If this newsletter has somehow found its way into your hands (and you’re not yet subscribed), allow me to help you out:
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all! Looking around this week, it feels a little like we’re collectively walking cautiously into 2024 (and rightfully so, for can you believe 2019 was… five years ago?)(yeah, me neither).
(p.s. new years week typically used to fill me with incoming dread, but I picked up the terrific habit a couple years back to start the year off by reading Man’s Search For Meaning)(so at least now my seasonal depression is sugarcoated by a rose tinted ✨hope for humanity✨)
but what you’re saying: Paola, thank you for the thoughtful gift of your sourdough starter I’m so excited!!
what I’m saying: I shared a lot last year (lmao), but I didn’t quite share about my (mis)adventures moving into a homestead and giving a more sustainable life a go.
Having been a big city gal for my entire life (I’m talking Mexico City, London and Los Angeles), it truly was touch and go for a second the first months out in rural life. But ultimately I was surprised by how REAL my life began to feel (and I say that in capital and bold letters).
And it’s perhaps because I’ve spent most of my adult life creating intangible content for the internet. But working to create a little thriving ecosystem was a beautiful gift (yes, even if I mostly failed)(but the failures were real, tangible and I get to take the learnings onto next season)(start tomato seedlings in feb: check!).
So when I thought about how to start the year off with you guys (and what I want to create here for you) more of this so-called feeling of “realness” came to mind– say, remember when we used to receive letters and postcards from friends? 🎯
i.e. I’m so glad the sourdough starter gift is being so well received (most of you got back to me already… literally unbelievable!!!)(so don’t worry if you haven’t heart back, I’m still answering all your emails).
and if you’ve no idea what I’m talking about, allow me to cue you in:
VIP ANNOUNCEMENT 📣
If you are (or were) a paying subscriber please reply to this email with your name, shipping address and phone number
What are you getting?
A live (!!) little bundle of love: my 100+ year old starter Yosemite (yes, I’m sending them alive, so you’ll be ready to bake within one or two feedings)
(plus a little something extra)(and founding members are in for a special treat 🎁)
p.s. no need to feel left out, I’m gifting everyone US-based who starts a yearly subscription in January a little live clone of my prized starter to get you started on your sourdough adventure (they’re generally worth around $30)(and are much more valuable than a dehydrated one, as its a culture that’s been maintained for decades… and it shows).
because the lore behind Yosemite 📚:legend has it she’s over 300 years old and hails from a small bakery in Italy (brought over to America by a young woman in a backpack)(and subsequently given as a gift to a friend)(like, who knows lmao so I’m being very conservative with her age). But it did quickly become clear during my sourdough experiments of 2020 that she was the most savage starter of all that I procured.
so what you’re skipping: four to six months of daily feedings to create an “established colony” (though we’ll also be learning to make our starters from scratch, as you can start baking after roughly 7-10 days)(because fun fact: so-called young starters are at times employed by bakeries during heatwaves as they typically slow down the fermentation)
OK!But before we bid farewell today, lets claim more creativity this coming year– to make every day more intentional, beautiful (and absolutely extra). Because if I’ve learned anything thus far is that a so-called ✨beautiful life✨ is built out of a collection of endless precious moments (and no one else but you holds the magic to create them)(so let’s create them!).
p.s. the following are some of my favorite marbled bakes- feel free to use my purple sweet potato sourdough recipe as a guide for the base dough with in depth instructions on the sourdough process.
p.p.s. I’ve tried a range of hydrations with marbled breads from 70 to 80% and I tend to favor smack in the middle at 75%, as you kinda get a bit of the best of both worlds: the dough is stretchy enough to laminate, yet still firm enough that the colors don’t blend together. So your basic dough recipe will be as follows (simply divide it and mix in the of coloring to the dough)(and don’t overthink it, you’ll get better with each go!):
hydration: 375g spring water = 75% hydration (= 375g/500g x 100% = 75%)
active starter: 100g (= 100g/500g x 100% = 20%)
salt: 10g = 2% (= 10g/500g x 100% = 2%)* note: if the loaf is sweet lower to 6g = 1.2%
i. purple sweet potato '& saffron
She’s earthy, lightly floral and holds the kind of magic that makes me excited to get up in the morning (and make avocado toast with her) 😋
i.e. she’s the kind of special energy we want in our lives this year
the recipe: many of you have already made (and I’m happy to say loved!) my purple sweet potato sourdough- we’re using half that dough here and half saffron (I personally liked making the saffron side a bit sweet by adding 25g of honey as it livens up the floral notes so much more).
but make your life a little easier: whip up a 75% hydration dough, divide into two and add 50g of purple sweet potato powder to one half and little saffron slurry to the second half (start with 1 pinch of saffron strands + 2 tablespoons water + 25g honey). Yes, the doughs will be slightly different hydrations… but it’ll be ok!
my top tip: saffron is quite literally worth its weight in gold, so start by soaking a small pinch of strands in a couple tablespoons of room temp/tepid water (for hot water alters its taste). It’s potency varies significantly from source to source, but allow the dough to rest for at least thirty minutes before adding more as it’s a flavor that can easily become “too much”.
bonus knowledge 🤓: saffron is currently being studied as a comparable stimulant to conventional medication for ADHD (did anyone say adderall shortage?)
ii. neopolitan 👵🏻
Swirls of vanilla bean, strawberry and chocolate add nostalgic and unserious notes to morning toast, for this whole loaf feels slightly unnecessary (i.e. its totally extra and keeps with our 2024 vibes).
the recipe: make a sweet 75% hydration loaf with 10% honey (50g) and 1.2% salt (6g). Divide it into three and mix in 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean powder (or paste) into one, 17g dutch processed cocoa into the second one (i.e. 10% of the total weight of the loaf), and 17g of freeze dried strawberry onto the third one (again 10%).
my top tip: keep the vibes gourmet by using prime ingredients (think vanilla bean powder, Valrhona cocoa and freeze dried strawberry powder).
iii. goth bread 😈
We now leave sweet nostalgia vibes behind and let loose a little with what was easily my funnest bake of 2023 (and what I’m truly after in 2024: ✨creativity✨)
what she tastes like: earthy and lightly sweet from the potato, pairing great with a lightly sweetened chocolatey swirl (in hindsight it would’ve tasted nicer with regular cocoa than black, as its more mellow and less overpowering)(but she went down great with butter, raspberry jam and a black coffee on the side).
but the recipe: whip up a 75% hydration dough, divide into two and add 50g of purple sweet potato powder to one half and chocolate slurry to the second half (50g dutch processed cocoa + 3 tablespoons hot water + 25g honey) .
my top tip: have fun!
iv. marbled purple sweet potato (purée!)
And last, but certainly not least, our first bake of 2024 and proof that beautiful loafs can also be rather simple to make– for this one makes do by spreading purple sweet potato purée while laminating the dough to shape it.
the recipe: prick your purple sweet potato all over with a fork, wrap it in foil and bake at 400F/200C until tender (about an hour), mash it into a puree and lightly smear it on your dough during lamination while shaping (see video).
my top tip: this is a loaf that you might just want to shape twice to get extra swirls (i.e. shape it, let it rest for 30 minutes and shape again– the dough will be much tighter the second time around, but it’ll spread the puree throughout the dough better than your fingers ever would).
marbled sourdough(s) 🌈