The Fresh Loaf

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ISO a good squaw bread & Potato bread recipe..

CandiceW's picture
CandiceW

ISO a good squaw bread & Potato bread recipe..

Hey all

 

I'm looking for a few good recipes.

When I lived in California I would eat squaw & potato bread all the time.

Moving here to Canada I can't really find it. So would love to try and make myself.

 

thanks!

flournwater's picture
flournwater

Check your mailbox.

If  you Google "Squaw Bread" you'll find over seven hundred thousand choices.

CandiceW's picture
CandiceW

Thanks!

I know so many recipes, but I'm not sure which is like the kind I used to eat. All the recipes are so different. I know for sure the bread was very dark and sweet.

flournwater's picture
flournwater

Dark squaw breads usually contain molasses so you may want to focus on those.

monicaembrey's picture
monicaembrey

My boyfriend used to see loaf squaw bread in the grocery store.  Does anyone have a original recipe.  When asking for a recipe I am sent to pages that are no longer available.  I would so much appreciate any recipies.  Thank you all.

Monica

siuflower's picture
siuflower

Here is the recipe  from foolish polish. 

Squaw Bread by foolish polish bakes

For my sourdough version, the idea of using a cornmeal soaker appealed to me but I was a bit unsure about including raisins. In the end I experimented both with and without raisin puree and found the puree-free version to be a lighter, more versatile bread.
I chose to use a high hydration rye starter and a fairly slack, mixed grain intermediate levain - a combination which has worked for me in the past to give a fruity, almost ‘wine like’ flavour and aroma to bread. The rye also contributes a rich, earthy note; a perfect complement to the slightly bitter, dark, sweet molasses.

Rye Starter (if needed)

I used a high hydration rye starter (150%) fed at 1:7:10.5 (starter:flour:water) and left to mature for 12 hours in a warm place 75-80F).
If you don’t have a rye starter, you can convert a wheat starter by mixing the following starter on the day before baking:
12g mature wheat starter
50g whole rye flour
75g water
Mix and leave to mature for 12 hours in a warm place.


Soaker

100g cornmeal


130g water


Mix and leave overnight



Intermediate Levain

75g bread flour


75g ww flour


25g whole rye flour


75g water


125g rye starter (150% hydration)


Mix all the ingredients well and proof in a warm place for 4 hours (or until doubled)


Autolyse

150g ww flour


150g bread flour


25g whole rye flour


125g water


All of cornmeal soaker


Mix all the ingredients for the autolyse into a dough ball.


Leave the autolyse to rest during the 4 hours that the intermediate levain is proofing.



Topping

1-2 tbsp rolled oats


4 tbsp water


1/2 tsp corn starch


Stir the corn starch into the water and simmer in a saucepan until the solution starts to thicken and turns translucent.


Pour the glaze into a container to cool before using.

Final Dough

All of intermediate levain


All of autolyse


60g molasses or treacle


50g butter (room temperature)


50g dark brown sugar


10g salt
(For darker crumb colour, add 1 or 2 tbsp of caramel colouring when mixing the final dough. This attempt did not include any additional colouring)

Knead together the starter and autolyse. 
Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes. 
Knead in the salt
 Knead in the sugar (a tablespoon at a time)
Mix in the molasses and knead until the dough is an even colour.
 Knead in the butter, a few tsp at a time and continue kneading for a further 2 or 3 minutes until the dough is smooth.
 Bulk ferment the dough for 2 1/2 hours (with three folds at 30 minute intervals).
Divide and shape two sandwich loaves.
 Proof the loaves in tins for a further 1 1/2 hours.
 Brush the tops with the cornstarch glaze.
 Sprinkle rolled oats over the just-glazed surface.
 Score each loaf (a single lengthwise cut down the middle is fine)
Bake at 400F for 10 minutes (with steam)
Lower the oven temperature to 350F and continue baking for a further 30 minutes or until the crusts are nicely browned (internal temperature of 200F for those with thermometer probes).

Note, this dough is quite slack and requires light handling. If you are using an electric mixer, keep the machine on a lower speed setting.

So how did it go? Well, I found the dough to be quite slack and so it required some delicate handling. The folds during the bulk fermentation added some much needed strength. Oven spring was dramatic and the loaves would have risen higher had I not been forced to transfer between ovens, about 3 minutes into baking (the loaves were getting dangerously close to the oven ceiling!) My attempts at using a cornstarch glaze (first time I’ve tried) leave a lot to be desired. I’m eager to learn how to do this better in the future (advice, tips welcome).
The smell as the bread came out of the oven was great! almost too tempting to wait to cool before slicing. The flavour was just as I hoped- fruity, rich, sweet, earthy. Texture-wise, the loaves were quite moist and light, with a fairly close crumb. However the richness of the bread makes for a substantial and filling slice.

Variations
For a ‘festive’ variation you could try adding some spices to the final dough, a little bit like Pain d’épices.
I would suggest the following:


1 tsp ginger


1/2 tsp cinnamon


1/2 tsp nutmeg


1/4 tsp all spice


1/4 tsp cloves


For a fruitier, moist tea time treat, you could try adding some (whole) raisins. Steep 100-150g raisins in strong black tea overnight. Gently fold the soaked raisins into the fully mixed final dough.

monicaembrey's picture
monicaembrey

What does it mean "rye starter 150%"?

monicaembrey's picture
monicaembrey

Thank you for this recipe.  I have started to make the rye starter.  I will let you know how the bread turns out.  By the way, after 3 days what is the rye starter to smell like.  I believe, according to the instructions I am following that it is at the last phase and I can use it tomorrow, however it never tells me when I can refrigerate it.

 

siuflower's picture
siuflower

If you use 100 g of flour then you need 150 g of water to make 150% of hydration.

 

siuflower

monicaembrey's picture
monicaembrey

Thank you so much. 

websteramey's picture
websteramey

is a video available on the making of squaw bread.