Beetroot, black pepper and honey sourdough with rye

This recipe is based on the beetroot and feta bread recipe in the book "The Sourdough School" by Vanessa Kimbell. Since we were in lockdown (and also because my lovely husband doesn't like feta cheese too much), I had to make do with the ingredients at hand. So basically, this was a "fridge surprise" bread because I had a packet of cooked beetroot in the fridge which needed using up.

During the last lockdown here in New Zealand, three of my co-workers became avid sourdough baking aficionados. Ever since, our Slack channels are filled with photos of all the various baking experiments we undertake. Someone shared a Tiktok video of a how to make a pumpkin shaped bread. I had always wanted to try this technique so I did for this recipe. Still needs some practice, but I think it's not bad for the first try.

For this specific bread I used the retard method, meaning I proofed the dough overnight in the fridge. I'm not super strict with timing. Usually I bake it when I finish my breakfast and coffee, but I guess you could easily leave it to proof for 24h. Apparently the longer you leave it, the more intense the pinkish read colour from the beetroot.

You can either use cooked beetroot, like I did, or roast the beetroot like suggested in the "The Sourdough School" book. Puree it and add enough water to give it the consistency of applesauce. 

I added 1 tsp of cracked black pepper which gave a pretty mild flavour. If you want more kick, double the amount.

Beetroot, black pepper and honey sourdough with rye

makes 1 small loaf

300g beetroot puree (consistency of apple sauce)

40g warm water

90g 100% hydration levain, prepared the night before

320g bread or high grade flour 

80g whole rye flour

8g salt

25g honey

1 tsp cracked black pepper

I followed Vanessa Kimbell's master method for this recipe.

Autolyse: Mix flours in a large bowl. Add beetroot puree and water and mix well. Leave to autolyse for 30 minutes. 

Final dough mix: Add the levain and work it in well. Cover and leave in for 30 minutes. Add the salt. Again, work the dough well to distribute the salt. Cover and leave in a warm spot or use a dough proofer for another 30 minutes.

Bulk fermentation and bench time: After the 30 minutes perform the first set of stretch and folds. Fold in honey and pepper during this first fold. I wanted the honey to be laced through the dough rather than fully incorporated. 

Perform two more sets of folds spaced out by 30 minutes. I left the loaf to bulk ferment for a total 5 h 15 minutes before preshaping it. Give it 20 minutes of bench time, rest the dough uncovered on the bench to give the gluten the possibility to relax. 

Shape and floor time: Shape into a tight boule (or whichever shape you like, check out this article on how to make it a pumpkin shape. ) and put it in the banneton or proofing basket. Leave to rest on the kitchen counter for another 30-45 minutes, depending on how warm it is. This floor time gives the dough the possibility to ferment some more in a warmer temperature.

Overnight fridge proof and baking: Cover the basket with a plastic bag and stick it in the fridge overnight to proof. After 12-24h the bread is ready to be baked. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper. Score the dough with a lame or knife.

I use a cast iron dutch oven for bread baking. Preheat the oven and dutch oven to 250°C 30 min to 1 hour before baking
Take the dutch oven out of the oven, open the lid and carefully ease the dough straight into the dutch oven. Close the lid and put the pot back in the oven. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 17 minutes until the bread has a lovely strong crust.