Arthur, my sourdough culture, had been fed & I had about 1/2 a kilo of him sitting around. The question always is after I've fed him "Do I use him in the kitchen or garden (in a slug and snail trap)"? It was cold & I wanted a bit of comfort food - I felt like consuming some Triple Cream Brie. I decided to make these delicious crackers and then buy the Brie. 

This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour. Bakers' Magic gluten free flour is no longer available commercially however the recipe is available for purchase. 

 

Sourdough Starter

50 g of previous days leaven

50 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour

100 g Lukewarm water

~1.5 tsp Sugar (of some type)

or

50 - 70 g Roasted sweet potato

or 

sugar + sweet potato - I usually add both

The remaining 150 g of the previous days leaven I either use to make bread (below) or put it on the humus heap.

I'm not gentle when it comes to mixing the starter - I find the easiest way to mix is with a stab blender. It's quick & gets the lumps out.

Sugar - your starter will need a sugar source (the simplest one is glucose powder). Sugar comes in various forms for example grated apple, roasted pumpkin, roasted sweet potato, honey or simpler versions table sugar, raw sugar, molasses. We want to add the Goldilocks amount of sugar to our culture. Too little you will starve your starter, too much & you will kill it, just the right amount & your starter will grow happily. 

Adding the Goldilocks amount of sugar - Unfortunately I can't say what that amount is for your culture. For Arthur, my starter/leaven/culture, I know I haven't added enough food when I let the starter grow for ~6 hours (it has doubled in size) I swirl it back down & it doesn't grow again. 

Roasted sweet potato - I usually bake it whole for 1 - 1.5 hours (depending on the size). I blend it with a food processor & freeze it in ice cube trays. Two of my roasted sweet potato ice cubes weigh ~70 g. I've fed my culture on one ice cube of sweet potato however the culture is not as active. The water content of the roasted sweet potato will vary & may affect the final shape of your loaf.   

 

 

Ingredients

400 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour

1.5 tsp Salt

30 g Sugar

150 g Sourdough starter (leaven)

4 tsp Psyllium husk powder or psyllium husk

1 Onion (finely sliced and fried)

Approximately 1 tsp Rosemary (fresh and finely chopped)

50 g Oil (I use Rice bran)

425 g Warm water

 

Maize starch = Cornflour from maize/corn and potato starch is sometimes labelled as potato flour. For more information go to Maize starch vs Cornflour. 

Psyllium husk - Psyllium is used to make the dough easier to handle however the downside to this is that the bread won't rise as much if too much is used. 

  

Method

Simple Instructions

1. Finely chop the onion and gently fry it until golden. 

2. Blend the dry ingredients (including the rosemary).

3. Thoroughly mix together the dry ingredients, sourdough culture, warm water, caramelised onion and oil. Let the dough sit for approximately 1 hour in a warm spot.

4. Mix the dough again. 

5. Transfer dough to a prepared banneton or a couple of baguette tins.

6. Prove the dough (3 - 5 hours). The time will depend on how active your starter is & the proving temperature.

7. Bake in a hot oven (190 C). Times will vary depending on shape - 45 mins cigar shaped loaf, 30 min baguette. When making baguettes, flip the baguettes over and bake for an additional 10 mins. 

8. Let the bread cool a bit before slicing into it.

9. Dry slices in oven (100 C).

10. Store in an airtight container. 

  

More Detailed Instructions

Thinly slice the onion and gently fry until golden. Allow to cool before adding to the dough mix.

Blend the dry ingredients together, including the rosemary. 

Add all ingredients (wet & dry) to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the flat beater combine the mix until a uniform consistency is achieved. You may need to stop the mixer and scrap down the sides. 

Prove the dough for approximately 1 hour in a warm moist environment. 

Divide the dough. Use oiled hands to shape the dough into snakes. Transfer to baguette tins. Let the dough prove for 3-5 hours in a warm moist environment. The actual time will depend on many factors particularly how active your sourdough starter (leaven) is. 

Before putting it in the oven ensure that the dough has risen.  

Turn your oven on to 190^oC. Bake at 190^oC for ~30 mins. The time will vary depending on the individual oven. If your oven has a hot spot turn the bread halfway through baking. Bring the baguette tins a little way out of the oven & flip the baguettes over. Bake for an additional 10 min. 

Take out of the oven & cool the bread on a cooling rack. Ensure the bread is sufficiently cooled before cutting into it.

Turn the oven on to ~100 C when you are ready to slice the bread.

Slice the bread thinly & arrange it on a cooling rack or lined baking tray. 

Put the rack/tray in the oven. Check the crackers for crispness after an hour. If the crackers do not snap they need a bit longer in the oven. The length of time required to dry the crackers will vary depending on the thickness of the slices & your oven.  

When the crackers are crisp turn off the oven. I usually leave the crackers in the oven to cool down. Stored in an airtight container they can keep for weeks (if they are not eaten first). 

Simply enjoy!