Naturally Fermented Bread

 Learn to bake healthy, gut-friendly loaves and sweet fermented buns using wild yeasts cultivated from fruits, flowers, vegetables, and plants.

Like sourdough baking, yeast-water or botanical bread baking draws on the amazing process of fermentation and the ancient art of breadmaking. The method described in this book, while unique, is informed by the author's knowledge of both bulk fermentation and sourdough bread baking, resulting in an innovative process and delicious, nutritious results.

To bake naturally fermented bread-fruit, vegetables, plants, or flowers are submerged in water and left for a few days to a few weeks to ferment. Yeasts living in this newly fermented water, or botanical water, will, like a sourdough starter, raise the dough more slowly than commercial fresh or dried yeast resulting in a more flavorful and gut-friendly bread.

You can use this technique to make traditional long-fermented loaves and also a range of sweet fermented buns that showcase the subtle and surprising flavors of your own botanical starters.

Recipes include:

    Tomato and Basil Pizza Dough

    Cucumber Burger Buns

    Chocolate Orange Brioche

    And much more!

Naturally Fermented Bread is the first and most authoritative introduction to this innovative baking technique-a must for any baker's library. 

INTRODUCTION

Your Botanical Baking Journey Begins Here

1. BAKING BOTANICALLY

An Overview of the Four Key Breadmaking Methods

An Overview of Fermentation and Its Health Benefits

A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Botanical Fermentation

Important Equipment for Fermenting and Baking Botanically

The Importance of Hygiene

Key Ingredients For Baking Botanically

Varieties of Breadmaking Flours

Why the Autolyse Technique Is Used in Breadmaking

Botanical Baking Allows for Experimentation

2. BREADMAKING BASICS

Recipe Advice and Structure

Keeping Time

Correct Water Temperature for Bread Dough

The Slap-and-Fold Method of Kneading

The Windowpane Test

Retarding (Overnight Refrigeration)

How to Make Your Own Proving Box

How to Test Whether a Dough Is Fully Proved

Ways to Score Dough

Advice on Gas, Electric, and Convection Ovens

How to Create Steam in the Oven

How to Bake Oven Bottom Bread

Benefits of Using a Dutch Oven

How to Control the Flavor Strength of Your Sourdough

Benefits of Milling Your Own Grains

How to Add Porridge to a Dough

How to Make Healthy Botanical Drinks

3. BOTANICAL BREADS

The Floral Loaf

Cassiobury Farm Watercress Loaf

French Baguettes

Fig and Fennel Farmhouse Loaf

Root Vegetable Foodbank Loaf

Vine-Ripened Tomato and Basil Pizza

Posh Cucumber Burger Buns

Date and Walnut Loaf

Stilton and Raisin Loaf

Kalamata Olive Ciabatta

Rosemary, Sultana, and Rock Salt Focaccia

Beet and Lemon Loaf

4. BOTANICAL SWEET BUNS

Sicilian Lemon and Raisin Belgian Buns

Award-Winning Cinnamon Square Buns

Orange, Lemon, and Currants Chelsea Buns

Strawberry and Madagascar Vanilla Swiss Finger Buns

Currants, Sultanas, Cinnamon, Clove, and Nutmeg Hot Cross Buns

Currants, Sultanas, and Earl Grey Tea Cakes

Apple and Clove Buns

Orange and Madagascar Vanilla Panettone

Chocolate Orange Brioche

Fig and Hazelnut Star

Orange, Lemon, Licorice Stick, and Strega Liqueur Savarin and Rum Baba

Award-Winning Pecan and Raisin Ricky Sticky Buns

Williams Pear and Cardamom Buns

5. SOURDOUGH BREADS

Everyday Wheat Sourdough

Award-Winning Church Street Sour

Award-Winning Wheat and Rye Sourdough

100 percent Dark Rye Sourdough Boule

Lithuanian Keptinis con Sopracciglio

APPENDIX: EDIBLE AND POISONOUS FLOWERS

Words of Warning

Edible Flowers

Poisonous Flowers

Proteolytic Enzyme-Containing Foods

Glossary

Author Bio

Acknowledgments

Index