Sourdough Date Caramelized Onion Bread
I've made a similar bread before and loved the way the dates add a natural sweetness to the bread. This time I decided to add some more natural sweetness with some caramelized onions.
I made one large miche style loaf but you can easily make 2 loaves out of this formula.
The final bread as before came out great with a moderately open crumb and a nice dark chewy crust. The dates really add such a unique pleasant flavor to the overall bread and that combined with the sweetness of the caramelized onions really make this a bread worth trying.
Download the BreadStorm file here [4].
Levain Directions
Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled. At this point you can either use it right away or put it in the refrigerator and use it the next 1 to 2 days.
Date Preparation
Make sure there are no pits in the dates. Simmer the dates in 200 grams of water until they are soft. After you remove them from the heat, add 100 grams of cold water and let the dates sit until they come back down to room temperature.
Main Dough Procedure
Mix the flours with the remainder of the water for about 1 minute. Let the rough dough sit for about 20 minutes to an hour (Note: I ended up letting the flour and water mixture sit for about 20 hours since while mixing the dough and cooking dinner I managed to burn my hand and had to go to the Emergency room!). Next add the dates, butter and salt and mix on low for 2 minutes and speed #2 for another 2 minutes or by hand for about 6 minutes. You should end up with a cohesive dough that is slightly tacky but very manageable. Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds. Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold. Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold. After a total of 2 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours. (Since I used my proofer I only let the dough sit out for 1.5 hours before refrigerating).
When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours. Remove the dough and shape as desired. I made 1 large Miche for this bake.
The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature and will only rise about 1/3 it's size at most. Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.
Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 550 degrees F. and prepare it for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf. I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.
Right before you are ready to put them in the oven, score as desired and then add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.
After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 35-50 minutes until the crust is nice and brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees.
Take the bread out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 2 hours before eating.