finger sandwiches using pains au levain
Two girl friends came for tea this morning. In the past I would have toiled for weeks (no kidding) to prepare the most exquisite desserts and pastries that I could think of for our tea. Since I started making sourdough breads, my taste bud has changed. Just as well, Chinese tea is not meant to be enjoyed with sweets. We just drank and drank until we were hungry. We then had the finger sandwiches that I made earlier for lunch with the two Pains au Levain that I baked yesterday - Snow Peas Pain au Levain and Carrot Pain au Levain.
Celebration for summer colors
Snow peas butter, bacon and snow peas sprouts in Snow Peas Pain au Levain
Smoked ocean trout, avocado and lemon in Carrot Pain au Levain
Asparagus and crème fraiche in Snow Peas Pain au Levain
My Formula for Carrot Pain au Levain
- 450 g starter @ 75% hydration (5% rye flour)
- 450 g flour (5% rye flour and the balance white bread flour)
- 282 g carrot juice (from 455 g peeled carrot, or 4 - 5 carrots)
- 55 g orange juice (from 112 g orange, or 1/2 orange, skin included )
- 14 g salt
Total dough weight 1.2kg (divided into two) and approx dough hydration 72 - 75%
My Formula for Snow Peas Pain au Levain
- 500 g starter @ 75% hydration (5% rye flour)
- 500 g flour (5% rye flour and the balance white bread flour)
- 660 g peas puree (made up of 500 g frozen peas cooked in 30 g oil + 2 garlic + salt to taste, then blended with 130 g water added)
- 12 g salt
Total dough weight 1.6kg (divided into two) and approx. dough hydration 67 - 70% (based on assumption that there is 30 to 35% liquid in peas.)
Procedure for both breads
- Mix only the flour and carrot/orange juice (or peas puree). Autolyse for an hour.
- Combine with starter and salt; stretch & folds in bowl, 60 - 70 strokes (very messy, especially the peas dough)
- Bulk ferment for 2 to 2 1/2 hours (my room temperature was 25 - 26 C) with one set of S&F's.
- Divide into two doughs and pre-shape and shape into cylinder or any shape you like.
- Proof for 2 hours (my room temperature was 25 - 26 C)
- Retard in refrigerator for 10 hours.
- Bake with steam at 220C for 35 minutes (carrot bread) or 40 minutes (peas bread).
Leftover bread crumbs for a bread quiche for dinner tonight: I soaked the above leftover bread crumbs (from making the finger sandwiches) in chicken stock, then added some vegetables (Swiss mushroom, butternut squash, capsicum, and cherry tomatoes), eggs, cream and cheese and made a bread quiche. The idea came from making bread and butter pudding the other day using staled walnuts and raisins sourdough.
Enough bread to sink a ship
Shiao-Ping