Golden Raisin, Fennel, Orange Zest Semolina Sourdough - Robinson (Tartine Bread)
I was so impressed by the original Semolina Sourdough I made from Tartine Bread that I decided I had to try the variation listed in the book. The variation should be a sweet take on an amazing savory bread.
The modification lists that you take the original bread and add some more Fennel, coriander, golden raisin, and orange zest. However, the quick write up about the bread in the book is not clear. Do we use the full recipe seeds and all? Do we add the fennel amount listed to the original or is it a replacement amount? This is another situation where I am disappointed with the editing of the Tartine Bread Book. I went back and read the original recipe again and also noticed that at a given point it says "Add poppy seeds"....but does not list any amount or even have poppy seeds listed in the ingredients. Thankfully this time the bread is not a complete failure, but will need some tweaks before I'm fully happy with it.
FULL RECIPE AND CALCULATIONS HERE
Tasting Notes: Interesting. I think this one needs some adjustments. The Fennel is a strong savory flavor that kind of fights with the sweetness of the raisins. I honestly think that in this exact bake there was too much fennel. The golden raisins are a revelation though, I'm very very pleasantly surprised by how much I like them. The sesame is delicious as always. I included some poppy seeds in the topping but don't know that they bring anything to the party. The orange zest is hard to identify in the flavor and I think the Fennel is to blame.
Time/Effort: 3 days (Growing Levain, Mixing Dough, Baking) Normal for sourdough for my process.
Would I make it again: Yes, with some adjustments. I think that I will use the original recipe base (the semolina itself is amazing), but the additions will be tweaked. Keep the sesame, increase the coriander, keep the orange, and reduce the Fennel. I think there is a lot of promise for this to be an amazing loaf of bread, and probably is, but the editing and lack of detail in the text is another disappointment. Guess I'll just have to fix it myself.
Comments
Sorry to hear about the editing snafu but sounds like you have a good plan to correct it. Did I see correctly that it has 8.7% fennel? If so, I see what you mean by it taking over the flavor. I get plenty of fennel punch with 1 - 1.5 tsp per loaf. 8.7% must be 2-3x that amount.
I'm trying to wrap my head around how this would taste (even your modified version). It's an interesting combination of ingredients with the raisins in the mix. :-) Is it a buttered toast kind of bread?
I'm almost done with the loaf and it has grown on me day by day. I still would make some adjustments next time. With the other version of the semonlna bread I did a mix of fennel and anise last time and that was also very good. This one is absolutely great as buttered toast. It's also good with cheese. I've had it with both cream cheese and havarti and the tang from the cheese is a nice compliment. The golden raisins are great. If you like raisin bread at all try it with golden raisins if you can find them where you live. I will be using golden raisins in other breads in the future for sure.
What an interesting bake! You had me at raisins, seeds and orange zest. I like fennel too but haven't tried it in any loaf bakes (although my herbed focaccia calls for a mix of herbs that is delicious). Great tip about the golden raisins. I've used them in the past but haven't sourced any in a while. They are nice when used as a mix with other kinds of raisins too. I usually zap them in the microwave with just a tablespoon or so of orange juice before adding to doughs--it helps add and extra punch of fruitiness and brightness. I wonder if you tossed the moistened raisins with the orange zest, if that would help accentuate that flavor too? Looking forward to future posts on how your tweaks turn out. Great post!