White Sourdough Bread

My sourdough starters are alive and well and are maturing with every use and replenishment.
They sit happily in the refrigerator and each time I make a loaf I replenish them at a 100% hydration rate, i.e. equal parts water and flour, so if I take out 300 gms of starter, I replenish with 150 gms water : 150 gms flour, leave it for a few hours to reactivate and put it away in the refrigerator.

Since I made the starters, I have been baking various loaves, with varying degrees of success. All of the loaves have been good, but some better than others. The wholemeal loaves have been the most successful, and I recently baked a 7 grain & honey wholemeal loaf which was dubbed as excellent by those who tasted it.

White sourdough is the one giving the most grief, so after a little more research I tried the following:--

1) Thoroughly mix flour, oil, sugar and sourdough starter and water together.
2) Autolyse for 20 minutes
3) Add salt and knead for 10 to 15 minutes to form a smooth, well structured dough
4) Cover and leave to rise 4 --6 hours until the dough feels spongy and is well developed.
5) Every hour or so fold the dough over on itself by taking the edges and folding them over working around the bowl.
6) When the ferment is finished and the dough has risen and feels nice and spongy, shape into a loaf or 
loaves. Don't be too vigorous here as you do not to knock the dough down, but rather you want to maintain the structure.
7) Place the loaf into a bread tin or alternatively upside down in a lined banneton and retard by placing in the fridge overnight.
8) Next morning remove from fridge and allow to warm up and  finish it's proof. This will take approx1--3 hours depending on ambient temperatures.
9) When it appears that the final proof is well underway, preheat your oven and bake.
10) For a 1 kg dough, I baked for 45 mins at 230C.

I set up a makeshift bakers oven in my hooded barbecue using clay pavers and a tray of water for steam injection. I actually baked two loaves at differing times, the first loaf (pictured) came out beautifully, however, the underside of the second loaf was overcooked, so next time, I will cook both at the same time.

WHOOPIE PIES

Earlier this year, I made a batch of whoopies, having read a snippet about them. I made a chocolate whoopie and filled them with some ganache I had left over after making macarons.
They were OK, but didn't set the world on fire and I was left wondering what all the fuss was about, so
I didn't go any further with them.
That was until I recently made a batch for a cake stall at my daughter's school carnival. I made a fairly basic recipe of chocolate whoopies and this time I made a more traditional marshmallow filling. I had one spare cookie left, so I put a dollop of filling on it and down it went!!. It was then that I began to realise what the fuss is all about. These little soft cookies/cake type morsels are quite moorish.

And now to a recipe. This one is adapted from one used at a shop called "Baked" in New York.
It is relatively easy, with no creaming of butter and sugar involved, more stirring and folding, and what could be easier.

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW WHOOPIES.

475 gms plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons Bi carb soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

Sift these ingredients into a bowl and gently stir to combine.

90 gms dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee
220 mls hot water

Pour hot water onto cocoa/coffee powders and whisk thoroughly to dissolve fully.

350 Gms brown sugar
170 mls canola or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
110 mls milk soured with the juice of half a lemon

Stir all together until well combined and no lumps of sugar and then add to cocoa mixture and
whisk until smooth.
Fold sifted dry ingredients into the mix until fully combined.

This will give a batter which is pipeable, but will hold it's shape.

Line baking trays with non stick baking paper and pipe rounds about the size of a 50c coin
and a similar height leaving approx 4 cm space between them as the mix will flatten a bit in the oven.
Bake at 180 C for approx 13 minutes. If baking two trays at a time, rotate them half way through and add another 30 secs to baking time. Let cool completely on the trays before removing and filling them.

MARSHMALLOW FILLING.

3 egg whites
270 gms caster sugar
2 tablespoons glucose
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.

Place all ingredients in a heatproof bowl and whisk over a pot of simmering water until it is white, glossy and leaves a distinct ribbon trail when you lift the whisk. (5--10 mins)
Transfer to to an electric mixer and whisk for a further 5 minutes until cool.
Transfer to a piping bag and pipe onto whoopies.