Sourdough Spelt Brownies

The Sourdough Surprise for May is brownies. You want to know something funny?  I don’t think I’ve ever made homemade brownies before. Can you believe it?  We’ve always just used the boxed mix to make them. I know, I know.  What’s up with that! 

I have another confession. I’m a milk chocolate fan. However, it’s not really good for you with all the sugar and other artificial ingredients so I try to limit my intake of it. I like dark chocolate when it’s mixed with other ingredients to cut down on the bitter taste, and it’s definitely better for you, but I’ve always preferred milk chocolate.

These Sourdough Brownies are made with the ancient grain Spelt. My whole grain Spelt levain was the only starter that was ready to be used so I decided to find out how it would do in this recipe. It did just fine. In addition to using the Spelt levain instead of a regular sourdough starter, I adjusted the bittersweet chocolate/cocoa powder ratio because I didn’t have quite enough bittersweet chocolate.

 

These brownies have a very pronounced dark chocolate flavor as you can imagine. They are a little bit tangy from the sourdough, and since this recipe uses less sugar, the bitter chocolate flavor shines through.  If you’re a fan of dark chocolate, then you will probably like these. I’m learning to like them. I definitely plan to make brownies again using dark chocolate, but I think I prefer a little more sugar. Next time, I might swirl some raspberry or strawberry jam through the middle to help balance out the dark chocolate flavor.

 

Sourdough Spelt Brownies

I adapted my recipe from Jenni of the Gingered Whisk’s Mega Chocolate Sourdough Brownies. Jenni adapted her recipe from Susan of Wild Yeast’s Sourdough Brownies.

Ingredients:

• 235 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 226 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces (~2 sticks)
• 200 grams sugar
• 6 grams (1 tsp) salt
• 8.4 grams (2 tsp) vanilla extract
• 3 whole eggs, room temperature
• 105 grams cocoa powder
• 220 grams mature 100% hydration sourdough starter

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Line a metal 9x13 pan with parchment paper and coat the paper in butter (if you leave some hanging over the long 13" edges, it makes it really easy to lift the brownies out of the pan!).

In a double broiler, saucepan, or the microwave, melt the chocolate, cocoa powder, and butter. Stir it often so it does not burn.  I didn’t read the instructions all of the way before I started (you never do that, right!) so I melted all of the chocolate together rather than sifting the cocoa over the mix after whisking in the sugar and vanilla. You can follow my instructions below or use the original recipe referred to above.

 

Pour the melted chocolate/butter into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, salt and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking to combine each addition. Add the starter and stir gently until it is completely incorporated.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 

Cool in the pan 20 minutes (if you can), then lift the parchment paper out and allow to cool the rest of the way on a wire rack.

When the brownies are completely cooled, cut into squares and enjoy!

This was a challenge for me taste wise, but I figured it was time I learned how to make homemade brownies with real dark (bitter) chocolate and sourdough to boot.

Update on my taste test: These brownies seem to improve with age. The sourdough gives them better keeping quality so even though it’s been several days since I made them, they’re not dry.  I actually like them better.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

 

I enjoyed baking along with the Sourdough Surprises baking group. 

Flexible, Fermented and Fun! Spelt Sourdough

Flexible, fermented, and fun!  That’s how I would describe this Spelt Sourdough with Popped Amaranth and Potato. It’s flexible due to the timing as well as the ingredients. I started the process Thursday night, but didn’t finish the bread until Sunday afternoon. In addition, I was able to easily adapt the ingredients and the method to suit my schedule and taste.

 

It’s fermented due to the sourdough sponge, and the final dough resting in the refrigerator for two days. This extended fermentation time, along with the popped amaranth and potato, is what gives this bread it’s unique texture and flavor. 

It’s fun to pop the amaranth and watch it jump out of the pan (if you’re not careful), but it’s also fun to see all of the ingredients come together to form a beautiful and tasty loaf of bread. 

Although it takes a little while to make this bread, and even longer if you’re like me, it is a fun bread to make and worth the effort. Another benefit of this bread is that it has a longer shelf life. I’ve been enjoying this bread for the past week and it still tastes good.

 

Spelt Sourdough Bread with Popped Amaranth & Potato

Adapted from: Amaranth Potato Sourdough Dinner Rolls by Chef Brad

Makes: 2 Large Loaves

Ingredients:

Sourdough Sponge:

• 1 cup Spelt Sourdough starter
• 2 cups White Spelt flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 2 cups water
   

Dough:

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cooked, reserve the water
• 1 1/2 cups reserved potato water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups popped amaranth (1/2 cup of amaranth grains)
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 1/4 cups White Spelt flour, plus more for sprinkling if necessary
• 2 1/4 – 3 cups Whole Grain Spelt flour

 

Directions:

1) Creating the Sourdough Sponge

The night before you plan to make this bread (or early in the morning if you prefer), take your sourdough starter out of the refrigerator and add one cup in a large mixing bowl. If you don’t have enough starter to use a cup and still have some starter left, you’ll need to feed your starter before you start this process. This is what I had to do.  I fed my Spelt starter in the early evening with 125 grams of whole grain spelt flour and 125 grams of water.

 

After a few hours, the starter was ready to be used so I put one cup of the starter in a mixing bowl and the remaining starter in a quart jar and placed it back in the refrigerator. 

To the starter in the bowl, I added the White Spelt flour, sugar, yeast, and water and let it rest in a warm place for 8 to 12 hours. This is the active sponge.

 

2) Popping the Amaranth Grains

To pop the grains, heat a deep pot over medium heat. Test the heat by placing a pinch of grains in the pot. If it pops, then it’s hot enough. You’ll need about 1/2 cup of grains to yield 2 cups of popped amaranth. Pop the grains by placing no more than 2 tablespoons at a time in the pot. If you use more, the grains have a tendency to burn. Be sure to use a pot that’s deep enough so the grains don’t pop out.

 

3) Mixing the Dough

Add all of the ingredients, including the sponge, but just half of the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on first speed until the ingredients are well incorporated. Add more flour until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Increase to second speed and mix a couple of minutes more. Resist the temptation to add too much flour. The dough will be slightly tacky.

 

4) Bulk Fermentation

Place the dough in a greased bowl and let it proof for an hour or so until it is doubled in bulk or do what I did and place it in the refrigerator to ferment overnight or for a couple of days. 

 

If you placed the dough in the refrigerator overnight (or longer), remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature before proceeding to the next step.  I gave the dough a couple of quick turns in the bowl before I let it sit on the counter for an hour or so.

 

5) Shaping and Proofing the Loaves

After the bulk fermentation, shape the loaves into round or oval loaves and place them on parchment paper for the final proof.  Or, place them into proofing baskets heavily dusted with flour.  I used one 10.5” oval basket and one 10.5” round basket and sprinkled them with a mixture of rice flour and all-purpose flour.  Cover the loaves with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let them proof at warm room temperature (about 70 degrees F.) for an hour and a half.  They will increase in volume during this time, but won’t double in size.

 

6) Prepare the Oven for Hearth Baking

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and place a baking stone on the middle rack and a steam pan on the bottom rack. Let the oven and baking stone preheat for at least 30 minutes before you bake the loaves.

 

7) Scoring the Loaves

Carefully remove the loaves from the proofing baskets onto parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal or sprayed with oil.  This part was a bit tricky.  The dough stuck to the baskets in a couple of places even with the flour, but I managed to keep them from getting completely out of shape.  You can see where I salvaged the loaf in the photo below.  Fortunately, the damage wasn’t too bad.

 

Score the loaves using a serrated knife or lame. I scored the round loaf using a square pattern, but it ended up being a little bit off-centered.

 

I scored the oval loaf using a long stroke right down the middle.  The dough was still pretty sticky.

 

8) Baking the Loaves

Slide the loaves (with the parchment paper) onto the baking stone.  Add one cup of hot water to the steam pan.  Spritz the walls of the oven with water and shut the door.  Repeat the spritzing process two more times in the first couple of minutes of baking.  This will help the loaves open up (oven spring) during baking.  Since my loaves were pretty big, I baked them one at-a-time.  Bake them for 25 – 30 minutes until they are golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow on the bottom.  Remove the parchment paper partway through baking so the bottom doesn’t get soggy.

 

9) Cooling the Loaves

Cool the loaves completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

 

10) Slice and enjoy!

This bread has a delicious and slightly sweet flavor.  The popped amaranth gives it a light texture and the potato gives it plenty of moisture. I like it!  I’ve enjoyed it with butter and toasted with cheese.  It makes a great accompaniment to soup.

 

These loaves are so big, I decided to save one for another day.  I wrapped the round loaf in foil and placed it in a plastic bag.  Then I put it in the freezer.  I’ve been enjoying the oval loaf.  It definitely has good keeping quality.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Multi-grain Sourdough Spelt in a Pot

The September BOM (Bread of the Month) is a Multi-grain Boule. Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories chose this bread for the Artisan Bread Bakers’ monthly bake.

This multi-grain loaf is baked in a bread baker, clay pot, Dutch oven or other round, casserole-type dish with a lid. It is a versatile loaf that includes a mixture of several grains and seeds and can be made with a sourdough starter or poolish. It is an easy loaf, you just need to allow time to feed your starter or make the overnight poolish the night before making this bread.

 

To experiment with the versatility of this bread, I decided to make it completely with Spelt. I used a combination of White Spelt and home-milled whole grain Spelt flour and a Spelt sourdough starter. For the mixture of grains, I used black sesame seeds, spelt flakes, steel cut oats, and flax seeds. Since my sourdough is an active sourdough and I fed it right before making this bread, I didn’t use any extra dry yeast.

 

Multi-grain Sourdough Spelt in a Pot

Adapted from Karen’s recipe which was adapted from King Arthur Flour’s recipe

Makes: 1 Large Loaf

Ingredients:

Multigrain Soaker:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 5 ounces of a blend of whole grains and seeds

I used the following combination of seeds and grains:

• 4 tablespoons Spelt flakes
• 3 tablespoons steel cut oats
• 3 1/2 tablespoons whole flax seeds
• 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Final Dough:

• 16 ounces sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 7 ounces whole grain Spelt flour
• 7 1/2 ounces white Spelt flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• Seeds for topping the bread, if desired

 

Directions:

1) Feed the Starter

The night before making this bread, discard about half of this Whole Grain Spelt Levain, then feed it with 250g White Spelt flour and 250g water and let it sit overnight or until it is active and bubby. Use 16 oz of the starter in this recipe.  Put the remaining starter in the refrigerator or feed it again to increase, then place it in the refrigerator.

 

2) Soak the Grains

Place the 5 ounces of grains and seeds in a mixing bowl and cover them with the boiling water.  Let it sit until the grains are softened and the mixture cools.

 

3) Mixing the Dough

Add the softened grains and the rest of the ingredients (including the sourdough) in a large mixing bowl and mix using a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk until the dough forms a ball.  You can use a stand mixer for this but it isn’t necessary.

 

4) Kneading the Dough

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it gently.  Spelt should be handled carefully so don’t knead it too much.  The dough will be smooth, not sticky. 

 

5) Bulk Fermentation:

Wash and dry the mixing bowl, then spray it with spray oil and place the dough ball in bowl and turn it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic and let the dough proof for 45 to 90 minutes or until doubled in size.

 

6) Shaping and Proofing the Loaf

Remove the dough from the bowl and fold it a few times.  Shape it into a tight ball and place it in bread pot for the final rise.  I used this handmade bread pot.  It was the perfect size.  Lightly spray the top with spray oil and let it rise until puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes.

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F for at least 30 minutes.

 

7) Scoring the Loaf

Once the loaf has risen sufficiently, spray it again with spray oil and sprinkle it with a mixture of seeds.  I used sunflower seeds and natural sesame seeds. Score an X or a pound sign in the top of the loaf using a sharp knife or lame.

 

8) Baking the Loaf

Place the bread pot or Dutch oven in the preheated oven with the lid on and bake the loaf for 40 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes with the lid off until the loaf reaches 190 degrees and is golden brown in color.

 

9) Cooling the Loaf

Remove the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

This bread has been YeastSpotted. Please visit Wild Yeast to view the weekly roundups of lovely breads from bread bakers around the globe.

 

10) Slice and Enjoy!

This bread makes great toast!  It’s also a good sandwich bread, especially with peanut butter and jelly or as a grilled cheese sandwich.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

 

100% Spelt Sourdough with Flax Seed Soaker

I really enjoy working with Spelt because it’s very versatile and healthy.  So when I saw this lovely Sourdough Spelt Bread on Chews Wise, I knew I had to try it.

His version is beautiful, made with organic white bread flour and organic Spelt flour. I wanted a 100% Spelt loaf so I used a combination of whole grain and white Spelt bread flour. I also used a 100% hydration levain instead of a stiff levain.

Spelt is a fascinating grain. It’s not a modern grain; therefore, it does not perform in the same manner as modern wheat. Spelt absorbs water really well, but at the same time, it needs to be handled gently and not over mixed in order to develop the gluten. I’m still getting the hang of working with Spelt, but I’m having fun in the process.

My version turned out to be very interesting-looking due to the light color of the flour and the texture created by the flax seeds. I wasn’t sure how it would taste, but I really enjoyed the complex flavors in this sourdough bread. It reminds me of rye sourdough, however, it doesn’t contain any rye flour.

 

Sourdough Spelt Loaf with Flax Seeds

Adapted from: This Organic Loaf: Sourdough Spelt with Flax Seeds by Samuel Fromatz at Chews Wise

Ingredients:

Sourdough:

• 70 grams Spelt starter (100% hydration) 
• 70 grams water
• 60 grams White Spelt Bread Flour (I used Vita Spelt)
• 60 grams Whole Grain Spelt Flour (I used home-milled flour)

Flax Seed Soaker:

• 85 grams (1/2 cup) flax seeds
• 80 grams water (to cover the seeds)

Final Dough:

• 250 grams sourdough (all of the above)
• Flax seed soaker
• 280 grams White Spelt Flour
• 280 grams Whole Grain Spelt Flour
• 400 grams (~ 1 2/3 cup) water
• 12 grams Kosher salt

 

Directions:

1) Feed the Starter

The day before making this bread, discard about 2/3 of this Whole Grain Spelt Levain, then feed it with 125g White Spelt flour and 125g water and let it sit for 2 to 4 hours before beginning this recipe. Use 70g in this recipe.

2) Make the Sourdough

The night before you plan to make this bread, mix together the sourdough and let it sit overnight (8 – 12 hours), at room temperature (about 75 degrees F.)

 

The sourdough should have risen fully and just starting to deflate by the morning.

 

3) Flax seed soaker

Place the flax seeds in a separate bowl and just barely cover them with water. 

 

Cover the bowl and let the flax seeds sit overnight at room temperature. I added more water than the original recipe indicated. The seeds soaked it up completely.

 

4) Mixing the Dough

The next day, mix together the sourdough and water with a wooden spoon, dough whisk or a spatula until combined.  You don’t need a stand mixer for this recipe although you can use one if you prefer.  Just be sure not to over mix.

Add the flours and mix until the lumps are gone and the flour is fully hydrated. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest for 20 minutes.

 

Add the salt and mix until it is thoroughly incorporated and the dough starts to take on a smooth texture. This will take about 5 minutes by hand. You may need to wet your hands and reach in the bowl to make sure the salt is evenly distributed.

 

Add the flax seed soaker and continue mixing until the seeds are evenly distributed.

 

5) Bulk Fermentation

Place the dough in a clean, oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.  Let it rise for 2 1/2 – 3 hours at room temperature (about 75 degrees F.) Fold the dough twice at 50 minute intervals. I did the fold-and-turn method in the bowl, but you can remove the dough to a counter to fold it, just be sure not to tear it.

 

6) Shaping and Final Proof

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into two pieces using a bench scraper.  Form the pieces into rough rounds and let them rest on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes.

 

Shape them into tighter rounds and place them seam-side up in floured banneton baskets. You can make your own proofing basket by placing a floured towel in a bowl and then putting the loaves inside. Cover the baskets with a towel or plastic wrap and let them proof at 75 degrees F. until they have doubled in size. This could take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours.

At this point, you can proof the loaves at room temperature, then bake them. Or to enhance the sourdough flavor, you can retard them overnight in the refrigerator. If you retard them in the refrigerator, cover them tightly with plastic wrap so the outside of the dough doesn’t get hard.

 

To proof my loaves, I placed one basket in my new proofing box and set it to 75 degrees F. I placed the other loaf in the oven with the light off.

 

My loaves were rising really slowly so I turned the proofer up to 80 degrees F. and turned the light on in my oven.  They finally doubled in size.

 

7) Prepare the Oven for Hearth Baking

Preheat the oven for an hour at 475 degrees F. with a baking stone on the middle rack and a steam pan on the lowest rack. 

 

8) Scoring the Loaves

When the loaves have risen sufficiently, turn them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.

The loaf that I had proofed in the proofing box, came out of the basket very easily, and I baked it with no problem. However, the loaf that had been proofed in the oven with the light on stuck to the basket, and I was unable to remove it without completely destroying it. So, I grabbed the wad of dough and reshaped it.  Then I let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes before placing it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, I let the 2nd loaf warm up to room temperature and then scored and baked it following the process below.

 

Score round loaves in a square pattern using a serrated knife or lame. If you make Batards instead of round loaves, you can score them down the middle.

 

9) Baking the Loaves

Once the oven is preheated, slide the loaves (on the parchment paper) directly onto the baking stone and pour 1 cup of water in the steam pan. After 30 seconds, open the door, spray the walls with water, and close the door. Repeat twice more at 30-second intervals. Immediately turn the oven down to 450 degrees F. and close the oven door.

Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes. Check the loaves during the bake and rotate them 180 degrees for even baking if necessary. Continue baking until the loaves are brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  This bread is light colored so I didn’t want to burn it.  I turned the oven off after 30 minutes and let the loaves sit for 5 minutes to ensure they were baked through.

 

10) Cooling the Loaves

Remove the loaves to a wire rack and cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving. 

 

11) Slice and Enjoy!

I waited 24 hours before slicing this bread.  It was worth the wait.  The flavor is wonderful!  My taste tester really liked this bread, especially dipped in olive oil and sprinkled with a hazelnut spice blend.

This bread has been YeastSpotted. Please visit Wild Yeast to view the weekly roundups of lovely breads from bread bakers around the globe.

 

The Spelt Sourdough bread tasted great with these stuffed bell peppers. Yum!

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy