Sourdough Candy Cane Bread
Sourdough Candy Cane Bread—a stunning Christmas bake that’s as festive as it is delicious.
Ingredients
For The Starter
- 50 g Flour
- 50 g Water
- 10 g Sourdough Starter
For The Loaf
- 100 g Active Sourdough Starter
- 350 g Filtered Water
- 1/4 tsp Food Coloring
- 1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract
- 3/4 cup White Chocolate Chips
- 50 g Cane Sugar
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 10 g Salt
Instructions
Prepare Your Starter
- The night before, mix 50g flour, 50g water, and 10g starter. Cover and let sit at room temperature. Alternatively, feed the starter in a 1:1:1 ratio 3-5 hours before starting the dough.
Prepare The Red Dough
- In a large bowl, combine 50g peak starter, 175g water, 25g cane sugar, 1/4 tsp peppermint extract, and food coloring. Stir until bubbly. Add 250g bread flour and 5g salt. Mix until combined and no dry bits remain. Cover and set aside for 1 hour.
Prepare The White Dough
- In a separate large bowl, combine 50g peak starter, 175g water and 25g cane sugar, Stir until bubbly. Add 250g bread flour and 5g salt. Mix until combined and no dry bits remain. Cover and set aside for 1 hour.
- Each dough ball should go through 1 set of stretch and folds, and at least 2 sets of coil folds. Each set should be preformed at least 30-45 minutes apart.
- During the last set of coil folds, add white chocolate chips to the white dough and fold it in.
- Allow both doughs to rise, covered, until doubled in size, soft, and jiggly.
- Gently shape the white dough into a rough rectangle. Repeat with the red dough.
- Laminate the white dough by stretching it thin. Stretch the red dough and layer it over the white dough. Gently align the edges.
- Fold the dough in thirds, then roll into a tight ball. The more folds you're able to incorporate, the more candy cane swirl your bread will have.
- Use tension-building pulls to create a smooth surface. Place the dough, seam side up, into a floured banneton. Rest 15 minutes, then stitch the seams closed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside. Turn the dough onto parchment paper, score the top, and transfer to the Dutch oven. Add a few ice cubes for steam. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then uncover and bake another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 200°F.
- Let the loaf cool completely before slicing to reveal the festive swirl.
Notes
- A peak starter is bubbly, doubled in size, and holds its shape when a spoonful is dropped into water.
