Sourdough Grissini

Lately, I've been feeling pretty darn proud of myself for not killing my sourdough starter.  Don't judge, it's far too easy to do.  I've done it a couple of times before.  The jar winds up getting shoved to the back of the fridge.  Soon, it's blocked by other jars, cartons, and containers.  I eventually uncover it several months later when the fridge has gotten so ridiculous that I can stand it no longer.

So, with my latest starter (let's call her Ruby), I've made some conscious adjustments.  Her jar stays on the top shelf, at the front of the fridge - no matter what.  That is first and foremost.   The other, equally important, conscious choice  - use her weekly - no matter what.  She needs to be fed weekly, anyway, and I have the biggest issue with throwing perfectly good, living sourdough away.  It has to be done for a starter to survive, but I hate it.  So, instead of throwing away the portion that I remove each week, I am required to bake something with it.  It could be a loaf of bread, a batch of rolls, some yeasted crackers, or an addictive batch of these long sticks of Grissini (aka crunchy bread sticks)!  These two things are going to keep me accountable.

I'm always on the look-out for other ways and new recipes for sourdough, so if you've got 'em (and you want to share 'em) - hook a sistah up.

Soft Sourdough Bread - Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

I'm going to have to say that this was one of the most pleasantly surprising loaves of bread I've ever made. It looks so modest. Nothing studded or swirled inside. Nothing bursting from the top. But once you've sliced into it, you are met with a gorgeous crust and a soft inside. The flavor is both tangy (from the sourdough starter) and mildly sweet (from the honey). It made perfect toast and amazing sandwich ends and was my favorite way to start the day for the three days it lasted.

Cheddar-Stuffed Crusty Sourdough Loaves

So.  Apparently filling and rolling and layering has become sort of a theme around here when baking bread lately.  First there was that Better-than-any-Bread-in-the-Galaxy-Garlic Bread-to-end-all-Garlic Breads.  Okay, that's not its name...but I'm thinking of renaming it that.  Next came the re-appearance of the Vesuvius of breads, the Stromboli.  And dare I include the Cinnamon-Sugar Pull-Apart Ricotta Bread in this group?  It does have a filling...although no rolling was involved.  I suppose this reminds me most of the Garlic bread since it includes filling, rolling, and then slicing down the middle...letting the cut side sort of simply and beautifully droop and spread.  But then again, it's not as soft and luxurious as the garlic glory.  It has a magnificent crusty outside like the Stromboli does.  It's very reminiscent of both.  Crusty and cheesy with a hint of garlic.  Another one for the keeper pile.

Cheddar-Stuffed Crusty Sourdough Loaves

inspired by & adapted from King Arthur Flour
yield: 2 loaves

pre-ferment:
1¼ c. (~147 g.) Unbleached Bread Flour
1 tsp. salt
½ c. cool water
good ladle-full (~6-8 oz) of 100% Hydration Sourdough Starter*

dough:
all of starter*
1¼ c. lukewarm water
3½ c. (~413 g.) Unbleached Bread Flour + more as needed

filling:
garlic oil (or olive oil & a bit of minced garlic)
2½ c. (~8 oz.) Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded

Pre-ferment:
Mix all ingredients together.  Starter will be pretty dry.  If it seems too dry and will not come together, add another Tbs. or so of water at a time.  Cover and let sit overnight at warm room temperature.  It should look bubbly in the morning.

Dough:
Combine risen starter and other ingredients.  Knead either by hand or using a mixer or bread machine.  Dough will be a bit "tacky"...but not so sticky that you cannot handle it.  If it is too sticky, simply knead in a bit more flour until it handles nicely.  Place in an oiled bowl (or let bread machine do its work), cover and let sit until doubled in size, ~1-1½ hours.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two.  Pat and stretch, using your fingers, the dough into a large rectangle, ~9" x 12".  Drizzle with a bit of oil (~1 Tbs.) and sprinkle cheese evenly over the whole thing.

Starting with the long side, roll into a log.  Pinch seams together and let sit, seam-side down, on a lightly floured surface (covered with lightly sprayed plastic wrap) for ~1-1½ hours, or until puffy.  Preheat oven to 425° F during last 20 minutes of rising time.

Cut log in half and place, cut side UP onto parchment-lined (or silpat or simply greased) baking sheet.  Yes, it's a bit awkward...but it's supposed to be rustic-looking...so no worries.  Spritz with some warm water.

Slide into oven and bake for ~35-45 minutes, or until cheese is melted and loaves are a deep, golden brown.  Let cool slightly and serve warm.

*Alternately, you could make regular (not Sourdough) by adding ½ tsp. instant yeast instead of the starter.  Also, add another ½ tsp. instant yeast to "dough" ingredients, along w/ starter. This is how the actual KAF recipe was presented.

Sliced and toasted, this bread makes one killer BLT Sandwich!

I am sharing this post with:
*Yeastspotting!

Chewy, Amazing, Addicting, 100% SOURDOUGH BAGELS

It's the little things that amaze me.  Seemingly trivial things that for all I know, nobody pays attention to but me.  Take for instance bagel dough smelling like bagels (...actual bagels!).  Whodathunkit?  Maybe it's due to the fact that I've never successfully made bagels from scratch before.  Although, I've actually only ever tried one time before.  With a no-knead dough that was entirely too wet to be destined for the title "bagel".  This was before I read something that would forever change the way I looked at the science of bagel-making.  That would be an article from Susan of Wild Yeast comprised of opinions that were 100% hers...and bagels that were 100% sourdough.  Is it possible for opinions that are 100% somebody else's to be 100% mine, as well?  Because employing her (fabulously) sassy opinions and (absolutely) amazing instructions produced THE BEST BAGELS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.  No really.  The.  Best.

While I recommend that you go over and read them for yourself, I am going to mention a few points that were KEY in helping me finally "get" how bagels were made.  First off, the dough shouldn't be too wet and it should be STRONG!  Susan likened it to a new tire...and by that I pictured a new inner tube...and went for that feeling.  It totally worked.  Also, she insists that the rope method is the only way to form bagels.  I agree, this makes a beautiful, hand-crafted bagel...no poke method for me.  Go check out what else Susan says about making perfect bagels...chewy and amazing and 100% sourdough.  Hmmmm, does this make me sound like a stalker?

100% Sourdough Bagels
recipe from Wild Yeast 

yield: 8 bagels

    349 grams high-gluten flour (or 339 g flour plus 10 g vital wheat gluten)
    121 grams cold water
    28 grams milk powder
    16.4 grams  brown sugar (use non-diastatic malt powder if you have it instead or barley malt syrup)
    10.1 grams (1 2/3 teaspoons) salt
    301 grams active 100%-hydration sourdough starter
----------------
    1 Tbs. baking soda for boiling

    Whisk the flour, malt (or brown sugar), milk powder, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the starter and water to this mixture.  Mix on low speed to combine.  Continue to mix until the dough is very smooth and very strong...and seems almost rubbery.  This took ~6 minutes in my mixer...but it could vary a bit in yours.

    Turn the dough out onto an unfloured counter and work a few turns by hand. Form the dough into a smooth ball; the surface should feel satiny and tight.

    Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

    Divide the dough into 8 pieces of (~100 g each). Form each piece into a ball. Cover and let rest for another 10 minutes.

    Line a sheet tray with parchment or a silpat, then dust it generously with semolina.

shaping/forming:
One by one, roll each ball into a long, thick cylinder that is ~8"-10" long.  Keep the width even throughout (don't taper the ends).  I've decided that I like making mine a bit longer, ~10"-12".  My hands are probably bigger.

Wrap the length around your hand and overlap the ends by ~2".  Roll this section on the counter to meld the ends together a bit.  (A helpful note from Susan: if dough is a little dry, give it a quick spritz of water with a fine spray bottle before shaping...this will help it roll easier and help the ends stick together).  I didn't need to do that this time, but each batch is different.

Place the bagels on the prepared sheet trays and cover with plastic wrap. If your bagel had a seem on it, make sure that seem is on bottom. Proof for about 4 hours at warm room temperature, until the bagels look and feel a bit puffy.

When 4 hours is up, transfer the whole tray to the refrigerator for 4–8 hours.

Preheat oven to 425° F.  Put a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil

Place a clean dishtowel on your work surface and place a wire rack on top of it.  Remove bagels from refrigerator (see photo 1).  Lightly dust the semolina from the bottoms and place them on the rack (see photo 2).

When the water boils vigorously, add the baking soda. 

Gently lower a few bagels at a time into the boiling water.  Cook for 20 seconds (by which time they should be floating).  If they float immediately, be sure to turn them after 10 seconds so both sides get the full benefit of the boiling water.

Lift them out with a strainer or slotted spatula and place back on wire rack.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Let them sit on the rack for at least 30 seconds (see photo 3) before placing them back on the semolina-dusted, lined sheet tray.

Once they are all back on the tray (see photo 4), slide them into the oven.  Once the oven door is shut, lower heat to 400° F.  Bake until golden, ~24-26 minutes...opening the oven door very briefly half way through to vent any built-up steam.

Put that wire rack back to use by cooling the bagels on it.

Oh yes, and my little source of amazement happened at the specific step where the bagels were lifted from the boiling water and left to sit for 30 seconds before transferring back to the baking sheet (ie...right around photo 3 up there).  I leaned over so that my nose was directly over the damp dough...and inhaled deeply...and almost teared up.  It smelled like freshly baked bagels.  I don't why this was so pivotal or even surprising to me.  But like I said, it's the little things.

Okay, since I scheduled this post a few days ahead of time, I have already made these bagels again.  I am addicted.  I wanted to reiterate their perfection.  I'm in love with how chewy they are.  If you take a big bite (or a small one, for that matter), then pull it back and look at it, you'll see the bagel "springing" back up.  Plus, the beauty of the "sour".  Ahhhh.  I'm in love.  Oh.  And you wanna know how to make them even more amazing?  Shmear them with cultured cream cheese and then top that with mango butter.   'Scuse me...the toaster is calling my name.

I am sharing this post with:
*Yeastspotting!

Sourdough Bread- take one: the debacle

It all began with dreams of grandeur.  Sure, it my have been my virgin run...my maiden voyage...my rookie stint...but I kept my eyes on the horizon and even thought I could see the finish line in the distance.  Ha.  That is what I get for thinkin'.  

Sally was bubbling and fermenting ferociously.  She was ready.  And after a week of nurturing her...documenting that initial zing of rotting apples mellow into a smooth, aged scent that is somewhat hard to describe, but very easy to love...I was ready.  

Tuesday.  Late afternoon.  Water, flour, and a ladle of Sally.  She fit in perfectly.  I was so proud.  Nestled in an earthenware bowl and then tucked inside of a garbage bag, she set about doing what I knew she would do with ease.  Permeating.  Lifting.  Flavoring.  Making a beautiful sponge.

Wednesday.  Eight o'clock in the morning.  More flour and some salt are added to the sponge that took all night to develop.  It's turned out onto a floured counter and kneaded until it becomes smooth and silky and satiny.  I form it into a ball and wrap it up to rise for an hour.

 Then I turn that beauty out, poke out the gasses, roll it into a ball and repeat the rising process.

 And then I do it again.  Every hour. For four hours.

 After the fourth rise is through, I divide the soft pillow...

 ...into two and form them into loaves.  Placed into my equally virgin brotforms and covered, they proof for another three hours.  

With all the care of a first-time mother handling her newborn baby, I turn the dough from the forms with trembling delight. With the oven dialed as high as it will go and my trigger finger on the spray bottle, I slide the slashed loaves into the inferno.

One more turn before the final stretch.  The boiling water on the stove carefully and quickly poured into the roasting pan that looks up at the loaves above.  But wait!  That's not a roasting pan, at all.  It is a glass pan.  Surely that will serve the same purpose.  Surely it will.  But suddenly a shot rings out!  The shot heard round the world.  I divert my eyes, dodging the flying shards of glass that are hurtling through the air.  And then I stood there.  Jaw hanging slack.  Eyes back on the scene and unable to turn away from the grisly events that had commenced.

Well shit.  Nothing left to do but clean up.  I realize that with a little less dumbassery, I could have sailed through my foray into sourdough with nary a hiccup.  But.  Tomorrow is another day.  

I can still smell it.  What could have been.

*What in the world was I thinking, you ask?  Well.  A little flag did pop up somewhere in the back of my brain.  But I figured adding boiling water to a hot pan wouldn't have the same effect as adding cold water.  I can now tell you firmly and without a doubt, that it does have the same effect.  And yes.  The uncooked loaves went into the bin.  Nothing else I could do.  The glass literally sprayed ev-ry-where.  I'm pretty sure none went into the dough, but I wasn't taking any chances.  Plus, I had to let the oven cool down in order to clean it out.  That was it for the day.  But, Sally did her job...and she did it famously! I cannot wait to head back in and give her another chance to work her "wild" magic.  Watch for a successful sourdough in the near future☺. 

The good?  My oven received a long-overdue scrubbing.

*I'm sharing this post with:

The Hearth and Soul Hop

Making a Sourdough Starter from scratch

You may not know this, but a mere year and three months ago was the first time I made a yeast bread...and felt comfortable with it!  I was scared of those little yeasties.  What was that secret that I wasn't privy to.  The secret of the bread bakers.  Passed on only during the wee hours of the morning when most mortal beings are deep in the fits of REM.  I don't know why it was that Pumpkin Pie Brioche chose to let me into the club.  But that day back in November of the year two thousand nine, I felt a whisper tickle the tiny cilia in my ear.  And the world has never been the same since.

Fast forward to this month, February of two thousand eleven. I'm feeling comfortable in my breadie skin and I realize that I'm ready to take my bread making a step further.  Being comfortable in the deep end was all it took.  That, and a little, unassuming book called The River Cottage Bread Handbook.  I originally picked it up at the library, but once I sat down and read it from cover to cover, I knew it would be an invaluable resource to me.  I really felt a connection.  I think it's a fantastic and informative step-by-step guide for people like me, wanting to get out of the deep end and start climbing that high-dive. While there are many, many things I love about this book, I'm not going into a review today.  All I'll say is that I highly recommend checking it out if you're comfortable around yeast and want to go deeper.  That deeper for me, was the world of Wild Yeast.  I'd heard the words tossed around.  Poolish.  Levain.  Yet, they were elusive to me.  A bit scary, still.

But I was ready.  I wanted to bake sourdough.  This meant that I needed to create wild yeast...or a Sourdough Starter.  Um.  How stinkin' cool is that!?  Creating a living, breathing thing that needs to be cared for.  That, if treated right can live for years.  As a matter of fact, many more years than we ever could.  Phew.   That's quite a responsibility.  And here I thought I was done having kids.  I suppose that's why people name their starters.