The Best Blueberry Sourdough Bread

by Maria

Fall weather is here to stay, but that doesn’t mean we must say goodbye to summer flavors! Blueberries, in my opinion, deserve a place in our pantry all year round, and so does sourdough. If you’re looking for a burst of color, juiciness, and flavor, blueberries are the perfect fruit to add to sourdough bread. Today we’re making blueberry sourdough bread!


blueberry sourdough bread


About this blueberry sourdough bread

In our home, blueberries are a staple. We use them as snacks, to make muffins, in smoothies, ice cream, oatmeal, pancakes… you name it! Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse and we try our best to eat them often.


These berries are packed with more antioxidants than many other fruits and vegetables; they’re high in soluble fiber, low in calories, and relatively low in carbohydrates compared to other fruits (which is important if you need to monitor your blood sugar).

They’re not called a superfood for nothing! Let’s combine all these benefits with sourdough bread to make a delicious blueberry sourdough bread that I’m sure you will love.


Why blueberries?

Blueberries are very nutritious and make a healthy addition to our diets. Just 100 g of blueberries (about 2/3 of a cup) provides 24% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin K1, 16% of Vitamin C, and 14% of manganese among other vitamins and minerals.

They are rich in phytochemicals like anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that give blueberries their characteristic blue/purple color. Blueberries also contain quercetin, a flavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects, as well as resveratrol, another antioxidant that supports heart health.


Other health benefits associated with blueberries are lower blood pressure and improved digestion. Overall, they’re a fantastic addition to our daily nutrition. And when incorporated into sourdough bread they add a nutritious boost to the loaf. This blueberry sourdough bread is not only delicious but also an excellent way to deliver essential nutrients to our meals.


Incorporating fruit into bread

Adding fruit to bread can be tricky. The moisture, acidity, and dietary fiber in fruit can affect the dough’s consistency and fermentation process. It’s important to choose the right type of fruit and adapt the recipe accordingly.

Dried, rehydrated, frozen, and fresh fruit behave differently in the dough. The differences in momisture can modify the water content of your recipe and disrupt the balance of ingredients. This recipe is designed for fresh or frozen blueberries. Now, let’s dive into how to incorporate blueberries into sourdough.

Incorporating blueberries into bread

For a burst of color, you can blend a few blueberries, mix the puree with the recipe’s water, and prepare a colorful dough. If you make kombucha or other fermented drinks you can use the strained pulp in bread as well. If you’re looking for a burst of flavor and a mouthful of juicy blueberries… Then adding whole berries is the way to go. The experience of biting into bread and having a blueberry burst in your mouth is next-level delicious!


Can I use frozen blueberries in my sourdough?

Absolutely! Frozen blueberries are a convenient option when fresh berries are out of season, or they’re not easily available. If you use frozen berries, make sure to thaw them first or your dough will be too cold and ferment much slower.

As the blueberries thaw they will release some juice, which you can either drain or incorporate into the dough as part of the total water. This will give the dough a slight pink color (the acidity of sourdough turns their purple hue into pink, how cool is that?).

If you live in a warm climate where sourdough tends to ferment quickly, you can probably benefit from not thawing the blueberries.

blueberry sourdough bread



When to add the blueberries

When making this blueberry sourdough bread we have two options: fresh or frozen blueberries. The best time to incorporate fresh blueberries is before the dough is fully developed.

Whole, fresh blueberries are relatively hard and they can stand the kneading process without releasing too much juice and changing the dough’s hydration (unless you smash them), so it’s safe to add them early in the process.

Frozen blueberries, however, are a bit different. When blueberries are frozen and then thawed, the expansion and compression may create micro-channels in the skin. These tiny holes are the reason the juice leaks out of the berries. If you’ve ever thawed blueberries you might have noticed this.

The extra juice can impact the dough’s overall hydration, and since they’re much softer than fresh blueberries, they can break as the dough is kneaded. The best time to add frozen blueberries to the dough is toward the end of the kneading process, preferably during a lamination step or between coil folds.

If you want to use the juice, you can thaw the blueberries in advance and incorporate the juice as part of the water content. If you don’t want the juice, you can strain the berries.

A good tip to remember when laminating the dough for this blueberry sourdough bread is to reserve some berries and add them as you fold the dough back. It’s the best way to have the blueberries spread evenly throughout your dough and avoid having them all on one side of the loaf. 




How to make blueberry sourdough bread

Now that we’ve discussed how to add the blueberries, let’s talk about the proofing and baking of this blueberry sourdough bread because the fruit can have an impact on the process. 

Something that can happen when adding fresh fruits to bread dough is that juice starts to leak. This can make the dough look a bit softer than it should. A strong gluten network can help with this. It’s essential to develop a strong enough dough to avoid future problems if there are significant changes in the hydration of the dough. In other words, to avoid baking a flat loaf.

Fresh (or raw) fruit is also heavy, so a strong gluten network is really necessary. I prefer to knead the dough until it’s almost fully developed, and then add some coil folds. Whatever your preference is, follow the method that works for you. 

blueberry sourdough bread



Fermentation & proofing

When the dough has heavy inclusions, it might feel like it didn’t rise as much during proofing. Here it’s important to pay attention and not let it overfement. Look for air pockets in the bottom of the bowl (if you have a transparent bowl you can see the dough), and larger air bubbles when you preshape the dough. The dough should not feel too sticky or leave a lot of residue on the bowl. 

Inclusions can also make shaping challenging, and you might feel some resistance from the dough when you try to shape it. The best thing you can do is to let it rest. A preshape step is always beneficial, but only if you have enough time to let it rest before the final shape. At least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Of course, you will need to time your fermentation accordingly. One more hour at room temperature can be a lot in a warm kitchen. 

Baking your blueberry sourdough bread

Sourdough bread is supposed to have a lovely crispy crust paired with a pillowy crumb. This blueberry sourdough bread is no exception. However, to avoid burning the blueberries that might be on the surface, I recommend baking with steam for at least 20 minutes. This will prevent the crust from drying out too fast and turning too thick. And the last 20-30 minutes of baking will give your loaf the crispiness we all so enjoy. 

Due to the additional moisture that the blueberries carry, the loaf might take slightly longer to bake. If you’re not sure when the dough is ready, the best thing you can do is test the internal temperature with a thermometer. Once it reads 96C your loaf is ready! Test a couple of different spots to make sure you got the correct temperature. You could stick the thermometer in a blueberry and get the wrong reading.

Storing Blueberry Sourdough Bread

To keep your blueberry sourdough bread fresh, store it in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag at room temperature. For longer storage, you can freeze slices of the bread wrapped in plastic wrap to avoid freeze burn and place them in a freezer bag. Then you can toast the slices directly in your toaster (it will take a bit longer to toast), or your air fryer!

Sourdough bread lasts longer than yeasted bread but not if it has fruit. The extra moisture and sugar are the perfect combination for microorganisms to grow. If you keep this bread in a warm kitchen, you might have to finish the bread within a couple of days to avoid mold. I know, the sacrifices we make! 😉

How to add more flavor to your blueberry sourdough bread

If you are looking for a very flavorful loaf, you can always add more aromatics and inclusions of your choice. My recipes are guides and ideas for you to customize to your taste. And as a scientist, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t encourage you to experiment.

Blueberries are incredibly versatile and pair well with a wide variety of flavors. I like to pair them with seasonal ingredients. Maybe lemon zest during warmer months, maybe some cinnamon and ginger during colder months. Or just plain, blueberries are very tasty on their own.

And that’s it, now you can make this fabulous blueberry sourdough bread all year round! And for a delicious suggestion, try a toast with goat cheese and honey; you’ll never want anything else!

Happy baking!

For more recipes, baking tips, and scientific insights into bread making, subscribe to my blog and stay updated with the latest in bread baking!

If you make any of my recipes let me know what you think! As always you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. I also have a few videos up on my YouTube channel.


(This post contains affiliate links, if you purchase something from these links I will make a small commission that helps me run this blog, but you will not be charged any extra money 😉 )



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blueberry sourdough bread
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Blueberry Sourdough Bread

The perfect combination of sourdough and juicy blueberries for a mouthwatering treat!

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Keyword blueberry bread, blueberry sourdough bread, sourdough bread
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total resting time 18 hours
Servings 1 loaf
Author Maria

Ingredients

  • 25 g whole wheat flour
  • 375 g bread flour
  • 300 g water *See notes
  • 8 g salt
  • 80 g active sourdough starter
  • 100 g fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl add the water, active sourdough starter, and salt and dissolve.
  2. Add the flours and mix until just incorporated. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes for an autolysis step.
  3. Knead the dough for a few minutes incorporating short resting periods (5 mins). If you are using fresh blueberries add them when the dough starts getting some consistency.
  4. If you’re using thawed frozen blueberries, add them now with a lamination step.
  5. Perform 3-4 sets of stretch-and-folds every 30-40 minutes. To do a stretch and fold, wet your hands, lift one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides.
  6. Cover and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 6 hours at 72°F/22°C or until it looks bubbly and airy but not wobbly.
  7. Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Preshape it into a boule.
  8. Cover with a floured cloth or bowl, and let it rest fo 30 minutes to 1h.
  9. Finish shaping the dough into your preferred shape and place it in a floured banneton seam side up.
  10. Cover and refrigerate for 12 or overnight.
  11. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven or baking stone inside.
  12. Carefully turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top of the loaf with a sharp blade. Transfer the dough into the preheated Dutch oven, cover with the lid, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden or inner temperature reaches 205°F or 96°C

Recipe Notes

* If you are unsure of the strength of your flour, reduce the water content by 30g and add more if necessary as you start mixing your dough. 

Maria

This post was posted in Sweet

The Ultimate Chocolate Sourdough Bread

by Maria

When you think of sourdough bread, you may just think of a rustic loaf, full of tangy flavors and a chewy, airy crumb. But what if I told you that you could take this classic favorite to the next level by just adding chocolate? That’s right, today we are making chocolate sourdough bread!

chocolate sourdough bread on a wooden tray with a sourdough starter behind
Get this Kiln Mango Round Tray with Handles



This recipe takes everything you love about sourdough and adds melty pockets of rich, semi-sweet chocolate, creating a bread that’s perfect for a special breakfast, a sweet snack, or even dessert. Because yes, chocolate belongs in breakfast 😉 In this post, I’ll walk you through the process of making this chocolate sourdough bread and explain some of the science behind what makes it so special.

Quick overview of this chocolate sourdough

You might be wondering why we’re adding chocolate to something as traditionally savory as sourdough. While chocolate might seem like an odd addition at first or something that belongs in a brioche dough, it’s actually a fantastic pairing for the natural tang of sourdough because their flavors balance each other out.

Unlike sweet breads which are loaded with sugar, this chocolate sourdough is only lightly sweetened (and the addition of sugar is completely optional) making it a great choice for those who want to enjoy a treat without the extra sugar.

Acidity and chocolate in sourdough

Chocolate, and especially dark chocolate, has a slightly bitter and astringent flavor, and typically, the best way to balance these flavors is with an acid. Sourdough fermentation provides those acids to counterbalance the chocolate. This chocolate sourdough loaf is simply delicious!



About the ingredients of this chocolate sourdough

Bread flour vs whole wheat

For this recipe, you’ll want to stick to bread flour. The higher protein content helps develop a stronger gluten network, and therefore better structure. This structure is necessary to hold the weight of the chocolate chunks. However, if you want more fiber in your bread, you can substitute some bread flour with whole wheat flour. This will give your bread a deeper flavor and enhance its nutritional profile. You will need extra water to help the dough become more elastic.

Don’t panic if you add a lot of whole wheat flour and the dough is not very stretchy, it’s normal. This happens when wheat bran is present, and it’s one of the quintessential challenges for bread scientists.

If you only have all-purpose flour, you can use it, but it’s important to adjust the water of the recipe according to your flour.


Chocolate vs. cocoa powder

To get the best chocolate sourdough bread, the type of chocolate you choose is key. I prefer to use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for a perfect balance. Semi-sweet chocolate chips contain a higher amount of cocoa, which means they’re not too sweet and still have a deep chocolate flavor. If you prefer a more chocolatey bread, you can use dark chocolate instead.

You can use your favorite chocolate bar, chop it into chunks of different sizes, or use chocolate chips. One of the great things about chocolate chips is that they hold their shape during baking. When the chips are heated they create little pockets of melty chocolate within the bread.

For this loaf, I used three different sizes of chocolate chips for a more interesting mouthfeel. You can use the ones you typically buy. I just happened to have different sizes because I had been using them for other things.

I wouldn’t recommend white chocolate because it tends to meld and sometimes burn, leaving the pockets empty and not that much flavor. And although tempting, I wouldn’t add cocoa powder either. Cocoa powder can change the flavor by turning the bread unpleasantly sour so the chocolate aroma is lost in the sourness, and it can also affect the dough by absorbing too much moisture.



Sourdough Starter

Your sourdough starter is probably the most important part of this bread; or any sourdough bread. An active and well-maintained starter will give your dough the fermentative power it needs and contribute to the aromas and flavors of the loaf. If you’ve baked sourdough before, you know that the starter’s health also plays a huge role in determining the final product’s texture.

Make sure your starter is well-fed and active before starting this recipe, as this will ensure a good rise and fermentation. If you want to know more about starters I have a series of articles about them. This one is about the science of your sourdough starter, this one is about feedings, and this one is all about understanding feeding ratios.

The long fermentation process helps develop volatile products that give sourdough its interesting flavor profile, I like my chocolate sourdough bread to have a relatively normal tang because I’m not going to eat the whole loaf in one day and it typically gets a bit sourer as the days go by. But if you prefer a very tangy loaf, then you will have to play with the fermentation times to adapt this loaf to your taste.


Adding sugar to chocolate sourdough bread

Adding sweeteners to your chocolate sourdough is optional. In this recipe, the chocolate chips provide enough sweetness for most people, but if you want a slightly sweeter loaf, you can add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the sweetener of your choice when you mix the ingredients. I prefer to dissolve sugar in the water; if you’re planning to develop the dough using stretch and folds, dissolving the sweetener in the water ensures a more homogeneous distribution.

Fats

Traditional sourdough bread doesn’t usually include any added fat and I wouldn’t recommend adding any on this loaf either. In this case, the chocolate has fat, and part of it will be absorbed into the dough. Your loaf might turn out a bit softer than plain sourdough bread thanks to this, and adding even more might change the consistency of the dough.


Other aromatics that can enhance the chocolate

This chocolate sourdough is perfect to try some interesting flavors. This time, I added a bit of cinnamon because I had just made an Aztec hot chocolate ice cream with cinnamon that blew my mind, but this sourdough bread is a white canvas and you can do whatever you want! Here are some ideas:

  • Toasted nuts: all nuts go well with chocolate, but my favorites are hazelnuts (hello Nutella!), macadamia nuts, and pecans.

  • Espresso powder: coffee can enhance the chocolate flavor when using cocoa powder, but when using chunks of chocolate you can get both flavors and make a spectacular mocha bread! This espresso powder is specifically for baking and I highly recommend it!

  • Amarena cherries or other sweet and tart fruits: the combination of chocolate and amarena cherries is incredible. But if you don’t have access to them other tart and juicy fruits can work just fine. Remember what I said about chocolate and acidity?

  • Spices: allspice, cardamom, chili powder, ginger, clove… warming spices usually pair very well with chocolate.

  • Fruits: candied citrus, raisins, dry apricots, dry coconut, dry berries… And if you are feeling extra adventurous, you can semi-rehydrate the dry fruits with a touch of brandy or the liquor of your choice. Every bite of this chocolate sourdough bread will pack a punch!


When to add the chocolate to the dough

Unlike cocoa powder, which would fully blend into the dough and affect its water absorption, chocolate maintains its structure during baking. This means you get those lovely pockets of melted chocolate dispersed throughout the bread. This is also thanks to the fat in the chocolate, which melts and is partially absorbed by the dough, making the crumb very soft and velvety.

However, adding a solid ingredient like chocolate also adds weight to the dough, which can affect its rise. To counteract this, you’ll want to ensure that your dough is well-hydrated and strong enough to support the additional ingredients. And how do we do that? By kneading! You can use any technique, just make sure the gluten network is properly developed. And if you only use folds, you might want to add a couple extra more.

Another consideration is the timing of when you add the chocolate chips. If you add them too early, they can melt a bit or partially dissolve. And it might be difficult to distribute them evenly if you add them too late. The best time to add the chocolate chips is during one of the early folding stages.



Bulk fermentation and proofing

After developing the loaf the whole bulk fermentation took about 6h at 74F/23C. I didn’t see a change in the fermentation time, I don’t think the chocolate pieces affected it.

Since my baby was born, I’ve been trying to find the best schedule for my sourdough loaves. So far lunchtime seems to be the best time to mix the dough and knead it. I don’t have much time to do stretch and folds, and I need to make sure I will have enough time to shape and rest the dough before the fridge. So the bulk fermentation for this loaf happened in the afternoon and proofing happened overnight.

If you prefer a very tangy loaf, you can extend the bulk for a few hours. Try to start earlier in the day, and extend the proofing for as long as you can the next day.

Baking your chocolate sourdough bread

Preheat your oven to 450°F (235°C) and place a Dutch oven inside to heat up. When the oven is ready, carefully transfer the dough into the preheated Dutch oven. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

I have recently changed my Dutch oven for THIS ONE. I used to use a combo cooker upside-down but removing the lid was always challenging when you have the oven mitts. In fact, once it slipped and fell on the floor when it was hot and it was very difficult to pick it up. My floor didn’t burn, but you can see a slight mark when the sun shines through the window. Ever since that happened I panic a little when I bake but with this Krustic Dutch oven baking is so much easier!

Cool it before you dig it!

If you have been following for a while you know I’m not a fan of cutting the bread when it’s still hot because the crumb is still finishing outside the oven. And this still applies to this loaf with the particularity that the chocolate might be very hot and runny and you could get burnt. Wait a little before cutting it open, once it’s warm to the touch, you can enjoy this delicious chocolate sourdough!

Flavor Pairing Ideas

Somehow I always think that I should honor a good bread by finding a special way to eat it. It’s a small ritual, but it helps me enjoy my bakes to the fullest. Here is how you can pair this chocolate sourdough:

  • Toasted with salted butter: for a delightful breakfast toast, slather some salted butter when the toast is still hot so it can melt and enjoy one of the most beautiful bites!

  • Tahini and honey: this is a feast of flavors in your mouth! Sweet, savory, and bitter elements combined to perfection!

  • Chocolate sauce: I have nothing else to add, maybe a good cup of tea!




FAQs about this chocolate sourdough bread

Can I use milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate?

Yes! Milk chocolate will create a sweeter bread with a creamier texture. However, I recommend using semi-sweet or dark chocolate for a better balance of flavors and textures.


How do I prevent the chocolate chips from burning?

If you’re concerned about the chocolate chips burning on the surface of the loaf, you can lightly tuck them inside the dough during shaping. You can also cover the bread with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.


Final thoughts on this chocolate sourdough

Chocolate sourdough bread is a very interesting variation of a classic that brings together the best of both worlds. It’s indulgent without being overly sweet, and it maintains the heartiness and complexity that sourdough bakers love. The next time you bake a sourdough loaf, consider adding chocolate for a special treat that’s sure to impress. And remember, this recipe is endlessly customizable; experiment with different types of inclusions and spices like nuts, dried fruit, or cinnamon and make it your own.

Move, cookies and milk, chocolate sourdough, and milk is the next favorite thing!

Happy baking!

If you make any of my recipes let me know what you think! As always you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. I also have a few videos up on my YouTube channel.

Starting on breadmaking but don’t know where to start? Check my Amazon store to see my favorite and affordable utensils you will need. You can make the best bread with simple and inexpensive tools!

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slices of chocolate sourdough bread with chocolate chips and lovely color
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Ultimate chocolate sourdough bread

A luxurious twist on traditional sourdough that will make every bite an explosion of flavors.

Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
Keyword chocolate sourdough, sourdough bread
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting time 14 hours
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 360 g bread flour
  • 40 g whole wheat flour
  • 80 g active sourdough starter
  • 300 g water
  • 8 g salt
  • 1 tbsp sweetener of choice optional
  • 100 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon or spices of choice optional

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine water, sourdough starter, salt, and sugar (if using), and stir until dissolved.

  2. Add the flour and spices (if using any) and mix until there is no dry flour. Cover and let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes.

  3. Knead the dough using the slap-and-fold method for a few minutes, then let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Repeat this process a few more times.

  4. Transfer the dough back to the mixing bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes.

  5. Add the chocolate chips, gently incorporating them during the first set of folds.

  6. Once the dough is fully developed and the chips are evenly distributed, cover and let it ferment at room temperature until it rises about 1.5x in size and feels puffy and airy (this took about 6 hours at 74°F/23°C).

  7. Once the bulk fermentation is complete, gently pre-shape the dough into a round or oval loaf and let it rest for 20 minutes. Then, shape it one final time and place it in a proofing basket.

  8. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.

  9. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and heat a Dutch oven inside. Carefully transfer the dough into the preheated Dutch oven. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. If you prefer a thicker crust, remove the lid after 10 minutes.

  10. Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Maria

This post was posted in Sweet

The best ever sourdough discard banana muffins

by Maria

Is your sourdough discard jar full and you don’t know what to do with it? Look no further than these soft and moist sourdough discard banana muffins. Packed with flavor, these sourdough banana muffins are a must-try recipe! They are soft, moist, and full of banana flavor. The subtle tang from the sourdough discard adds complexity to every bite. If you have never baked with sourdough discard this is the perfect recipe to start! And I am very confident, that these will be the best sourdough banana muffins you’ll ever make!


sourdough discard banana muffins display



Baking Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins

If you’ve never used sourdough discard in baking, it can seem intimidating at first but it’s actually quite simple. Using a 100% hydration starter is usually more convenient because you know that half is water and the other half is flour. With this, you can customize any recipe you want as long as you replace moisture elements (like egg whites, milk, water…) for the corresponding amount of discard.

Another thing to keep in mind is that sourdough discard is acidic, even more so if you use an old one. The acidity can affect the texture of your baked goods, for cakes and cake-like things, the acidity is actually helpful because it can help soften the baked goods.


Why Choose Sourdough Discard for Banana Muffins?

Sourdough discard banana muffins are, in my opinion, the best muffins. And I am always trying to make them better. For me, better means soft and moist with a great flavor and aroma profile.

Baking with sourdough discard not only helps reduce food waste but also adds flavor and texture to your muffins and can increase their shelf life. You can use the leftover sourdough you have after making your weekly loaf, or some old discard that’s been in your fridge for a few weeks. Older, and thus sourer, sourdough discard might produce less sweet muffins because part of the sourness is neutralized by the sugars in the recipe. But the texture will still be great and you can always add more sugar if you want your sourdough discard banana muffins sweeter.

How Sourdough Discard Affects Muffins

The acidity of sourdough discard helps break down the proteins in flour, making the crumb more tender and creating a moist texture in your muffins. It also reacts with leavening agents like baking soda, which gives your muffins a nice lift, making them fluffy and light.

While the tangy flavor of sourdough is very subtle in these muffins, it adds a depth that complements and balances out the sweet bananas. That’s what makes these sourdough discard banana muffins a delicious blend of flavors, creating a balanced and complex taste that sets them apart from traditional banana muffins.


Benefits of using Sourdough Discard in Banana Muffins

Using sourdough discard in baking comes with several benefits. Since sourdough is a fermented product, it can aid in digestion and offer a lower glycemic index compared to traditional baked goods. This makes sourdough discard banana muffins a better alternative to regular banana muffins. Plus, it’s a great way to add more nutrients to your diet, such as B vitamins, thanks to the fermentation process. You can try other recipes like these sourdough blueberry muffins or this sourdough chocolate and orange bundt cake



Ingredients for Moist and Soft Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins

One of the key features of these muffins is how incredibly moist and soft they turn out. This is largely thanks to the unique combination of ingredients. Instead of using milk and butter, this recipe calls for buttermilk, Greek yogurt, and oil. Here is why these ingredients make all the difference:

1. Buttermilk

The acidity of the buttermilk also helps tenderize the muffins by hindering the formation of too-long gluten chains. It also reacts with baking soda, creating tiny air bubbles that will make these sourdough banana muffins fluffier. In essence, the acidity of buttermilk reinforces the effect of the acidity of the sourdough discard.

2. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt and adds a rich creaminess to the batter. It locks in moisture, keeping these sourdough discard banana muffins tender and moist for longer.

3. Vegetable Oil

The absence of water in oil allows it to coat the flour particles more uniformly and lock in the moisture and preventing these sourdough discard banana muffins from drying out. Oil can also coat the gluten proteins and limit gluten development yielding a much softer texture than butter-based recipes. You can use any oil of your choice that is liquid at room temperature; avocado oil is a good neutral oil, but if you want to give your banana muffins an extra kick you can use olive oil or a mixture.

These ingredients ensure you get the moistest and softest sourdough banana muffins you’ve ever tasted. Whether you’re baking these muffins or other recipes, these ingredients will always help you elevate your muffins.



super moist sourdough discard banana muffins sourdough muffin



Role of Overripe Bananas in Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins

When it comes to banana muffins, overripe bananas are a must. The ripening process of bananas brings significant chemical changes that enhance the flavor, sweetness, and texture of your sourdough banana muffins.

Chemical Changes in Overripe Bananas

As bananas ripen, the starches in the fruit break down into sugars. This conversion makes overripe bananas much sweeter and softer compared to green or just-ripe bananas. The sugar content in an overripe banana can be up to 80% higher than in an unripe one, contributing to the overall sweetness of your banana sourdough discard muffins without the need for extra sugar.

Overripe bananas are also softer, which means they integrate more easily into the muffin batter. This creates a smooth, cohesive batter that bakes into a uniformly moist sourdough banana muffin.

What if I don’t have overripe bananas?

If you don’t have overripe bananas you can bake the bananas you have for a few minutes at a low temperature, but personally, I don’t like this method, I prefer to let my bananas ripe naturally. So to ensure that I always have overripe bananas, I just let a bunch go very ripe and then peel and freeze them and collect every overripe banana that nobody would want to eat. I always keep a bag of frozen bananas in my freezer, in our house not a single banana goes to waste!

Frozen bananas can be used for many things such as smoothies, banana bread, oatmeal, or even homemade ice cream! Next time your bananas get too ripe, don’t throw them away. Keep them in the freezer and enjoy them later in these delicious sourdough banana muffins!



How to get tall sourdough discard banana muffins

Achieving tall, bakery-style muffins with a beautiful domed top can be tricky, but it’s all about the technique. Here are my tips for getting your sourdough banana muffins (or any kind of muffin) to rise tall and look professional.

tall sourdough discard banana muffins

Let the Batter Rest Overnight

Letting your batter rest in the fridge overnight is a game-changer. This rest period allows the flour to fully hydrate and gives the baking soda and baking powder time to activate. It also thickens the batter, which means the muffins will rise more evenly and reach new heights when baked.

Fill the Muffin Cups

To get tall sourdough banana muffins, don’t be afraid to fill your muffin cups almost to the top. Many muffin recipes suggest filling them ⅔ of the way, but for tall muffins, you want the batter to have more volume. Especially if you are not letting the batter rest overnight in the fridge.

Bake at a High Temperature Initially

Start baking your muffins at a high temperature (around 425°F/220°C) for the first 5–10 minutes. The temperature contrast will give the batter a quick burst of heat, helping the muffins rise rapidly. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 350°F/180°C to finish baking. This also works with cold batter.

If you’re short on time, feel free to use cold ingredients. The batter will be chilly, but starting with a higher temperature for the first few minutes will help your sourdough discard banana muffins rise taller.

I baked these banana muffins in a jumbo-size pan but you can use any baking pan you have. Just be mindful of the baking time; smaller muffins will bake faster.


These tips will help you achieve tall, bakery-worthy muffins, whether you’re making these sourdough muffins overnight or a fresh batch of blueberry sourdough muffins. So, grab those overripe bananas, pull out your sourdough discard, and get baking!

If you liked this recipe…


You might enjoy these:

Chocolate & orange sourdough discard bundt cake

Sourdough blueberry muffins

Sourdough chocolate banana bread

Sourdough Spanish style muffins


If you make any of my recipes let me know what you think! As always you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. I also have a few videos up on my YouTube channel (which I hope I can resume soon!)

Starting on breadmaking but don’t know where to start? Check my Amazon store to see my favorite and affordable utensils you will need. You can make the best bread with simple and inexpensive tools!

(This post contains affiliate links, if you purchase something from this link I will make a small commission that helps me run this blog, but you will not be charged any extra money 😉 )



super moist sourdough discard banana muffin sourdough muffin
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The best sourdough banana muffins

Moist, soft, and decadent muffins using your overripe bananas and sourdough discards

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword banana muffins, blueberry muffins, soft muffins, sourdough muffins
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 jumbo muffins

Ingredients

  • 300 g all purpose flour
  • 100 g sourdough discard
  • 300 g overripe bananas
  • 180 g brown sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 100 ml vegetable oil
  • 100 ml buttermilk
  • 85 g full fat Greek yogurt
  • 5 g vanilla extract
  • 10 g baking powder
  • 2 g baking soda
  • 3 g salt
  • 75 g chopped walnuts optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

  3. In a separate large bowl, mash the overripe bananas. Add the sourdough discard, brown sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

  4. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing.

  5. Fold in the chopped walnuts if desired.Fill the muffin cups almost to the top with the batter.

  6. Bake at 425°F for 5-10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. See notes**

  7. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

** This baking time is for jumbo size muffins. If you are baking smaller muffins, the baking time will be shorter. Always bake until the toothpick comes out clean, even if it means the baking time is different than the recipe’s.

Maria

This post was posted in Sourdough Discards

How to make black sesame bread

by Maria

Black sesame bread is one of my favorite bread recipes. I’m talking top 3 favorites! And it’s simply because black sesame is incredibly aromatic and the taste combines spectacularly with bread, especially if you are using sourdough. But don’t worry, this recipe is for both yeast and sourdough bakers. Black sesame bread is so good, that I want everybody to enjoy it!

I started making this bread using black sesame powder. I learned about it when my husband bought it many years ago at our Chinese store. He likes to make a hot soup for dessert, especially on the days he feels more homesick. The smell of that soup was so delicious! That toasty and nutty aroma of sesame but deeper and with some sweetness to it. So, of course, my baker’s mind thought… “black sesame bread!”.

black sesame bread whole

Are black sesame seeds good for you?


In Traditional Chinese Medicine, black sesame can help you with your liver and kidney health, and grey hair, among other things. Given the amount of good compounds found in sesame seeds and the results of some studies, it’s safe to say that yes, sesame, and in this case black sesame, is good for us. Of course, as a part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

What are sesame seeds rich in?


Black sesame seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and lignans, a type of polyphenol typically found in seeds. They are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Some studies have even suggested that black sesame can have a positive impact in cardiovascular health and others have seen improvements in fasting blood sugar. Overall, sesame, and in particular, black sesame seeds, are an excellent addition to our diet!

How to make black sesame powder at home


After making black sesame bread several times, I realized that making the powder myself was not only super easy but also more flavorful because I was using freshly ground seeds. These steps are optional, but I highly recommend them to make the most out of your seeds.

Toasting the seeds


Black sesame seeds are very flavorful, but I prefer toasting them to deepen the aromas even more. To toast the seeds put them in a saucepan and heat them at medium-high temperature, stirring often. Because of their rich oil content, they can burn easily, so keep stirring until you start seeing seeds popping and a bit of smoke. Then transfer the seeds to a plate to cool.

Grinding the seeds


In the industry, companies have equipment to grind sesame seeds without releasing all the oil and turning it into a paste. When you buy black sesame powder, it’s less oily and a tad drier than the powder you make at home. At home, we need to be cautious when grinding sesame seeds (all sesame seeds, and even chia, or flax seeds) because they’re rich in oils and can turn into a paste quickly (like tahini but with a darker color).

You don’t need to grind all of the seeds to make black sesame bread, you can use them whole. I prefer blitzing at least 3/4 of the seeds to enhance the aroma of the bread. To avoid releasing too many oils, pulsing instead of grinding for long periods works better.

You can grind the seeds with any device of your choice, I have this coffee grinder that I only use for spices, etc. it’s inexpensive and does the job perfectly! But you can use anything you have at home. Even a mortar and pestle if you don’t have a grinder. However, if you have a very powerful grinder (something like a Vitamix), I’d recommend freezing the seeds. When the seeds are hot, they release the oils much faster, and powerful grinding can raise the temperature of the seeds, so starting with frozen seeds gives you a bit of a leeway.

Preparing the dough


Now that we have the seeds ready, let’s start with the dough! The method is similar for both sourdough and yeast versions. The yeasted version uses a poolish and has only a very small amount of yeast, so the fermentation will be as slow as sourdough. If you were to make this bread on a cold day, you can add a bit more yeast to the final dough.



Black sesame bread with poolish


The night before dissolve 1/4th of a teaspoon (a pinch) in 40ml of water, then add 40g of bread flour and mix well. Cover the container loosely and let it ferment overnight.

If your kitchen is too warm, you can prepare the poolish earlier, and keep it in the fridge overnight.

Black sesame bread with sourdough


The night before refresh your starter as you normally do. Prepare more than 80g total, 80g for the recipe plus what you need to feed it again.

Mixing the dough


Both poolish and sourdough methods are prepared the same. First, you need to dissolve the starter in the water. This step will make developing the dough easier. I like to add salt in this step as well, if I leave it for later, the chances of forgetting it increase exponentially!

When you have dissolved the salt, add the seeds and the flour and mix well until you don’t see dry flour particles. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes to allow the flour and seeds to hydrate. Depending on the strength of your flour, the seeds will absorb more or less water. Give the dough some time so you can decide if it needs more water or if it’s okay the way it is. And always add water little by little, it’s easy to go from a dry dough to a very slack one.

Kneading vs no-knead method


After a 20-minute autolyse, I like to knead the dough using the “slap and fold” technique. This technique is very efficient and you can have your dough ready in a few minutes. But if you don’t like kneading, you can try the stretch and fold + coil folds method. And always remember that when you knead and the dough doesn’t come together, rest is your best choice. Let the dough rest and the gluten proteins realign and when you go back to kneading you will see a big difference!

Fermentation & proofing of black sesame bread


Both methods (poolish and sourdough) will ferment slowly. If you start early in the morning, you will be able to shape your bread somewhere between late afternoon and early evening. Aim for 8-12h fermentation (depending on the temperature of your kitchen), or when the dough almost doubles in size.

I usually don’t give exact times in my recipes because it depends on your specific conditions. Weather, skills, type of flour, oven… everything can alter the times for each part of the process.. That’s why it’s important to get familiar with your dough.

How to tell my bread is fermented


If you struggle with fermentation times and when the dough is ready etc., there are two easy ways to keep an eye on the fermentation. One is using a clear bowl where you can see the air pockets in the bottom that develop over time. You want to see a consistent size of air pockets. Not some too large and some areas without any pocket. The dough shouldn’t leave residue in an oiled bowl. If it does, it’s probably a bit over-fermented.


Another way is to use a “spy”. This is very common in panettone making. You put some dough in a cylindric container, and make a mark where the dough is, as it grows, you can tell when it doubles, triples… For this method you don’t need to buy anything, you can use a small glass, a recycled glass jar… I use a shot glass or a little measuring cylinder I have.


Shaping and cold-proofing black sesame bread


When the bulk fermentation is over, it’s time to shape the bread! If you feel the dough is a bit slack, you can add a pre-shape to add a bit of extra tension. It’s usually a good idea when the dough has over fermented a bit, or if the gluten network wasn’t developed properly.

You can shape the bread in any shape you want using any method. I like to do it like this, a very simple way and it has yet to fail me.

After shaping and putting the dough in a banneton, it’s time for the final proof. You can do it at room temperature, but doing it in the fridge will improve the flavor profile of your bread. Either sourdough or poolish, a cold-proof is a very interesting way to develop extra aromas in your bread. Plus, a cold dough is much easier to score than a warmer one!

During the cold proof, the dough will rise while it’s at a warm temperature, but once it cools down, it will stop. That’s why bulk fermentation is so important, once it’s in the fridge, not much will happen no matter how long it stays in the fridge. You can leave the bread in the fridge for 12-24 hours to develop flavor.

PRO TIP: If your bulk fermentation isn’t long enough and the dough is a bit underfermented, shape your bread and let it ferment at room temperature in the banneton for an hour or two before putting it in the fridge.

Tips on how to bake your black sesame bread


To have a great oven spring it’s necessary to have steam during the first minutes of baking. You can achieve this by introducing steam, or by baking the loaf in a closed container like a Dutch oven. A cast iron Dutch oven is ideal because it’s less susceptible to temperature changes when you open and close the oven.

If you don’t have a Dutch oven, just know that you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on one. I have this one and is been working perfectly for many years! Since the lid is flat, you can put the bread there and use the larger part as the lid to avoid burning your hands when loading and unloading the bread!

I also like to add one ice cube inside the Dutch oven. It helps with oven spring and keeps the crust a bit thinner because it takes longer to dry out. But this is a matter of preference, if you like thicker crusts avoid the ice.

Many people usually preheat the oven and Dutch oven to 500F, but in my experience, that’s too hot and my loaves have suffered because they dried out too fast at such a high temperature. So I use 435F in my convection oven or 445F in a non-convection oven.

I like to bake the loaf covered for 15-20 minutes and uncovered for another 20-25 minutes or until the loaf has the color I like.

An that’s it! That’s how you make one of the most delicious breads you’ll ever eat!

If you liked this recipe…


You might enjoy these:

Spanish milk buns

Brie and olives sourdough rolls

Whey sandwich bread

If you make any of my recipes let me know what you think! As always you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. I also have a few videos up on my YouTube channel (which I hope I can resume soon!)

Starting on breadmaking but don’t know where to start? Check my Amazon store to see my favorite and affordable utensils you will need. You can make the best bread with simple and inexpensive tools!

(This post contains affiliate links, if you purchase something from this link I will make a small commission that helps me run this blog, but you will not be charged any extra money 😉 )

Happy Baking!

black sesame bread slices
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Black sesame bread

Super aromatic bread with either yeast or sourdough, you choose!

Course Appetizer, Snack
Keyword black sesame, sourdough bread
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting time 20 hours
Servings 1 loaf
Author Maria

Ingredients

Poolish (if you're making the yeasted version)

  • 40 g bread flour
  • 40 g water
  • ¼ tsp dry active yeast

Sourdough (if you're making the sourdough version)

  • 80 g active sourdough starter at peak

Black sesame seeds powder

  • 35 g black sesame seeds (plus some extra for crust decoration if you want)
  • 5 g white sesame seeds optional, for some extra color

Main dough

  • 80 g poolish OR sourdough choose the preferment you like the most
  • 280-320 g water depends on your flour
  • 8 g salt
  • 400 g bread flour

Instructions

Poolish

  1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in water.

  2. Add the flour and mix until a sticky dough forms.

  3. Cover the container and allow the poolish to ferment overnight at room temperature.

Sourdough

  1. Refresh your sourdough starter to ensure you have at least 70g.

Black sesame seed powder

  1. Toast the sesame seeds in a saucepan until they consistently pop and emit a slight smoke.

  2. Allow the seeds to cool, then grind them in a spice grinder until coarse powder forms. Some whole seeds may remain.

Main dough

  1. In a large bowl, combine water and the chosen preferment (poolish or sourdough), dissolving the preferment.

  2. Add salt and sesame seeds, mixing thoroughly.

  3. Gradually incorporate the flour until no dry particles remain, adjusting the water if necessary. Cover and allow the dough to hydrate for 20 minutes.

  4. After the autolyse, knead the dough using the slap and fold method until smooth, allowing the dough to rest for 10 minutes if it starts resisting.

  5. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, then perform 2-3 sets of coil folds every 30-60 minutes until the dough nearly doubles in size (adjust this step to your own schedule)

  6. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a boule or batard, placing it in a banneton.

  7. Refrigerate the banneton for up to 24 hours.

Baking

  1. Preheat the oven to 440°F (225°C) with a Dutch oven inside for 20 additional minutes.

  2. Remove the banneton from the fridge and transfer the dough onto a baking paper. Score the dough's surface.

  3. Place the dough in the hot Dutch oven with an ice cube and cover quickly to trap the steam.

  4. Bake with the lid on for 10-20 minutes (the longer it bakes without a lid the thicker the crust will be)

  5. Remove the lid and continue baking for 35-25 minutes or until it's golden brown and the inner temperature reaches 96°C (204°F).

  6. Take the loaf out of the oven and allow it to cool for at least one hour before slicing

Maria

This post was posted in Savory

Super soft milk buns: full of flavor and delicious

by Maria

One thing that I remember dearly from my childhood is eating milk buns with a small chocolate bar. It was something so simple that brought so much happiness into my days. Those milk buns were very soft and fluffy and had the perfect structure so you could buy the ones filled with whipped cream and they wouldn’t be soggy. I think the simplicity of these milk buns is what makes them so special, they’re such a delicious treat!


What are milk buns?

When you talk about milk buns these days, people usually think about a pull-apart style of buns. But today I bring a Spanish version of milk buns (Or at least the milk buns from my childhood). They have a slightly thicker (not crunchy) crust with a very spongy and slightly moist crumb. They’re usually shaped into an oblong shape and they don’t touch each other while they bake. Many times you could find milk buns filled with whipped cream or custard, those were some chubby buns!

About this milk buns recipe

Before we start, I want to emphasize how important gluten development is in this recipe. These milk buns should stay soft and fresh for several days, and proper gluten formation is crucial. I’ve tested this recipe many times and the yudane (I’ll talk about it later) definitely helps, but good ole’ elbow grease is what’s going to help you take these buns from good to amazing!

Activate the yeast in milk

I find that scalding the milk always helps when making bread. What I like to do is boil part of the milk (exact measurements in the recipe card), and let it cool down as I prepare the rest of the ingredients. Once the milk is warm and nice to the touch I add the yeast and let it rest a few minutes to activate.

Try acid whey for extra milkiness

I’ve been making my own yogurt for a few months and I found a perfect way to use the leftover acid whey: Bread making! Check this sandwich loaf recipe. I also found that whey gives the bread a more intense aroma than milk, so if you like your bread extra milky, and you have leftover whey, you can also use it for this recipe.

How to make the buns super soft

The key to ultra-soft milk buns is gluten development. By gluten development, I don’t mean *just* gluten formation. But developing a gluten network that is reinforced by fats and starch. Those are the key components to any soft bread. Different recipes will have a slightly different gluten network organization, but the idea is to have these three ingredients create a sturdy network (a good foundation starts with gluten) that is elastic and malleable (fats, they act as a lubricant among the gluten chains), and that makes a bread that is very spongy and fluffy (starch helps with setting the crumb and creating a more cohesive and less crumbly texture).

What is the yudane method?

One of the things that happen in breadmaking is the gelatinization of starch. The liquids in the recipe hydrate the starch in the flour. The hydrated starch granules swell and burst open when the temperature increases while the bread is baking. This is called gelatinization. The yudane method is based on the incorporation of pre-gelatinized starch into the bread recipe. Adding pre-gelatinized starch means two things: 1) more gelatinized starch will increase the fluffiness of the bread, and 2) pre-gelatinized starch will avoid “stealing” part of the moisture of the recipe for starch swelling, rather than gluten building. So we end up with a bread that is fluffier and has a stronger gluten network.

How does yudane look like

It is basically a 100% hydration dough. It looks sticky! Don’t worry, the main purpose of yudane is to gelatinize as much starch as possible. At this point, we don’t care about kneading the dough perfectly.

Later, when you put all the ingredients together, the yudane will incorporate into the dough and you wouldn’t tell it’s there

How to make the yudane

In order to keep the flavor of the milk buns, I like to prepare my yudane with milk. For these buns, I boiled the other part of the milk (careful with spills!) and prepare the yudane with it. You can do this the day before, but I prefer to use my yudane fresh to make sure there is no starch retrogradation. You can learn more about it in this post

If you use a stand mixer, you can put the flour for yudane in the bowl beforehand. Once the milk starts boiling turn the stand mixer on, add the milk, and knead the dough using the paddle attachment. If you prefer to do it by hand use a heavy bottom bowl that can stand the heat and allows you to stir somehow vigorously. Add the flour and when the milk is boiling aff it to the bowl and start stirring until you form a dough.  Knead until you can touch the dough and don’t get burnt.

When the yudane is done, wrap it with plastic wrap and let it cool down to room temperature. In the meanwhile prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Fermenting these milk buns

You have two options here, 1 bulk fermentation and 1 proof, or 2 bulk fermentations and 1 proof. What I like to do with these buns is to ferment the dough until it almost doubles in size, then knead it for a minute to deflate it and let it ferment again until it doubles in size. Only then do I deflate it for a second time and divide it to shape the buns.

I find 2 bulk fermentations help develop more flavor. This is a yeasted dough, so any extra aroma is always welcome! And if you’re wondering if longer fermentation will make this dough sour the answer is no! It’s not sourdough, so don’t worry about that. It’ll just have a more bready and less yeasty flavor.

However, if you prefer to do one single bulk fermentation, let the dough ferment until it doubles or almost triples. Then proceed with the shaping and proofing.


How to shape these milk buns

After the dough is ready and has fermented. Divide it into 20-25 pieces of similar weight, shape them into a ball, and let them rest for 10 or 15 minutes. I like smaller and chubbier buns, but you can make larger buns. In that case, divide the dough into 10 or 12 pieces.

Then, with your hands or a rolling pin, flatten the balls, one at a time, into an oval of 15-20 cm long and 15-10 cm wide. This depends on how you like your buns. (shorter and chubbier, or thinner and longer. I like the chubbier version better!)

Then starting from the narrow side roll the dough into a little log, seal the edges and place it on the baking tray you will use. Leave enough separation amount the buns so they don’t touch each other while fermenting or baking.

If you’re making small buns you will need 2 or 3 trays to proof them or they might be too close to each other and will end up touching each other in the oven.



Score the buns!



One of the times I was testing this recipe I asked my Instagram community which scoring pattern they liked better, and the majority responded that they liked better 3 cuts across the buns. I had tried no cuts and also one cut lengthwise. I like 3 cuts better, as well. But, of course, you can choose whatever pattern.

How to bake the milk buns

If you choose to make small buns, be careful because they will be done fast and they can go from almost brown to dark brown in a matter of minutes. I don’t use steam while I bake these milk buns but that’s also an option to consider if you have an oven with a fan. The fan always dries out the crust much faster.

If you decide to make larger buns, then adding some steam can be a good idea, to allow the buns to rise a bit more in the oven.

The power of a good egg wash

Egg wash is not only the last touch for some shiny buns, it also develops a crust that seals part of the moisture inside to the buns can last fresh for a bit longer.

Questions you might have

How long do milk buns last?

I made 25 small buns and, at room temperature, they lasted fluffy and nice for 3-4 days. On days 5 and 6 the buns were a bit dryer but still edible. Nothing some butter or mayo couldn’t fix!

Can you freeze milk buns?

Yes! I reserved some of the buns for freezing. The best way for me was a ziplock bag, but you could wrap them in plastic wrap individually as well. Then I cut them lengthwise before freezing and when I wanted to eat one I just popped it in the toaster. You could also let them thaw at room temperature or steam them. Although this last technique can be tricky if there’s water condensing and dripping on top of the buns.

How do you eat milk buns?

As mentioned before, these milk buns are probably a bit different than other styles of buns. They are perfect for sliders, hotdogs… whatever savory filling you prefer. But my favorite is with a chocolate bar. This combination just takes me back to my childhood and I see myself in that small pastry shop, unwrapping the chocolate bar and putting it inside the bun. As an adult, I found that Nutella can also be an amazing filling!

Are milk buns sweet?

Yes! These buns are sweet, not crazy sweet but you can taste the sweetness. That, along with the milky flavor, is what makes these buns so versatile! They go well with sweet or savory fillings. And if you’re like me and dunk everything in your morning coffee… you can do that too!



Are these milk buns the same as brioche?

Not quite! While brioche is mostly eggs and butter, these buns have more milk, not as much butter, and not that much egg. They are also sweeter than brioche.

Other uses for this milk dough

This dough is amazing to work with! Unless I don’t have a lot of time I like to knead it by hand because it’s truly nice to work with! And it’s also very versatile. If you don’t want long buns you can you can make buns for burgers, or cinnamon rolls, or a babka… You can also shape it into thinner and longer buns for hot dogs. You can even use it to make a tin loaf. This recipe is a keeper!

If you liked this recipe you might also like these

Super fluffy nuts and cardamom babka

Orange and cinnamon sourdough rolls

Sourdough donuts with rose cream

Delicious vegan pumpkin bread

Vegan Hokkaido milk bread

If you make any of my recipes let me know what you think! As always you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. And I also have a few videos up on my Youtube channel (which I hope I can resume soon!)

Starting on breadmaking but don’t know where to start? Check my amazon store to see my favorite and affordable utensils you will need. You can make the best bread with simple and affordable tools! (This is an affiliate link if you purchase something from this link I will make a small commission that helps me run this blog, but you will not be charged any extra money 😉 )

super soft milk buns with nutella
5 from 1 vote
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Super soft milk buns

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Spanish
Keyword milk buns, soft buns, super soft milk buns
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total resting time 4 hours
Servings 25 small buns

Ingredients

Yudane

  • 150 g bread flour
  • 150 g boiling milk

Main dough

  • 300 g yudane
  • 600 g bread flour 12.7% protein
  • 300-335 g Whole milk (scalded, lukewarm) (start with the lesser amount and add more if your flour requires it)
  • 75 g heavy whipping cream
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 7 g active dry yeast
  • 90 g sugar
  • 12 g salt
  • 75 g softened butter

Instructions

Yudane

  1. Add 150g of bread flour to your bowl.

  2. Heat a bit over 150g of whole milk and when it comes to a boil weigh 150g and quickly add it to the flour.

  3. With a wooden spoon or with a stand mixer mix the flour and milk until it forms a sticky dough. Wrap it in plastic and keep it at room temperature until you're ready to start the dough.

Main dough

  1. Mix the lukewarm milk, the whipping cream, the yeast, and the egg yolks, and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.

  2. Add the sugar to the egg mixture and give it a whisk.

  3. In the bowl where you have your yudane add the egg mixture and break up the yudane a little bit.

  4. Add flour and salt to the bowl where you have the yudane and pour the wet ingredients. Mix everything until you don't have dry flour particles. Cover and let it sit for 20 minutes.

  5. After 20 minutes start kneading, if the dough feels too stiff and you didn't add all the milk, add a bit more. Once the dough starts coming together add the softened butter and continue kneading to incorporate it.

  6. Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. It shouldn't stick to your fingers and it should feel nice to the touch.

  7. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover it and let it ferment at room temperature for 2h or until it almost doubles in size

  8. Deflate de dough gently and let it ferment again for 1 hour or until it almost doubles the size

  9. After 1h or when the dough is ready deflate it gently and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

  10. Divide the dough into as many buns as you'd like, shape the pieces into small balls and let them rest covered for 10 minutes. This recipe can make 25 small buns, 12 medium buns, or 6 large buns.

  11. Take one dough ball and flatten it with your hands or a rolling pin into an oval of half centimeter thick (1/4 in). For small-size buns, the oval will be 15x7cm. Starting from the short side roll the dough into a log and seal the edges.

  12. Put the buns on baking trays separate enough they won't touch each other while they bake, cover them loosely with plastic wrap and let them ferment until they get puffy and have grown in size.

  13. Before the buns finish proofing preheat your oven at 360F/180C (lower to 340F if you're making larger buns).

  14. When the buns are ready, brush them with a mix of milk and the leftover egg white, make three cuts across the surface of each bun and bake them at 360F/180C for 25-35 minutes or until they have a nice golden brown color.

  15. Let the buns cool down to room temperature. You can keep them in a seal-tight container or ziplock bag at room temperature. You can also freeze them and defrost them in the toaster.


Maria

This post was posted in Sweet

Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

by Maria
homemade sourdough blueberry muffins
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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!

homemade sourdough blueberry muffins

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!

homemade sourdough blueberry muffins

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!

homemade sourdough blueberry muffins

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!

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homemade sourdough blueberry muffins
5 from 1 vote
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Sourdough blueberry muffins

Use your sourdough discard to make these delicious muffins!

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry, blueberry muffins, muffins, sourdough, sourdough discards, sourdough muffins
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 muffins
Author Maria

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

  1. Preheat your oven at 375 F

  2. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Take a tablespoon of that flour and reserve

  3. Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt to the flour and combine

  4. In the bowl of your stand mixer whip the eggs until they are fluffy and have a light yellow color

  5. Add the sugar to the eggs and combine

  6. 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

  7. Change from the wire whisk to the paddle attachment, add the flour in 3 batches and combine at medium-low speed

  8. 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

  9. 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)

  10. line a muffin tin with baking cups and fill them to about 3/4

  11. Add some blueberries on top as decoration

  12. 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 

Maria

This post was posted in Sourdough Discards, Sweet, The science corner

Sourdough donuts with rose cream filling

by Maria

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 bomboloni rose
4 from 1 vote
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Sourdough donuts with rose cream filling

These donuts are very soft and full of amazing flavors

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword donuts, homemade, how to, recipes, rose cream, rose water, sourdough, sourdough donuts
Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total fermentation time 10 hours
Servings 6 donuts
Author Maria

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

  1. In the bowl of your stand mixer add the milk and suggar anddissolve the sugar

  2. Add the egg yolks and rose water and combine well

  3. Add the starter and stir until you break down the blob

  4. On a different bowl mix the flour and salt

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. After the bulk fermentation, degas the dough well and let it chill for a couple of hours in the fridge

  9. Take the dough out of the fridge, dust your work surface and the dough and roll it into a 1cm/ 0.5in thickness

  10. Cut the donuts and roll the scraps as many times necessary until you don't have more dough left

  11. Place the donuts on small pieces of parchment paper, cover them and let them proof until they're puffy (about 1h)

  12. Fill a pot with vegetable oil and heat it to 180-190C / 360-375F

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. Let the donuts cool down a few minutes and with a piping bag fill them with your favorite filling!

Rose cream

  1. Put the milk in a saucepan and bring to a low boil

  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sift the starch, add the sugar, the coloring, and the rose water and whisk again

  3. 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

  4. Pour the egg batter into the saucepan and whisk it all together until is homogeneous

  5. Heat the mixture at low heat and don't stop stirring. It will thicken

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

Maria

This post was posted in Sweet

How to make sourdough chocolate banana bread

by Maria

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 with walnuts
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5 from 1 vote

Sourdough chocolate banana bread

Super soft, moist and incredibly flavorful chocolate banana bread. The best way to use your sourdough discards!
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword banana, banana bread, chocolate, chocolate banana bread, chocolate sourdough, sourdough, sourdough discards, zero waste recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 1 loaf
Author Maria

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)

Maria

This post was posted in Sourdough Discards, Sweet

How to do the 3 preparatory refreshments for panettone

by Maria

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

  1. Before every maintenance refreshment
  2. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. Leave in the water bath for 5-10 minutes
  2. Remove it from the water bath an do the 3 refreshments as if you were going to bake panettone
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

  1. 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

My lievito madre after 3.5h


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!

Maria

This post was posted in The science corner

Cinnamon rolls with lievito madre discards

by Maria

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 cinnamon rolls bread making sourdough


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.

Jump to Recipe

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.

lievito madre cinnamon rolls bread making sourdough


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.

lievito madre cinnamon rolls bread making sourdough


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.

lievito madre cinnamon rolls bread making sourdough


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!

lievito madre cinnamon rolls bread making sourdough
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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!

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword christmas, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls, homemade, lievito madre, sourdough, sourdough discards
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Proofing time 18 hours
Total Time 19 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 rolls

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

  1. 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

  2. Sift 300 g of bread flour and add them to the wet ingredients

  3. Take 100g of the discards from refreshing your lievito madre and cut small pieces and add them to the bowl of the stand mixer

  4. Knead at low speed for a few minutes until the dough gets a bit elastic and add the softened butter

  5. Knead until you have a perfect gluten development

  6. 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)

  7. Place the dough in the fridge and let it ferment at a cold temperature for up to 8 more hours

  8. Take the dough out of the fridge, deflate it gently and with a rolling pin shape a 35x45cm rectangle

  9. Spread the filling and start rolling the log starting on the wider side

  10. Cut 9-12 pieces and place them in your 9x9in square pan (use parchment paper if it's not non-stick)

  11. Let the rolls proof until they touch each other (about 2h)

  12. Bake the rolls in a preheated oven at 350F

  13. Drizzle the icing after they cooled down to room temperature

Filling

  1. Combine the ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest

  2. Add the melted butter and mix well

Icing

  1. Sift the powder sugar

  2. Start adding the orange juice until you get the desired consistency

Maria

This post was posted in Sweet