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Sunday, March 27, 2011

Almond, cranberry and pineapple sourdough


My sourdough has been used for savory sandwiches so often that it is in the danger of being  stereotyped . Since my starter dough is  like a tamaguchi which  needs its weekly feed, I thought it would be a good opportunity to use any leftovers for a breakfast edition.

Against 'tradition', the fruity sourdough even pairs  well with cream cheese and smoked salmon so much so that I am expecting an encore baking in the not too distant future.

Back to the tamaguchi starter : I brought the starter, hibernating in the fridge, back  to room temperature by leaving it on the counter overnight, then fed it 1 part sour,2 parts cold water and 3 parts bread flour.

200 g of this refreshed starter I put it back to the fridge immediately  and the rest was left  to ferment overnight on the counter top, covered. Yes, you counted right - that's 2 nights in a row, even before the sourdough is baked. This fermented portion, which is a good 175 g, was part of the component of the fruity bread, originally meant for breakfast.

I used candied pineapple, which is what I have at hand. If some zing is what you prefer, used orange peel instead.


Makes 1 big loaf of fruity bread

296 g water ,room temperature
175 g Starter sour, feed and fermenting at room temperature
3 g malt sugar
306 g bread flour
135 g whole wheat
12 g salt
96 g chopped almonds
58 g cranberries
120 g chopped candied pineapple
2 T whole wheat flour, for tossing

In bowl A, mix bread and whole wheat flour.

In bowl B, toss  fruits and nuts with 2 T of whole wheat flour to prevent sticking.

In a mixing bowl, break up sour starter in water and malt sugar  with  a whisk.

Add flour and mix until water and flour is combined. Rest 15 minutes.

Add salt into dough. Mix until the dough is elastic, about 5 minutes.

Add nuts-fruits and mix for 1 minute, until condiments are well distributed in the dough.

Let dough ferment on a floured container for 60 minutes or until dough springs back halfway when poked.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch dough and fold in thirds, as like a letter. Let it rest for another 60 minutes.

Grease and flour a big bread container. Transfer dough to the container and let it ferment until double in size, covered. For maximum flavor, leave  it to ferment in the fridge overnight, covered.

If it was chilled overnight, bring dough to room temperature, 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 250 C, with a  tray of water under a baking rack.

Mist spray the dough while the oven is preheating.

Just before baking, score the surface of the dough with a very sharp knife and mist spray one last time.

Transfer dough with the container into the oven and adjust the temperature to 230 C. bake for 30 minutes.

Remove bread from the container and cool on a cooling rack before slicing. Great for breakfast or with savory smoked salmon or smoked meats.


Inspired by 'Artisan Breads' by Eric W Kastel


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