Alaska Sourdough [Paperback]

Ruth Allman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2003

"Sourdough is a magical food", as author Ruth Allman was fond of saying. There are folks in Alaska who claim the staff of life in their sourdough pots is more than 40 years old or date it to the time when Fairbanks was a mining town.  Handwwritten to match the old-timers recipes, this book includes directions for several starters that can ripen in varying times, three days to one year.

In this witty and useful last word on sourdough cookery, there are more than 95 recipes, loads of time-tested advice for the novice, and plenty of lore for sourdough fans.

In this classic last word on sourdough cookery, there are recipes for Alaskan frontier staples (hotcakes to doughnuts) with time-tested advice and love.

Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books; Cookbook edition (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882400851
• ISBN-13: 978-0882400853
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Alaskan Sourdough, January 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Alaska Sourdough (Paperback)

Ruth Allman has written an excellent book about Alaskan sourdough history and provided very tasty receipes. As a resident of Kodiak,Alaska I have been lucky enough to get some of Ruth Allmans sourdough starter. I have tried her receipes and all I can say is , wow! San Francisco look out. You get a real sense of the struggle of the pioneers with this book, and the way she describs the receipes, you can just imagine spreading the butter and jam on the bread. My favorite receipe is the hot griddle cakes with fresh strawberries. As Ruth says, the art of mixing the batter with air, and the timing of slopping it on the grill is a skill learned over time. The Baked Alaska with sourdough waffles (which by the way is how it was actually first made) is a dessert from heaven. This is a book that every sourdough making Alaskan owns.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Alaskan cooking, December 21, 1999

By 

Gary W. Marian (Anchorage, Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alaska Sourdough (Paperback)

I have been using this book since 1988, the eighth printing, and I can honestly say it is the best sourdough cookbook I have seen. The recipe's are easy to follow and the history lessons are entertaining as well. Ms. Allman has written a really fun book and I do mean written. The entire book is hand written ! Truly an Alaskan cookbook.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheechako to Sourdough in 190 Pages, February 24, 2001

By 

MERRIBETH NORD - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alaska Sourdough (Paperback)

My poor dogeared, stained copy of this book came to me by way of my dad and brother after their trip to Alaska in 1989. Dad acquired some starter in about 1959 that its guardian said had been going since the days of the 49ers. I know it's been bubbling since then. All Dad made, though, were bread and rubbery pancakes. He, unfortunately, didn't buy a copy for himself, although I'd give anything to have him make another meal of them! You see, that's the magic of sourdough, the romance, the stories, the memories! I've not yet been to Alaska, but Ruth Allman has taken me from Cheechako to Sourdough by generously sharing her recipes and her stories with me. I read this book just for the enjoyment of it sometimes. We had her waffles this morning. I made her Flower Rolls recipe into Danish rolls for my famously fussy father-in-law. What better tribute could I make to this cook and her book than to say that he loved them! My two year old son and I will make a little fire in the woods and bake a sourdough version of bannock in Dad's old Dutch oven this week and make some memories of our own.