Purple Sourdough Bread Made From Sweet Potato Powder

This sourdough artisan bread made with purple sweet potato powder is the perfect purple bread for any occasion or for Valentine’s Day!

Sourdough bread & purple sweet potatoes

Once you’ve mastered basic sourdough artisan bread – the possibilities for beautiful loaves are endless!  This sourdough bread recipe with purple sweet potato powder makes the most beautiful bread dough and bright, purple loaf you’ve ever seen.

If you’re just getting started with sourdough baking, check out my beginner’s guide to sourdough artisan bread here.  Sourdough baking is an art and takes some skill, but its not as complicated as it may seem!  After all, a sourdough starter is just wild yeast made from fermenting flour and water. 

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe only has 4 ingredients – flour, water, salt, and purple sweet potato powder.  No artificial dyes!
• This recipe has as few steps as possible without compromising the quality of the loaf.
• You can slightly adjust the amount of purple sweet potato powder for a slight pink tinge or a deep purple loaf.

Join me in my homestead kitchen for some fun Valentine’s Day sourdough baking

What You’ll Need

LIST OF INGREDIENTS

yield: 1 loaf

• 1.5 cups – 355 g water
• 2 Tablespoons – 20g purple sweet potato powder
• 1 cup – 225 g starter
• 3 cups – 360 g bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon -17 g salt

TOOLS

Step-By-Step Instructions

Prepare the Dough

Pour 1.5 cups of warm water (no warmer than 110F or you may kill the yeast in your starter) into a large bowl.  Add the purple sweet potato powder and whisk well so there are no lumps of powder.  Then add 1 cup of active sourdough starter and 3 cups of flour.  Stir it all together just enough to get the flour mixed in, but don’t knead, and don’t worry about little lumps and inconsistencies.

The dough should look shaggy and somewhat dry after this step.  Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.  This initial 30-minute rest period allows the flour to absorb the water before adding the salt.

After the 30 minutes is up, add 1T salt to the dough, get your hands wet (water helps handle sticky dough), and use your hands to work the salt into the dough for a minute or so.  Then cover the dough with a towel.  

Bulk Fermentation with Stretch and Folds

Uncover the dough, grab one side of it with both hands and stretch it up at least a foot from the bowl, then fold it toward the opposite side of the dough. Repeat this 4 times on each “side” of the bowl. 

Cover the bowl with a towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover the dough and repeat the stretch and fold process just like the first time.  Cover and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.  Repeat this stretch and fold process followed by a 30-minute rest 3 times, for a total of 3 stretch and folds.

After the third stretch and fold, cover the dough and let it rest until it is doubled in size.  Depending on the strength of your starter, the hydration of the dough, and the temperature + elevation of your home, this could take anywhere from 2 to 12 hours.

The dough should be a lot stretchier and smoother throughout the fermentation process with each stretch and fold than when you first mixed it.

Shape the Dough

Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a well-floured surface and stretch it into a big rectangle, kind of like if you were going to make cinnamon rolls.

If the dough is really sticky, just dust it with a bit of flour or get your hands wet to make it easier to handle.

Fold one of the long sides of the dough over to bring the edge to the middle of the rectangle, then fold the other long side over the top of the first side.  Now that the dough is folded into 3 layers it looks like a very long, skinny rectangle.  Start at the end closest to you and roll the dough up into a ball.

Then roll it toward you in a circular motion so the seam side is facing down.  Use both hands to spin the dough on the work surface a few times to tighten the seal underneath and create surface tension (a tightly sealed ball of dough).

Final Proof

Turn the shaped ball of dough over into a banneton baskets so the seam side is now facing up, cover the basket with plastic wrap or place it in a big plastic bag, and place it in the fridge to cold-proof before baking.

During this cold-proofing step, the cold temperature with prevent the natural yeast from causing the dough to rise anymore, but the fermentation process will continue to an extent, breaking down the gluten further.  The dough will also firm up while in the fridge which makes it easier to score before baking.

If your starter is very strong and active, this step can be as short as 1-2 hours – just long enough for the dough to chill before scoring and baking so it doesn’t lose its shape and gives a nice oven spring.

I like to let my dough cold-proof for at least 12-14 hours to continue developing that sourdough flavor, so letting it cold-proof overnight before baking the next day is perfect.

Score and Bake the Bread

When you’re ready to bake, start by preheating a dutch oven, bread oven, or crock with a lid in the oven at 425F for 30 minutes.  You may need to adjust your oven temperature for altitude.

Leave the hot dutch oven (DO) in the preheated oven while you score the dough to prepare it for baking.  You want the DO as hot as possible when the dough goes in.

Remove the dough from the fridge, and turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper.  Lightly dust the tip of the dough with flour (optional) and then use a razor blade to score the dough. I scored a heart in my dough for this loaf and it was perfect.  But you can score it any way you please.

Place the dough on the parchment paper in the preheated dutch oven and cover it with the lid.  Bake at 425F with the lid on for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the top of the loaf is tinted golden brown.  Place the loaf on a wire rack to cool for an hour at the very least before slicing.

Professional sourdough bakers recommend allowing the loaf to rest for 12-24 hours before slicing.  This is because the dough is still very hot and lots of moisture is trapped inside when it first comes out of the oven.  If you cut into the loaf before it is cooled, it will lose moisture and be gummy, dry, and tough.  It’s worth the wait!

FAQ

How long does it take to make sourdough artisan bread?

It takes anywhere between 6-24 hours to make sourdough artisan bread, depending on the strength of your sourdough starter, the hydration of your dough, and the temperature of your home.  I use a proofing box to control the temperature and humidity and speed the baking process up.

What type of flour should I use to bake sourdough bread?

You can use any mixture of flour you would like, but the consistency, density, and flavor of the loaf change depending on the type of flour you use.  This beginner’s recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but bread flour works great as well.  A mixture of bread flour and whole wheat flour yields a nice, rustic loaf.

How do I know when my dough is done fermenting during bulk fermentation?

When the dough is done fermenting, it will have doubled in size and pass the poke test.  Poke the dough, if it bounces back quickly because it is light and springy, it is ready to shape.

Can I use purple sweet potato puree instead of powder?

Yes, you can make purple sweet potato puree and use it to make purple sourdough bread.  You’ll have to adjust the ingredients in the recipe a bit as follows:

• 1.25 cups – 285 g water
• 1.25 cup – 250g purple sweet potato puree
• 1/2 cup – 110 g starter
• 3 cups – 360 g bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon -17 g salt

Tips

• Perform the float test with your sourdough starter before you prepare the dough.  Drop a spoonful of starter into a cup of water, if it floats it is ready to use.
• Use quality flour and untreated water.  At least make sure the flour is unbleached.  Organic flour is preferable.
• Watch the dough, not the clock.  When the dough is rising, be patient.  Give it as much time as it needs to double in size before shaping.  
• Use a glass bowl or clear plastic baking bucket so you can see the dough as it rises and observe air bubbles and whether or not it has doubled in size.
• Use a very sharp knife when slicing your bread, I use this bread knife which cuts sourdough like butter.
• Use steam in your oven for a nice, crisp crust that is not burnt.  Place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven while the bread bakes.

Storage

The key to storing a sourdough loaf properly is letting it cool completely before slicing or storing it.  Once cooled, the loaf can be stored in a plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days, in the fridge for a week, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Recipes Like This

Ultimate Guide to Sourdough Starters – How to Make a Sourdough Starter

Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough Artisan Bread

Perfect Pink Sourdough Artisan Bread with Beetroot Powder

Pink Sourdough Sugar Cookies

Pink Beetroot Pasta

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