Four days without any commitments – it was a little luxurious!
The last five months has been hectic, chaotic, and more. Race in the door from one thing and begin working on the next, with barely anytime to stop and take stock! I had classes to run in different towns throughout the region, events to attend as a guest, study to try and keep up with, assignments to write, meetings to attend, precious family events to join in, planning to do, produce to be preserved, and a book to begin working on!
A couple of weeks ago, I had a little time to be calm, to get order back into our lives, and tell myself that it is ok to sit, to make goodies that I haven’t had time to make or bake , and to spend time settling in a new member of our family.
I chopped cabbage and made sauerkraut, both red and green, keeping both batches plain this time, because this sauerkraut is destined for the pan, for warming winter dishes, just perfect for this time of year, where we live, here in Gippsland.
There was time for a little cheesemaking too!
I even managed to find the time to try out a new recipe variation/tweak for the gluten free sourdough that I make. I always have two gluten free blends made up, one white gluten free alternative for plain/all purpose flour, the other flour blend typically resembles a rye flour, I call it my sourdough flour blend, or rye-style flour blend. So, with the overnight ferment done, I made up the dough using half and half of each blend. A nice long proof, oven heated, dish of ice cubes in place, top of loaf dusted with flour and a few decorative slashes, and in it went. I kept peeking, it was looking good, the kitchen aromas weren’t bad either! Finally it was out and on a rack, more waiting, it had to cool – I went to bed!
The following morning while I waited for the kettle to boil, there was no more waiting, I sliced into the loaf, grabbed some butter, I do love butter, so a nice generous spread, and then the taste test… Yep, delicious, and I was really happy with the crumb! I am loving it as an open sandwich, toasted, with apricot jam, with cheese and pickles, and the old favourite, ham, cheese and tomato too.
I get really annoyed when people don’t show pics of the crumb, or show an end product that is near impossible to replicate, so I will attempt to share this recipe, warts and all, I’ll show you the crumb, and I’ll explain the texture etc. in the recipe.
My gluten free sourdough journey began as one of frustration, of reading recipes that read like "War and Peace" they went for pages and pages, and they never worked! I'd get inspired, get my starter going, prepare and bake two or three loaves, then put my notes away and give up, they were awful. Then one day I pulled out all of my notes, poured over them, making adjustments to the ingredients here and there, and simplifying the whole process. I have now been making gluten free sourdough for a few years, and sharing my recipes and knowledge for almost as long.
- 240 g sourdough starter
- 160 g water
- 105 g brown rice flour
- 30 g psyllium husk
- 250 g water
- 20 g honey
- 125 g gluten free flour blend (refer notes)
- 125 g rye-style flour blend (gf) (refer notes)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Brown rice flour for dusting.
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Combine the sourdough starter, water and brown rice flour together in a bowl and mix well to achieve a smooth batter. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside on the bench for 8 hours or overnight.
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Place the seeds and water into a basin, cover with plastic wrap and leave on the bench for 8 hours or overnight.
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The following morning line a tin with baking paper (refer to notes).
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Whisk together the psyllium husk, water and molasses and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes, until it becomes gelatinous.
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Drain the seeds and put into a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients, then the sourdough starter and the psyllium husk gel. Using a wooden spoon, mix until the dough comes together, then use your hands to work the dough until it is smooth - it will be a little sticky.
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Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly, shaping it to fit into the loaf tin.
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Carefully place the dough into the lined loaf tin, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside in a draft free warm place for 3 to 4 hours (if it is warmer you can reduce the time to 2 to 3 hours).
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Preheat the oven to 240˚C.
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Remove the plastic wrap, lightly dust the top of the loaf with brown rice flour or buckwheat flour, and then, using a razor blade or tip of a sharp knife, score the dough. Place the loaf on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200˚C and continue to bake for an additional 40 minutes.
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Remove the loaf from the oven and after removing it from the tin, place it directly onto a rack and allow to cool completely before cutting.
- Gluten Free Four Blend Recipe
- Gluten Free Rye-Style Flour Blend (gf) Recipe
- I bake my loaves either in a lined loaf tin, or as a boule, where I line a family size pie dish with baking paper, and set the shaped boule on the paper to rise.
- You can mix the dough in a stand mixer if you have one, though I find that it's not worth the hastle of getting it out and putting it away.
- Do not be tempted to cut the bread before it is completely cool, in fact it is better cut the following day.
- The crumb can be a little damp to begin with, but it is delicious. I think the biggest issue is cleaning the knife after cutting two or three slices. It becomes a little dryer after a day or so.
- Wrap the bread in a tea towel and store at room temperature. It will keep for 4 days or so.
So with sauerkraut fermenting, sourdough baked and a cheeky little chèvre maturing, I felt like I’d been on a holiday. Silly, I know, but for me it was fun.
Until next time…
Bon appétit!
Links:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend
- LIght Rye-Style Sourdough
- Rye-Style Flour Blend
- Tartine de Chèvre aux Poires
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this page – just pop a note in the comments box below.
With many thanks and kindness,
Julie.
