Mesquite flour sourdough bread w/figs and pecans

 

This sourdough bread was inspired my  5 foot tall,  4 year old fig tree which showed it’s first signs of green last week.  Central Texas had a more than usual number of sub-freezing temperature days this past winter.  I had resigned myself to expecting the tree had suffered severe damage.   It had already sprouted a few buds when another cold spell hit and froze them. I was very relieved to see new buds begin to open a week ago.  Fig trees do thrive well here in Austin,  but the unusual weather had me worried for this young one.   I can now look forward to grackles,  mockingbirds,  sparrows,  cardinals, and other fine-feathered visitors helping themselves to the figs.   They always get to the fruit before it’s fully ripened,  and then they will almost always leave half-eaten figs on the tree.  Last year I was able to salvage one glorious fig.

Fig and walnut sourdough bread seems to be one of the popular kinds to make in the fruit and nut repertoire.  Locally abundant pecans sub for walnuts while mesquite flour, which I still have from my mesquite flour muffin making last summer add a wonderful distinct flavor.  Go to my recipe to see more about the muffins which came out very well.  The aroma of the flour reminds me a little of toasted coconut,  caramel,  or even chocolate.  It is made by drying and grinding the pods of the tree.  In this recipe I only put in 15% of the total flour so that it doesn’t dominate the overall flavor of the bread.  If you can’t find it in your specialty or organic supermarket,  a quick Amazon check will give you some options.  Two brands I’ve used can be found at http://www.zocalogourmet.com  and http://www.casademesquite.com .

A couple of notes: I used dried mission figs, which are still fairly soft and plump. If you use drier figs, you may want to lightly reconstitute them in water or maybe even a liquor.

My dough is very wet and sticky. I prefer it that way so that bread can turn out much lighter and airier.  If you’d rather not manage a wet and sticky dough,  start with 500 grams water and add more according to your desire.

 

For 2 large or 3 medium loaves.

The levain:

3/4 tablespoon sourdough starter refreshed about 8 hours before

100 grams water (78 degrees F.)

50 grams bread flour

50 grams whole wheat flour

The final dough:

all the levain

700 grams water at 80 degrees F.

550 grams bread flour

300 grams whole wheat flour

150 grams mesquite flour

20 grams salt plus 50 grams water

1 1/2 heaping cups sliced dried figs

3/4 cup roughly chopped toasted pecans

 

The night before baking the bread make the levain.  In a small bowl dissolve the starter in the water.  Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour and mix until it is all moistened.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight to ferment.  In a 75 degree F. ambient temperature it will take about 9 hours.  Check the next morning by dropping a spoonful in a small bowl of water. The levain is ready if it floats.

Toast the chopped pecans by roasting them in a 325 degree F. oven for a few minutes.  They will become slightly aromatic.  Let them cool.

To make the dough begin by dissolving the levain with the 700 grams water in a large bowl that will fit the rest of the ingredients.  Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour and mesquite flour. Mix well until there it is all moistened.  Cover with plastic and let it autolyse for about one hour.  Autolyse is the process where the flour begins to form gluten.   Because salt hinders the process it is left out at this point.  The dough will become easier to manage more quickly.

Dissolve the salt in the 50 grams of water as best you can and then add it to the dough by squeezing it in.  Put the dough in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix for about 5 minutes.  It will become smooth but still be quite sticky.  Remove it from the bowl and place it in a very lightly oiled bowl or container.  Lightly oil the top of the dough then cover the bowl with plastic.  After 30 minutes, uncover and give it a “turn”.  This is done by reaching and grabbing the bottom of the dough,  pulling it up,  and stretching it over the top part.  Do this one more time.  “Turn” the dough at 30 minute intervals for a total of 3 times.  After 1 1/2 hours you should have turned the dough 3 times.  Now let the dough ferment for about 1 1/2 to 2 more hours.  It will seem airier,  a little less sticky,  and increased in volume by about 20-25%.  The amount of time it ferments will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.  At 72-75 degrees F. ambient temperature,  my dough takes about 4 hours from the beginning of the turning phase to the beginning of the final shaping.

When the dough is ready for shaping, take it out of the container or bowl and put it on your work surface.  I find that a marble board works best.  Since this is a sticky dough, you can use all the help you can get.  Divide it into 2 large or 3 medium portions.  One by one,  form the portions into a nice round shape.  Use a pastry scraper for this,  as the sticky dough will be very hard to manage.  Try to create surface tension by tucking in the dough.  The surface tension you create will help in the oven spring while the dough is baking.  Lightly dust with flour and cover with plastic.  Let them rest about 20 minutes.

You are now ready to do the final shaping.  Take one of the portions and turn it upside down.  Grab the right third of dough and stretch it a bit to your right, then fold it over the middle third.  Next grab the left side, stretch it to your left and fold it over the middle.  Now take the third closest to you, stretch it toward you and fold it over the middle. Finally, do the same with the third farthest from you and fold it over the middle.  Turn the dough over once again so that the top section with the folds is now the bottom in contact with the work surface.  Repeat with the other portion(s).

If you made a dough that is fairly stiff and tacky you can place each of the portions on a piece of parchment paper.  They will hold their shape for their final proof.  If however your dough is very sticky you’ll need to set them in small bowls or baskets to help hold their shape.   Bannetons are the specially made proofing baskets used for breads.  If you are using them or makeshift baskets,  line them with a clean kitchen cloth,  then dust with flour.  Place the dough portions upside down in the banneton.  Lightly flour the top with flour and place plastic wrap on top.  Fold the overhanging kitchen cloth over the top.  Repeat with the other portions.  The final proofing should last about 4-5 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.  The dough should increase in volume by about 20-30% and feel airy to the touch.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. about 45 minutes before you plan to bake.  Use a baking stone if you have one.

If you are not using bannetons,  place the dough in the oven by sliding them in with a peel.  The parchment paper really helps.  Lower the oven temperature to 425.  Spritz the oven with water carefully with a plant mister.  Bake until  the internal temperature of the bread reads 200 degrees.  Set the loaves on a wire rack to completely cool down.  If using bannetons,  uncover the dough, removing the plastic.  Place a piece of parchment paper a little wider than the size of the banneton.  Place your peel on top and flip it over carefully.  Remove the banneton and gently remove the cloth you used to line with.  Prepare all the portions of dough in that manner and then slide them into your oven.  Continue as described above,  lowering the oven and spritzing.  Bake until they read 200 degrees.

I’m taking this bread to The Novice Gardener’s weekly Fiesta Friday.  You can always find many inspiring chefs,  storytellers,  and photographers there.

I enjoyed this bread as toast with ganache and cajeta.  I’ll try to update with photos soon.

 

The first fig of the season?

 

 

 

 

 

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