that soft old fashioned ‘sandwich loaf
This lovely old-fashioned loaf will take you down memory lane in a time of COVID19 stress. The aroma and ultra-soft texture create a sandwich loaf you will crave and want to rush home to savour… So, here is my sourdough version, inspired by Janine: best friend and best sister. Actually, you can tell we aren’t really sisters as she is a blond and I have black hair. Janine, thank you for allowing me to adapt and share your recipe. Stay well and share the joy of sourdough (SEE RECIPE NOTES below for a video of how amazing soft this loaf is)
that soft old fashioned 'sandwich loaf
when no other bread will satisfy your craving for comfort food, this will!
FOR THERMOMIX, KITCHEN AID & KENWOOD: half this recipe PLEASE and do it twice to make a huge sandwich loaf.
Servings: 1 huge loaf
Ingredients
white leaven
- 50 grams active rye starter do not use all of your rye starter, take this 50g from your mother starter
- 60 grams white flour wheat or spelt
- 90 grams filtered water
WET ingredients
- 200 grams white leaven
- 480-500g grams water
- 60 grams extra virgin olive oil
DRY ingredients
- 400 grams white spelt flour or use all strong unbleached premium bakers flour or all white spelt
- 400 grams strong unbleached premium bakers flour
- 40-60 grams sugar, rice malt or maple syrup
- 3 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
WHITE LEAVEN
- Stir and mix well, leave overnight or 6-12 hours until starter has doubled and bubbly
MIX
- BY HAND: In a huge large diameter bowl, measure and add your wet ingredients. starting with the starter. Then add all of the dry ingredients. MIX WELL, and massage any lumps you may have. You want to have one homogeneous dough. Turn bowl upside down on your kitchen bench BY THERMOMIX: 30 sec KNEAD, turn bowl upside down, then do the same for the other half BY MAGIMIX: 1 MIN SPEED 7, Brioche setting ROTARY MIXERS: 30 sec, K beater, speed 1
REST 1 hour
- REST (fermentolyse) the dough covered (turn your bowl upside down)
STRETCH & FOLD X4
- STRETCH and FOLD your dough 3-4 times, EVERY 30 mins - REPEAT 4 TIMES
SHAPE
- SHAPE your dough into your large sandwich loaf tin (outer measurements 30cm long x 13cm wide x 12cm height)
RISE OR RETARD
- RISE OR RETARD OVERNIGHT until doubled. The dough must double before baking so if it is still not doubled after an overnight rise, take it out of the fridge to double
BAKE
- PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 225-235C for 30mins with an enamel tray on the lowest rack PUT your dough in on a rack above the enamelled tray ADD two handful of ice BAKE for 20mins REDUCE temperature to 200C, BAKE for 20mins REDUCE temperature to 180C, BAKE for 20mins INSERT thermometer, the inner dough temperature must reach 100C. ENJOY... wait till it cools down if you can, to get a better crumb ... I bet, you can't resist cutting it as soon a it is out of the oven BAKED BREAD is freezable in a zip-lock bags for up to 2 months
- put your tinned dough in bake for 20mins reduce temperature to 200C, bake for 20mins reduce temperature to 180C, bake for 15-20mins until inner temperature of dough reaches 100C
ENJOY
- if you can resist the temptation, wait until the loaf is cool before cutting but, the choice is entirely yours! Enjoy and you can even freeze this baked loaf for 2 months in an airtight container or zip lock bag
Notes
Salad, EASTER Salad of Roasted Vegetables & Sprouted Quinoa with Pomegranate
Salad, EASTER Salad of Roasted Vegetables & Sprouted Quinoa with Pomegranate
~VEGAN, NUT FREE & GLUTEN FREE
For me there is nothing more delightful to see and savour on the table than a well thought out salad. A delicious substantial salad that is not an afterthought and can stand up on its own as a complete meal (which is handy for those of you are catering for vegan and vegetarians). This recipe is more about the how to rather than a step by step recipe.
When I have to cater for a crowd, I like to have a ‘base’ salad that is vegan, nut and dairy free, but I will serve on a separate plate the dairy or nut ingredients for those of you who like to have the jazzed up version.
So the base of this salad is three roasted vegetables: brocolli, cauliflower, pumpkin (you can use sweet potato instead but I think pumpkin fits better here)
To make this salad substantial, I choose chilled cooked and sprouted quinoa
For dairy side-ons, I like marinated (soft style) goat fetta, to be served separately.
I always like different textures in my salad, so for crunch, I add activated and roasted (or dehydrated if you prefer) walnuts and fresh pomegranate seeds but you can choose other nuts if you prefer.
Enjoy…
Salad, EASTER Salad of roasted vegetables & sprouted quinoa with pomegranate
Nourishing substantial salad
Salad as a complete meal
Servings: 8 ppl
Ingredients
Roasted VEGETABLES
- 1 kg JAP or butternut pumpkin washed, peeled and sliced to 0.5cm
- 1 each brocolli, organic if possible washed and sliced into 0.5 cm, then separate into flowerettes
- 1 each cauliflower (large) washed and sliced into 0.5 cm then separate into flowerettes
- 2 tsp Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- black pepper freshly milled, for brocolli
- generous drizzle vincotto for pumpkin
- few sprinkling baharat spice mix i like Greg Malouf's or Herbie's, for cauliflower
- generous drizzle extra virgin olive oil enough to coat all vegetables
TAHINI Dressing
- 150 ml organic hulled tahini
- 75 ml lemon juice to get the right salad dressing consistency
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil australian please
- 50 ml pomegranate molasses honey or maple syrup may be substituted
- 1 tsp Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic to taste
- black pepper freshly milled, to taste
TOPPINGS
- 2-3 tbs Za'atar from good delis or Herbie's online
- 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup marinated goat cheese, optional Meredith's Dairy is my favourite
- 1 cup activated nuts of your choice, optional walnuts are delicious here
Instructions
Roasted vegetables
- Preheat your oven to 180C
- In a large bowl, coat the cubed/sliced vegetables with generous drizzle of olive oil, salt and black pepper or spices as listed in the ingredients, to taste. Roast at 180C for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables started to caramelise and soft to touch but not mushy (this depend on the type of vegetables and the size of each piece) Cool to room temperature and chill in fridge if preparing ahead of serving, these roastes vegetables can be pre-perepared up to 2-3 days ahead.
Tahini Dressing
- Place all ingredients in a glass jar and shake vigorously before use or better still blitz using a hand held stick blender or an electric blender
HOW TO SERVE
- Use the largest flat serving plate you have, mine is 50cm in diameter. arrange the roasted veggies in concentric layers sprinkle the cooked quinoa and fresh pomegranate seeds drizzle with blobs of tahini dressing sprinkle the za'atar and serve with broken up goat cheese feta and walnuts or serve these separately Enjoy ...xxx
Salad, Christmas Salad with de Puy Lentils, Beetroot, Walnut and Feta
Christmas Salad with de Puy Lentils, Beetroot, Walnut and Feta
Note: can be vegan without the feta cheese
For me there is nothing more delightful to see and savour on the table than a well thought out salad. A delicious substantial salad that is not an afterthought and can stand up on its own as a complete meal (which is handy for those of you are catering for vegan and vegetarians). This recipe is more about the how to rather than a step by step recipe.
When I have to cater for a crowd, I like to have a ‘base’ salad that is vegan, nut and dairy free, and I will serve on a separate plate the dairy or nut ingredients for those of you who like to have the jazzed up version. I also serve one to three alternative dressings on the side so everyone can choose and add his/her own. Trust me, this way I always manage to please everyone.
So the base of this salad is salad greens such as rockets, radicchio and few sprigs of herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, and fennel fronds. To make this salad substantial, I choose chilled cooked and sprouted de Puy Lentils (you can choose chickpeas or other lentils) and roasted beetroot (cubed).
For dairy side-ons, I like marinated (soft style) goat fetta or bufallo mozzarella, but remember once you add this to the main salad the dark red beetroot colour will bleed into the white colour of the cheese.
I always like different textures in my salad, so for crunch, I add activated and roasted (or dehydrated if you prefer) walnuts and pomegranate seeds but you can choose other nuts if you prefer.
Below are the two salad dressing recipes, one vegan and one dairy.
Salad, Christmas Salad with de Puy Lentils, Beetroot, Walnut and Feta
Nourishing substantial salad
Salad as a complete meal
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Roasted Beetroot
- 1 kg beetroot organic if possible washed, peeled and cubed
- Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- black pepper freshly milled
- extra virgin olive oil enough to coat the beetroot
Vinaigrette with vincotto, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
- 1 part (volume) balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 part (volume) vincotto fig vincotto is delicious
- 4 part (volume) extra virgin olive oil
- Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- black pepper freshly milled
Yoghurt Fetta Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup thick greek yoghurt
- 75 g soft fetta cheese crumbled
- few sprigs fresh dill or fennel fronds chopped
- 3-4 tbs lemon juice to get the right salad dressing consistency
- Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- black pepper freshly milled
Instructions
Roasted Beetroots
- Preheat your oven to 180C
- In a large bowl, coat the cubed beetroots with olive oil, salt and black pepper, taste to suit your palate. Roast at 180C for 15-20 minutes until the beetroot cubes started to caramelise. Cool to room temperature and chill in fridge if preparing ahead of serving.
Vinaigrette with vincotto, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
- Place all ingredients in a glass jar and shake vigorously before use
Yoghurt Fetta Salad Dressing
- Place all ingredients in a glass jar and shake vigorously before use or better still blitz using a hand held stick blender
REVIEW OF MAGIMIX DOUGH HOOK XL & RECIPE
REVIEW OF MAGIMIX DOUGH HOOK XL & RECIPE
It is not everyday that I get very excited about a new tool, but I am really impressed with the new Magimix Dough Hook XL. Not only does it live up to its advertised capacity of being able to knead dough up to 1.6kg without its motor overheating, but more than that, what really tickled my fancy is its ability to knead dough gently as if I am kneading the dough by hand.
This new Magimix Dough Hook XL kneads the 1.6kg dough so gently without creating heat hence it does not oxidise the dough. It also collects the dough and ‘lifts’ the dough up above the blade, creating a ball of dough (see various pictures in my recipe below) and therefore prevents the chopping off of the gluten as the dough is directly moving above the blade.
I managed to mix and knead three lots of 1.6kg dough one after another and the bowl and dough hook remained cool with no overheating of the motor observed.
So let’s give this amazing tool a work out with this new recipe..
http://wildsourdough.com.au/recipe/review-magimix-dough-hook-recipe-sourdough-purple-and-heirloom-ancient-wheat-grains/
REVIEW OF MAGIMIX DOUGH HOOK XL & RECIPE
Cake, Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (MAGIMIX CE Method)
Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake
(MAGIMIX CE Method)
VEGAN option: use vegan butter/margarine
Gluten Free option: use brown rice starter (avail from my website) and Gluten Free plain flour
I always adore making and eating fruit cake, so creating this recipe was a joy. This cake has the texture of a classic Christmas cake – dense and complex in flavour, which is what you want for an exceptional and easy-to-digest Christmas cake. You do have the option to add a teaspoon of baking powder to make this cake lighter but it is not essential. This recipe is versatile so you can change the dried fruit mix (about 325–400g) to suit your taste. One combination I love is dried pear, hazelnut and ground cardamom.
The method is quite simple, just like making any traditional butter cake. The white sourdough starter is added at the end of the mixing before the addition of fruits and nuts. The long fermentation allows pre-digestion of gluten, fat and sugar. You can use wheat instead of spelt or kamut/khorasan. Khorasan is worth a try, because for some people this unhybridised/ancient wheat is easier to digest than modern wheat. However, please consult your medical practitioner for advice.
Magimix CE function which allows you to keep the blade stationary at a perfect fermenting temperature of 30C is perfect for this cake, especially if you make this cake in Nothern Hemisphere pre-Christmas time. Allow 4 hours to ferment this cake using the Expert Programme, Speed 0, at 30C.
NOTE: This cake is full of fruit, so the cake mixture will not double in size. If you prefer a more complex flavoured cake, you need to make this cake 1–2 months before Christmas.
Use the best quality organic dried fruit you can buy!
Cake, Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (MAGIMIX CE Method)
This is a dense fruitcake which has a more complex flavour than traditional fruitcake because it is naturally fermented with sourdough culture.
It is naturally easier to digest than a traditional fruit cake. This cake relies on the sweetness of the dried fruit rather than refined sugar.
Servings: 20 cake
Ingredients
Fruit and Liqueur mixture - prepare at least a day before and up to 2 months
- 125 grams small dark raisins (muscatels) or sultanas
- 75 grams dried black cherries or cranberries
- 25 grams candied peels (candied orange and candied citron)
- 50 grams dried apricots
- 50 grams dried figs
- 50 grams activated nuts of your choice optional
- 50 grams brandy, whisky or your liqueur of choice
Flour and spice mixture
- 125 grams organic white spelt flour or khorasan flour You can use wheat if you prefer
- 1-2 tsp mixed spice Speculaas spice is a favorite
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger or cloves optional
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Butter mixture
- 125 grams butter, softened at room temperature
- 150 grams dark brown or rapadura sugar
- 150 grams Raw sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped
- 3 large organic eggs (150g without shell) at room temperature
- 250 grams white spelt or kamut sourdough starter
- 25 grams molasses
Instructions
Mix fruit and liqueur
- Prepare the fruit and liqueur mixture at least a day before you plan to make the Christmas cake. You can also prepare the mixture a few weeks beforehand for a stronger flavour. Mix the ingredients together and leave to marinate at least overnight. The next day, drain the mixture, separating it into fruit and liquid. The fruit will be added to the cake, while the liquid will be used to glaze it once baked.
Mix ingredients
- Put the flour and spice mixture ingredients in your metal bowl, run the EXPERT programme and mix for 20 seconds/speed 7. Put aside.
- Beat soft butter, the two sugars and vanilla in the metal bowl with the whisk attachment, run the PASTRY/CAKE programme for 2 minutes/speed 7 until light and creamy. Scrape down sides frequently to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.
- With the programme running, slowly add eggs one by one through hole in lid. Allow 30 seconds between the addition of each egg. Stop mixing once the mixture looks curdled. Scrape sides of bowl.
- Add sourdough starter and molasses and continue whisking. Scrape sides of bowl.
- Add pre-mixed flour and spice mixture and continue whisking until the programme ends. Do not over-mix or you will end up with a tough cake. Scrape sides of bowl, if necessary.
- Remove the whisk. Ferment your cake mixture for 4–6 hours with the lid on, if you are making this cake in warmer weather such Australian pre-Christmas weather. Alternatively, if the room temperature is cold (ie. Northern Hemisphere Christmas), run the Expert programme 30C/speed 0/4hours . The cake mixture will rise about 1¼–1½ its original volume.
Prepare cake tins
- Line cake tins with butter then line with silicone coated baking or parchment paper (e.g. Gladbake). You have the option of using: • 20cm diameter (8in) round cake tin – each holds 1kg of mixture, or • 2 x 12.5cm (5in) round cake tin – each holds 500–550g of mixture, or • 8–10 muffins – each holds 120–150g of mixture.
Add and mix
- Add drained fruit to the cake mixture and run the Expert programme for 20 seconds/speed 5, until the fruit is well distributed. Pour into lined tin or tins. You should only fill two-thirds of the tin or the cake mixture will overflow during baking.
Bake
- Put the cake inside a cold oven and set the temperature to 165°C (329°F). Here are the baking times depending on the size of cake tin you used: For 20cm (8in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Then reduce heat to 150°C (302°F) and bake for a further 1 ½–2 hours until golden brown. If the cake top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminium foil. For 12.5cm (5in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 1 hour 15 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). For muffins Bake on lower third rack for 40–45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Remove cake from the oven and brush generously with the leftover liqueur. You can brush your cake with any liqueur of your choice (brandy, rum, whisky, Cointreau) every few days for a month before Christmas. This will make your cake so delicious and moist.
Rest
- Leave to cool before cutting. Best kept wrapped tightly in waxed paper and aluminium foil. Leave in the coolest part of your house and it will keep for 1–2 months or alternatively it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Cake, Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake
Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake BY HAND
VEGAN option: use vegan butter/margarine
Gluten Free option: use brown rice starter (avail from my website) and Gluten Free plain flour
I always adore making and eating fruit cake, so creating this recipe was a joy. This cake has the texture of a classic Christmas cake – dense and complex in flavour, which is what you want for an exceptional and easy-to-digest Christmas cake. You do have the option to add a teaspoon of baking powder to make this cake lighter but it is not essential. This recipe is versatile so you can change the dried fruit mix (about 325–400g) to suit your taste. One combination I love is dried pear, hazelnut and ground cardamom.
The method is quite simple, just like making any traditional butter cake. The white sourdough starter is added at the end of the mixing before the addition of fruits and nuts. The long fermentation allows pre-digestion of gluten, fat and sugar. You can use wheat instead of spelt or kamut/khorasan. Khorasan is worth a try, because for some people this unhybridised/ancient wheat is easier to digest than modern wheat. However, please consult your medical practitioner for advice.
NOTE: This cake is full of fruit, so the cake mixture will not double in size. If you prefer a more complex flavoured cake, you need to make this cake 1–2 months before Christmas.
Use the best quality organic dried fruit you can buy!
Cake, Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake
This is a dense fruitcake which has a more complex flavour than traditional fruitcake because it is naturally fermented with sourdough culture.
It is naturally easier to digest than a traditional fruit cake. This cake relies on the sweetness of the dried fruit rather than refined sugar.
Servings: 20 cake
Ingredients
Fruit and Liqueur mixture - prepare at least a day before and up to 2 months
- 125 grams small dark raisins (muscatels) or sultanas
- 75 grams dried black cherries or cranberries
- 25 grams candied peels (candied orange and candied citron)
- 50 grams dried apricots
- 50 grams dried figs
- 50 grams activated nuts of your choice optional
- 50 grams brandy, whisky or your liqueur of choice
Flour and spice mixture
- 125 grams organic white spelt flour or khorasan flour You can use wheat if you prefer
- 1-2 tsp mixed spice Speculaas spice is a favorite
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger or cloves optional
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Butter mixture
- 125 grams butter, softened at room temperature
- 150 grams dark brown or rapadura sugar
- 150 grams Raw sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped
- 3 large organic eggs (150g without shell) at room temperature
- 250 grams white spelt or kamut sourdough starter
- 25 grams molasses
Instructions
Mix fruit and liqueur
- Prepare the fruit and liqueur mixture at least a day before you plan to make the Christmas cake. You can also prepare the mixture a few weeks beforehand for a stronger flavour. Mix the ingredients together and leave to marinate at least overnight. The next day, drain the mixture, separating it into fruit and liquid. The fruit will be added to the cake, while the liquid will be used to glaze it once baked.
Mix ingredients
- Put the flour and spice mixture ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until the flour mixture is well distributed. Put aside. Beat/Whisk soft butter, the two sugars and vanilla in a bowl until light and creamy. This will take a few minutes by hand. Scrape down sides frequently to make sure the ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add eggs one by one and stop mixing once the mixture looks curdled. Scrape sides of bowl. Add sourdough starter and molasses and mix well but gently. Scrape sides of bowl. Gently mix in the pre-mixed flour and spice mixture. Do not over-mix or you will end up with a tough cake. Scrape sides of bowl. Cover and ferment your cake mixture for 4–6 hours. The cake mixture will rise about 1¼–1½ its original volume.
Prepare cake tins
- Line cake tins with butter then line with silicone coated baking or parchment paper (e.g. Gladbake). You have the option of using: • 20cm diameter (8in) round cake tin – each holds 1kg of mixture, or • 2 x 12.5cm (5in) round cake tin – each holds 500–550g of mixture, or • 8–10 muffins – each holds 120–150g of mixture.
Add and mix
- Add drained fruit to fermented cake mixture, making sure the fruit is well distributed. If you have decided to use baking powder to make the cake lighter, add the baking powder now. I prefer the cake without the baking powder as I like my fruitcake dense. Pour into lined tin or tins. You should only fill two-thirds of the tin or the cake mixture will overflow during baking.
Bake
- Put the cake inside a cold oven and set the temperature to 165°C (329°F). Here are the baking times depending on the size of cake tin you used: For 20cm (8in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Then reduce heat to 150°C (302°F) and bake for a further 1 ½–2 hours until golden brown. If the cake top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminium foil. For 12.5cm (5in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 1 hour 15 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). For muffins Bake on lower third rack for 40–45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Remove cake from the oven and brush generously with the leftover liqueur. You can brush your cake with any liqueur of your choice (brandy, rum, whisky, Cointreau) every few days for a month before Christmas. This will make your cake so delicious and moist.
Rest
- Leave to cool before cutting. Best kept wrapped tightly in waxed paper and aluminium foil. Leave in the coolest part of your house and it will keep for 1–2 months or alternatively it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Cake, Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (Thermomix Method)
Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (Thermomix Method)
VEGAN option: use vegan butter/margarine
Gluten Free option: use brown rice starter (avail from my website) and Gluten Free plain flour
always adore making and eating fruit cake, so creating this recipe was a joy. This cake has the texture of a classic Christmas cake – dense and complex in flavour, which is what you want for an exceptional and easy-to-digest Christmas cake. You do have the option to add a teaspoon of baking powder to make this cake lighter but it is not essential. This recipe is versatile so you can change the dried fruit mix (about 325–400g) to suit your taste. One combination I love is dried pear, hazelnut and ground cardamom.
The method is quite simple, just like making any traditional butter cake. The white sourdough starter is added at the end of the mixing before the addition of fruits and nuts. The long fermentation allows pre-digestion of gluten, fat and sugar. You can use wheat instead of spelt or kamut/khorasan. Khorasan is worth a try, because for some people this unhybridised/ancient wheat is easier to digest than modern wheat. However, please consult your medical practitioner for advice.
NOTE: This cake is full of fruit, so the cake mixture will not double in size. If you prefer a more complex flavoured cake, you need to make this cake 1–2 months before Christmas.
Use the best quality organic dried fruit you can buy!
Cake, Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (Thermomix Method)
a dense fruitcake has a more complex flavour than traditional fruitcake because it is naturally fermented with sourdough culture.
it is naturally easier to digest than a traditional fruit cake. it also relies on the sweetness of the dried fruit rather than refined sugar.
Servings: 20 cake
Ingredients
Fruit and Liqueur mixture - prepare at least a day before and up to 2 months
- 125 grams small dark raisins (muscatels) or sultanas
- 75 grams dried black cherries or cranberries
- 25 grams candied peels (candied orange and candied citron)
- 50 grams dried apricots
- 50 grams dried figs
- 50 grams activated nuts of your choice optional
- 50 grams brandy, whisky or your liqueur of choice
Flour and spice mixture
- 125 grams organic white spelt flour or khorasan flour You can use wheat if you prefer
- 1-2 tsp mixed spice Speculaas spice is a favorite
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger or cloves optional
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Butter mixture
- 125 grams butter, softened at room temperature
- 150 grams dark brown or rapadura sugar
- 150 grams Raw sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped
- 3 large organic eggs (150g without shell) at room temperature
- 250 grams white spelt or kamut sourdough starter
- 25 grams molasses
Instructions
Mix fruit and liqueur
- Prepare the fruit and liqueur mixture at least a day before you plan to make the Christmas cake. You can also prepare the mixture a few weeks beforehand for a stronger flavour. Mix the ingredients together and leave to marinate at least overnight. The next day, drain the mixture, separating it into fruit and liquid. The fruit will be added to the cake, while the liquid will be used to glaze it once baked.
Mix ingredients
- Put the flour and spice mixture ingredients in your TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds/speed 5. Put aside. Beat soft butter, the two sugars and vanilla in TM bowl for 1½–2 minutes/speed 3–4 until light and creamy. Scrape down sides frequently to make sure the ingredients are well mixed. With the machine running at speed 3, slowly add eggs one by one through hole in mixing bowl lid. Stop mixing once the mixture looks curdled. Scrape sides of bowl. Add sourdough starter and molasses and mix for 10–15 seconds/speed 2. Scrape sides of bowl. Add pre-mixed flour and spice mixture to TM bowl and mix for 10–15 seconds/speed 2–3. Do not over-mix or you will end up with a tough cake. Scrape sides of bowl. With the TM bowl lid and MC back in place, ferment your cake mixture for 4–6 hours. The cake mixture will rise about 1¼–1½ its original volume.
Prepare cake tins
- Line cake tins with butter then line with silicone coated baking or parchment paper (e.g. Gladbake). You have the option of using: • 20cm diameter (8in) round cake tin – each holds 1kg of mixture, or • 2 x 12.5cm (5in) round cake tin – each holds 500–550g of mixture, or • 8–10 muffins – each holds 120–150g of mixture.
Add and mix
- Add drained fruit to the TM bowl and mix for 10–20 seconds/speed 3/Reverse, making sure the fruit is well distributed. If you have decided to use baking powder to make the cake lighter, add the baking powder now. I prefer the cake without the baking powder as I like my fruitcake dense. Pour into lined tin or tins. You should only fill two-thirds of the tin or the cake mixture will overflow during baking.
Bake
- Put the cake inside a cold oven and set the temperature to 165°C (329°F). Here are the baking times depending on the size of cake tin you used: For 20cm (8in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Then reduce heat to 150°C (302°F) and bake for a further 1 ½–2 hours until golden brown. If the cake top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminium foil. For 12.5cm (5in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 1 hour 15 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). For muffins Bake on lower third rack for 40–45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Remove cake from the oven and brush generously with the leftover liqueur. You can brush your cake with any liqueur of your choice (brandy, rum, whisky, Cointreau) every few days for a month before Christmas. This will make your cake so delicious and moist.
Rest
- Leave to cool before cutting. Best kept wrapped tightly in waxed paper and aluminium foil. Leave in the coolest part of your house and it will keep for 1–2 months or alternatively it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Sourdough, Purple and Heirloom Ancient Wheat Grains (MAGIMIX CE)
Purple and Heirloom Ancient Wheat Sourdough with Sunflower Seeds
USING NEW MAGIMIX CE DOUGH BLADE
Ancient Purple Wheat and Heirloom Wheat, both unhybridised species of ancient wheat grains, have recently become available in Australia and are now being grown either organically or sustainably in the northern part of NSW. Even better the ones I have been able to get my hands on are stoneground, so they have retained the wheatgerm where all the goodness (vitamins, minerals, beneficial oil) lies. I have never been this excited since I found stoneground Australian organic Khorasan (aka Kamut)!
Purple wheat has the added benefit of the high antioxidant anthocyanin, which gives the same purple colour that exists in blueberries. All three ancient grains above (Khorasan, Purple Wheat, Heirloom) also have the added benefit of high protein but of a different variety than the usual kind; hence they are much more easily digestible compared to modern wheat protein/gluten. Though of course in my opinion, every grain must be either soaked, sprouted or lacto fermented as it is in sourdough bread fermentation prior to consumption.
I like to support this new wave of using ancient grains and the organic and/or sustainable farming of it here in Australia, as these grains are naturally drought and pest resistant, and are therefore much easier for our farmers to grow in Australia’s desert-like climate. Spelt on the other hand, is better suited to colder climates as it requires a lot more water to grow. So with this being said, lets support our farmers or these ancient varieties will become extinct and we will end up with only hybridised types of wheat.
And did I mention that it is so DELICIOUS ??? So here is a recipe for an amazingly delicious and highly digestible sourdough loaf. If you don’t already have a starter culture, you can make your own or purchase my 35+ year old starter culture from the online shop.
Do not over-knead or over-rise… the protein/gluten in these ancient varieties cannot tolerate vigorous kneading or over rising and high temperatures (26-28C is perfect).
For those of you on a FODMAP or low GI diet this bread may be suitable for you, but consult your health practitioner for advice.
Sourdough, Purple and Heirloom Ancient Wheat Grains (MAGIMIX CE)
Vegan, no added yeast or sugar.
Servings: 1 large loaf
Ingredients
STARTER ACTIVATION
- 50 g sourdough starter
- 60 g purple wheat flour, wholegrain flour fine stoneground
- 90 g filtered water
WET INGREDIENTS
- 200 g STARTER ACTIVE, from above
- 600 g filtered water
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 300 g purple wheat flour, wholegrain flour fine stoneground
- 500 g heirloom flour, atta or white unbleached 85% extraction (coarse bran removed) fine stoneground
- 15 g fine sea salt TO BE ADDED AFTER REST/ AUTOLYSE
- 100-150 g sunflower seeds TO BE ADDED AFTER KNEAD
Instructions
- Sourdough starter - Activate starter 6-12 hours prior to making dough. Whisk/Stir well and leave covered in the warmest spot in your house, but not in direct heat. Use when bubbly
- Measure ingredients - Beginning with the starter, weigh and place the wet ingredients into your Magimix metal bowl. Then weigh and add the dry ingredients, except salt
- ROUGH Mix ingredients - USE MAGIMIX CE DOUGH HOOK XL Set your machine to "BREAD/BRIOCHE" programme - speed 13, which will nicely mix/knead the dough in 1min increments. Run for the full 2 mins . The mixture will look dry at the beginning but the final dough mixture will be wet and homogeneous
- Rest - AUTOLYSE Let the dough rest in the bowl for 30-60 minutes.
- First rise - Unload the dough into a container with a lid or inside a freezer bag to rise for 1 hour in a covered container at a comfortable room temperature, around 20–25°C (68–77°F).
- KNEAD ADD SALT, Set your machine to "BREAD/BRIOCHE" programme - speed 13, for 1 min then rest for 30mins in the bowl. Repeat this sequence of 1 min knead and 30 min Rest, three times. Make sure that the lid is on in between knead (during rest times).
- Add sunflower seeds Add sunflower seeds then set your machine to "BREAD/BRIOCHE" programme - speed 13, for 1 min. The seeds will be equally distributed without being chopped.
- Divide and shape - Shape the dough into a ball and put it into your medium tin or floured banneton. If your tin is uncoated please brush tin with coconut oil and line with baking paper.
- Final rise/double the dough volume - Rise the shaped dough at a comfortable room temperature, around 20–25°C (68–77°F), until almost doubled. This will take 3-5 hours or longer if your room temperature is colder or shorter if your dough has risen substantially in the fridge. Preheat your oven to 250-260°C (455-500°F) with a Dutch OVEN to fit your loaf when your dough is almost doubled.
- Bake - Bake dough inside your dutch oven for 15 minutes at 250-260°C (455-500°F), then reduce the oven to 225°C (437°F) for a further 15 minutes. Take lid off the dutch oven and bake for a further 15-20 mins at 205°C (401°F) until the loaf has cooked through, turn the oven off, and let it sit for 10 minutes. If you are unsure, insert a thermometer, the inner temperature of the dough should be 95°C (203°F) or higher. Remove loaf from the oven, unload to a cooling rack taking care not to burn your fingers!
- Rest Let the bread cool before cutting. Suitable for freezing and will keep for a couple of months frozen.
Notes
What Equipment you need:
- Proving Basket
- Scales
- LARGE Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Dough Scrapers
Sourdough, Purple and Heirloom Ancient Wheat Grains
Purple and Heirloom Ancient Wheat Sourdough
Ancient Purple Wheat and Heirloom Wheat, both unhybridised species of ancient wheat grains, have recently become available in Australia and are now being grown either organically or sustainably in the northern part of NSW. Even better the ones I have been able to get my hands on are stoneground, so they have retained the wheatgerm where all the goodness (vitamins, minerals, beneficial oil) lies. I have never been this excited since I found stoneground Australian organic Khorasan (aka Kamut)!
Purple wheat has the added benefit of the high antioxidant anthocyanin, which gives the same purple colour that exists in blueberries. All three ancient grains above (Khorasan, Purple Wheat, Heirloom) also have the added benefit of high protein but of a different variety than the usual kind; hence they are much more easily digestible compared to modern wheat protein/gluten. Though of course in my opinion, every grain must be either soaked, sprouted or lacto fermented as it is in sourdough bread fermentation prior to consumption.
I like to support this new wave of using ancient grains and the organic and/or sustainable farming of it here in Australia, as these grains are naturally drought and pest resistant, and are therefore much easier for our farmers to grow in Australia’s desert-like climate. Spelt on the other hand, is better suited to colder climates as it requires a lot more water to grow. So with this being said, lets support our farmers or these ancient varieties will become extinct and we will end up with only hybridised types of wheat.
And did I mention that it is so DELICIOUS ??? So here is a recipe for an amazingly delicious and highly digestible sourdough loaf. If you don’t already have a starter culture, you can make your own or purchase my 35+ year old starter culture from the online shop.
Do not over-knead or over-rise… the protein/gluten in these ancient varieties cannot tolerate vigorous kneading or over rising and high temperatures (26-28C is perfect).
For those of you on a FODMAP or low GI diet this bread may be suitable for you, but consult your health practitioner for advice.
Sourdough Loaf, Purple & Heritage Pain au Levain
Vegan, no added yeast or sugar.
Servings: 1 large loaf
Ingredients
STARTER ACTIVATION
- 50 g sourdough starter
- 60 g purple wheat flour, wholegrain flour fine stoneground
- 90 g filtered water
WET INGREDIENTS
- 200 g STARTER ACTIVE, from above
- 600 g filtered water
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 300 g purple wheat flour, wholegrain flour fine stoneground
- 500 g heirloom flour, atta or white unbleached 85% extraction (coarse bran removed) fine stoneground
- 15 g fine sea salt TO BE ADDED AFTER REST/ AUTOLYSE
Instructions
- Sourdough starter - Activate starter 6-12 hours prior to making dough. Whisk/Stir well and leave covered in the warmest spot in your house, but not in direct heat. Use when bubbly
- Measure ingredients - Beginning with the starter, weigh and place the wet ingredients into your bowl. Then weigh and add the dry ingredients, except salt
- Mix ingredients - Mix with a strong spatula or a small scraper until well mixed. The mixture will look dry at the beginning but the final dough mixture will be wet and homogeneous
- Rest - AUTOLYSE Turn your bowl upside down and let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes.
- First rise - Unload the dough into a container with a lid or inside a freezer bag to rise for 1 hour in a covered container at a comfortable room temperature, around 20–25°C (68–77°F).
- ADD SALT, then Stretch and fold - Stretch and fold your dough two or three times (and no more than three times) every half an hour, three times. Make sure you cover your dough in between stretch and fold. AT THIS STAGE, you can retard or refrigerate your dough overnight or up to 2 days in a cold (1-3C) fridge.
- Divide and shape - Shape the dough into a ball and put it into your medium tin or floured banneton. If your tin is uncoated please brush tin with coconut oil and line with baking paper.
- Final rise/double the dough volume - Rise the shaped dough at a comfortable room temperature, around 20–25°C (68–77°F), until almost doubled. This will take 3-5 hours or longer if your room temperature is colder or shorter if your dough has risen substantially in the fridge. Preheat your oven to 250-260°C (455-500°F) with a Dutch OVEN to fit your loaf when your dough is almost doubled.
- Bake - Bake dough inside your dutch oven for 15 minutes at 250-260°C (455-500°F), then reduce the oven to 225°C (437°F) for a further 15 minutes. Take lid off the dutch oven and bake for a further 15-20 mins at 205°C (401°F) until the loaf has cooked through, turn the oven off, and let it sit for 10 minutes. If you are unsure, insert a thermometer, the inner temperature of the dough should be 95°C (203°F) or higher. Remove loaf from the oven, unload to a cooling rack taking care not to burn your fingers!
- Rest - Let the bread cool before cutting. Suitable for freezing and will keep for a couple of months frozen.
Notes
What Equipment you need:
- Proving Basket
- Scales
- LARGE Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Dough Scrapers
Light Rye Sourdough with Caraway Seed
Light Rye Sourdough with Caraway Seed
This recipe was created for my dearest girlfriend who had been asking for a sourdough loaf that is strongly flavoured with caraway seeds (she is part Czech if you must know!). The secret to success in this recipe is to follow the recipe to a tee and resist the temptation of adding extra rye flour because you will find the dough become a paste in no time. Rye contains a glue-like non-starch polysaccharide called “pentosan’. When rye is mixed with water these pentosans form glue/gel which increases the viscosity in the dough, absorbing and holding on more water than other form of wheat, hence most rye bread are incredibly moist and if you have no idea how to work with rye, a brick like loaf may be the reward of your painstaking labour, so FOLLOW the recipe!!!
If you don’t already have a starter culture, you can make your own or purchase my 35+ year old starter culture from the online shop.
For those of you on a low GI diet this bread may be suitable for you, but consult your health practitioner for advice.
Light Rye Sourdough with Caraway Seed
Vegan, no added yeast, additives or preservative
Naturally fermented
Long fermentation
Servings: 1 loaves
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS
- 125 g sourdough starter (see below)
- 550 g filtered water
- 75 g strong coffee chicory or dandellion coffee is brilliant too
- 1-2 tbs black strapped molasses unsulphured
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 500 g organic white flour of your choice wheat or spelt, organic if possible
- 150 g stoneground whole rye flour
- 150g g wholemeal flour of your choice wheat or spelt, organic if possible
- 1-2 tbs caraway seeds
- 1-2 tbs caraway seed powder to your taste
- 3 tsp Sea salt finely ground
Instructions
- Sourdough starter - Activate starter 6-12 hours prior to making dough. Whisk/Stir well and leave covered in the warmest spot in your house, but not in direct heat. Use when bubbly
- Measure ingredients - Beginning with the starter, weigh and place the wet ingredients into your bowl. Then weigh and add the dry ingredients, excluding the salt and caraway seeds
- Mix ingredients - Mix with a strong spatula or a small scraper until well mixed. The mixture will look dry at the beginning but the final dough mixture will look slightly wet and homogeneous
- Rest / AUTOLYSE Turn your bowl upside down and let the dough rest for 45-60 minutes.
- Knead - ADD salt and caraway seeds and a spray of water mist Put your dough back inside the bowl and knead your dough using the air kneading technique. The resulting dough may stick slightly to your fingers, but it should not be overly wet.
- First rise - Unload the dough into a container with a lid or inside a freezer bag to rise for 2-4 hours in a covered container at a comfortable room temperature, around 20–25°C (68–77°F). THE DOUGH MUST INCREASE IN SIZE by 50-75%, so cooler weather this may take longer. To keep the temperature at constant, you can purchase a Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer, from my website: https://wildsourdough.com.au/product-category/wild-sourdough-equipment/
- Stretch and fold - Stretch and fold your dough two or three times (and no more than three times). Your dough will feel taut.
- Rest - Let the dough sit for 15–20 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Divide and shape - Shape the dough into a ball and put it into two floured banneton.
- Final rise/double the dough volume - Rise the shaped dough at a comfortable room temperature, around 20–25°C (68–77°F), until almost doubled. This will take 3-5 hours or longer if your room temperature is colder. Put dough in a covered container or inside a freezer bag. You can also do this final rise in the fridge overnight (5-8°C/ 41-47°F)
- Bake - Use a Dutch Oven if you have one. Preheat your oven to 250°C (482°F) when your dough is almost doubled. Bake for 15 minutes at 250°C (482°F), then reduce the oven to 235°C (455°F) for a further 15 minutes. Remove lid from Dutch Oven. Bake for a further 10-15 at 200°C (392°F) If you are unsure if the loaf has cooked through, turn the oven off, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Or insert a thermometer, the inner temperature of the dough should be 95°C (200°F) or higher. Remove loaf from the oven, unload to a cooling rack taking care not to burn your fingers!
- Rest - Let the bread cool before cutting. Suitable for freezing and will keep for a couple of months frozen.
Notes
What Equipment you need:
- Loaf Pans
- Proving Basket
- Stand Mixer
- Scales
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Dough Scrapers