Butternut Squash Soup

From the Clever Carrot blog.

Ingredients

1 whole-roasted butternut squash (instructions below)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Sprig of fresh rosemary 
1/2– 1 tsp curry powder (optional)
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
Salt & black pepper

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottom pot, warm the olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder (if using), and continue to cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

2. Add the squash, coconut milk, and chicken stock to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or more for the flavors to meld. Discard the rosemary sprig.

3. Remove soup from heat. Puree in a blender until smooth and creamy. Pour back into the pot and give it a taste. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed. Add additional coconut milk or stock if the texture is too thick. 

4. Portion soup into bowls and serve piping hot.

Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Again, from the Clever Carrot blog. I love Emilie's recipes and tips!

Ingredients

50–75 g bubbly, active sourdough starter
325-375 g water (see Notes below)
20 g honey (optional)
500 g bread flour or all purpose flour (see Notes below)
9 g fine sea salt
2–3 tbsp olive oil, for coating the pan
Assorted Toppings (optional): rosemary, garlic cloves, flaky seat salt, tomatoes, olives etc.

NOTES: 

• You can use bread flour or all purpose flour to make sourdough focaccia. Comparatively speaking, bread flour yields a slightly chewier focaccia with a higher rise. All purpose flour creates a more tender focaccia. The choice is up to you. If you prefer to use all purpose flour, I do recommend King Arthur brand. Coming in at over 11.7% protein, this flour is stronger than most all purpose flours, which means it can handle a higher quantity of water without the dough becoming a gloppy mess. It’s actually stronger than most bread flours! If you cannot access this flour, make the following changes to ensure success: decrease the water to 325-350 g (start small and work your way up) OR use King Arthur bread flour with 375 g water instead.

• For Baking: You will need a rimmed sheet pan or non-stick rectangular pan (9×13-inch or 10×14-inch)

Baking Schedule Options

Before you begin, decide on your baking schedule. Here are two options:

Fall/Winter (overnight method)

4-6:00 PM: Feed starter

8:00 PM: Make the dough

8:30 PM: Let rise overnight (bulk rise)

8:30 AM (the next day): Inspect the dough. Does it need more time to rise? If so, give it more time, otherwise continue on.

9:00-11 AM: Second Rise

11:30 AM: Par-bake or Bake.

Spring/Summer (daytime method)

8 AM: Feed starter

10 AM: Make the dough

10:30 AM: Let rise during the day (bulk rise)

3:00 PM (onwards): Second rise

5:00 PM: Par-bake or Bake

Directions

1. Make the Dough: Whisk the sourdough starter, water and honey together in a large bowl (I use a fork for mixing). Add the flour and salt. Mix to combine and then finish by hand to form a rough dough. It will be wet and sticky. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour. Timing is flexible here. Then return to the bowl and work the dough into a ball.  

2. Bulk Rise: Cover the bowl of dough with lightly oiled plastic wrap (or transfer the dough to a lightly oiled dough container). Let the dough rise, using the schedule above as a guide. The dough will double in size (or more) when ready. Adjust your timeframes according to the temperature of the environment.

3. Second Rise: Pour 2 tbsp. of olive oil onto a rimmed sheet pan (or 1 tbsp. olive oil if using a non-stick rectangular pan). Use your hands to evenly coat the bottom and sides. With your oiled hands, remove the dough onto the pan, and then flip it to coat both sides. Cover and let rest for 1 1/2- 2 hours or until very puffy (I use an inverted sheet pan to cover the dough). Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C). Note: I like to rest my dough in a warm spot, usually on top of the oven while it preheats. The dough becomes soft and bubbly. 

4. Assemble the Focaccia: Right before baking, gently dimple the dough with oiled fingertips. I start at the bottom of the pan and work my way to the top. As you dimple, the dough will naturally begin to stretch outwards. You should end up with a rustic rectangular or oval shape, about 14 x 9-inches (36 x 23 cm) or larger. The dough won’t go all the way to the corners and sides of the sheet pan- this is OK. Note: If using a rectangular pan, the dough will naturally fill the shape of the pan.

5. Add Focaccia Toppings (optional): Press your preferred toppings into the dough. As the focaccia rises, the dough will puff up. The toppings will pop out if not properly anchored. If using garlic, I keep the cloves wrapped in their papery peels to prevent burning. Remove and discard the peels before eating.

6. Bake the Focaccia: Place the dough onto the center rack. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before cutting. TIP: To par-bake focaccia dough: Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes @ 425 F (220 C). The crust will be set, very pale in color and golden underneath. Remove the focaccia from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 6 hrs. To finish, return to the pan and bake for 12-15 minutes.

7. To serve, cut the focaccia into wedges or squares and enjoy warm!

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Another recipe from the Clever Carrot blog. This recipe makes two loaves of sandwich bread. Keep in mind that this is a very dense bread, quite different from the sourdough bread filled with air pockets that you get at a restaurant. But it slices really well and tastes yummy Use an 8.5x4" loaf pan to speed up the rise.

Ingredients

1000 g (about 8 cups) all purpose flour
120 g (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
24 g (2 tbsp.) sugar
18 g fine sea salt
150 g bubbly, active sourdough starter (100% hydration)**

520 g  (2 1/4 c) warm water**

**NOTE: The recipe calls for 100g of starter and 540g water but says you can increase the amount of starter to speed up the rise, particularly in cold weather, adjusting the amount of water as necessary. The blog suggests either 200g starter + 510g water or 300g starter +500g water. I've been using the amounts listed above.

Directions

Baking schedule: I feed my starter the night before I want to bake (25g each of starter, flour, and water). Then first thing in the morning on baking day, I feed my starter again, separating out 50g for the bread and 25g to keep the starter going for next time. For the bread, I use 50g each of starter, flour, and water to make 150g of starter. I start to mix the dough around 1pm (or when the starter is actively rising and not quite doubled (so, well on its way up). I do the autolyse on the counter but the bulk rise and the first part of the second rise in my oven on Proofing setting.

Mix the dough

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Mix on low speed until combined; the butter should look like crumbs.

Add the starter and warm water. Mix until the flour is fully absorbed (get in there with your hands to finish mixing). The dough will feel slightly sticky and elastic at this stage. 

Autolyse

Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. 

After the dough has rested, switch to the dough hook and run the machine on medium-low (#3 on a KitchenAid) for 6-8 minutes. The dough will feel soft and supple and not stick to your hands. If it does, add a dusting of flour.

Note: If you do not have a stand mixer, the dough can be made by hand. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes, or until smooth, soft and elastic. Do not worry about under/over kneading. Relax into the process and focus on the texture, not the time.

Bulk Rise

Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise in the oven on Proofing setting until double in size (generally around 4 hours, but go with size rather than time). Alternatively, let the dough rise overnight at room temperature (68 F) until double in size, about 10-12 hrs. 

Shape the Dough

Coat an 8.5×4 inch loaf pan with butter.

Remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten the surface to release any large air bubbles.

Roll the dough into a log tucking the ends underneath. Rest for 5-10 minutes. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you to tighten its shape. Using a bench knife, place the dough into the loaf pan seam side down.

Second Rise

Cover the dough with lightly oiled or buttered plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature until it has risen to about 1-inch above the rim of the pan (check the height by looking at the domed center portion of the dough). You are not looking for it to double in size. For timing, this can take anywhere from 1 1/2-2 hours (or more!) depending on temperature and the amount of sourdough starter used. Remember, the warmer it is, the faster the dough will rise. (NOTE: I typically do 45 minutes or so of the bulk rise in the oven on Proofing setting, then remove it to the counter when I start heating up the oven.)

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Note: For higher oven spring, preheat to 500 F instead. Reduce to 375 F once the dough goes into the oven and bake as directed.

Baking

Bake the dough on the center rack for about 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

This sandwich loaf will stay fresh for up to 3 days, stored in a plastic bag at room temperature.