Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Walnuts

This is not your old school, sweet and soft-textured raisin bread. As a kid I loved an occasional raisin bread treat, a toasted thin slice swirled with barely a hint of sweet cinnamon and raisins. That loaf was fluffy, a close cousin to Wonder bread in taste and texture, and rare enough in our household to be a special treat. This sourdough version isn't even remotely relately to that insipid bread of my childhood. Ahhhh, this raisin bread from Emilie Raffa's book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple offers texture and crunch along with a distinct cinnamon flavor in every bite.

Raisin bread is not a new idea, 

Wikipedia notes "there have been published recipes for bread with raisins since 1671. Since the 15th century, breads made with raisins were made in Europe. In Germany stollen was a Christmas bread. Kulich was an Easter bread made in Russia and panettone was made in Italy. The earliest citation for "raisin bread" in the Oxford English Dictionary is dated to an 1845 article in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine."

Raffa's sourdough version changed my view of what raisin bread could be. I took a few liberties with her recipe on my first attempt and still ended up with good results. We are already anticipating the next loaves for breakfast slices and snacks.

Results from the first bake:

Crust: I'll admit that first crunchy bite was a bit of a shock when my food memory anticipated the squishy-soft bread of childhood. RL and I quickly adjusted our expectations and reveled in this altogether new slice. Yes, the crust was crackling hard on day one, but thin enough so no tooth was endangered. After overnighting in a plastic bag, the crust softened somewhat, but remained fairly firm on day two. There was no bread left for further comment, we ate it all quite happily.

Crumb: the interior was soft but not sandwich-bread soft. My first loaves were not as airy as those pictured in Raffa's photo; an issue for this cook to work on. Now that my sourdough Old Faithful is back in active form any missteps are definitely mine.

Filling: the ratio of cinnamon mix, raisins and walnuts was ample, providing a treat to savor in each bite.   

Taste: cool or toasted and spread with just a slather of butter, the bread seemed undersalted. A sprinkle of sea salt on top made a difference. Spread with cream cheese or berry preserves, salt was not an issue. 

Baker's Notes: 

• I do not own the long rectangular proofing basket or baking pot specified so formed two smaller loaves instead. One loaf baked in a round cast-iron dutch oven with lid, preheated at 400 F, and the second loaf baked uncovered in a glass loaf pan that was not preheated. The results were remarkably similar.
• When/if the cinnamon and sugar mix leaks out it will caramelize in spots on the bottom crust to form a rock-hard lava-like blob. Cut that mess away and toss - burnt sugar adds nothing to the bread experience!

• Soaking the raisins and walnuts did not keep the exposed bits from scorching on my loaves. Next time I will carefully poke them back in before baking. This round I just popped those few bits off before slicing.

With only two of us to indulge in a freshly baked loaf I'll put off a second round of baking for another week or two, but there will be more sourdough cinnamon raisin bread with walnuts in my kitchen soon. Sooner if I decide to share more loaves - anyone nearby want to share?

 Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Walnuts

slightly adapted from Emilie Raffa's Artisan Sourdough Made Simple.

makes 2 standard loaves

1/4 cup active sourdough starter
1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast (optional, added for insurance only)
generous 12 oz warm water
rounded 4+ 1/4 cups bread flour (Raffa used bread flour & whole wheat flour)
1+ 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/3 cup raisins, soaked to plump
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped large & soaked to soften

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 rounded tsp cinnamon

Day 1:
Whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt; stir to incorporate. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and rest for an hour. While the dough is resting soak the raisins and walnuts in warm water. Note: drain well before using!

Add drained raisins and nuts to the rested dough; knead briefly & gently to incorporate. Add a sprinkle or two of flour to adjust the consistency, as needed. Note: avoid adding too much flour.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise overnight until doubled in size (or 8 to 10 hours).

Day 2:
Place the dough on a lightly floured board & let rest for 15 minutes or more. Line proofing vessels with flour-dusted towels or sprayed parchment paper. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl & set aside.

Flour your hands and stretch half of the dough into a long rectangle. Brush the surface with water & sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mix evenly over the top. Leave a clean border around the rim for a better seal after rolling. Begin with a short side and roll the dough into a log. Pinch the ends to seal. Move to the proofing vessel with seam side up. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cover the dough logs and let them rest and rise again, 30 to 60 minutes. They will not double in size. Preheat the oven to 425 while the dough rests. Cut parchment paper to generously fit the baking pots if you used proofing baskets. Put the paper over the baskets, invert and remove baskets. Otherwise gently roll your loaves over, seam side down on their parchment bases. Gently poke any exposed nuts and raisins back under the surface to prevent scorching.

Dust the surface with flour; make 2 or 3 shallow diagonal slashes (shallow to avoid exposing the filling). Use the paper & lift the loaves into their baking pots.

Bake covered 20 minutes on the center oven rack. Remove lid and bake uncovered for an additional 30 to 40 minutes (aim for 190 to 200 degrees F at the center). Remove to a wire baking rack and cool for at least one hour before slicing.
   

Waffles: a Savory SouthWest Sourdough Version

Today, August 24, is National Waffle Day! Waffle on!

Not that I ever need a special reason to enjoy waffles, two waffle posts in a row might be a clue to that enthusiasm. Here is my latest waffle recipe, a Savory Southwest Sourdough Waffle. 

Some waffle factoids:

• This US holiday marks the day the first US patent for a waffle iron was issued. Instructions for waffles using irons exist from around the 14th century.
• General Electric offered the first electric waffle iron in 1911.
• Eggo frozen waffles were first sold in supermarkets in 1953.
• Belgian waffles made their US debut in 1964 at the New York World's Fair.  

We shared the first waffle hot off the iron. RL opted for butter and a drizzle of honey on his half, while I separated top from bottom and slathered my wedges with whipped honey butter. Mmmmmmm, bliss! 

Don't bother to make a half batch, you will want some to enjoy warm or cold another time. Warmed leftover waffles pair well with a bowl of your favorite chili or bean soup. Or enjoy them cold as sandwiches filled with cheese, salsa, avocado, corn salad, taco filling of any kind, etc. Leftover waffles freeze well and reheat easily in the oven or in a toaster (split in half if you make Belgian waffles). Homemade waffles have more flavor than Eggos and can be just as easy to reheat when you are in a hurry.

Waffles are more versatile than just a breakfast food. They make any meal, any day, a celebration. What's your favorite waffle?

Savory SouthWest Sourdough Waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup Sourdough Starter, recently fed and rested

1 Tablespoon sugar (helps to brown the crust)

1 egg

1/8 tsp salt

2 Tablespoons oil (canola oil or melted bacon grease)

optional seasonings: pinch of chile powder or splash of hot sauce    

1 cup total, mix of corn kernels, cooked black beans and diced sweet red peppers

scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Put the starter in mixing bowl; add sugar, egg and oil. Mix well with wood spoon. Thin with water as needed (starters vary in consistency).
2. Stir in the corn mix and optional seasonings (if you choose to use any).
3. Dilute the soda in a tablespoon of warm water. Add the baking soda at the last minute, when you’re ready for the batter to hit the iron. Fold the soda water gently into the sourdough batter. Do not beat it in heavily, you want to encourage the bubble formation, not defeat it. Bubbles will form as the batter lightens (increases in bulk).
4. Bake in a preheated, well-oiled (Belgian*) waffle iron until done. 
5. Serve on hot plates accompanied with flavored butter and/or warmed syrup.

*These will be tasty in any waffle iron, but Belgian waffles have extra deep holes to better hold any toppings.

Almost No Knead Sourdough Bread with Walnuts and Coconut Porter

This loaf was planned to accompany a pot of French onion soup for a Bread and Soup comfort food kind of meal, note the emphasis on the past tense. But the fresh sourdough boule, so warm and fragrant pulled straight from the oven, was totally irresistible. One little end slice cut off for a quick taste test turned into a series of "just one more bite" nibbles, and you can guess where that led. Oh yes, the intended bread and soup lunch turned into bread-with-butter snacks, then bread snacks with a dipping sauce of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and then RL tried a few bread slices with jam... and so it went, one slice after another. Forget the soup, we were full. No regrets; it was so delicious and onion soup will always taste better on the second day.

I had intended to follow the basic recipe for Sourdough No Knead Bread, until I found one lonely can of Coconut Porter hanging out in the back of the refrigerator. How long had it been there? Quick flashback to a can of Pumpkin Porter and and the 2014 pita bread recipe. "Hmmmm" I thought, "what would the Beeroness do with Coconut Porter?" 

Right, she would sip it and/or cook with it, with great enthusiasm. So I did both. It turns out that I appreciated Maui Brewing Company's can artwork more than I relished the taste of their beer. Coconut? what coconut? Coconut was a total stealth note, so well-hidden that I couldn't discern any coconut flavor at all, not even a hint. That's not a bad thing in a glass of beer, in my opinion, but I had hoped for something faintly tropical. Coconut flavor was also absent in the bread, but this sourdough walnut loaf was damned tasty comfort food without it. And that's a good thing!

Sourdough No Knead Coconut Porter Bread with Walnuts

adapted from several versions of the Lahey original (Cook's Illustrated, NYTimes, Seattle Times, etc.)

3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup well-fed & proofed sourdough starter 

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 ounces) water at room temperature

1/2 cup (4 ounces) coconut porter (beer)

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and rough chopped

Whisk flour and salt in large non-reactive bowl. Add the starter, water and beer. Use a rubber spatula or dough scraper to fold the mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, or for 12 to 18 hours.

Place a 12- to 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside a 10-inch skillet and spray with cooking spray (PAM, etc.). Set aside.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; add the walnuts and fold or knead until the nuts are evenly distributed. Shape into a ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer the dough, seam-side down, to the parchment-lined skillet and lightly spray the surface of the dough with cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. (It will not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2-3 hours in a warm kitchen.)

30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to the next-to-the-lowest position, place 4 to 6-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with its lid on the rack, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Lightly flour top of dough; use a sharp knife to make one or two 6-inch long, 1/2-inch deep slits along the top of dough. Carefully remove the heated pot and lid from oven. Pick up the dough by lifting the parchment paper overhang and place it into the pot (let any excess parchment hang outside the pot over edge). Cover the pot and place in the oven. 

Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake until the loaf is deep brown in color and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 210 degrees F, about 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove the loaf from pot; transfer to a wire baking rack, remove the parchment and cool to room temperature before slicing.

Sourdough Crumpets

Crumpets anyone?

"Crumpets are the quintessential, afternoon tea treat, served warm with lots of butter. The soft, spongy crumpets we know today, reputedly, come from the Victorian era and are very different from early, flat griddle cakes. It is the extra yeast in the batter which creates the soft texture and the myriad of little holes on the top (so perfect for soaking up the butter)." link

Crumpets have never graced a plate in my kitchen. I've read references to English tea and crumpets, but have never held or tasted one. The commercial packages of crumpets at the local grocery look uninviting, more like wimpy, anemic cousins of the extra-crispy English muffins that I love. Now how's that for an unfair, blatantly uninformed opinion?! Sourdough Surprises chose Griddle Breads for the September 2015 challenge, prompting  me to give this griddled yeast bread a try. 

The ingredient lists and directions I found in various online recipes were simple enough. Crumpets sounded more like fat pancakes or thin English muffins - easy peasy, right? Well, not quite. As with so many seemingly simple things, the devil is in the details. Batter consistency, the amount of batter per crumpet ring, griddle temperature and the decision to flip or not to flip can drastically alter the appearance and texture of these round, crater-speckled little disks. Success is apparently to be measured by the quantity of holes on the upper surface. 

I chose an old 1991 recipe I found online at the King Arthur Flour site (link). In my experience, King Arthur recipes rarely fail. Old Faithful, my sourdough starter, was refreshed, rested and ready for action, hanging out at room temperature on the counter near the stovetop. A heavy, well-seasoned cast iron, smallish mixing bowl, a silicone whisk and six metal muffin rings rounded out the equipment list. Ready, set go!

The simple batter called for four ingredients: 1 cup of sourdough starter, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Poof! a gazillion carbon dioxide bubbles form to fluff up the batter. My starter is fairly stiff, so I added 3 tablespoons of milk to loosen up the batter to a more pancake batter-like consistency. Why milk? I had read somewhere online that crumpets typically include milk whereas English muffins call for water. 

Lightly grease the griddle or heavy skillet and the inside of each metal ring to minimize sticking (use well-washed tuna cans if you don't have crumpet rings). Preheat the pan and the rings for several minutes over low to low-medium heat on the stovetop. (I used a setting of 2.5 out of 8 on my electric range)   

Ladle or pour some batter into the greased rings, filling no more than half way up (a scant 1/3 cup in each). This allows some space for the batter to rise. Cook over low to low-medium heat until the tops are set and bubbles stop forming (4-5 minutes on my range). Remove the rings and flip; briefly cook the second side for a minute or two to set up and add color. 

Set the cooked crumpets aside, regrease the metal rings and repeat the above cooking steps with the rest of the batter. I added a few more tablespoons of milk to to the remaining mix to see if a smaller quantity of a looser batter would produce more holes. This time I ladled only 1/4 cup of batter into each ring.

This second batch produced thinner crumpets with fewer holes. What? The looser-batter test results were inconclusive, since the baking soda may have lost its lifting power oomph over time. No problem with taste however, these thinner disks still rated two thumbs up with RL as he ate one straight from the skillet.  

Thin crumpets are tasty enough hot off the griddle, but are even better when toasted, rendering them fairly toothsome and crispy throughout. Fatter crumpets emerge from the toaster with crisp exteriors and soft, almost fluffy interiors. Blame it on my existing love affair with English muffins, but I like to split the fat muffins in half before toasting to crisp up the insides a bit more and minimize the soft texture. Add butter and honey and you might discover that crumpets are so good you can't eat just one. Go ahead, see for yourself. Then click over to Sourdough Surprises and check out this month's griddle cakes from other kitchens.

Sourdough Crumpets

recipe from King Arthur Flour

yields 6 crumpets

1 cup sourdough starter at room temperature

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water or milk

1. Lightly grease the heavy griddle or skillet and the inside of crumpet rings (or well-washed tuna cans). Preheat on stovetop over low to low-medium heat.
2. Place the cup of starter in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle the sugar and salt over the starter and stir in.
3. Dissolve the baking soda in 2 tablespoons of warm water and add to the starter. Whisk or stir into the starter. When the batter lightens and fluffs, you are ready to cook.
4. Ladle batter into each ring, filling no more than half full. Cook over low heat until the top sets up and bubbles quit forming, usually 4 to 5 minutes or more. 
5. Remove the rings and flip to cook an additional minute or two on the second side.
6. Set aside on a baking rack while you cook up the rest of the batter. 
7. Toast and spread with butter and/or honey. Enjoy!