Sourdough bread no knead recipe

Hi
Here's my latest sourdough bread recipe. I'm getting better and better at making the bread. My first attempts were very average. My husband told me I was wasting my time and asked me why we couldn't just buy a loaf. Never mind he's happy now.

NO KNEAD SOURDOUGH BREAD

INGREDIENTS	WEIGHT
100gm rye flour/ 50gm wholewheat flour/ 250gm white bakers flour - this is the mix I prefer (or White baker’s flour)	400gm
Tap water or filtered water – cold only	256ml
*Poolish starter - see below	160gm
Salt	8gm

NOTE: I double this recipe so that I'm not making bread every second day. I have also increased it by 10% to make it a better size for sandwiches.

METHOD

1.      Mix everything except salt roughly in a big bowl. (Dough should cling but not be too wet.) Add more water/flour if needed now. Cover bowl with clean towel after each step.

2.     Make well in centre of dough and sprinkle salt over the mixed dough. Spray with a little water. Cover bowl with a towel. Let rest for 30 min. (Feed your starter now too)

3.      To stop the salt from falling out when you turn it out of the bowl, fold it in with a spatula. Turn dough onto a clean surface. Wet hands (so dough doesn't stick) and stretch and fold dough, without breaking the gluten strands, and press down for a minute until salt is mixed, then place dough into a clean bowl. Cover and rest 20 mins.

4.      Stretch and fold another 2-3 times every 20-40 mins.

5.      Cover the bowl with a towel. Let it rest for 2-4 hours or until almost doubled.

6.      Sprinkle bench with flour and shape dough carefully; room temp for 2-3 hrs or in fridge 12-16hrs. (I do not do this step. Instead I shape dough and put into a rectangular baking tin lined with baking paper, size: approx 13 cm x 21 cm. If making a double quantity, this is when you will need to split the dough for two tins. I use scales for this. Sprinkle flour on top. Just a thin layer. Slash dough across the top about ¼ inch deep about 3 times. This will stop the bread rising out of the sides because the slashing allows it breathing space and it will rise here.) Allow to rise 2-6 hrs.

7.      Pre-heat oven to 240ºC for at least 15 mins. The oven must be hot because when you open the door, heat will escape. Put a tray of water into the oven to steam the bread.

8.      When you put the bread into the oven, spray oven with a little water. The burst of steam helps to form a good crust and keep the bread moist. Keep the oven on high for the first 10 mins (this also helps form a nice crust). Then turn the oven down to 200ºC. Bake the bread for a total of 40-50 mins depending on your oven. Tap the bread on the bottom and it should sound hollow. Or test with a skewer. It may be a little sticky but if very sticky, cook a little more.

9.      Allow to cool on a cake rack.

BAKES ONE LOAF.  THIS BREAD LASTS FOR 5 DAYS IF WRAPPED IN A TEA TOWEL AND PLACED IN THE PANTRY UNSLICED. OTHERWISE, SLICE WHEN COLD AND FREEZE.

First rising Note: I have doubled the quantity for 2 loaves

Stretch dough taking care not to tear the gluten strands. Note: wet hands first.

Fold dough with the use of a spatula. Then press down. Note: wet hands first.

After resting for 3-4 hrs.

After resting for 3-4 hrs

After resting 3-4 hrs

After separating dough it's a mess but that's okay. Spread it out gently with wet fingers to fit the tin. Now allow to rise until it is almost to the top. I have sprinkled white bakers flour over the top. Note the slashing across the top.

Still rising.

This is the second loaf. 

Still rising

Baked loaf

*STARTING YOUR POOLISH STARTER (double this if making two loaves)

½ cup wheat flour

¼ cup rye flour

¾ cup tap water or raisin water

(these are equal parts of flour and water by volume)

METHOD

1. Mix all ingredients together in a glass container/jar and stir to a paste. Let sit at room temp covered lightly with a wet paper towel secured with an elastic band.
2. After 2-3 days, double the mixture as per the starting ingredients.
3. After another 1-2 days, you should see activity in the form of bubbles. Tip out ½ of the mixture and top it up as per the starting ingredients.

RASIN WATER: Soak 1 part organic raisins or sultanas in 2 parts water overnight. Drain off the water and use it instead of tap water to boost your starter.

CARING FOR THE POOLISH

Refresh the poolish 8-12 hrs before you make a loaf. When not baking, refresh it every day at room temp, or every 3-4 days in the fridge. Refresh by discarding half, then adding ingredients as per the starting formula. You only need 160g for a loaf + enough left over to refresh and keep the starter alive.

Poolish can be frozen. The polish will survive up to a week in the fridge without refreshment, but you will need to refresh it a few times before using it to make bread. Wait about 24 hrs between these refreshments. Look for healthy bubbling.

You can use all wheat flour, but rye adds flavour and life. Using rye flour, however, you may collect a clear liquid on the polish – this is just alcohol, nicknamed hooch. Pour the hooch off before using or refreshing the starter.

The starter can be started and maintained using only wheat flour but it may be less active.

NOTE: KEEP POOLISH IN A GLASS CONTAINER (it will react with metal or plastic). COVER WITH AN UNBLEACHED WET/DAMP PAPER TOWEL SECURED WITH AN ELASTIC BAND. NOT A SCREW TOP LID. IF KEEPING POOLISH IN THE FRIDGE, PLACE THE LID OVER THE PAPER TOWEL BUT DO NOT SEAL. IF KEPT PROPERLY POOLISH WILL NOT GO OFF AS THE ALCOHOL ON TOP WILL PREVENT THIS.

Please let me know how you go with this recipe. If you have any questions just email me.Olga

Dairy free tuna and corn quiche

Hi

Here is my delicious quiche recipe. It can be made with cream or soy milk.

Tuna and Corn Quiche

Cooking time = 1 hr
Filling
1 x 185 g tin of tuna in brine – squeeze out brine.
1 x 440 g tin of corn – use only ¾ of the tin or use fresh and cut corn from cob.
5 eggs
1 small carton thickened cream (300g) (or for lo-fat recipe use light thickened cream) For dairy free use soy milk. For a larger quiche dish add a little more milk/soy. I use 450g liquid in total.
½ teaspoon salt
pepper to taste.
Optional – ¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese (omit for dairy free)
Base - 2 sheets of puff pastry (for dairy free use the puff pastry that is dairy free)
Nutmeg if using soy milk - sprinkle on top


Method
1. Thaw pastry sheets. Preheat the oven to moderate 180°C.
2. Open tins of tuna and corn but leave the lid just connected. Tip upside down, pressing lid on contents. Drain as much liquid as possible.
3. Lightly grease a flan tin. Tip a teaspoonful of flour in and shake around then tip out excess (the flour stops the pastry sticking).
Place one pastry sheet in flan so that it fits or at least fits one side. Use the other sheet to join where needed. To join - run wet finger along ends that are to be joined. Then slightly overlap and press until seal is formed. Trim any overhang keeping in mind that the pastry will shrink slightly when cooked.
Bake blind (no filling) for 25 minutes or till golden. (Rice or dried beans can be used to weigh down the base – place baking paper on pastry then tip in rice on top of paper). When cooked remove the rice with the paper.
4. Put cream (or soy milk, eggs into a bowl and beat well. Add tuna, corn, cheese, salt and pepper.
Pour into pastry, (if using soy - sprinkle a liberal amount of nutmeg) and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until set and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set on a wire rack to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Leave for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve warm.

This can be rewarmed if not eating immediately.
Keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Chickpea and rosemary pancake

Hi

Here is my last night's effort. It was very morish.

CHICKPEA & ROSEMARY PANCAKE time - 30 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chickpea flour or plain flour

3 teasp extra virgin olive oil

1 lge zuccini (I used the light green strippy ones), grated and squeeze out juice (otherwise it will cause the pancake to be soggy.

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

2 tabs rosemary, finely coppped

1/2 teasp chilli flakes

1/3 teasp sweet paprika

2 teasp ground cumin

1/3 can chickpeas, 120g when drained and rinsed

1 teasp sea salt

lemon

Method

Sift flour into a large bowl, add 1 cup water and whisk until smooth. Set batter aside to rest for 15 minutes.

Place 2 tabs olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook garlic for 3-5 minutes until it is just coloured. Add rosemary and spices and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Set aside. (The kitchen will smell devine.)

Blend chickpeas in a food processor (otherwise squash with the back of a spoon). Then add salt, grated and squeezed zuccini and chickpeas to batter and combine thoroughly.

Place 1 tab olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour in enough batter to evenly coat the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn over and cook a further 2 minutes or until both sides are golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

Optional - scatter pancake with some sea salt.

Optional - squeeze some lemon on top.

Optional - serve with mixed salad

Serve immediately.

Enjoy.

Christmas Cake - moist and yummy

Hi Something to get you started for the Christmas table. I made it today. The photo was taken while the cake was cooling.

Christmas Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

225g unsalted butter

265g brown sugar

500g mixed sultanas and currants

60g pitted prunes, chopped

40 g Pecans, chopped well

100g dried cranberries

50g mixed peel

125g glace ginger, chopped

2 teasp orange zest, grated

1 1/2 teasp bicarbonate of soda

375ml Marsala

3 large eggs beaten

1/2 teasp almond essence

100g wholemeal self-raising flour

125g white self-raising flour

225 plain flour

150g whole blanched almonds - to decorate

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170ºC fan-forced (190º C conventional). Line 26cm approx tin with baking or greaseproof paper.

In large cooking pot combine butter, sugar, dried and glace fruits, spices, zest and bicarbonate of soda. Pour Marsala over and bring to the boil over medium heat for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aide to cool for 15 minutes.

Add beaten eggs and almond essence, then stir in all the flours to combine.

Pour misture into prepared tin and decorate with almonds.

Bake for one hour 25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Remove from oven and cool in it's tin on a cake rack.

Enjoy with coffee or tea.

I teaspooned a little Marsala over it once per week to stop it drying out until Christmas.