Recipe: Rustic french sourdough bread with rosemary
I´m a sucker for good bread, the kind that has a great crust that crunches and a soft open interior with lots of airy pockets, but above all the flavor…
Ahh, the delicious bread aroma that fills the kitchen when you bake, or even the perfect perfume that meets you as you open the paper bag after a visit to the local baker.
I love bread, and even if I don´t eat it that often, when I do, I completely indulge for days, having it all by itself with just a side of good olive oil, and ocean salt.
I´ve been searchin high and low for a good bread recipe, the kind where you feel like
you´ve been to a french bakery and can feel the crunch as you hold it tight in your arms on your way home or simply whistle happy tunes as you bike home with the delicious and still warm bread in your basket.
Now, it´s like with all other things in life worth having, it´s not a quick fix, or a 30 min easy shortcut… if you want the real deal you have to put a bit of love and heartfelt effort into it.
Sourdough bread with crunch, air and flavor is a beauty that need time to become the best version of itself.
For real sourdough bread you need to get hold of a starter, but hi, you can make this in your own little kitchen too!
I´ve been loving going to Åpent bakeri in Oslo for my bakery fix whenever in town.
So I was thrilled to discover their bakery book that has many tasty ideas for how to make your starter as the ingredients you use in your starter does add a bit of flavor so it might as well be your favorite fruit!
Norwegian fall apples has a great aroma that I would use in my starter, but you can for instance use pear or mango too.
The following recipe is adapted from Åpent bakeri´s cookbook on bread called “Brød”.
(hi, but what the heck is a starter?)
Rustic french sourdough bread with rosemary
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Ingredients
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4,5 dl water
550g all purpose flour
25g medium rye flour
2,5 g yeast
2ts ocean salt
5g white sourdough (from starter)
Handful fresh rosemary or 3 tbs dry ones that you place in water to moisten them before using, about 15 min
Rye flour to sprinkle on kneading surface.
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How to make it all happen
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Remember that this dough is supposed to be light and a bit fluffy. Do resist the urge to add more flour or punch hidden inner aggression out in the dough…the kneading needed for this type of bread is more of a happy and quick hugging session with a loved one.
Also all the ingredients used to make this bread needs to be room temperature.
Mix all the ingredients in a kitchen aid holding back 1,5 liter water for a later use and the rosemary.
Have the kitchen aid run on low speed for about 6 min.
Gradually increase the speed while adding the remaining water little by little.
Leave the kitchen aid going and kneading the dough for another 20 min. (add the rosemary when there is about 10 min left, adding it little by little)
When the dough feel elastic, has a somewhat “shiny” surface and is soft to the tough it´s done.
Cover the kitchen aid bowl with the dough in with cling plastic and let the dough rest and rise for about 1 hour.
(In room temperature away from any cold draft)
After one hour, sprinkle some flour (rye) on a surface, pour the dough out and fold it once before putting it back in the bowl, cover it again and leaving it rest and rise for another hour.
Repeat the step above and put the dough back in the bowl to rest for another 1/2 hour.
After 30 min pour the dough out on a flour sprinkled surface (rye flour) and part it in two with a knife and fold each down over itself creating a round roll.
Plae your two breads on a baking tray that you have gently sprinkled some flour on, right where the bread goes, or use baking paper.
(No greasing with butter etc)
Let the bread rest and rise to twice its size before popping them in a pre heated oven at 220 degrees.
They willbe golden and done after about 30-45 min so do check on them from time to time.
When done, let the bread rest and cool off for a bit before serving them warm with some olive oil, balsamic di modena and ocean salt on a little plate or small bowl.
This is such a great little snack, or served on the table before dinner while serving a glass of wine.
This type of bread is also ideal fro a great sandwich due to its mild sour flavor.
Pick your favorite book or fresh off the press magazine and enjoy alone, tearing off delicious and chewy pieces of this bread while dipping it in the olive oil mixture above.
Bon appetit!
PS
If you are interested in making a started here is a great site.
For my rustic french bread above a white starter is recommended.
I´ll be posting on this as soon as my starter is done…as I´m making it from fermented apple peel!
Or you can just buy some or steal some from your local baker, like I did:)
