Sourdough Baking~ Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

 

Glad Tidings To You. There's just something so wonderful about the combination of pumpkin and a yeasted dough. The two work wonders for each other. :).  In this case, the yeast comes in the form of my sourdough starter (Beatrix), and oh my goodness, the result is fantastic.   

**A few NOTES..before we get started. Most recipes recommend you use your starter when it is at its peak. This simply means the time in the day when it is MOST ACTIVE. This is generally 4-6 hrs after you've fed your starter. That is IF your home temperature is generally between 68°~71° Fahrenheit. Colder and peak will take longer, warmer and the peak will happen soon. **Temperature is key when it comes to sourdough bread baking. KNOW your starter (and bread dough when baking). Learn how your starter (or bread dough) behaves in the temperature of your home and the rest is simple! Using your starter, at its peak, will ensure you achieve the best rise and helps with the timing, etc. of any given recipe. That being said....I find one of the nicest things about sourdough bread baking is, once your starter is established and really active, you can adjust any recipe to fit your own schedule. Making a loaf of sourdough bread takes time, at the VERY least it takes 8 hrs, (if your home is approx. 70°). However, most of that time is when your bread is rising or, "bulk rise" as it is called. You do have some active time in the first hour and active time again, during the last hour, however, it is truly not as difficult as it might seem. There are some hard and fast rules and a few "must do's" with sourdough bread baking, but once you have those down...you are good to go!! OF NOTE...You can find my SOURDOUGH BREAD BAKING GOODE THINGS TO KNOW in the "Pages" section, in the column on the left :). Oh, FYI.... Timing is one of the hardest things to master when it comes to sourdough bread baking so I will tell you something I've discovered. You can use your starter after its peak.....Peak is "technically" the best time" as it ensures a nice big rise and a loaf full of lovely holes and chew. However, you can use your starter in any recipe, hours after its peak, and still, make an amazing loaf of bread. The loaf in these photos was made when my starter was 24 hours old and needed to be fed!!! Now, this will only work if your starter is very active and healthy, and I do not think it would work with a starter that is kept in the refrigerator. Beatrix (my starter) has never been refrigerated.... :) She lives on the right-hand corner of my breadboard, in the kitchen next to my cookbooks, in a lovely glass jar my sister gave me, is fed daily at 7:30 a.m., and is very healthy and happy. Generally, I have 100 grams of starter going all the time (give or take a few grams) when I want to bake, at 7:30 a.m., I will take out 50 grams of starter, feed it with 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour and then use the remaining 50 grams of starter in my bread recipe! :).

NOW..... Let's get on with our recipe, shall we? :)   

My Timetable ~ use it or create your own using this one as a guide

8:00 a.m. ~ Make The Dough

8:15 a.m. ~ Mix Cranberry Filling

9:00 a.m. ~ Add Filling To The Dough

9:15 a.m. ~ Bulk Rise

4:30 p.m. ~ shape the dough

5:00-ish  ~ Second Rise

5:30-ish ~ Score The Dough

5:50~ish ~Bake

 This is the schedule that  I generally use when making this bread.  Please be aware, however, that times may vary.  Our home, on this particular day, was a fairly consistent  70* so my bulk rise took approx. 7 hours.    If your home is colder, the bulk rise (generally 6-8 hrs.)  will take longer.  If your home is warmer, the bulk rise will happen more quickly.  

Sourdough Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

This bread, lightly toasted and slathered with butter is positively heavenly!!  The ingredients are simple, the flavor exquisite, and the steps, though they may seem involved, I promise you, they are not. 

    **Your sourdough starter should be active and ready to bake with.  If you’ve gone the route of keeping your starter in the refrigerator, a few days before making this recipe, feed your starter daily, until bubbly and active.  Store at room temperature until you are ready to use it in this recipe.

Let’s begin………….

Dough  ( g = grams )

  50 g ( 1/4 cup) bubbly, active starter.

  250 g (1 cup plus 2 tsp.) warm water

  184 g (3/4 cup) good quality pumpkin puree. (not pie filling)

  500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) Bread Flour

  9 g (1 1/2 tsp) fine sea salt 

Fillings

  1 cup dried cranberries

  1 Tbl sugar

  1 tsp pure vanilla extract.  Maple extract works wonderfully as well.

  1/4 tsp each; Cinnamon, Ginger & Nutmeg.

  1 med/large Orange

 MAKE THE DOUGH;  (example 8:00 a.m.)   In a large glass bowl, (glass is best as it allows you to see your dough from all angles) whisk the starter, water, and pumpkin puree together with a fork.   Add the flour and salt.  Mix, using a rubber spatula, to combine until a stiff dough forms.  Wet your dominant hand and finish mixing the dough with your wet hand, until the flour is fully incorporated.  Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap (I butter the underside of mine) and let the dough rest for 45 minutes to an hour (I give it an hour).    **Remember to replenish your starter and store it in your usual manner.

MIX THE CRANBERRY FILLING: (example 8:15 a.m.)  Add the cranberries, sugar, vanilla, and spices to a small bowl. Halve the orange and squeeze the juice over the cranberry mixture.  Stir well to combine and set aside.

ADD THE FILLINGS: (example 9:00 a.m.)  After the dough has rested, add the cranberry mixture, with their soaking juices, to the bowl.  With wet hands, gently knead the fillings into the dough to incorporate.  This will only take a few minutes.

BULK RISE: (example 9:15 a.m.) Cover the dough with the plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature, 70* F, for about 6-8 hours or it has nearly doubled in size.  **OF NOTE… Doubled in size is a tricky term!!!  Generally, you want to look for your dough to have increased in growth, look soft and pillowy, rather than dense and heavy as it was when the bulk rise started,  have plenty of bubbles throughout (this is where a glass bowl helps), and may also have a few bubbles on the surface.

SHAPE THE DOUGH:  (example4:30 p.m.)  Carefully slide the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface.  Shape into an oval or round (I do round) and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, line a proofing basket or colander with a lint-free cotton towel that you’ve dusted heavily with flour.  *You do not want your dough to stick to the towel so really be sure to dust it well.  I dust it on liberally, with my hands, and then brush it around with a pastry brush.    CAREFULLY scoop up your little loaf and place it, seam side UP, inside your proofing basket or colander. 

SECOND RISE:  (example 5:00 p.m.) Cover the dough, lightly, with the edges of the dusted towel, and let rest until puffy, but not fully risen, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Mine took approx. 30 minutes. 

During the 2nd rise ~ preheat your oven and baking vessel.  (example 5:00p.m.)   Place your baking vessel, and cover, into the oven and preheat the oven to 450*  I use my enamel-coated, cast iron, stockpot.   Cut a piece of baking parchment, to fit the size of your baking vessel, and set aside.

 SCORE :  (example 5:30 )   Open the towel, place the parchment over the dough and invert the basket or colander to release the dough.  Gently flip the dough over, so the seam side is now down, and rub the top of the loaf lightly to remove any excess flour.  Now score your loaf using a very sharp serrated knife or razor blade.  I make a sort of long,  1/2 moon shape/cut, along one side of the loaf.   Now:  remove your baking vessel from the oven, take the top off, and,  using the parchment paper to transfer, carefully place the parchment,, and dough, into the pot.  Place the cover back on the pot (don’t forget to put your oven mitts back on) making sure the excess baking parchment is folded down over the outside edges……...

BAKE:  (example 5:50p.m.) Bake the bread on the center rack for 20 minutes, covered.  Remove the lid, rotate the pot (this will ensure even baking), and continue to bake for another 40 minutes. Keep an eye on your loaf, and if it looks like it might be getting too dark you can place the cover back on for the remainder of the baking.  I ended up placing my cover back on for the final 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool, on a baking rack for at least an hour before slicing.  IT is best to wait two hours.  If you do not wait long enough for sourdough bread too cool, before cutting, your loaf will have a gummy texture that is not pleasant.  IT is hard but you’ll be glad you waited. 

Store, wrapped in brown paper, wax, or freezer paper.

This loaf reheats nicely in the oven at 350* for 10 minutes or so.

I hope you love it and remember, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need assistance.  Enjoy ~ Doreen

Farewell June

Greetings my friends.  Tis dark and cloudy here in Vermont as the sound of thunder rolls in through our open windows.  Tis been a day of changing weather in our little spot on the map.  One moment we've sun shining down warmly and air that is warm and muggy and the next we've a cold gust of wind, black skies, thunder rolling through the clouds and a sudden down pour that leaves the yard dotted with swimming holes.  Just a short while ago, I  had just finished opening all the windows, turning off the lights and turning on the fans when I had to go back around, close them down, shut off the fans and turn on the lights. I actually feel like the entire month of June has been a month of back and fourths.  Just as we had really settled in, and gotten use to the  "stay home, stay safe" way of life they began telling everyone to go ahead, get out and about, live life as you did before, go back to your life..all is well.  Now, they are thinking that isn't the case.   I know many folks are anxious to jump back into the quicker pace of life before the pandemic but I must tell you, I am not.  I enjoy the quieter roads, the lack of crowds, the clearer skies, the quieter life.  The removal of  the "pressure" to be out and about, living, doing, GOING. Over the past several months, I am so much more relaxed, creative, centered.  There's time now.... TIME to do the projects that were always put aside, time to relax and sit on the porch without quilt, time to just be.  I realize this isn't the case for everyone and in no way do I mean to diminish that (my prayers to everyone struggling) but I also feel compelled to acknowledge the fact that for some of us..this has been okay and perhaps even GOOD, and that's okay :).   For us, (Mark and I) it's been a great time to just be together and concentrate on our own little spot on the map.    Our vegetable gardens are flourishing, as are the pumpkin patches (we have three now..I LOVE it) we put in four blueberry bushes (which are doing amazingly well)  we've made home improvements, and plans for even bigger ones down the road.   I've learned new skills.....sourdough bread baking and sewing my own clothes (two things I've long wanted to learn and master) etc. etc.   Of course, we've also had our trials..... missing the kids (thank goodness we can see them now), nervousness over the state of the world, frightened awareness when you finally do go into a grocery store (taking all the proper precautions) only to see the shelves half bare (and people NOT taking precautions) AND fear for the health of family, friends and ourselves (thankfully we've all been healthy)...but we go on, because we must and the way I look at it is, if we all step up, embrace what we've been given to deal with,  do what needs doing, make the best of a situation, do what we should, take responsibility for ourselves, look out for others and do what's right...well, this world would be a far, FAR better place for all of us.  . But I won't lecture.... Because, I must be off....

Tis time to take a batch of biscuits out of the oven (strawberry shortcake tonight) and to make sure the rain has not blown in too badly as we had another torrential downpour as I was writing this post.  

 FAREWELL JUNE ~ May July be full of promise and wonder.

 Until next time my friends, Be well ~Doreen

 

Perhaps......

 

 “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer, and that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” Albert Camus 

Charles Daniel Ward - The Progress of Spring, 1905

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  If what we are going through right now,   is not a wake-up call for us to SLOW DOWN, SHOP SMALL & STAY LOCAL...I truly do not know what one is. We are EVER SO FORTUNATE right now, to have within our reach, an abundance of local farms, farm stands, small shops, breweries, bakeries, nurseries and ways in which to maintain our stay at~home mandate, but that is not the case everywhere. Growth & change are goode but equally important is keeping the small, family-owned and run shops.  We need our farms, small towns, and villages, now more than ever.

 WE NEED BALANCE.

I don't have all the answers, in fact, I might not have any answers but I do know a few things.  

**We need the big & THE SMALL.....  We need larger grocery stores however, we do NOT need one every ten miles because that is what kills the small, local ones.  We need, as a society, to be willing to travel thirty or forty miles to do our "big" shopping.

This same thing can be applied to everything we have, as a society, right now.  Our fast-paced, hurry up,  I need everything quick, will be the end of us if we are not more mindful and careful.  We need both the small and the large, the quick and the slow.  We need balance!!!  

We are getting a taste right now of what can happen when things come grinding to a halt in our world...  Can we survive on just technology, the quick, the big the far-reaching.  NO, we can not & perhaps we should what is happening right now and let it be a warning!!!  

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OH MY GOODNESS my friends, I apologize.   I decided to start blogging again to put a little encouragement out there, a little light in a dark time...... I had no intention of this, my return post, being a lecture of sorts.  I promise it will not be the case on a regular basis.   But, I am hoping, that when we make our way out of all of this, and we will, we remain mindful and, hopefully, be a part of the reason it doesn't happen again.

I'll be back, in a day or two, with a positive note, some lovely thoughts and goode things to share :).  Until then, I hope you are all staying healthy and your struggles are few.  Hugs to all of you, Doreen

SEPTEMBER DAYS ARE HERE.....

~WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2019~

"By all these lovely tokens, September days are here, with summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer." - Helen Hunt Jackson

GOODE DAY TO YOU MY FRIENDS.  WEDNESDAY HAS DAWNED COOL AND W I N D Y HERE IN VERMONT.  TIS GORGEOUS. A PERFECT DAY FOR  HARVESTING (AS RABBIT WOULD SAY..I'm hoping you know what I am referring to there). MY SWEET ANNIE AND CHAMOMILE ARE READY FOR HARVESTING...I AM SO EXCITED AND PLEASED WITH MY CROP!!!   I'M OFF NOW TO FINISH TIDYING THE HOUSE AND THEN I SHALL HEAD OUT TO THE GARDEN TO DO MY HARVESTING.  

UNTIL TOMORROW ~ WISHING YOU JOY, DOREEN

~Rain showers & cool breezes~

Goode afternoon.  As I sit here at my writing desk a cool and gusty breeze is rushing in through the open windows.  The humidity has packed it's bags and headed on out of town!!!!  Thank HEAVENS!!! The a.c has been turned off, the fans, though still running are on their lowest setting and the sounds of bird song and the rustle of leaves, as the tree's dance to and fro, can once again be enjoyed.  I love it.

  A quick little journal entry today as I've still much to do before my workday is finished.  

• Harriet (my sourdough starter) was given a pre-bake day float test and I'm afraid she did not pass. :( According to Amy Duska, a tablespoon of the sourdough starter should float in a glass of room temperature water when it is ready to bake with.  I did this with Harriet this morning after her daily discard and feed ...and, well, she sunk right to the bottom of the glass!!  SO, we shall continue to feed and discard until she is ready :).  

• Much to do in the studio before I leave on Friday (orders, club kits, etc.)    Speaking of club kits...The photo above is this months kit ~ Mrs. Sarah Ann Sturbridge.  I just LOVe her!!  I do hope my club members enjoy creating one for themselves as well.

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together" ~George Eliot

Take care, doreen