I think one of my favorite sandwiches during summertime is tuna salad on marble rye bread. And since the weather down here it’s starting to warm up, I decided to post my recipe and show you how I make my sourdough marble rye bread!
What is marble bread?
No, it’s not rock-hard bread, don’t worry! If you’re not familiar with marble bread, it’s basically a two (or more colors) bread that is shaped in a way that when you cut through it you can see a pattern. In this case, that pattern is a swirl with two colors, but other times the pattern is more abstract.
Best sourdough marble rye bread recipe
Okay, okay, maybe this is a bit of an overstatement, but I’m very happy with this recipe! I have tested different rye:wheat flour ratios and I think I have found a balance between both that gives you a great dough consistency and a loaf that is not dense at all while enjoying a nice rye flavor. You will make the best sourdough marble rye bread sandwich!
Of course, you can play around with these ratios. However, know that rye gluten behaves a tad differently and you might end up with a sticker dough. That’s not a problem, because this bread is baked in a tin, but when it comes to the marble part, you could end up with a wonky pattern.
I have tried to make this loaf a bit more accessible for those that can’t find some ingredients. Firstly, because there’s no need to spend money on a type of flour you’ll barely use. Secondly, because many of you might still have difficulty finding certain ingredients. So, don’t worry, you don’t need pumpernickel flour. However, feel free to substitute the rye flour in the dark dough for pumpernickel if you prefer.
Ingredients for this sourdough marble rye bread
For this recipe, I used this dark cocoa powder to color the dark dough because that’s what I usually buy. Feel free to use whichever cocoa powder you have access to (preferably unsweetened). Some people even use instant coffee, but in my opinion, I think cocoa powder does a better job than coffee bringing all the aromas and flavor together.
As far as the starter goes, I don’t have a rye sourdough starter. I used my white one for this dough and it worked great. If you have a rye starter, feel free to use it. Although, you can also build a levain with the flour mix. The most important thing is that the starter is active and by the time of use it has reached its peak of activity. You have all the information about it here.
I also used this whole rye flour and just sieved out large bran bits. I love this brand and I also LOVE the packaging. It has a velcro style sealing that really seals the bag! Much more convenient than the zip-style kind of seal!
If you use white rye, you will probably need less water. You can add maybe 80% of the water in the recipe and add more if necessary. The dough is a bit sticky but not messy sticky. I like whole rye flour because it adds another layer of flavor to the loaf and a bit of extra complexity that goes great with the caraway seeds.
When I buy spices I tend to buy in bulk because little containers annoy me. I always have large glass containers (pickle jars!) that I keep precisely to use with my spices. If you’re like me, then these seeds might be the ones for you! It’s a whole pound, but trust me when I tell you that you’ll be making this sourdough marble rye bread often!!
Can I use all purpose flour?
Absolutely! But since it has less protein content, you will need less water, so measure the water in the recipe, and then add it little by little until you think it’s enough. You might need as little as 70% of the water in this recipe.
Bulk fermentation
I did my bulk fermentation overnight because my house was a bit chilly (69F/20C), it took about 8-9h before I shaped the loaf. If your home is warmer, maybe it’s better to start in the morning and keep an eye on the dough. I also try a higher temperature (75F/24C) in one of the tests and the dough was ready in 4-6h.
How to shape your sourdough marble rye bread
At this point, both doughs should have finished the bulk fermentation. Carefully degas them, shape them into a ball and let them rest for 10 or 15 minutes covered.
The shaping consists of two layers of dough, the thinner you make these layers, the thinner will be the swirl inside, and vice versa. I like to have a layer of about half inch/1 centimeter thickness. This way the swirl is nice and visible, the layers don’t tear during baking and you end up with a beautiful marble rye bread!
I roll my loaf in a way that the light dough is outside, that way I can judge by the color of it, how the bread is doing, and if it’s ready or not. Depending on the flour you use etc, your dough might be on the stiff or sticky side, don’t worry, I got you!
How to shape stiffer dough
If your dough is a bit stiff, it will be easier for you to use a rolling pin. Dust your counter lightly with some flour and flatten the light dough a little. Then with a rolling pin shape the dough into a rectangle of about 9×17 in/22x40cm and set aside. The shorter side will be about the length of your baking pan. once the light dough has the desired shape, do the same with the dark one.
Brush the light dough with a little bit of water, just enough to make the surface sticky. Place the dark dough on top and try to align them very well. Ideally, the sizes should be very similar. Then starting from the short side, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the edges and seal the seam, and place it into your baking pan.
How to shape stickier dough
If your dough is too sticky, instead of dusting the counter with flour, use oil to avoid it from sticking and making a mess. And do the same with your hands. Then carefully, flatten the dough, and with your hands keep pressing and spreading the dough into a 9x17in/22x40cm rectangle. Lift the dough often (careful not to stretch it too much) to make sure it’s still not sticking. Start with the light dough and finish with the dark one, to avoid dark bits of dough sticking to the light one.
Once you have both rectangles, place the dark on top of the light one and press them together. Starting from the short side roll the dough into a log, pinch the edges and seal the seam, and place it into your baking pan
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Proofing and baking your sourdough marble rye
It’s important you let the dough rise, at least, until the highest part (usually the middle) reaches the edges of your baking pan; preferably, until it’s half-inch/once centimeter above the edge of the pan. I also don’t like to bake pan loaves with steam; so, to get good oven spring, you need to start with a loaf that’s already tall, or the crust will form fast and prevent the loaf from rising more, or tearing the dough and end up with a not sandwich-friendly shape.
Bake the loaf in an oven preheated at 350F/175C until it’s golden brown. You can also stick a meat thermometer into the loaf and once it reads 204F/96C your sourdough marble rye bread is ready! Try to reach the center, because it’s the part that takes longer to cook. This is the thermometer I use for pretty much everything. It’s really fast and can hold the highest or lowest temperature. It even has a light!
For a shiny crust, you can brush the loaf with milk or egg wash before it goes into the oven!
How long does this sourdough marble rye bread keep?
Assuming that you don’t eat it in one day, you can keep the loaf in a ziplock bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days (depends on the temperature of your kitchen). You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week, but I’d recommend you toast it first. Usually, the texture of bread that’s been kept at old temperatures is not the best.
Let me know if you make this fantastic sourdough marble rye bread and your favorite sandwiches to make with it! If you do, use #allyoukneadisbread on Instagram, I’d love to see what you bake and what you experiment with!
You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
Happy Baking!
This post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you – that allows me to keep running this blog.
Sourdough Marble Rye Bread
Delicious and aromatic sourdough marble rye bread, perfect for sandwiches and toasts!
Ingredients
Light Dough
- 85 g rye flour
- 165 g bread flour
- 55 g mature sourdough starter
- 130 g water
- 5 g salt
- 15 g butter
- 10 g honey
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
Dark Dough
- 85 g rye flour
- 165 g bread flour
- 55 g mature sourdough starter
- 130 g water
- 5 g salt
- 15 g butter softened
- 10 g molasses
- ½ tsp cocoa powder (use dark cocoa powder for a darker color)
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
Instructions
Light Dough
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Dissolve the sourdough starter in the water to break it down a little
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Add all the other ingredients except the butter and mix them until you can't see dry flour particles. Cover and let it rest while you mix the dark dough
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After a few minutes of rest start kneading the dough with your hands and incorporate the butter. Continue kneading until the dough is not sticky and is smooth
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Lightly oil a container, place the dough inside, and let it ferment until is about twice the size (8-9h at 69F/20C or about 4-6h in a warm place, don't exceed 79F/26C) *See notes
Dark dough
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Dissolve the cocoa powder in 50g of water until you don't have lumps
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Dissolve the sourdough starter in the remaining 80g of water
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Add the cocoa mixture and the rest of the ingredients, except for butter, to the dissolve sourdough. Mix the ingredients until you don't see dry flour particles. Cover and let it rest while you knead the light dough
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Once the light dough is done and fermenting, start kneading the dark dough with your hands and incorporate the butter. Continue kneading until the dough is not sticky and is smooth
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Once ready, lightly oil a container and place the dark dough inside to ferment (8-9h at 69F/20C or about 4-6h in a warmer place, don't exceed 79F/26C) *See notes
Shaping & Proofing
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Once both doughs are ready, lightly flour your counter, and with a rolling pin roll both doughs separately to 1/2 in thick and as wide as your baking pan is. The thicker you roll the dough the thicker will be the spiral pattern inside, feel free to change the thickness to your taste.
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Try to roll both doughs into a rectangle of similar size (Mine was about 9×17 in/22×40 cm). Once ready with a fork prick both doughs to make sure there aren't large air bubbles trapped between the layers later on.
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Lightly brush the light dough with water (you can also use a spray bottle) and place the dark dough on top. You don't need too much water, just enough for both doughs to join together.
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Carefully press both doughs with your hands to make sure there's contact everywhere and starting with the shorter side roll the dough into a log and pinch the edges together
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Place the dough into a lightly oiled baking pan and cover it with plastic wrap, or a shower cap
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Let the loaf ferment until the center is about the height of the pan or even a little bit more. The dough should feel puffy but still have good structure. My loaf at 73F took about 4h to rise **See notes
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About 20 minutes before the dough is ready preheat the oven to 350F
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When the dough is ready brush it with milk or egg wash (whichever you prefer) and bake for 35-45 minutes (until inside temperature reads at least 204F/96C)
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Once the bread is ready take it out of the oven and let it cool down for 10 minutes before you take it out of the pan to finish cooling on a rack
Recipe Notes
* If your kitchen is cold and you need to leave the dough fermenting for a longer time, it’s better to do so during the bulk fermentation. I don’t recommend doing a cold-proof after the loave is shaped, it might not rise enough and end up under proofed. Also, do not use too warm temperature, as it could weaken the gluten network.
**It’s important you use a proper baking pan, otherwise, if it’s too wide, by the time the dough reaches that height it’ll be over-proofed.
Roscón de Reyes – Traditional Spanish Bread
Happy and healthy New Year! I want to start 2021 with one of my favorite Spanish types of bread: The Roscón de Reyes. It’s a brioche-style, citrusy, sweet bread that’s usually consumed on January 6th; the Epiphany day, and the official last day of Christmas in Spain (and many other countries).
January 6th is known as “Día de Reyes”, the Three Kings day; it refers to the 3 Wise Men who visited Jesus when he was born, bringing gold, incense, and myrrh as gifts.
What is the tradition during Día de Reyes?
When the Christmas season starts, kids in Spain write a letter to Their Majesties the Three Wise Men. In their letters, they ask for the presents they’d like to receive.
Now… If they behaved well during the year, they will get the gifts on their list. But if they didn’t… They’ll receive a bag of coal!! And depending on how mischievous they were, the bag might have candy coal or real coal!
On January 5th almost every town has a parade with the Reyes Magos and their pages. During the parade, the kids get to see the Reyes Magos and collect lots of candy the pages throw away. There’s music, laughter, and a final speech from Their Majesties encouraging the kids to go to bed early, so they can sneak into their homes and leave the gifts.
Then, that night, Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar, (Those are the names of the 3 wise men) or “Los Reyes Magos” as we call them in Spanish (The literal translation from Spanish is “the Magic Kings”), will go home from to home, riding their camels and leaving gifts for the family.
In our tradition, instead of using stockings, we leave shoes in the living room or close to the tree. One shoe per person. And you best believe that my sister and I always chose very carefully which shoes we were leaving!
Of course, as hosts, we need to leave some treats for our royal guests and their camels! In my family, we always left 3 glasses with sherry wine and a tray with turrón and polvorones (traditional Spanish Christmas treats). Then, we’d leave a big bucket with water and some carrots on the balcony for the camels.
The next morning we’d wake up early because… who can sleep when you know who’s visiting in the wee hours!?, and run to check our shoes and all the presents underneath.
The tradition behind the Roscónde Reyes
On January 6th it’s tradition to have one last feast with your family, as it is the last official day of the holidays. A big lunch to say goodbye to Christmas and a good Roscón as dessert.
Typically, people buy the Roscón de Reyes, and it comes with 3 things: a fava bean and a figurine hidden in the bread, and a golden paper crown. Let me explain…
I’m sure different places will have different customs, but where I grew up this is how we did it:
The person that gets the hidden fava bean will pay for next year’s Roscón, and the person who gets the figurine will be crowned king or queen of the table with the paper crown.
There are different types of Roscón, you can buy it plain, or with fillings (whipped cream or pastry cream being the most popular). My family used to buy the whipped cream one, but a homemade Roscón… I believe fillings just distract you from the fantastic flavors that this bread packs!
What are the ingredients of a rosca de reyes?
The flour
The flour I use for this Roscón is brioche flour with 14% of protein. If you live in the US this is the flour I use and I like the results. It absorbs fats and liquids very well and the dough is very elastic.
If you have flour with less protein content, you will need less liquid in your recipe. The texture of the dough should be soft but not super slack. It’s not quite as slack as brioche dough but not as stiff as my sourdough challah dough.
As a rule of thumb for me, for every 1% less protein in my flour, I decrease liquid and butter by 10% (less protein, less liquid, and fats). Then I adapt as needed.
The milk and other dairy-free options
The source of moisture in this recipe is milk. I like to scald it before I add it to the dough. It helps temper the other ingredients if they are cold when I prepare the dough (add it warm, not hot). It also makes developing the gluten a bit easier; some proteins are denatured and possible interactions with the gluten proteins are also reduced.
You don’t have to scald the milk, but if you do, measure more than what the recipe calls for because some moisture will evaporate.
You can use soy milk or other vegetable beverage, but I’d go for liquids with a viscosity similar to whole milk, not something watery as rice milk. I wouldn’t use oat milk, oat beta-glucan can affect the dough and be a tremendous impediment when building the gluten.
The sourdough
If you’re making the sourdough version, you might want to prepare a levain with the brioche flour if that’s not the flour you typically feed your starter (just take a portion of your starter and prepare a new one using the flour you will use for this bread). This will help the growth and adaptation period of the microorganisms once you make the dough. If you want to know more about sourdough science check this post!
The aromatics
Although flour is important for obvious reasons, the key ingredients in a good Roscón de Reyes are the aromatics. The key aromatics are orange zest, lemon zest, and orange blossom water (This is the one I use and I love it!). The smell doesn’t disappear after baking, it’s awesome).
The aroma must be balanced between citrusy flavors and sweet flavors. Make sure your orange blossom water is not expired or the dough won’t keep the aroma at all.
You can also add some dark rum or Cointreau for an extra kick and if you candy your own orange, the syrup is an excellent aromatic too! (and if it has some pulp even better!). If you use any booze, don’t use more than 1-1.5 tbsp. Alcohol can affect the texture of the bread and if using sourdough, it can affect the growth of the microorganisms.
Vanilla extract is optional, I decided to leave it out because I think the orange blossom water and orange syrup are enough. I love orange blossom and I don’t think it needs to be mixed with anything else.
How to make Roscón de Reyes
The pictures on this post are of a sourdough Roscón but I have also included a yeasted version. I explain the differences between both methods in the following paragraphs.
Sourdough Roscón de Reyes
Since I’m using brioche flour, the day before I started the dough I prepared the levain using my regular sourdough starter, water, and the brioche flour. I needed 135g so I calculated the quantities to end up with about 150g, just in case I lost something on the walls of the container etc.
With winter temperature in my kitchen being around 20C/68F, I can feed my starter 1:2:2, and the growth cycle is about 18-20h. So, I prepared the levain in the evening before going to bed. The levain was ready early next evening. You know your starter better, you can decide which feeding schedule suits you better.
When my starter was ready I prepared the dough and it fermented overnight. The next morning I divided the dough into 2 equal pieces, shaped it, and let it proof for about 3h-4h (at 68F/20C)
I prepared the levain in a way that I could leave the dough fermenting overnight. That way it could proof during the morning and we had a fresh Roscón de Reyes for dessert.
Yeasted Roscón de Reyes
For the yeast version, you need to adapt the recipe. First, you need to avoid the starter and then update the flour and milk quantities.
Since I use a 100% hydration starter, half of the weight is water, and half of the weight is flour. This recipe calls for 135g of starter, which means 67.5g are water, and 67.5 flour.
To update the recipe you just need to add 67.5g of flour to the total flour and 67.5g of milk or water to the total milk.
How to twitch the recipe to use yeast
How much yeast should I use? That’s a question that I get asked pretty often. I would recommend no more than 1% of the weight of the flour, which is about 6 g for the full recipe. You can even use less yeast, it’ll just take a bit longer to ferment.
You can always add more yeast but to the detriment of the flavor and dough structure. The faster the bread ferments, the faster it’ll dry out once baked, and the easier it’ll be for the dough to over ferment, loose structure, and end up with a dense pancake.
A way to improve the flavor profile of a yeasted bread is to slow down the fermentation. You can do that by reducing the amount of yeast, or by adding a cold bulk step (or both if the yeast amount is low but not too low).
A good schedule for a yeasted Roscón is to start in the afternoon. Let it ferment until it almost doubles in size, then put it in the fridge overnight. The next morning take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 1h, or to a dough consistency that’s comfortable to work with. Then proceed as with the sourdough version. Keep in mind that it will prove faster, and instead of 3-4 h, it might take 1-2 (depending on the internal temperature).
How to shape your Roscón de Reyes
Some people shape it in an oval, some people make a circle with individual bun-like portions… But if you want to shape it like a big donut (either circular or oval shape), you need to shape the dough into a ball. Add a bit of tension to the surface. Then let the dough rest for about 15 minutes (covered) on an oiled surface to avoid it from sticking.
Oil your hands and with your index finger make a hole in the center and move it around to enlarge the hole enough so you can lift the dough and with your other index finger you roll the dough around making the hole larger and larger.
You basically move the dough aroung and gravity does the stretching!
Be careful, don’t push the dough. If it’s not stretching anymore, put it back on the counter, cover it, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the gluten to relax. Then continue with the same circular motions until you have a hole of at least 15cm/6in.
It might look like the hole is too large, but as the dough proofs and then bakes it’ll puff up and the hole will decrease in size. Once you’re happy put the Roscón on parchment paper and arrange it well because you won’t be able to re-shape it later on. Put it on the tray you’ll use to bake, cover it with film and let it proof!
How to decorate your Roscón de reyes
Although the options here are endless, traditionally, the ingredients you’ll always find in a Roscón are: Candied pumpkin, candied orange, candied cherries, pearled or aromatic sugar, sliced almonds, or other nuts.
Candied pumpkin is typically dyed with red and green colors. I made my own candied butternut squash because I didn’t find the white pumpkin I wanted, so I left the orange color as it was. I also made my own candied orange slices. Since everything was a bit too orange, I bought green candied cherries to give it that je ne sais quoi.
When it comes to Roscón de Reyes, I prefer aromatic sugar rather than pearled sugar, for that, I mixed ¼ cup of white sugar with 1 tsp of orange blossom water and mixed well. The sugar should feel like moist sand but it shouldn’t dissolve. Once it’s well mixed you just sprinkle it on top of the Roscón.
How to bake a Roscón de reyes
Preheat the oven to 350F. As the oven preheats brush your Roscón with either egg wash or with the leftover whites. Brush it twice so it’ll get that nice brown color, and start decorating it. If your candied fruits are too dry consider soaking them in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
Start decorating it with the candied fruits, then the nuts (if using), and top it with the sugar.
Bake it for about 30-40 minutes; this really depends on your oven, mine is acting crazy these days so in your oven it might be ready earlier.
If you think it’s getting dark too fast you can cover it with a piece of foil with a hole inside. You can also measure the internal temperature. If it reads 94C/201F then it’s ready!
Once your Roscón is ready take it out of the oven and let it cool down to room temperature.
Your Roscón de Reyes will be best the day is baked but if you keep it in an airtight container or bag, it can stay fresh for about a week (the sourdough version) or a couple of days if you made it with yeast.
Regardless of what you use, SD or yeast, knead the dough very well. The better the dough, the more moisture it can retain, and the longer it’ll take to dry out. However, this is particularly important if you use commercial yeast since yeasted bread tends to dry out quicker.
How to add the filling
If you want to add a filling, you need to cut the Roscón crosswise making two layers. Basically, you’re making a sweet sandwich! Make sure the Roscón has completely cooled down to room temperature. You can even put it in the fridge for 15 mins or so before you slice it. This way you’ll get a clean cut and the fillings won’t melt.
The fillings should be thick enough to sustain the weight of the top layer without leaking everywhere.
Let me know if you make the Roscón de Reyes or any other recipe! If you do, use #allyoukneadisbread on Instagram, I’d love to see what you bake and what you experiment with!
You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
Feliz Día de Reyes!
This post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you – that allows me to keep running this blog.
Spanish Roscón de Reyes
Roscón de Reyes is a brioche-style, citrusy, sweet bread that’s usually consumed on January 6th, the day known as “Día de Reyes”
Ingredients
- 600 g brioche flour (add up to 50 g more if necessary)
- 200 g milk see notes *
- 135 g mature sourdough starter/levain
- 135 g caster sugar
- 135 g softened butter see notes for dairy free options *
- 3 M eggs
- 2 M yolks
- 12 g salt
- 2.5 tbsp orange blossom water
- zest of 1 orange
- zest of one lemon
- assorted candied fruits
- 4 tbsp sliced almonds
- 50 g aromatic sugar or pearled sugar see notes*
Instructions
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In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the milk, eggs, yolk, sourdough starter, and the aromatics and mix thoroughly. If you scald the milk wait for it to cool down to at least 36C/97F
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Add the flour and the salt and mix until you don't see dry flour particles. Cover the bowl and let it rest 20-30 minutes
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Knead the dough at low speed (speed 2 in a KitchenAid stand mixer) until it has a nice consistency and starts getting elastic
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Incorporate the butter and knead until you develop the gluten completely (windowpane test). If necessary, allow the dough rest a couple of times for a few minutes.
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Once the dough is ready transfer into a lightly oiled container and let it ferment overnight (about 10-12h at 68F). It should double or almost double in volume and you should see fermentation bubbles on the bottom of the container.
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Divide the dough into two equal pieces for two medium roscones or 3 equal pieces for 3 small ones.
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Shape each piece into a ball and let it rest 10 minutes
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With an oiled finger poke a hole in the middle of one of the pieces of dough and slowly open the hole until you can grab the dough and swirl it around with your hands to open the hole of at least 15cm/6in and get the same thickness all around (check the article for a full explanation)
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Place the roscones on parchment paper and on the tray you'll use for baking. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them proof for 3-4h or until they have grown and the dough feels puffy
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Preheat your oven to 350F/175C and while it's preheating brush the dough twice with egg wash or with the egg whites leftovers and decorate it with candied fruit, nuts, and sugar (check the text for a full explanation on the order of the toppings)
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Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the roscones have a slight dark golden brown and the internal temperature reads 94C/200F
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Let cool down to room temperature before slicing (check the article if you want to fill the roscón, check the article to know how)
Recipe Notes
* Scalding the milk is optional, on the post I explain why I do it
* For dairy-free options you can substitute the milk with soy milk and use vegan butter instead of butter.
* To make the aromatic sugar mix 1 tsp of orange blossom with 1/4 cup (50g) of sugar and mix until it has a moist sand consistency
Easy brie and olive sourdough rolls
Hello friends! Today I bring my new favorite recipe: brie and olive sourdough rolls! Brie cheese and black olives balance each other perfectly and combine great with the aromas of sourdough. These rolls are pillowy and delicate and can keep fresh for several days.
Brie, olives, and buckwheat flour
Let’s talk a little about brie. It is a French soft cheese made of cow milk. It has a considerable amount of fat, so it melts easily while the rolls are baking and helps soften the structure of the bread. As a result, these brie and olive sourdough rolls turn out unbelievably fluffy and full of flavor.
I like black olives because they’re not as tangy as green or kalamata, and I think the flavor goes great with cheese in general, but brie in particular; however, you can experiment with other types of olives and try other types of cheese if you don’t like or don’t have access to brie. Cheese with at least 25% fat content will work better because the key of these rolls is in the fat melting.
The trick is using a strong enough flour that will hold the dough and all fillings and slightly weaken the gluten with flour that doesn’t have gluten. In this case, I used King Arthur AP flour (it is strong for an all-purpose flour, it has 11.7% of protein), and buckwheat flour. This combination not only gets the gluten where I want it to be, but it also enhances the flavor of the bread so it doesn’t get lost in the cheese and olive aromas. I used this buckwheat flour but I have also tried this one and I liked the results as well.
If you don’t have buckwheat, you can use other flours that have less or none gluten (whole wheat, teff…). Just keep in mind that you might need to change the amount of water on the recipe and the result could be a bit different.
About the dough
This dough isn’t very hydrated, so when it comes to incorporate the olives and the brie you will need to let it rest and stretch it little by little. Make sure you pierce large air pockets that you might catch while stretching the dough. These sourdough rolls shouldn’t have a dramatic open crumb, you should aim for smaller air pockets and pillowy structure.
How to incorporate the brie and olives
An easy way to add the brie and olives is to stretch the dough, add the chunks of cheese and olives and then fold the dough and shape it into a ball. However, when we fold the dough we also trap a lot of air that will affect the structure of our crumb, and thus, the dough doesn’t feel like it has naturally incorporated the fillings. It’d feel like it has layers and the chunks of cheese or olives will come out of the dough easily.
To avoid this you just need to 1) Pierce large air pockets, 2) Knead the dough a little after adding the chunks and let it rest for 10-20 minutes, and 3) Knead again for a couple of minutes. Doing this will help you distribute the filling better and have an elastic dough.
This kneading is not meant to strengthen the gluten, but to help incorporate the ingredients. The gluten should be well developed before we add the fillings.
The fermentation
Sourdough always takes more time to ferment, but if you live in a pretty warm and humid place, pay attention to the dough. Let it ferment until you start seeing signs of fermentation (small bubbles in the bottom, feels puffy, has grown a little…), but don’t wait until it doubles or the gluten can be compromised and you’ll end up with a super sticky dough and flat rolls.
Once it’s clear that there’s activity, deflate the dough a little and put it in the fridge. It can stay there overnight.
Since you’re not going to proof the dough in a banneton, you can keep the dough in the fridge before shaping. Then, once shaped, you won’t need too much time before the rolls go into the oven!
Get your sourdough starter ready
Sourdough can be a bit tricky, but it all boils down to science! If you want to know more about the science of your sourdough starter, check this post where I explain all the phases your starter goes through and how you can apply that knowledge into your baking.
Knowing the science of your starter will help you adapt your baking schedule depending on the weather conditions. This summer is especially challenging here in North Carolina, but understanding the bacterial behavior helped a lot!
Final proof
The final proof is easy and somewhat fast. Take the dough out of the fridge, divide it into 8 equal pieces and shape them into small dough balls.
Let them proof in the tray you’ll use to bake them while you preheat the oven at 400F. No more than 1h should be fine if your starter is healthy and strong.
Before putting them int he oven score the surface of the rolls and off they go! In 20 minutes approx (depends on your oven), you’ll have these delicious brie and olive sourdough rolls!
How to create steam in the oven
Steam is very important when you bake bread, specially rustic style. When I bake loaves, I use my dutch oven and it usually is enough to allow the bread to open up. In this case, I use an old baking tray that I keep in the oven as it preheats, and when I load the rolls I add 1 cup of boiling water into that tray and immediately close the oven door.
Don’t open the door for the first 10 minutes of baking, some of the steam inevitably will scape but it’s better to minimize it.
Guaranteed deliciousness!
Since these sourdough rolls turn out so soft and airy you can use them to make sandwiches, sliders… And worry not! Because they won’t fall apart or crumble when you’re trying to take a bite or spreading butter on it😊
The rolls last fresh several days, but you can put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them once they’ve cooled down. You can keep them frozen for a few weeks.
If you decide to freeze de rolls, take them out of the freezer and let them chill for an hour or so, then bake them at 300F until they’re nice and hot inside. However, if you only need one or two rolls, why would turn the oven on? What I like to do in this case is slice the rolls before freezing them and when I want to make a sandwich, I just pop them in the toaster! It’s faster and your power bill will thank you 😉
Let me know if you make these rolls or any other recipe! I love to see what you bake and what you experiment with. You can use #allyoukneadisbread on Instagram.
You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
Other sourdough recipes
If you’re looking for some sourdough inspiration check these other recipes:
Tomato and rosemary sourdough bread
Gorgonzola and apple sourdough bread (video included!)
Sourdough donuts with rose cream filling
Sourdough chocolate banana bread
Happy baking!
This post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you – that allows me to keep running this blog.
Easy brie and olive sourdough rolls
Fantastic sourdough rolls with a twist. Your new favorite!
Ingredients
- 385 g strong all purpose flour (11.7% protein)
- 65 g buckwheat flour (or similar)
- 70 g active sourdough starter
- 7 g salt
- 80 g black olives (sliced)
- 100 g brie cheese (with or without the rind and cut into 0.5 in/ 1 cm pieces)
- 270 g water (room temperature)
Instructions
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Dissolve the starter in the water and add the flours and salt. Let it rest, covered, 20 minutes
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Add the salt and start kneading. Knead until the dough feels elastic, it's smooth and doesn't stick to your fingers. If you need to let it rest a few minutes, do so.
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After kneading, and once the dough is well developed, let it rest 30-60 minutes in a lightly oiled bowl
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Oil you rcounter lightly, just enough so the dough doesn't stick and carefully try to stretch the dough on the counter into a 18×18 in / 45×45 cm square. It doesn't have to be exact.
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Distribute the olives and cheese evenly and carefully fold the dough and shape it into a ball. Pierce large air pockets that might've been trapped during the process. Let the dough rest 20 minutes.
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Knead the dough a little to make sure the filling is well distributed and has been incorporated into the dough (so they won't come out). If you find it easier do some stretch and folds do so. Just make sure the add-ons don't come out easily.
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Let the dough ferment until it feels puffy, it has grown a little and you see obvious signs of fermentation. Mine, at 74F took about 4 hours. Then carefully deflate the dough and plut it in the fridge over night.
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The next morning turn the oven on at 400F with an empty pan in the bottom rack. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the middle rack and preheat the oven for 30-60 minutes (depends on your oven, if you have a stone etc.)
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While the oven preheats, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape them into balls. You can do a pre-shape and final shape, but since they're not going to proof for long, you might not need to preshape them.
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Place the rolls in the baking tray and once the oven is hot score them with a blade or sharp knife and put the baking tray in the middle rack (or on top of the hot stone if you have one). Add 1 cup of boiling water to the empty tray in the bottom rack and close the oven door immediately.
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Bake the rolls with steam, for at least 10 minutes and another 10 minutes without steam or a few more minutes if they're not golden brown yet.
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Let the rolls cool down for at least 30 minutes to allow the crumb to set, and dig in!
Tomato and rosemary sourdough bread
One of the most typical summer lazy dinners I used to grow with was “Pa amb tomàquet” (or commonly referred to as “pan tumaca”). It translates to “bread and tomato”. It is basically a toast with rubbed tomato and olive oil, I wanted to introduce my husband to this dish and that’s when I had an idea… What if… What if I add the tomato to the dough? And what if I add some other herbs? So I did… And that’s how this tomato and rosemary sourdough bread was born!
The result was amazing! This tomato and rosemary sourdough bread was so flavorful! The ingredients balanced each other perfectly and the loaf turned out super soft. The crumb was very soft and delicate.
Since the hydration is not too high, the dough is lovely to work with. If you’re feeling adventurous, it can be a great bread to practice your scoring!
Here’s the video of how I scored this loaf:
I used my wiremonkey bread lame that you can purchase here.
I love this lame, it’s ergonomic, efficient, easy to work with and allows you a range of movement that you don’t have with other lames. And best of all? It’s a family business that throughout the pandemic has been helping bakers in need. Not to mention that Tyler is also environmentally conscious and doesn’t use plastic on his lames.
If you’re into bread art or are looking for a nice bread lame, consider buying a wiremonkey ufo lame. They’re simply amazing!
The ingredients
For this recipe, I used Roma tomatoes because they are less watery, so if you’re using other types of tomatoes, I’d suggest you either reduce the amount of water on the recipe or drain the tomatoes a little.
I decided to make a paste first with all the ingredients so I blended the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and rosemary leaves together. But if you prefer, you can leave the leaves out and add them whole.
Tomatoes and health
Did you know tomatoes are rich in lycopene? A red carotenoid that it’s known for its anti-cancer properties and powerful antioxidants. Tomatoes are also rich in potassium and magnesium. In other words, tomatoes rock!
Not only they’re healthy, but some studies have found that adding tomatoes to bread increased dough elasticity. That, along with the olive oil makes the dough LOVELY to work with, and it’s one of the reasons the crumb is so nice and velvety. Ahh Science! 🙂
How to make this tomato and rosemary sourdough bread
If you follow me on Instagram you might know by now that I’m leaning towards kneading my loaves rather than doing just stretch and folds. I don’t laminate my dough unless I’m going to add things to it (olives, nuts, cheese…). I don’t do long autolysis either, especially during summer because the higher temperatures really have an impact on dough strength.
What I do is mixing all the ingredients, I give them a 20-60 minutes rest (it depends on how busy I am or what I’m doing at the moment) and then I knead using the slap and fold method. I knead the dough for a few minutes and then let it rest for a little while. Resting periods are very important as you allow the gluten strands to realign and the dough gets stronger; you can read more about it here.
Kneading is just a way to 1) strengthen the gluten and 2) incorporate air in the dough. So, you can use whatever method you’re comfortable with. Manually or using a stand mixer, as long as you develop the gluten well.
Bulk fermentation
Once you’re sure the gluten is well developed, you can add a coil fold if you want. Then let the dough ferment for a few hours. The temperature in my kitchen ranges from 74-77F these days, so usually I don’t leave any dough out for longer than 6h (start to shaping). That’s why I also prefer kneading vs. not kneading. It allows me to develop the gluten faster and have a nice bulk fermentation in just a few hours.
I don’t wait until the dough doubles in size, I tend to cut the bulk fermentation short. With summer temperature and humidity under fermenting the dough a little helps maintain the gluten structure strong throughout the entire process.
The length of the bulk fermentation depends on how much starter you used, the temperature of your kitchen, the condition of your starter etc. If you want to know more about sourdough growth and sourdough starters click here. You can learn the science of sourdough and how that applies to your sourdough bread.
If you’re a bit new to sourdough and are not sure about what to do, you can check other things to make sure the fermentation is going well. For example, after a few hours of bulk fermenting: does the dough feel puffier? Can you see small bubbles forming in the bottom? Did the dough grow a little or can you even see some larger air pockets on the surface? Does it smell just like flour or can you identify some slightly alcoholic/vinegary smell (similar to the smell of your starter)?
Shaping and cold proofing
Alright, so once you consider that the bulk fermentation is done, you just need to shape the bread and put it in a banneton (proofing basket). If you don’t have one, you can use a bowl and a cotton cloth.
I shaped this loaf into a bule, but you can use whichever shaping method you’re comfortable with. Be gentle, don’t push to much or you could tear the outer layer and the loaf will lose structure. If that happens, you might end up with a pancake after baking!
I have this round banneton, and I really like it. 9 in is enough for a medium-size loaf. I also have this oval banneton, I am very happy with both of them.
The overnight cold-proof was a total of 12h. A cold-proof is not mandatory, but it does come handy when it’s time to score the loaf. Colder loaves are firmer, and the blades cut through the dough much better.
Baking
Ideally, the first 15-20 minutes of baking should be with steam. In a house oven, keeping the steam inside is almost impossible, so I prefer to use a dutch oven that I preheat along with the oven at 450F.
I actually have a double dutch oven, I find that it’s much easier to load the dough without burning yourself if you can set the dutch oven upside down 😉
When I put the loaf in the dutch oven I also add the rosemary stalks. I’m telling you… the stalks end up roasted but the loaf is baked in those aromas and the crust ends up with a nice rosemary kick!.
After baking, try to wait for the bread to cool down to room temperature. It helps to set the crumb and all the aromas. Thanks to the tomato and the oil, the bread will be very soft, and it’ll keep fresh at least a couple of days.
Let me know if you make this loaf! I love to see what you bake and what you experiment with. You can use #allyoukneadisbread on Instagram.
You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
Happy baking!!
This post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you – that allows me to keep running this blog.
Tomato and rosemary sourdough bread
An amazing bread, full of flavor and ideal for summer dinners!
Ingredients
- 300 g bread flour
- 150 g water
- 45 g sourdough starter at its peak of activity
- 75 g roma tomatoes
- 20 g extra virgin olive oil
- 6 g salt
- 2 stalks rosemary
Instructions
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Blend the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and the rosemary leaves together until you have a paste (you don't have to blend the rosemary leaves, you can add them whole or chopped to the dough)
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In a bowl add the flour, make a well in the middle and add the water, the starter, and the tomato paste and combine until there aren't dry flour particles. Let the dough rest 20 minutes (covered)
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Knead the dough until it's elastic and smooth. You can do it manually or with a stand mixer. I'd recommend you let the dough rest 10-20 mins every 5-10 minutes of kneading
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When the dough feels smooth and elastic, lightly oil a bowl and place the dough inside to ferment. You can add a coil fold after 30-45mins if you want. At 74-77F (23-25C), my dough was ready after 5h.
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Turn the dough onto a floured surface and carefully bring the edges toward the center to shape the dough into a ball, flip it upside down cleaning the flour underneath and with your hands, bring the dough ball toward you to create some tension on the outer layer
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Flour a cotton cloth, place it in a proofing basket and put the dough inside. Cover it with the cloth and put the basket in the fridge overnight.
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The next day, preheat your oven at 450F (230C) with a pizza stone or a dutch oven if you have , for at least 30-40 minutes
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When the oven is ready, take your dough out of the fridge, flip it onto a parchment paper, put it in the dutch oven or the pizza stone and score the loaf (make some cuts on the surface). *SEE NOTES
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Put the loaf in the oven and turn the temperature down to 425F / 220 C. Bake the loaf with a lid on (if you're using a dutch oven) or with steam (if you're using a pizza stone or just a baking tray) for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake the loaf for another 20-30 minutes or until it's golden brown
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Take the dough out of the oven and let it cool down in a rack for at least 1h
Recipe Notes
* I like to put the dough on a thin metallic tray lined with parchment paper and then just slip it into the lid of my double dutch oven.
Sourdough donuts with rose cream filling
March was the month for enriched dough for the sourdough monthly challenge I participate every month, and I decided to make sourdough donuts. I adapted the recipe I had for yeasted donuts and used this time to play around with flavors.
I wanted to try a different filling, so I made a rose cream using rose water and the result was AMAZING. Not just because rose water makes everything better, also because these donuts were super soft!
I’d love to tell you they keep fresh for several days, the truth is… they’re so good they didn’t make it that long! 😀
If you don’t have or don’t like rose water you can use any other flavoring. Vanilla, almond, lemon, orange blossom… you name it! (Just be careful with the quantities, some flavorings are stronger and you wouldn’t need that much).
And if you want to try rose water but are under quarantine, please please, please… Wait until the quarantine is lifted. As good as these donuts are, nothing is more important than your safety. Donuts can wait, your health is the priority.
About the recipe
This recipe is pretty straightforward. First, you need to mix all wet ingredients except the starter and butter. Add the sugar and dissolve it, and then add the starter and dissolve the blob a little. My starter was at its peak of activity (it had already tripled in size after feeding it).
Now combine flour and salt. I used bread flour but if for whatever reasons you just have all-purpose flour, you probably won’t need all the milk in the recipe. All-purpose flour absorbs less moisture than bread flour, so using all the milk will, most likely, result in a very slack and sticky dough. And this dough is already on the sticky side.
I used soy milk because that’s what I drink, obviously, you can use regular milk. Just make sure you boil it for a few minutes to break down some enzymes that otherwise could make gluten development difficult
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine just enough so you don’t see dry flour particles, cover and let it rest for 30-45 minutes. This autolysis will help the dough to start developing the gluten, hydrate flour particles, and make easier to incorporate the butter. This dough is a bit on the sticky side, so I find this step useful, although is not mandatory.
About the dough
After 30-45 minutes start kneading either by hand or using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer and add the softened butter.
Knead for a few minutes until the butter has been incorporated. If you’re using a stand mixer, you might need to stop several times to scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl or if it rolled up on the paddle attachment.
This dough is a bit sticky, so make sure you knead it well until it’s elastic and it passes the windowpane test. If you don’t see it’s getting more and more elastic stop kneading, cover it and let it rest 10 minutes. Then come back to it and start kneading again.
Sometimes the dough gets tired, the gluten strands start to tangle so much that it’s impossible to develop the gluten network. Letting the dough rest allows the gluten strands to realign and that’s when the magic happens, friends.
You might think your dough is not ready, however, after a few minutes of rest you’ll see how much better it looks and it feels! These rests are crucial when dealing with enriched dough and are also a way to prevent over kneading.
When the dough is ready it should feel very smooth, not too shiny and even dough it will be a bit sticky, it shouldn’t get stuck to your fingers.
Preparing the donuts
Once the dough is ready, let it proof until it doubles in size, but keep its temperature at a maximum of 23C/72F because if it gets too warm it will be very difficult to handle. Not to mention that the butter might melt and leach out of the dough. Patience is key! ( I left my dough fermenting overnight, about 9h, at around 19C/67F).
The next morning punch the dough, degas it well and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours. It’s a sticky dough, cooling it down a little will help you shape the donuts.
After the dough chilled for a while, flour your counter and roll it into a 1cm / 0.5in thickness. Use flour to dust the counter and the top of the dough so it doesn’t get stuck to the rolling pin.
To avoid the donuts from shrinking after cutting them, let the dough rest 15 minutes or so (covered). Then cut one, and if the dough doesn’t shrink you’re good to go, if it does, let it rest a bit longer.
With a round cookie cutter or a glass or whatever you have, cut the donuts. Knead and roll the dough scraps again (let it rest a little if you find it’s difficult to roll it), cut more donuts and continue collecting scraps until you don’t have more dough.
If you have parchment paper, cut small squares, put them on a tray and place the donuts on each square to proof. This will make your life easier when you have to fry them. You won’t have to deal with dough stuck on the tray!
Cover the donuts and let them proof for about 1h at 20/68F Don’t wait for them to double in size or when you fry them they’ll have huge holes inside. They should feel puffy. if your room temperature is higher, they might be ready a bit sooner.
In the meanwhile, you can prepare your filling, either the pastry cream or whatever you prefer. When it’s ready, remember to cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream so it doesn’t develop a skin.
The last step!
To fry the donuts you can use vegetable oil or other flavorless oil. Vegetable oil is a good choice because it has a higher smoke point. You don’t want your fire alarm to go off like crazy!
The ideal temperature for frying is 180-190C / 360-375F so I’d suggest you use a thermometer. I also used the last dough scraps to test the oil.
Fry the donuts just until they have a nice golden color, flipping them every few seconds. And transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorbs the excess oil.
I transferred mine to the paper towel and quickly coated them with sugar. This is up to you, you can finish your donuts
Let the donuts cool down a little and with a piping bag fill them with the filling you prepare and enjoy!
This recipe yields 6-7 pretty large donuts or 10 regular/smaller donuts.
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think and tag me on your creations! I love to see what you guys do!
You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook and you can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.
If you have any suggestions or would want me to make some recipes, adapt a yeast-based recipe into a sourdough one, etc, please contact me and I’ll try my best to respond and plan a recipe!
Happy baking!
Sourdough donuts with rose cream filling
These donuts are very soft and full of amazing flavors
Ingredients
Donut dough
- 260 g bread flour
- 110 g soy milk see notes
- 75 g white sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 40 g sugar
- 3 g salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 50 g softened butter
Rose cream filling
- 250 g soy milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 40 g sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp rose water (to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 3 drops red food coloring
Instructions
Donut dough
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In the bowl of your stand mixer add the milk and suggar anddissolve the sugar
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Add the egg yolks and rose water and combine well
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Add the starter and stir until you break down the blob
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On a different bowl mix the flour and salt
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Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine just until you don't see dry flour particles. Cover the bowl and let it rest 30-45 minutes
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After the rest start kneading the dough and when you see it starts getting elastic add the softened butter and knead until the dough passes the windowpane test. Make sure you let the dough rest every few minutes of kneading and before trying the windopane test
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Once the dough is ready, grease a container and put the dough inside. Let it ferment until it doubles in size. In my case it took about 9h at 19C/27F
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After the bulk fermentation, degas the dough well and let it chill for a couple of hours in the fridge
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Take the dough out of the fridge, dust your work surface and the dough and roll it into a 1cm/ 0.5in thickness
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Cut the donuts and roll the scraps as many times necessary until you don't have more dough left
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Place the donuts on small pieces of parchment paper, cover them and let them proof until they're puffy (about 1h)
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Fill a pot with vegetable oil and heat it to 180-190C / 360-375F
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When the donuts are ready and the oil is hot, fry the donuts until they have a nice golden brown color. Flip them in the oil several times so they have even color.
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Transfer the donuts to a paper towel to remove the excess of oil and quickly roll them in sugar so the sugar sticks to the donut
-
Let the donuts cool down a few minutes and with a piping bag fill them with your favorite filling!
Rose cream
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Put the milk in a saucepan and bring to a low boil
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In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sift the starch, add the sugar, the coloring, and the rose water and whisk again
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Pour a little bit of milk on the bowl (about 1/3 or 1/4 of the milk) with the yolks mixture and quickly stir so you don't cook the eggs
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Pour the egg batter into the saucepan and whisk it all together until is homogeneous
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Heat the mixture at low heat and don't stop stirring. It will thicken
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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.
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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.
How to make sourdough chocolate banana bread
A year ago I was writing that dissertation, I was stressed, hypersensitive, anxious… Sometimes I’d be happy it’d soon be over, and sometimes I’d feel nostalgic for the very same reason. A year has passed and I’m just starting to rebuild myself and enjoy my guilt-free life… With this sourdough chocolate banana bread! That’s right! It’s all about using sourdough discards!
Using sourdough discards in your baking
Learning the science of bread is one of the reasons I started this blog. Because I find breadmaking an incredibly endearing process and yet so misunderstood. There are different methods to take care of your sourdough starter; some people generate discards, others don’t. I never throw away the discards, that’s sourdough that can be used on other things!! It’s pre-fermented flour that can bring flavor to yeast bakes, like this brioche recipe with sourdough discards. It also helps increase the shelf life of baked products by slowing down the staling process and controlling the pH a bit. This way spoilage microorganisms find it harder to grow on the food.
This year I also want to start implementing a new approach when it comes to food: ZERO WASTE. I know many people generate a considerable amount of sourdough discards. And I know using sourdough discards sounds like a crazy idea for many. But let me tell you.. once you make this sourdough chocolate banana bread with sourdough discards, you will be converted forever!!!
So today I inaugurate a new type of recipe: SOURDOUGH DISCARDS
I’ll upload different recipes using sourdough discards so you don’t just throw them away. Recipes with that extra kick of healthiness that only a sourdough starter can provide. As always, all recipes will be tested to ensure the best results!
To inaugurate this new batch of recipes I wanted to make something special. I’ve developed this sourdough chocolate banana bread that’s going to make you fall in love with it!
It’s moist but not too dense. It’s spongy, full of flavors, a nice chocolate kick that doesn’t overtake the banana taste. And it lasts fresh for days even if you don’t keep it in an airtight container! (You didn’t think that sourdough could only keep regular bread fresh for a longer time, did you?)
I did not add chocolate chips of any kind to this bread, just walnuts. Because I wanted to taste the banana. But if you prefer a more chocolatey flavor, customize those extras to your taste buds.
About this sourdough chocolate banana bread
It works best with very ripe bananas. Those brown mushy ones? Yeah, those!
If you’re not ready to bake banana bread but your bananas are getting too ripe to eat, just peel them, freeze them and use them whenever you’re ready! Just make sure you drain the water after they thaw. I think frozen bananas are the best for banana bread, they keep the moisture much better and they also enhance the flavor of the bread.
I collected the sourdough discards throughout 3 or 4 days of consecutive feedings and kept it in the fridge until ready to bake.
What if I have old sourdough discards?
I have tested this recipe with discards that were several weeks old. The only difference in flavor is that the chocolate banana bread was less sweet. Which makes sense, because the discards have been acidifying and part of the sugar is used to neutralize those acids.
So, depending on your taste buds, you may want to adapt the sugar. Although, this recipe has a considerable amount of it. But like always, you have the idea here, then you can customize it to your liking! 🙂
How long does it take to bake?
The baking time depends on your oven. Start taking a look at the bread after 50-55 minutes. The best way to know if your banana bread is ready is by inserting a toothpick (or a thin skewer) all the way down in the middle part of the loaf (that’s the part that takes the longest to cook). If it comes out clean, you’re good to go!
Don’t overbake this sourdough chocolate banana bread, you want it moist, not too dry, once the toothpick comes out clean, it’s ready!
Let me know if you make this chocolate banana bread using your sourdough discards and tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see your creations! And don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel too, where once in a while I upload videos for some of my recipes.
Enjoy!
Sourdough chocolate banana bread
Ingredients
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 135 g sourdough starter discards
- 180 g brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 115 g vegetable oil
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional and customizable)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven at 350F
- Grease a 9×5 in mold (or line it with parchment paper if you prefer)
- In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) and make sure the baking powder and baking soda don't have any lumps.
- In a smaller bowl whisk the eggs, add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and combine until the eggs get a light color. Then add the brown sugar and mix for a couple of minutes.
- Add the sourdough starter and stir until it breaks down and it's incorporated (you might see some strands, it's ok, the starter had some gluten developed)
- Mash the bananas, add them to the egg mixture and combine everythng well
- With a spatula, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones
- Add the chopped walnuts and stir just until they're combined
- pour the batter into your mold and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (time might vary depending on your oven temperature)