Tag Archives: sourdough

almond fig and rosemary bread

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This one was inspired by the lovely Joanna at Zeb Bakes, who recently made a Roast Hazelnut and Fig Bread. It all sounded a whole lot of lovely, so I wanted to play with the flavours. I didn’t have hazelnuts… or cicely… or whole figs. But hey, I’d give it a crack.

I’d pilfered some Maggie Beer Burnt Fig Jam from my mothers pantry awhile back, and had happily been slapping it on to my sourdough in the mornings. However this was all the figgy-ness I had in the kitchen so the last bit would have to go in, (I was thinking some figgy streaks through out the bread). I only wish I’d made this bread at the start of the jar, as now, I might have to get some more, (at a real shop, not just my mother’s pantry).

The rosemary addition held its own and seemed wonderfully paired up with the fig jam. It wasn’t overwhelming in flavour, but did smell great when I sliced in to it. The almonds, I could have done better. I should have pushed them into the dough before the overnight prove, as in the fridge the dough developed a slight skin and I wasn’t sure just pushing them into the dough just before baking would be enough to keep them in. I think the bread needed some proving time around the whole almonds. Hugging them tight. Once toasted though they added a lovely subtle crunch to the rest of the bread.

I wasn’t the only one inspired by this bread. Heidi from Steps on the Journey also did her version of the same loaf. So it seems like a good one to play with… and play again, yes… I think I will.

Almond Fig and Rosemary Bread

200g starter

375g strong bakers flour

1/2 tsp dark malt flour

200mls water (approx)

1 tbls fig jam

1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

1 tsp salt

whole almonds

Mixed starter, flour, dark malt flour and water. Rest period (40 mins). Added remaining ingredients, mix, (I put the jam in last as I didn’t want it to be thoroughly mixed through, more of those figgy streaks). Leave for an hour or so. Quick knead on a lightly floured surface, and shaped into a boule and popped on a tray- decorate with almonds, covered with a plastic bag and left for about another hour and into the fridge for 12 hours. Brought back to room temperature, slash, and then baked at 240C with steam.

* submitted to the wonderful yeastspotting

hot cross buns

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 Not long after I first started this blog last year, it was Easter, and I was inundated with posts taunting me with hot cross buns. Delicious little bready morsals. I scrutinized, I dreamed, I gazed longingly, I especially admired the sourdough ones. Then I got side tracked and I didn’t do anything about it. Maybe next year I muttered to myself.

Easter started rearing its head again and the taunting hot cross bun posts started tempting me with their alluring photos, and seductive spices once more. Plump sultanas and glazed tops…Oh what to do? Should I try them? Should I give them a crack?

 Of course you should, said the little tiny baker on my left shoulder.

Yeast or sourdough?

Sourdough!! Said the little baker with a firm kick to my head… duhh!

Right.

Sourdough it was. But which recipe? Internet, nothing was quite right. Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook?… Nah, not quite right either. Real Food Companion? Closer, but not sourdough. Back to hack basics again then. Let’s play.

Batch One.

Not bad.  Consistency is good, soft, chewy and still light. Needs a bit more salt and lacking a bit in the spices. Definitely needs more oomph factor. I was feeling lazy and couldn’t be bothered rolling them into balls, so did a slab, used a divider and then gave another prove. This resulted in a non eye-catching brick like piece. For the glaze I did straight honey, which was too annoyingly sticky.

Batch Two.

Upped the spices and the salt. Added mixed fruit instant of just sultanas and currants. Wasn’t quite enough prove time though, so there were a few too many large holes once cooked. Still feeling lazy and went with the slab again. This time, dividing it just before cooking hoping that would make them less of a brick slab. Not really, still a great wedge of hot cross bun. Taste though, I was happy with and wouldn’t change anything further. The glaze was diluted a little and less sticky.

Third batch

I did a commercial yeast variation to see how they would be. Was feeling less lazy and actually rolled them, although was a bit sloppy with the sizes and the crosses. Verdict…still demolished by The Monkeys, but my heart still lies firmly in sourdough. Time factor is definitely a plus though when you are using commercial yeast. Not the whole day process that can be sourdough. (See the bottom of post for regular yeasted recipe… which looks remarkably similar to the sourdough one. For a semi sourdough recipe see the EDIT at the end.)

Hot Cross Buns-  

(sourdough)

100gms currants

100gms sultanas or mixed fruit

2 tbls brandy

150mls hot water

Mix together and soak the night before.

Dough Mixture

250-300gms starter (100%)

600gms strong bakers flour (4 cups)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp dark malt flour

1 tsp cardamom

100g sugar

250mls water/milk*

100g softened butter*

(* omit these if you want vegan ones)

Mix all together, except for the salt and then leave for a while, 20-45mins (autolyse period.)

Add 2 tsp salt. Mix together. Prove for an hour or so. Quick fold on lightly floured surface. Back in to bowl to prove for another or two. Fold. Prove again. Shape into a big square to fit the tray. Prove.  Use divider to shape into buns. Add the crosses.

Cross mixture

1/2 cup flour

1 tbls sugar

1/2 cup water

Mixed together and then into piping bag.

Bake at 210C for 20-25 minutes. Glaze when still hot. (1 tbls honey, 1 tbls water mixed together)

Hot Cross Buns-

(dried yeast)

100gms currants

100gms sultanas or mixed fruit

2 tbls brandy

150mls hot water

Mix together and soak the night before.

Dough Mixture

2 tsp dried yeast

600gms strong bakers flour (4 cups)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp dark malt flour

100g sugar

250mls water/milk*

100g softened butter*

(*omit these if you want vegan ones)

Mix all dough ingredients together, leaving out the salt and leave for 20-40 minutes, (autolyse.)

Add 2 tsp salt, mix together. Prove for an hour or so, and give a quick three way fold. Leave for another hour or so. Divide dough into even balls and roll. Placing on tray. If you are feeling lazy, pop the slab on the tray and divide just before baking. Another prove for 45 minutes or so, and add the crosses.

Cross mixture

1/2 cup flour

1 tbls sugar

1/2 cup water

Mixed together and then into piping bag.

Bake at 210C for 15-20* minutes, check them if the are golden and sound hollow with a little tap, pop them out. Glaze when still hot. (1 tbls honey, 1 tbls water mixed together).

**********

*My yeasted ones cooked quicker, than the sourdough ones.

(This post submitted to yeastspotting)

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EDIT- Each year I have tweaked these, until finally I have a hot cross bun that I’m really happy with. There is a semi sourdough recipe that I have been using a lot here if you like the taste of sourdough but need to speed things up just a little.

semi sourdough hot cross buns

Fruit and Nut Sourdough

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Each week I make a loaf of sourdough just for me. For me, me, me.

Anyone else is quite welcome to eat it too. However, The Monkeys usually clamp their lips shut and swiftly shake their heads at the offer and there are usually far too many fruity pieces in there for Mr Chocolate to happily call these loaves his own.

So, I make one up for me. It does the whole week and I get to start the day off in a way that kicks starts the happy tastebuds.

Add a cup of chai tea drunk from my favourite op-shop green mug and the day begins.

I’ve played with The Almost Uber Healthy Loaf, a Spiced Apple Loaf, Dan Lepard’s Raisin and Cinnamon Loaf and now this little buddle of goodness. Packed full of all things good and healthy, there is no guilt at all when I slap inch thick peanut butter on it.

Fruit and Nut Sourdough

300gms starter

100gms (about a cup) mixture of pecan halves, linseed meal, sunflower seeds

1 tps dark malt flour

25gms (1/2 cup) unprocessed bran

150gms sultanas, chopped prunes (they were squishy and soft already, if they were really dried I would have soaked them first.)

1 tps cinnamon

190gms strong bakers flour

300mls water (approx)

1 1/4 tps salt

almonds to decorate

The usual mix, rest period, add salt, mix again. Prove, fold, prove, shape, prove. Baked at 240C, for approx 20mins and then lowered to 200C for approximately another 10 minutes. The toasted whole almonds on top give a lovely crunch to the slices.

This post submitted to the fabulous yeastspotting

Basmati Yogurt Breadrolls

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I was given Dan Lepard’s, The Handmade Loaf recently by a good friend and inside is a lovely collection of launching pads of recipes. Now as it’s begun to be known around these parts, I can’t follow a recipe to save myself. So with this in mind I saw Dan’s recipe for Rice Bread and thought I could fiddle with that.

Let’s see…

With some basmati languishing in the fridge and yogurt that needed to be seen to as well, these little fellas did me proud. Healthy, with a sourdough-yogurt-basmati mix, they would have to be quite low GI, and they give a bit more oomph to your standard bread roll. Once cooked, I added some chunky cheese and some old lady pickle*, and I was a happy woman.

* Don’t worry, it’s not really made out of old ladies. Just what I call mustard pickles…. usually made by little old ladies.

Basmati Yogurt Breadrolls

(adapted from Dan Lepard’s Rice Bread)

150gms cooked left over basmati rice

110gms yogurt

250gms strong bakers flour

200gms sourdough starter

3/4 tps salt

40mls water

The usual mix, prove, fold, prove, shape, prove. Then baked at 240C for 10 minutes with steam and then another 10 minutes at 220C.

A chewy toothsome breadroll, that also freezes well, and I’m really looking forward to making these again.

This post submitted to the wonderful yeastspotting.

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bread

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sourdough rolled in cocoa


It started off as a dare. Chocolate Peanut Butter Icecream bread. What a hoot that would be.

A dare that made me think, ponder a little…. hmmm, I wonder…

What if?….

…and then…

no…maybe… yes?

First incarnation. Not so great. Dense, and lacking flavour. Ditch the milk powder, and chestnut flour. Far too dry as well….

More thought time spent on the next incarnation than should rightfully have been done so. An addition of a biga, add a little honey. Longer prove. I wanted a chewier texture, just a hint of the honey and cocoa, and didn’t want to be banged over the head with the sweetness. I wanted a bread, not a cake.

Second incarnation. Much better. More complex flavours, but still… not right. In the mixing it smells wonderful. Subtle in the flavours, not overly sweet, yep, it all sounds right. I have high hopes for the rising dough… and then it just sort of gives up.

Was it simply something that just doesn’t work. The flavours not holding hands together? Was it something I said?

One more crack. If it didn’t work this time, I would lay it to bready rest.

Third go in. It has the lovely combination of vanilla, honey, butter, sugar, peanut butter, cocoa. All flavours that would normally be working so well, (in a cake). The addition of the biga to give it a bit more oomph and…

It still doesn’t work. It’s dry, lacking in flavour, annoyingly slow to prove and does nothing for me what so ever.

BREADY rest… Let it rest.

Instead I make up a batch of normal sourdough, pop some dark malt flour in it, roll it in some cocoa just before the final prove. Once baked and cut, slap some crunchy peanut butter on it.

Ta dahhh!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bread.

This post submitted to the wonderful Yeastspotting

Blueberry Rye Sourdough

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using fresh blueberries

Jamie Oliver has a recipe called Sexy Swedish Buns. They look tasty, and I would probably quite enjoy them, but they also looked rather messy to make. I must have been missing the sexy part. There were two key ingredients though in the buns that caught my attention. Blueberries and Cardamom.

Still on the hunt for new sourdoughs to concoct, I mused awhile on those two ingredients. Blueberries are subtle and as long as I didn’t go overboard with the cardamom it should work for a sourdough… But, then I was thinking rye. Rye and cardamom…

using dried blueberries

Both ingredients, to me taste of the earth. Not in the way that fresh beetroot does, but in a way that seems to feed the soul. It feels good going in. It feels right after you eat them. My belly seems to sigh a little sigh of contentment after eating either one of them. In the bread, the cardamom doesn’t overpower the rye, the two of them seem to hold hands. Lying entwined together, uncompromising of their own unique tastes.

At risk of sounding like a fluffy hippy who has had one too many snuffs of the patchouli, I have put some thought in to this. Mouthfuls have been mused on, the recipe tweaked, and then tweaked again. The blueberries, while not a strong flavour from the beginning, are just an extra subtle addition to the entwined lovers that be cardamom and rye. The three of them together, seem to make a loaf that’s subtle on the palate and easy on the belly.

Peace brothers and sisters.

Blueberry Rye Sourdough

200gms starter

1 1/2 cup strong bakers flour (150gms approx)

1 cup rye flour (150gms approx)

200mls water (approx)

1 tps cardamom

1/2 cup fresh blueberries (I’ve also used dried blueberries, which were just as good. Soak first.)

1 tps salt

Mix starter, flours, water together. Wait for 20 minutes. Add blueberries, cardamom and salt. Mix again. (Blueberries fall out a little but just keep sticking them in) Prove for an hour or two. Quick fold and shape, and then into the fridge overnight. Back out and bring it back to room temperature. Slash, and bake at 250C with steam.

This post submitted to Yeastspotting.

in search of the uber healthy loaf

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I have been in search of the uber healthy loaf for breakfast. I wanted tasty, filling, healthy, low glycemic, easy to make, good for toast, could last well in the fridge for the week, and a little moist. Shouldn’t be too hard?

There was the light rye with sunflower seeds and sultanas. It was almost there. Just needed a little more oomph to it though. A little bit more depth to the taste, and perhaps a touch too dry.

A few loaves later, and finally the uber healthy loaf steps up. (Actually I’m sure it could be made even healthier, by adding more grains and nuts, but if I just write the almost uber healthy loaf…well it doesn’t have the same ring to it does it?…)

The Almost Uber Healthy Loaf

200gms starter

1 cup rye flour

1/2 cup chestnut flour

3/4 cup strong bakers flour

3/4 cup sunflower seeds, LSA, (linseed, sunflower and almond meal) sultanas

1 tps cinnamon

1 tps salt

1/4 cup natural yoghurt

For this particular loaf I mixed the dough up, quick knead, and let prove for 4 hours. A fold, and then popped into my banetton for a further 6 hours in the fridge. Brought back to room temperature for another hour. Then baked at 250C with steam for approximately 25 minutes top shelf.

I find the natural yoghurt gives a touch more moistness to a sourdough with lots of other ‘bits’ in it. Not too sweet with the sultanas, which just helped balance out the nuts and seeds flavours. With the cinnamon rounding up the taste buds in it’s usual subtle way.

This post submitted to YeastSpotting.

Potato and Rosemary Sourdough- Frugal Friday

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There always seems to be one more loaf of bread to make. If I had the time, and sizeable pants. I would happily be making a different type of bread 7 days a week. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don’t have that sort of time and my pants aren’t that stretchy. So if I have a bready idea I usually have to sit on it until we are out of bread again or a suitable meal comes up that we can accompany the bread with it.

Frugal Friday seemed like a good accompaniment. A simple salad and a wedge of bread.

Potato and Rosemary Sourdough

sourdough

3 partially roasted roughly diced potatoes

3 rosemary stems

This little number was a normal white sourdough. The potatoes I had cooked half way through while I had one tray of biscuits in the oven and the second tray being free. Sourdough folded once before popping into the fridge, for an overnight ferment. During the fold,  2/3 of the cooked potato were folded through, leaving aside the remainder 1/3 for the next day. Also adding 1/2 the rosemary roughly chopped again. When it came to shaping time the next morning, rolling out  a short fat snake shape and loosely spiralling round. Lightly pressing in the remaining potato and roughly chopped fresh rosemary. Allow for another prove, approximately 1 hour, a good grind of sea salt all over the top of the dough. Then popping it into the oven at 250C, with steam. Bake until golden and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom.

Caramelised Onions on a simple sanga

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For two weeks I had been thinking of caramelised onions. Yep, I could have put my brain to better usage but no, it was all about the carmelised onions. On a pizza, teamed with a sausage, in a tart….oh caramelised onion what was I going to do with you?

Nope, I think it had to be a simple open sanga (Australian slang for sandwich).What you need is a loaf of your favourite bread. I used a three seeded sourdough. Now slice it up, and add your caramelised onions.

But how to make Caramelised Onions?

Slice a brown onion and pop it in a pot, add a good slurp of olive oil and give it about a 2 minute head start. Once its wilted down a bit add, two dessert spoonfuls of brown sugar and 2 good slurps of balsamic vinegar. Cook it until it’s reduced down, and gotten thicker.

Pop it on your bread, add a slice of your best cheese, and grill it. We used a tasty little St Claire from Tasmania. Mr Chocolate and I couldn’t stop smiling while we were eating this, it just tasted so good. A truly simple meal that has you begging for just a little more.

Weaving bread and why its fun to play with your food

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I have this very fond memory from when I was a kid. Staying at my Nana’s house and being ‘let loose’ in the kitchen. She gave me a plate full of flour, sugar, milk, sultanas, an egg and spices. With these ingredients I could do what ever I wanted and then she would cook it. Blissfully happy, I have no idea how it tasted, but I remember vividly the pride I had that I could choose what ever I wanted to do with those ingredients. It never happened again, and if I was cooking at home I always had to follow a recipe. Mum said I had to learn the basics first before I tinkered. Actually she was right, darn right. Because I know a lot of the basics now, tinkering with food makes more sense then when I cooked that flour, milk, sultana  concoction.

Playing with food and its different flavours can be so much fun. The last few months I have been playing with sourdoughs, love it, love it, love it. The last few weeks I’ve been playing with plaiting sourdoughs, plaiting, plaiting, plaiting. Then just I was about to embark on a certain ‘starfish’ that needed an intricate amount of plaiting, my brain said oh oh oh…but what if we did this instead?…Cross this with that, then that with this…Oh ok…Lets give that a whirl.

sourdough woven bread

…and that dear people is why it’s fun to play with your food. As you never know what you’re going to get.

If you would like to weave your sourdough. Make up your usual dough and when its time to do the shaping make your self a large square. Cut equal strips to go down and across. (For this one I did 8×8 strips) Making sure the strips are well floured, otherwise they will just blob together when having the final prove. Then tuck and loop, tuck and loop. For the edges, trim and then gently tuck under to tidy the sides up.

This bread makes for a good addition to soup, as it easily pulls apart.

* This post submitted to yeast spotting.

Plaited bread and a frugal meal

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What to do when someone is coming over for lunch or dinner and all that is on offer is a simple soup. Budget, time, resources all point towards a simple nourishing, belly warming soup. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. But how to turn that flaccid celery, pumpkin looking like its going to produce its own penicillin and the odd carrot or two in the bottom of the crisper into a delicious meal?

Place some simple plaited bread that looks pretty in the middle of the table and your meal is complete. After being inspired by Heidiannie and all her plaited and beautifully presented bread, I had decided to give it a go too.

Pumpkin Soup

good slurp of olive oil

a couple of sticks of celery

big hunk of pumpkin chopped up

carrots

Cook them up in some stock, then wizz with hand held mixer when soft. Add a spoonful of ready made asian sauce, (rendang, green curry paste etc) to give it an extra zing.

Serve with some fancy looking bread, (that’s actually really easy…shhh).

sourdough plaited bread

sourdough plaited bread

For more on braiding bread check out Celia’s latest post.

Sourdough Apple Rolls

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“Mama my taste buds can’t believe how good this is, they just want to keep eating and eating this” Monkey Boy

Right. Mental note to self, must make these again. And I did, then I did again.

Sourdough Apple Rolls

sourdough, into round parts- flatten a little

add some sliced cooked apple

a sprinkle of sugar

a sprinkle of cinnamon

some sultanas

Then pull the edges into the middle and slightly twist to make sure it binds.

Now turn it upside down so the smooth side is up, and let it rise for awhile. Cook as you would normal bread.

This picture was of a sultana free one, and the first batch that I did. Perfect for a breakfast on the run, snack, lunch etc. Easy to freeze, and delicious eaten slightly warm. Monkey Boy loves them in his pre-school lunch box. I love them as an instant breakfast, then I can keep doing other things.