Purple Yam Sourdough Artisan Bread

Purple yam is rich in antioxidants and some of its antioxidants are not found in regular yams.  In addition, it helps us to detox our body system1,2.  It's a great ingredient to add to our diet.  I'm using this ingredient in powder form as the physical form is not readily available here.

Purple Yam Sourdough Artisan Bread

Further reading:  Health benefits of sourdough

Ingredients

  72g      Active Sourdough starter
102g      Water  (64% hydration)
  20g      Purple yam powder
160g      Bread flour
  15g      Sugar   (optional)
  15g      Butter  (optional)
    2g      Salt


Instructions for bread dough

1.    Add sourdough starter and water into the stand-mixer bowl (I'm using KitchenAid)
2.    Using a wooden chopstick, stir to mix well.
3.    Add in Chinese purple yam and bread flour and stir well.

4.    Use our hands to briefly knead the dough until a shaggy mass is formed. 
5.   Autolyse for 45min - 1hour.
6.   Add sugar and salt.
7.   On speed 1, using the dough hook, knead the dough for 3min.
8.   On speed 2, further knead the dough for 7min.
9.   Test for windowpane.

10.   Cover the dough and rest for 15min.  The machine also rest to prevent overheating.
11.  Add butter.
12.  On speed 1, knead the dough for 3min.
13.  On speed 2, further knead the dough for 6min.
14.  On speed 4, knead for 30seconds
15.  Test for windowpane.

16.  When windowpane is achieved, transfer the dough into an oiled glass bowl.  Otherwise, knead for another minute, and repeat step 15.

17.  Bulk proof for 2hr-2.5hrs until doubled in size.

18.  Retard the dough (put into the fridge) for 1hour.

19.  Pre-shape the dough into a boule.

20.  Rest dough for 20min.
21.  Final shape the dough into boule, using tension pull.
22.  Dust a proofing basket with rice flour.  This is my homemade proofing basket, a plastic bowl and a linen cloth fastened to it.

23.  Place the boule into the proofing basket with its bottom facing upwards.

24.  Final proof the dough for 1hr to 1.5hrs, or until doubled in size.  I placed the proofing basket into my oven with the light switched on.

25.  30min into proofing, put a dutch oven into the oven and preheat the oven at 240°C (this is my oven highest temperature).

26.  Tip the proofed dough onto parchment paper.

27.  Score the dough.

28.  Remove the dutch oven from the oven.

29.  Remove the lid of the dutch oven and carefully lower the baking paper together with the dough, into the dutch oven.

30.  Put the lid back and put the dutch oven in the oven. 
31.  Bake for 30min at 220°C (the highest my oven can reach).  As I don't like my bread to brown too much, I normally won't bake my bread too long.
32.  Transfer the bread onto a cooling rack.  Cool for at least 2hrs before slicing.

33.  Voila!  The Purple Yam Sourdough Artisan Bread is ready to be sliced into.