THREE TAKES FOR SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Two focus on their looks, using a very basic formula I love. The third one focuses on flavor, mixing cranberries and pecans for a truly special loaf of bread that is sure to please you…

For the Red Striped and the Lace Decorated Loaves, I used this basic recipe.

CRANBERRY-PECAN SOURDOUGH
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

450g bread flour
50g whole wheat flour
75g sourdough starter (stiff or 100% hydration)
10g salt
360g water
75g pecans, finely cut
60g dried cranberries
tapioca flour for scoring (optional)

Mix all ingredients (except the nuts and cranberries) in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead gently for about 4 minutes (first or second speed maximum).

Transfer dough to a lightly oil bowl and do a bulk fermentation with 4 folds made 45 minutes apart. Before you start the fermentation , remove a very small amount of dough to a small glass container (like those that hold spices), and mark where the level of the dough is with a permanent marker. Keep that at room temperature to monitor fermentation.

On the second folding cycle, open the dough slightly over the countertop and spread the cranberries and nuts all over it. Gently fold it al in. Don’t worry about working the dough too much, it will be ok during the next two folding cycles.

After the last folding cycle, keep an eye on the fermentation using the small vial. Ideally you want to let the dough ferment until it is double in size. Depending on the day, temperature of your kitchen, it might take 8 hours or more.

Once bulk fermentation is over, shape the dough as a batard and place in a banneton. Move it to the fridge, covered, and leave it there overnight.

Next day, freeze the dough for 30 minutes in the banetton, to make it easier to score later. Invert the dough on a paper liner, sprinkle tapioca flour all over, rubbing it gently. Score with a sharp razor blade.

Bake in a Dutch oven with the lid on at 450F for 30 minutes, open and allow the bread to brown for a further 15 minutes.

Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Nine out of ten times my sourdough is very simple, no additions, just the basics. But every once in a while it is nice to change things a bit. This combination is heavenly. A bit of Roquefort on this baby and you are transported to a park in Paris – I am thinking Jardin du Luxembourg – sitting on the most perfect lawn, people watching and day dreaming. We will always have Paris…..

RED STRIPED SOURDOUGH

This was super simple and turned out just the way I expected. I used a stencil and Red Yeast powder (available here). Then it is just a matter of making one deep score in the center, and baking…

LACE DECORATED LOAF

I need more practice with this technique, although I think a lot has to do with the thickness of the lace used. Some fabrics might work better than others. Still, it is a fun method to play with, just grab your lace, place on the surface of the loaf, add flour and gently lift the lace. Add a few scores around, and bake.

I hope you’ll get inspired by this post, so feed your starter,
and go have some fun!

1 YEAR AGO: Easter Bakes

2 YEARS AGO: Bicolor Ravioli

3 YEARS AGO: Crispy Asparagus Salad with Toasted Bread Crumbs

4 YEARS AGO: Low-Carb Super Fast Chicken Parmigiana

5 YEARS AGO: Sundried Tomato Spelt Sourdough

6 YEARS AGO: A Duet of Chocolate Bonbons

7 YEARS AGO: Chocolate Tartlets with Honey-Caramel Filling

8 YEAR AGO: Zucchini Soup with Tahini

9 YEARS AGO: Black Sesame Macarons

10 YEARS AGO: Fine Tuning Thomas Keller

11 YEARS AGO: Cauliflower Tortillas

12 YEARS AGO: Majestic Sedona, Take Two

13 YEARS AGO: Secret Ingredient Turkey Meatballs

14 YEARS AGO: Swedish Meatballs and Egg Noodles

15 YEARS AGO: Italian Easter Pie

7Feb2026

VALENTINE’S SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

You can use any recipe you are fond of, the scoring is not intricate so you can even increase a bit the hydration level if you prefer. You will need parchment paper cut with a heart shape (save the heart and the outside area), and a stencil with little hearts. I used Red Yeast Powder to add color, but air-brushing would also work. I love how the little white heart popped into the design, totally by accident! Serendipity at work…

VALENTINE’S SOURDOUGH
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

450g bread flour
50g whole wheat flour
75g sourdough starter (stiff or 100% hydration)
10g salt
360g water
Thai rice flour (or tapioca flour)
Red Yeast Powder for color (I used this one)

Mix all ingredients in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead gently for about 4 minutes (first or second speed maximum).

Once bulk fermentation is over, shape the dough as a round ball. Place in the fridge overnight.

Next day, freeze the dough for 30 minutes in the banetton, to make it easier to score later. Invert the dough on a paper liner, add the heart shape in the center, and flour the region around it (I used Thai rice flour). Lift the heart shape, place the larger parchment as a mask to cover the rest of the dough. Add your stencil, making sure it is tight on the surface. Rub Red Yeast powder over the design, lift the stencil carefully. Score the perimeter of the heart and the outer area of the dough, and place in a Dutch oven.

Close the pan and bake at 450F for 7 minutes. Remove the lid, go back and re-inforce the cut around the heart, although this step is optional. Close the pan and bake for 30 minutes, open and allow the bread to brown for a further 15 minutes.

Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was a lot of fun to make, although I could have done a better job keeping the stencil tighter to the surface for a sharper edge around the little hearts. Here is the full process…

First, get the parchment paper cut and the stencil ready.

Now start by placing the heart on the top of the loaf, fresh from its little rest in the freezer… Rub flour all around.

Lift the stencil, revealing the heart underneath with no white flour on it…

Place the parchment paper as a mask hiding the areas outside the heart, the stencil on top of it…

Rub the red powder over the design…

Gently lift the stencil, score the dough and you are ready to bake!

I close this post with a baking memory from 2023 (click here for full details)

ONE YEAR AGO: Yogurt and Pistachio Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Chinese-Style Orange Chicken goes Light

THREE YEARS AGO: Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Quinoa

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Savory Phyllo Pie

FIVE YEARS AGO: Nut-Free Lady Grey Macarons

SIX YEARS AGO: Mini-Heart Cakes for your Valentine

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Blue Moon Milk

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Slow-Cooked Chicken Meatballs

NINE YEARS AGO: Zesty Flourless Chocolate Cake

TEN YEARS AGO: Maple Pumpkin Pecan Snacking Cake

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Sweet Fifteen!

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Sesame and Flaxseed Sourdough

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Green Beans with Miso and Almonds

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Saturday Morning Scones

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: White Bread

26Nov2025

BAKING WITH THE HEART

Posted in Breads, Cookies by sallybr

This is the time to focus on everything we are grateful for.
Cook with love, bake with love. Share. Repeat.

DRAGON FLOWER SOURDOUGH LOVE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

STENCIL from Sourdough Fever, available HERE

480g bread flour
20g spelt flour
16g dragon flower powder
10g salt
350g water
75g sourdough starter (70-100% hydration)

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the two types of flour, the Dragon flower powder and the salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. If the dough is too sticky, add a maximum of 1/4 cup flour, you want the dough to start clearing the sides of the bowl, but still be sticky at the bottom.

Remove from the machine. Get a small piece of dough and place in a little glass container to follow fermentation (optional, but highly recommended). Transfer the dough to a container lightly coated with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 2 hours, folding every 30 minutes or so. After the fourth folding cycle, let the dough sit at room temperature until doubled in size, following the progress in the small amount of dough removed.

Shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours or even longer, if you prefer.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F. Invert the dough over parchment paper, carefully place the stencil on top, and dust with flour. Make sure to rub the flour well into the design, a small brush is helpful. Lift the stencil and place the dough in a Dutch oven.

Bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is actually my second loaf with the Dragon flower powder, the first one was beautifully pink inside, but this turned out marbled and light. Cannot quite figure it out, it was the same exact formula and method. Oh, well. Still absolutely delicious, no change in flavor, maybe the crumb has slightly more moisture, the bread is a bit more tender than a sourdough without the powder.
.

Moving on, I share a series of cookies that center on a message of love….

Royal icing lavender base; details in piping consistency white. Fondant rose detail.

Scalloped edge heart cookie. Iced in two tones of Dusty Rose. Details in piping consistency gray.

Dusty Rose for the base icing. Details in dark Dusty Rose, piping consistency, same for bead border.

Inspired by a little reel I saw on Facebook. Shape cut by hand. Iced in two stages, wet on wet details, and piping consistency dark Dusty Rose. Fondant for the detail at the bottom.

Two-toned heart. Once again using Dusty Rose as the main color. Details piped in white. White pearls for bling.

Stencil + Air-brushing over cookies iced with pure white.

For a different take, a little pastel green. Details in piping consistency white.

I hope you enjoyed this little round-up of love in baking format. And don’t forget, always follow your heart!

ONE YEAR AGO: Fall-Inspired Vanilla Cupcakes

TWO YEARS AGO: Bake it Better with a Friend

THREE YEARS AGO: Bison a la Mode de Bourgogne

FOUR YEARS AGO: Masala Mashed Potatoes

FIVE YEARS AGO: Lessons from Tanya: Sugar Cookie Silhouettes

SIX YEARS AGO: Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Thighs

SEVEN YEARS AGO: White Chocolate Mini-Mousse with Sugared Cranberries

EIGHT YEARS AGO: You Say Ebelskiver, I say Falafel

NINE YEARS AGO: Happy Thanksgiving!

TEN YEARS AGO: Two Takes on Raspberries

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Spice Cake with Blackberry Puree & The Global Pastry Review

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

17Aug2024

SHIROI KOIBITO BISCUITS

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

I’ve flirted with the idea of making these Japanese cookies for a long time, but finally took a deep breath and went for it. I consider this project a work in progress because there is room for improvement. And also, there are so many other shapes and options of fillings to make them. BUT the most traditional kind is Shiroi Koibito, that translates as White Lover. So the biscuit is white and the filling is a square of white chocolate. The filling is never spread inside but instead it is formed using the exact same mold that the biscuit component was formed with (I used the square one from this set). Such a cute concept!

SHIROI KOIBITO BISCUITS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

50 g softened butter
50 g powdered sugar
50 g all-purpose or pastry flour
1 egg white
100 g white chocolate for the filling

Heat oven to 350F.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until soft, gradually add in the powdered sugar, egg white and flour. Mix until you get a smooth batter.

Spread the batter onto a square chablon stencil placed on a baking tray lined with silicone mat, or parchment paper (I prefer silicone mat). Use a dough scraper to remove the excess dough. Lift the stencil carefully. Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes until the edges become slightly golden.

Temper the white chocolate then pour on the same chablon stencil (washed and fully dried). Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set completely. Remove the chocolate squares from the stencil and assemble the chocolate square on the cookies with some melted chocolate.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The trickiest part of this recipe is baking the squares homogeneously. It is easy to get some a bit too dark whereas others are not yet there. But removing them as they get ready is not feasible, they are too delicate to lift while warm. So maybe turning the baking sheet around more often is going to help. I will try it soon. Many recipes I’ve seen around omit tempering the chocolate, but I advise you to bite the bullet an temper it, or else use compound chocolate to make life easier. I don’t have much luck trying to melt white chocolate in the microwave and keep it at temper, both me and the chocolate and up losing it. If you have that skill, go for it!

This is the exact same dough used to make the famous French cookie called Langue de Chat (Cat’s Tongue). They are delicate, crunchy, thin, and delicious. I can hardly wait to make Shiroi Koibito again!

ONE YEAR AGO: Mini-Cakes, Two Ways
TWO YEARS AGO: Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
THREE YEARS AGO: Summertime Macaron Duet
FOUR YEARS AGO: Pain de Mie Dressed up for Party
FIVE YEARS AGO: Five-Stranded Bread
SIX YEARS AGO: Green Olive Salad
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Coffee Macarons Dressed up to Party
EIGHT YEARS AGO: Blogging Hiatus
NINE YEARS AGO: Tomato Tatin
TEN YEARS AGO: Headed to Colorado!
ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Farofa Brasileira
TWELVE YEARS AGO: Thai-Inspired Pork Tenderloin
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Summer’s Tomatoes
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Leaving on a jet plane…

10Apr2024

FLOWER STENCIL SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Inspired by great bakers who share their work on Instagram, this is my version of sourdough decorated with wafer paper made into stencil thanks to a paper puncher. A special thank you to my friend Dorothy for bringing wonderful baking ideas to my radar…

You can use any bread recipe you like, mine was a very simple formula (480g bread flour; 20g whole wheat flour; 75g sourdough starter at 100% hydration; 350g water; 10g salt). Use the method described here.

To decorate the bread, you will need a paper puncher like one from this set. Cut two strips of wafer paper and punch the design. Make it in a way that they can criss-cross and keep the design flowing (I actually used scissors to make final adjustments. Once your bread is ready to bake, lay the wafer paper on top, dust with flour (I like to use tapioca flour for that), gently pull the paper out, and score some pattern with a razor blade. Bake as you normally do. Steps are shown below.

The possibilities are of course endless! You can paint the flowers, use different shapes to make your stencil, add it to batard shaped bread, so many things to try…