This gem of a recipe comes from one of my favorite bread books, which I reviewed in a not too distant past: How to Make Bread. Such a simple and straightforward title, but it says all that matters. You will learn how to make great bread following the careful instructions of Emmanuel Hadjiandreou. This bread is perfect for the holiday season, its crumb decorated with intensely red dots of beets, that are coarsely grated and incorporated raw in the dough.
You may wonder if the bread turns out too sweet or with a strong flavor of beets? Not really. It is a sourdough still, but with a background of sweetness that is just enough to surprise your palate and act as the perfect supporting actor for a slice of Roquefort cheese. Sharp cheeses, eggplant relishes, anything with a nice bite and some saltiness will go extremely well with this bread. I happen to like it all by itself, slightly toasted.
For this large boule I used two beets, one medium, one small. One of the things I loved about this dough was the change in color as the dough proofed, starting with a gorgeous, intense purple, and getting more and more subtle as the fermentation went on.
The recipe for beetroot sourdough is very similar to the one I published with Emmanuel’s permission last May, except for the inclusion of grated, raw beets in the dough. But a more detailed step by step photos of the full process of making this bread can be found with a quick jump to Garlic Buddha blog, a nice virtual spot!
I like a plain and simple sourdough, but every once in a while it is nice to explore different flavors and stretch the horizons a little. Beets… who would imagine? 😉
I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting…
ONE YEAR AGO: Cod Filet with Mustard Tarragon Crust
TWO YEARS AGO: Soba Noodles: Light and Healthy
THREE YEARS AGO: Potato-Rosemary Bread
Bewitching Kitchen 
Sally! I think of all the gorgeous loaves I’ve explored on your site, this one hits me as the most inventive and beautiful… not only for the stunning beet (what a success!) but also the cover design… so, so, great! I can just imagine a warm slice of this beaut with a sharp blue cheese melting at its mercy… oh my goodness, I’m suddenly starving!! Gem indeed.
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we cut the bread in little squares and toasted them. It was very nice with cheese on top, a quick run under the broiler…. hummmmmm……
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A jewel bread… Stunning crumb and gorgeous pattern. And the suggested pairings sound perfect… Wow!
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My crumb was not as open as yours, one day I want to be able to bake together and learn from your technique! Wouldn’t that be fun? Well, it would be great for me…
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Wow! What an idea Sally. Perfect color for the holiday!
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I thought so too… the red dots all over the bread made it the perfect choice for the holidays. Phil already wants me to bake another loaf, this one is a goner!
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I’m intrigued that the color began pink and then changed.. that’s an interesting scientific sort of question for me:) Love this loaf.. and I’m imagining a slice with some roquefort this evening.. with a glass of red wine..
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Roquefort and Gorgonzola were the best pairings, in my opinion. Manchego was not bad either… 🙂 I love cheese!
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Absolutely beautiful bread. I love this recipe.
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I have to say I’m surprised by how much we liked it too, particularly Phil who is not that happy when I bring beets home… 🙂
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Men just do not seem to like beets as much as women. Some men do but my hubs hates beets.
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Interesting, I never thought about it in those terms, but I think it’s true – most of my women friends like beets and refer to the fact that their partners twist the nose at them… go figure! Must be in the Y chromosome!
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I’m amazed that you can get such a colourful looking cake with the humble beetroot. I still can’t even imagine what the taste would be like even though you said it’s still reminiscent of regular sourdough bread.
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A very unusual bread, but now I must make his chocolate sourdough and see how we like it….
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This bread is beautiful! As you know, we’re not fans of beets in my house, but I would try a slice of this bread. It might be a way that I would enjoy beets. The color in the bread is just lovely and perfect for this time of year. 🙂
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Phil is also the anti-beet by default, and he still loved this bread. I see recipes that use beet puree and the result is totally different: the color tends to be more intense in the crust. Very interesting…
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Hello, This is such a beautiful loaf! I wanted to make it and followed the link…and received this message *Blog has been removed
Sorry, the blog at garlicbuddha.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs.
Did you expect to see your blog here? See: ‘I can’t find my blog on the Web, where is it?'”
Is it still possible to get a copy of the recipe?
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Very sorry that the blog is no longer active – you can follow the steps I use in this recent recipe, but change it to grated beets and also don’t worry about the ascorbic acid (vitamin C) addition. That should work fine https://bewitchingkitchen.com/2020/04/27/the-power-of-chemistry-red-beet-sourdough/
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Sally, how beautiful!! I love the swirls on top especially!
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Did you notice the tiny letter S that formed on the very top? I thought that was cute… (cannot take credit for it, unfortunately!)
🙂
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Fabulous ! I keep meaning to try this one as you and Ray at Garlic Buddha rate it so highly and I can’t quite imagine how it would taste. I just made beetroot and onion dill salad, and the beetroots are a bit bland right now, so I might wait till we have had some frost and they sweeten up 🙂
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I think a sweet beetroot is a must here – looking forward to your thoughts on this bread!
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I love the purple studded throughout the bread. I’m SO not into beets but this looks so festive I”m going to have to try it!
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Do I detect a beet face thing going on? 😉
Just remember to pair it with sharp cheeses and you will enjoy it!
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oh it looks hearty and delicious. I love the flavors you chose for it and the pattern on top and around is just beautiful!
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Thanks, Jessica! I thought the pattern was pretty beautiful too, I guess a heavier hand with the flour inside the banetton just did it 😉
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I am crazy over breads and have made many, but have never seen this idea! Beautiful, brilliant and I can imagine how the minerally earthy flavour of the beet pairs with the sour dough! YUM!
🙂
V
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You said it perfectly: minerally earthy flavour! that is just it…
😉
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Stunning bread! The change in color is fascinating. Heading out to pick up beets now.
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Yes, indeed – the change in color was mesmerizing! I haven’t had luck with adding color to pasta using beets, but maybe I should give it a try, I might be on a better beet path 😉
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que perfeição!! bj
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Obrigada, Angela! bjs de volta proce tambem… 😉
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Thanks for the mention. I do like this bread and post about it again in August. However, people may be disappointed if directed to my blog as I have not given a recipe as I respect Hadjiandreou’s copyright. So I would suggest people add a handful of grated beet root to their favourite white sourdough or, better still, buy this wonderful book!
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I will rephrase that on the body of my post – like you, I don’t like to post a full recipe unless I get permission (which he gave me for the previous bread I blogged about). I still think you did a very nice job with the step by step photos, it is “almost” a full recipe 😉
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🙂 have you tried many of the other sourdough recipes? The chocolate sourdough is really unusual. But the cheese, chilli and coriander leaf is divine. My wife likes her chillis so I used extra fresh green chillis – lovely!
I do not live far from the School of Artisan cooking where Emmanuel works so one day I hope to do one of his courses.
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Oh, I hope you get to go and tell all about it, so I can live vicariously through you… 🙂 I had my eyes set on the chocolate sourdough, but now that you mentioned the cheese and chilli, I might go for it first. So many breads, so little time….. (sigh)
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Sally, this bread is so beautiful! I love the flecks of beet in the crumb, and that pre-fermented purple dough is so gorgeous! I’ve never really eaten beets before (although I did put them in a chocolate cake once…). Very nice loaf!
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You know I’ve been meaning to make a bread with apples from your site ever since you posted. My list of stuff to try is way too long, and my days way too short. Storr of my life
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I love the beet specks in the sliced bread!
For the longest time I hated beets but now I have made peace with them and in fact I buy them often but usually to roast them and use them in salads..Sourdough beet bread sounds really interesting
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Same for me, it took me a while to warm up for beets, but now I love them. Maybe Phil will get there at some point? 😉
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