Not Just a Dough But a State of Mind: Flavoured Glutenfree Sourdough Bread

“When I hear somebody say ‘Life is hard’, I am always tempted to ask ‘Compared to what?'” Sydney J. Harris

Sourdough is a special thing. It requires hard work and experience, but – indeed – every bite worth the effort that its making. Even in itself sourdough has a tangy, special, deep and unique taste, however, flavouring the basic bread recipes (made of flour, water, yeast and salt) and enhancing with other ingredients that change the characteristics of the final product – including the texture, flavor, and colour – creates remarkable bakes.

Ingredients, such as eggs, duck fat, oil or nutmilk change the texture of the crumb and crust and provide a richness of flavour that is often lacking in basic breads. Some flavoured breads may include ingredients that simply add flavour to the bread, such as herbs, spices, sugar, honey, nuts, whole grains, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and even meats. Some breads contain both enriching and flavouring ingredients and may be almost a meal in themselves.

The flavour of a bread, I believe reflects the baker’s passion for the baking process. By putting creativity to its best effect, the baker becomes a creator, an artist of the taste, with an own distinctive signature on every cake, bake or bread. This creation is a sensory, emotional and technical journey into a personal fulfillment. Sourdough is not just a dough but a state of mind, a life style. Sourdough is not just a dough, it requires time, love, precision, attention and devotion.

“Luck is great, but most of life is hard work.” Iain Duncan Smith

Ingredients
240 g gluten free sourdough starter poolish (100 g flour, 100 g water, 40 g mother starter, mixed and left fermented for about 4 hours)

100 g white glutenfree flour
150 g tapioca flour
150 g sorghum flour
110 g millet flour
1 Tbsp salt
200 ml water
40 ml olive oil
1 tbsp psyllium husk
4 large eggs, lightly whisked
1 tsp harissa
1 tsp ginger
1tsp chilli flakes

Method
In a large bowl, stir together the starter, water, and eggs. In a separate bowl mix together all dry ingredients. Add the oil to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Slowly, gradually pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour just slow enough that it can be gradually mixed, approximately a cup at a time and mix before each addition. Let the dough sit out in a warm place for at least a few hours, preferably 3-4. Divide the dough as chosen and place into baguette trays and small bundt pans. When shaping, gently place the dough on parchment paper on a flat surface, not to disturb the dough to much so that it keeps the air bubbles intact from the sourdough action. Raise for another 4-8 hours, depending on conditions. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees C. Once preheated, very gently score the top of the breads a few times with a sharp serrated knife and place into the preheated pan. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 200 degrees and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.