sliced plum, additional apple pieces, and the Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds.
If you find it's not sweet enough, you can add a drizzle of maple syrup to taste.
Enjoy your delicious bowl of Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds. This recipe makes one full bowl.
Notes
Meal PrepYou could use the exact same ingredients to make overnight oats. Just mix them in a jar, stir thoroughly, wait about 15 minutes and stir again, to break up any chia seed clumps that may have formed, then add the lid and store in the fridge overnight.Prepare the Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds as described above in the evening and store in a lidded container (not in the fridge, or they will become soft).The warm version is best eaten fresh.Calories: Approximately 350-400 calories per serving
Protein: Approximately 15-20 grams per serving
Fat: Approximately 12-15 grams per serving
Carbohydrates: Approximately 40-45 grams per serving
Fiber: Approximately 9-11 grams per serving
Sugars: Approximately 15-20 grams per serving
Nutrition
Calories: 370kcal
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds
Amount per Serving
Calories
370
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Breakfast, Healthy, High Fibre, High Protein, Vegetarian
Just the breakfast you need for fall, my Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Protein give you an easy and quick breakfast with hidden veggies from the pumpkin, extra nutrition from the protein powder plus a contrasting slight tang from sourdough discard. The result is a fluffy, satisfying pancake with a bright colour to make you feel all warm and cosy.
Why You Want To Make This
Sourdough
In pursuit of uses for my sourdough discard, I basically add it to pretty much anything that contains flour, starting from flat bread over waffles all the way to cookies and cakes.
I feel it adds it’s benefits and so much flavour to anything it touches.
Two studies found that sourdough might be able to help with celiac disease due to eliminating the toxicity of wheat flour during long term fermentation.
Considering most of these benefits occur once the sourdough had time to slowly ferment, I usually make these the evening before and put the dough in the fridge, to give the little yeast bacteria time to do their job. Even though I’m not gluten intolerant, but the benefits in nutrition would be helpful for anyone.
Protein
Now apart from the sourdough, which would be plenty of reasons to eat these, I’ve also added protein powder, which replaces part of the flour. Why, you ask, would I add protein?
Personally I found, while tracking my macros during my weight loss journey, I’m not even close to eating enough of it every day, as I’m not the biggest fan of meat and pulses. And while nuts for example are a great source for protein, they also have a lot of calories, so I can add them only sparingly, if I want to keep my weight.
Considering protein can help you keep your bones strong, help with building muscle, and help with feeling fuller for longer, I find it pretty important to get enough of it. And Protein powder is a very practical way for me to do so.
Now of course I could just drink a protein shake or two per day, but I’d rather not drink my calories, but prefer to find ways to include it into my food.
How do I do that? I replace up to ¼ of the flour and sugar in a recipe with it. Which, in my mind is a win/win situation.
Pumkin Puree
Apart from it giving these Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Protein their stunning colour and a lovely flavour, Pumpkin also sneaks in some vegetables. Another “trick” I used during my weight loss period. The generally low caloric density but high fibre of them, help us feeling full as well and gives our bodies the nutrition it needs to function well.
So I usually try to add both vegetables and fruit to all of my meals.
Whole wheat flour
Also for added fibre and nutrition benefits, I’m adding some whole wheat flour. Plus of course its lovely nutty flavour plays really well with the pumpkin. Think “Pumpkin-Pecan” and you know what I mean.
Spices
Of course you can’t have pumpkin pancakes without pumpkin spice. So I’m adding some of that too. If you can’t find it, mix your own. It’s a base of 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8th tsp clove, ¼ tsp allspice and ¼ tsp nutmeg. Since I live in Ireland, where it’s not easily available in supermarkets, I usually mix a bigger batch and keep it in a little container in my spice cupboard.
Alternatively you could just add cinnamon.
Raising agents
While the sourdough itself has raising powers, we want really fluffy pancakes. So I’m adding some baking powder and soda here.
A note on that: If you leave the pancake batter to ferment overnight, as I often do, only add those right before frying, as they will lose their effectiveness if they stand too long.
Toppings
Pancakes without toppings are only half good, aren’t they? Which means I’m adding even more fruit here. For fresh and juicy flavour as much as the benefits they give me. .
In this case I’m using blueberries, one of my all-time favourites and plums, because their acidity goes just so well with the pumpkin.
You could use any fruit you enjoy really. Berries, apples, grapes would all go really well with these Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Protein. Greek yoghurt would be nice too. And of course, as I did here, some cinnamon sugar and/or maple syrup.
The Process
Mix the wet and protein
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
In a protein shaker, vigorously mix the protein powder and soy milk, until there are no lumps left and you have a very creamy mixture. Add to the sourdough mix.
I often speed this process up by putting the protein powder and all the wet ingredients I can fit into my Nutribullet, just mixing it for a minute, until it’s really creamy.
Mix the wet with the dry
For the next step: You can prepare the batter the evening before, but if you do, leave out the baking powder and soda until the next morning, as it would lose some of its effectiveness overnight.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and fine sea salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing; a few lumps in the batter are fine.
Frying
Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. If needed, lightly grease the surface with additional coconut oil.
Once the skillet is hot, pour approximately 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on the surface.
Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
If you’d like to keep the stack warm while you fry the rest, keep them on a plate in your oven, set to the lowest temperature.
Meal Prep
As most of my recipes, Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Protein are great for meal prep.
There is the fact that you can prepare the batter, except baking soda and powder, in the evening and it only gets better overnight.
Once fried, they freeze really well and can be heated through simply in the toaster. I like to keep them in portions in little bags or containers, so I can just grab a super quick and healthy breakfast, when I’m in a hurry.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Protein
Just the breakfast you need for fall, my Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Protein give you an easy and quick breakfast with hidden veggies from the pumpkin, extra nutrition from the protein powder plus a contrasting slight tang from sourdough discard. The result is a fluffy, satisfying pancake with a bright colour to make you feel all warm and cosy.
½cupprotein powderI used “My Protein” Cinnamon Danish. Vanilla flavour would work too.
3/4cupSourdough discard
3/4cuppumpkin puree
1large egg
4tbspCoconut oil
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1cupwhole wheat flour
1cupall-purpose flour
1tsppumpkin spice or cinnamon
2tspbaking powder
1tspbaking soda
1/2tspkosher salt
Optional for topping:
Cinnamon sugar
Plums
Blueberries
Maple syrup
Instructions
Mix the wet and protein
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
In a protein shaker, vigorously mix the protein powder and soy milk, until there are no lumps left and you have a very creamy mixture. Add to the sourdough mix.
Mix the wet with the dry
For the next step: You can prepare the batter the evening before, but if you do, leave out the baking powder and soda until the next morning, as it would lose some of its effectiveness overnight.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and fine sea salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing; a few lumps in the batter are fine.
Frying
Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. If needed, lightly grease the surface with additional coconut oil.
Once the skillet is hot, pour approximately 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on the surface.
Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
If you’d like to keep the stack warm while you fry the rest, keep them on a plate in your oven, set to the lowest temperature.
Notes
Meal PrepAs most of my recipes, Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Protein are great for meal prep.
There is the fact that you can prepare the batter, except baking soda and powder, in the evening and it only gets better overnight.Once fried, they freeze really well and can be heated through simply in the toaster. I like to keep them in portions in little bags or containers, so I can just grab a super quick and healthy breakfast, when I’m in a hurry.Pumpkin Sourdough Pancakes (Per Pancake, assuming 14 pancakes):Calories: Approximately 120-130 calories per pancake
Protein: Approximately 4-5 grams per pancake
Fat: Approximately 4-5 grams per pancake
Carbohydrates: Approximately 15-17 grams per pancake
Fiber: Approximately 2-3 grams per pancake
Sugars: Approximately 2-3 grams per pancake
Nutrition
Calories: 125kcal
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes with Protein
Amount per Serving
Calories
125
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Breakfast, Easy, Healthy, High Protein, sourdough
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