Monday 20 February 2012

Overnight wholemeal sourdough, quick and easy


A colleague was kind enough to share his rye sourdough starter with me recently. I accepted gratefully (and with some embarrassment that I couldn't get my own going - he had no trouble whatsoever!) and started thinking of all the different kinds of sourdough I could make.

It is the most active sourdough starter I've ever seen - tonnes of bubbles and probably takes about six hours to double in volume. It smells pretty good too - when it's just been refreshed I reckon it smells more like apples, but when it's due for feeding and refreshment again there's a much stronger smell of acetone. Not so nice!

My colleague used the instructions in Andrew Whitley's Bread Matters book and it reminded me that I haven't really opened this book for ages. It's the first bread book I bought, a number of years ago now (in fact, I think I had it around the time I left home!). The only bread I remember making from it was the sundried tomato, which I was a little disappointed with for all the faff it took. However this is an old memory, and perhaps with the bread and yeast experience I have gained over the intervening years I would find it less hassle. (But if you're looking for a fine tomato bread I can thoroughly recommend this one). Time to revisit this book.


As we were talking at work I decided to have a quick search on the internet (in a break I hasten to add!) and see if there were any Andrew Whitley recipes out there before getting home and looking in my book. I struck lucky and came across this recipe in Country Life. Elisabeth Luard has apparently chosen it as one of her greatest recipes ever. It's certainly one of the simplest bread recipes I have ever come across. There is not much kneading to speak of (well, not in my world anyway, because I don't tend to knead very much, and this dough was pretty soft and didn't seem to want me to knead it much) then a quick shape and into the tin, to be left alone overnight to rise..


I used a 1lb loaf tin, and fully lined it with baking parchment, without using any fat to make the parchment stick - I didn't want to risk my loaf sticking, and I didn't want to grease the tin so that the crust became oily. I covered with clingfilm and left it overnight (about nine hours) expecting to have to leave it a little longer in the morning. The next morning it was fully risen, sticking to the clingfilm (which I hadn't expected - next time it will be going into a plastic bag, puffed up to keep the dough moist but away from plastic) and asking to be baked. I quickly preheated the oven, and then gingerly peeled off the clingfilm, expecting collapse. I certainly didn't expect (or get!) any oven spring, but since I thought it had already been left too long I didn't hold out much hope.


Thankfully I was wrong. It rose a little, didn't brown too much, didn't stick to the tin, and although I didn't slash it (too soft) it hasn't torn either. And what's more, it's delicious. Only a little loaf, but that suits me perfectly and I think it would lend itself to some experimentation with different flours and perhaps added flavours. I made a couple of other things and in comparison to rye, this wheat based sourdough seems sweeter. I'm happy - I have sourdough, and am very grateful to my colleague who can manage a sourdough starter when I can't!

9 comments:

Joanna @ Zeb Bakes said...

That looks lovely! I am the opposite of you being a fan of rye as opposed to wholemeal, but I think I would be tempted by your perfectly proved loaf there, - pass the butter and I'll just tuck in. mmph mmmph....

Choclette said...

Glad you managed to get hold of some rye starter in the end C. Your loaf looks great. My sourdough starter came from Andrew when I attended one of his bread making courses back in 2009. I've been in love with him and his bread ever since. I'd tried to make my own starter a few years earlier and never came up with bread I liked. Suddenly I had a no knead, quick bread which tastes delicious and I can fit it around a busy schedule. It's pretty much all we eat now. I don't do any kneading at all. I nearly always add pumpkin seeds, sometimes sunflower seeds and sometimes caraway. Makes excellent sandwiches for work and great toast for the morning. Err, perhaps you can tell I'm a fan ;-)

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

It sounds good to me. I really have to get back to breadmaking again soon.

Rolling Pin Claire said...

Having been inspired by one of Hugh F.W. Channel 4 programmes, I tried a sourdough starter last year. If the truth be known, I tried it 3 times. Didn't work. No idea what I was doing wrong even though I followed his instructions to the letter. I'm in a huff with it now and don't feel like revisiting it. I might speak to your work colleague though!!

Janice said...

Looks tasty, rye bread is so difficult to get to rise.

Baking Addict said...

Looks great! I really should start making my own bread :)

Unknown said...

That looks amazing! I wish I had a colleague like that...

Johanna GGG said...

my colleagues don't seem to be even into eating bread let alone making it - but I love the look of this loaf

Caroline said...

Joanna - I don't know whether I'm more of a fan of wholemeal or rye yet - just starting on this journey. And enjoying it all!

Choclette - I'm so impressed by your enthusiasm! It's so nice to find a way of making great bread that fits in with your life isn't it. I'm hoping to try out more of his recipes too.

Jac - I enjoy breadmaking, but then I don't have a little one to look after too!

Claire - I made my own starter last year, and followed some instructions. I had to leave mine for ages longer than the instructions said though, and I don't think it was ever a very vigorous starter. My colleagues is really good!

Janice - yes, I think the wheat flour in this recipe really helps. It's more of a wholemeal recipe, but just using a rye starter really.

Baking Addict - give it a go. You could always start with yeast rather than sourdough though - I find it more reliable!

Lucy - I am lucky!

Johanna - I can't imagine not eating bread!

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