February 14, 2022 - 11:15am
Rhubarb Sourdough with candied ginger & cardamom
Posted a version of this in the past. New improved and updated. Stunning flavor profile and tender crumb. I feed my white YW starter and have it bubbling and super active before using. I don’t keep a discard so always make the “ quick” bread in a regular sourdough fashion .
Added chopped candied ginger and a heaping TB fresh ground cardamom . Chopped home canned green rhubarb and boiled the syrup down to use for the glaze while the bread was hot.
This batch came out the best yet.
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What a unique flavor combo. Sounds like this must take fantastic.
What is a white YW starter?
Happy Baking!
Ian
Flavor tart and sweet and just a hint of cardamom . The bits of ginger are hot sweet spicy.
I have been keeping a YW / AP flour levain going. It’s really active when fed just once before using. Overflows the quart container! I didn’t put any YW in the bread batter just the freshly fed bubbly levain.
it’s a basic Banana bread SD discard recipe that I posted in the past. I just don’t use any banana or applesauce anymore and chop the well drained rhubarb to equal the volume of banana.
Everybody uses acronyms without definitions here, which makes it very challenging for newbies like me. I had the same question.
For others: It was not easy to figure out what "YW" means, and I am reasonably capable at internet searches.
YW = "Yeast Water". King Arthur Flour defines it as, "... dried or fresh fruit mixed with water, left to ferment, and the water mixed with flour to stand in for a regular sourdough starter". Here is a link to their article, but a simple web search for "yeast water" will get you much more:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2020/02/24/baking-bread-with-a-yeast-water-starter
That is a tasty looking toast, C. I was thinking about creating a YW starter and I wonder if it will eventually turn sour by feeding only bread flour. I don't want another SD starter, that is the reason I would like to try YW. Thanks.
I keep my YW freshened with organic raisins. When they sink to the bottom of my quart container I lift them out and pour off the liquid leaving behind the white dead yeast residue in the bottom. Add filtered new water and a handful fresh organic raisins leave at a warm temp til slightly fizzing then refrigerate… repeat … usually q 2 weeks. I used to use apples but now raisins are better.
The YW levain is different. Take = YW + AP flour mix and let bubble up. Refrigerate indefinitely and use a 20 g amount and feed whatever final levain you need. You can use YW or filtered water to feed . It’s all good. You will be surprised. It’s the most durable sustainable you can have. It likes really warm temps , it never ever gets sour , it never gets hooch on top… pretty much perfect.
Sounds great, C, thanks for the info. Yeah I was thinking about using organic raisins to make YW as well. I do maintain a SD starter and other than giving a very sour taste it does not seem to perform any better than my instant yeast so I am questioning myself why would I want to waste my time and energy with it. On the other hand, I am not sure if I want to maintain a YW indefinitely so the reason I was thinking about trying a YW starter. It does sound like the type of starter that suits me better.
The crumb of your bread indeed looks very fluffy like having a 3D effect on a seemingly flat piece of toast, something I would love to have on my bread. Cheers!
You can change the flavor profile of your SD starter. There are some good discussions on here about making it sweeter/less acid by feeding a different schedule and also use a different flour. I hope you will try that before giving up. Also just changing the way you make your bread will make it less sour . c
Yeah I have tried a few things but I probably could do more to make it better but ultimately it just does not seem to have the rising power of instant yeast. Will let you know if I have more questions about YW. Thanks.
Love this Caroline, I’m a huge fan of rhubarb so I’ll have to remember this when rhubarb season comes back this year.
Benny
Chopped candied ginger and home made rhubarb sounds simply superb!
This is my kind of bread, the kind that is a little bit like a cake.
-Jon
Just like the usual banana bread but more! I use very active levain and this rose for about 2 hrs before baking. The best one I have made yet! Stays very fresh as well. I cut the loaves in 1/2 and freeze them and then thaw just what we will eat in a few days. I sometimes slice off a frozen piece and eat it frozen.. so delicious! This is great with my homemade lemon curd as well. Just made 3 batches
Just like the usual banana bread but more! I use very active levain and this rose for about 2 hrs before baking. The best one I have made yet! Stays very fresh as well. I cut the loaves in 1/2 and freeze them and then thaw just what we will eat in a few days. I sometimes slice off a frozen piece and eat it frozen.. so delicious! This is great with my homemade lemon curd as well. Just made 3 batches