100% gluten free, hence the crumb and profile of this bread, but such a complex flavour. A lot going on. Is it sweet, is it tangy, is it savory? Everything mixed into one. Soft bread like crumb but has quite a vegetable profile too. Was an experiment which is definitely a success.
I can imagine having a nice strong hard cheese with this and accompanying a glass of red wine.
Thank you Benny. I like going down the gluten free road every now and again because it makes me think outside the box. Using flours I’d never try otherwise.
I added a gluten free starter to this. Gotta say I’m thinking that red lentils alone have a spiciness to it. Combine that with sourdough starter and you get flavours galore. Quite a strong tang at first but becoming pleasant and giving way to an almost herb bread. When toasted it really shines. Bought some cheese as it’s definitely going to pair well.
I might drop the salt a but though next time. Used the usual 2% but I’m thinking of 1.8 or even 1.6%. it doesn’t need as much.
Also I’ve got an idea forming at the back of my head is to do something that is a cross between a spontaneous ferment, like fermenting in its own Buckwheat style, and a starter. So using the quick off the mark burst of fermentation in this basil starter to get the bread done in two days.
Somehow if I can infuse the basil starter into this bread I’m wondering what it’ll bring.
I like that idea @Fermentada. I’ve got plenty of red lentil and brown rice flour. Just made a rice and chickpea flour sourdough but I suppose it’ll take a few days to get the spontaneous rice and lentil ferment going which be in time to make another loaf. Do you have the recipe?
Ooh I’ve just had a thought. How about allowing it to ferment then putting in some sugar or honey to make a sweet pancake then having it with peanut butter and banana?
Well I haven’t tried it yet. So perhaps not if it’s as funky as you say
Not sure what kind of taste I was expecting. Maybe like making a waffle with sourdough discard. But perhaps because of the kind of fermentation it might not go together as well. Thought the honey or sugar might have made it more suitable.
Definitely more fermentation flavor and lacto aromas than a batch of sourdough wheat flour waffles. It’s been a while since I made them but I loved the sour and cheese flavors.
You know reading up and making these other “sourdough type” breads does help one understand the process a bit better.
Your recipe for buckwheat bread, injera, dosa etc are all made with what is basically the very early stages of a sourdough starter. The difference is the starter is turned into breads whereas in sourdough it’s nurtured further. It’s basically spoilage but it’s also the very beginnings of fermentation.
When we make a sourdough starter there is an initial burst of energy which in sourdough terms it’s bad bacteria but in dosa, injera etc terms it’s ready to make bread. Hence the cheesy flavour. I would think these are close to salt rising bread.
At this stage the starter is not acidic and all sorts of bacteria are flourishing. As the starter ages and it’s nurtured with feeds the lactic acid producing bacteria turn it acidic killing off the unwanted bacteria and then the yeasts turn up in far greater numbers. But that only happens in days 4 or 5. A sourdough starter is done when the acidity reaches a certain level, only good bacteria survive and it’s got a strong yeast population.
It’s the difference between fruit beginning to go bad and alcohol. These breads are made with the beginning stages of fermentation and sourdough is made with a fully fermented starter.
That’s the reason why in many of these breads bicarbonate of soda is added to keep it alkaline and allowing these bacteria to flourish. And why pineapple juice is often added when making a sourdough starter to give it a push in the right direction.
If you like the taste of these breads I can imagine you liking salt rising bread.
Hi Abe,
Thank you for the recipe
I need some help with my oblong loaf, maybe too much starter.
I have seen Melissa’s recipes between 400-500 grams of flour, with 100 grams of starter. However, this seemed to lead to over proof for me with my fridge. The frustrating thing is the round loaf rises well, just not the oblong.
Can you help?
A
