ZUCCHINI SOURDOUGH BREAD

Zucchini Sourdough Bread image

Zucchini is a flavorful and nutritious addition to sourdough bread, adding antioxidants, a light vegetable note to the aroma and taste, and greenish-black speckles to the crumb. It is great as a sandwich bread, to accompany a main course and, of course, with butter.

Provided by Melissa Johnson

Categories Recipes

Time 1h25m

Number Of Ingredients 21

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Ingredients

Simple Zucchini Sourdough
500g bread flour (4 cups)
265g cooked and mashed zucchini; slice and microwave it (or saute) and do not strain out the liquid (1 heaping cup)
115g water (1/2 cup)
80g sourdough starter (1/3 cup)
9g (1.5 tsp) salt
Rye Zucchini Sourdough
350g bread flour (2 3/4 cups)
150g whole grain rye flour (1 1/4 scant cups)
220g water (1 scant cup)
200g cooked and mashed zucchini; slice and microwave it (or saute) and do not strain out the liquid (1 scant cup)
80g sourdough starter (1/3 cup)
9g salt (1.5 tsp)
Rye Zucchini Sourdough with Toasted Sunflower Seeds
350g bread flour (2 3/4 cups)
150g whole grain rye flour (1 1/4 scant cups)
265g cooked and mashed zucchini; slice and microwave it (or saute) and do not strain out the liquid (1 heaping cup)
125g water (~1/2 cup and 1 Tbsp)
80g sourdough starter (1/3 cup)
60g toasted sunflower seeds; toast the seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat for 2-3 minutes (1/2 cup)
9g salt (1.5 tsp)

Steps:

Mix the flour, zucchini, and water. Cover to autolyse for about 1 hour.
Add the leaven and salt to the dough, pinching and kneading to incorporate the additions. Cover and let rest for 30-40 minutes.
After the rest, begin a series of 4-6 stretch and folds every 20-30 minutes. During the second stretch and fold, add the toasted sunflower seeds if that is the recipe you are making.
Cover and let bulk ferment for a total of 6-12 hours from when you added the leaven. The time will depend on your room temperature and starter strength. My Simple Zucchini Sourdough and my Rye Zucchini Sourdough with Toasted Sunflower Seeds fermented for 6.5 hours at 76F. My Rye Zucchini Sourdough fermented 6 hours at 77F.
Scrape the dough onto a well-floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour and stretch/press it into a rectangular shape. Fold it in thirds and then in half as per this video.
Cover and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes while you prep a basket/tea towel with all-purpose and rice flour, or bran flakes. If you are making the toasted sunflower loaf, consider sprinkling untoasted sunflower seeds into the basket or at the next step, rolling the top of your shaped loaf in sunflower seeds before placing it in the basket.
Flip the dough and shape it into a boule or batard, depending on your baking vessel. Lay it in your basket seam side up for smooth scoring, or seam side down for a rustic look.
Let the dough proof 1-3 hours at room temperature, or 6-10 hours in the refrigerator. My Simple Zucchini Sourdough and my Rye Zucchini Sourdough with Toasted Sunflower Seeds proofed for 2 hours at 76F. My Rye Zucchini Sourdough proofed 1 hour at 80F and 1.25 hours in the refrigerator.
Thirty minutes before the end of the proofing stage, preheat your oven to 500 F with the baking vessel inside. (Follow the temperature limits of your baker.)
Flour your hand and flip the dough out of the basket. Gently place it in the hot baking vessel. Score the top, cover, and bake:
500 F for 30 minutes lid on
450 F for 10 minutes lid off
Or until the internal temperature is over 205 F.