A gorgeous tangy sourdough loaf with purple sweet potato swirled inside! A super fluffy interior with a delicious crispy crust, you really can't go wrong. Purple sweet potatoes aren't as sweet as orange sweet potatoes, so this bread still falls into the savory side of flavortown :D
Watch this video as a guide before attempting this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjmd9uIQwOA
My loaf was 79% hydration, 774 g
The recipe is here, and pictures of the process are below:
Ingredients:
78 g wholegrain rye sourdough starter (or other starter) at its peak rise
310 g bread flour (mine is Robin Hood brand, 13% protein)
40 g whole wheat flour
8 g uniodized salt
268 g room temperature water (70-80°F)
75 g mashed purple sweet potato, or lumpy mashed purple sweet potato
Rice flour for dusting
Directions:
Day 1:
Notes: I fed my starter 2x a day (every 12 hours) at a 1:1:1 ratio for 2 days before starting this recipe. This indicates how long you will need for the feed before making the bread and for the autolyse. My room temperature from step 1 to step 15 was between 68-72°F. Be aware that your fermentation time might change depending on the room temperature. Here are the steps with a tentative time table (feel free to adjust):
6 a.m. Feed your sourdough starter at 100% hydration and a 1:1:1 ratio. I did 30g:30g:30g (I use Rogers brand coarse dark rye flour). Cover and rest, you'll add it to the dough when it's at its peak rise. My room temp was 68°F.
6 a.m. In a medium mixing bowl mix together the 310 g bread flour, 40 g whole grain flour, and 258 g water until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest, this is an autolyse. Total autolyse and starter rise time: 4 hours. If your starter takes longer to rise you can extend the autolyse or simply feed the starter earlier.
Prepare sweet potatoes: While the autolyse and levain are underwa, prepare the sweet potato. You can roast the whole potato at 400F for about 1 hour, or until easily pierced with a fork, and then peel and mash it. Or you can peel and steam it in a steamer or microwave (I used the microwave, see pictures below). I think roasting is the best way to get the most flavor. There are two options, mash into a fine puree, or leave it slightly chunky. I left it slightly chunky so there were pieces of potato in the bread, but finely mashing it would create beautiful color swirls.
10 a.m. Once the starter is at it's peak, add 78 g starter to the autolyzed flour + water. Then use stretch and folds and (or the Rubaud method if your dough is loose enough) to mix the starter in until completely combined (6 minutes).
Cover and rest 30 minutes at room temperature (mine was about 70°F).
10:30 a.m. Sprinkle the salt over the dough. Add 10 g water. Dimple the salt into the dough and once folded in mix for 6 minutes until the salt is completely combined. I did a stretch and fold method around the circumference of the bowl.
Cover and rest 30 minutes at room temperature (mine was 70°F).
11 a.m. Take the dough out and do a strong fold (4 folds) on a clean countertop. Then shape back into a ball and put back in the bowl.
Cover and rest 30 minutes at room temperature (mine was 70°F).
11:30 a.m. Perform a lamination while also incorporating the potato (see pictures below as a guide). Either spread the potato on the dough, or add small pieces of potato. To perform the lamination, take the dough onto a clean surface and stretch in to the largest rectangle you can, stretching out from the inside of the dough, not pulling too hard on the outer edges. This takes time, about 3-5 minutes and be patient. Try not to create areas that tear or are too thin.
Then add about 1/3 of the potato in the middle, distributing it evenly. Then fold 1/3 of the dough inward (like a letter), covering the potato, pressing down and removing any air bubbles. Then sprinkle the next 1/3 of the potato on top of what you just folded over and fold the other third of the dough over, pressing down as before. Finally, sprinkle the last 1/3 of the potato evenly on top. And fold and tightly roll up the dough while avoiding creating too many airbubbles (see video linked above and pictures below). Place the dough, seam side down, in a clean Pyrex or glass (heavy bottom) dish.
Cover and rest 2 hours at room temperature (mine was 69°F). Note: if your dough flattens a lot after 1 hour do a coil fold at 11:30 am and one again at 12:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m. Do a coil fold (see video linked above).
Cover and rest 2 hours at room temperature (mine was 69°F). If it's raising fast then consider shortening these 2 sets of 2 hour rests.
3:30 p.m. Lightly dust the counter with flour. Flip the glass Pyrex dish upside down and let the dough fall out on it's own. Then shape the dough into a boule or batard. I used this tutorial to shape my batard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_mzSDCT6Kc Place the loaf top side down in a banneton that's been well floured with rice flour.
Cover and rest 2 hours at room temperature (mine was about 68-70°F), or until it passes the finger poke test in multiple locations (poke a finger in about 1/2 a cm or 1/4 inch and if it slowly springs back and leaves a slight dent it's ready).
5:30 p.m. Place the covered banneton in a refrigerator on a lower shelf for 12-18 hours (I did 15 hours, my fridge was 37-40°F).
Day 2:
Morning or early afternoon: Place the Dutch oven in an oven on the middle rack. Optional: Cover the oven's heat vent or steam vent (mine's the left back burner) with a heavy cast iron pan to trap in more heat.
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Once it reaches 500°F let it continue heating for 30-45 minutes before you add the loaf into the Dutch oven.
Once the oven is very hot, take the dough out of the fridge and flip top side up onto prepared parchment paper (see picture below). Quickly score the loaf, remove the Dutch oven from the oven, and lower the bread in side. Optional but recommended: use a spray bottle to spray the inside of the Dutch oven several times to create steam, or drop an ice cube in. Quickly cover the Dutch oven with a lid and return to the oven.
Bake 15 minutes.
Quickly remove the Dutch oven lid and if your loaves tend to burn on the bottom place a thick baking tray on the lower shelf to avoid this issue (and also remove steam vent cover if using). Lower the oven temperature to 450°F.
Bake another 20-30 minutes uncovered ( baked another 25 minutes), and if it browns too much lightly cover it with tin foil. Note: the bread can burn easily so check the bottom of the loaf every 10 minutes or so.
Once baked, immediately remove the loaf onto a wire rack and let cool 3-4 hours before cutting into.
Store the loaf in an airtight container for up to 24 hours, or in the refrigerator up to 6 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. I like to slice the loaf and place it in a large Ziploc bag and suck the air out for both storage methods.
Makes 1 loaf, feel free to double the recipe but split the dough in half before the lamination stage!
Day 1:
Add water to the flours (day 1, step 2)
Mix together, this is the autolyse mixture (day 1, step 2).
Feed your starter (day 1, step 1).
Rest the autolyse mixture and starter together until the starter is at its peak (day 1, step 2).
While we wait for the levain and autolyse, we can prepare the sweet potato! First peel the potato (day 1, step 3).
Cut into 1 inch pieces (day 1, step 3).
And steam it (day 1, step 3), which I did with a microwave, but you can also use a steamer and/or roast the whole potato and then peel it, whichever you prefer!
After steaming (day 1, step 3).
Then mash into small pieces (day 1, step 3). You can also puree it and get more of a colorful swirl in the bread rather than adding chunks of potato to the dough.
The starter is at it's peak, next we can add it to the dough! (day 1, step 4).
The autolyse mixture after resting (day 1, step 4).
Add the starter to the autolyse mixture (day 1, step 4).
And mix until completely combined (day 1, step 4).
After resting 30 minutes (day 1, step 5).
Then add the salt (day 1, step 6).
After completely mixing in the salt (day 1, step 6).
After resting 30 minutes (day 1, step 7).
Take out onto a surface because next we will do a strong fold (day 1, step 8).
After the strong fold (day 1, step 8).
After the strong fold, shape it into a ball and return to the bowl (day 1, step 8).
After resting 30 minutes (day 1, step 9). Next we do a lamination!
Take the dough out (day 1, step 10).
Stretch as thin as you can into a square or rectangle (day 1, step 10).
Add 1/3 of the potato in the middle (day 1, step 11).
Fold one side over like a letter, squeezing out airbubbles and sealing the potato in (day 1, step 11).
Add another 1/3 of the potato (day 1, step 11).
And fold the other side up like a letter (day 1, step 11).
Put the remaining potato on (day 1, step 11).
And roll it up and seal! Minimizing airbubbles as you go (day 1, step 11).
Place in a clean pyrex dish (day 1, step 11). Then rest 2 hours.
After resting 2 hours. It hasn't grown or flattened a lot (day 1, step 12).
After doing the coil fold (day 1, step 13).
After resting 2 hours (day 1, step 14). Next we will flour it and do the final shape.
Flip the container upside down to release the dough (it may need some help) onto a lightly floured surface (day 1, step 15).
After the final shape (day 1, step 15).
Side view of final shape
Place in a well floured banneton and add more flour (day 1, step 15). Next we'll rest it one last time.
After resting 2 hours (day 1, step 16). It passed the poke test, time for the refrigerator!
Day 2:
The next morning the dough looks like this! Slightly puffier. The oven is preheated so it's time to bake!
Scored right before baking.
Score, side view
Midway through baking, after removing the lid.
After baking! Immediately remove it to a wire rack to cool :D
Letting it cool.
The side view, a decent oven spring!
Once fully cooled you can cut into it.
So pretty!
Very cool :D