Sourdough bread recipe for normal people
This is NOT easy but, in my opinion, it is the easiest sourdough bread recipe out there. So – hey! – that’s already got to be a plus!
For the sourdough starter
In a large, clean jar, mix 20g [¾oz] wholemeal [wholewheat] bread flour with 4 teaspoons of tepid, still mineral water. Cover loosely with clingfilm [plastic wrap] and leave in a warm place for 1–3 days. Eventually, tiny bubbles will appear on top. Add 2½ tablespoons of water and 40g [1½oz] wholemeal bread flour. Cover again loosely and leave for 1 day – the mix will rise and fall back again. Add another 80g [3oz] wholemeal bread flour and 80ml [1/3 cup] water. After less than a day, the mix should have risen and have lots of bubbles. Congratulations, you’ve just given birth to a sourdough starter! Now, every morning, discard all but 2 tablespoons of the starter and add 2 tablespoons of water, and 1 tablespoon each of wholemeal and white bread flour.
To make the sourdough bread
Put 2 tablespoons of sourdough starter in a clean bowl and mix in 100ml [scant ½ cup] tepid water and 100g [¾ cup] white bread flour. Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, and light and foamy (3–5 hours). Now put the mix in a big bowl and add 400ml [11/3 cups] tepid water and 600g [4½ cups] white bread flour. Mix well, cover and rest for 30 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and a splash of water and stir. Scrape out the dough onto a work surface and knead vigorously for 10 minutes. You’ll think I’m having a laugh but keep kneading and eventually the dough will become elastic, smooth and sticky. Place in a bowl, cover with film and ‘prove’ in a warm place for 4 hours.
Tip out the dough onto an unfloured work surface, sprinkle with flour and flip it over. Build up tension by folding the edges of the dough to the centre to make a rough ball. Cover and rest for 30 minutes, during which time it will flatten. Sprinkle the dough with flour, flip over and fold like an envelope – bottom to top, right to left, left to right, top to bottom and then bottom to top again. Finally, roll it up. With the seam underneath, slowly but firmly push the dough out in all directions with the palm of your hand – you should feel the surface tension building up which will give the dough a nice tight surface. Line a large bowl with kitchen paper [paper towels] and dust liberally with rice flour. Shape the dough into a ball and dust it with rice flour as well. Put the dough upside down in the bowl so the seal is uppermost. Dust that with flour, cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. Two hours before you want to bake the loaf, get the dough out of the refrigerator. If it doesn’t spring back when you press it lightly, leave for a few hours more.
Put a cast-iron casserole [Dutch oven] in the oven 30 minutes before baking and preheat the oven to 250ºC/475ºF/Gas 9. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the worktop and gently turn the dough out of the bowl upside down onto it. Score the dough lengthwise with a razor blade, held at a low angle, cutting about 1cm [in] deep. Take the casserole out of the oven, lift up the paper and dough, and lower both into the casserole, taking care as the casserole will be very hot.. Put the lid on and whack back in the oven. Immediately lower the temperature to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas 7 and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 25 minutes more or until golden brown. Turn out and cool the loaf on a wire rack before slicing.
Two tartines: NYC vs Paris
French cuisine sometimes suffers from the view that it is a bit old-fashioned, snobbish and even up itself (or, as we say over here, ‘coincé du cul’, if you’ll pardon my French). To me, this image needs shaking up when it comes to easy, fun dishes such as tartines, which are open sandwiches and a bit like pizza – right?
Each tartine serves 1
2 large slices of sourdough bread
For the NYC
2–3 Tbsp cream cheese
1 large tomato, diced
2–3 slices of lox (see my note about this below)
1 tsp capers
2 or 3 very thin rings of red onion
For the Paris
2–3 green asparagus spears
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt
1 large garlic clove
lightly salted butter
1–2 slices of good-quality cooked ham
2 red-skinned radishes
fresh chervil leaves (or use parsley, tarragon, thyme)
Start by toasting or grilling [broiling] the sourdough but only do this lightly as the idea is not to crisp it up like a rusk but rather to prevent it absorbing moisture from the toppings. At the same time, slightly scorched patches are good. I know, I’m making things complicated, but bread is in my DNA.
For the NYC, spread the toasted bread generously with cream cheese and then top with alternate layers of tomato and lox. Sprinkle over the capers and finally add red onion rings.
For the Paris, shave the asparagus spears into thin ribbons using a speed [swivel] peeler and place them in a bowl with the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt. Set aside to ‘pickle’ while you get on with the rest of the recipe.
Slice the radishes into rounds.
Cut the garlic clove in half, rub the cut sides over the toast and then spread with a thin layer of butter. If you don’t have lightly salted butter, unsalted will do the job but sprinkle it with sea [kosher] salt flakes.
Ask your butcher or delicatessen to slice your ham very thinly and arrange the slices on the bread so they look like waves (this will add volume).
Drain the asparagus and place on top of the ham with the radishes. Finally, sprinkle with your fresh herbs. Cut the tartine into 3 with a bread knife and serve.
NOTE
Lox is salmon that has been cured and then cold-smoked and is very popular in the US – particularly as a topping for bagels with cream cheese. You can use smoked salmon equally well but go for fatty slices with white stripes running through them.
Vegetable spring rolls with sriracha mayonnaise
A super-fresh and super-colourful vegetable take on Vietnamese spring rolls. Those rice wrappers are precious by the way – cheap to buy, they keep forever and can be used to make much more than just my spring rolls: see my Sweet Summer Rolls or the crispy snacks.
Makes 12 rolls
For the filling
1 large carrot
350g [12oz] celeriac [celery root]
2 Tbsp groundnut [peanut] oil, plus extra for deep-frying
2.5-cm [1-in] piece of root ginger, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander [cilantro]
150g [5oz] pickled beetroot [beet]
For the wrappers
12 rice wrappers
For the sriracha mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, crushed
225g [1 cup] mayonnaise
3 Tbsp sriracha [Thai hot chilli sauce]
lemon juice
Shave the carrot into thin ribbons using a speed [swivel] peeler and then cut the ribbons into matchsticks. Peel the celeriac and cut into tiny dice. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan [skillet] and fry the diced celeriac and ginger over a medium-low heat until tender and golden. Drizzle over the honey, add the rice vinegar and continue to fry until the celeriac is caramelized (don’t burn it!), stirring regularly. Add the coriander and set aside to cool. Finely dice the beetroot.
To assemble the spring rolls, fill a large dish with warm water, dip a rice wrapper in the water to soften it and then place it flat on a board in front of you. Spoon a little of the filling ingredients on the wrapper, one-third of the way from the edge nearest you. Roll the wrapper around the filling, folding the sides in as you go to seal the roll. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling to make 12 rolls.
For the sriracha mayonnaise, stir all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust, as necessary, by adding more lemon juice or sriracha.
Serve the rolls with the mayonnaise.
Peking duck salad wraps
To make Peking duck, you need a duck –fair enough. But, you also
need a lifetime’s experience as a Chinese chef and 5 entire days of your life. That’s right. So, next time you buy one, treat it with a little more respect, which is what I’m trying to do here.
Makes 6 wraps
½ Peking duck, bought from a Chinese food store or takeaway restaurant
6 large, firm lettuce leaves, e.g. iceberg
6–12 Tbsp hoisin sauce
½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks
3 spring onions [scallions], cut into thin strips
3 chillies, thinly sliced
75g [3oz] roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
Using two forks (like they do in Chinese restaurants), pull all the skin and meat off the duck, tearing it into long shreds.
Divide the duck between the lettuce leaves and spoon 1–2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce (according to how much you like) on top.
Pile on cucumber matchsticks, spring onion strips, sliced chillies and chopped peanuts and squeeze over the lime wedges. Roll the lettuce leaves around the filling, eat with your fingers – and enjoy!
4 quick snacks
Crisp-fried chickpeas
Open a can of chickpeas [garbanzo beans], drain them well and spread out in a single layer on a plate lined with kitchen paper [paper towels]. Pat the chickpeas thoroughly with more kitchen paper until they are dry. Don’t peel off or discard the skins as, when the chickpeas are fried, the skins will be the crispiest part. Heat neutral flavoured oil for deep-frying to 180°C [350°F] in a deep saucepan and fry the chickpeas for 3 minutes. Take care, as to begin with the oil will spit, so stand well back from the pan. Drain the chickpeas on kitchen paper and season with salt and any spice you fancy (I’d go for cinnamon or smoked paprika).
Instant French kimchi
Mix 150g [1 cup] sauerkraut with 1 tablespoon of harissa paste. It goes without saying, you’ll need to adjust the amount you add according to how much chilli you like and the strength of the harissa. When I’m not eating this with a spoon, I use it as a topping for just about anything and everything.
Nori seaweed chips
Using scissors, cut sheets of nori seaweed into strips, about a thumb-width wide and twice or three times as long. Dip a sheet of kitchen paper [paper towel] or your fingers in a neutral flavoured oil and rub over the strips (but go easy, not too much oil) and then sprinkle them with salt. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/400ºF/Gas 6. Spread out the nori strips on a baking sheet and bake for 5–10 minutes or until they start to curl up.
Fried rice wrappers
The quickest recipe ever! Heat about 1cm [½in] of neutral flavoured oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Using a pair of metal tongs, carefully lower the dry rice wrappers one at a time into the hot oil for 10 seconds or until they turn curly and crisp. Lift out, sprinkle liberally with salt and spice (how about Chinese five spice mix?).
Ahi poké salad wrap
You don’t say ‘ahi tuna’ as ‘ahi’ already means yellow fin tuna in Hawaiian. The inamona relish I’ve made here is actually a cheat’s version of genuine inamona, which is made with roasted ‘kuku’ (aka known as candlenuts) and salt. Still, you’ve just learnt three Hawaiian words and that’s pretty impressive!
Makes 2 wraps
2 Tbsp neutral flavoured oil, such as rapeseed
100g [3½oz] sashimi-grade raw tuna steak, 1cm [in] thick
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1.25-cm [½-in] piece of root ginger, grated
1 spring onion [scallion], white and green parts finely chopped and separated
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 mild chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
For the inamona relish
25g [1oz] macadamia nuts
salt (if using unsalted nuts)
1 sheet of dried nori seaweed
To serve
¼ avocado, cubed
2 large lettuce leaves
lime juice and a little grated zest
green parts of 1–2 spring onions [scallions], cut lengthwise into thin strips and left in a bowl of iced water until they curl
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan [skillet] over a high heat and sear the tuna steak on each side. Remove from the pan and cut the tuna into 1-cm [-in] cubes. Toss in a bowl with the remaining oil to preserve its colour.
Add the soy sauce, ginger, chopped white part of the spring onion – reserving the green part for later – sesame seeds and finely chopped chilli. Cover and store in the refrigerator until needed.
For the inamona relish, roughly chop the macadamia nuts with salt (if using unsalted nuts) and the nori seaweed.
Add the green part of the spring onion to the tuna mixture, along with the cubed avocado. Stir gently until the ingredients are combined.
Spoon half the mixture onto a large lettuce leaf, squeeze over a little lime juice and sprinkle with lime zest. Fold the lettuce around the filling to enclose it. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 2 wraps.
Serve the wraps with the inamona and the curled green parts of the spring onions.
Reina pepiada arepa
Arepa, pronounced ‘a’repa’ in Spanish, are small round breads made from masarepa flour. This is a very fine flour, also known as pre-cooked white maize meal, but – a word of warning – it is different from ordinary cornflour (cornstarch), which can’t be used. Arepa breads are crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy in the centre. They are a staple part of the cuisines of Colombia and Venezuela where they are eaten at any time of day – lunch, dinner or after a hard night’s partying!
Makes 8
For the arepa
450ml [2 cups] tepid water
1 tsp salt
175g [1½ cups] masarepa
2 Tbsp neutral flavoured oil, plus extra for frying
For the reina pepiada filling
2 Tbsp neutral flavoured oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp brown sugar
450g [1lb] cooked chicken meat, shredded
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander [cilantro]
hot chilli sauce, to taste
lime juice
salt and pepper
2–3 Tbsp mayonnaise
For the arepa, put the water and salt in a bowl, gradually sprinkle over the masarepa and stir with a spoon. Work everything together with your fingers until you have a soft, smooth-textured dough. If the dough is too sticky, add more masarepa, if it’s too dry, it needs more water. Mix in the oil and then shape the dough into a ball and flatten slightly.
Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Dampen your hands to stop the dough sticking to them and roll each wedge into a ball. Flatten the balls into rounds, 2cm [¾in] thick.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/350ºF/Gas 4.
Add a good amount of oil to a heavy frying pan [skillet] over a medium heat and fry the dough rounds for 5–10 minutes on each side until golden spots appear on them. Lift them out of the pan onto a wire rack and finish them in the oven on the rack for 10 minutes.
While the arepa are cooking, make the reina pepiada. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until translucent. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and continue to fry until caramelized but not burnt! Put the shredded chicken in a bowl, add the avocado, garlic, coriander and caramelized onions. Season with hot chilli sauce, a squeeze of lime juice, salt and pepper. Finally, stir in a bit of mayonnaise to bind everything together to make a coarse paste.
When the arepa are cooked, split them in half through the centre, just like pitta bread, and sandwich with the reina pepiada filling. Eat immediately. Thank me later.
Prawn banh mi crossed with a jambon beurre
The classic French ham sandwich, ‘jambon beurre’, is great but it lacks that special kick, so here I’m giving you the best of both worlds: crisp French bread filled with the lovely, tangy flavours of Vietnam.
Serves 3
For the pickled carrot
1 large carrot
vinegar (I use rice vinegar but you can use any vinegar you like)
1 Tbsp sugar
salt
For the prawn patties
6 large raw prawns [shrimp]
2 Tbsp neutral flavoured oil
drizzle of sesame oil
1 Tbsp Maggi seasoning sauce
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp grated root ginger
1 egg, beaten
1 red chilli, chopped
2 Tbsp flour
pepper
To serve
1 French baguette
mayonnaise
cucumber
bean sprouts
chopped fresh coriander [cilantro]
sliced spring onions [scallions]
Maggi seasoning sauce
chopped red chilli, to garnish
To pickle the carrot, shave the carrot lengthwise into long, thin ribbons using a speed [swivel] peeler. Put the ribbons in a small bowl, pour vinegar over them, add the sugar and a little salt. Massage the carrots with your fingers so they absorb the flavour of the vinegar and sugar and then leave to infuse.
For the prawn patties, peel the prawns, reserving the heads, tails and shells. Heat the oil in a frying pan [skillet], add the heads, tails and shells and fry until they turn deep pink. Strain, discarding the prawn debris but keeping the precious prawn-infused oil.
Chop the prawns finely and put them in a mixing bowl. Add a drizzle of sesame oil, the Maggi seasoning sauce, garlic, ginger, beaten egg and chopped chilli. Stir in the flour to bind the mixture together and season with salt and pepper.
Reheat the prawn-infused oil in the frying pan and gently place tablespoons of the prawn mixture in the pan to make 6 patties – do this carefully as the oil might splash. Fry until the patties are golden brown underneath and then turn them over to brown the other side.
Just a French Guy Cooking Page 4
