bread

Blue Cheese & Walnut Sourdough Loaf

Categories bread, Fermentation, Recipes, sourdough1 Comment on Blue Cheese & Walnut Sourdough Loaf

I love how customizable sourdough can be! I have been trying out different variations, and this combo may be one of my fall favorites. The walnuts add this wonderful crunch while the blue cheese highlights the tanginess of the sourdough. It makes a wonderful bread for grilled cheese, to dip into soup, and to eat toasted with some butter!

Ingredients

  • 300g Water
  • 175g Active Sourdough Starter
  • 450g Bread Flour
  • 10g Sat
  • 1 Cup of Walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 Package of Your fav Blue Cheese, crumbled

Let’s Get Baking

In a large bowl, combine 300g water + 150g active sourdough starter and whisk until fully incorporated.

Then add in 450g of bread flour + 10g of salt. Mix well until there are no dry spots on the dough. The dough should be sticky. Cover with a damp towel and let sit on the counter for an hour.

After the initial hour, uncover the dough and add in most of the chopped walnuts + blue cheese. Be sure to save some of the fillings for the shaping process! Now we begin stretch and folds. Wet your hands and place them underneath the dough, pull the edges of the dough up and fold them on themselves. Repeat on all sides of the dough. Once folded, cover the dough with the towel and repeat the stretches every hour until the loaf has doubled in size – the timing will vary. The dough will feel light, airy, and it will be less sticky when it is ready.

Time to shape! Turn out your dough on a lightly floured surface. Pull out the edges of the dough to create a rectangle. Add in the remaining walnuts + blue cheese. Fold one side halfway into the rectangle and fold the other side over that. Roll the dough away from you, creating a log. Place your hands on the sides of the dough and begin pulling towards yourself to get rid of the seams and create a tighter ball. Prepare a bowl by placing a towel in the bowl and sprinkling flour on the towel. Place the dough ball upside down [or seam side up] into the prepared bowl. Cover with the towel and let it proof for one hour on the counter before moving it into the fridge overnight.

Preheat the oven to 500°F and put your Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats. Place your dough on a piece of parchment paper and score the bread to release the steam. Carefully remove your Dutch oven once the oven has preheated and place your dough inside. Cover with the lid and bake at 500F for 20 minutes. After the initial 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 475°F and bake for another 25 minutes.

Allow to fully cool before cutting into the dough – this is the hardest part! Then enjoy!

What will you serve this bread with?

Made with Love,
Hannah

Dill & Lemon Sourdough Loaf

Categories bread, Fermentation, Recipes, sourdough1 Comment on Dill & Lemon Sourdough Loaf

I have so much dill in my garden now that I don’t know what to do with it! I usually plant it for my homemade pickles but I wanted to find ways to incorporate it into other dishes. I decided that adding dill to my sourdough loaf would be a perfect start to using up my harvest. All I could think about was making BLTs on homemade bread. I loved how the dill and lemon highlighted the sourness of the bread. This might be my new go-to summer loaf! I used Sourdough by Syd recipe on TikTok – I make the perfect loaf with it every time!

Ingredients

  • 300g Water
  • 175g Active Sourdough Starter
  • 450g Bread Flour [I used bread flour and whole wheat just because I did not have enough bread flour]
  • 10g Sat
  • 1 Bunch of dill, chopped
  • 1 Lemon, zested

Let’s Get Baking

In a large bowl, combine 300g water + 150g active sourdough starter and whisk until fully incorporated.

Then add in 450g of bread flour + 10g of salt. Mix well until there are no dry spots on the dough. The dough should be sticky. Cover with a damp towel and let sit on the counter for an hour.

After the initial hour, uncover the dough and add in the dill + lemon. Now we begin stretch and folds. Wet your hands and place them underneath the dough, pull the edges of the dough up and fold them on themselves. Repeat on all sides of the dough. Once folded, cover the dough with the towel and repeat the stretches every hour until the loaf has doubled in size – the timing will vary. The dough will feel light, airy, and it will be less sticky when it is ready.

Time to shape! On a place your dough on a floured surface. Pull out the edges of the dough to create a rectangle. Fold one side halfway into the rectangle and fold the other side over that. Roll the dough away from you, creating a log. Place your hands on the sides of the dough and begin pulling towards yourself to get rid of the seams and create a tighter ball. Prepare a bowl by placing a towel in the bowl and sprinkling flour on the towel. Place the dough ball upside down [or seam side up] into the prepared bowl. Cover with the towel and let it proof for one hour on the counter before moving it into the fridge overnight.

Preheat the oven to 500°F and put your Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats. Place your dough on a piece of parchment paper and score the bread to release the steam. Carefully remove your Dutch oven once the oven has preheated and place your dough inside. Cover with the lid and bake at 500F for 20 minutes. After the initial 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 475°F and bake for another 25 minutes.

Allow to fully cool before cutting into the dough – this is the hardest part! Then enjoy!

I would love to hear about all the creations you make with this bread! What are your favorite dill recipes?

Made with Love,

Hannah

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Categories bread, Fermentation, Recipes, sourdough2 Comments on Sourdough Sandwich Bread

I have been on a sourdough kick recently, I love how versatile it is! You can make pastries, savory snacks, and the best bread ever. I love making the big loaves, but I wanted to try something easier to cut and use for my morning avocado toast. I found this recipe from Stay at Home Sarah and she truly is right on with how easy this sandwich bread is! This recipe makes two loaves which you can easily wrap up and freeze until you’re ready to use!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Softened Butter
  • 2 1/2 Cups Warm Water
  • 1 1/2 Cups Active Sourdough Starter
  • 2 TBSP Honey
  • 1 TBSP Salt
  • 8 Cups Bread Flour

Let’s Get Baking

Using your stand mixer bowl, add in softened butter + warm water + active sourdough starter + honey + salt + half of the flour. Mix with paddle attachment until all the ingredients are combined. Switch to the dough hook and slowly add in the rest of the flour. Knead on low for about 7-8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and glossy.

Place the dough into a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Leave at room temp to proof for 10-12 hours. The dough will be ready when it’s doubled in size.

After your first proof, lightly coat your loaf pans with oil or butter. Divide the dough in half. Working one at a time, roll the dough into a large rectangle. Stretch the sides and press gently on the dough to release any bubbles. using the short sides, fold the dough into thirds. Starting at the short end, roll the dough up into a log, tuck the ends in underneath. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Place into the prepared pans seam side down. Cover with a damp towel and let proof again. This can take up to about 3-6 hours, or until the dough is about 1in from the pan rim. I completed this second proof in the fridge, but you can also leave it out.

To bake, preheat the oven to 375F and bake for about 40 min. Allow to cool on a wire wrack and let rest 1 hour before slicing.

This makes the best bread that can be used with any toppings imaginable! I have been loving it with avocado + chili oil + a runny egg for my breakfast

Made with love,

Hannah

French Loaf

Categories bread, RecipesLeave a Comment on French Loaf

I miss the local Boulangeries in France, with all the amazing pastries and warm baguettes. This recipe is from the NYT Cookbook, and I was thinking that it was for a baguette; I was very wrong. The bread is more of a sandwich bread, not as crispy and crunchy as baguettes are. This is the perfect loaf for weekend sandwiches, garlic bread, or even homemade croutons. Bread-skill wise I give this about a 2.5/5 difficulty.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/8 TSP Active Dry Yeast
  • 1/4 Cup Lukewarm Water
  • 1 Cup Cold Water
  • 2 TBSP Unsalted Butter
  • 3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 TSP Salt

Let’s Get Bakin’

In a small bowl, blend the yeast + lukewarm water until the yeast is dissolved, let sit until foamy.

In a small saucepan, combine the cold water + butter. Heat on LOW until the butter melts.

Combine the flour + salt and mix well. Add in the yeast mixture and combine using a mixer or your hands. Add in the dissolved butter and mix until it forms a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough quickly and gently into a ball. Place the dough ball into a buttered bowl and let rest covered for about 30-40 minutes.

After the first rise, turn out into a lightly floured surface and briefly knead and shape into a ball. Return to the bowl and cover and let rest for about 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

After the second rise, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, roll into a loose ball, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Turn the dough seam side up and flatten with your fingers into a rough rectangle shape. Fold one-third of the dough toward the center of the rectangle, then roll it up like a jelly roll.

Transger the loaf to a baking sheet seam down and the ends folded under. The NYT says the loaf should be about 13 1/2 in long.

Cover with a clean town and let proof again for about 15-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Using a sharp knife cut 3 parallel diagonal slashes in the top of the dough.

Place the baking sheet into the oven and put 4 ice cubes into the floor of the oven. Bake for 5 minutes and then add an additional 4 ice cubes.

Turn the pan and bake for 10 more minues. Reduce the heat to 400F and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Use for sandwiches, make garlic bread, dip in your soup, do whatever you please with it!

Enjoy,

Hannah