Sourdough Granola

• servings: 9 servings
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1/3 cup (76g) sourdough starter ripe (fed) or discard*

4 to 6 tablespoons (78g to 117g) maple syrup or honey

1 tablespoon (13g) vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon table salt

[Below this line everything is negotiable, as long as the total volume remains the same. Spices can be customized. I've often reduced the amount of oats in favor of extra nuts and seeds, and I have literally never used puffed rice. Fruit can be eliminated without any other adjustments.]

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup (89g) old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup (12g) puffed rice

1/2 cup (57g) pecan halves coarsely chopped

1/4 cup (35g) sunflower seeds

1/4 cup (41g) pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon flax seeds optional

1 tablespoon chia seeds optional

1/3 cup (28g) shredded coconut unsweetened

1/2 cup (70g to 80g) dried fruit choose one kind or a blend (cherries raisins currants blueberries or chopped dates are all good choices)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet; or line it with parchment.

In a small bowl, stir together the sourdough starter, maple syrup, vegetable oil, salt, and cinnamon until smooth.

In a separate large bowl, combine the oats, puffed rice, pecans, seeds, and coconut.

Pour the sourdough mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened.

Spread the granola out onto the prepared baking sheet, clustering and pressing it together as much as you’d like.

Bake the granola for 25 to 30 minutes, until it smells roasted and nutty and has turned golden.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow it to cool completely before stirring in the dried fruit (if using).

Store the granola in an airtight container or tightly-sealed jar for a month or more.

Notes

A customization I recommend - put some walnuts and optionally an additional nut or two through the food processor and use that as part of your nuts and seeds mix-in. It clumps nicely into bits that are kind of like the clusters in things like Honey Bunches of Oats or Raisin Bran Crunch.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup (57g)
• Calories: 230
• Total Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 3G
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 70mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 28g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Total Sugars: 12g
• Protein: 5g