Coconut Sourdough with lashings of Strawberry Jam

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Many many moons ago, when I was a footloose and fancy free youngster, I worked in England for a little old lady. Charged with looking after this delightful old lady, it was up to me to make sure she was cared for and entertained. Being a little old lady she didn’t like big meals but she sure liked lots of little ones. There was breakfast, morning tea, 11’ses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper…alright maybe it wasn’t that many. But it felt like it. Afternoon tea however was a must. At precisely 3pm, a cup of tea and a little something to tide her over until the next meal would be served. Now more often than not, she would be rather partial to a packet of crisps and a quick nod off in the comfy armchair. Only for her to wake up awhile later with fallen crisps surrounding her and only the backpacker carer to blame it on.

Sometimes though, she would like a piece of cake or bread and jam. Accompanied with a little recital from the poetry in “Alice in Wonderland”. As I  was always happy to make cake and love to read this was always a really nice way to spend the afternoon.

Winter sun peaking through the curtains, little old lady with jam and bread perched on her knee and footloose and fancy free backpacker reading… “will you walk a little faster? said the whiting to the snail, there’s a porpoise right behind me and he’s stepping on my tail…”

Coconut Sourdough with Strawberry Jam- just the thing for a little afternoon tea.

Strawberry Jam

750gms roughly chopped and hulled strawberries

750gms sugar

1 lime juiced

1/2 lemon juiced

Cook the strawberries and sugar together. As there is no water in this recipe, keeping stirring continuously until moisture comes out of strawberries (otherwise it will burn.) Add juice of lime and lemon and cook until gets to wrinkle stage or do the saucer test. Bottle it up or just keep in a bowl in the fridge, (it gets eaten pretty quickly round here.)

Coconut Sourdough Loaf

175gms starter

1 1/2 cups bakers flour

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

200-250mls water

2 tbs honey

3/4 tps salt

What I did was mixed, over night ferment, 2 folds over about 5 hours. Final prove in tin for about 20 minutes. Baked at 250C initially for about 15 minutes and then down to 180C for a further 10 minutes. This was only a small loaf as it was an experiment. I’m not sure whether it’s the honey or coconut which hinders the rising process for the sourdough, (or it could be both). There were a few holes, but it is a denser loaf compared to my normal sourdough.

A hit though for The Monkeys when they were whooping it up for a little something to tide them over until dinner time.

The Lobsters Quadrille Lewis Carroll

“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle — will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?

“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance —
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France —
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?

20 thoughts on “Coconut Sourdough with lashings of Strawberry Jam”

  2. Were you ‘up North’ Brydie? Six meals a day and three of them cake is how it works in the North of England. Or it does when I visit my Dad 🙂 Lovely post ! On your bread, is there no fresh water in there when you mix the dough, that might be what slows it down too. The yeastie beasties like a fresh drink sometimes 😉 Maybe use less starter and give the dough fresh water and flour in proportion?

    Lewis Caroll scared me as a child but I like his stuff better now….

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    • eek, left out the water- edited now, thankyou. I’ll have to give it another crack and see what I can do. It was tasty, and stayed fresh for ages just like a good sourdough does.
      When I looked after the old lady I was in a little town called Mudeford, near Bournemouth. Such a pretty area.

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  3. Great story! My immagination was going wild visualising this young backpacker sitting on a stool reading, while the little old lady nods off in her dream world…just perfect….strawberry jam.mmmm…yummy! Great memories!

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  4. Sounds like a perfect afternoon to me, too!
    Lucy and Carly Simon put out a children’s album with the Lobster’s Quadrille on it and I always hear their voices in the background- especially on the “Will you, won’t you?” parts.
    Strawberry jam on ANY fresh bread is a treat.
    Great post!

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  6. What a great photo of the jam dripping off the bread – I love it.
    Alice in Wonderland is one of my top 3 favourites from childhood and I read it repeatedly – along with The Wind in the Willows and The Secret Garden!

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  13. I imagine that you would have to stir the strawberry and the sugar for quite a while before the liquid begins to seep out. I haven’t heard of that one before. Lots of interesting snippets on your blog I must say.

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