Beetroot Sourdough #2

November 18th, 2018

This one turned out great. I started at a lower hydration and added water as needed to make the kind of dough I’m used to. With vegetable purees the water content is not going to be the same so always start low.

I upped the starter a bit as well.

Total Formula Starter Final Dough
Ingredient % grams % grams grams
all purpose flour 15.00 45.00 100.00 45.00
bread flour 60.00 180.00 180.00
white whole wheat flour 25.00 75.00 75.00
water 42.50 127.50 100.00 45.00 82.50
beet puree 44.00 132.00 132.00
100% hydration starter 90.00
fine sea salt 2.50 7.50 7.50
TOTAL 174.00 567.00

Posted in: Sourdough Starter

Beetroot Sourdough

November 6th, 2018


I’ve been seeing bread on instagram made with various vegetable purees and I thought I would try one. I had beets from the CSA and I haven’t been great about doing anything with them that doesn’t involve fermentation.

Used this link for a guide. This dough was definitely too wet. I should have added the water gradually. The dough was never really bubbly either. I used less starter than the recipe I looked at. Maybe that wasn’t enough. Also, it might not have been ready to use yet.

I followed my usual method for mixing/stretch & folds/shaping/overnight fridge proof. 450°F, 20 minutes covered, 15 minutes uncovered. No oven spring at all.

I’m going to try this again because I have enough beet puree leftover. 50% more starter, start with less water. Make sure starter is mature.

Total Formula Starter Final Dough
Ingredient % grams % grams grams
all purpose flour 10.00 30.00 100.00 30.00
bread flour 70.00 210.00 210.00
white whole wheat flour 20.00 60.00 60.00
water 53.00 159.00 100.00 30.00 129.00
beet puree 44.00 132.00 132.00
100% hydration starter 60.00
fine sea salt 2.50 7.50 7.50
TOTAL 189.50 598.50

Posted in: Sourdough Starter

Pizza Dough Baguette

October 12th, 2018

I don’t understand why these never want to develop a good color. A couple days ago I took a portion of pizza dough out of the freezer and made a baguette – that didn’t develop any color either (also, it was underproofed), and I used steam for that one. No steam for this one. I like the interior. I added diastatic malt powder to the dough this time, which is supposed to help with color too. Perhaps it’s because there’s olive oil in the dough. None of the other baguettes I’ve made had oil/butter. Proofed on a couche (pastry cloth) for a couple hours. Baked at 450°F for 25 minutes.

Next time I’ll try baking it with the baguette pan on a sheet (hopefully the bottom won’t get too dark that way) and I’ll try a steam tray again.


Posted in: Baguettes, Pizza Dough, Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Sandwich Rolls

October 12th, 2018

First attempt at sourdough rolls. I decided to use olive oil instead of butter. This dough seems a lot wetter than it should be, but perhaps that was the change in fat. Or I measured the water wrong!

As I was dividing the dough, it looked like there wasn’t enough for 8 so I made 6. As soon as I shaped them I wished they were smaller.

I should probably wait until after they are baked to start thinking about alterations, but my first instinct is to bring hydration down a bit, as well as the fat (or go back to butter). There’s a lot more oil in these than in my pizza dough. Definitely make 8 rolls for this amount of dough. Work on my shaping. It was hard to shape these with the sticky dough.

I scored half of the rolls to see if it would make any difference in oven spring (it didn’t).

These are not great. After 25 minutes in the oven they finally developed some color, but they didn’t rise much. Maybe the oven temp was too hot.

Takeaway: Wait to add salt (and a bit more of it). Make sure dough isn’t too sticky. Perhaps add some diastatic malt powder. Go back to butter. Maybe let the rolls proof on a couche? I just realized I can probably use my pastry cloth for this. Place them closer together on the baking sheet so the sides stay soft.

Total Formula Starter Final Dough
Ingredient % grams % grams grams
all purpose flour 16.00 40.00 100.00 40.00
bread flour 84.00 210.00 210.00
water 69.00 172.50 100.00 40.00 132.50
100% hydration starter 80.00
sugar 5.20 13.00 13.00
olive oil 8.50 21.25 21.25
fine sea salt 2.00 5.00 5.00
TOTAL 168.70 461.75

cornmeal for baking pan
egg for egg wash

Mix all ingredients in mixer using dough hook attachment. Let rest 10 minutes, covered.

Mix/knead for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl for bulk fermentation.

Do two sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart, then transfer to fridge for 2 hours.

Divide and shape. Place shaped rolls on lined baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with damp towel and let proof for 2 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 400°F. Brush rolls with beaten egg. Bake until golden.


Posted in: Sandwich Rolls, Sourdough Starter

Sourdough English Muffins

October 7th, 2018

These turned out very well, considering it was my first try and I kind of pieced together my own recipe from a few different ones. These tasted very much like sourdough, which is to be expected. Helped by the yogurt as well. I think next time I may skip the yogurt and just use water. I was trying not to use regular milk, which most of the recipes called for. I don’t really want to use an alternative milk either because they never taste right. The vegan recipe I looked at just used water.

With the first batch I cooked, I kind of squished the muffins down after I flipped them. With the next batch I didn’t, and I think the second batch turned out better.

Makes 8 English muffins

100g starter
250g all-purpose flour
1 tsp (4g) sugar
1 tsp (5g) kosher salt
1/2 cup (115g) whole milk plain yogurt
1/2 cup (115g) water

cornmeal

The Night Before: Mix all ingredients (except cornmeal) in a large bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature over night.

The Morning Of: Divide into 8 equal pieces and shape into rounds. Place on cornmeal lined baking sheet and let rise, covered with a damp towel, for about an hour.

Heat griddle over medium-low heat. Oil or butter pan and cook each side until browned, turning only once. These took about 10 minutes on each side. If necessary, move the muffins to 350°F oven to finish baking.

Let cool before opening with a fork and toasting.

Total Formula Starter Final Dough
Ingredient % grams % grams grams
all purpose flour 100.00 300.00 100.00 50.00 250.00
water 55.00 165.00 100.00 50.00 115.00
whole milk plain yogurt 38.33 115.00 115.00
100% hydration starter 100.00
sugar 1.33 4.00 4.00
kosher salt 1.67 5.00 5.00
TOTAL 196.33 589.00

10.13.18 – Made these again with a couple changes. I used 1 cup of milk for the liquid and cooked them in the electric griddle. I started with the temp at 300°F but after 10 minutes they still weren’t browned so I turned it up to 380°F which is what I usually set it to for pancakes. I should have finished them in the oven. I will next time. I may go back to using water and yogurt. I don’t think the fermentation helped much with the milk and it tastes a bit off. Maybe a touch more sugar. Or honey. Eventually will try some white whole wheat flour as well.

10.19.18 – went back to yogurt/water. Replaced 75g of flour with white whole wheat. Replaced sugar with honey (7g). Used electric griddle again, 380°F. 5+ minutes on each side (until browned). Finished in 350°F oven, about 10 minutes.

I don’t think the type of sugar made much of a difference. I think they need a slightly higher hydration (esp the whole wheat). Maybe let them proof longer after shaping to create bigger bubbles (aka nooks and crannies). Maybe 2 hours. May go back to 100% all-purpose flour. Or maybe I’ll try bread flour next time.

Total Formula Starter Final Dough
Ingredient % grams % grams grams
all purpose flour 75.00 225.00 100.00 50.00 175.00
white whole wheat flour 25.00 75.00 75.00
water 55.00 165.00 100.00 50.00 115.00
whole milk plain yogurt 38.33 115.00 115.00
100% hydration starter 100.00
honey 2.33 7.00 7.00
fine sea salt 1.67 5.00 5.00
TOTAL 197.33 592.00

12.20.18 – This time I did all bread flour, honey, and kept the yogurt/water. I let the shaped portions rest for 2 hours before cooking. They were hard to transfer to the griddle. They turned out pretty well. I think next time I will try it with just water. Maybe a bit more salt too. I’m not sure the longer rest did much. Also, next time I may try cooking them without oil on the griddle.

03.02.19 – Another attempt today. I went with all water (no dairy), bread flour, white sugar. The dough puffed up a lot overnight. I realized this morning when I woke up that I was out of cornmeal. Decided to grind some popcorn kernels and sifted out the bigger chunks. The dough seems tighter. I formed into 8 pieces but they seem smaller and less relaxed. I think I used much less water than I meant to. I can’t remember. I think I may have put in 130g and it was supposed to be 230g. I should have just used a cup of water instead of weighing it. Not all was lost though. These taste just how I want them to, and I’m going to try again tonight/tomorrow morning. Plus, I learned that I can make my own cornmeal!

03.03.19 – This one was near perfect! All water. I used a 1 cup measure and it came to 239g if I remember correctly. It was very wet dough. Difficult to shape, but I did my best. I think the nooks and crannies were decent. Proofed for 1 hour. Cooked on griddle at 380°F for about 5 minutes per side, then into 350°F oven for about 5 minutes to finish. The crusts were a bit crispy. Maybe I used too much cornmeal? Did not use oil on griddle. Next time I want to see if a longer initial mix will change the crumb. Maybe an autolyse and some cold fermentation after a few hours at room temp. Slightly lower hydration. I’m not sure it even needs the sugar.


Posted in: English Muffins, Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Pan Loaf

October 7th, 2018

I used the perfect loaf post as a guide but changed a few things. I may try the stiff starter next time. Apparently that tones down the acidity.

Next time line pan with parchment. Maybe not so hot oven.

Total Formula Starter Final Dough
Ingredient % grams % grams grams
all purpose flour 5.00 30.00 100.00 30.00
bread flour 16.50 99.00 99.00
white whole wheat flour 65.00 390.00 390.00
spelt flour 13.50 81.00 81.00
water 88.00 528.00 100.00 30.00 498.00
100% hydration starter 60.00
fine sea salt 2.00 12.00 12.00
TOTAL 185.00 1140.00

Posted in: Sourdough Starter

Hoagie Rolls

September 16th, 2018

I would like to figure out how to make 100% sourdough sandwich rolls. I figured the first step would be finding a good non-sourdough recipe and testing it out. This one is very good, although mine didn’t get the golden crust like the recipe author’s. I should have used an egg wash before baking. The recipe is from The Kitchen Whisperer.

It’s been so long since I’ve used commercial yeast that I forgot how fast it works. Also, I used up the last of the jar that has been in the freezer for years. I didn’t even used the full tablespoon because I was a little short. Still worked fine.

The recipe said to make 8 rolls, but I decided to make them a bit smaller and made 12 rolls. I baked them for 18 minutes and it’s possible they could have used another couple minutes in the oven. Next time I will definitely use an egg wash.

Maurizio has a sourdough hamburger bun recipe that I may use as a guide for timing and sourdough starter percentage.


Posted in: Sandwich Rolls

Sourdough Waffles #3

March 17th, 2018

I adapted the recipe from the perfect loaf again, this time upping the sugar even more, thinning yogurt with water to replace buttermilk, half whole wheat flour, and half the amount of salt. These turned out well. Owen ate them with no problem.

Update 04.19.18 – original recipe called for 1 stick of butter. Today I tried it with a half stick and I liked it better.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup water
1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled
100g (1/2 cup, stirred down) ripe sourdough starter
250g (2 cups) flour, half all purpose, half whole wheat
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Method

The night before:

Add yogurt, water, and the melted and cooled butter to a large mixing bowl. Then add your ripe sourdough starter and mix thoroughly (use a whisk and your hands if needed). Sprinkle the sugar on top and whisk in your flour, a little at a time, until incorporated.

Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature overnight.

In the morning:

Warm your whole eggs to room temperature by letting them sit for a few minutes in a bowl of warm water. Sift the baking soda and salt onto the top of the batter. Crack the eggs and place the whites in one clean bowl and the yolks in another. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Lightly scramble up the egg yolks in the second bowl. Pour the yolks into the batter and lightly stir through. Then, using a spatula, fold the eggs whites into the batter until just incorporated (and no more).

Cook in your smoking hot waffle iron until done to your liking.


Posted in: Sourdough Starter, Sourdough Waffles

100% Sourdough Pretzels #3

February 22nd, 2018

I mixed up the dough last night and let it rise as room temp for 4 hours then put it in the fridge overnight. This morning I took it out and divided into 8 portions. Let them come back to room temp, then shape. Let rest for about an hour, then fridge for a couple hours. Lye solution (2 cups water/11g lye) 15 seconds. Bake 425° 18 minutes. I baked these longer than usual because they didn’t seem dark enough. Probably too long though. Also, when shaping these I need to make sure there aren’t big air bubbles in the dough. I don’t like the way they bake up with big holes in the fat part.

I’m not sure how to make these better. Maybe make sure my starter is really healthy. Maybe the dough doesn’t need any fridge proofing (pre-shape).

8 pretzels

Total Formula Starter Final Dough
Ingredient % grams % grams grams
all purpose flour 100.00 500.00 100.00 75.00 425.00
water 55.00 275.00 100.00 75.00 200.00
100% hydration starter 150.00
brown sugar 1.67 8.35 8.35
unsalted butter 3.78 18.90 18.90
fine sea salt 2.80 14.00 14.00
TOTAL 163.25 816.25

Posted in: Pretzels, Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Banana Pancakes

February 8th, 2018

These were adapted from the pancake recipe from the perfect loaf. I added a mashed banana and used white whole wheat flour. I also beat the egg white and folded it in. Also forgot the vanilla. They could have used a bit more milk, maybe 2 more tbsp.

I thought these were tasty, even eaten dry. Owen seemed to like them too, today anyway…

1 banana
1 egg
2 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup sourdough starter
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mash banana in medium bowl. Add egg yolk, yogurt, milk, starter and melted butter.

Whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet mixture and stir just until combined.

Beat egg white until it holds soft peaks. Fold into batter.

Cook 1/4 cup portions on hot griddle. They will expand a lot so leave plenty of room between them.

Makes 8 pancakes


Posted in: Sourdough Pancakes, Sourdough Starter
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