The Fresh Loaf

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Sweet walnuts sourdough

Beatrice's picture
Beatrice

Sweet walnuts sourdough

Hi bakers!

I'm experimenting with sweet sourdoughs and I arrived at this formula after testing another one with less sugar. 

This loaf has 100gr of fine unrefined cane sugar and 150gr of toasted walnuts and I think that the sweetness now is on point.

I used half wholegrain flour and half white bread flour, the fermentation was a little bit slower than my normal schedule due to the presence of the sugar (I asked Maurizio Leo and he said so, I thought it was the opposite! Silly me). 

I think I obtained a good spring in the oven even if there were the walnuts but I'm not so satisfied with the openness of the crumb, it seems a little bit denser than other experiments I've done.

Have you ever baked a sweet sourdough, if so what was your experience? Have you got any advices for me?

Thanks in advance for your feedbacks and happy baking!

Comments

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

But have done Forkish's Double Fed Sweet Levain which is more about manipulating the levain build to produce less tang and therefore a "sweeter" bread. But it's not like adding sugar.

Lovely bake indeed!

My advice...? Keep these lovely bakes coming.

EDIT: Oh yeah... don't know why this slipped my mind but I have done Sarah Owens "Honeyed Spelt and Oat Levain". Very nice recipe.

Beatrice's picture
Beatrice

Hi Lechem, thanks for your advice: I'll for sure follow it ;)

I love trying to create different flavors even if sometimes I mess up, but that's the beauty of baking! I am definitely going to read this recipe and maybe give it a go.

 

Ru007's picture
Ru007

I personally am not a big fan of walnuts, every time I see a recipe with walnuts I replace with pecans :) But your loaf looks great. I think the sugar inhibits the gluten formation which may have contributed to the crumb not being as open. That being said, I think the crumb you have hear is nicely suited for a sweet loaf. 

I've done a sweet sourdough once before. I did chocolate and hazelnut. It was yummy :)

I agree with Abe, just keep baking!! 

Ru

Beatrice's picture
Beatrice

Thanks a lot Ru!

I want to experiment with other nuts, too! I’ll let you know when I’ll bake something interesting :)

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

Challah, Banana bread and fruit cake come quickly to mind.  I usually use yeast water for sweet breads so you didn't have to overcome the sour and you don't need as much sugar - Sugar and diabetes do not go together and bread without sugar is still nearly pure sugar in the end and bad enough.

Nice looking bread for sure.  Well done and happy baking .

Beatrice's picture
Beatrice

You’re right, even if I think that 100gr of sugar for 50”gr of flour is still acceptable. I understand what you say about overcoming the sourness even if my latest sourdoughs aren’t a lot sour (they have a slightly sourness but a lot of other aromas and flavours)! Thanks a lot for your feedback :)