Time, sourdough and a little Pecan and Prune Bread

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Sourdough seems to put a lot of people off by the time factor of it all. Before I started making it last year, I liked the idea of sourdough, but even making the  starter seemed too lengthy, too time consuming, and a whole lot of hassle really. When I finally jumped in and just made the thing, it was a ohh, is that all? So with the starter bubbling away, I jumped in and away I swam with my sourdoughy… err… dough.

So is it time consuming?

Does it take a lot of work?

Does the convenience of sliced shop bread lure me over some times?

Time consuming, I don’t think of it as. (Saying that, I’m not trying to fit in with a paid job that requires my attention away from home for the majority of the day.)

You do have to plan a little. I don’t wake up in the morning and think ohh, today I shall make sourdough and have it on the table by lunch time. It’s usually a 3 day process, but it certainly doesn’t take 3 whole days to make it.

Sourdough is using natural yeast, so it works on its own time. Some times that sourdough is a sprightly young energetic woman with places to go and people to see. Bubbly and so full of spirit.

Some times that dough is a lethargic old man, shuffling along in worn out old slippers and a battered zimmer frame. You get stuck behind him, and you just know you can’t over take, as it would be rude. You just have to slow yourself down some and let the old fella set the pace.

Either way sourdough is boss. You can fiddle and tweak a little by finding a cooler spot to get it to slow down some or finding a sunny warm spot  to fasten things up a little. It all depends on the activity level of the starter, the flour and the room temperature though.

So does it take a lot of work?

No, not really. A starter feed= 1 minute. Wait 8-12 hours, feed again. Wait 8-12 hours, feed again. Wait 8-12 hours, mix up dough with a mixer and dough hooks. A plain dough=5 minutes of getting ingredients together and mixing. Go do something else more exciting for about 40 minutes, then mix again adding the salt. A quick 30 second knead. Leave it on the bench to think about things for a while. Read The Monkeys a story, have a shower, eye off some dark chocolate and then whack it in the fridge over night. In the morning, shape it (5 minutes), pop it on some trays and let it come back to room temperature- 4ish hours, slash. Bake.

1+1+1+5+30 sec+5  

That’s 13 minutes and 30 seconds of hands on time with the dough (a basic, nothing crazy loaf) over several days+ waiting and baking.

Some times I have to wait for the rising dough and sometimes it has to wait for me, we both have to be a bit flexible, which is the wonderful thing about sourdough, it is flexible. You can adapt the whole bread making process to suit you. I’ve mentioned this as one of my methods on making it work, but there are many other ways that other people do it, some that work for me and some that don’t. If it doesn’t fit in with your life style it’s going to become a pain. You don’t want it to become a pain.

So do away with the watch. Judge your bread on how it looks and just fiddle with it until you find out what works for you. Sometimes my loaves aren’t the greatest. Sometimes that extra 3 minutes baking turns into 15 and dark and crusty have a totally new meaning. Sometimes I don’t feel like washing yet another doughy mixing bowl, but… I always enjoy eating it and so do my family.

And that’s the trade off.

So jump in, give it a go, and if it doesn’t work out for you, it might later down the track.

*********

…and does the lure of sliced shop bread ever tempt me?… No chance. 

Pecan and Prune Bread

200g starter

50g oats

8 pitted and chopped large prunes

80mls hot water

large handful of chopped pecans

300g strong bakers flour

200-250mls water

1 tsp salt

Starter at 100% hydration. The 80mls of hot water to soak the oats and prunes beforehand. Mixed together and using a method that suits you.

(Baked at 240C with steam.)

* This post submitted to yeastspotting

green hair

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A few months back now, I had a little hair dilemma.

My head had decided it would no longer tolerate the stuff I was trying to wash my hair with. No. Instead my head decided to cover itself with painful red lumps that would only go away if I switched shampoos. Ok, so I had developed an odd little/big reaction to my normal shampoo that I had  been using for quite some time.  So I switched…and I switched….and then I switched some more. Nothing was quite right. All the ‘greener’ options either made my hair look the end of a fox’s tail (which is fine if that’s the look you are going for…but I wasn’t.) Or didn’t quite clean as I had hoped for, leaving hair greasy after consecutive washes.

What to do? What to do?

Then two lovely bloggers that I follow, (Multiple Mum and Bruise Mouse ) posted in the same week of using bicarbonate soda and apple cider vinegar for hair washing. It was a sign. I had nothing to lose but some greasy locks and a few painful lumps or two right?

I had read about this method a long time ago but hadn’t taken the plunge yet. I had also read that it might take a few days/weeks to adjust to the new method, but from my experience it was fine from the beginning. Actually it was more than fine. It was great! Clean hair, no residual smell, hair is soft, and has more oomph than it’s had in a long time. Swish, swish, swish…

The method I’ve been using is-

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda mixed with about 80mls of water to make a runny solution. I work that in to the roots and scalp then rinse out with water. I do it on dry hair initially as the bicarb doesn’t lather up at all and if it’s done on dry I can tell where I have ‘shampooed’.

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar mixed with about 700mls water poured over ends. Leave for a few minutes and then rinse out with water.

* Since starting this I have found these two combinations can be a little drying to my hair, so have worked out the best solution for me at the moment is to use regular conditioner alternately with the apple cider vinegar. 

A few weeks in after switching and the lovely Christine also posted on her method for conditioning using rosemary and apple cider vinegar here.

Three months later, and I couldn’t be happier. It is kind of funny that I use the same product for washing my hair, cleaning my bathroom and making my Anzac Biscuits, but hey…it works, and it works really well.

**********

Now while I’m talking of green hair, let’s have a little peek at green hair removal, now I’m not talking of hair on the top of your head…

Hair. Some people love it. Some people hate it. Some people have it. Some people don’t.

Hair options are many.

Shaving, waxing, laser, threading, sugaring, epilation, depilation are some of the methods to take it all off.

Or you can simply grow it.

Hair removal options

Shaving– reusable razors with disposable heads or disposable plastic razors. The disposables make up a huge amount of plastic landfill each year. Hair starts growing immediately.

Waxing– Lots of different brands out there. Some plant based and some petroleum-based. Hair gets sparser as waxing continues. Cotton strips, plastic strips, wooden strips can all be used for slapping the wax on.

Laser– long term hair loss results. Lots of equipment used.

Depilation– creams that dissolve the hair with a whole lot of stinky chemicals at skin level.

Epilation– hair taken from just below the skin’s surface. Electronic or battery operated machines usually used.

So what are the ‘greenest’ hair removal options?

Sugaring- “sugar waxing”, hair taken from the root using sugar, water and lemon juice or vinegar.

Threading– a piece of cotton used, takes the hair from the root level. (I love this one. Small thread of cotton a few twists and whoosh!)

 

Or simply…

Grow it– grow it and be proud.


letters from the week

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Dear Jasmine,

You smell so wonderful. I know spring is just around the corner, when I’m walking down the street and a heady waft of sweet smelling jasmine tickles my nose…

Dear Irish backpacker,

At what point did you think it was a good idea to smash our security door in? I wonder if you had maybe 5 less beers than your allocated 20, perhaps you might have realised you indeed didn’t live in this building, and that’s why your key wasn’t working.

Dear Roly Poly,

You seemed like a good idea at the time. The mental challenge had been made. It had been 18 years since I last did a roly poly…it could be another 18 years before I try doing it again. My CWA cookbook I thought would be the one to follow, perhaps what I really needed was a CWA member standing next to me and guiding me. Lucky for me The Monkeys don’t notice cracks… or weren’t close enough to hear the muttered @#$%* on rolling the thing. Despite all that… you indeed tasted delicious, and I suspect it was because there was half a jar of vanilla plum jam tucked away within your spongey folds.

Dear Little Monkey,

You nearly made it six months in between Emergency Dept visits. Nothing quite like suspicious spots, a temperature and the hovering word meningococcal to ease you into the weekend. (Turns out it was viral related petechiae.)

Dear Dark Chocolate,

I didn’t think I wanted much of you….turns out I was wrong.

Dear Newspaper,

Today, I hear you whispering to me, quietly nudging me to the sunny spot with a big pillow.

Yes, I think that will do just fine…

********

Anyone else have any letters from their week?

Golden Syrup Ginger Puddings

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Winter has drawn to an end, and along with it the need for heavier, warming desserts after dinner.

Eeeek, hang on a second… I’d barely got started! I had mental puddings lined up, still waiting to be made. Hold off blossoming flowers, sit tight warming day time temperatures… there are puddings to be made. 

I wanted to make something without a whole lot of hassle, and not crazy, crazy sweet. (If you want to up the sweet, put more golden syrup in the bottom.) Easy to quickly put together and heats well over the next few days… or eaten cold in the middle of the night when hunger knocks on your door...*ahem*

Golden Syrup Ginger Puddings

200g softened butter

100g brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 beaten eggs

2 cups of flour (300g)

1/2 cup yogurt (125mls)

handful chopped uncrystallized ginger

Cream butter and sugar, add beaten eggs and remaining ingredients. In ramekins, a couple of spoonfuls of golden syrup (depends how sweet you want it) and then spoon pudding mixture on top. Place ramekins in a tray full of water in the oven. Water should come about half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake at 190C for about 40 minutes, (cooked when a skewer comes up clean.)

just how hot is hot?

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I did a post at the end of summer on my tiny gas metre box garden. Nothing flash. Just a few pots of greenery that keep me centred. The chilli plants happily flowered and grew, they even got through the Noah’s Ark of winter rain thrown at them. Then they turned red, actually they are still turning red. Slowly changing from subtle green, to come on- I dare you red.

Now when I planted these little fella’s I wanted something a little feisty. The packet said hot, actually it said piccante. It was an Italian heirloom variety. So anything labelled piccante, and I have high hopes.

Not gaspingly, oh for the love of god, find me a river and submerge my firey mouth.

 But, hey…Oooo, yep, that’s a bit hot right there.

Something like that anyway.

So they have been turning red, and I’ve slowly been collecting them on my kitchen window sill. A little fiery red mountain growing. Each day I wonder, just how hot they are.

these look like a completely different variety, but I'm sure they came out of the same packet.

Blueberries are also flowering. Last season there was just a tiny handful of flowers that seemed to take six months to actually develop the fruit. This year with quadruple the flowers, I’m hoping the fruiting doesn’t take quite so long.

Rosemary is also happy. I just have to remember not to remember it. It’s never happy when I give it too much love and attention. Neglect, and the odd whisper of I’m still watching you, and it seems to thrive.

There are some other pots as well that look empty, but have sleeping seeds in them. What’s in there though and I wouldn’t have a clue. I planted them one evening and then got rushed inside. Distracted for the next few days, I never quite made it back out to write what I had planted and where. So now, wouldn’t have a clue what was in there.

Never mind, who doesn’t like surprises….especially the plant kind.

Now, speaking of surprises, I think it might be time to find out just how hot that chilli really is…

Just how hot is hot?

Slow Sunday

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A group of friends

A table of food

And a whole lot of lovely conversation

********

What’s on the menu?

Plain sourdough

Quinoa Sourdough

Butter made from cream- from this local dairy

Caramelised Onion Tart with Labne

Apple Cabbage Pecan Salad

Baked Ricotta

Strawberries in Lemon

*********

* Slow Sunday was originally me hiring a commercial kitchen for the day, to cook locally produced foods, for a seasonal menu. One long table, ten people, and the promise of real food, slow food, unhurried conversation and chance to show what beautiful food is available to us here in sunny Sydney. Alas, not to be… this time. The kitchen changed hands and 3 weeks before, they cancelled the booking. Disappointing, as it had taken me a little while to summon the courage up to book it. However, lunch with a few friends on a much smaller scale menu was decidedly lovely…and perfect for a slow Sunday.

Moroccan Chickpeas- Frugal Friday

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Super quick, and super easy. If you prefer dried chickpeas just soak them before hand, and for the tomatoes if you have fresh ones available in abundance use them. Garlic is also another thing I would usually put in here, but not having access to Australian garlic for the moment, most dishes are garlic less. If you have it at home though, whack it in.

Moroccan Chickpeas

In a pot add a couple of good slurps of olive oil

a diced onion

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp cumin

1 can chickpeas

1 can tomatoes

rinse the can out with half water, pop it in

2 bunches of chopped English spinach

2 chopped carrots

and whack the lid on for about 10 minutes.

Salt to taste and serve with basmati rice or cous cous, a dollop of natural yogurt, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of turmeric.

10 minutes to prepare, and ten minutes to cook

word was out, rosetta rolls were in

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The word was out. The hunt was on. Rosetta rolls were in.

Rosetta rolls, were the latest thing to plant them selves in my head. An idea that jiggled around like a salsa dancer with funny itch. Ok, maybe not quite like that, but the seed had been planted. I wanted to make rosetta rolls. Those crusty little Italian rolls in the shape of flower, quite often hollow inside, and if my memory served me correctly more than moderately delicious stuffed full with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. Once an idea implants itself within, it’s pretty hard to shake off that salsa dancer with the funny itch, so I sent out a call for help.

The Bread Goddesses (Celia and Joanna) heeded the call and the hunt began in earnest. Not much longer than 48 hours after the call had gone out and I had a press in my hand. Now that was surprisingly quick for something at the start of my search seemed completely futile, and that clearly I would have to travel to Italy to go and find my own bread stamp. I was certainly willing…sometimes these kind of things just need to be done.

First batch I did a sourdough version and a yeasted version.

Sourdough Rosetta rolls– first batch

200g starter (100% hydration)

450g strong bakers flour

300mls water

1 1/4 tsp salt

(The difference between the colours is top and bottom shelf in the oven.)

(Second batch substituting 100g of the flour with semolina.)

Yeasted Rosetta Rolls- first batch

50g starter

1 tsp dried yeast

125mls warm water

2 tbls flour

whisked together and left for two hours, (this wasn’t a particular method, I just needed to go out.)

Then mixed in

450g flour

250mls water

waited 15 minutes then added

1 1/2 tsp salt

Prove for about an hour, quick knead and then another prove for another hour or so. (It was a cool day)

For shaping both kinds of rolls. I divided the dough into 8. Flatten quickly, then pulled the corners into the middle, with the idea of trapping as much air as possible. Flipped it over and gently tightened it all by using a pushing action going under the roll and spinning it around. On to tray and used the wonderful little stamp dipped in a little vegetable oil.

Baked at 240C with lots of steam.

Second go, and I didn’t bother with the yeasted ones, life is a whole lot nicer with sourdough. The same ingredients and quantities as the first batch but this time substituting 100g of the flour for semolina. This using a little rye flour with the stamp on top to hopefully stop the bread for joining again after using the stamp.

Any difference between the oil and rye with the stamp formation? Not noticeably. Some of the bread rolls had joined a little and some kept the perfect markings. With the addition of the semolina, I’m not sure yet. I think I’ll keep tweaking the semolina and bakers flour ratio though.

second batch with semolina

Anyone else willing to heed the call of the rosetta?…Or simply have a salsa dancer with a funny itch of an idea?

This post submitted to yeastspotting.

enthusiasm…

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I gave a friend a sourdough lesson the other day. I think it went quite well. Actually I think it went really well.

Not because of my untold clear teaching techniques, (nope, not at all) but because she had enthusiasm, and later that night when her first made loaf came out of the oven, that enthusiasm was still there. Bundles of it.

It was impossible not to get caught up in her enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, for wanting to completely change around her families eating habits. Wanting to make things from scratch, away with packets, and also embracing the sourdough. Jumping all in as she had only made three loaves of bread before and then deciding that she wanted to give sourdough a crack.

It’s so wonderful to find like minded people who think along a similar way regarding food, you can stop being the odd one out for a while and that’s… lovely.

I think I had subconsciously started to tone things down a bit, even here on the blog. Did people really want to hear over and over that if you make something from scratch it tastes better. That it makes so much more sense to eat seasonally. To know where your food comes from, to get to know what was going in to your kids bodies and how to cook that food. Not Michelin starred restaurant style food but good honest, eat it everyday kind of cooking. When someone is so enthusiastic about wanting to learn, and wanting to pass that knowledge on to their own children, it’s inspiring.

Really inspiring.

It reminded me that it is really important, this food journey that a lot of people are beginning to take on and the more people that shout it from the roof tops, (not in a jam it down your throat kind of way), but in a hey, I made this, and that makes me so freakin’ happy I can’t tell you... well I think it’s worth it.

Food should be so much more than something that gets squashed together in a factory, popped in some plastic and a box, and then to be selected from a supermarket shelf. I understand convenience, and I understand lack of time, but good food shouldn’t have to mean hours and hours in a kitchen. Good food can be as simple as good core ingredients. Great core ingredients even. Back yard tomatoes, a little local goat cheese, a drizzle of awesome olive oil, a grind of black pepper and a chunk of crusty bread.

Simple. Tasty. Healthy.

The more people start to question where their food is coming from, finding out what it is exactly on their plates, and getting excited about cooking, the more things will change for the better.

If someone does this with bubbling enthusiasm, a skip in their step and love in their heart…well I think I want to be a part of that.

Strawberries in Lemon

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Some delicious strawberries are starting to hit my kitchen bench. Just briefly.

Briefly as The Monkeys like to wrestle them out of my hands and flick them into the mouths quicker than you can say… hey, I was going to eat that.

I hid two punnets at the back of the fridge. It was the only way I was going to get this dessert out.

Strawberries in Lemon

2 punnets of strawberries (minus maybe a few…. they looked good to me too)

3 tbls raw sugar

3 tbls lemon juice

Let it sit for about an hour, letting all those juices think about things a while. Then put on the table with a flourish…. look what I just found at the back of the fridge!

*For an adult version swap the lemon juice for a sweet white wine.

* For Sydney-siders locally grown strawberries are coming in soon, so keep a look out at your friendly local farmers markets.

in my kitchen…

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There has been a flurry of activity in my kitchen lately. Dishes are stacking up, ideas are being scribbled down, the floor is strewn with flour, and the cupboards have mysterious small grubby hand prints on them…

In my kitchen, is a cooling tray of gingerbread men, all ready to be bundled together for a little girl’s birthday.

In my kitchen is a waiting patiently gnome fairy that needs a new home for the same little girl’s birthday. The wings are a little shonky, but I’m hoping she won’t be scrutinising.

In my kitchen, is a whole heap of sourdough action. Portions of Suzie are being sent all over the neighbourhood, with less than satisfactory instructions of what to do with her (from my part.) Fingers crossed for everyone involved. May the sourdough gods be generous to all her new followers.

In my kitchen is some slashing practise after reading Zeb Bakes’ very informative post. The thing is, I got nervous. I was about to start and I hesitated… I stalled….oh the pressure! I don’t usually think so much about the technique, so hesitating made it pull a little. Mr Chocolate said that looks really good, which was nice, but it wasn’t the look I was aiming for though. There will be a whole lot more slashing practising from now on.

In my kitchen is the new ‘Feast’ magazine from SBS. I don’t get any magazines except for our gifted Sanctuary subscription, and I don’t watch so many cooking shows these days, but the magazine combines all that is wonderful from SBS, food, different cultures, and great articles in the one  magazine. Loving it. Especially as there is a roti canai recipe in there that looks completely do-able, and so far the old roti has eluded me.

In my kitchen is a bowl full of my dad’s back yard limes, whispering words of marmalade, cake, and juice to me….

*******

What’s happening in your kitchen?

* The lovely Celia does a monthly round up of all things wonderful happening in her kitchen. Pop on over to see what’s happening in her kitchen for this August.

strawberries and cream birthday cake

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He had said he wanted strawberries on it…and cream. Oh, and licorice.

Anything else little fella? 

Strawberries, cream and licorice cake please!

It was Little Monkey’s birthday and the food requests had come in. The other food to be eaten were minor details, the cake was where it was at.

Happy to oblige, I had an image in my head, and just hoped that I could cut the picture out of my mind and transpose it to a cake plate.

Basic cake recipe I used the same as the Pink Cupcakes, but doubled the recipe and baked it in a large spring form pan. The yogurt in it, really does give the cake a lasting quality, that seems to only taste better in the next few days, not going stale at all.

Cake was then sliced in half when cold, spreading bottom layer with some Summer Loving Jam, and half half mixture of home made vanilla bean mascarpone, and whipped cream.

Top layer on, and a thin crumb layer of the mascarpone mixture goes over all the cake, then smoothing over the final layer. Place strips of licorice and line up  strawberries.

Next, candles lit and birthday presents safely clutched in small fingers. Line up birthday diners, for an enthusiastic chorus of Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Little Monkey.