The Fresh Loaf

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Purple Sweet Potato Black Sesame Sourdough Pumpkin

Benito's picture
Benito

Purple Sweet Potato Black Sesame Sourdough Pumpkin

Well it is almost fall and soon Instagram will be full of pumpkin shaped breads. I have never tried to make one of these so thought it might be fun to do. I also haven’t shaped a boule in sometime so thought I was due.

I still have some mashed purple sweet potato from months ago that I prepared using the instant pot and froze in small portions. I will say that the addition of purple sweet potato to this dough seems to slow down the yeast which surprised me somewhat. As I have been doing lately, I prepare two aliquot jars to watch fermentation, one for rise and the other to measure pH. The gradual fall in pH was as expected so the potato wasn’t affecting LAB at all. However, the rise was extremely slow. I typically see a rise of 40-50% with a pH of around 4.4-4.5, but for this loaf there was only a 20% rise at a pH of 4.4. At that point I did shape this. The dough was left in the banneton until the pH reached 3.9 at which time cold retard was started.

I dipped the string in neutral oil to help make them release more easily after baking. The photos show my process in preparing the dough for final bake. The oven was preheated at 500ºF. Once scored the dough was baked at 450ºF with steam for 20 mins, then the steam was exhausted and the temperature was dropped to 420ºF and the loaf was baked for another 30 mins turning halfway through.

 Overall I’m pleased with the external appearance of this loaf. I can see one spot where the outward spring of the dough tore the crust. I think that could be avoided by tying the string a bit less tight or overproofing the dough a bit more.

Comments

justkeepswimming's picture
justkeepswimming

After seeing (albeit limited) Christmas displays in a store just a couple of days ago, I was guessing pumpkin themed posts would be arriving momentarily, lol. As always, you have such great creativity!! That looks great, so festive. 

Your aliquot comment sparked a question: What do you usually do with your aliquot dough? Toss it? Use it as a little bit of "old dough" in your next bake? Something else? I tend to toss mine, but started wondering what you (and others) do. 

Mary

Benito's picture
Benito

I usually toss the aliquot jar dough in the bin when I’m done. I know some people bake them as a little bun, but I find I usually mangle the dough quite badly taking out of the jar.

Benny

JonJ's picture
JonJ

Hi Benny, I'm impressed by the skillful string tying and beautiful tidy appearance, also think using the purple sweet potato was a clever choice.

What percentage rise did your aliquot eventually reach?

Mary, I bake a little (usually ugly) roll from the aliquot. It's nice for those of us who are impatiently waiting for the main bread to cool to get a "teaser" of what the final bread will taste like.

-Jon

 

Benito's picture
Benito

The aliquot jar barely reached 40%, probably 38% when pH 3.9 for the start of cold retard.  I guess we’ll see when I slice it whether fermentation was adequate.  This is the first time I’ve monitored pH when using purple sweet potato so I’m not sure I would have noticed this before.  I don’t recall it slowing down the rise though either.  I have read elsewhere that some bakers have found it to slow fermentation, I wonder what it is in the sweet potato that causes this?

Benny

alfanso's picture
alfanso

although it is likely already too late for redemption.  With this, as well as a fair amount of recent prior bakes, you have officially crossed over into Danni / Ian territory, whereby whatever is in the pantry and falls out upon opening, gets added to the dough.  As usual, a masterful and inventive creation.

Not too much patting yourself on the back as an originalist.  This next loaf was recovered from Herculaneum, at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius, so it predates your loaf by about 1942 years.  However the loaf was a bit overbaked...

Nonetheless, you get a pass as the patent on this bread has long expired.

Benito's picture
Benito

Yes I’ve recently seen that as well, Melissa over a Breadtopia just posted about her rendition of that loaf.  Although you say that loaf was overbaked, it wasn’t the fault of the baker that Mt Vesuvius erupted that day!

Oh I know, for sure this bake I was just a copycat trying out what I’ve seen others bake especially over on Instagram this time of year.  As I said, other than just trying to come up with some flavor combinations, I don’t have many really original ideas myself!

Benny

Benito's picture
Benito

Lovely sweet floral notes from the purple sweet potato and nutty notes from the black sesame. The pH readings seem to be more predictive of fermentation than rise. No where more than this bake has that become apparent to me with this dough that only expanded by 40% at a pH of 3.9. In the past without pH I would have waited until the rise was much greater before cold retard and this dough would probably have become batter like. Instead I was able to bake a even well fermented loaf of bread with good flavor and texture.

Dan_In_Sydney's picture
Dan_In_Sydney

That is a handsome loaf Benny.

Honestly, the cinnamon stick is disconcerting, like a small air funnel sticking up out of the dry dirt, signifying that that is where the antagonist of some thriller has entrapped the latest abductee that our hero is on a personal crusade to save, thus vanquishing demons of cases past.

Sorry - even (or especially) on ~5 hours sleep the imagination goes off in whatever direction it pleases.

These loaves aren't helping me, you know.

I was out watering the plants yesterday afternoon and, reaching for the fertiliser, noticed the garden pH meter I had picked up to diagnose what might have gone wrong with some rose cuttings that didn't work out. I pushed the idea of spending that $220AUD on a meter for the dough back down into 'perhaps one day, but not now' territory but that is some persuasive evidence right there. (And it certainly appeals to my inquisitive nature.)

 

Benito's picture
Benito

The cinnamon stick was a cute idea for the outside of the loaf but not so good for the inside, I don’t like the tunnel it created.  LOL all in the name of art.

I’m really pleased about my purchase of that pH meter.  It has actually been helpful in my baking and I suspect this dough would have gone south had I not had that extra data to tell me how fermentation was going.  Had I only followed rise the pH would have gone too low by the time it would have reached my usual target rise.

Benny

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

You did such a lovely job and the crumb crust is a nice contrast and complement to the delicate inside colour.  Did you also catch the sent of roses?

Benito's picture
Benito

Thanks so much Mini, yes I love the floral scent that the purple sweet potato adds to bread, I’m not sure that I would have known that it was roses but it is certainly floral.