Rosemary and Raisins for June

Welcome to the June baking challenge.

In theory, we should all have some active starter available because of May’s recipe, so I had this light-bulb moment about my selection.  I hope you enjoy the bread.

This is one of my most favorite breads ever.  When I was in culinary school, we played around with adapting bread recipes for starter, and this recipe was the results of our efforts.  It always performs!  (Famous last words.)  One summer, I entered it into the County Fair, and it won a second-place ribbon for sourdough breads.  It was featured in an article in the local newspaper, complete with story, recipe, and photos.

Please feel free to change it up, if you wish:  different fruit or herb or sweetener.  I look forward to seeing what you all do.

I hope you decide to bake along with us.  If you do, please send your story and photos to me (jahunt22 at gmail dot com) by June 29.

 

Rosemary Raisin Sourdough Bread

(Recipe can be halved or doubled)

28 oz bread flour

8 oz whole grain flour

1 oz Kosher salt

2 tsp. active dry yeast

2 oz honey

4 oz olive oil

4 oz raisins  (I used golden raisins)

1/8 cup chopped fresh rosemary (or to taste)

16 oz sourdough starter (100% hydration)

16 oz room-temperature water

Blend dry ingredients in mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined into a shaggy dough.  Cover with a towel and let mixture rest for 10 minutes.  

Using a dough hook, knead dough for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until doubled.

Remove risen dough from bowl, shape as desired, place on baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

About 20 minutes before baking, heat oven to 500˚F.  Bake at 500˚F for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 425˚F and continue baking until top is brown and the internal temperature is between 190-200˚F, about 15-20 minutes.  Watch the bread carefully so it doesn’t get too dark (adjust oven temperature accordingly).

Bake #1:

Bake #2:

(Dime for scale.)

Remove from oven; let cool on rack.

Here's the recipe without photos:

Rosemary Raisin Sourdough Bread

(Recipe can be halved or doubled)

28 oz bread flour

8 oz whole grain flour

1 oz Kosher salt

2 tsp. active dry yeast

2 oz honey

4 oz olive oil

4 oz raisins

1/8 cup chopped fresh rosemary

16 oz sourdough starter (100% hydration)

16 oz room-temperature water

Blend dry ingredients in mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined into a shaggy dough.  Cover with a towel and let mixture rest for 10 minutes.  

Using a dough hook, knead dough for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until doubled.

Remove risen dough from bowl, shape as desired, place on baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

About 20 minutes before baking, heat oven to 500˚F.  Bake at 500˚F for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 425˚F and continue baking until top is brown and the internal temperature is between 190-200˚F, about 15-20 minutes.  Watch the bread carefully so it doesn’t get too dark (adjust oven temperature accordingly).

Remove from oven; let cool on rack.

 

Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread (in theory)

May’s bread is now one for the books; yet another candidate for the baking fail program, Nailed It.  (I hear this show is getting ready for its third season.)

The Kitchen of the Month was Karen’s Kitchen Stories.  Karen challenged us to make a starter and use it to make Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread.  

The other bakers’ breads were successful, so I have no idea what I did wrong.  I even made it twice!  The second time I watched it like a hawk, getting it into the oven at the perfect time, but it still ended up looking badly.  It tasted just fine, but won’t win any beauty prizes.  If I ever figure out the problem, I will cheer.

The starter, however, has been doing just fine, nice and bubbly and perfumed with alcohol.   I have used it to make other baked products, each one turning out as expected. 

Take a look at the beautiful breads that the other Babes made.  If you would like to participate as a Buddy, get the recipe from Karen’s blog, and share your results with her by May 29^th to be included in the roundup.

To see what the bread is supposed to look like, stop by the other Babe’s blogs.

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth 
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna  (Kitchen of the Month)
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle

Holiday breads: Ciambella Mandorlata

This month the Babes are baking a celebratory bread, thanks to Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen.  She chose Ciambella Mandorlata, a fragrant, braided wreath, served during holiday seasons.  I used a different source for my recipe.  Turns out it is included in Bread for All Seasons by Beth Hensperger (page 131), which I have in my cookbook library.  The bread itself has hints of lemon and almond flavors, while the topping is a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and almonds.  Just for fun, I used almond meal instead of large pieces of almond, and it worked out quite well.

First rise:  I think it doubled in size.

Second rise:  I had to remember how to braid!  Plus, the strands were 30 inches long, which created a challenge for where to roll out the dough and braid it, not to mention moving it to the baking sheet.  The center hole was certainly large enough, so I didn’t have to be concerned about keeping it open.

Topping:

Finished bread.  It turned out just fine.  The crumb was good, the taste was good.  

All in all, an easy bread to make with delicious results.

Visit the websites of the other Babes to see all the beautiful braided loaves.  Stop by Aparna's blog to get the recipe.  If you decide to bake one yourself, send the story and photos to Aparna by April 28^th to be included in the roundup.

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth 
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna  (Kitchen of the Month)
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
• Bake My Day - Karen
• Feeding My Enthusiasms - Elle