Lockdown 6 Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Lockdown

I love making sourdough!! Just let me open with that. I have had my sourdough starter for 7 years. This recipe is a basic, you will need to make a sourdough starter first before beginning (refer to the recipe below)

You will need to have fed the starter for two days in advance.

Please I’m telling you know if you have never made sourdough before IT’S AN EFFORT!

So only do this if you have time (if you’re in Lockdown, you got time how lucky are you)

I’m going to be fairly honest now, you probably will fuck it up the first time and second time and probably the third time.

When I first started making sourdough it took me almost a month before I was happy with my bread so be persistent and don’t give up, each time you will get better at understanding your starter and dough.

The temperature of the room, flour and water all play a part in making your sourdough amazing. If it’s a cold day it may take longer to rise, if it’s a hot day it may rise too quickly.

You will need a banneton to help with that all so sexy shape you’re after. You will also need a razor blade I don’t have the fancy holder thingy I just cut the thing.

I’m definitely not a baker but I know this recipe works just be persistent and in time you I’ll be an expert like me (chuckling to myself)

Depending on the flour you use you may need to add 50gm here and there the two brands I’m using are Manildra Group Plain Bakers Flour and a local dark rye stone ground flour.

 TIP: Whatever you do, no matter how wet the dough may seem DON’T ADD FLOUR all its going to do is absorb it and when you come to baking your bread you will end up with a really dense loaf. I sometimes bake in a dutch oven (pot with a lid) if you want to try this method here it is:

Dutch Oven Cooking Method - Preheat oven to 250 with pot and lid inside oven leave for 1hr

Remove your sourdough from the fridge, place on baking paper and score your dough however you see fit. being careful place the dough with the baking paper inside the dutch oven spray cold water around the outside of the sough but inside the pot creating steam, about 4 sprays, place back in the oven and bake for 25 mins. Remove the lid and bake for a further 25mins at a lower heat of 230. At this stage i like to play chicken with the loaf to see how dark i can get it!

Makes 1 large sourdough loaf

Ingredients

APPOX: 2 Days

200gm dark rye stone ground flour

400gm plain bakers’ flour

150gm active starter (fed for two days, twice a day, do the float test) 

400gm luke warm water (22 degrees)

Salt

In a large bowl place, the water and gently add the starter I do all the weighing on the scale as I make the bread. Again, the starter should be floating if not STOP NOW!!

Add the flours and with your hands mix well at this stage it will look a mess a very shabby dough. Leave to autolyse for 1 hour covered with a tea towel, this process allows the enzymes to work its magic without the interruption of fermentation. Read a book or something.

Aint to Shabby

After 1 hour you should see the dough change a little you can sometimes even see a slight rise.

Season the top of the dough reasonably with salt turn the dough out onto a somewhat wet surface (run your hands under water then flick water onto the bench, this will prevent the dough from sticking) now season the underside of the dough.

You are now going to perform a folding and rolling technique this is where you trap air in the dough creating little air pockets and layers for the sourdough to grow.

Take your hands and grab the top of the dough (furthest away from you) either side as if shaking out a tea towel gently stretch the dough out pulling gently, fold the dough over itself, be quick as you want to trap the air inside the dough. Repeat the process left side to the right, the bottom to the top and right to left.

You will have almost a sausage shape (if the dough sticks to your hands wet them and shake hands a little to remove excess water)

Take the dough from the sides in both hands and lift off the bench allow the dough to fall, bob your hands up and down the dough will stretch allow the bottom of the dough to fall closest to you, you should see some seams in the dough as its now upside down gently roll the dough over itself tucking it in as you go, repeat the sausage roll one more time.

Clean your bowl.

Wash your hands and wet accordingly, pick the dough up with confidence and gently ball it in your hands using your finger to tuck the dough in underneath itself. Place in the bowl top side up for 30 minutes covered with a tea towel. Repeat both folding and sausage roll technique over the next 4 hours every 30 minutes. If you see bubbles try not to pop them, it’s a good sign.

NOTE: Be careful how much water you add, you need just enough on your hands and just enough on the bench but not too much so it slips and slides do not ever use flour not at this stage anyway.  The temperature I like the room to be is 20-22 degrees that way I can rest my dough on the bench. If it’s cold place in an oven with a cup of boiling water next to it (not under it) or you could just place it in the microwave. 

You are now ready for the final shaping this time use flour on the bench not too much just a sprinkling, sprinkle the top side of the dough and save some for your hands. Gently pull the dough away from the bowl.

Take the edges starting from the top and pull them into the middle stitching them over each other. (make sure there is no flour on the underside of the dough so it sticks to itself)

With a large pastry card or being very bloody gentle flip the dough back on the top side cup your hands over the top of the dough with your pinkie fingers touching the bench pull the dough toward you a few cm and turn the dough a little, this should help shape the dough into a ball.

Flour a Banneton and using your pastry card or hands lift the dough into the Banneton placing it upside down. Cover and leave in the fridge to prove slowly for 12 hours. (you can let it sit in the Banneton at room temperature for 4 hours then bake, but I find it easier to work with when cold)  

Ready to Rest 12hrs in Fridge

Place a pizza stone in the oven on the middle shelf, on the bottom shelf place an empty tray. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees let it go for a further 30 minutes after pre heating, you want the oven and stone to be as hot as possible.

Once the oven is ready gently flip the dough out onto baking paper if it’s sticks a little give it time it will fall you can help it a little by taping the Banneton. Once the dough is on the baking paper score however you see fit.

Cute

Have a small cup of ice water at the ready. Working quickly open your oven place the dough into the oven on the baking stone still on the baking paper and then pour the water into the tray underneath (SHUT THE DOOR FAST) this will create steam allowing the dough to rise and help create the ever so important crust.

Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the heat down to 230 degrees and bake for a further 25 minutes, whatever you do DON’T OPEN THE DOOR TILL THE VERY END!!

Half Baked

The End!

Congratulation you have baked your first sourdough bread. Rest on a cake rack for 3 hours don’t cut into it until its completely cool (as tempting as it may be the dough inside will still need to cook through so let it rest)

You can dive in if you really, really want to, but I don’t recommend it.

Sourdough Starter

7 Day Process

Day 1. Mix 100gm stone ground rye flour with 150gm of luke warm water and cover with a loose-fitting lid leave 24 hours

Day 2. Remove all but 70gm of starter from the jar now add 50gm of plain flour and 50gm stone Rye flour then another 115gm of luke warm water. Mix and leave for 24 hours.

Day 3. It may or may not have risen repeat the process from day two.

Day 4. Repeat the process and this time only add 100gm of water.

Day 5. Repeat the process but leaving only 50gm of starter.

Day 6. Repeat the process but leaving only 25gm of starter.

Day 7. If you’re on day 7 and it’s not rising keep going with the removing and feeding for a few more days and it will eventually activate, trust me just be patient.

From day 7 you can now keep the discard and cook as a pancake instead of throwing it out. I love it with chili.

Your starter is now ready to use it doesn’t really matter the kind of flour you use as long as you begin the process with good ground rye flour every now and then I like to mix it up and add in other types of flour depending on what I’m baking.

Before baking I feed my starter for two days twice a day, especially if it’s been in the fridge. To test if your sourdough starter is ready to bake with I take 1 heaped teaspoon of the starter and drop it into a glass of luke warm water if it floats the starter is ready to use.

Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles If It Dont Float Dont Continue Making The Sourdough

 I also do this when I make my bread I first add my water and starter to see if it all floats, don’t even bother baking if your starter doesn’t float!!!  One thing to remember you have created a living culture so remember to FEED IT!!!  

Nona's Lamb Ragu Or Ragout ??

Lamb Ragu Not Drowned in Sauce Just The Way My Nona Made It !

Some people have asked me whats the difference between a Ragu and a Ragout? So Here it is no much! Read Below or if you want to skip the boring stuff get into the recipe and enjoy.

The difference between ragu and ragout isn’t really that much ragu is an Italian pasta sauce that is usually made with minced meat or vegetables and ragout is a French style stew that would normally be found on-top of a Paris style mash but the Italians would do this on-top of polenta. To be honest this is more of a ragout but because I’m serving this with pasta and its my Nona’s recipe today its ragu because that’s what we called it.   

In our house I cook lamb ragu at least once a month and I love using the lamb shanks as ill always keep some on the bone and serve it with a creamy mash potato or polenta you could also take this mix and make an Italian version of a shepherd’s pie.

My all-time favourite is pasta so what I’m giving you here is the recipe to serve a very large family so prepare for plenty of extras and trust me you will not be sorry.

I’m not going to ramble on about how to make your pasta but do me a favour and don’t drown the pasta in the sauce, let the sauce be one with the pasta so you can taste the actual pasta itself.

I’ve used spaghetti , a nice durum wheat style. (Dolce and Gabbana brand from Simon Johnson) This dish traditionally would be served with pappardelle but I’m not that big a fan I much rather a tagliatelle or linguini.

Finish this dish with a really good extra virgin olive oil I’ve used Lorenzo N.5 again from Simon Johnson. Two cheeses are great here Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano, if you like use a bit of both because that just adds another level of awesomeness and its 2021 so why the bloody hell not.  

Approx. 8hrs but for best results marinade overnight

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients

4 large lamb shanks

2 carrots, cut into brunoise

2 celery sticks, cut into brunoise

2 small red onions, cut into brunoise

4 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups red wine

4 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

300ml lamb or chicken stock, water is also fine

2 x 400g whole tinned tomatoes

100ml olive oil

To Finish

Salt and freshly ground white pepper  

1 bunch parsley finely chopped

1 packet of Spaghetti Dolce and Gabbana snapped or 2 packs of any normal pasta

Block of Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano

Lorenzo N.5 extra virgin olive oil or any one that you love  

Method

In a deep bowl place, the lamb shanks, carrot, celery, red onion, garlic, thyme and rosemary, add red wine and marinade over night or for at least 3hrs.

The next day strain off the lamb shanks and veggies keeping the wine. Pre heat the oven to 150 degrees. Grab a large heavy based pot or casserole dish, add half the olive oil and on a high heat seal off the lamb shanks until dark brown, set aside.

In the same pot add the remaining oil, veggies and cook for 15 minutes add the tomato paste and cook till split (the oil will come apart from the paste) add the wine and reduce by half, add the lamb shanks, cover with stock and tinned whole tomatoes. Bring to a boil and place in the oven for 3-hrs until shanks are soft and falling from the bone.

Strip the bones of the meat and shred being careful not to burn yourself. Remove the Thyme and Rosemary and discard. Simmer the sauce until reduced by almost half. At this stage I like to crush the tomatoes and squash some of the vegetables, add the Shredded lamb shank meat back to the sauce and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Place a large stock pot of salted water on the boil, add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes (if using Dolce Gabbana) or whatever your packet of pasta says cook 1 minute less. Drain the pasta and back in to the pasta pot add all the ragu sauce, mix well and add the pasta. Turn the heat back on high and cook for a further minute stirring regularly. Add the chopped parsley and remove from the heat taste for seasoning and serve immediately with the cheese of your choice grated on-top and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly torn basil is also a great addition here if you would like.  

As You Can See The Sauce is One With The Pasta Make Sure You Grab All The Bits From The Side Of The Pot

You could cook less pasta and save some of the ragu for another day or another dish this ragu will last about 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.   

Up Close And Personal Thats What You Want Everything To Stick To the Pasta

Roast Balsamic Lamb Shoulder

Roast Balsamic Lamb Shoulder

This dish is simple and easy to knock out if your looking to cook for a dinner party and not really feeling like putting in the effort. Add a few sexy sides and your on a winner every time.

On the other hand if you want to impress that someone special and go that extra mile follow the recipe below then try this.

Pull the lamb from the bone and season it with salt and pepper add some soft herbs, I like parsley, basil and mint.

Roll tightly in clingfilm to form a cylinder shape set in the fridge for at least 8hrs.

Strain the sauce pushing everything through the sieve place back on the heat and reduce to a thicker glaze add 100ml of demi glaze or a few Knorr jelly stock cubes and reduce again by a third.

Cut the lamb into steak size portions and re heat in the balsamic lamb jus over a low heat about 15mins baste as you go.

Once soft remove the plastic and serve a-top some parsnip puree, place the onions on the side and you have a really nice dinner for two with a tone of left overs for sangas the next day.

Roast Balsamic Lamb Shoulder

APPROX. 4.5hrs

Serves 6

 Ingredients

2kg Lamb Shoulder Roast, slit and studded with 6 garlic cloves

3 brown onions, cut into wedges

2 x 400g canned cherry tomatoes in tomato juice

125ml chicken stock

200ml dry red wine

150ml balsamic vinegar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Place in a large roasting pan.

Arrange the onion wedges around the lamb. Add tomatoes, stock, wine and vinegar.

Cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast for 2 1/2 hours until lamb is very tender and falling from the bone.

Increase the heat to 200°C.

Roast uncovered for a further 30 mins

Rest loosely covered for 30 more minutes

Serve whole at the table with lots of bread and a simple bitter leaf salad if you got the time.

Basting Away

Duck, Duck, Prune

Duck Breast With Prunes in Red Wine Jus and Chestnut Puree

Ingredients

Serves 4

Approx.1hr

4 duck breasts, scored in a diamond shape

Prunes in jus

100ml Armagnac

100ml red wine jus

100ml veal glaze

12 prunes

Chestnut puree

240g chestnuts, roasted and peeled

80ml thickened cream

200ml chicken stock 

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Red baby sorrel to garnish

Method:

 To make the chestnut puree place the chestnuts in a pot and cover with the chicken, stock boil until the chestnuts are falling apart and soft.  Strain the chestnuts keeping the liquid and blitz in a vita-miser or blender add a little of the cooking liquid but not too much. (about half a cup) Add the cream and blitz, pass through a fine sieve or drum sieve if necessary. Season with salt and pepper set aside keep warm.

Place the duck in a medium non-stick frying pan, skin-side down. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until medium rare. Turnover and cook for 1 minute. Set aside and rest for 4 minutes

In a pan place the Armagnac, red wine jus and veal glace, reduce by half and mount with a little butter. Add the prunes and allow to become sticky.

Trim the duck breast on both sides of the breast and cut down the middle. Presentation is up-to you. to serve I would normally allow a spoon full of puree three prunes and three baby sorrel leaves per plate.

Use chestnuts in winter, that’s when they are in season and at their best alternatively you can do the same with almonds and macadamia nuts. It’s important to season the chestnut puree fairly heavily it will take on lots of salt. You can also finish the puree with butter or lemon juice.

Baked Ricotta Gnocchi With Lamb Ragu

Baked Ricotta Gnocchi with Lamb Ragu

The Recipe below is one of the easiest home-made gnocchi recipes ever, you literally can make it from scratch in under 20 minutes.

If you really have time you could boil up about 1kg of potato and mash them into this mix for potato and ricotta gnocchi and that just really lifts this dish to the next level and gives the gnocchi a little more texture and making it a more traditional style Italian gnocchi.

Although if you are lazy like me sometimes store-bought gnocchi is fine too. Remember these recipes are guides for you to do what you want, simple dishes to make for your family and friends in the comfort of your own home with no dramas.

Essentially this is a Bolognese with lamb. Feel free to use veal, beef and even chicken can be a really good substitute. I’ve also had this with pork which is seriously yummy.

I remember my grandpa used to make his Bolognese with pork, beef and veal so you can do the old combo here as well.

I’ve gone for lamb as it’s what I had in the fridge at the time. A bold red wine like Barolo is great here but really any red will do, if you are like me you’ll want to cook with what your drinking and trust me Barolo here is the go to wine in my opinion.

Give this ago and even if it’s only two of you, you’ll have lunch and dinner for a week!

Ingredients

Serves 5-6 people

Time approx. 2hrs

For The Ricotta Gnocchi

450g whole milk ricotta cheese (drained of excess water)

3 egg yolks

1 cup (265g 00 flour)

3/4 cup (about 1 ounce) freshly-grated Parmesan

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Lamb Rague Bolognese

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large carrots, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

100g thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice

600g lamb, coarsely minced

3/4 cup of Barolo red wine (or any red wine you wish)

1 x 450g Italian tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juices reserved

1 cup chicken stock

1 bay leaf

150g buffalo mozzarella torn

60g pecorino cheese

Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Method

Bring a large stockpot of generously-salted water to a boil over high heat.

Add to a large bowl the egg yolks and ricotta and stir briefly to combine.  Add in the flour, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and stir until evenly combined.  Avoid over-mixing.  The dough will be a bit moist and maybe a bit sticky, but it should hold together.  If it feels too wet, just add in another few tablespoons of flour.

Shape the dough into a round disk with your hands, then transfer it to a lightly-floured cutting board and sprinkle the dough lightly with flour.  Using a knife cut the dough into eight even wedges.  Using your hands, gently roll out each wedge into an even log, approximately 3/4-inch wide.  Cut each log into individual bite-sized little gnocchi squares.  Lightly dust the gnocchi with flour once more and give them a quick toss so that they are all lightly coated with flour.  (This will help prevent them from sticking together.)

Being careful in two batches transfer the gnocchi to boiling water. Cook usually for around 30 seconds or till they float. Drain the gnocchi and set aside to cool.

For the lamb ragu In a medium size pot, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the carrots and onion, cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot. Add the pancetta and stir once or twice over moderately high heat until sizzling. Add the lamb and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is browned, 10 minutes. Return the vegetables. Add the red wine and simmer until evaporated, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken stock, bay leaf and Season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low, cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, cook for 45 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Set the oven to 180 degrees. Take 1kg of cold gnocchi and stir it through the ragu once evenly distributed and nice and saucy pour the gnocchi ragu into a baking dish big enough to fit all of the mixture in comfortably. Break over the buffalo mozzarella and grate over the pecorino generously.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with sourdough bread and lashings of extra virgin olive oil.

The Humble Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of my all-time favourite desserts my grandma used to make it when I was a child I still remember dipping the savoiardi biscuits while standing on the chair in the kitchen, yes it was made with the alcohol. To this day the smell of a short black in the morning reminds me so much of my grandmother’s tiramisu. This is my take on my grandmother’s classic Italian tiramisu. For something a little different I like to put the mascarpone mixture into a piping bag and pipe individual mounds atop the dessert! You could also make individual serves in martini glasses or tumblers. If You have blocks of chocolate you could also take a peeler and shave the chocolate into nice long shards like my grandmother used to, but I like the little flecks from a micro plane or grater I find it much more elegant. If you really wanted to shell out you could top with silver leaf or even gold leaf!

Ingredients

Serves 15

100ml warm water

380gm caster sugar

1kg mascarpone

180ml espresso coffee (S.P Signature Blend in Store Now)

60ml rum

200ml Frangelico or marsala one or the other marsala is more traditional

24 Italian sponge biscuits

1 tablespoon Callebaut cocoa powder

200gm block dark chocolate to shave or grate over the top

Method

Combine warm water with caster sugar in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, don’t stir the mixture for three minutes. At this stage it should have reached 112 degrees on a sugar thermometer you now have a sugar syrup.

Whisk egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until foamy. Then, with motor running, gradually pour in sugar syrup from a height and beat until mixture becomes thick and glossy.

Being gentle fold a ¼ of the egg white mix into the mascarpone to loosen, then whisk in the remining egg whites until combined.

Combine the coffee, rum and Frangelico (if using) then dip biscuits in the mixture, turning to coat both sides.

Place a layer of biscuit over the base of a 24cm round tin, approx. 4cm deep. Spread with half the mascarpone mixture, sift half cocoa over and grate over chocolate then repeat this process one more time but this time with the mascarpone place in a piping bag and pipe little mounds around the tiramisu and finish with cocoa and grated chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or until firm.

To serve, scoop out portions onto small side plates