Sourdough Morel-Garlic Bread
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Master the art of artisan bread making with this incredible sourdough morel-garlic loaf. It captures the essence of French tradition, beginning with a natural starter, stone-ground flour, and a rich broth infused with morels. Sautéed morels and garlic are folded into the dough, which is then mixed slowly for 30 minutes to develop its structure. Finally, the loaves undergo a slow, 14-hour proof, resulting in a complex, aromatic bread with an exceptional crust and crumb.
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Mushroom and Garlic
- This recipe is suitable for all types of dried mushrooms. Avoid the use of fresh mushrooms. For the dough, use garlic that has been roasted or confit or pureed and sautéed in mushrooms.
Stoneground Flour vs Cylinder-Milled
- Stoneground flour is whole grain flour produced by grinding grain between two millstones. This traditional method contrasts with modern roller milling used for mass-produced flours. As a result, stoneground flour retains more of the grain's natural nutrients and fiber compared to cylinder-milled varieties. It also lends a natural, pleasant color to the crumb.
Refreshing Leaven
- Always calculate the amount of starter needed for your daily baking accurately, ensuring you have enough to carry forward for future batches.The day before mixing bread, combine water, natural starter, and flours in a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes until the ingredients come together. Then increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing for 7 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Form the dough into a tight ball (no extra flour needed) and place it in a large bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Then, refrigerate it overnight. Alternatively, the dough can be stored overnight at 15°C (59°F).
- Take out the amount of fermented starter (leaven) required for your recipe. Reserve the remainder to refresh for future baking.
Morel-Garlic Mixture
- Chop the drained, rehydrated mushrooms.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms and garlic until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock to halt the cooking process. Allow the mixture to cool completely before incorporating it into the bread dough.
Sourdough Morel Bread
- Remove the portion of leaven needed for the mushroom bread. Use the remaining leaven to refresh your starter, then discard any leftover portion after feeding.
- Add stocks into the mixer bowl along with the yeast and the starter.
- Add the flours and begin to mix on low speed for 15 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the hook periodically. This helps incorporate the ingredients more evenly and allows the dough to come together into a cohesive mass more quickly.
- After 10 minutes mixing, add the salt and knead for 15 minutes more (reduce the kneading time by two if mixing on second speed).
Windowpane Test
- A successful windowpane means the dough can be stretched thin enough to become translucent without tearing or breaking. You should be able to see light through it—like a "windowpane." This indicates the gluten is strong, elastic, and well-developed.If it tears easily or won’t stretch thin, the dough needs more kneading (or more time if you're using a no-knead or stretch-and-fold method).
- Add the mushroom-garlic mixture into the dough; mix until fully incorporated.
Bulk Fermentation
- Cover the dough with a damp towel. Let it proof for 45 minutes.
Dividing & Resting
- Transfer the dough over your floured countertop.
- Divide it into four 600g portions.
- Gently form each portions into gently tight rounds, cover and let relax for 20 minutes.
Shaping
- Shape the dough into loaves, taking care not to make them too tight. For a detailed guide to loaf shaping, click here.
- Arrange bread over the floured bakers couche, and seam side up.
- Cover loaves with damp fragrance free kitchen towels to prevent a crust from forming. No need to cover the bread if using a controlled fermentation chamber.
Proofing
- For the best mushroom bread, proof the loaves slowly at 8°C for 16-18 hours, or at 12ºC for 10-12 hours until doubled in size. Alternatively, for a more flexible schedule, you can proof at room temperature (about 21°C) for 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight (8-10 hours) to complete the fermentation just like it goes when refreshing your natural starter. This cool proofing method is specific to naturally leavened bread that goes to an extended and cool rising process. When proofed seam-side up on a floured couche, the loaf develops a light skin on the surface in contact with the linen. After flipping and scoring, this setup facilitates better oven spring, resulting in a more open crumb and a thicker, crisper crust.
Baking
- Position a pizza stone on the lower rack of a conventional oven. Preheat the oven to 480ºF (250ºC) for at least 30 minutes.
- Uncover the proofed loaves and dust some flour on top. Using a pizza peel or a narrow wooden board like used in bakeries, gently lift the edge of the baker's couche and flip the proofed loaf onto the peel (skin side up).
- Carefully slide the loaf onto the preheated pizza stone. At home, you can bake two loaves at a time.
- Score each loaf deeply to allow for optimal expansion. Quickly spray water into the oven chamber to create steam, then shut the door immediately. Reduce the oven temperature to 430ºF (220ºC) and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven off, prop the door slightly ajar, and leave the loaves inside for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- To check if bread is fully baked, knock on the bottom of the loaf. It should look dark brown and sound hollow. Finally, transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely.
Mushroom Bread Pairing
- Mushroom bread (toasted or not) is the perfect accompaniment to eggs, risotto, roasted veggies, salads, pâté, red meat, fish and poultry like the amazing chicken breast with morel sauce.
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