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The Perfect Loaf 🍞

🍞 Have starter discard? Make this cake!

Published about 1 year agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

Cakes, proofing, and whole grains

If you're like me, you're a frozen popsicle πŸ₯Ά. It's going to be single digits here today. Thankfully, I'll hang out in the kitchen since my oven is ALWAYS on.

Here are a few awesome things in today's email:

  1. The results of my question in the last newsletter: what should I bake more of this year?
  2. Have discard? Make cake.
  3. Healthy bread and my ultimate guide to proofing dough.

Let's go!


πŸ™‹πŸ»β€β™‚οΈ What should I bake more of this year?

I received many replies to my last newsletterβ€”thank you! The top 3:

  1. More recipes with whole grains (and freshly milled flour)
  2. More baguette recipes & guides
  3. A tie: chocolate chip cookies (CCC) and challah

The first two: I got you covered; more of these are coming! As for the CCCs and challah: I'm long overdue for both πŸ™‚ Stay tuned.

Now, on to the recipes and guides.

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🍞 Starter discard cake: ciambella

This classic Italian cake is so effortless you'll be surprised at just how good it tastes. I work in a little of my sourdough starter discard, which brings a bit of flavor (and some nutrition, too)β€”not that this cake needs it.

The version above calls for lemon zest and limoncello for an intensely lemon cake, but I have variations for poppy seed, orange, and more.

It's one of those in-the-moment cakes that makes others think you spent hours.

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🍞 Sourdough with freshly milled flour

This loaf has 35% freshly milled whole wheat (I use Yecora Rojo) for a robust flavor and is an excellent step toward my goal of baking with more whole grains this year.

If you have a home grain mill, this is the perfect recipe for this weekend! Of course, you can swap in any whole wheat flour if you don't have one.

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πŸ’‘ The ultimate guide to proofing bread dough

In this comprehensive guide, I dip into all things proofing bread dough. I'll walk you through how to:

  • Proof dough at warm temp (instead of in the refrigerator)
  • Decide just how long to proof your dough
  • Spot the signs for when dough is ready to be baked (the poke test!)
  • Learn which loaves are underproofed, properly proofed, and overproofed

Check out the guide and reply back to this email with any questions you might have!

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πŸ‘€ What I'm reading and listening to

  • My friend Ali over at Alexandra's Kitchen posted my Sourdough English Muffin recipe from my cookbook and oh did she nail that recipe! Watch her make them.
  • I was recently on Food52's Play Me a Recipe (again!)β€”turn that on and bake my mini herb rolls with me in the kitchen.

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🀝 Join the bread group

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Stay warm & happy baking,

Maurizio Leo

P.S. Want to see me talk at length about bread knives (and you'll see just how many I have)? Here's my treatise on the best bread knife for sourdough bread →​

The Perfect Loaf 🍞

Maurizio Leo

Want to make bakery-quality sourdough bread from home? Subscribe for the best sourdough guides and recipes to take your bread from ordinary to incredible.

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