No fixed formula, no fixed soft white bread slices.
Sourdough.
Sourdough bread is bread made with a cultured starter instead of standard bakers yeast.
The bacteria strain is wild and free and undoubtedly healthy.Being introduced to a myriad of bacteria does wonders to your immunity.
I'm sort of getting obsessed with healthy and healthier bread these days. Maybe its all to do with the big container of Ragi /Nachni grains I asked someone to buy for me from down south-organic grain from Andhra Pradesh ,India.
And lets face it , the breads are coarse.I can make myself eat them-all in the name of good health ,but its a little difficult to convince sweet child to eat it.
An uphill task it is , but I seem to have found a way with sourdough.
This blog post was lost in a viral infection and a relapse of a viral infection that sweet child went through in the last one week.Somewhere all cakes and cream gave way to chicken broth and toast and sourdough bread.
The viral relapse has left me exhausted, wanting some TLC myself...these are the times I just want to scream out Loud "I want my Mommy!!!".
So ,I bake.
With a vengeance.
For the
Sourdough Starter
You need to start at least 2 days before.
you need
1/4 + 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Nachni or Ragi flour
warm water
pinch yeast
patience
Mix the first 1/4 cup flour with about a cup of warm water in a glass jar or bowl with a lid ,you need a batter like constituency. Add the yeast and cover and place in a warm place over night.
Next morning, add the 1/4 cup of wheat flour and some more water to the fermented batter. You are cultivating wild yeast to make a totally unique bread.
Artisan.
Allow this batter a day and the next day add the ragi or nachni flour and give it about 6 hours before your quest for the best bread begins.
Refridgerate what you don't use and feed the starter regularly.
36 hours after and some refrigeration later my sourdough was good to go.
For the
Artisan again,Sourdough-Whole Wheat and Ragi/Nachni bread...
You need
3 cups more or less whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ragi or nachni flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp honey or a tsp of sugar
1 cup warm water
3-4 tsp olive oil or any vegetable oil - I used Canola
11/2 cup sourdough starter
Place 1 cups of the whole wheat and all the ragi or nachni flour in a large bowl and add the salt , honey ,warm water and the starter.
Stir together with a spoon.
Knead this gently adding in the oil and a little of whole wheat flour as needed.Tip the dough onto the work top and knead stretching it to ease the gluten.
You may add a tsp or two of warm water.Knead the dough well ,not too dry nor too wet.
Place in an oiled bowl and cover and allow it ti ferment or cure for about an hour or two. When the dough is double , tip it out into the workspace and gently knead it.
Cut into two and roll into loaves tucking the edges under.
Place on a greased baking tray and cover.
In about an hours time heat the oven to 200°C . Place a steel bowl half filled with water on the last shelf.allow the oven to heat for at least 10 minutes.
Pop the baking tray in and wait dor 35 to 40 minutes.I have tried slashing my bread with the sharpest of blades luke Matt Moran, however, every time the stabs look like failed attempts at assassination.
Anyways, 40 minutes and my bread is done.
Knocking on the back of the loaf tells you how well it has baked. A wee brush of butter is not going to harm a sandwich....
Cover and cool and slice when needed.The flours are dense, so the bread is hardly going to float...
But it has a distinct character, a tangy after taste that goes well with soups.
It needs no butter and makes a mean French Toast, open Bruschetta wannabe and can take the attack of a spoon or two if peanut butter.
And its healthy.Carbohydrates, topped with protein and a low fat spread make a wonderful meal.
This is our favorite way to toast bread. Drop some butter on a hot pan and place a slice of bread on it. The bread will be buttery, toasty and soft and is a great snack or breakfast option.
The sourdough starter must be fed daily and a loaf or two made in a few days for optimum health.
I fed the sourdough starter ground oats once... not that it developed into a stallion , but it's great for cleaning up the arteries.
So eat all the cream and red meat you want , but come back to clean up and detox with an artisan whole wheat Ragi sourdough bread soon.
PS Sweet Child is now attending school after mocking me for panicking... I don't think he will forgive the 20ml blood loss that I instigated for testing for infectious diseases though...
Well, we live in hope...
So what are you baking today???
Note:This recipe is a variation of what I saw in MasterChef Australia...what I forgot and what I remember,I know not...but this works.
