Affiliate Disclosure As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. For more details, refer to my Disclaimer page.
What to do with that beetroot at the back of the cupboard? Sometimes there is one left out and you need some ideas.
This is a recipe for a beetroot sourdough bread loaf which shows a useful way to use up left over beet in a tasty savoury way. Sourdough bread is easy on the gut being by helping with digestion.
Contents
Introduction for beetroot bread
There are plenty of times I'm aware of when there is half used jars of pickle or beetroot left in the fridge after either a health kick or a recipe which has called for a small amount. I dislike food waste and think it is really important to use up all ingredients where we can, so this sourdough bread loaf with beetroot is a great recipe to do so.
Ingredients for beetroot sourdough
The basic bread recipe consists of:
If you are looking for bread dough styles and detailed instructions how to make it, try my bread dough calculator. This offers all weights and measures to get a great dough.
- bread flour
- beetroot
- salt
- water
- sourdough starter
All of these ingredients can be found in regular supermarkets. Most of us will have these types of ingredients at home.
For the beetroot, it really doesn't matter if you are using a fresh beet or a jar of pickled beetroot. Either will work. I have also experimented with beetroot powder which can be used as a food colouring too. A similar process is used to make charcoal sourdough so there are plenty of options to play around with things.
Sourdough starter can be purchased in dried form from online retailers like this one (use code WHATCOOKS15 for 15% off) or it is possible to make your own starter too. Check out this post with full details on how to make it and care for a sourdough starter.
Top Tip
Beetroot really can stain things red so if you don't want your hands to look like something out of CSI Miami, wear latex gloves or wash with warm soapy water as soon as you are done chopping.
Instructions for beetroot bread
Some of these pictures for these instructions are taken from my cranberry sourdough recipe however we can simple replace the cranberry sauce with the grated beetroot. Everything else is the same.
Use my instructions as a guide but they are not necessarily right for everyone all the time. What I mean by this is that ambient temperatures can change, so rising times can be different. Various flour can be more absorbent than other brands so the water required for a recipe can be more or less. The more sourdough you make, the more used to the process you will become for you so don't be disheartened if its not right first time.
Combine the flour and water and leave to autolyse. This is the process of letting the gluten start to form and is best left for 45 minutes to an hour.
Add starter to the mix. The starter should be really 'active' when getting added in at this point. This means it is fed and bubbling up.
Add in the grated beetroot and also the salt.
Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart.
Cover and do an initial bulk prove until increased in size. You are looking for almost double in size. There may be some air bubble forming too. This can take anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours (8 hours is not unheard of in colder climates or with less active starters).
Shape and place in banneton, then prove overnight in the fridge. Cover again with a damp cloth or a shower cap (shower caps are really useful for baking!)
Turn out of banneton and score with a sharp knife or bakers lame at a 45 degree angle along the length of the loaf before baking.
Bake at 200C for 30 minutes until crisp and golden on top and hollow when tapped underneath. See below for various baking tips.
Baking options for Beetroot sourdough
When it comes to baking sourdough bread there are various methods which can be followed to bake a loaf. The three main methods I use are:
- Open baking
- Dutch oven baking
- Flipped bread tin bake
Open baking
This method works with most conventional ovens (fan oven or non fan oven) and is by far the easiest method. For this method I recommend a baking stone or pizza stone of some form which should be preheated for at least 30 minutes before baking. The bread can then be placed directly on the baking stone along side a tin of boiling water to create steam in the oven. (Steam helps the dough to rise).
Dutch oven baking
This utilises a Dutch oven style cooking vessel, whether this be an actual Dutch oven or a pan with a lid which will fit in the oven. The dough is placed in the pan and then cooked for 20 to 25 minutes with the lid on (creating steam & rise) and then another 20 to 25 minutes with the lid off to allow it to crust up.
Again, it is recommended to preheat a Dutch Oven for at least 20 to 30 minutes before use.
Flipped bread tin
This method is quite new to me but gaining traction amongst fellow bakers. The theory goes that much like a Dutch oven, a bread tin can contain the dough and another one can be put on top of it (upside down) for the first half of baking. This will create the steam similar to that of a Dutch oven.
The top tin is then lifted off to allow the dough to crisp and the crust to form for the remainder of the cooking. I will report back when this is a tried and tested method for me personally.
Serving Suggestions
The bread is a really tasty savoury dish and can be served as a part of a buffet snack. Try these other recipes to accompany the beetroot sourdough bread.
The Recipe
Rustic Beetroot Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- 1 Banneton
Ingredients
- 220 g Sourdough starter made from Kensington Sourdough starter
- 150 g Beetroot grated
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 200 ml Water tepid
- 360 g Flour Strong bread flour
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the salt and the flour together in a bowl1 tsp Salt, 360 g Flour
- Mix the starter with the water together.220 g Sourdough starter, 200 ml Water
- Slowly add the starter/water mix to the flour mix. Add the oil and mix together. Then mix in the beetroot. Once all mixed together, let it stand for 10 minutes.150 g Beetroot, 2 tbsp Olive oil
- Pull the side of the mix up and tuck into the centre. This is known as a stretch and fold. Turn the bowl a ¼ turn and then do the same. Do this 3 more times so you have been around the bowl. Then leave it for 10 minutes.
- Repeat the above process for 3 more times (over a total of 30 minutes.)
- Cover the mix and let it stand for around 60 - 90 minutes.
- Take out the dough and stretch on to a floured surface. Prepare a banneton basket (proofing basket) and flour the lining. Place the shaped dough into the basket.
- Leave it to rise for 3 - 6 hours until doubled in size.
- Preheat the over to 230°C and place in a tray of boiling water to create steam.
- When the oven is at temperature, score across the top of the bread as required and then cook the bread on a baking stone or hot tray for around 25 minutes. When cooked, the bread should sound hollow if tapped underneath.
Nutrition
More posts like this
One response to “Beetroot sourdough bread”
-
This is a tasty bread. It smells a bit odd if you use too much beet, but tastes lovely.
Leave a Reply