This recipe makes a large loaf of incredibly tasty sourdough bread. The bread is soft and close-crumbed and is studded with sweet pieces of dried dates. Crushed pineapple in the dough provides additional sweetness and keeps the bread moist, so the bread will keep well on your counter. The pineapple and a little grated orange zest also complement the sourdough tang. Although we like the bread toasted and plain, it's even better spread with a little butter or preserves. Want something a little different for breakfast? Use the bread to make a special French toast! It's really good that way! Of course, the bread also makes a tasty dinner or tea-time treat. Enjoy!
Sourdough Date-Pineapple Bread -- Makes 1 Loaf
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1 large egg
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of canola oil
Grated zest of an orange
1 cup of chopped dates
1/2 cup of crushed pineapple
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of white whole-wheat or regular whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
In a large bowl mix the starter/discard, egg, milk, oil, orange zest, dates, pineapple, and sugar until thoroughly combined. Stir in both flours well. Let the mixture sit, loosely covered, for at least an hour. I usually let the mixture sit for 4-6 hours, and it's just fine. When you're ready, add:
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, adding about 1/4 cup of additional flour, if necessary, to prevent the dough from being too sticky to knead (the amount of additional flour you need to add will depend on the humidity/temperature of your kitchen and how stiff your original starter/discard was. I maintain a very stiff starter.). Spritz a large loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or line a loaf pan with aluminum foil and spritz the foil with spray for easier bread removal later. Form the dough into a loaf shape and place it in the prepared pan. Spritz the top of the dough with non-stick cooking spray and loosely cover the dough. Let the dough rise until it has increased in volume by about a third and has almost/just barely reached the top of the loaf pan (this takes 2-4 hours in my cool kitchen). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the bread for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and/or it has reached an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees. Let the bread cool completely before slicing it.
