Purple Corn-Purple Sweet Potato Bread
I'm really loving purple bread! I've made a similar bread a few months ago, but this time I decided to also add freshly ground purple corn. I also used Kamut instead of the previously used Spelt.
I was very happy with how this turned out. The crumb was semi-open, nice and soft and flavorful. This one is a keeper and worth trying if you dare.
Here are the Zip files for the above BreadStorm files.
Levain Directions
Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled. I used my proofer set at 83 degrees and it took about 4 hours. You can use it immediately in the final dough or let it sit in your refrigerator overnight.
Main Dough Procedure
Mix the flours and the sweet potato with 90% of the water for about 1 minute. Let the rough dough sit for about 20 minutes to an hour. Next add the levain, olive oil, salt and the balance of the water and mix on low for 5 minutes. Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds. Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold. Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold. After a total of 2 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours. (Since I used my proofer I only let the dough sit out for 1.5 hours before refrigerating).
When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours. Remove the dough and shape as desired.
The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature and will only rise about 1/3 it's size at most. Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.
Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 540 degrees F. and prepare it for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf. I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.
Right before you are ready to put them in the oven, score as desired and then add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.
Lower the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the crust is nice and brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees.
Take the bread out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 2 hours before eating.
Below is the nice moist and colorful crumb.
Comments
I always enjoy seeing your posts. You come up with such different bakes. Glad it tastes as good as it looks!
So happy you like it. It does taste as good as it looks.
Happy Baking.
Ian
Wow... that is beautiful.
May I feature this on the homepage for a bit? It is a inspiration for the autumn and Thanksgiving.
That would be awesome Floyd!
As always, it's interesting to see your next creation.
Paul
Always appreciate your comments Paul.
Regards,
Ian
I still remember how soft and pillowy the last one was! In my last post I made a kabocha loaf that was so popular among the family. It wasn't as soft but the fragrant was outstanding. For today's loaf, some nuts and herbs would be added for complicity :)
The purple corn makes it ultra-special for sure. Hmm... Must find the chance to try it someday. I personally favour that moderately open, moist crumb. Very intriguing indeed!
I really love the way this one came out. Probably my favorite so far for potato breads. I look forward to seeing your new version soon.
Happy Baking!
Ian
Those loaves are works of art. I love how the score opens up and reveals the purple crumb inside.
You write that you used freshly ground purple corn flour -- I assume this is ground from dried purple corn kernels, right?
--Susan
Appreciate your kind words.
Yes, I did use dried purple corn which I purchased through Amazon. It has a wonderful aroma when ground as well and helps really add a deep purple color when combined with the purple sweet potato.
I hope you get a chance to try it yourself and let me know what you think.
Happy Baking!
Ian
I love it Ian and the colour stays vivid, the purple corn might be a bit harder to find here in Australia. Anyway going to share something purple the Sydney Harbour bridge from a different perspective, and the bridge again just as we were docking from the Ruby Princess on our return from a cruise around New Zealand just before this latest news of the volcano disaster to befall another cruise ship the Ovation of the Seas.
I love it Ian and the colour stays vivid, the purple corn might be a bit harder to find here in Australia. Anyway going to share something purple the Sydney Harbour bridge from a different perspective, and the bridge again just before dawn as we were docking at circular quay from the deck of Ruby Princess on our return from a cruise around New Zealand just before this latest news of the volcano disaster to befall another cruise ship the Ovation of the Seas passengers.
That is a remarkable structure, Yozza. However, a jacaranda in all its splendor is even more remarkable. I miss the sight of Pretoria awash in purple every year.
Paul
Yes Paul i just found that one spot where both became one, we were visiting Wendy Whitley's secret garden. Jacaranda's do very well here in Australia and we have suburbs where the streets are lined with them along the verges even holding a Jacaranda festival. Magnificent to seein full bloom and again when the petals drop and the road looks like a fresh fall of purple snow.
Great to hear from you! Love the photos. What an amazing trip you must be having. I was heartbroken to hear about the volcano and the loss of life. Glad you are safe of course.
I had found the purple corn on Amazon. It might be worth a look but of course in your neck of the woods it may be cost prohibitive ?. It did help with adding the extra boost of color and some flavor as well.
Happy travels!
Regards,
Ian
Home safe and sound thanks Ian interestingly yesterday in Sydney that view would have been impossible as the smoke from all the fires obscured the bridge. The bush fires have been raging for more than a month. New South Wales and Western Australia are both expecting temperatures of over 40 degrees for the next few days. Fire fighters have arrived from the US and Canada just recently to help and give our wonderful volunteers some downtime, but not good news for those trying to save peoples homes. The toll on the wildlife is already catastrophic!
I did find it quite ironic in Chinatown the number of young people wearing face masks because of the smoke but would slip them off to have a cigarette!
That's such a tragedy. Between this and the fires in the Amazon, so many animals and plants destroyed it's heart wrenching.
On your other note, I guess it's no surprise that people who inhale carcinogens directly into their lungs already wouldn't let a little thing like a wildfire stop them! Here in the states thankfully most states don't let people smoke in restaurants or most public places. When I used to travel to China all the time, it was not fun to eat dinner in a private room with smoke blowing in my face :).
I recall a visit to the UK when we on a canal boat with my mum and dad and we stopped off at a pub for lunch and i asked the publican if we could be seated in a non smoking area, telling him that in Australia the laws now prohibited smoking in dining areas. to which he told me it would never happen there! How wrong he was as by the time we revisited all had changed and all for the better. Also gone are the days when 200 duty free cigarettes could be bought into the country, 25 is all that is allowed now.
Thanks for sharing the new recipe with us.
Blogger at AWL Golf
Beautiful bread Ian. I haven’t been able to find purple sweet potatoes yet but I’m hoping to eventually find them so I can make purple bread.
Benny
I hope you find them some day. They are not as sweet as the orange variety and really do add a wonderful flavor and color to the bread.
Happy Baking!
Jacaranda we had in our front yard for years. Sadly, the leaves dropped onto the roof of the house in the fall so it had to go.
You have crafted another beautiful whole grain bread! Has to taste purple if purple has a taste! Playoffs are ion so I;m cutting this short.
Happy baking Ian!
Glad you like this one DA. I loved the color and the flavor was extra special. Big upset in the Baltimore game! Who saw that one coming?
Max and Lexi send their love to Lucy and your family??.
That looks amazing. I bet it tasted great.
It was very tasty.
Ian, this is gorgeous! Honestly, a work of art.
We can get purple sweet potatoes in late summer, and I want to give this a shot then. Between the corn, the kamut, and the sweet potatoes,this seems like the flavor profile would be subtly sweet, maybe a little vegetal. Is that how it turns out? Am thinking about how to pair it--maybe with a blue cheese & apricot compound butter
Appreciate your kind words.
It does not really taste very vegetal at all. It tastes like a complex bread. the purple sweetpotatoes are not as sweet as orange ones that you may be used to and the purple corn is very mild flavored. I hope you get to try it and let me know what you think.
Regards,
ian
Thanks for your quick response! I'll report back!