For Easter and to celebrate spring, today (and yesterday) I made a sourdough brioche kinda dough. Since it has egg, milk and butter in it, I was a bit worried whether it might prove/rise alright. I was happily surprised when I got the dough out of the fridge this morning. I think the high temperatures here (an extraordinary 24°C for this time of year) and a bit of sugar in the recipe helped.
Although the dough was a bit hard to work with - and it was my first attempt at it, haha - I managed to shape it into these animals. They´re supposed to be bunnies, cocks and little birds (I have to admit those could pass for little seals as well though )
150 gr starter 100% hydratation (will try 100 gr next time)
450 gr flour
250 gr milk
50 gr butter
25 gr sugar
1 egg
10 gr salt
Raisins for the eyes
Some egg yolk and milk to brush on
Active starter mixed with the milk and egg (kept some milk separate to mix with the salt later on);
Flour and sugar mixed;
Mixed it all together;
Added the butter bit by bit;
Covered it and let it rest for 1½ hours;
Mixed the salt with the leftover milk and added that to the dough;
Bulk rise for about 4 hours with an occasional stretch and fold;
Overnight retard;
Devided the dough, shaped it, brushed the milk/egg yolk on;
Baked at 200°C till golden brown;
Immediately brushed some milk on it and let them cool down.
@charlesvk, you seriously have a lot more patience than I do! Those are adorable. I’m happy if my simple loaf of bread comes out correctly, LOL! And here you’ve fashioned little animals!
@charlesvk, you’re right! Every time I bake bread, I find it to be a deeply spiritual and healing experience. I actually feel that way each time I feed my sourdough, Cyril. I talk to him, feed him, thank him for being my sourdough and baking such wonderful breads. As he sits on the kitchen counter, eating, I love watching him start to bubble up and then grow bigger in his jar. I call him “my happy little starter.” So yes, IMHO there is definitely more to baking bread than just baking bread!
)
