Bread was never really my thing in life, I didn’t like it to eat at all. I rather eat 2 hot meals a day and a salad in between than eat bread in the morning and as lunch, how we do it in Holland.
First of all, it doesn’t give me a full feeling in my stomach, after 1 hour of eating bread I feel hungry again. My blood sugar levels spike quick and drops quick as well. This feeling is not nice to have during the day.
Beside that most of the time it gives me a sour burn in my stomach.
So, for many years I just never ate bread.
My friend from Poland came the first year in Greece to help me start the garden and give it structure here. Also she brought me rye flour from Poland, the base you need to make a ‘starter’ for the sour dough.
Five years ago we started making the ‘starter’ for the sourdough bread. That takes up to a week before you have a good and active starter. There are many websites that can give you instruction to make it, I was very lucky to receive a part of her ‘starter’, so I only have to give it food (rye flour) in order for it to grow.
Nowadays my bread is a HIT! So I thought let’s write a blog about it.
Often I have to bake breads for locals and friends around here. Over the years I learned the technique very well and understand now exactly the structure of the dough to make a perfect Babread!
When I need a bread, I need to start minimal 24 hours before (in the wintertime). So it takes a planning from me.
The night before I take the ‘starter’ out of my refrigerator and ‘feed’ it with rye flour and leave it on my counter to get awake and active. In the morning I see bubbles in it, it means it is alive!
I start to make the dough in the morning. At night around 21.00 – 22.00 I take it out, mix it by hand and cut it in 2 pieces to make 2 loaves. Leave it to rest for the rest of the night. In the morning I bake the breads. This is in the wintertime, It is a 24 hour process.
During the summer, when temperatures are much higher the process goes so much quicker than in the winter. Then I do the opposite, I start to make the dough in the evening and in the morning the 2nd mix. Bake it at noon. Because of the heat the process goes so quick.
It sounds a lot and difficult, but when you have it in the fingers, it is a piece of cake! It takes me about 2x 15 min. work to make 2 sourdough breads.
My first breads where hell, like a stone, nobody liked to eat it and often I wanted to stop this ‘stupid’ work. I continued and every time it got better, Babetter.
It got so good that my friends gave it a name ‘Babread’, homemade bread from BabetterPlace. They even take it for their family and friends home. Weekly I make about 10 breads, in exchange for other ‘goods’. Like fish, eggs, onions, potatoes etc.
This is such a nice way of exchanging and makes you more creative and it connects each other.
Ingredients for 2 ‘Babreads’
600gr grated pumpkin
600 -700 grams mixture of different types of flour
10 grams of Celtic sea salt
300 – 350gr sourdough starter.
Step 1, grate the pumpkin
Step 2, add the types of flour and the salt.
Step 3: add the 'starter'
Step 4: mix all the ingredients, I prefer in the machine.
Step 5: when the structure is oke, then cover it with plastic foil and a towel on top. And leave it overnight to rise.
Step 6: place it on the counter, full with flour, to avoid it get sticky.
Step 7: Split it in 2 the same pieces
Step 8: Fold it sometimes and mix it again, then put it in the baking tin, add some seeds on top. Then put a wet towel on top, until the morning.
Step 9: Bake the bread in the oven (without air) on 200 degrees, about 40min.
The bread is ready when you hit on it and it sounds hollow
TIP: put a ceramic cup with water below in the oven, to keep the bread moister and tasty.
Before you cut the bread let it cool down completely.
In the picture you see 2 breads raised to much, so they got sticky together and became a twin bread. So still, not every bread is perfect and that is oke. We enjoy it anyway!
Variations are endless: You can make a nuts with dried fruit bread or a focaccia, with salt and rosemary Or make a stuffed bread with a mixture of orange, small pieces of nuts and cinnamon in the middle.
Also you can use the dough to make a pizza.
Bon appétit!
Eating my breag together with friends, in front of the fireplace, love it.
