Given that strawberry rhubarb is a combo which needs no introduction, letβs cut straight to the chase.
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Rhubarb season, as did strawberry for that matter, arrived a tad bit late in my neck of the woods this year (blame the torrential rains)β but here it is, and in all its splendor!
Tangy, ultra vibrant and fresh, my forever favorite take might always be in the form of a humble crumble (cue in my toasted almond gluten free bestie from last year)(truly a must make).
But today here in the newsletter weβre tackling a little experiment Iβd in mind, for I became a little fascinated with purple sweet potato as a baking ingredient last week (and not just for it being easy on the eyes).
You see, it became fairly evident after baking a couple sourdough loafs with it, that it lent a wonderful added chewiness to the crumb⦠and I simply wondered if said added texture would come in handy when baking ultra juicy fruit laden desserts this summer (because no one likes soggy breads).
The short answer? It sure did!
In fact, itβs prospects for gluten free baking quite frankly fascinate meβ particularly after a couple experiments I did this week.
(For those that are new here: hi, Iβm Paola and for the past few years I ran our little baking club as strictly gluten freeβ¦ for Iβd a Celiacs misdiagnosis)(but weβre shaking things up this year as I became enamored by what all things sourdough and fermentation can do for our gut health).
But todayβs recipe in question: vanilla bean strawberry rhubarb brioche rolls (with a touch of purple sweet potato for added earthiness and bite).
p.s. for those reading me who are on the low carb spectrum: you tell me, would adding some sweet potato to baked goods interest you? The amounts needed are quite smallβ¦ but the changes are quite frankly spectacular (cue in actual chewiness! iykyk)(and Iβm asking because I know many of you want to use a sourdough starter for low carb baked goods other than just discard recipesβ¦ and Iβm finding that a dash of sweet potato could be the missing linkβ say just 10%, but we could potentially negotiate it down to a 5%).
(ask a question, post a thought π€πΌ)
xo! Paola
strawberry rhubarb brioche rolls (with purple sweet potato) π₯
It makes 7 fairly gigantic rolls (i.e. you can also make 9 smaller ones)(but do know thereβs a beauty in the texture of the large guys that youβd be missing out on a tad)(for thereβs always a trade off in life).
For the sourdough rolls
100g active sourdough starter
1 large egg, at room temp
24g (2 tablespoons) raw honey (maple syrup or granulated sugar of choice)
84g (6 tablespoons) unsalted grass-fed butter, melted (but at room temp)
160g (2/3 cup) whole milk, at room temp
300g unbleached bread flour*
5g (1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
For the strawberry rhubarb filling
42g (3 tablespoons) unsalted grass fed butter
50g (1/2 cup) panela sugar (or whatever granular sugar floats your boat)
250g (1 cup) strawberries
three rhubarb stalks, fairly thinly sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla bean (optional, but adds a nice touch)
For the honey cream cheese glaze
28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted grass fed butter, at room temp
56g (1/4 cup) cream cheese, at room temp
2 tablespoons honey, to taste (or powdered/liquid sugar of choice)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean powder)
pinch fine sea salt
6 p.m. feed your starter
Add roughly 70-100g of flour to feed your starter (you want 100g of active starter for the recipe, so it depends on how big you keep your starter (say you may want to feed it for a couple days without discarding if you keep a small one going)(or if youβre taking yours out of the fridge youβll def need to do one feeding before itβs strong enough to bake with).
Add enough spring water (you donβt want filtered, you really do want the added minerals)(this should tell you something too about what you should be drinking too btw π) until the dough resembles a thick pancake batter. Generally 70g of water/100 g of flour (i.e. a 70% ratio) is enough to get the consistency right. But if youβre using heritage grains or most gluten free flours youβll need to add a little more.
Allow to rest for 3 hours in a warm(ish) place: Iβm keeping them on top of my gas stove (rip).
9 p.m. make your dough
My best advice: just ensure everything is at room temp to give your culture the best fighting chance. Other than that, youβll be surprised how simple the process is (and how little you have to do, it just takes time).
Add starter, egg and honey to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix, until just combined, using the paddle attachment. Add in the butter and milk and mix again.
Set your mixer on low and add the flours in parts until just combined. Add in the salt and continue mixing until everything looks nice and incorporated (about a minute). Yup, the dough is pretty sticky at this point!
Cover with a damp paper towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Switch to the dough hook attachment on your mixer and βkneadβ on low-medium speed for 6-8 minutes. The dough will be sleek and pull away from the sides at this point (if it isnβt, just sprinkle a tad of flour at a time, think a tablespoon or two, and kneed for a bit longer).
10 p.m. bulk rise (plus stretch βn fold )
Transfer to a smaller bowl (as itβs easier to gauge the rise if you can actually mark it with a sharpie) and cover with cling film.
Thirty minutes in youβll want to do a set of βstretch βn foldsβ: grab a hold of the dough, stretch it upwards and fold it down towards the center of the bowl. Rotate and repeat four times (you can watch me do it here).
Allow to rest for 8-15 hours, or until at least doubled in size (but I generally let mine go until it almost tripes). Iβve pushed it just until the point that it begins to recede back and it still comes out superb (and I personally find it easiest to digest).
6-12 a.m. shape
Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Lightly flour your working surface, turn the dough out and stretch it out gently (allow it to rest for 10 minutes if it βfeelsβ like itβs resisting)(youβll know, trust me!). Add a tad bit more flour and roll it out into a roughly 12x16β rectangle.
Mix strawberries, rhubarb, vanilla and sugar together in a medium bowl.
Spread the softened butter, spread out the filling and roll up your dough into a log.
Cut up into roughly 2-inch sections and transfer to the prepared pan.
Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rest until it puffs up nicely (1-2 hours)(itβll take closer to 2 if your berries were cold out the fridge!).
8-12 a.m. (finally) bake away!
Preheat oven to 400Β°F/200Β°C.
Bake on the center rack for 40-45 minutes, checking in at minute 20 (and feel free to tent them with foil if they begin to brown too quickly). The top will be a nice golden brown once theyβre ready (but depending on the excess moisture of your fruit, Iβve seen the time vary a tad).
Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Make your glaze by beating the butter with the cream cheese until soft and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Sweeten to taste (youβll be surprised how little honey you need when using quality ingredients), and mix in a touch of vanilla and a good pinch of salt.
Spread onto the warm rolls and enjoy *imminently*.
*King Arthur is likely the easiest, yet still pretty great, bread flour to βlearnβ sourdough with (thereβs no way I personally experimented with fancy $10/lb heritage flours on my first tries!)
Paola... am I just overly pregnant or did that resemble a placenta? π
I don't generally eat any potatoes but if you say a bit of sweet potato could be the missing link for one of your awesome recipes, I'm totally cool with that! π