Sourdough Struggles, Vegan Comfort Food & a Few Surprises
Another week in the kitchen, and this one has been full of comfort food, a few unexpected favourites and my never-ending quest to bake the perfect sourdough loaf!
The Sourdough Obsession Continues…
I spend so much time trying to find the perfect sourdough recipe. Ideally, one that produces a beautiful loaf without taking over my entire day!
This time I experimented with a fridge proof and decided to try a cross score for a change.
The result? Not bad, but being the perfectionist I am, still far from perfect!
Scoring is one part of bread making I just can’t seem to master. I have both a traditional lame and a small handheld razor tool, but every time I try to score the dough, the blade seems to drag and tear rather than slice cleanly.
I also think I went a little too deep with the cross this time, which may have caused the loaf to lose some of its structure.
The search for the perfect loaf continues! If anyone has any tips for getting those lovely clean scores, I’d love to hear them.
Vegan Mac & ‘Cheese’
On my Leiths Plant-Based Cooking course this week, we made vegan mac and ‘cheese’.
I have to admit, I was absolutely dreading this one!
I’ve mentioned before that vegan cheese really isn’t my thing. There’s something about the flavour that I just can’t get on board with, so my expectations weren’t particularly high.
We were encouraged to put our own spin on the recipe, so I added a little liquid smoke and swapped the suggested vegan Parmesan for my own homemade nut-based version.
And what a surprise!
It was absolutely delicious. Creamy, comforting and packed with flavour. I genuinely couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it, and it’s something I’d happily make again.
A good reminder to keep an open mind in the kitchen!
Chestnut, Mushroom & Leek Rolls with Homemade Brown Sauce
Next up were vegan chestnut, mushroom and leek rolls, served with homemade brown sauce.
The brown sauce had such an incredible depth of flavour, and learning how to build that richness from scratch was a brilliant new skill.
The rolls themselves were slightly less picture-perfect…
I was rushing to get them ready to serve alongside dinner and got a little carried away with the filling...I’m calling them rustic and full!
Thankfully, they tasted fantastic, which is what really matters!
Chocolate Cake That Just Happens to Be Vegan
And finally, something sweet!
We made a vegan chocolate traybake, and it was absolutely delicious.
Rich, chocolatey and completely satisfying. You honestly wouldn’t have guessed it was vegan.
I dressed mine up with fresh strawberries, raspberries, mint and a scattering of edible flowers. A little icing sugar finished it off beautifully.
What’s Next?
Next week brings my Leiths Plant-Based Cooking course to an end, which feels like it’s come around incredibly quickly.
It’s been such an interesting experience, introducing me to ingredients, techniques and flavours I probably wouldn’t have explored otherwise. Even if I still haven’t quite made peace with vegan cheese!
After that, I’m looking forward to a pizza-making day with Peddling Pizzas in November, followed by getting my festive cook on - My favourite time for cooking and planning lovely feasts!
