Sourdough Surprises: Croissants

It’s the 20th of the month, Sourdough Surprises’s challenges day. This month Jenni and Shelley dropped a proper ace: the croissant! Indeed, the dreaded croissant! I still remember the only two times gave a shot at making this recipe. Needless to tell you the result were shrivelled and nothing close to leavened croissants, oozing with butter and very badly baked. Such experiences leaves you with a deep sense of failure mixed with a strong feeling of revenge (croissant, I will nail you!). It took me this challenge to take courage in both hands and try once more. I rolled up my sleeves and faced my fears, and must admit I am quite impressed with my first “proper” croissant baking attempt (the other ones I’m not even considering, since I wasn’t even baking with the knowledge I have now).

Sourdough Surprises September: Aniseed flavoured Blue Corn Johnnycakes / Sourdough Surprises Settembre: Johnnycakes al mais blu e semi di anice

It seems ages from the last Sourdough Surprises I have taken part to, with the Gozleme. Might it be the injury leave, which left me idle for a few unbearable weeks, or just that healthy summer “withdrawal from work” feeling? Almost fully recovered from my injury, feeling my usual self, I am ready to get my sourdoughs working on some proper recipes.

Sourdough Surprises: Gozleme filled with Kohlrabi, Aubergines and Parmesan Cheese / Sourdough Surprises Luglio: Gozleme ripieni di crema di cavolo rapa, melanzana e parmigiano reggiano

As you may well know by now the 20th of each month is dedicated to the beautiful sourdough bread – and not only, do you remember my lattst recipe for apple fritters? – collection Sourdough Surprises. This month the choice fell on a turkish filled bread, Gozleme. Those of you who know me well will know I absolutely love all kind of Middle Eastern foods. The ones who know me better and in person know about my regrets of going to Istanbul and not being able to profit fully of the experience, especially from a culinary point of view (I guess I’ll have to organize a trip with my friend Michela). It sounds so daft I know, but the only Gozleme I have ever eaten was savoured walking up and down the nice turkish market in Kreuzberg, Berlin.

Sourdough Surprises: Sourdough, Saffron and Black Pepper Apple Fritters, diet can wait! / Sourdough Surprises: Frittelle di mele allo zafferano e pepe nero…e la dieta può aspettare!

I admit it, when I read this month’s Sourdough Surprises theme I was very pleased, and not pleased at all at the same time! It no secret to those who know me well and see me on a weekly basis that I have gained weight. Not a lot, but still those 2 almost 3 kilos one starts to gain without noticing and then it’s almost too late. For a long time my weight has been more or less stable but probably at 33 I should take a little more care about what I eat. Well luckily summer has hit Switzerland with a terrible heatwave and I’ll probably be able to shed off the extra weight I put on. Frying was not really in my book, oh well it surely was in one book…the black one! But these fritters, oh these fritters!

Sourdough Surprises: Hot Dog Buns

I am back on track with Sourdough Surprises, one of my favourite bread events from which I had withdrawn a bit due to other obligations. But I am more than glad to be back on track and with a recipe totally new to me. Hot dog buns. I am not a big meat eater, and very rarely eat hamburgers and hot dogs. But the thought of being able to pull together a good and more or less healthy fast food recipe appeals to me. So much I ate Hot Dogs two days in a row!

Sourdough Surprises: Monkey Bread drove us bananas! / Sourdough Suprises: Monkey bread, il pane delle scimmie che ci ha fatto perdere la testa

It’s the 20th and Sourdough Surprises is back. As always I am delighted to discover a new bread kind, and what bread! I must admit this has been a great hit among my new official recipe testers: Flavia (go and take a look at her work here, she’s an amazing photographer and graphic designer) and her studio buddies Daniela, Micha and Alessandro not to mention Antonio, Flavia’s boyfriend, who devoured 3 and a half out of 4 monkey bread balls she had taken home. I must admit I was quite skeptic, not being a huge fan of overly sweet things, and was a bit scared only looking at the shape and fierce fatness of this very special bread.

My heart belongs to Genoa. Sourdoug Surprises: Focaccia with pickled artichokes, red cabbage and anchovies / Il cuore a Genova, una focaccia alla crema di carciofi, cavolo rosso e acciughe per l’amore della mia vita

Focaccia, Genoa’s most famous bread, is this month’s Sourdough Surprises theme. Genoa has adopted me for little less than a year back in 2006, and still is the city I consider my true home.

Autumn Kolache with Chestnut flour and Persimmon Jam / Kolache con farina di castagne e marmellata di cachi per Sourdough Surprises

It’s Sourdough Surprises time again! This month’s theme, kolache, was initially a bad surprise but in the end provided me with an excuse to brainstorm and come over with a new and original recipe. What happened?