sourdough

Saturday Bread

August 24, 2016


I make Saturday Bread on the days I want to enjoy the process of baking. I knead the dough by hand and nurse the dough for several hours. Baking makes me happy!

 1 bread

50 g sourdough starter
3 dl (300 g) lukewarm water
0,75 tsp salt
2 tsp honey
6 dl (400 g) wheat flour

Blend lukewarm water, salt and honey with the starter dough. Add 5 dl of the flour and knead for 5 minutes. Add the remaining flour and knead the dough for another 5 minutes. 

Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise for an hour at room temperature.

Fold the dough. Cover and let rise for half an hour. Fold. Cover and let rise for 4 hours.

Line a 20 x 20 -cm bread tin with a parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, shape it gently into a round bread and put it into a tin.

Cover and let rise for 3 hours at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the temperature down to 200°C and cook for a further 15 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.

leftover

Potato Rolls

August 17, 2016


The addition of mashed potatoes makes for some deliciously moist, soft bread. So, if you have some leftover mashed potatoes, it's a time to use them to make these wonderful rolls.

12 pcs.

5 dl (500 g) milk
50 g fresh yeast 
2 tbsp honey 
2 tsp salt 
2 tbsp caraway seeds 
0,5 dl (50 g) cooking oil 
2 dl (1 cup, US) mashed potatoes 
about 15 dl (1 kg) wheat flour 

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast, honey and salt in lukewarm milk. Stir in caraway seeds, cooking oil and mashed potatoes. Gradually mix in the flour and knead the dough for 10 minutes. It's impossible to tell the exact amount of wheat flour to use, it depends on the moisture of the mashed potatoes. If you are unsure, a little less is always better than too much. 

Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 3 minutes. Roll the dough into a rope and cut it into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Line two baking trays with parchment papers, place the rolls on them, cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 225°C. Score the rolls with a sharp knife or a razor blade attached to a grilling stick. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.


tin

No-knead Walnut Pot Bread

August 12, 2016

This bread is incredibly easy to make and requires no kneading with your hands. The secret of the recipe is a hot cast iron pot with a lid, which ensures that moisture is held in the bread. 

 This recipe is one of my favorites, because the nutty bread is a perfect pair with the Norman white mould cheese I have loved for years. 

1 bread 

7,5 dl (500 g) wheat flour 
1,5 tsp salt 
2 dl (120 g) walnuts 
3 dried figs 
a pea-sized amount of fresh yeast 
3,5 dl (350 g) water 

Coarsely crush the walnuts and cut the dried figs into raisin-sized pieces. 

Stir together the ingredients. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 12–24 hours. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape it into a loaf. Put the bread into an oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Place a lidded cast iron pot in the cold oven and preheat it to 225°C. Remove the lid and flip the risen dough into the hot pot. Place the lid back on top and put the pot back into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and bake for a further 15 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

rye

Finnish Soda Bread

August 03, 2016














Unexpected visitors! Finnish Soda Bread comes to my rescue. It's at its best straight from the oven with a slice of butter and Emmental cheese on the top.

1 bread

3,5 dl (200 g) rye flour
3,5 dl (200 g) wheat flour
1,5 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
4 dl (400 g) buttermilk
0,5 dl (70 g) Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
0,5 dl (60 g) lingonberry jam
1 dl (60 g) lingonberries 
Butter and rolled rye flakes for greasing the baking tin

Combine flour mix, salt and baking soda. Stir in buttermilkl, syrup, lingonberry jam and lingonberries. Pour the mixture into the prepared 2-liter baking tin and level the surface.

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Bake for 70 minutes.