Butternut Molasses Sourdough Bread

|Butternut Molasses Sourdough Bread|

With the abundance of winter squash that we harvested this fall, it’s no surprise it found its way into bread.  This Butternut Molasses Sourdough Bread is a happy marriage of sweet butternut squash and deep flavored molasses.  The flavors are subtle enough for those afraid of either squash or molasses but show up enough to create a tasty, wholesome bread.  Quite possibly my favorite bread to bake.

The butternut squash in this bread gives it a moist, flavorful and soft crumb.  Its is not a highly hydrated loaf so the crumb is relatively closed but does have some nice size holes evenly distributed throughout.

The molasses gives it a nice earthy taste that complements the higher notes of the squash.  The molasses also helps to give the crumb it’s texture and the crust it’s beautiful color.

I’d say this bread could easily become a staple throughout the winter months. It is delicious by itself but is absolutely stunning paired with a soup or as a hot sandwich. And it helps me to use up the mountain of winter squash I have sitting in my dining room lol.

The dough is wonderful to work with and really, a rather beginner friendly dough.

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A few things when working with this dough:

• I find it is easiest to schedule the dough so that the levain ferments all morning (mixing it upon waking), then mix the final dough in the afternoon, perform my stretch and folds in the afternoon and ferment into the evening.  Then I shape and fridge it for the second rise overnight, and bake early in the morning. But do what works for your schedule 🙂
• The dough can be split into 2 large loaves or 3 small ones.
• This dough moves pretty quickly with it’s fermentation. It really shouldn’t need over 6 hours (unless your house is very cold or your starter not very active) for it’s first ferment.
• Yes, there is only that much water in the dough 😉 the squash and molasses have a lot of moisture in them that hydrates the dough.

Butternut Molasses Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

Levain

75g Fed, mature Starter

75g Whole Wheat Flour

75g Bread Flour

100g Water

Final Dough

970g Bread Flour

50g Whole Wheat Flour

20g Molasses

560g Butternut squash, cooked then pureed or mashed

300g water

325g levain, mature

20g salt

Instructions

1. Place all of the levain ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until everything is combined well. Cover and let ferment for 8-12 hours.
2. When the levain is ready, place all the flour, water, squash, molasses and levain in a large bowl. Stir or use your hands to incorporate everything together into a shaggy dough. Cover and let autolyse for 1/2-1 hour.
3. When the autolyse is finished sprinkle the salt over the top of the dough. Knead, or pinch and  stretch and fold the salt into the dough until it is thoroughly distributed. Cover and let the bulk ferment begin.
4. Thirty minutes after adding the salt stretch and fold the dough by picking up one edge of the dough, pulling it up straight out of the bowl then folding it over to the other side. Rotate the bowl and repeat the stretch and folds all the way around the bowl.
5. Repeat the stretch and folds every thirty minutes for the first two hours of the bulk ferment, for a total of four stretch and folds.
6. After finished with the stretch and folds it should ferment for another 4 hours or so, for a total fermentation time of 6 hours approximately. It is done with the first ferment when it has risen by about 30% and is slightly domed with a few bubbles on the surface.
7. When it is finished with the bulk ferment, very lightly flour a counter and turn the dough out onto it.  Divide the dough in two and preshape by dragging the round of dough across the counter to create a taught surface. (See resources page for video examples)
8. After pre shaping the dough let it rest while you get your proofing containers ready.  Line and/or flour your banneton or other proofing container and set it near the dough.
9.  When the containers are ready and the dough has rested for about 10 minutes, final shape the dough.  To do this flip the bottom up so the seam is facing up.  Gently tug the dough into a rough rectangle.  Take the top third and fold it to the center, take the bottom third and fold it up to the center and overlapping the top third that is folded down. Then rotate the dough 90* so that the center line is running perpendicular to your counter. Then take the top of the dough and begin rolling it down onto itself until your reach the end of the dough.  Create a tight seam using your finger tips or the heel of your hand to press the dough seam together.
10. Place in the proofing container seam side up and place the container in a plastic bag or cover with something to keep it from drying out. Then place in the fridge for 8-10 hours or until the dough no longer springs back when you push a finger onto it.
11. When the second rise in the fridge is done preheat the oven 500*f with a dutch oven or other baking vessel in it.
12. Once the oven is preheated take the dough from the fridge and turn it out of its proofing basket onto a lightly floured counter. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife or lame.
13. Take the baking vessel from the oven (careful not to burn yourself) and gently place the dough into it.  Cover and place back in the oven.  Turn the oven down to 450*f.
14. Bake for 30 minutes with the cover on, after the 30 minutes take the cover off the baking vessel and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes.  Or until it is browned to your liking, smells like it is done and makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
15. Remove and let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

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Butternut Molasses Sourdough Bread

This Butternut Molasses Sourdough Bread is a happy marriage of sweet butternut squash and deep flavored molasses.  The flavors are subtle enough for those afraid of either squash or molasses but show up enough to create a tasty, wholesome bread.  

Ingredients

Levain

• 75 g Fed mature Starter
• 75 g Whole Wheat Flour
• 75 g Bread Flour
• 100 g Water

Final Dough

• 970 g Bread Flour
• 50 g Whole Wheat Flour
• 20 g Molasses
• 560 g Butternut squash cooked then pureed or mashed
• 300 g water
• 325 g levain mature
• 20 g salt

Instructions

1. Place all of the levain ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until everything is combined well. Cover and let ferment for 8-12 hours.
2. When the levain is ready, place all the flour, water, squash, molasses and levain in a large bowl. Stir or use your hands to incorporate everything together into a shaggy dough. Cover and let autolyse for 1/2-1 hour.
3. When the autolyse is finished sprinkle the salt over the top of the dough. Knead, or pinch and  stretch and fold the salt into the dough until it is thoroughly distributed. Cover and let the bulk ferment begin.
4. Thirty minutes after adding the salt stretch and fold the dough by picking up one edge of the dough, pulling it up straight out of the bowl then folding it over to the other side. Rotate the bowl and repeat the stretch and folds all the way around the bowl.
5. Repeat the stretch and folds every thirty minutes for the first two hours of the bulk ferment, for a total of four stretch and folds.
6. After finished with the stretch and folds it should ferment for another 4 hours or so, for a total fermentation time of 6 hours approximately. It is done with the first ferment when it has risen by about 30% and is slightly domed with a few bubbles on the surface.
7. When it is finished with the bulk ferment, very lightly flour a counter and turn the dough out onto it.  Divide the dough in two and preshape by dragging the round of dough across the counter to create a taught surface. (See resources page for video examples)
8. After pre shaping the dough let it rest while you get your proofing containers ready.  Line and/or flour your banneton or other proofing container and set it near the dough.
9. When the containers are ready and the dough has rested for about 10 minutes, final shape the dough.  To do this flip the bottom up so the seam is facing up.  Gently tug the dough into a rough rectangle.  Take the top third and fold it to the center, take the bottom third and fold it up to the center and overlapping the top third that is folded down. Then rotate the dough 90* so that the center line is running perpendicular to your counter. Then take the top of the dough and begin rolling it down onto itself until your reach the end of the dough.  Create a tight seam using your finger tips or the heel of your hand to press the dough seam together.
10. Place in the proofing container seam side up and place the container in a plastic bag or cover with something to keep it from drying out. Then place in the fridge for 8-10 hours or until the dough no longer springs back when you push a finger onto it.
11. When the second rise in the fridge is done preheat the oven 500*f with a dutch oven or other baking vessel in it.
12. Once the oven is preheated take the dough from the fridge and turn it out of its proofing basket onto a lightly floured counter. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife or lame.
13. Take the baking vessel from the oven (careful not to burn yourself) and gently place the dough into it.  Cover and place back in the oven.  Turn the oven down to 450*f.
14. Bake for 30 minutes with the cover on, after the 30 minutes take the cover off the baking vessel and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes.  Or until it is browned to your liking, smells like it is done and makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
15. Remove and let cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. Enjoy!

What kind of sandwich would you build with this bread? Any fall or winter flavor ideas?? Leave me some inspiration in the comments!