Sourdough Redux, part 2: Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Here is another nice way to use extra sourdough starter, particularly if you have a dog.  These treats are quick to make, use ingredients you probably have, and are gratifyingly well-received.  

When you have accumulated around a quart of refrigerated excess starter,  it's time to fill the biscuit jar.  

Assemble the following:

• Large mixing bowl, preferably on a mixer with beater attachment and dough hook
• Two non-stick baking sheets
• Sturdy plastic scraper
• Rolling pin
• Biscuit-shaped cookie cutters appropriate for your target audience

Ingredients:

• 4 cups refrigerated sourdough starter
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup dry milk powder
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 4 cups King Arthur whole wheat flour
• More flour, for adjusting consistency and rolling

Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F
2. Scrape sourdough starter into the large mixing bowl.
3. Add milk, dry milk powder, eggs.  Mix with beater attachment or by hand.
4. Add the peanut butter and mix well.
5. Change to the dough hook.
6. Add whole wheat flour until a firm dough is formed.  The dough should hold an imprint of your hand.
7. Roll the dough out to 1/2" thick on a floured countertop, sprinkle more whole wheat flour on top.  Cut out shapes and place on ungreated baking sheets.
8. Gather the leftover dough, fold twice and roll out again.  Cut more, and repeat until all the dough is used, and the sheets are full:

Bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes, or until very firm (not hard) to the touch.  

Your house will fill with the smell of peanut butter and baking bread, so you may have some impatient customers to deal with:

When the biscuits are done, cool on the counter for 3 hours, to help drying.  At this point, you can place them in an Uncovered container, so that drying can continue.  

Vary the recipe by omitting the peanut butter and adding one cup of shredded cheese, and/or cooked, ground protein such as lean chicken (no skin) or beef.

Bone  appetit!