BEETROOT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Beetroot Sourdough Bread image

This bread is unique and beautiful, and also quite delicious. It works well for sandwiches and toast, and is also perfectly moist and interesting by itself.

Provided by Melissa Johnson

Categories Recipes

Time 1h55m

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

25% Whole Grain Beet Bread
100g cooked beetroot (one small-to-medium sized beet)
300g bread flour (~2 1/3 cups)
100g home-milled Kamut wheat berries or whole grain Kamut wheat flour (3/4 cup flour)
275g water, divided (100g to help puree the beetroot, 110g into the dough, and 65g reserved in case the dough is too wet)
120g sourdough starter (~1/2 cup)
9g salt (1 1/2 tsp)
500mg crushed vitamin C tablet(s)
100% Whole Grain Beet Bread
150g cooked beetroot (one medium sized beet)
200g home-milled red fife wheat berries or whole grain red fife wheat flour (1 1/2 cups flour)
200g home-milled hard white wheat berries or whole grain hard white wheat flour (1 1/2 cups flour)
275g water, divided (100g to help puree the beetroot, 110g into the dough, and 65g reserved in case the dough is too wet)
120g sourdough starter (~1/2 cup)
9g salt (1 1/2 tsp)
1000mg crushed vitamin C tablet(s)

Steps:

Mixing
Combine a portion of the water in the recipe with the beetroot and puree until smooth in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender.
Using a mortar and pestle or a mallet and a plastic bag, crush the vitamin C tablet(s) and add the powder to the beetroot puree, mixing thoroughly to dissolve.
Combine all of the ingredients except the 65g reserved water into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add some or all of the reserved water based on your preferred dough hydration.
Gluten Development
Over the next two hours, stretch and fold or coil fold the dough with about a half-hour rest in between each session. If possible make one of the later gluten development sessions be lamination. The dough is likely wet enough that you won't need water on your counter. Here are videos of the various gluten development techniques.
At about the three hour mark, refrigerate the dough overnight (or 8-12 hours) in order to develop even more strength. You can also skip this step and simply continue the bulk fermentation until the dough has expanded by 50-75%.
Pre-Shape, Bench Rest & Shaping
In the morning, preshape the cold dough and let it rest uncovered on your counter for 20-30 minutes.
Prep your you banneton liner/tea towel with plenty of flour.
Shape your dough into the loaf type you prefer. Here's are a variety of different shaping videos.
Flour the top of the shaped dough, flip it into your banneton, and cover.
Final Proof & Baking
Let the dough final proof for about two hours at room temperature, possibly longer if your kitchen temperature is under 70F and shorter if you didn't do the overnight refrigeration (cool dough).
Preheat your oven to 500F for 30 minutes with your baking vessel inside.
When the preheat is complete, flip the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, score it, and load it into the baking vessel.
If using a clay baker, bake the bread:
20 minutes covered at 500F
10 minutes covered at 450F
5-10 minutes uncovered at 450F
If using a cast iron vessel, add a sheet of foil under the parchment and bake the bread:
20 minutes covered at 500F, then add a baking sheet directly under the vessel
10 minutes covered at 450F
5-10 minutes uncovered at 450F
Let the bread cool for about 2 hours before slicing.