Dates and Almond Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

260g distilled water

90g active sourdough starter

390g bread flour

5g diastatic malt

9g sea salt

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup chopped almonds

Directions

• in a large bowl add starter to water and mix well
• add in the bread flour, malt and salt mix well till well combined
• let it rest for 1hr
• transfer to lightly floured surface and round the dough then rest for another hour
• stretch the dough out as big as possible and sprinkle the dates and almonds
• round it up again and let rest for about 4-5hours till dough is double in size
• shape the dough and transfer to a banetton that have been dusted generously with rice flour
• let it rest for 1hr and then keep in the fridge for 2hours or more
• bake as usual in dutch oven (250°C covered for 20min and another 20min uncovered)

Foodnote: Ever since I learnt the simpler way to make sourdough bread and while my starter is getting very active, I decided to make something I've always wanted to try out.

Dates + Almonds = Super Yummy Sourdough bread!!

I think the malt helps makes the crumb softer and less chewy. This is really so delicious I will definitely make this again. Furthermore, it doesn't take long and minus the folding2 process. So happy that I decided to experiment with this yeay!! The bread also yield quite a big loaf... I'll be eating this for the next few days hehe.


Update 7 Oct 2022, Friday:

I really like to have sourdough with fruits and nuts so I made it again... this time with cranberry and almonds. I think I still love the dates and almonds combo. I split the dough into 2. One big one small. I have guests coming so baking it for them and thinking I will keep the small piece for myself. But when I see the guests enjoying the bread, I tapao it for them. I can always make this again :)

Simply the Easiest Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

140g sourdough starter

420g filtered water (or 434g for 72% hydration)

630g bread flour (or 80% 504g bread flour + 20% 126g whole meal wheat flour)

14g sea salt

5g diastatic malt

140g inclusions if required

Directions

• 
  in a large bowl, stir water and starter till evenly mixed
• add flour and salt and knead until all dry flour is gone
• round the dough as much as possible, cover the bowl and let it rest for 1hr
• fold NSEW 3x every 30min
• cover again and let it rise till double in size 
• (newly fed starter can double in size within 5 hours. Unfed starter may take up to 24hours or longer to double in size)
• transfer on floured surface and shape into loaf (I split the dough into 2 loaves) and place into banetton baskets
• proof for 1-2 hour, cover in plastic and let it cold retard in the fridge overnight (min 12hrs and up to 3 days)
• next day when ready to bake, pre-heat the oven with dutch oven to 230°C at the 2nd lowest rack
• once oven is ready, transfer dough onto a parchment paper and score
• carefully transfer parchment paper and dough into dutch oven, spray water over the dough and bake for 20min covered and 15-20 min uncovered with oven fan
• cool before slicing (I leave it for few hours to totally cool down)
• best to eat freshly baked but to store, just keep in container or bread bag at room temperature for up to 5 days (don't think it will last that long though hehe)
• do not keep in fridge but can store in freezer

Foodnote: Now testing this easiest sourdough bread from here. It just makes so much sense. I didn't really follow the steps to a "T" and adjust the schedule accordingly. I am already using a fairly active starter so the mixture was left to proof till dough double in size. I am supposed to use 21g sea salt but it looks too much so I reduced it to 16-18g. The dough proof very well in 2hrs and after shaping and leaving it for 1hr, I left it in the fridge for another 2hr or so because I want to bake it slightly later. I also spritz the dough before baking to create more steam.

I am so impressed with the outcome. Check out how beautiful the bread look with the oven spring. The taste is excellent and the crumbs just perfect. I can't stop eating with a spread of butter. Being used to soft bread growing up, I grew to like the texture and flavour of sourdough more and more each day. Love this recipe and will definitely make this regularly. Thank you Ben Starr!

Update on 22 Oct 2022: I added 5g of diastatic mall to the dough and practice my scoring. I updated the recipe with steps that I think help with the oven spring and crumbs looks much better. I am very happy with it. Again... I split the dough into 2 portion so I can bake it in my dutch oven. Love and this is going to be my goto sourdough recipe 💖.

Update on 28 Oct 2022: I used this recipe but this time halved the portion (because it is for my own consumption) and included balance "origins california treats + extra cranberries". Again the recipe did not disappoint and it turns out really well. Look at that beautiful bread. Ooowwhh... I want to eat sourdough bread everyday!! 😭

Half Ingredients using bread formulas (right side of this blog)

70g active starter

210g water (or 217g for 72% hydration)

315g bread flour (or 252g bread flour + 63g whole wheat grain flour)

7g sea salt

4g diastatic malt

Origins Health Food California Treat Fruits & Nuts mix

dried cranberries

Pulut Kukus Kacang Hijau (Steamed Glutinous Rice with Mung Beans)

Ingredients

250g glutinous rice (soak in warm water for 1hr)

40g mung/green bean (soak overnight)

200ml coconut milk (65ml Kara + water)

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp grated coconut

1 pandan leaf

Grated coconut sides

150g grated coconut

1 pandan leaf

1 tsp salt

^ combine all the above and steam for 10min

Directions

• spread the green bean in a steamer and steam for 10min
• in a cooking pan, mix the glutinous rice, pandan leaf, salt and coconut milk
• cook in medium fire and keep stirring till there is less coconut milk (not dry)
• remove the green bean to another bowl and steam the glutinous rice for 10min
• after 10min turn the glutinous rice, add grated coconut and the green beans
• mix well and steam for another 10min
• cooked glutinous rice can be shaped using any mould for presentation

Foodnote: Another comfort food that late mum used to make. Since I have some green beans and glutinous rice, decided to make this. I followed the recipe here because it makes a small portion and I can keep the rest. This food is quite rare and not one that can be easily bought outside. It is actually similar to lepat kacang so can also make this using black eyed peas. To eat with steamed grated coconut or any other dishes eg. rendang, sambal even gula melaka syrup.

Bubur Kacang Hijau (Mung Bean / Green Bean Porridge)

Ingredients

1 cup mung/green beans

1/2 cup gula Melaka 

1 tsp salt

1 pandan leaves

1 cup coconut milk (80ml instant + water)

4 cups water (adjust accordingly)

(optional: ginger, sago or durian. Can also add cornstarch if you want it a bit thicken)

Directions

• clean the green beans in a pot and fill with water about double the amount of beans
• cook and when it starts to boil, leave it for 5mins
• turn off the fire, cover the pot and leave for 30min
• after 30min, boil again for 10min (beans should soften by this time)
• add in gula melaka, sugar, pandan leave and salt and cook till the sugar dissolve
• mix the coconut milk making sure to keep stirring till boiling
• taste and add white sugar if not sweet enough

Foodnote: I have dried green beans or most commonly known as mung beans still in the packat in my pantry. Decided to try out this "secret" to cook bubur kacang fast without having to soak it overnight or few hours. Fast to cook and good to eat. It took overall about just an hour to cook it. I am so impressed that it works and will definitely make this again or try the same method to cook chickpeas or red bean to make gendang kasturi.

Basic No Knead Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

260g water

90g sourdough starter**

390g bread flour

9g sea salt

5g diastatic malt (optional)

Directions

• 
  in a large bowl add water and salt and stir using a spoon
• add in the sourdough starter and mix till all combined
• add in the flour (+ malt) and mix using a spoon and once it comes together use wet hands to mix
• cover bowl and leave for 10-15min
• transfer dough into workspace and turn it over and round it (it will still be sticky)
• leave for 5-6hrs fermentation
• after the bulk fermentation, transfer the dough onto the workspace dusting with just a little flour so it doesn't stick
• fold the dough gently to fit into the prepared banetton
• cover the banetton with plastic and leave it at the workspace for 45min
• keep the dough in the fridge for a total of 18hrs
• remove the dough from the fridge and pre-heat oven to 250°C
• baking with dutch oven: place dutch oven in oven while pre-heating. Transfer bread to parchment paper and score. Gently put bread with parchment paper into dutch oven and spray with water. Bake for 30min covered and bake again uncovered or another 15min with oven fan
• baking on tray (no dutch oven): transfer bread to baking tray with parchment paper and score. Spray bread and surrounding with water. Leave a stainless steel bowl with cold water at a side of the bread. Bake for 20min at 250°C. Remove the bowl of water and bake for another 20min with oven fan
• cool the bread on a rack before cutting and enjoy (just love mine with a spread of butter yummeh)

**Prepping and feeding my sourdough starter: My starter is kept in the fridge for months. I will let it out to room temperature for about 30min-1hr and then will take a scoop of what is available about 1 tsp and add equal amount of water (Perrier) and bread flour. Make sure that the total weight of starter will be more than needed. I will let it rest at the kitchen counter for 24hours and by then it will double up and ready to bake. Whatever balance starter, I will add and mix back with my precious starter to keep for next bake.

Foodnote: Been a while since I last bake sourdough bread. Saw the starter in the fridge. Since I am too lazy with many steps and process, now trying this recipe instead. Happy that my starter is still active. 

This inspired me to bake more sourdough bread again hehe. I don't have a dutch oven and don't intend to get one because it is very heavy. Hot+heavy... eerrr no thank you. I am using The Pioneer Woman dutch oven because it is very light and so pretty. I think my sourdough bread making skills have improved. Now my bread have nice ears and blisters on the skin which is very good. Hopefully next time I have better oven spring. Will practice again soon...

I usually enjoy eating sourdough bread with just butter but the next day since I have prawns and cheese, I just make a simple pizza bread in my air fryer. Yummy treat and not so sinful I think hehe.