The Fresh Loaf

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Cherry Root Beer 123

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Cherry Root Beer 123

Okay, this was fun! Inspired by some of the suggestions on the 123 challenge (notably Mini Oven's question about using Coca Cola in bread), I decided to try something completely different. This is a 123 bread but, instead of using 100 grams of fresh 'sourdough' starter I made a poolish with 50 grams of root beer, 50 grams of bread flour and a pinch (1/16th tsp) of dry yeast. It looked and smelled nice. I used a 'natural' root beer without a lot of chemicals.

For the liquid portion of the formula I used 150 grams of water and another 50 grams of the root beer. The flour was 225 grams of bread flour and 75 grams of barley flour. Then I added 50 grams of chopped dried Bing cherries, 6 grams of salt and, because it was a poolish bread, another 1/8 tsp of dry yeast. The dough seemed a little stiff, but I wanted to keep with the 123 formula so I didn't add any liquid. I actually may have made a mistake in measuring (or maybe barley flour is really thirsty?). Anyway, it performed well and shaped into a nice boule.

I baked it in a pre-heated (to 500F) cast iron pot - 30 minutes with the lid on (reduced heat to 450F after about 5 minutes) and 20 minutes with the lid off at 425. I didn't want to burn it with the sugar that is in the root beer. I put it in seam-side up and also did a simple cross slashed across the fold lines.

And here it is! The crumb is a little tight, due to the stiffness of the dough, but still moist. The crust is very nice though a bit 'bold' on the bottom. And the taste of the root beer actually comes through!

If I make this again I think I might add some soaked or cooked malted flakes of some kind, and maybe a little bit of anise to complement the anise in the root beer.

Comments

Ru007's picture
Ru007

What a unique loaf. It looks and sounds really lovely too! 

Just for interest, why did you go for an instant yeast bread and not sourdough? Was it purely to try something different or would the starter not like the root beer or something else.

I've really enjoyed watching your 123 experiments, so cool :) looking forward to seeing what's next!

Great job LL. 

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Thanks Ru. I used a poolish for a couple of reasons - one, I wanted to use the root beer in the starter and didn't think it would make very good levain (not a good reason, but a reason), and two, I wanted the root beer flavour to come through and I didn't know if the sweetness would win out over the tang of the starter. It really did taste like root beer; I'm glad I added the extra 50 grams with the water.

Truth Serum's picture
Truth Serum

Thanks for posting a recipe 123 recipe with commercial yeast.

Ru007's picture
Ru007

You though this out well, and it certainly paid off.

I also wouldn't want to put strange liquids in my starter to build the levain. I haven't mustered up the courage to put onions in the levain for my onion breads, even though i've been told it helps the flavour really come through :)

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I have just cut up a frozen cabbage (fridge setting too low) and seeing the first photo I thought... wow, it sort of looks like an Decorative Autumn Glow Harvest Cabbage, feel the late afternoon clear September sun on my back.  (If there is such a cabbage.)  DH also commented on such a lovely loaf over my shoulder.  I told him was made with Root Beer and his toes curled.   :) My mouth just watered.  I love Root Beer, Dad tells how they made it when he was a kid and how each brother had 6 bottles all to themselves.  Gotta have frosted cold mugs and oh!  Shade and a light breeze.

Anise... I can almost taste that...  also a vanilla custard filling (like a float) between rolled up layers perhaps with pecans.  

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Thanks Mini! Yes, it is sort of reminiscent of a little cabbage, isn't it? Actually, it reminds me of one of those floating wax candles shaped like a rose. :)

Now you've inspired me again. I'm thinking of rolling portions of this dough into circles and fitting them into muffin cups, then filling each one with a dollop of anise-flavoured pastry cream and pinching the top closed. Rootbeer float buns, anyone?

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

one with cherry cola and melted Cherry Garcia ice cream for some reason !  Well done all the way around.

Happy baking 

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Go for it, DAB! I can't wait to see the results. What will Lucy think of such a thing? :)

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Is that where you're heading?  

Boil the root beer/water and dump in the flour, cool, beat in the eggs... Pipe out dough, bake,   ...fill with cream, chill.  serve on a chilled glass plate?     

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Now that's a whole 'nother thought! I was thinking more of using the same dough as the original bread, and finding new forms (and fillers). I wonder what would happen to yeast dough filled with cream?

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Might boil over or not, but it will settle as it cools.  What about making a pocket (trap air) and fill it after the bake.  Form balls early on to rise and then place them into the forms carefully.  

Root beer sticky buns.... ?     

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Root beer sticky buns - I like it! I'll have to mull that over. The DH says I've inspired him to maybe make another batch of root beer (something he hasn't done for years, though he keeps me well-supplied with dark and light ale to make my beer bread with).

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

and can't get dumb hubby out of my head for some reason:-)

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

DH is Dear to my Heart, Dear Hubby.    

Dabrown, you need an upgrade on your thinking.  Think positive!  right now!  Immediately!  Forever!  :)

 

Hanging the definite article before "DH" does leave one to wonder...    :/

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

no one, besides my wife....... if she is still hanging around here somewhere, will notice what a dumb hubby I am.  I just figure all hubbies are as dumb as I am......and from what I can see from the dog house and couch.....  I think I'm more right than wrong about that:-)

Happy baking Mini

PS Most of us don't even know what a hanging definite article is and shows how dumb we are.

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Well, mostly it means "Dear Husband", but it also means "Designated Helper". He is the brewer of good things that go into the bread, and the washer of bowls and bread pans, and part-time miller. As I don't have my equivalent of Lucy anymore (the grandcat moved back to England with her mother, my daughter) so I don't have that version of 'help'.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

about the well hung article.    :)

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

You surprise me Mini.  The far east has reinvigorated your baking and hanging article spirit :-)

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Is that related to a dangling participle?

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

:)  

AnotherLoaf's picture
AnotherLoaf

It's nice to see that even though you bake to earn a living, you still enjoy baking for fun. Bread is truly your passion!

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Oh, it truly is. Even for the bread I bake for customers, I tend to take people's loaves out of the bag so I can show them and say, "Look, isn't it beautiful!". I fret over every batch as though they were children and I'm so chuffed when they turn out well. Bread is awesome stuff!