Generally I catch myself about to name a bread “addictive” simply because it tastes good. That’s not the case right here — I actually struggled to not eat this whole, fairly giant, loaf in in the future. It’s so scrumptious and doesn’t want toasting or buttering, although doing so is gorgeous too. The bread is neither candy nor bitter, however is flavorful in a balanced and attention-grabbing manner. The feel can be completely squishy and studded with pecans and dried cranberries. I like to recommend you toast the pecans earlier than including them to the dough for optimum taste, and in addition attempt the teaspoon of honey within the egg wash on the crust for further caramelization.
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Whereas this bread appears like challah or zopf, it doesn’t have eggs, oil, or butter in it. The dough is just flour, milk, honey, salt, and sourdough starter; and it’s a variation on this recipe from just a few years in the past: Honey Whey Sourdough Bread with Sprouted Spelt.
There’s a comparatively bigger quantity of sourdough starter within the recipe to get the fermentation going. The honey additionally boosts the fermentation and doesn’t add noticeable sweetness to the ultimate bread. Through the use of milk to hydrate the dough and all goal flour as the first flour (70%), the crumb is sort of tender. In the meantime, the yecora rojo complete grain flour (30%) provides the dough extra power and the bread extra taste. You possibly can substitute any laborious pink complete wheat flour if you happen to don’t have yecora rojo, merely maintain again among the milk till you’re positive the dough wants it.
The Honey Whey recipe featured a 4-strand braid, whereas this bread goes with a 6-strand braid. You possibly can choose no matter complexity you need for braiding. Here’s a useful how-to video I discovered on YouTube (additionally linked to within the recipe directions) that exhibits braids from 3 to 9 strands. You would additionally form the dough as a sandwich loaf and bake it in a giant loaf pan if you need. The dough weighs 1.35 kg together with the pecans and cranberries and 1.18 kg dough solely, so that you’ll wish to scale down the recipe for a smaller pan. We’ve an FAQ on how you can scale recipes.
The beautiful braid and low-key baking technique (on a baking sheet at 350°F) are a pleasant different to crusty artisan-style breads, however you could possibly even form the dough right into a boule or batard, proof it in a banneton, and bake it at excessive temps in an enclosed vessel like a ceramic cloche or Dutch oven.
Be sure to take a look at the Picture Gallery after the recipe.
This braided bread is each lovely and delicious. The feel is squishy-tender from the milk and all goal flour; and the flavour is balanced and attention-grabbing with some complete wheat flour, plus the toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and trace of honey. It makes a formidable present bread, however you may wish to make your self one too.
Complete Time
1 hour, 45 minutes
Components
- 390 grams all goal flour (3 cups)
- 170 grams yecora rojo complete grain flour (1 1/3 cups)
- 400 grams milk, warmed to about 90°F (1 2/3 cups)
- 160 grams sourdough starter (2/3 cup)
- 50 grams honey (2 1/2 Tbsp)
- 12 grams salt (2 tsp)
- 90 grams dried cranberries (3/4 cup)
- 80 grams pecans, toasted and chopped (3/4 cup)
- for the egg wash, 1 egg overwhelmed with 1 tsp water or milk and 1 tsp honey
Directions
- Calmly toast the pecans and chop them if the items are giant/halves.
- In a medium measurement bowl, completely combine all of the substances besides the cranberries, pecans, and egg wash. Cowl the dough and let it relaxation for about 20 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough, cowl and let it relaxation one other 20-Half-hour.
- See this FAQ for photographs of the next directions on including the cranberries and pecans via lamination. Dampen a clear work floor and place the dough on it. Stretch the dough into a big rectangle. Somewhat tearing is okay. Unfold about 1/3 of the cranberries and pecans onto the center third of the dough, then fold over one aspect to cowl the additions. Unfold one other 1/3 of the additions over the layered portion of the dough, then fold over the opposite aspect of the dough to cowl the additions. Add the remaining cranberries and pecans to half of the dough. Fold in half and ball up the dough. Return it to the bowl, cowl and let relaxation 20-Half-hour.
- Carry out a ultimate spherical of coil folding or stretching and folding to additional distribute the additions and strengthen the gluten.
- When the dough has expanded by 50-100% (100% is doubled), finish the primary rise. My dough rose for five.5 hours in a heat lit oven.
- Determine how advanced you need your braid to be. I did a six-strand braid. Here’s a video on YouTube that demos 3- via 9-strand braids.
- Scrape the dough out of its container onto a clear work floor. Normally there isn’t any have to flour the bench at this level.
- Divide the dough and pre-shape every bit right into a ball or a brief log. Cowl and let relaxation 10-Quarter-hour.
- Roll the balls into lengthy tubes. Calmly mud the strands with flour, then braid as per video directions.
- Tuck underneath the ends of the braid and place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cowl with a evenly oiled piece of plastic or a barely damp tea towel and let rise once more for a number of hours. In a cool kitchen, my dough rose for two hours.
- Towards the tip of the ultimate proof, start preheating the oven to 350°F and prep the dough wash.
- Brush the dough with the egg-milk-honey wash and place it within the oven.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or till the inner temperature of the bread is over 190°F.
- Place on a rack to chill. Retailer coated to protect tender texture.
