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how to burn things

“fire has its own language, spoken in the realm of heat, hunger and desire”

  • cooking food over a hardwood fire is a primal act that is a centre point of our history.

  • from the gauchos of patagonia to the butteri cowboys in the marshes of italy, every corner of this world has a rich history of food being cooked over open flames.

  • many chefs and recipes focus too much on harmony of flavours, which can get boring. if you sleep in a very comfortable bed, but sometimes take a siesta on the warm ground in the shade of a tree, you will know that the experience of one highlights the virtues of the other.

  • the taste of ‘burnt’ in food creates dissonance, adding a delicious and seductive element to the flavour and experience.

  • we are going to show you how to replicate some techniques from the mountains of argentina, that you can cook at home in your garden, to be enjoyed with friends and family, over a burning fire, as the sun sets and the day fades into night.

–inspired by Francis Mallman, ‘seven fires’.

vegetables

  • unlike argentinian tradition, we are keeping these recipes veggie. we are aware that as soon as your barbecue is lit, your da is going to be straight to the shop to stock up on burgers and sausages, which is very okay, who doesnt love a dad-style bbq?

  • these dishes are to highlight the true players. the burnt vegetables, which can be enjoyed by everyone and arranged artfully across your garden table to the amazement and ego-boost from your guests.

  • we have kept this vegetarian, but replacing butter with any other fat could make these easily vegan. but we love butter.
  • leeks
  • sweet potato
  • carrots
  • lemon
  • these simple ingredients can be transformed into three dishes that will turn any boring afternoon into a outdoor feast, with the correct amount of love from some fire and preparation.

  • using hardwood is the preferred method here. but we have used charcoal here to show you do to cook like this at home, as charcoal is easily picked up from your local garage.

  • we will release a whole hardwood fire lighting and maintenance guide soon, for now, get your charcoal lit and let it heat up until the coals form a white layer of ash.

  • pro tip: if you were too drunk after your last barbecue session (like us) to remember to clean the grill, here is a trick we learnt from a friend of ours who lived with us in dublin a while back (shout-out to hoppy).

  • slice an onion or shallot in half, and use a pair of tongs or stick a fork in it, and use to scrape the burnt bits off your grill as the coal heats it.

baptized by fire

  • anyone with experience of handling fire has probably came across a few kisses from the flames over the years, which enables you to adapt in your handling of the fire through trial and error.

  • this is one such recipe. many fails and burns have been taken in this coming together, the right way, for you to be able to replicate, safely, at home. it is only dangerous if you are an idiot.

charcoal / smoked maple syrup

  • this is serious

  • this smoky, sweet maple and charcoal syrup is the new hot shit you need in your life. it can be used from everything from cold morning pancakes to them late summer night cocktails and glasses of charcoal & cherry whiskey (which is what we did).

  • 50g maple syrup. (real maple, not that golden syrup shit).
  • 50g dark brown sugar
  • 100ml water
  • 1 piece of charcoal, hot & burning.

  • simply make a brown sugar syrup: mixing the maple, brown sugar* and water together, heating until the sugar dissolves, and then setting aside to cool.
  • *it is important to use brown sugar here, as it contains more molasses than standard white sugar and will help with the process of thickening the syrup

(ensure the correct amount of water is added, if less water than this is used, or the addition of white sugar, it will produce too bitter of a taste for a delicious syrup)

  • it is important the syrup is cooled completely, if in doubt place in the fridge for a brief few minutes before this next step.

  • when the coals on that barbecue are starting to form white ash, using a pair of long-handled tongs, and preferably wearing a long sleeved top, drop into the syrup and watch it sizzle and smoke from a safe distance.

  • ensure the coal is extinguised completely, rolling around using tongs until the bubbling and hissing has stopped.

  • at this moment you will understand why you are doing this stupidly irresponsible thing, the smell of maple that is almost honeycomb, and the smoke from the coal with the caramelizing of sugar, will marry into an aroma you were not ready for.

  • let the syrup cool completely, then strain through a fine sieve into your jar of choice. and that is it. ready to be added to anything you desire.

  • bonus recommendation : smoked maple espresso martini

leeks

  • always wash your leeks thoroughly. sand and dirt can get trapped in the layers, so take extra care in getting them cleaned out before any thought of cooking comes into play.

  • slice the tops off, but leave the root end intact.

  • simply place on a very hot grill, and let them burn.

  • when an attractive, charred layer is formed, turn the leeks around to the other side and repeat.

  • now we control the temperature

  • remove your leeks and place aside briefly, remove the grill grate safely, and push the hot coals to one side of the barbecue, then place the grill back on.

  • this creates two areas, a high-heat and a low-heat area, which lets you control the cooking process much more for them slower, more gentle cooking needs.

  • place the charred leeks back onto the grill, on the low-heat side, and place the lid on the barbecue if you have one. now we let the leeks steam as the heat from the burnt crust reaches the inner layers

  • cook for 12-14 minutes until starting to soften, then place aside and let rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board.

  • while the leeks are resting, we are making a very simple but seriously delicious dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 pinch of chilli flakes

  • whisk together until honey dissolves.

  • slice your leeks any way you desire, but don’t go too thin as texture plays just as important a role as flavour here.

  • rain some flaky sea salt on the leeks, then pour over the dressing.

charred leeks, honey & vinegar

sweet potato

  • we are going to boil our sweet potatoes, then let them steam before we smash them on the fire.

  • you can do this in a pot on the open fire if you wish, but it is an easy one to let tick away on the stove as you prepare other dishes and make something to sip on.

  • we are going to layer some flavour into these potatoes before they even come near the embrace of the fire.

  • place in a pot, cover with water and add:

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • a pinch of black peppercorns
  • coarse salt, to taste

  • bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until tender when pierced with a knife.

  • drain potatoes, but do not let them cool, if they are not hot, they will break apart instead of smashing. you can add them back to the empty pot with a lid on top to keep warm until ready to smash.

  • we love cast iron. it is incredibly versatile and retains high levels of heat. we are lucky to have a chapa, which is a flat sheet of cast iron that is placed directly above the fire. failing this, you can use a skillet or cast-iron frying pan from your kitchen.

  • use a clean tea towel, and place the sweet potatoes inside, smash together gently with your hands until flat.

  • when your pan or chapa is very hot, smash your potatoes onto the surface, and do not get tempted to touch them as they sizzle, let that charred crust form with patience, it will be worth it.

lemon & thyme bbq butter

  • as this burnt crust is forming, we smashed together some soft butter with herbs from the garden and other bits:
  • thyme & oregano leaves
  • lemon zest
  • honey
  • sea salt

  • when you start to see the seductive burnt bits of the potato creeping from underneath, flip with a flat spatula, throwing some of the lemon & thyme butter under and around the potatoes, zest some more lemon on top and let the other side cook beautifully as the smell of burnt lemon & far-away hills surrounds your garden.

  • the potato is already cooked, so how far you want to take it with the charring is up to you. however far you are willing to go, just make sure you do not remove from the grill too early or you will not have achieved that amazing, caramelized crust that makes this worth all the patience.

  • paying homage to the royal argentinian chimichurri, we have made a bastardized version using what we had on hand:

  • fresh oregano
  • fresh parsley
  • thyme leaves
  • garlic cloves
  • red wine vinegar
  • olive oil
  • sea salt

  • blend until smooth and stunningly deep green in colour.

  • throw your smashed potato onto a plate, sprinkle with sea salt, an optional sprinkle of red chilli flakes (recommended), and pour your green sauce on top.

burnt boniato, lemon-thyme butter and chimichurri

carrot

  • with the south american tastes flowing beautifully, representing the fires of argentina, for his dish we decided to take some influence from a place far away from there, to the ancient flavours of korea.

korean bbq

  • originating from the ancient barbarians of maek, korean history is filled with open fire cooking. the traditional techniques were almost lost with the arrival of buddhism which prohibited the consumption of meat. however, when the mongolian empire invaded korea, they lifted this ban which brought the re-evolution of korean bbq as we know it today, and we are thankful for that.

  • we are lucky to have a local fruit & veg store which stocks beautiful produce from local farmers, so we picked up some stunning young carrots for this dish.

  • we encourage you at least attempt to source some vegetables from an independent supplier, which supports the farmers and everyone in between, and the quality in taste difference is a whole new level, which you wont want to step down from after.

  • scrub your carrots well, and split down the middle. you can peel them if you desire, but that is less fun.

  • for our korean style carrots, we are going to be using something called gochujang.

  • gochujang is a fermented chilli paste, which is made from a variety of ingredients, but the special component being the addition of starch from glutinous rice, which creates an elegant sweetness that balances the robust, fierceness of the hot chilli during the fermentation process.

  • you can pick some of this up in any asian market, and is beyond worth the purchase to replicate those truely korean-style barbecue flavours.

  • we made a mix of:

  • 1 tablespoon gochujang
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • a pinch of flaked almonds (optional)

  • whisk everything together until smooth, then throw in your carrots and toss until covered.

  • get your chapa or pan smoking hot once again, and pour the carrots & liquid onto it

  • it will sizzle violently but beautifully, the sugars in the chilli paste combined with the honey will start to caramelize almost instantly. make sure to keep the carrots moving a little, as they will burn a lot faster than the other vegetables we have used. if you own a grill scraper, use this to scrape up the carrots and toss around.

  • to dress the carrots, we spontaneously (drunkenly) made this for the first time, and it was so fucking good that it has instantly become a condiment that will stay with us for many, many more dishes and cook-outs in the future:

pickled pepper yoghurt

  • we made some pickled bell peppers a while ago, using diced green, red and yellow peppers, in a simple brine of vinegar, water, sugar and salt.

  • seeing this jar of pickled peppers nearly empty, and a quick glance at the yoghurt in the fridge, they were soon married in a drunken ceremony with burnt carrots as the wedding cake.

  • the carrots on the grill should be caramelizing and charring nicely, don’t forget to keep them moving from time to time.

  • carrots contain a lot of natural sweetness. this combined with the added honey, which will be cut by the acidic and creamy yoghurt, gives you a bit more freedom to take the carrots a little further with the dark, crisp and bold crust.

  • when sensually burnt, transfer to a plate, throw the yoghurt on top, any remaining pickled peppers, and sumac if you have it.

korean-bbq carrot & pickled pepper yoghurt

  • all this smoke in your face from hot coals & burning sugar has probably given you a little dry tickle in your throat, but dont worry, we are here for you.

  • using that syrup you nearly burnt your hand off making earlier, we are going to make a smoky cocktail with the right amount of sweetness to bring this feast together in harmony.

maple, charcoal & cherry whiskey

  • cherries are coming into season right now, and we are very happy about that. pick some up if you can, and get ready to be tipsy before you know it, sipping on this ruby gold in the evening sun.

  • wash your cherries. there is no need to de-stone the cherries, as we are going to strain it, and also nobody has time for that shit.

  • smash some cherries, use one of those fancy muddlers if you have one, or if you don’t, like us, just smash them, it is not that technical.

  • for making drinks at home, we use a 1L jar with one of those metal ball things (which we don’t know if it has a name?) inside, that you might find in your local gym-going mates protein shaker bottle.

  • smashed cherries
  • single malt whiskey (or bourbon)
  • charcoal/maple syrup
  • ice cubes
  • orange peel
  • smoked chilli bitters (optional)

  • place ice in your fancy glass, shake all the ingredients apart from the orange peel, then pass through a fine mesh strainer on top of the ice, stir for 30 seconds, rub the inside rim with twisted orange peel, and then, the famous line:

with a cherry on top

  • do not worry if a little ash makes its way into your drink, you are probably smoked-out fully at this point, whats a little more?

  • if you read through these recipes, and plan your timings right (or get lucky), you can sit down to a spread worthy of the cowboys of tierra del fuego, and equally the ancient barbarians of korea.

  • fire awakens something deep in all of us, many people have tried to explain it, yet are unable. light a fire, burn some vegetables and enjoy the time spent with people you love, out in the open air.

  • this entire day, the dishes, the techniques and most importantly the poetic nature of the ancient ritual of fire, has been inspired by the incredible argentian chef francis mallman, who states below, the last part of the opening quote of this post, and will conclude our translation to you of what fire has done for us.

fire has its own language,

spoken in the realm of heat, hunger and desire.

it speaks of alchemy, mystery and above all,

possibility.

it is a slumbering voice inside me,

the ever-present beast within my soul.

it is beyond words, beyond memory.

it comes from a time long before i can recall.

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the fairest of them all

hokkaido

japanese milk bread.

  • this is what you need in your life.

  • offensively soft, buttery and our personal favourite for any sandwich.
  • hokkaido, also known as shokupan.

  • this bread uses an old japanese technique called tangzhong to achieve that god damn irresistible crumb.

tangzhong

  • the tangzhong is made by cooking out part of your liquid with some flour until it thickens, cooling it and then adding it to your dough when mixing.

  • similiar to the french technique of making a roux, it is sometimes known as a ‘water roux’ . it involves whisking the flour over a medium heat until it is smooth and thick. however, the ratio is different to the classic french 1:1. the ratio you want here is around 1:6 flour to liquid.

  • for this recipe, the scale is for either: one large sandwich loaf or 6 smaller rolls. we have made a double scaled batch at home to show you how to shape both methods.

making the tangzhong

  • 60ml water
  • 60ml milk
  • 23g bread flour
  • weight 60ml of water into a small pan, add the flour and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. slowly pour in the milk and whisk.

  • place the pan over a medium heat, and whisk constantly for a few minutes. by the time your arm starts to get sore, it should be thickening nicely.

  • when it resembles custard, its ready. (see image).

  • if you don’t know when its ready, that means you cant tell the difference between how thick milk and custard are and that is not something we are willing to try and help you with.

  • pour it into something and place a layer of clingfilm directly on top to stop a skin forming. set aside to cool to room temperature.

  • science behind it all : the starch gelatinizes at 65 degrees, stabilising the structure of your bread.

yeast

  • you can make sourdough hokkaido, we have, but we believe for this dough, commercial yeast is bang on.

  • if using dry yeast that you found in the back of your ma’s cupboard, make sure to check if it is active-dry yeast or instant yeast.

  • instant yeast can be added straight to dough when mixing, in which case you do not need to ‘activate’ it like described below, so just throw it in with the rest of the ingredients.

  • when using the active-dry version:
  • pour 68g (½ cup if you are a wanker) of warm milk into a mixing bowl.

  • add 4g sugar (1 teaspoon)

  • add 7g active-dry yeast and stir until the yeast begins to dissolve. leave for a few minutes until bubbling and frothy. (if using instant yeast, continue without waiting).

  • if you have a mixer or a kitchen-aid, now would be a good time. if not… it’s grand.

  • you should always have some soft butter sitting around, ready for action. now is that time. if not, make sure you at least soften to room temperature:

  • 58g, unsalted butter. set aside for now.

  • add the following to your milk & yeast mixture:
  • 325g bread flour
  • 36g sugar (40g total with 4g already mixed in)
  • 1 egg
  • 6g salt (1 teaspoon).
  • tangzhong, cooled to room temp

  • mix together with a spatula briefly, throw that away and get involved. knead with your hands (dough hook on a mixer) until it starts to form a rough, ugly dough.

  • knead for around 5-6 minutes, until starting to come together.

  • slowly add the softened butter*, bit by bit, until fully incorporated.

  • *if your butter isn’t soft enough, or is still a little cold, but you have added it anyway thinking “fuck it”, then you deserve the absolute nightmare that follows trying to mix that.

  • pro tip: for fast softening, place butter inside baking paper, and bash with a rolling pin, listening to black sabbath (essential).

  • when your dough starts to become smoother and less sticky, knead it into a tight ball, using the curve of your hands to round it and create tension on the surface.

  • place into an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a linen towel, and leave somewhere warm (22-24 degrees) until doubled and looking bodacious.

shaping

  • time to make a decision.

  • we prefer the sandwich loaf version. it rips into 4 perfect sandwich pieces, however you need a loaf pan, so failing that, make some rolls that you can bake on any flat tray.

  • either way, tip your dough onto a lightly floured surface, and deflate with your hands, bringing her down a level. do it gently or hard, whatever you are into.

  • as we mentioned, this is a double-recipe. so we cut this in half to show you each one and how it is shaped.

the loaf

  • you can weigh it into 4 exact pieces, which is a good habit, we didnt. simply cut your dough in half, then half those two pieces.
  • stretch and fold the sides of the dough into the centre, pushing firm and tight to seal.

  • flip dough seam-side down, and tighten the log with a dough scraper or your hands.

  • when the 4 pieces are ready, grab a loaf tin and rub butter on every crack and corner of the inside. place your 4 pieces of dough in the middle of the loaf tin, don’t worry if it looks a bit shit and underwhelming, after the proof, it will be popping.

alternatively

  • this makes 6 good-sized rolls, you could make bigger ones or many small ones or put the dough together however you want, but you get 6 legit ones here, trust us.

  • fold and seal the pieces. but instead of shaping into a log, round it into a ball with the curve of your hand, and tighten with scraper. place on oiled or buttered baking paper on a tray.

  • whatever shape you went for, you are still going to proof the dough in a warm place, covered, until it has doubled in size. in the loaf tin, you want it to be just shy of the top of the tin.

  • pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.

  • you want to brush the top of your dough before it hits that oven. depending on how you like it, you could make the crust glossy by brushing with eggmix, or if you prefer a matte crust, use milk. we used a little of both.

  • bake in the oven for:

  • 20-25 mins (6 rolls)
  • 30-35 mins (loaf)

  • if the crust starts to darken a little too quickly, throw a little tin-foil on top.

  • remove from oven. the smell is real.

  • if you have a probe, you want your dough to be between 88-96 degrees internally. but you don’t need it, you know its ready. even if its not, look at it, you cant wait any longer.

  • you should definitely let it cool. even just a few minutes, before gracefully ripping open and indulging in something that can only be likened to a buttered cloud.

recommended pairings

  • whatever you want. you already know its perfect for everything, you are welcome. we hope you enjoy.
  • we are aware there is no set recipe at the beginning of this post, because we wanted you to read it through and understand the breakdown of how to do this bread justice. if you got the whole way through and are feeling the call of the hokkaido people, here it is:
  • tangzhong:
  • 60ml water
  • 60ml milk
  • 23g bread flour

  • dough:
  • 325g bread flour
  • 7g yeast
  • 68g milk, warm
  • 58g unsalted butter, soft
  • 40g sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt

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try and fucking bánh this.

bánh mì

“the only real argument for colonialism”

– calvin trillan

  • you are probably sick of looking up a recipe and having to endlessly scroll down some dickhead’s life story on a blog, endlessly accepting cookies that you cant even eat. we think there are some things you should know about this sandwich, but it will be short and sweet.
  • throughout history the french have been known for two things: bread, and being dickheads. some shit went down… time went by, cultures mixed, here we are.

  • ‘bánh mì‘ literally means ‘bread’ in vietnamese. so as long as you have kept up with our other posts and have some bread in hand, you are ready for a good time.

  • different areas over time developed different flavour combinations and ingredients (from pâté to fish) but there are a few recurring ingredients that are considered a staple.

  • here is our version.

pickled veg

  • classically carrot & daikon. however you can switch it up a little, here we have some carrot, red onion and radish.
  • cold & crunchy. we rubbed these with some sugar and salt, covered with brown rice vinegar and set in the fridge. keep it simple, dont stress yourself.

fresh chillies

  • next, slice some chillies or jalapeños. cover in lime juice, set aside.

mayonnaise.

  • if you dont like it, make something else. this is a base requirement.

  • hellmans is good, making your own is better. it is very easy. we will drop a guide on how do this at home.

  • here we used rice vinegar, and didn’t wipe the bowl before the photo, because why would we?

fish sauce

  • you are at home, staring outside at the rain, wishing you could experience something even slightly culturally stimulating. fish sauce will transport you to the fucking streets of saigon, dont be scared.
  • here we smashed some garlic cloves, added a fat splash of fish sauce and more lime juice. you can use a blender if you have one, but this is more fun.

protein

  • pork is what you want here. you could use a variety of cold-cuts, grilled pork or anything really. char sui is a popular go-to.
  • we wanted porchetta, so we made porchetta.

  • we used a small portion of pork shoulder, stuffed with herbs, garlic & fennel. then forgot about it in the oven for a long time.

baguette

  • the heavy french influence comes mainly through the use of the baguette. buy them locally for next to nothing, or make them at home. we will drop a sourdough baguette recipe soon.
  • gather everything you have prepared. toast your baguettes in the oven until crisp and browned, slice in half.

  • spread obscene amounts of mayo on both sides.

  • pick coriander leaves from the stem. if you are one of those people who cant enjoy coriander… shit one. your experience will be inferior. don’t you dare throw away them stems (recipe drop soon: candied coriander stem).

  • begin stacking.

  • slice in half.

  • eat it. colonise it. whatever you want, as long as its inside bread… its a bánh mì.

Posted on

big boy bread: sourdough

“there are only two kinds of bread in the world: bread that hands have made, and bread that hands have not”

time to stop playin’

  • we hope somewhere between the enthralling daily adventure to the shops, and your 4th glass of vino on a tuesday night, you at least had a few attempts at making some form of bread during this free time.

  • if you have grown from somewhere between “in the bin before anyone sees it” to “fuck this is actually alright” (a right of passage) and want to get on top of your game even further, fear not, we got you covered right here.

  • this will be an advanced guide to baking a loaf of sourdough at home, if you are new to this, please see the previous posts on how to create your own starter culture and develop to the stage of baking a loaf, then come back here. or don’t, whatever level you feel is good for your enjoyment at home, do that.

bakers percentages

  • calculating percentages for baking is slightly different than the standard ‘percentage’ you are used to.
  • every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight. not the total weight of the dough. the flour weight is always expressed at 100%.

  • for example:

  • 100g flour
  • 60g water
  • 6 salt

  • to make this easy, our 100% is based off 100g flour. added together this dough would weigh 166g, but that is not our base.
  • 60g of water, as a percentage of 100g flour, is 60%. this makes our dough 60% hydrated.
  • 6g of salt, as a percentage of 100g flour, would be 6%. (an example, dont do this).
  • if this seems confusing as it is based off ‘100’. take 250g flour, 60% of 250 would be 150. so adding 150g water would make your dough 60% hydrated.

autolyse

  • with most things in life, there are a few tricks that get you through it. bread is no different.

  • ‘autolyse’ or ‘autolysis’ is just a fancy term for hydrating flour, mixing your flour and water together before adding any additional ingredients (starter & salt). however don’t let this pseudonym over-simply things, this is an important process which is vastly overlooked.

  • when your flour and water are mixed until no dry flour remains, and you let it rest for a small period of time, you will see the difference. your dough will be smoother and more elastic, have a better crumb, and generally just be way fuckin better.

whats goin on’

  • when the flour absorbs the water and is fully hydrated, enzymes in the flour stimulate proteins to begin gluten development. at the same time, other enzymes are breaking down starch into simple sugars which feed the yeast during bulk proofing.

  • this is happening before any kneading is done to your dough, preventing any chance of an over oxidised dough, which may be grim for the colour, flavour and texture of your beautiful loaf that you so wish for.

  • bakers love fancy words, it makes you feel good. ‘levain’ is one of these words.

  • a ‘levain’ is your sourdough starter. it is the rising agent for your dough and what you have been babysitting for weeks now, ready to be let out to play.

  • there are endless techniques and timelines used by bakers from everywhere, once you learn the behaviours and temperatures of your dough and yeast, with what you have at home, a natural schedule that suits your routine will fall into place. in winter, fermentation will be slower as it will be colder, and in summer, you will see a rapid increase of activity due to warmer environments.

  • learning to adapt to the ranging temperatures and conditions, and knowing what to do to manipulate this as best you can, is the ‘fun’ part. well, until your tearing into a still-warm loaf with your hands, raining butter and sea salt on that bitch with your boys at 2am on a saturday night cause you forgot to make a levain early enough that day.
  • your timeline will be based upon your conditions at home, however the processes remain the same. below is a process breakdown that works.

autolyse

levain

salt

stretch & fold

bulk ferment

shape

proof

bake

  • autolyse your dough ideally between 2 and 4 hours. however even a 15 minute autolyse makes a difference if you are pushed for time, we’re in the big leagues now.

  • we are not getting into the activity of your starter here. we are assuming your starter is active and ready for its big night out, if not, check out our starter maintenance post. some sort of tech whizz would have the link to that post right here, too bad you are stuck with a baker.

  • we probably should have mentioned this earlier, but you should always read something through fully before you try and follow the instructions. if you have, fair play, if not, lesson learnt. when autolysing your dough, save around 5% of your water on the side, so you can use this to help incorporate your levain and salt when needed.

  • we will release a another advanced guide into the world of different levain percentages, but for now we assume you followed our sourdough guide and have an active levain of 100% hydration (equal parts flour and water).

  • the bakers percentage of our levain is 20%.

  • using a splash of this reserved water, dimple your levain into your hydrated dough, pressing it in with your fingers and working it together (see photo above somewhere).

  • depending on how wet your dough is, it will take different amounts of time to come together. as your knowledge and skills grow, you can experiment more with higher hydrated dough, your hands and eyes will let you know when the dough is ready.

  • a famous technique is known as the rubaud method . this involves ‘scooping’ the dough underneath and stretching and pulling the dough until it becomes extensible and smooth.

  • let the dough rest for 30 minutes, covered with a tea towel or some clingfilm.

  • next, you want to add your salt.

  • apply the salt the same way you incorporated your levain, using your fingertips and remaining reserved water to bring together, before applying the rubaud method (see photo below)*

  • *advanced method: play ‘stairway to heaven’ , do not stop mixing until the song is done, and we guarantee your dough is perfect.

  • in the photo above, i know what you might be thinking. “look at all that dough on the side of the bowl” well you probably are not thinking that, but were addressing it incase any real bakers are reading this, we know our shit, and you will too soon enough. see photo below (the power of led zeppelin).

  • once your dough has come together, you want to begin the ‘stretch & folds’.

  • this is a technique used to increase gluten strength and structure to your dough. you want to grab one side of your dough, stretch it gently until it feels resistant, then fold it over your dough (use wet hands to prevent sticking). you want to perform this on three sides of the dough, until it has all been folded over itself. let your dough rest for 30 minutes in a warm environment.*
  • *a warm environment. ideally 22-24 degrees, which you use as a base for fermentation (for your starter, dough, anything else).

  • after 30 minutes, you will probably have noticed the dough has deflated and flattened a little. you want to perform the next stretch & fold at a 30 minute interval, before returning to the warm environment, and performing an additional stretch and fold after 45 minutes, or enough times until your dough holds a partial rounded shape after a 30 minute rest.

  • when the shape holds slightly, it is time for your bulk ferment.

  • bulk fermenting, is simply that. it is fermenting your dough, in bulk form (one single mass) before you decide to divide it into smaller loaves, rolls, baguettes, or leave it whole for a big daddy loaf for sunday brunch.

  • you want to bulk ferment 2-5 hours, depending as always on the warmth of your resting environment. when the bulk ferment is complete, your dough will have flattened a little but still have a faint rounded edge in your bowl. now it is time to shape it into a loaf.

  • there are some other steps in the advanced techniques of bread making , such as ‘lamination’ and ‘pre-shaping’, which we do perform regularly with great results, but with the process we have applied here, you still end up with a seriously bangin’ loaf.
  • tip your dough onto a lightly floured surface. flip your dough with a dough scraper (get one) or something flat until the floured side is face down.

  • now we begin creating the base shape of our loaf. we cant pretend to know the best technique for doing this, as there are hundreds. but incorporating air and structure in this step is important, and this technique works damn fuckin’ good. alternatively, get onto YouTube and learn whatever technique looks the most fun and effective for you.

  • fold one side of your dough over onto the middle, and then the opposite side over this. then fold the top halfway down your dough. then we begin ‘stitching’ which is stretching opposite segments of the dough over itself (like a stitch). see photo below. flip your dough, and seal the edges with your fingers.

  • now it is time for proofing.

  • your beautifully shaped dough needs somewhere to relax. us fancy folk use something called a ‘banneton’ or a ‘proofing basket’ which is a basket (made of cane or rattan). this enables your dough to proof ‘upwards’ rather than out, giving you a nice, high-rising light loaf. alternatively at home you can use a mixing bowl lined with a linen tea towel (use linen as it wont stick, fuck cotton).
  • liberally flour your banneton/cloth-lined bowl. if you can get your hands on some, use rice flour as it will ensure even further your dough does not stick.

  • *important as fuck. flip your shaped loaf upside down, so the seam you have ‘stitched’ is facing upwards. lift gently from underneath to not compromise the shape and all of the air you have so artfully incorporated, and place into your floured container of choice. (below)

  • now we wait.
  • let your dough proof in the banneton for around 15 minutes at room temperature, before covering with a towel, or wrapping in film and placing in a cold fridge. you can proof your dough in the same warm environment and have it baked within hours, however a cold fermentation overnight has many more benefits.

retarding

:retard (verb)

– a delay or hold back in terms of progress or development.

  • we know what you are thinking, but don’t be a dick. ‘retarding’ is the process of slowing down fermentation in your dough, to increase depth of flavour and texture.

  • as your dough rests, in a cold environment, the yeast bacteria produce acetic and lactic acids, which produces a richer and more complex flavour to your bread.

  • you want your fridge temperature to be between 2-4 degrees, a little more locked in than 0-5. (for the serious nerds, the cooling rate of your fridge can come into play here, but if you are that clued in to cooling rates of fridges in regards to yeast fermentation, you should be way fuckin smarter than us so keep on truckin).

  • cut a square of baking paper, wider than your dough.

  • place this piece of paper on top of your banneton, and flip onto a flat surface.

  • now we slice. we use a lame which means ‘blade’ in french. which is simply a flexible razorblade attached to a fancy wooden handle, to make it seem less like paulie slicing garlic in goodfellas. (photo above).

  • slashing the dough lets you control where the steam escapes, which will happen naturally, but this enables you to be in control of the aesthetic shape of the loaf, aswell as ensuring an even steam distribution.

we like it hot

  • you want a hot oven. you can bake this dough at varied temperatures, but we personally enjoy the primal kiss of a wood fire, obviously you are not going to do that just yet, so setting your oven to 260, or as hot as it can get, is a good start.

  • let your oven heat up for around an hour, until screaming hot.

  • steam is your friend. when the surface of the dough gets hot enough in a steamed environment, the starches slowly start absorbing moisture, until it becomes so saturated that it liquefies, creating a brittle and glossy crust.

  • there are many methods to create steam in your oven (you might be middle-class enough to have a steam option built-in to your home oven) but the two main approaches to home baking are:

  • a dutch oven. a lidded cast-iron pot.
  • a tray of ice or boiling water placed underneath the dough.

  • you want steam present for the first 10-20 minutes, to form the basis of your crust. after this time, reduce the temperature of your oven by around 10% (if your oven is at 260, reduce to 230, or use your fancy iphone to calculate 90% of whatever your oven is at)

  • here comes the most scientific, the most technical part of the whole process, you cannot afford to fuck up this meticulous process:

  • tap the bottom of the loaf with your hand.

  • does it sound hollow? if so, throw her on a wire rack to cool and crack the champagne baby its christmas. if not? shit one, try again from the beginning.

  • a good baker will tell you to wait until it is fully cooled before slicing , but a great baker knows the urge is too hard to resist.

  • you have spent long hours, days & weeks caring for this starter culture, and the entire process of creating a loaf, so if you want to slice that bread straight down the middle still-warm, get a shot for the gram to show off and then indulge without patience or judgement, you go right ahead and do that.

  • such is the beauty of life, bread included;
  • you can do whatever the fuck you want.

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sourdough, real talk.

technical info / nerd shit

you should know whats up

sourdough.

  • when you start looking into the science of anything really, it gets a bit mad. but if you are interested in mastering your craft, its useful to know some hard facts and how things work.

fermentation.

  • yeast and bacteria are already present in the air & flour.

as wheat flour hydrates, the enzyme amylase breaks down the carbohydrates into sugars, which are then broken down further into glucose and fructose, which are food for the wild yeast to begin fermentation. there are two types of fermentation here, aerobic and anaerobic.

aerobic.

  • This type of fermentation produces carbon dioxide, which is what makes the starter bubble and full of life.

anaerobic

  • This produces alcohol, which separates to the top of the starter, sometimes called ‘hooch’.

*mixing your starter well when feeding will help aerate it and dissipate the co2 on the surface.

**fun fact: yeast fermentation also produces traces of ‘glutamate’, a component of ‘MSG’, adding a more savory depth of flavor.

  • ‘lactobacillus brevis’ is the chemical name of the lactic acid present during this type of fermentation. This is what creates the acidic note to your starter, while the yeast provides the leavening action for the dough.
  • the bacteria consume glucose and produce lactic acid, so it generally has a lower ‘ph’ than bread made with commercial yeast. (it creates an environment unfriendly to pathogenic bacteria).

*chlorinated tap water should be avoided when possible, it will inhibit yeast action.

  • unbleached flour provides a better raw material for a starter. for example rye flour contains more nutrients and sugars for the yeast to feed on, and this flour can be phased out later.
  • when creating your starter, mix vigorously or blend to encourage aerobic fermentation.
  • 20-22 degrees is the ideal storage temperature for your starter to thrive.

*starter can be frozen or dehydrated for storage, and can be revived at room temperature with regular feeding.

autolysing

  • a fancy word for hydrating your flour, before adding your starter/yeast. an important step for incorporating air into your bread, but you only really need to know the official word if you want to show off on instagram that you are baking all sorts of delicious hydrated goods and shit.
  • this involves mixing your flour and water together and letting it rest, before adding your leavening agent and salt.
    • flour absorbs water, activating enzymes that stimulate proteins to begin gluten development. 
    • starch is also converting to sugar that will feed the yeast during the bulk proof. *this will reduce kneading time, and prevents over oxidized dough that can affect colour, flavor and texture.
  • if you have a higher percentage of whole grain flour = longer rest time.

*when using stoneground flour, be aware of extra moisture, coupled with larger microscopic starch, which has a slower hydration, increasing more gluten and bonds

hit us up with any issues

technical-info-nerd-shit-Download

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bread&broth.

chapter one: bread.

sourdough bread.

bread is one of the most ancient foods in history. creating bread from a culture of wild yeast has been done for thousands of years, but it lost its touch to commercially produced bread, full of preservatives and lacking many of the nutrients and flavours that made bread so damn good.

so that is why we are here. to take it back to basics. we will guide you through cultivating your own sourdough starter and maintaining it at home, to baking different loaves and various other goddamn delicious shit.

get up, grab a bag of flour, pick your favourite spoon, crack open a bottle of merlot and get that bread $.

your own starter: day one

sourdough bread, day one.

an active culture of wild yeast, which under your control can produce serious baked goods.

you need:

• (1) a glass jar, kilner brand preferably. when working with fermentation, good quality is essential.

• (2) water, a spoon/spatula, kitchen scales, a pen and paper, and flour.

• (3) weigh your jar without the lid.

• (4) write down the weight of the jar in a notebook, tell it to siri, or text it to your ma, it will make your life easier to know it.

• (5) flour. important. you cannot use bleached flour to create a sourdough culture, some bacteria will need to come from the grain itself, get yourself some wholewheat, rye, strong bread flour or unbleached white flour to kickstart things, different flours can be phased out later.

>weigh out 50g of your flour, and add it to your jar. *write this in notebook

• (6) weigh 75g of warm water, if you want to nerd out try and warm your water to around 29 degrees, but it’s not necessary at this stage for you at home. * write in notebook

• (7) pour the 75g of warm water into the jar of flour.

• (8) mix vigorously, preferably with a rubber spatula, a spoon will work if you are careful, I use this spoon because it’s sick af. mixing vigorously helps aerate your starter and get things moving

. • (9) a good jar comes into play here. you need a loose fitting lid, as the fermentation process will release gas which may pop, and you don’t want to be cleaning that up hangin on a Sunday morning.

• (10) screw or close the lid loosely, and place somewhere at room temperature, not too warm, for 24 hours. many factors such as bubbles, smell, alcohol and observing how your culture reacts is all coming soon, this is a simple introduction to get things going for you at home. tomorrow we will explore the first ‘feeding’ of your starter, stay tuned. slide into our dm’s with any deeper questions about this, or life in general.

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feeding schedule

staying alive

sourdough feeding schedule

sourdough-starter-feeding-schedule-2Download

day 1.

creating your starter. weigh your jar empty without the lid, note it.

  • 50g flour. (wholegrain, rye, strong bread flour, unbleached flour)
  • 75g water, warm. (ideally 29 degrees C)

mix vigorously until no dry flour remains, leave for 24hrs after every feeding.

day 2.

the first feed.

  • 30g ‘mature’ starter. (jar weight +30g total) discard the remaining starter.
  • 50g flour.
  • 60g water, warm (29 degrees).

day 3.

  • feeding is the same as day 2.

day 4.

now we reduce the water ratio slightly.

  • 30g ‘mature’ starter.
  • 50g flour.
  • 50g water, warm. (29 degrees)

day 5.

  • feeding is the same as day 4.

day 6.

now we reduce the starter slightly.

  • 25g ‘mature’ starter.
  • 50g flour.
  • 50g water

day 7.

baby we did it. this is your last feeding before its ready to use to bake some bread. this can also be used as your maintenance feeding going forward, depending on how often you plan on baking.

  • 15g ‘mature’ starter.
  • 50g flour.
  • 50g water, warm (29 degrees).

if you plan to be baking and slinging bread quite regularly, keeping your culture at room temperature (around 22-24 degrees) is a good idea. in colder environments there is a slower speed of fermentation so you may need to wait longer in between feeds, but its totally fine to pop it in the fridge and feed it every week or so, we understand people get busy, its all good. but it is about learning to observe how your personal culture is reacting to its environment and reading the signs as to what it needs, and when, which will come in time.

if you require any more information or are having problems about your starter, slide into our DMs on instagram.

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sourdough, day two.

feeding

24h.

sourdough, day two.

its been 24hrs since you mixed your starter culture, time to take a look. smell and sight are your tools to learning how your culture behaves, and you will learn the reactions of your own starter depending on the conditions it lives in, such as the temperature of where you store it. we now ‘feed’ the culture on a regular basis to build activity and help fermentation.

  • (1) take a look. is there any bubbles? if so, you are ballin. if not, don’t worry at all, you will see some activity very soon if you follow these steps correctly. 

  • smell your starter, it may still smell like ‘wet flour’ but soon the aromas of fermentation will appear, with sour, yeasty and alcoholic notes, which is your culture indicating to you what it needs, and we will learn how to read these signs along the way, for now just mentally clock or write down (good habit) the general smell.

  • (2) weight out 30g of your starter mix, we call this the ‘mature’ starter as the bacteria has been at work developing, and we want to keep this moving. if you recorded the weight of your jar, you can add 30g on to the total weight, and leave that much remaining starter in the jar, I will post additional photos of this method. i like to mix mine in a bowl, and clean the jar before placing back inside, it’s a good habit and looks way fuckin cooler in your kitchen when it rises. the remaining starter mix after taking 30g must be discarded at this stage, as your culture develops you can use this excess starter for many things which we will explore, but at this building stage it’s better to get rid of it.

  • (3) weigh 60g of warm water and add to your starter. it’s a good idea to add your water before the flour and give it a quick mix, it just makes it easier, real talk.

  • (4) add 50g of your flour with a designer spoon. 

  • (5) mix her up, treat her well.

  • (6) when no dry flour remains and everything is mixed evenly, bang you are done for today.

  • (7) add back to your cleaned jar if you removed, and/or close the lid of your jar, and throw back in that room temp spot which will be its home for another 24 hours. 

  • this is kept as simple as possible to help you get things poppin at home, but if you want more info on some technicalities, hit us up.
  • we will post a feeding schedule for the first week which you can refer to if your timeline isn’t the same as ours here, shit happens and people are busy, we get it, it’s all good baby. Hit us up or tag us in some photos of your starter / bread / dog, we’re always down for that.