January 3, 2011 - 8:13pm
Adding herbs to a ww sourdough loaf?
I want to add oil and herbs to my ww sourdough for something a little different, but I don't really know when to add in the herbs. Some people say to put them in the food processor and then add them to the oil that is poured into the dough mixture, others say to fold it in with the shaping. what say you?
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Herb-flecked oil is a great addition to any loaf, but if you do want larger pieces of herbs, you should fold them in towards the end to prevent ripping the loaf.
My opinion is that blending herbs is better for two reasons. First, it nets prettier results, with dots of herbs sprinkled throughout the loaf rather than chunks of plantlife just floating about. Second, without blending some strong herbs (e.g. rosemary) will be bitter when bitten into.
I regulary add herbs to my bread, and prefer not grind them. Oregano, rosemary, black pepper, red pepper flakes are a good combination if you want some zip, leave out the peppers if not. you don't need to soak in olive oil prior to adding for good results- but better results by placing them in the olive oil for a time and then adding the infused oil and herbs into the bread. I shoot for about 1 tbs total per loaf. I also like a touch more salt than normal, 2.0 to 2.5% of the flour weight to balance the herbs.
The full complement of taste includes nose/scent, and visual in addition to tastebuds, thus my reason for not grinding/hiding all...