JBT's blog

Recently I encounter someone attempting to make a beet infused bread. It was greatly disappointing for the baker to discover that the beautiful color of beets did not survive the baking process. 

Well, this got me thinking about what vegetable could be incorporated into bread to make a purple loaf. One answer is the mighty purple sweet potato. I have successfully used a potato water sourdough recipe from Northwest Sourdough before, so when I saw that she also had a Purple Sweet Potato sourdough I was decided. After a special trip to the upscale grocer to find a purple sweet potato and feeding up my fridge-napping starter I was ready to go. 

Purple Sweet Potato Sourdough from Northwest Sourdough

Levain: 150 grams starter + 75 grams AP Flour + 75 grams water

Dough: 600 grams AP flour + 360 grams water + 420 grams pureed sweet potato + 18 grams salt

I created a levain mid-afternoon and when it was vigorously bubbling away (about 5 hours in my warm kitchen) I added the flour and water for autolyse. An hour later the pureed sweet potato and salt were added, squishing and folding everything together until the dough started to stiffen. Then bulk ferment about three and half hours with stretch and fold every 45 minutes. It was well into the evening when I pre-shaped, shaped, and put in the refrigerator for a 9 hour overnight retard.

IMG_0191.jpg

Early this morning I heated the oven to 500F along with the pizza stone and my stainless steel mixing bowl cloche. Baked the loafs one at a time, turning the oven down to 450F, covered for 15 minutes, then 18-20 minutes uncovered. The loafs hung out in the oven with the door propped open while it cooled, in attempt to dry out the crumb a bit more.

IMG_0193.jpg

The color held in the baked bread very well. The crumb is soft and moist, and the crust has a bit of chew. There is a distinct and unique flavor. Overall a fun bake. My dough handling could be improved as I think I deflated one of the loaves taking it out of the proofing bowl, and probably they needed to go in the fridge a bit sooner.  Also, I think the dough could have really benefited from some additional gluten either with a stronger flour or with the addition of VWG. My tendency to try everything with AP flour is probably not ideal for a bread with so much added vegetable.

IMG_0195.jpg

Growing up Friday's meant pizza in my parents home, along with some very cheesy, terrible family TV viewing.  It is a habit - the pizza, not the cheese-ball TV - that I have come back to again and again.

Sourdough Pizza crust (based on KA recipe)

100 grams starter discard; 65 grams warm water; 155 grams unbleached AP flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast

Rise in oiled bowl till doubled, 2-4 hours. Turn out and form into disk, rest 15 minutes. Stretch to shape; let rise. Preheat oven w/ stone to 500F, cook 12-14 minutes, last minute under broiler.

052419e.jpg

I like the crispness this dough can achieve in my oven, and how well it holds up even when very thin. It is also very extensible and easy to stretch. However, I'm missing a bit of chew so I'll probably try some kneading next time. 

052419d.jpg

Toppings today where jarred sauce (meh), olive, onion, pepper, GimmeLean sausage w/ added Italian sausage spices, Daiya cheese.

052419a.jpg

After contemplating sourdough for several months, a first try, and fail, at creating a starter, and finally success at nurturing my very own starter, I was ready to bake. Something simple, straightforward, and with little scope for disaster was in order.

1, 2, 3 Sourdough seemed the way to go. 

I used a generic unbleached AP flour and bulk fermented in cool room temp for 6 hours. Shaped into a round and placed, seam down, in a parchment lined bowl; covered and put in the refrigerator overnight. Pulled from fridge an hour before starting oven preheat. Baked in pre-heated roasting pan at 450. Uncovered after 15, then another 20.

First SD round.jpg

First SD crumb.jpg

I was very pleased with the success of this first loaf. Undoubtedly I will have failures, and hopefully I will learn a great deal as I work with my starter and the doughs she helps me create. I am glad, though, that this first outing was both delicious and confidence boosting. I am so grateful for all the amateur and professional bakers who so generously share their wisdom and experience.