Welcome to a new section of my blog: Bread Science Fridays! In this section I will be indulging on my nerd side and talk about the science of many things behind your beautiful bakes. This week’s post is dedicated to our beloved sourdough starters and the science behind them!
Ever since the pandemic started, more and more people jumped into sourdough. So, I thought it could be fun to explain scientifically what happens when you feed your starter (or build your levain).
A sourdough starter it’s just a culture of microorganisms that are alive and perform their own biological activity. These cultures are composed, mostly, by different strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), saccharomyces yeasts, and some candida yeasts among others.
In this post, you will learn the phases your starter goes through during a feeding cycle, why using your starter at its peak of activity is important, and the science behind it!
A couple of things about biology
In microbiology, a strain of a certain type of microorganism is like a subtype of named microorganism. For example, the lactic acid bacteria type would be the lactobacillus but there are many subtypes (Strains). Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus Reuteri… They’re all LAB but with some differences (from shape to optimum living conditions).
Each strain has its specific optimum living conditions. That is the optimum temperature, water activity, pH… that will make the fermentation rate the fastest. The fact that a microorganism is “happy” at 28C, for example, doesn’t mean that it cannot perform its biological activities at 29C or at 20C. It means that the performance will not be the best. As you know, it slows down at cold temperatures. However, it’s higher temperature that pose a threat to the microorganisms. Too high temperatures will inhibit and eventually kill the bacteria.
The bacterial growth curve
Bacteria, as living organisms, grow, multiply, and die. The reason our sourdough starter is resilient is not because the bacteria are indestructible, its’ because there are millions of them and not all of them are the same age. They are in different growth phases. While maybe most of the bacteria are dying, some might have just been born.
Bacteria and yeast multiply by dividing themselves into two. 1 becomes 2, 2 become 4, 4 become 16, etc. This mechanism is called binary fission. Therefore, their growth is exponential. In microbiology, this growth is depicted using growth curves.
Bacterial growth curves are specific for each strain of bacteria in a specific set of conditions (Changing the temperature will change the curve). In these curves we can see the 4 phases bacteria undergo from the moment they’re born to the moment they die. A generic bacterial growth curve would look similar to this one:
Our starter will follow this growth cycle too. Understanding what happens in each phase will help us understand our starter and when we should use it for baking to prevent a excess of sourness
The phases explained
Phase 1: Lag phase. This is the very beginning of the curve. At this stage, the microorganisms have enough nutrients and are active but they’re still not multiplying. What they’re doing is synthesizing proteins and getting things ready to start the division. It’s also an adaptation period to the culture conditions.
Phase 2: Exponential phase. Once things are ready, the bacteria start multiplying (by binary fission). The metabolic activity on this stage is high and increases as the number of bacteria increases (optimal growth). Some bacteria might die too, but overall, there are more bacteria multiplying than dying.
Phase 3: Stationary phase. This phase is a plateau the bacteria reach because of the depletion of nutrients or accumulation of waste (the acids they produce can inhibit their own activity). Less food means less activity and therefore fewer bacteria dividing. At this point, the growth and death rates are equal, and the overall number of microorganisms remains constant.
Phase 4: Death phase. At this point, nutrients are decreasing and bacteria continue to produce waste from their biological activities (bacterial poop if you may 😉 ). The environment becomes harsh and bacteria start dying (some also go dormant). In this phase, the death rate is faster than the growth rate, so the overall number of microorganisms decreases.
Theoretical growth: it portrays how the curve would continue growing if the bacteria had an endless supply of nutrients.
When you add sourdough starter to your dough, the exponential phase will be much longer because the bacteria:nutrients ratio is much larger. The curve would, to certain extent, follow the theoretical growth because there are lots of nutrients!
How does this apply to your sourdough starter?
Knowing in which phase your starter is, will be very helpful for your baking. The fermentative power of your sourdough will depend on the phase of the cycle it is on, and it is different in each phase.
Although the by-products of the fermentation are essentially the same in each phase, the aromas developed in the bread will be substantially different because every time we take some starter and mix it with flour and water, we’re resetting the growth curve. It starts again in the lag phase.
And depending on the length of the lag phase, more/fewer aromas will build up in the dough. Ideally, we should use the starter at its peak of activity. Which means the lag phase will be shorter.
But, what exactly is the peak of activity and what’s the best way to know it? Let’s dive deeper into this!
The peak of activity and what it means
When it comes to sourdough it’s common to talk about the “peak of activity”; we understand that it represents the optimum conditions of the starter and it will work faster if it’s at the peak.
Based on the growth curve I showed you before, it’s easier to see that the peak of activity happens at the end of the exponential phase and throughout the stationary phase. During that time the sourdough starter is very active because 1) the number of alive bacteria is high because they still have lots of nutrients and 2) they’re all used to the environmental conditions, well past the lag phase where they’d be creating “waste” but not multiplying and growing.
Obviously, we are not going to do a bunch of experiments to determine when we should bake. However, once we’re familiar with our starters, we know when they reach the peak of activity (more on this later). We can, then, differentiate 3 stages in our starter:
1.- Before the peak of activity
2.- At the peak of activity
3.- Past the peak of activity
The dough fermentation will definitely be affected by the stage of the starter. Let’s analyze it a bit more how that translates into flavor and aromas of our bread and how it’s related to the growth curve.
The starter has not doubled yet after the last feeding
When we refresh our starter (or when we’re building the levain) what we’re doing is resetting the bacterial growth curve. The microorganisms need to adapt to the new conditions first (lag phase) and then eat and multiply (exponential phase).
If your starter has not even doubled since the last feeding, the microorganisms didn’t have enough time to reproduce; they are at the very beginning of the exponential phase and there is still a low number of them.
Basically, you’d be adding just flour and water with a low number of bacteria.
At this point, the fermentative power of the starter is not high enough because there aren’t enough bacteria to perform the job; which means your dough will need a longer time to ferment. This can be detrimental to your dough because longer fermentation times might lead to a more acidic dough.
Not only that, but you could also risk destroying the gluten network. If the fermentation is much longer than it should, your flour might not be able to resist and the gluten strands will start to deteriorate.
Maybe, flavor-wise, the bread turns out as tangy as you like it, but the structure could be compromised.
The starter has reached or almost reached the peak
People recommend using the starter at its peak of activity, but what many don’t know it’s why exactly this is the best condition for sourdough baking. Spoiler alert: It has nothing to do with your culture being hungry.
At least, not in the literal sense of the word, because the microorganisms eat when they have food, and when they don’t, they just change their metabolism pathway and go into “survival mode” (they become dormant). That’s why they can survive in the fridge for months without being fed, or they can be frozen or dried.
Every time we change the environment of the microorganisms, they need to adapt to the new conditions; so, they have to go through the lag phase again. If the starter has passed the peak or if it’s too early in the feeding cycle, this adaptation period is going to be longer. Either because the microorganisms need to get ready to increase the colony, or because they went into survival mode.
The idea of using the starter at the peak of activity is to reduce the lag phase as much as possible. Because longer lag phases can bring undesired aromas or weaken the gluten network.
The reason the bacteria are very active at this point is that they don’t have to use energy to get ready to multiply, and they’re not getting dormant or dying at a higher rate because there’s still plenty of nutrients.
A change of environment can be anything that makes the new conditions different from the culture. For example, adding salt to your dough, adding more/less water, adding more/less wholemeal flour, adding sugar, adding fats etc.
The starter passed the peak and it’s collapsing
If your starter has reached the peak and has started to collapse, it means that it’s either at the end of the stationary phase or at the beginning of the death phase already, and it already has accumulated a significant amount of fermentation by-products.
Among these by-products, there are several organic acids responsible for the acidity of the sourdough (lactic acid and acetic acid are the most common). If you used this starter, the fermentation would be slower at the beginning because:
1.- There are less alive bacteria, since many might have died already
2.- The acidification of the starter can inhibit the growth of the bacteria, so the fermentative power will be weaker. The extent of this inhibition depends on how acidic the starter became. That’s why when we try to revive a forgotten starter, it might take a couple of feedings until we see some activity.
3.- The bacteria that are still alive need a longer lag phase before they start growing again. During this lag phase they will get ready for the new environmental conditions (your dough) and will fix the pH of the dough that turned too acidic. And remember, during this phase, bacteria keep producing acids but they’re not reproducing.
Basically, if you don’t control de fermentation, your bread can be very sour. Once again, remember that longer fermentation times not only affect flavor, but also the structure.
Contrary to what many people think, though, you can still use a starter that has passed its peak of activity (by just a few hours) and still obtain a bread that has not soured too much, as long as you control the fermentation.
But.. What if I like my bread very tangy?
The sourness of sourdough bread comes from accumulated organic acids in the dough. So, in order to get the tangy flavor, we need to ensure that the dough has accumulated enough of these compounds.
We can do that by using slightly warmer temperatures during the bulk fermentation. Doing this, the bacteria will be closer to their optimum living conditions, and they will perform a faster fermentation. We could push the bulk a little to get that extra sourness.
How do I know my starter is ready to bake?
There are different ways to check when your starter is ready, and the more familiar you are with it, the easier it’ll be. I’m going to tell you my favorite way to check the peak of activity at home: The height test
I don’t know if this is how people know it, but it’s how I call it. The height test is, in my opinion, the most reliable way for the home baker to check their starter.
If you always feed your starter the same ratios of flour and water, or you build your levain in the same way, this test is great for comparisons; it will be very easy for you to know if it’s ready by just looking at how much it grew. It also prevents the “human factor” more than other tests and reduces the chances of making a mistake.
How to perform the maximum height test
As the name indicates, this test is to see how high the starter can grow (this applies to 100% or less hydration, more liquid starters can’t grow too much, for obvious reasons). The peak of activity coincides with the maximum height.
After reaching the maximum height, the starter will remain at that height for a few hours (stationary phase) before it starts collapsing (beginning of the death phase)
Let’s say you feed your starter with a 1:1:1 starter:water:flour ratio. Then you let it ferment and record the height (taking pictures might be even better!) after it reaches the maximum height you need to pay attention to how long it stays at that height and when it starts collapsing.
Imagine that right after feeding, your starter takes 5 hours to reach the highest height, and then it stays 2 more hours at that height. Those last 2h will be the best period to use your starter.
By doing this simple test, you will see how much your starter grows (double, triple, quadruple?). It’s important to know the temperature when you do this little experiment because in warmer days, your starter will grow faster. However, since you know more or less the highest height it will reach, you just need to keep an eye on it!
Always remember that the time your starter takes to grow will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Warmer temperatures will make the starter more active because they’re close to their optimum growing temperature. Colder temperatures will make the starter grow slower, because these are far from the optimum conditions.
Let’s wrap this up
I’d like to finish my first Bread Science Fridays by highlighting a few concepts:
1.- Bacterial growth has four phases that can be applied to our sourdough starters. Knowing what happens in each phase will help us understand our starter.
2.- The starter works best when it’s used at its peak of activity because we’re reducing the lag phase and bacteria can use the energy more efficiently.
3.- The maximum height test is an easy experiment to know when a starter reached the peak of activity. It’ll help you understand at which phase your starter is and when it’s best to use.
I hope with today’s post you can understand better your starter and have a better idea of the science behind it! Isn’t the world of sourdough so amazing???
As always, if you ever have any doubts or would like me to talk about the science of something, let me know and I’ll try my best to answer your questions!
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Happy Bread Science Friday!
Maria
Troubleshooting my lievito madre
The time has come! After several tests and experiments, I can 100% confirm that my lievito madre (or pasta madre, or LM or PM, you’ll see both in this post) is healthy and ready for the “grandi lievitati”!
This is a long post, so buckle up! Get some water, a couple of snacks, and let’s get to it!
In this post, you will find all the problems that I encountered with my pasta madre and how I fixed them one by one. You will also learn how certain factors affect the pasta madre and why from a scientific point of view.
After four months of insanity over the wellness of my lievito madre I have finally brought it back to full strength. It’s been a long journey full of troubleshooting and note-taking. I can now conclude that it wasn’t a single problem that was causing the LM to be weak, but several that I had to fix one by one.
A few pointers and clarifications
I started the LM with fermented apple water and from there I built a liquid starter (100% hydration). Then I converted it into a 35% hydration starter. You can check this post to see how I did it.
I’d like to remark that Pasta Madre is not just a stiff starter, it’s a low hydration stiff starter with very particular maintenance conditions and a very specific way to prepare it for baking. This method promotes very specific strains of bacteria and yeasts in a very specific ratio to keep a very specific pH.
Pasta Madre has an incredibly strong fermentative power that’s able to ferment dough with an incredibly high amount of sugar, butter, and egg yolk (substances that can inhibit the growth of bacteria and yeast and hinder gluten development)
Panettone, Pandoro, and Colomba di Pasquale are the holy trinity of pasta madre baking. They undergo long fermentations that due to the specific methods designed for pasta madre, the dough does not develop any acidity.
Pasta madre vs stiff starter
For example: If you’re reading this, I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with “the lievito madre must triple in 3-4h at 28C three consecutive times before it’s ready to make panettone”
If your lievito madre can do that, then it’s mature and ready to prepare the primo impasto (the first dough). However, let’s say that you prepare a stiff starter at 60% hydration. If you compare this stiff starter with pasta madre, you put both in a chamber at 28C and let them ferment, I assure you the fermentation speed will be COMPLETELY different.
Therefore, the “triple in three hours” rule for the pasta madre cannot apply to this 60% hydration stiff starter. And the triple in 12h rule for the primo impasto will not apply either because a 60% stiff starter does NOT behave the same as Pasta Madre. Keep in mind that artisan recipes and methods to make Panettone the Italian way are designed to be used with Pasta Madre.
Let’s start from the beginning
When I first started my LM I was using W380-400 Manitoba flour from Molino Caputo, but I ran out if it and I had to buy more. The new flour I received was W400 Manitoba flour from Molino Grassi.
When I changed the flour, the first thing I noticed was that the new flour needed more than 35% of water. It was impossible to incorporate all the flour. So, I started to add a little more water. Until I was using 40% of water. That extra 5% messed the whole bacteria/yeast ratio. Why? Let’s talk about “water activity”.
Water activity and what it means in food
In Food Science, water activity is a very important concept. The FDA defines water activity as “the ratio between the vapor pressure of the food itself, when in a completely undisturbed balance with the surrounding air media, and the vapor pressure of distilled water under identical conditions”.
The water activity of pure water is 1 and it’s the maximum possible value in a 0-1 range.
In essence, water activity is a way to quantify how much water there is in a particular sample, and based on that number we know which microorganisms could grow in that sample. This is particularly important for all fermentation operations, shelf-life studies, etc.
Water activity in my lievito madre
Back to my pasta madre; now you understand why that extra 5% of water I was adding created an unbalance between the Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and the yeasts in the culture. The water activity changed and it either promoted other strains of bacteria to grow or a faster proliferation among yeast strains. Or maybe even both things happened.
What was clear was that the higher water activity wasn’t promoting the best environment for the microorganisms that should be in lievito madre. In a healthier LM this wouldn’t have been such a problem, but there were other factors affecting it.
Problem #1: Alterations in the water activity of the lievito madre
Cause of the problem: impatience while incorporating flour
Solution: patience! I started to let the PM rest for a few minutes after I managed to incorporate the flour. Like a little autolyse. I went from needing 40% of water and struggle to a 35% and no problems.
Effect of flour in my lievito madre
As I mentioned, I had to change the flour I was using because the website I was buying from changed the supplier. The new flour was SO STRONG! Strong flour must be the best for panettone, right? WRONG.
Manitoba flour comes from a type of hard wheat with higher protein content. However, in order to have that high protein content, the flour has to be very refined and stripped off as much bran as possible. But this process also takes some of the nutrients of the flour away. Nutrients that the bacteria need to be able to perform their biological activities… See where I’m going?
It seemed as if my LM wasn’t getting enough nutrients every time I refreshed it, which caused a progressive loss of fermentative power. I was, unknowingly, starving my LM to the point of almost zero strength.
The smell told me there was some fermentation going on, probably from the yeasts, but it barely grew, it didn’t have the crumb-like inner structure, and it didn’t even float in the bath after 24h.
Problem #2: starvation of my LM
Cause of the problem: lack of nutrients in the flour.
Solution: A mix of flours with a less refined flour that would provide more nutrients.
Lack of nutrients in the flour
Talking to my friend Kel (@wonky.loaf.of.sourdough), she pointed out that maybe the flour was, indeed, too refined. And she was right! That night, when I was about to throw away the LM and start from scratch, I decided to do one last experiment. I refreshed the LM and put it in the fridge, and with the discards, I created a sibling, which I fed 80% of Manitoba flour and 20% of King Arthur bread flour.
In about 12h it was floating and showing signs of life. 12h is a long time, but previously, my LM wouldn’t float after 24h. So, this was clearly the 1st win!
Since that moment I always feed my LM a mixture of flours. I tried 15% of bread flour but it showed lower activity, and I tried also 25% of bread flour but after a feeding cycle I lost a lot of LM, it disintegrated very fast. Once I ran out of bread flour, I started to use King Arthur High Protein flour or King Arthur AP flour, whichever I had at the moment.
The second feeding went even better, in 3-4h it was floating and happy. It smelled so well, it was spongy, it was getting healthier! Or so I thought… It was better, but not 100% there. While this was definitely the major problem, there were still lots of things I wasn’t doing right.
Small changes made all the difference
I used the LM to bake a few loaves and it worked well. I tried to make sandwich bread and the dough rose well too. But when I used it to make brioche it was extremely difficult to incorporate all the butter. This is usually a sign that something is not right.
I also noticed that the loaves I made with LM had large lumps that didn’t disappear after baking. The dough wasn’t absorbing the LM and it wasn’t fermenting, because the lumps didn’t puff up while baking.
At this point I was using the 80-20 mix of flours, 35-37% of water and I was rolling the dough with my pasta maker. The temperature of the house was around 66-69F. The temperature was adequate, the flour was adequate, the hydration was adequate…
Again, Kel to the rescue! She suggested that maybe I was rolling the dough too thin and I was working the gluten too much.
The reason I was rolling the dough with the pasta roller was plain laziness! At this point I had been refreshing the PM once a day for several weeks, it became a tedious task. The pasta maker made the process much faster, but I was compromising the gluten.
Effect of gluten in my lievito madre
The temperature, flour mix, and hydration were good, and in the conditions necessary to promote proper fermentation. However, the dough structure also plays a role.
When I started to roll the dough with the pasta maker, I developed to gluten too much. To the point were 1) the dough was too thin and extremely elastic, making it easier to roll it very tight before putting it in the water bath, and 2) the gluten was so developed that after a feeding cycle, the part touching the water was degrading much faster.
I believe that by working the dough with the pasta maker and rolling it too tight, the oxygen availability in the core of the LM was low, which probably led to a proliferation of yeast and a change in the metabolic pathway of the microorganisms; which led to the development of a different aroma profile and higher production of acetic acid. It was making the dough sourer than it should.
Gluten structure vs development of aromas
A tight LM also meant that all the volatile components released during the fermentation didn’t have a place to go, the dough was so tight that they couldn’t move much and they probably were kept in the core of the LM instead of flowing into the water bath. This too increased the acidity of the pasta madre.
The part that was touching the water, disintegrated much faster. The layers were so thin that after a few hours in the water they dissolved. So, the center part was too dry and the outer part too wet.
I learned that rolling the dough too thin and too tight is detrimental to the dough in the long run. At the beginning you might not feel the difference and the smell changes so very slightly that you don’t even realize it’s becoming sourer.
Once I started to roll the dough by hand, the smell started to change, and it got much better in just 2 feeding cycles. The looser structure helped the LM develop a much better crumb-like core.
Problem #3: The dough was still showing signs of weakness and the smell wasn’t great yet
Cause of the problem: machine rolling affected the fermentation by affecting the gluten structure.
Solution: go back to hand rolling
Effect of maintenance temperature
I had spent 4 months like a doctor trying to figure out the disease of the patient. I didn’t know what was happening, so I started to rule things out. At this point I was pretty confident the LM was healthy, and the best way to test how the LM is doing is by trying to make panettone.
Everything was looking right, the hydration, the flour, the rolling method… the house temperature was a bit higher but it shouldn’t be a problem, should it? WRONG but I didn’t know it yet…
One day I woke up early, I had done the bagnetto the night before, and I started to do the 3 refreshments to prepare the LM for panettone. So that day I prepared the primo impasto and let it ferment for 12h at 28C.
At most, the primo impasto should take 14h to triple. But mine barely doubled in 15h
Obviously, my lievito madre was not ready yet. I should have known, as 4h after the last refreshment it wasn’t even floating, it hadn’t tripled in size either, but I was so eager to try to make panettone that I ignored the signs. I didn’t proceed with the secondo impasto, there was no point (I made waffles with the dough, there’s no dough that a waffle maker can’t fix!)
Effect of pH on my lievito madre
After the panettone fail, I decided to taste the LM on each refreshment (I should’ve done it earlier and more often), it was the only thing I hadn’t test yet, the flavor. And OMG! The dough did smell acidic but nothing too weird. But the taste? It was spicy, vinegary… it was super sour!
As it appears, those warmer days, once again, disrupted the equilibrium between bacteria and yeast during the maintenance refreshments. And I believe the warmer temperatures helped in the proliferation of yeasts that led to a drastic increase in the production of acetic acid and a pH unbalance.
pH is one of the factors that affect the survival conditions of the microorganisms. If the pH changes, so will the strains of microorganisms that can grow in that environment.
In need of a deep cleanse
The LM needed to be purified. I decided to do a bagnetto and then I proceeded to do the refreshment as usual. But this time I added 4% of egg yolk to buffer the acidity and help reestablish the microorganism colony. It worked wonders! (This is a technique suggested by Italian Maestros)
I only used egg once, the following days I only use flour and water and I made sure the water bath was at 4C so with the warmer temperature in my house I could keep the LM temperature at bay. The acidic taste got milder and milder until one day I tasted the LM and it was just PERFECT. It had a hint of acid, and a hint of sweetness.
The smell was HEAVENLY. It smelled alcoholic, but with a little bit of acetic acid, and something sweet. Overall it was a very very very pleasant smell. The kind of smell that you just know is right.
Problem #4: a drastic pH change
Cause of the problem: higher temperature during maintenance feeding cycles disrupted the yeast:bacteria ratio again.
Solution: purification step with egg yolk in one refreshment and cold water for the bath to compensate for the warmer temperatures.
Finally: the panettone test
I tried to make panettone again, this time pretty confident because the smell was SO GOOD that I just knew that was how it was supposed to smell (and taste!)
It was just amazing how much better the LM grew during the 3 preparatory refreshments. Even more so when I made the primo impasto. It barely had any lumps of LM in the dough, and the ones it had were very small. The dough absorbed the butter and egg yolk beautifully! (if the pH is not where it has to be, it’s difficult to for the dough to absorb fats). Even the gluten was formed differently. I could tell the pH of the LM was exactly where it had to be.
I finished the primo impasto at 9:30 pm and left it at 28C overnight. Next morning, just 11h later, it had already tripled.
I cannot express the happiness I felt when I saw it. Every time I try to make panettone, the night of the primo impasto I can’t sleep. I’m nervous it won’t rise. But that night I slept well, because I knew the LM was healthy.
It worked! Panettone on the way!
So that day I proceeded with the secondo impasto and made the panettone. And I cannot tell you how amazing the secondo impasto was. The dough was super silky. I can tell it had been my very best gluten development so far. The windowpane test was just incredible (You can see it on my highlights on my Instagram).
After 4 months of frustration, experimentation, speculation, and research. I can finally say that I brought my LM back to its healthiest life. Actually, not back, because it has never been this healthy before.
If anything, working with my pasta madre has been a humbling lesson and a reminder that this is science. Once I started to work with my pasta madre as I would with a project in the lab, things started to change, I started to see the problems and mistakes I was making. And I’ve learned so much!
Acknowledgements
If you’ve made it this far, I’d like to thank you for reading all this. And if you’re struggling with your pasta madre, I hope my experience can help you in your journey.
Also, I’d like to say thank you so much to all of you who followed this journey and gave me ideas or simply asked about my LM. Brainstorming with others is always better! And thank you to my friend Kel. Without her nerdy mind, I probably wouldn’t be here today, with a healthy pasta madre!
#missionpanettone is now stronger than ever!!!
Happy baking!!
Maria
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Easy and Delicious Sourdough Challah
Something good about this quarantine? It gave me the time I needed to create more recipes and do experiments with all my starters. I’ve had sourdough challah in my “to-bake” list for the longest time. And I finally have a recipe I’m 100% satisfied with.
I used all-purpose flour with a protein content of 11.7% for this delicious challah recipe. Don’t worry if you can’t find bread flour, I know it’s difficult to find these days.
UPDATE 10/18/2020: Based on the feedback I received, I decided to update this post to talk about the oil and how to easily incorporate it.
About the recipe
This dough is not on the sticky side, however, you need to make sure you develop the gluten very well. If you do so, you will have a delicate and cohesive sourdough challah that will stay fresh for several days. You can check this post for some guidance on how to knead enriched dough based on real bread science.
I can’t stress this enough: make sure you knead the dough well. Do it little by little. Allow the gluten enough rest if you think the dough is not really coming together after a while. If you’re using a stand mixer, the dough shouldn’t stick to the bottom. And if you’re using your hands, the dough shouldn’t stick to the heel of your hands or the counter.
Developing the gluten well takes a bit of time, but the reward will be amazing. You’ll end up with a dough that’s easier to handle (it won’t stick everywhere), a plump braid, and a bread that won’t dry out and harden right after it cools down.
The ingredients
Since this recipe doesn’t have a lot of moisture, I prefer to add all ingredients at once except the oil. I find it’s the best way to ensure salt and sugar dissolve well, and that all ingredients are properly distributed. You want to have a homogeneous dough.
Once you start kneading and the dough acquires certain consistency, add the oil and incorporate it well. This step might be easier to do by hand than with a stand mixer. You can add the oil little by little or all at once, whatever is more comfortable for you.
In the ingredient list, you’ll find a range in the amounts of oil and water. You can decide which type of dough you prefer. A slightly softer dough that leads to a slightly softer bread, or a slightly stiffer dough that’s easier to shape. The range is not large, but those extra 10 or 20g do make a difference, especially using AP flour.
My flour has 11.7% of protein, if yours has more/less, you will need to adjust the amount of water accordingly
What If I can’t eat eggs?
If you can’t eat eggs you can substitute them with pumpkin puree. It’ll give the dough an orangey color, but it’ll make the dough spongey too. Just be careful with the liquid because pumpkin puree does have some extra moisture.
How to incorporate the oil
If you have read some of my posts you know I’m very particular about developing the gluten network. Adding butter when the dough is half-developed is a bit of work but nothing impossible. However, adding oil can be a lot trickier. So here are my tips:
1) Add the oil little by little. If you add it all at once the outer layer of the dough will be covered in oil and won’t let it penetrate.
2) Squeeze the dough as you knead so you can break that outer layer and the oil can penetrate.
3) If you still have problems, cut the dough into smaller pieces to increase the surface area of dough that hasn’t been coated in oil yet (the inside part) and keep squeezing
4) If you work on your counter, squeeze the dough as if you were wringing out a cloth.
5) Be patient, it’ll take a few minutes but it’s not impossible!
The key to incorporate the oil is to make sure it can pass through that outer layer of dough that has been coated in oil and is slippery. You can cut the dough, squeeze it, wring it… Whatever works for you.
But.. Can I just add the oil with the rest of the wet ingredients?
Yes, you can AS LONG AS you make sure the gluten is developed correctly. The reason I encourage you to add it later is that we tend to stop working the dough absorbs the fats. And that leads to denser crumbs and lower quality bread.
But if you make sure you get that beautiful windowpane and a dough that is elastic and nice. Then yes, you can add the oil earlier in the process.
I’d still suggest you add it after mixing everything else, while you have that shaggy mess of dough at the beginning. The reason why is because the flour had at least some time to hydrate without oil getting in the middle. Moreover, the gluten network is still at a very early stage, so it’ll be easier to squeeze the dough and allow the oil to be absorbed.
How to ferment sourdough challah
I found that the temperature range in my house did not affect the fermentation too much. However, the amount of water did. Keep in mind that the temperature didn’t vary that much (68-74F) and wasn’t too warm.
Note: if your house is very warm, the temperature will affect the fermentation more than it affected me. Keep an eye on your dough during bulk fermentation.
While all sourdough challahs turned out great; I found that the recipe with a little more water fermented faster and the dough was a bit slacker; which made the braiding a bit more difficult as the ropes stretched very easily. The dough with slightly less water and oil ended up in very plump braids; (the very first photo), but the bread was slightly drier than I prefer.
I did all bulk fermentations overnight at room temperature (about 8h at 68-74F depending on the day). The recipe with more water over-proofed a little and developed a slightly sour taste (at both temperatures, even at 68F). However, you can fix this easily by reducing the bulk fermentation.
The recipe with less water didn’t get to rise that much but was still puffy and the taste was sweeter. After shaping, all loaves proofed for 3-4 h (until they were puffy, not until they doubled). The loaves with less water held the shape better.
You should take these experiments as a guide. But what you’re looking for is a puffy dough that still feels stiff (not sticky). If you press carefully, you should leave a mark that springs back slowly. You can adapt the fermentation to your own kitchen conditions.
What I’d suggest is to not rush the bulk fermentation. If your dough didn’t ferment enough, then it could tear open during baking.
Find the balance between temperature and fermentation
In any case, try not to over ferment the dough, or it might turn sour and slacker. It should feel puffy, it should smell like sourdough but not too acidic with slightly but pleasant acetic hints. Same for the final proof, let it get puffy but don’t wait until it doubles.
It’s very difficult to see when it doubles unless the dough is in a container. Waiting for it to double might end up in an over-fermented dough that will flatten during or after baking and won’t taste as nice.
How to braid this sourdough challah
Divide the dough into as many portions as you want strands in your braid. Let them rest 10 minutes before you make the ropes.
To make the ropes, flatten the dough balls into a 2 in/10 cm oval. Then starting on the long side roll the oval onto itself giving it some tension as you go. Once you shaped the log seal the seam.
Let the logs rest a few minutes; then starting from the middle towards the outside stretch the logs and make the ropes. If the ropes keep shrinking let them rest. The gluten it’s pulling and if you continue to stretch the dough you’ll end up breaking the gluten structure.
Braiding the challah a little loose will allow it to tighten as it proofs. It will puff up during baking and be very plump. If the braid is too tight from the beginning, it could tear during baking
After you brush your challah with the egg white, you can sprinkle some poppy or sesame seeds to decorate it!
Here you have a video for an 8 strand challah:
The good thing about challah dough is its versatility when it comes to shapes and braiding. If you’re looking for a beautiful shape but are a bit intimidated by braids, I’d suggest you try your hand at a round challah. It’s very easy to braid and you won’t get lost.
The baking
Since every oven is a bit different, bake your challah until it’s golden brown. If it gets too dark on top you can tent it with aluminum foil until it’s done inside. If you have trouble knowing if the bread is done, check the inside temperature. It should register at least 200F / 94C.
I have this thermometer and I’m very happy with it. It’s fast and accurate and it can hold the max/min temperature. What I like the most is that it has a magnet! So I can leave it stuck on the fridge while I’m baking for easy use.
After baking let the challah cool down for a while. It will help set the crumb and aromas!
I hope you enjoy this wonderful sourdough challah!
If you make this easy sourdough challah, let me know what you think and tag me on your creations! I love to see what you guys make!
You can find me on Instagram or Facebook and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
For suggestions or want me to adapt a yeast-based recipe into a sourdough one, etc. please contact me and I’ll try my best to respond and plan a recipe!
Happy baking!
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Easy and Delicious Sourdough Challah
A delicious sourdough challah with a very fluffly crumb. Perfect to eat plain, to make toasts, or even french toasts.
Ingredients
- 345 g king arthur all purpose flour (11.7% protein content)
- 110 g sourdough starter at its peak of activity
- 70-80 g water room temperature
- 1 Large egg
- 1 Large yolk (save the white for final egg wash)
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 80-90 g vegetable oil
- 6 g salt
- 1 tsp poppy or sesame seeds optional
Instructions
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Add the water and the sourdough starter to a bowl and with a whisk bread down the starter
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Add the egg, the yolk, and the sugar and combine everything
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Sift the flour and salt together and add them to the dry ingredients
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Combine everything until you don't see dry flour particles and let it rest 30-60 mins
-
Start kneading, if using a stand mixer you can use the paddle attachment
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When the dough starts developing the gluten add the oil and keep kneading until it's completely absorbed (see notes)
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Knead 4-5 minutes and let it rest another 5-7 minutes. Continue doing thes until it's ready (Let the dough rest as much as necessary).
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When the dough passes the windowpane test and it's smooth and elastic, put it in a lightly oiled container and let it ferment until it doubles or almost doubles and feels puffy (at 68-74F it takes tops 8h, typically overnight)
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Degas the dough and let it rest a few minutes. Then divide it in as many strands as you want for your braid, shape them into dough balls and let them rest (covered) for 10 minutes
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Take one piece of dough and with the heel of your hand flatten it. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 7 x 4 inches oval. Starting from the longe side roll the dough into itself and form a log. Pinch the seam closed and gently roll from the center outwards lengthening the log
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Repeat with all the dough pieces, if it's difficult to stretch the log, let it rest a few minutes
-
Braid the challah and place it on a piece of parchemnt paper on the tray you'll use to bake it. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise until it feels puffy (at 68-74F it takes about 3-4h)
-
Preheat the oven for 20 minutes at 350 F. When the challah is ready, brush it with the egg white and sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds. Bake it for 35-40 minutes or until it has a nice golden brown color
-
Let the challah cool down to room temperature before slicing it
Recipe Notes
- If you’re kneading with a stand mixer you might find it easier to incorporate the oil by hand. Squeezing and twisting the dough will work faster.
- If you think the challah getting too dark but the inside is not done, tent it with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Kept it in a plastic bag or airtight container, it can last fresh and soft several days.
Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
Two words: blueberry muffins. It can’t get better than that. Nah, it can, with sourdough it can! Sourdough blueberry muffins, my friends!
I’m determined to use all my sourdough discards, it is painful to throw it away! So these days the new normal is something like this:
Feed starter – save discards – bake loaf -bake with the discards
The more I bake with sourdough discards, the more I get to test the effect on other food. So far, I can say that cakes and muffins made with sourdough last longer than those without. Nothing new really, sourdough bread also lasts fresh longer time
Isn’t it amazing? Although… after you make these muffins, I doubt you’ll need an extended shelf life, they’re INCREDIBLE!
Why do sourdough baked goods last longer?
Bread and other baked goods are usually discarded when they lose quality rather than when they get spoiled. Bread gets stale kind of quickly, cakes dry and get crumbly… Although there are many factors involved in why and how baked goods dry out, obviously, moisture content plays a key role.
When you mix your ingredients with water, the very first thing that happens is that those ingredients absorb the water. They start making hydrogen bonds and trapping the water within the matrix. Sugar and salt start dissolving, gluten proteins start hydrating, starch granules starch absorbing water and swelling (you see why autolysis helps to develop the gluten? Wink wink)… And all this takes a long time. Much more time than we think.
If we focus on the physical changes of food, rather than the biological changes of sourdough fermentation, we need to pay close attention to how the water is used in baked goods.
Moisture is key
There are two types of water in food: the bound water that’s forming some type of bond and the free water, that is simply stored within the food matrix.
After baking, the free water is going to be the first to go. It moves from the inside of the food (The crumb) towards the outside. Thus, why crust gets soggy over time, and then it finally evaporates and leaves the food.
Bound water, however, it’s somewhat trapped. It can be part of the gluten network, of swollen starch granules, it can be trapped within the fat matrix etc. The amount of bound water (among other things, of course) is one of the things that determines how long the food stays fresh; because its’ much more difficult to separate from the other ingredients. So the loss of quality related to water is slowed down.
Since sourdough baking needs lots of time, the levain preparation, long fermentation times etc. allow all ingredients to keep absorbing water and binding it to other molecules. The flour had many hours to ensure al the particles are saturated with water (I’m assuming a 100% hydration starter here). These bonds survive throughout the whole process; after the food is baked and starts cooling down, the food holds onto these water bonds.
And that’s one of the reasons food made with sourdough lasts longer!
If you’re interested in other food science facts, feel free to send me an email or DM on social media and I’ll try my best to write a post about it!
Back to the muffins!
Alrighty! About these muffins… I made them small for two reasons: 1) because the number of muffins I eat doesn’t depend on the size, so I’d better eat smaller portions now that the gym is close 🙂 and 2) because I don’t have a large muffin tin and if I buy more kitchen stuff my husband is going to make me sleep in the kitchen.
So obviously, feel free to make larger muffins or smaller. Whatever you prefer!
I like to whip eggs and sugar very well, this helps with the airy structure of the muffin and I think the texture turns out super delicate!
Usually, when you make blueberry muffins, they collapse a little after they come out of the oven, it’s normal, that’s because the water inside of the fruits turns into steam while the muffins are baking, and they swell. Some blueberries might burst, and the others, when they cool down, they collapse because the steam condenses. They also wrinkle because the heat affects the structure of the skin.
I like to let the batter chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to allow the baking powder and baking soda hydrate well. Their leavening power is activated by acids and moisture. You can leave the batter in the fridge overnight and bake the muffins first thing in the morning!
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think and tag me on your creations! I love to see what you guys do!
You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
If you have any suggestions or would want me to make some recipes, adapt a yeast-based recipe into a sourdough one, etc, please contact me and I’ll try my best to respond and plan a recipe!
Happy baking!
Sourdough blueberry muffins
Use your sourdough discard to make these delicious muffins!
Ingredients
- 200 g all purpose flour
- 200 g sourdough discards (collected throughout a week)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 L eggs
- 180 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon extract (optional- to taste)
- 180 g heavy whipping cream
- 60 g olive oil (see notes)
- 1½ cups blueberries
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven at 375 F
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Sift the flour into a large bowl. Take a tablespoon of that flour and reserve
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Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt to the flour and combine
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In the bowl of your stand mixer whip the eggs until they are fluffy and have a light yellow color
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Add the sugar to the eggs and combine
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Add the whipping cream, the oil, the sourdough starter, and the extracts and combine well. Use a spatula if you need to break down the sourdough blob
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Change from the wire whisk to the paddle attachment, add the flour in 3 batches and combine at medium-low speed
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In separate bowl toss the blueberries and the tbsp of flour you reserved and carefully stirr tso they blueberries get a nice coat of flour
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Add the blueberries to the batter and with a spatula stir until just combined (you can put now the batter in the fridge if you want)
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line a muffin tin with baking cups and fill them to about 3/4
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Add some blueberries on top as decoration
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Bake for about 30 minutes or until they have a nice golden color
Recipe Notes
I like to use olive oil because I think it gives muffins in general a really nice aroma. And it’s also how my mom taught me. But feel free to use melted butter or any other oil of your choice!
If you don’t have blueberries, you can make these muffins with any other fruit
Sourdough donuts with rose cream filling
March was the month for enriched dough for the sourdough monthly challenge I participate every month, and I decided to make sourdough donuts. I adapted the recipe I had for yeasted donuts and used this time to play around with flavors.
I wanted to try a different filling, so I made a rose cream using rose water and the result was AMAZING. Not just because rose water makes everything better, also because these donuts were super soft!
I’d love to tell you they keep fresh for several days, the truth is… they’re so good they didn’t make it that long! 😀
If you don’t have or don’t like rose water you can use any other flavoring. Vanilla, almond, lemon, orange blossom… you name it! (Just be careful with the quantities, some flavorings are stronger and you wouldn’t need that much).
And if you want to try rose water but are under quarantine, please please, please… Wait until the quarantine is lifted. As good as these donuts are, nothing is more important than your safety. Donuts can wait, your health is the priority.
About the recipe
This recipe is pretty straightforward. First, you need to mix all wet ingredients except the starter and butter. Add the sugar and dissolve it, and then add the starter and dissolve the blob a little. My starter was at its peak of activity (it had already tripled in size after feeding it).
Now combine flour and salt. I used bread flour but if for whatever reasons you just have all-purpose flour, you probably won’t need all the milk in the recipe. All-purpose flour absorbs less moisture than bread flour, so using all the milk will, most likely, result in a very slack and sticky dough. And this dough is already on the sticky side.
I used soy milk because that’s what I drink, obviously, you can use regular milk. Just make sure you boil it for a few minutes to break down some enzymes that otherwise could make gluten development difficult
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine just enough so you don’t see dry flour particles, cover and let it rest for 30-45 minutes. This autolysis will help the dough to start developing the gluten, hydrate flour particles, and make easier to incorporate the butter. This dough is a bit on the sticky side, so I find this step useful, although is not mandatory.
About the dough
After 30-45 minutes start kneading either by hand or using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer and add the softened butter.
Knead for a few minutes until the butter has been incorporated. If you’re using a stand mixer, you might need to stop several times to scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl or if it rolled up on the paddle attachment.
This dough is a bit sticky, so make sure you knead it well until it’s elastic and it passes the windowpane test. If you don’t see it’s getting more and more elastic stop kneading, cover it and let it rest 10 minutes. Then come back to it and start kneading again.
Sometimes the dough gets tired, the gluten strands start to tangle so much that it’s impossible to develop the gluten network. Letting the dough rest allows the gluten strands to realign and that’s when the magic happens, friends.
You might think your dough is not ready, however, after a few minutes of rest you’ll see how much better it looks and it feels! These rests are crucial when dealing with enriched dough and are also a way to prevent over kneading.
When the dough is ready it should feel very smooth, not too shiny and even dough it will be a bit sticky, it shouldn’t get stuck to your fingers.
Preparing the donuts
Once the dough is ready, let it proof until it doubles in size, but keep its temperature at a maximum of 23C/72F because if it gets too warm it will be very difficult to handle. Not to mention that the butter might melt and leach out of the dough. Patience is key! ( I left my dough fermenting overnight, about 9h, at around 19C/67F).
The next morning punch the dough, degas it well and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours. It’s a sticky dough, cooling it down a little will help you shape the donuts.
After the dough chilled for a while, flour your counter and roll it into a 1cm / 0.5in thickness. Use flour to dust the counter and the top of the dough so it doesn’t get stuck to the rolling pin.
To avoid the donuts from shrinking after cutting them, let the dough rest 15 minutes or so (covered). Then cut one, and if the dough doesn’t shrink you’re good to go, if it does, let it rest a bit longer.
With a round cookie cutter or a glass or whatever you have, cut the donuts. Knead and roll the dough scraps again (let it rest a little if you find it’s difficult to roll it), cut more donuts and continue collecting scraps until you don’t have more dough.
If you have parchment paper, cut small squares, put them on a tray and place the donuts on each square to proof. This will make your life easier when you have to fry them. You won’t have to deal with dough stuck on the tray!
Cover the donuts and let them proof for about 1h at 20/68F Don’t wait for them to double in size or when you fry them they’ll have huge holes inside. They should feel puffy. if your room temperature is higher, they might be ready a bit sooner.
In the meanwhile, you can prepare your filling, either the pastry cream or whatever you prefer. When it’s ready, remember to cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream so it doesn’t develop a skin.
The last step!
To fry the donuts you can use vegetable oil or other flavorless oil. Vegetable oil is a good choice because it has a higher smoke point. You don’t want your fire alarm to go off like crazy!
The ideal temperature for frying is 180-190C / 360-375F so I’d suggest you use a thermometer. I also used the last dough scraps to test the oil.
Fry the donuts just until they have a nice golden color, flipping them every few seconds. And transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorbs the excess oil.
I transferred mine to the paper towel and quickly coated them with sugar. This is up to you, you can finish your donuts
Let the donuts cool down a little and with a piping bag fill them with the filling you prepare and enjoy!
This recipe yields 6-7 pretty large donuts or 10 regular/smaller donuts.
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think and tag me on your creations! I love to see what you guys do!
You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
If you have any suggestions or would want me to make some recipes, adapt a yeast-based recipe into a sourdough one, etc, please contact me and I’ll try my best to respond and plan a recipe!
Happy baking!
Sourdough donuts with rose cream filling
These donuts are very soft and full of amazing flavors
Ingredients
Donut dough
- 260 g bread flour
- 110 g soy milk see notes
- 75 g white sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 40 g sugar
- 3 g salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 50 g softened butter
Rose cream filling
- 250 g soy milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 40 g sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp rose water (to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 3 drops red food coloring
Instructions
Donut dough
-
In the bowl of your stand mixer add the milk and suggar anddissolve the sugar
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Add the egg yolks and rose water and combine well
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Add the starter and stir until you break down the blob
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On a different bowl mix the flour and salt
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Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine just until you don't see dry flour particles. Cover the bowl and let it rest 30-45 minutes
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After the rest start kneading the dough and when you see it starts getting elastic add the softened butter and knead until the dough passes the windowpane test. Make sure you let the dough rest every few minutes of kneading and before trying the windopane test
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Once the dough is ready, grease a container and put the dough inside. Let it ferment until it doubles in size. In my case it took about 9h at 19C/27F
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After the bulk fermentation, degas the dough well and let it chill for a couple of hours in the fridge
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Take the dough out of the fridge, dust your work surface and the dough and roll it into a 1cm/ 0.5in thickness
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Cut the donuts and roll the scraps as many times necessary until you don't have more dough left
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Place the donuts on small pieces of parchment paper, cover them and let them proof until they're puffy (about 1h)
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Fill a pot with vegetable oil and heat it to 180-190C / 360-375F
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When the donuts are ready and the oil is hot, fry the donuts until they have a nice golden brown color. Flip them in the oil several times so they have even color.
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Transfer the donuts to a paper towel to remove the excess of oil and quickly roll them in sugar so the sugar sticks to the donut
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Let the donuts cool down a few minutes and with a piping bag fill them with your favorite filling!
Rose cream
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Put the milk in a saucepan and bring to a low boil
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In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sift the starch, add the sugar, the coloring, and the rose water and whisk again
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Pour a little bit of milk on the bowl (about 1/3 or 1/4 of the milk) with the yolks mixture and quickly stir so you don't cook the eggs
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Pour the egg batter into the saucepan and whisk it all together until is homogeneous
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Heat the mixture at low heat and don't stop stirring. It will thicken
-
Once the cream is thick enough transfer it to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Make sure the wrat touches the cream so it won't develop a skin.
-
Let the cream cool down to room temperature before filling the donuts
Recipe Notes
I use soy milk because that’s what I normally use. You can substitute it for regular milk but make sure you boil the milk a few minutes before using it in the dough. That way you will break down the enzymes that could hinder gluten development.
Sourdough chocolate and orange bundt cake
Oh, hey there! I’m glad you’re here because I have a wonderful sourdough chocolate orange bundt cake recipe for you! I know… the name it’s kinda long, but trust me, this cake is so delicious, it won’t last long! And I like to think of it as a zero waste recipe. Why? Because I used orange peels and sourdough discards that I collected during the week.
My new challenge in life is to generate less food waste, and that goes to sourdough too. So I’m developing recipes that allow me to do so. The world of sourdough it’s endless! I realized that I can use it in so much more than bread.
I have different sourdough starters that I use for different things. And not long ago I made a chocolate sourdough bread with my chocolate sourdough starter. And that’s pretty much how this cake was born!
If you don’t have a chocolate starter discard, don’t worry, use your regular discards and then substitute 20g of flour with 20g of cocoa powder.
I love the contrast between chocolate and orange and the sourdough starter makes this cake moist and extends its shelf life significantly! It doesn’t taste or get sour; the orange peels are boiled and aren’t bitter and the chocolate flavor is just enough so you can enjoy all flavors.
I made a ganache to add a little something to the cake and topped it with walnuts, but you can use anything you like.
How to prepare the orange peels
The first thing you need to do is to make sure the orange peels are not bitter or they will ruin your cake. You need to put the peels in a sauce pan and add enough water to cover them. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook them until they start boiling. Let them boil for a minute. Drain and rinse them until they’re not too hot. Put them back in the saucepan and repeat 2 or 3 more times (Until you bite a piece and it isn’t bitter).
It’s important to cool down the peels between boils, otherwise, they might disintegrate completely before they are ready.
Once the orange peels are ready, let them cool down and then chop them either manually or with a food processor. They will last in the fridge for a week and you can use them anywhere!
The rest of the steps are similar to any other cake. I used my KitchenAid to mix the batter, but if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use something else or even do it by hand. Just make sure when you beat the eggs and the sugar, the mixture is foamy. Otherwise, the cake can turn out a bit dense.
Amazing results!
The results are spectacular! This cake is rich, moist and spongy. The flavors come together perfectly, the chocolate flavor complements the tangy orange flavor, and it’s not overly sweet. The sourdough enhances the aromas and really improves the shelf life of the cake. It can stay fresh for several days and I just covered it with foil, I didn’t put it into a plastic container or anything.
Let me know what you think of this recipe and please, tag me on your creations! I love to see what you guys do! You can follow me on Instagram or Facebook and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
If you have any suggestions or would want me to make some recipes, please contact me and I’ll try my best to respond and plan a recipe!
Happy baking!
Sourdough chocolate & orange bundt cake
Use your sourdough dicards and orange peels to make this scrumptious dessert!
Ingredients
Cake
- 340 g all purpose flour *see notes
- 325 g sourdough starter – 100% hydration (about 2 cups)
- 20 g cocoa powder 1
- 300 g white sugar
- 200 g vegetable oil
- 4 L eggs
- 100 g boiled and ground orange peels **see notes
- 70 g milk ***see notes
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon optional
Chocolate Glaze
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional – decoration
Instructions
Cake
-
Preheat your oven at 350F
-
Grease your a bundt cake pan that can hold at least 12 cups
-
On a bowl, mix all dry ingredients and set aside
-
On your stand mixer bowl,add eggs and sugar and beat using the whisk attachment until they're fluffy and the color is lighter
-
Add milk, vegetable oil, orange, and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated
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Add the sourdough starter and incorporate it at medium speed, you might need to pause or even use a spatula to break it down a little
-
Add the dry ingredients and with a spatula or the paddle attachment incorporate them into the batter. Don't over mix. If possible, don't add all the dry ingredients at once, add them in 2 or 3 times to avoid lumps
-
Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If needed, tent the cake with aluminum foil to avoind the top from burning
-
When ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool down in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack
Chocolate glaze
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When the cake is already baked, melt the butter and the chocolate chips at a very low temperature
-
Add the cinnamon combine it well
-
Pour on top of the cake and decorate with walnuts or any other nut you prefer
Recipe Notes
*I’ve tried both, chocolate sourdough starter and regular sourdough starter. If you have chocolate starter, use it and avoid the cocoa powder and just add 20 more grams of all purpose flour.
**You need to boil the peels 2 or 3 times to get rid of the bitterness. Please, read the paragragh where I explain how to do it 🙂
***If you don’t have enough orange peels, you can use orange juice instead of milk, but 100g or orange peels give this cake a really nice orange flavor.
**** I collected my starter for several days and kept it in the fridge until I baked the cake
How to make sourdough chocolate banana bread
A year ago I was writing that dissertation, I was stressed, hypersensitive, anxious… Sometimes I’d be happy it’d soon be over, and sometimes I’d feel nostalgic for the very same reason. A year has passed and I’m just starting to rebuild myself and enjoy my guilt-free life… With this sourdough chocolate banana bread! That’s right! It’s all about using sourdough discards!
Using sourdough discards in your baking
Learning the science of bread is one of the reasons I started this blog. Because I find breadmaking an incredibly endearing process and yet so misunderstood. There are different methods to take care of your sourdough starter; some people generate discards, others don’t. I never throw away the discards, that’s sourdough that can be used on other things!! It’s pre-fermented flour that can bring flavor to yeast bakes, like this brioche recipe with sourdough discards. It also helps increase the shelf life of baked products by slowing down the staling process and controlling the pH a bit. This way spoilage microorganisms find it harder to grow on the food.
This year I also want to start implementing a new approach when it comes to food: ZERO WASTE. I know many people generate a considerable amount of sourdough discards. And I know using sourdough discards sounds like a crazy idea for many. But let me tell you.. once you make this sourdough chocolate banana bread with sourdough discards, you will be converted forever!!!
So today I inaugurate a new type of recipe: SOURDOUGH DISCARDS
I’ll upload different recipes using sourdough discards so you don’t just throw them away. Recipes with that extra kick of healthiness that only a sourdough starter can provide. As always, all recipes will be tested to ensure the best results!
To inaugurate this new batch of recipes I wanted to make something special. I’ve developed this sourdough chocolate banana bread that’s going to make you fall in love with it!
It’s moist but not too dense. It’s spongy, full of flavors, a nice chocolate kick that doesn’t overtake the banana taste. And it lasts fresh for days even if you don’t keep it in an airtight container! (You didn’t think that sourdough could only keep regular bread fresh for a longer time, did you?)
I did not add chocolate chips of any kind to this bread, just walnuts. Because I wanted to taste the banana. But if you prefer a more chocolatey flavor, customize those extras to your taste buds.
About this sourdough chocolate banana bread
It works best with very ripe bananas. Those brown mushy ones? Yeah, those!
If you’re not ready to bake banana bread but your bananas are getting too ripe to eat, just peel them, freeze them and use them whenever you’re ready! Just make sure you drain the water after they thaw. I think frozen bananas are the best for banana bread, they keep the moisture much better and they also enhance the flavor of the bread.
I collected the sourdough discards throughout 3 or 4 days of consecutive feedings and kept it in the fridge until ready to bake.
What if I have old sourdough discards?
I have tested this recipe with discards that were several weeks old. The only difference in flavor is that the chocolate banana bread was less sweet. Which makes sense, because the discards have been acidifying and part of the sugar is used to neutralize those acids.
So, depending on your taste buds, you may want to adapt the sugar. Although, this recipe has a considerable amount of it. But like always, you have the idea here, then you can customize it to your liking! 🙂
How long does it take to bake?
The baking time depends on your oven. Start taking a look at the bread after 50-55 minutes. The best way to know if your banana bread is ready is by inserting a toothpick (or a thin skewer) all the way down in the middle part of the loaf (that’s the part that takes the longest to cook). If it comes out clean, you’re good to go!
Don’t overbake this sourdough chocolate banana bread, you want it moist, not too dry, once the toothpick comes out clean, it’s ready!
Let me know if you make this chocolate banana bread using your sourdough discards and tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see your creations! And don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel too, where once in a while I upload videos for some of my recipes.
Enjoy!
Sourdough chocolate banana bread
Ingredients
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 135 g sourdough starter discards
- 180 g brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 115 g vegetable oil
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional and customizable)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven at 350F
- Grease a 9×5 in mold (or line it with parchment paper if you prefer)
- In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) and make sure the baking powder and baking soda don't have any lumps.
- In a smaller bowl whisk the eggs, add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and combine until the eggs get a light color. Then add the brown sugar and mix for a couple of minutes.
- Add the sourdough starter and stir until it breaks down and it's incorporated (you might see some strands, it's ok, the starter had some gluten developed)
- Mash the bananas, add them to the egg mixture and combine everythng well
- With a spatula, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones
- Add the chopped walnuts and stir just until they're combined
- pour the batter into your mold and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (time might vary depending on your oven temperature)
Gorgonzola and apple sourdough bread – Video
Hello friends!
I’ve decided that it was about time for me to post some sourdough bread recipe and spread the sourdough fever!
Before I start I’d like to make something clear:
There isn’t just one single method to make sourdough. Any bread, really. But especially sourdough. My method works for me because I’ve adapted it to my kitchen conditions, my flour, and our taste buds.
If you’re new to sourdough baking take this recipe as a guide and experiment with what you like
Since sourdough is the result of wild yeasts and bacteria fermentation, it’s unique for each person. Each starter is different because the flours used are different, the water quality is different, the temperature in each person’s kitchen is different…
Sourdough for beginners: what I wished someone told me when I first started
My very first sourdough bread was… pretty messy! I was intimidated and I thought that not following the recipe by the minute was going to turn my bread into something awful “OMG! It has fermented 5h and 1 minute!” So here are some of the things that I learned along the way:
1. Don’t worry! You can adapt the fermentation time to your own schedule. Sometimes deciding what you’re going to do with the bread is more difficult than actually making the bread. The more you bake, the more you learn.
2. Experiment, try different things. Shorter bulk fermentation, longer cold-proof… whatever works for you!
3. Flour flour flour! Flour your banneton, flour your dough and flour everything so the dough doesn’t stick to the banneton or the cloth. Too much flour ain’t never enough flour! After all the work you don’t want the dough to stick to the banneton or the cloth right before baking. Some people like to use rice flour or starch because they absorb more water and the dough never sticks. I found that all-purpose flour works great, as long as you use enough.
4. If anything, it’s better to under-ferment than over-ferment. Why? Scientifically speaking, the gluten network of over fermented dough loses strength and it’ll be difficult to shape, it won’t hold the shape during baking, and it’ll have a terrible oven spring because the lack of strength means less ability to hold gas inside (it’s the same concept as to over-knead the dough). Also, and this is my opinion, some people might disagree, but it’s been helpful for me: slightly under fermented dough has more chances to turn into a great bread than over fermented dough. The crumb might not have super large holes, or maybe you don’t have that tart taste you’re looking for, but the dough will hold the shape better, the oven spring will be better, and overall the bread will be better than an over-proofed one.
5. Make sure the gluten is developed. Either if you knead the dough by hand, on a stand mixer or if you do a “no-knead” bread. The dough has to be elastic and smooth, it shouldn’t be sticking everywhere. If you are kneading, there shouldn’t be dough on the walls of the stand mixer bowl, or on the counter. The dough has to be strong enough to be able to pull itself together without breaking. If you’re making “no-knead” bread, you should be able to stretch the dough without it tearing apart.
6. Shape the loaf well, don’t be afraid. During shaping, you’re going to use that strong gluten network that you’ve built to be able to create surface tension. That means that you’re going to stretch the outer layer of gluten in a way that will help keep the shape tight and in place, but if you push too much, the layer will eventually tear apart, and the bread won’t hold the shape. I like to think about it as covering a bowl with plastic wrap, you need the wrap tight in order to be in place, but if you pull too much, you will tear it.
7. Don’t get overwhelmed by information. The Internet is packed with sourdough recipes, methods, how to build a starter… My advice? Pick one method to build your starter and stick to it until you’re comfortable enough. Each method will be different and will be adapted to each baker. That’s why they’re all so different and why I don’t want to add more information about it, there’s just too much out there. If you really want to know how I built my starter, how I care for it etc. feel free to contact me and I’ll be more than happy to help!
8. BE PATIENT. Bread making is all about patience. If your first bread doesn’t turn out great, don’t worry! Keep trying. Write down what works, and what doesn’t. And if you want to experiment, change only 1 or 2 things at a time so it’ll be easier for you to narrow down what went wrong, what worked, what’s creating problems…
Let’s get to the recipe!
Gorgonzola cheese has a very intense flavor, it should be consumed in small amounts, so your palate is not overwhelmed and you get to enjoy all the aromas and flavors.
Apple is a sweet fruit but not too sweet that would take over the cheese taste. Actually, it helps your taste buds to balance everything every flavor.
And the bread, of course… the sourdough taste, the airy crumb, the slightly crunchy crust…
Are you drooling yet? I thought so 😊
I used 100g of gorgonzola (half packet) and 1 medium-large fuji apple. You can go for a tarter apple or a sweeter one.
I’ve tried this recipe with different water contents and the bread has always turned out very similar. The cheese fat and the water in the apple are essential to get the super soft bread. And because of those, the crust is crunchy but thin, so it’s not hard at all.
You’ll see how light and springy this bread is!
This bread is just amazing! I never recommend to eat the bread warm, but for this one? I can’t tell you to wait until it’s cooled down. Just give it 30 mins to set the crumb and go ahead! And since it has both savory and sweet, you can combine it with anything you want!
If you make this bread make sure you tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see what you made!
Gorgonzola & apple sourdough bread
This bread is very soft with incredibly balanced aromas
Ingredients
- 320 g bread flour
- 80 g whole wheat flour
- 320 g room temperature water
- 80 g 100% hydration starter
- 1 medium fuji apple
- 120 g gorgonzola cheese
- 7 g salt
Instructions
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Mix flours and water (you can add less water if an 80% hydration is too much for you). Let the dough rest for up to 3h (autolysis)
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Add the salt and mix the dough until you don’t feel salt particles. Wait 30 minutes
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Add the starter, incorporate it very well and let the dough rest for 30-45 minutes
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Peel and chop the apple and cut the cheese into small cubes
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Laminate the dough: use your fingers and stretch the dough from the center towards the outside, don’t worry about the shape. Add the apple and the cheese and distribute them well. Fold the dough and shape it into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Wait for 45 mins
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Do three sets of coil folds or stretch and folds every 45 mins (time can vary between 30-60mins). After the last set of fold, let the dough ferment until it doubles in size, the time depends on the temperature of the dough and the temperature of your kitchen (it can be anywhere from 3-8h)
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Flour the counter well, let the dough fall from the bowl onto the counter by itself and shape it into a batard or a boule
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Line a banneton with a clean cotton cloth and flour it generously. Place the dough into the banneton with the seam up and stitch the seam. Cover the dough with the cloth and put it in the fridge for 8-24h (If you don't have a banneton you can use a bowl).
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Preheat your oven at 450F with a dutch oven inside (or a pizza stone or a baking tray) for at least 30-40 minutes
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Take the dough out of the fridge and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Score the dough with a sharp knife or blade. Put it in the dutch oven and reduce the oven temperature to 425F . **See notes
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Bake 20 mins with the lid on and another 15-25 mins without the lid or until it has browned nicely (depending on your oven the bread might be done earlier or later)
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Cool on a cooling rack for 30 mins to let the crumb set and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
** If you don’t have a dutch oven, place another baking tray in the bottom rack while the oven it’s preheating. Add a cup of boiling water to that baking tray right after you put the bread inside and close the oven door fast. After 20 minutes remove that tray and bake the bread for another 20-25 minutes. If you use a pizza stone, be careful to not add the boiling water on it or it’ll, most likely, break.
How to do the 3 preparatory refreshments for panettone
The first thing to make panettone is to create the lievito madre (LM from now on 😉 ) and then what? Then we need to make sure the LM is ready, strong and not acidic before we mix the panettone dough. We achieve this by doing the bagnetto followed by the 3 preparatory refreshments.
To learn how to create a lievito madre from scratch check this post
Why do we need the bagnetto?
This technique is a way to purify, oxygenate and release of acidity the LM. It consists of a warm bath where we’ll put the LM for 30 minutes. Depending on its behavior, we can assess how our LM is doing. If it’s too acidic, if it’s too weak, or if it’s just good to go!
When do we do the bagnetto?
Only in two cases
- Before every maintenance refreshment
- Before the 3 preparatory refreshments for panettone
We shouldn’t overuse this technique because it will weaken our LM if we do it too often, as an exception, if you’re in the same situation as me, I built up my LM in 19-20 days instead of 15. If during those days you suddenly feel a change in your LM and you think it’s smelling much more acidic than the day before (if you can actually measure the acidity that would be even better), you can do a bagnetto, just make sure that you leave at least 2 days between this bagnetto and the bagnetto before the 3 refreshments.
How to do the bagnetto?
This is the procedure:
- Fill up a large bowl with water at 38C/100F (it must be 38C/100F)
- To the warm water add 2g of sugar per liter of water and stir until it’s completely dissolved.
- Proceed to remove the LM from the container, drain the water, remove the mushy part and squeeze very well.
- Place the LM in the water bath and leave it there 30 minutes
Depending on the state of our LM, three things can happen now:
- Your LM floats right away: you either didn’t squeeze it well to remove all the air trapped inside or your LM is too weak.
- Your LM floats after 5-10mins (or within the bagnetto time, mine floated has floated between 7 and 15 mins): it’s perfect. It’ll start showing only the tip and by the end of the bagnetto more of it will be out of the water.
- Your LM doesn’t float after 30 minutes: It’s too acidic, it doesn’t mean it’s weak, it means there is lots of bacterial and yeast activity.
Once the bagnetto is over, proceed with a refreshment the same way you’ve done before:
- 200 g of lievito madre
- 200 g of Manitoba flour
- 30-50% of the weight of flour in water
Mix the dough, roll it until it’s smooth and place it in a water bath for 12-14h
What worked for me was to do the bagnetto in the evening and let the LM ferment overnight. So, the next morning I started the 3 refreshments and started the primo impasto in the evening.
How to fix your lievito madre
There are several techniques but I’m going to focus on the simplest ones
LM too weak
- Leave in the water bath for 5-10 minutes
- Remove it from the water bath an do the 3 refreshments as if you were going to bake panettone
- After the last refreshment let the LM ferment for 12h and do a bagnetto again. At this point, your LM should work fine and float after several minutes.
- If you wish to make panettone, you can proceed now with the 3 refreshments again.
LM too acidic
Since there is a lot of activity, the LM needs more time to get rid of all the acid accumulated.
- Leave the LM in the water bath until it shows signs of wanting to float. After 45-50 minutes it should float.
My LM usually weights somewhere between 250-350g, I used the bowl of my kitchenaid (5qt) and fill it up with 3 liters of water. Since the bowl is not transparent, I can see how the water turns murky during those 30 minutes of bagnetto.
Why do we have to do 3 refreshments?
As I mentioned above, these three refreshments are to ensure that our panettone will 1) Triple in size after 12h of mixing the primo impasto and 2) the aroma and flavor will not be sour or acidic.
When we do the 3 refreshments, we’re also testing how strong our LM is. If it doesn’t triple in 3-4 hours, it means it’s not suitable for panettone. In that case, we can fix whatever the problem is before wasting ingredients.
Also, these 3 refreshments are going to help keep the bacteria happy and in line before they start releasing acids. So we reduce the acidity significantly.
Does it have to be exactly 3 refreshments?
Yes, not 2, not 4, but 3.
Why? Because experience tells us (or better yet… told Italian pasticceri) that 3 is the magic number. Doing less than 3 refreshments does not get rid of the sourness and more than 4 can affect the LM by overfeeding it.
I never thought about this until I started my research for panettone, but sourdough can overeat just like we can. And sometimes, feeding it more won’t make it stronger.
When I learned this, I realized that I did exactly that when I created my sourdough starter, I was feeding it too often and it got to a point where it was lethargic. The moment I reduced the feedings, it came back to life.
So, refreshing the LM more than 3 times might not give you the results you look for.
When do we do the 3 refreshments?
After the bagnetto we have to do one more refreshment, then let the LM ferment in water for 12-14h and then we will start with the first preparatory refreshment, after 3-4h we’ll do the second, after another 3-4h we’ll do the third refreshment and it’ll be ready to add to the first panettone dough after 12-15h.
A mature LM should triple in size in 3 to 4 h, if it does it before 3h something is wrong, it might be too active.
How do we do the 3 refreshments?
The method is the same as to any other refreshment:
- 200 g of lievito madre
- 200 g of Manitoba flour
- 30-50% of the weight of flour in water
After the bagnetto you need to squeeze the dough well and get rid of that slimy layer. Then proceed as any other refreshment: mix the dough, roll it several times, place it in your container and add the water. Then wait 12-14 hours, probably overnight. and refresh the LM again following the same method.
After 3-4h, proceed to do the 3rd refreshment and let it ferment for another 3-4h, then it’ll be ready to add to the dough.
If your house it’s too cold, you should carry out the three refreshments in a controlled environment, somewhere around 26-28C / 80-84F, otherwise, the LM might not grow enough in 3-4h
Refreshment schedule
7:45 am (12h after the bagnetto) take the dough out of the container, squeeze it well and proceed with refreshment #1:
- 200 g of lievito madre
- 200 g of Manitoba flour
- 30-50% of the weight of flour in water
8:15 am Roll the dough and place it in the water bath. Let the LM ferment 4h
12:15pm take the dough out of the container, squeeze it well and proceed with refreshment #2:
- 200 g of lievito madre
- 200 g of Manitoba flour
- 30-50% of the weight of flour in water
12:45 pm Roll the dough and place it in the water bath. Let the LM ferment 4h
4:45pm take the dough out of the container, squeeze it well and proceed with refreshment #3:
- 200 g of lievito madre
- 200 g of Manitoba flour
- 30-50% of the weight of flour in water
5:15 pm Roll the dough and place it in the water bath. Let the LM ferment 4h
9:15 pm PANETTONE TIME!
Take the dough out of the container, squeeze it well, weight the amount of LM you need to your recipe and cut it into small pieces before adding them to the dough to avoid having lumps of LM in the panettone dough.
What’s the best Panettone recipe?
You can use any panettone recipe that calls for lievito madre. The ratios might vary depending on the amounts of egg yolks, butter, sugar, fruits… But if you follow the instructions of the recipe you shouldn’t have a problem 🙂
If you don’t have a recipe I encourage you to try Iginio Massari, Rolando Morandin, Alfonso Pepe, or Ezio Marinato’s recipes. They are well known Italian pasticceri and their panettones are some of the best.
As always, you can reach me through email, Instagram, or Facebook. I’ll be more than happy to help you out!
Cheers to best panettones, enriched dough, laminated dough and bread that you’ll ever make!
Cinnamon rolls with lievito madre discards
Hello everyone!
Today I bring something delicious! If you’ve been following me on Instagram or Facebook, you already know I’ve been experimenting with lievito madre, and I even made panettone with it! 🙂
Lievito madre is the stiff sourdough starter used by Italian bakers to make panettones the artisanal way. This method requires a lot of flour and a lot of refreshments during the first 15 days, and while the first-week discards are not suitable for baking, the rest are. Especially the 3 discards from the 3 preparatory refreshments before making panettone.
If you want to learn how to make your own lievito madre check this post!
Every time I did a refreshment, I had 150-200 g of lievito madre that I threw away. On day 9 or 10 of the process, I made a loaf of bread and it turned out great, so the next day I used the discards to make challah and it turned out great too. The taste was amazing, and it just had a pleasant hint of sourness.
Sourness in enriched dough has been my pet peeve and the reason I usually use commercial yeast. I can’t stand a bread that’s supposed to be sweet and yet the only thing you taste is a strong acidic flavor. I like that on country loaves, but not on brioche or a croissant.
That’s the whole point of working with lievito madre (either soaked in water or tied up in a cloth). In the soaked in water method, part of the acid is released in the water. Don’t forget that this sourdough starter is used in panettone, and real Italian panettones are not acidic at all. You shouldn’t be able to tell that the panettone was made with sourdough.
Baking with lievito madre
Working with lievito madre is addictive, seriously! I don’t even care how much time I’ve invested in creating it, or how much flour I’ve used. I can tell how differently the dough behaves, the different aromas compared to my regular sourdough starter, etc.
Based on the amazing flavor and incredible texture of the challah I baked, I decided to experiment a bit more and make cinnamon rolls. Because I have yet to find a recipe that doesn’t turn out into super dry rolls.
This recipe doesn’t have frosting because I wanted to taste the bread, the aromas from the lievito madre and how they combined with the ingredients on the recipe.
I did tweak the recipe a bit and I used orange syrup and orange blossom water in the dough, the filling has ground walnuts, ground cinnamon, and orange zest, and the icing has orange juice instead of milk or water.
The result was amazing, the lievito madre helped to balance the aromas of the dough and significantly improved the texture of the rolls, they were soft and chewy and delicious! Even though I used lievito madre that had never been “purified” before (by doing a bagnetto, a technique to reduce the acidity of the dough when making panettone with lievito madre), and the dough fermented for 8h at room temperature and another 8 in the fridge, the rolls tuned out delicious with a pleasant hint of sourness, you could tell they were made with sourdough but the flavor was great.
I think the texture of the dough was also different, it was more forgiving, and I could develop the gluten with a much gentle kneading that using levain or commercial yeast.
Let’s get into the recipe!
After draining, squeezing and using part of the lievito madre to do the refreshment, take the discards, weight how much you need and cut it into small pieces (half an inch or so) so they can be absorbed into the dough faster.
In your stand mixer bowl, add the wet ingredients and combine very well, then add the flour and the lievito madre in pieces.
Knead until the dough gets some elasticity and then add the softened butter. continue kneading until you have a perfect gluten development. You will have to stop a few times and let the dough rest for some minutes. You can check this post to learn how to knead enriched dough.
Once the dough is ready, shape it into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled container. Cover it and let it ferment at room temperature until it doubles in size. Mine took about 8h (the milk and the egg were cold). Place the dough in the fridge and let it ferment another 8h (I left it in the fridge overnight).
If you have enough time, you don’t have to leave the dough in the fridge overnight, although I do recommend you to let the dough chill for 1h before you shape the rolls, because this dough is stikier than the regular cinammon roll dough.
The next day, take the dough out of the fridge, deflate it very well and let it rest 10 mins before shaping.
Roll the dough into a 35x45cm rectangle, spread the filling and starting from the longer side, roll the dough onto itself to make a log. Seal the log and cut it into 9-12 pieces.
Place the rolls into a lightly oiled 9x9in square pan and let them ferment, covered, until they touch each other.
Before they finish proofing, turn your oven on at 350F.
When ready, bake for 30 mins or until the rolls are golden brown. You can brush them with egg wash if you prefer.
Prepare the icing and wait until the rolls cool down a little before you drizzle the icing.
Enjoy!
Sourdough cinnamon rolls with stiff starter
Use lievito madre to make these chewy, soft, and moist cinnamon rolls. It's another level of sourdough goodness!
Ingredients
Dough
- 300 g bread flour
- 100 g lievito madre discards
- 135 g milk
- 50 g butter softened
- 4 g salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp orange syrup or honey optional
- 1/2 tbsp orange blossom water
- 50 g sugar
Filling
- 80 g ground walnuts
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Icing
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp orange juice
Instructions
Dough
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In the bowl of your stand mixer add the milk, eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, orange blossom water, and orange syrup and combine very well
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Sift 300 g of bread flour and add them to the wet ingredients
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Take 100g of the discards from refreshing your lievito madre and cut small pieces and add them to the bowl of the stand mixer
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Knead at low speed for a few minutes until the dough gets a bit elastic and add the softened butter
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Knead until you have a perfect gluten development
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Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled container. Cover it and let it ferment at room temperature until it doubles in size (about 8h in my kitchen)
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Place the dough in the fridge and let it ferment at a cold temperature for up to 8 more hours
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Take the dough out of the fridge, deflate it gently and with a rolling pin shape a 35x45cm rectangle
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Spread the filling and start rolling the log starting on the wider side
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Cut 9-12 pieces and place them in your 9x9in square pan (use parchment paper if it's not non-stick)
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Let the rolls proof until they touch each other (about 2h)
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Bake the rolls in a preheated oven at 350F
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Drizzle the icing after they cooled down to room temperature
Filling
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Combine the ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest
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Add the melted butter and mix well
Icing
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Sift the powder sugar
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Start adding the orange juice until you get the desired consistency