Fruit and nut sourdough bread

I have had my sourdough base in the fridge for two weeks now, just waiting to be used. Yesterday, I made my first sourdough bread! Baking is hard work,  I wish I had one of those Kitchenaids/Magimixers to do the kneading for me. Those machines are huge though and anyone who lives in my area knows that space is in short supply. Typically it is one thing in, one thing out. Might have to get rid of the toaster or maybe my husbands coffee machine or perhaps one of the kids...anyway here is the recipe for a delicious fruit and nut bread. The recipe is from a well-known Swedish foodie and the recipe in Swedish can be found here http://www.recept.nu/1.126178/leila_lindholm/matbrod/mjol/leilas_frukt_och_notbrod

Sourdough base

There are many beautiful blogs focusing on baking and particularly baking with sourdough, where you can read more about starting your own sourdough (my favourite www.paindemartin.blogspot.com is unfortunately in Swedish). It is not very difficult though and this is how I did. 

Mix one tbsp each of organic white flour and rye flour with one tbsp of luke warm water in a glass jar, leave the lid open a bit and put the jar somewhere a bit warmer than room temperature (the cupboard on top of fridge is usually a good tip). Everyday for three days you need to feed the sourdough base by adding another tbsp of each flour and water. You should see it start bubbling. On day 4 it should be ready to start baking with. Once you have used what you need you can put the jar in the fridge. Some bakeries have used the same sourdough base for years.  Whenever you want to use the sourdough again take it out of the fridge, feed it and leave in your warm, cosy space for a day and night. It should start to look alive again. 

Fruit and nut bread

Ingredients (for one loaf of bread)

10g fresh yeast (order online at http://www.totallyswedish.com/en/webshop/food/dairy-deli/fresh-yeast

2 dl cold water

1/2 tbsp syrup (agave or maple is fine)

1tsp salt

1tsp ground cinnamon

1 dl sourdough base

2 dl organic rye flour

3 1/2 dl organic white flour

75g of mixed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios)

50g raisins or sultanas

50g dried fruit (apricots, dates, figs)

Preparation

Mix the yeast with water, sirop, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the sourdough, rye flour and some of the white flour then work the dough slowly until it is elastic adding more flour as you go. If you have a Kitchenaid/Magimix then work the dough a bit quicker for about 5 mins. Then add the nuts and fruit and mix even faster for 30 sec. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise for 1 hour. 

Heat the oven to 250ºC. Place a baking tin at the bottom of the oven. Shape the dough into a loaf and role it in rye flour, place in a bread tin and leave to rise for another hour. 

Slide a knife diagonally three times across the loaf and place in the oven. Pour 3/4 dl of water into the baking tin at the bottom of the oven and lower the temperature to 230ºC then bake for 30 mins. Remove the loaf from the tin and leave to cool on a grid.