[Recipe] Rosemary & Potato Sourdough

So I seemed to have accidentally taken a leave from blogging! I duno about you guys, but occasionally it hits me that people other than my friends & family read this thing… and then I get all weird and self conscious and want to burrow back into my hobbit hole. Which is crazy. Because this is the internet… of course someone is reading (ohai sinister governmental spying agency du jour!)

Anyway… I’m ready to crawl back out I think. Maybe.

Here’s a bread recipe I’ve been baking quite a lot this year. It’s inspired by the Mr Potato Bread loaf that I like eating from Bourke St Bakery so much. Because who doesn’t like to stuff carbs inside your carbs!

Rosemary & Potato Sourdough

Ingredients:

380g white bread flour
200g sourdough starter
200g water
10g salt

olive oil
A few baby chat potatoes (or 1 normal sized potato). Around 100g will do, but of course this will vary depending on your potato. Anyway is there such thing as too much potato? Just do what I do and eat the leftovers.
A generous sprinkling of rosemary
Poppy seeds (about a teaspoon)

Method:

The Potato:

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C

Cut your potato(s) into small cubes. I like to keep the skin on, but this will depend on the kind of potato you have.

Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and bake your potato cubes in the oven for 15mins. They should be just underdone (they’ll keep baking later on). When they’re done, transfer your potato cubes into a bowl and set aside to cool.

The Mixing:

Mix your flour, starter and water together in a large bowl.

Once the dough has come together, incorporate the salt. Knead using your preferred method until your gluten is developed (check this by making a gluten window).

Place your dough into an oiled bowl and cover with clingwrap. Let it rest for 20 mins.

Fold the potato, rosemary and sesame seeds into the dough. Keep folding until the ingredients are well mixed.

The Rise:

Place your dough back into your bowl, cover with clingwrap and let it bulk prove for another 2 hours. Give it a stretch & fold after 1 hour.

Preshape and leave to recover for 15 mins.

Final shape your dough. I like to shape this recipe into a boule. If you need help doing this, there’s a good instructional video here: How to Shape a Boule.

Place into generously floured round banneton (or a large non metallic bowl), seam side up. Cover loosely with clingwrap or a teatowel to stop them drying out.

Place into the fridge and let it prove in the fridge overnight (12-24 hrs)

The Baking:

The next morning – take your dough out of the fridge. Final proof until your dough roughly doubles in size. Check this using the “poke test” – poke the dough with your finger. If the indentation fills back immediately it’s underproofed, not at all then it’s overproofed. If it slowly fills up in a few seconds then it’s perfect!

Meanwhile, place a deep tray into your oven and preheat to 220˚C. Fill the tray with boiling water to create steam.

Dust loaf with flour. Slash and bake!

Bake for approx 45-50mins until the crust is golden brown.