Sourdough Pull Apart Bread: Summer Solstice Finger Bread (VIDEO recipe)

Published Categorized as Sourdough Bread Recipes

Happy summer solstice! As a break from the usual fresh sourdough loaf, here’s a sourdough pull apart bread recipe that I decided to make in the shape of the sun, to celebrate.

Sourdough pull apart bread

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Sourdough pull apart bread: summer solstice finger bread (video recipe)

Summer Solstice Sourdough Finger Bread

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  • Total Time: 16 hrs 45 mins
  • Yield: 1 bread, 24 sticks 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 50 g active whole grain wheat or rye sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 300 g white wheat flour
  • 175 g water or milk
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pinches fine sea salt
  • 50 g tomato sauce + fresh or dry herbs (oregano, basil)
  • sesame seeds for topping
  • 1 egg yolk for garnish

Instructions

  1. In the evening, mix 25 g of whole grain wheat flour with 25 g of water and 1 heaping teaspoon of (active) rye sourdough starter. Cover and let it ferment overnight until bubbly and doubled in volume.
  2. In the morning, prepare the dough. Dissolve all of your active starter in 175 g of water (or more if the dough feels stiff), add 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 300 g of flour, and 2 pinches of salt. Mix until all ingredients come together. The dough should be more stiff but still soft to be able to knead it without any resistance. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth. When done, transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap or kitchen cloth in order to prevent the surface from drying out.
  3. Let the dough to ferment for 3-4 hours. In that time the dough will not double in volume, nonetheless you will see the difference and also the signs of fermentation at the bottom of the bowl.
  4. When ready, first preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F) along with the baking tray. Next, transfer the dough onto the working surface (use the plastic dough scraper) and divide it in two equal parts. Take one piece and transfer it onto the lightly dusted parchment paper. Roll it to a round shape with diameter of 23 cm (91⁄16 in). Set aside. Take another piece and flatten it as well.
  5. Spread the tomato sauce over the first piece of dough but leave 1-2 cm free around the edge. Sprinkle the herbs over the sauce. Cover with second flattened piece of dough and (optionally) seal the edges.
  6. Place a glass jar in the middle of the dough.
  7. Start shaping the bread. Use a back of the knife or the bench knife to first divide the dough into four equal parts. Next, divide each quarter into two parts and again into 3 parts, so you end up with 6 sticks in each quarter. Take each stick and twist it three or four times.
  8. When done, remove the jar and wash the middle of the dough with egg yolk and then sprinkle some sesame seeds over it. Optionally wash the twists as well. You can was the dough with water.
  9. Take the baking try out of the oven and transfer the bread onto it. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until nicely brown. When baked, take the bread on a cooling rack and let it cool or it warm.

Notes

  • I prepared sourdough starter in the evening, left it to ferment overnight, mixed the dough in the morning, left it to ferment for 3 hours, shaped the bread afterwards and baked it straight away.
  • Pay attention to how much water your flour absorbs. In my experience, white khorasan flour absorbs more flour than white wheat flour (around 200 g) and white spelt flour absorbs less than white wheat flour. I advise you to start with less flour and continue to add more if necessary. The dough should be more on the stiffer side, however still kneadable.
  • You could also use unfed sourdough starter directly from the fridge, it will work as well.
  • Author: Natasha Krajnc
  • Prep Time: 16 hrs 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 35 mins
  • Category: bread

Sourdough Pull Apart Bread Video Recipe

Today is a special day. It’s a summer solstice here in the Northern hemisphere, marking the longest day of the year. The memories of the last year’s solstice celebration are still so vivid. We drove to a forest and then drummed from the sunset to sunrise by the fire with a group of friends! It was one of the most emotional experience of my life.

To honor this year’s summer solstice, I decided to make a summer solstice sourdough finger bread in the shape of the sun. Above all, this sourdough bread is very simple and quick to make, so you can make it and take it to the picnic.

Check the video recipe and leave me a comment below if you like it:

Summer Solstice Sourdough Pull Apart Finger Bread

Though not the typical cheesy garlic bread you typically see as the pull apart bread, this sourdough pull apart bread with tomato sauce and herbs is still amazing!

Baking Schedule

I prepared sourdough starter in the evening, left it to ferment overnight, mixed the dough in the morning, left it to ferment for 3 hours, shaped the bread afterwards and baked it straight away.

Ingredients

Yields: one bread with 24 sticks

  • 50 g active whole grain wheat or rye sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 300 g white wheat flour
  • 175 g water or milk (I used water)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pinches fine sea salt
  • 50 g tomato sauce + fresh or dry herbs (oregano, basil)
  • sesame seeds for topping
  • 1 egg yolk for garnish

*Pay attention to how much water your flour absorbs. In my experience, white Khorasan flour absorbs more flour than white wheat flour (around 200 g) and white spelt flour absorbs less than white wheat flour. I advise you to start with less flour and continue to add more if necessary. The dough should be more on the stiffer side, however still kneadable. (Speaking of Khorasan flour, I used this flour in my wild garlic sourdough recipe!)

Instructions

  • In the evening, mix 25 g of whole grain wheat flour with 25 g of water and 1 heaping teaspoon of (active*) rye sourdough starter. Cover and let it ferment overnight until bubbly and doubled in volume. *you could also use unfed sourdough starter directly from the fridge, it will work as well.
  • In the morning, prepare the dough. Dissolve all of your active starter in 175 g of water (or more if the dough feels stiff), add 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 300 g of flour, and 2 pinches of salt. Mix until all ingredients come together. The dough should be more stiff but still soft to be able to knead it without any resistance. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth. When done, transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap or kitchen cloth in order to prevent the surface from drying out.
  • Let the dough to ferment for 3-4 hours. In that time the dough will not double in volume, nonetheless you will see the difference and also the signs of fermentation at the bottom of the bowl.
Sourdough pull apart bread
Left: dough before fermentation. Right: risen dough.
  • When ready, first preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F) along with the baking tray. Next, transfer the dough onto the working surface (use the plastic dough scraper) and divide it in two equal parts. Take one piece and transfer it onto the lightly dusted parchment paper. Roll it to a round shape with diameter of 23 cm (91⁄16 in). Set aside. Take another piece and flatten it as well.
  • Spread the tomato sauce over the first piece of dough but leave 1-2 cm free around the edge. Sprinkle the herbs over the sauce. Cover with second flattened piece of dough and (optionally) seal the edges.
  • Place a glass jar in the middle of the dough.
Sourdough pull apart bread
  • Start shaping the bread. Use a back of the knife or the bench knife to first divide the dough into four equal parts. Next, divide each quarter into two parts and again into 3 parts, so you end up with 6 sticks in each quarter. Take each stick and twist it three or four times.
  • When done, remove the jar and wash the middle of the dough with egg yolk and then sprinkle some sesame seeds over it. Optionally wash the twists as well. You can was the dough with water.
  • Take the baking try out of the oven and transfer the bread onto it. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until nicely brown.  When baked, take the bread on a cooling rack and let it cool or it warm.
Sourdough pull apart bread

This pull apart bread recipe was adopted from the beautiful Kalács bread by Viviene Perényi (At down under).

I also recommend checking out my sourdough recipes on the blog to please a crowd!

Here’s more pull-apart recipes:

Pull Apart Sourdough Bread – FAQs

Can you reheat sourdough pull apart bread?

Yes, you can reheat sourdough pull apart bread using the same methods as regular pull apart bread. When reheating sourdough pull apart bread, it’s important to be gentle to avoid drying it out or making it tough.

How do you tell if sourdough pull apart bread is done?

To tell if sourdough pull apart bread is done, you can: check the crust (should be golden brown and crispy), use a thermometer, tap the bread (it should sound hollow), refer to the baking time indicated in the recipe, and let the bread cool so it can finish cooking.

My NYC Experience

I’m back on track!

It seems an eternity away from these sourdough hamburger buns – the beginning of the June was really special and unforgettable. As one of finalist in the sixth-annual Saveur Blog Awards 2015 I headed for New York (first time in the US!) to attend a three-day final event organized by the Saveur Magazine – check photos here.

Even though I didn’t win in the Special interest blog category, this New York experience was something really inspiring and I am so happy to have met all the beautiful and talented blogging souls. Thank you everyone who nominated my blog to make this happen and to all my readers and supporters. Congratulations to all the winners!

“I’m gonna make it by any means, I got a pocket full of dreams…”

(Alicia Keys, New York)

And I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit the Saveur Magazine premises. We prepared something – stay tuned! =)

On my last day in New York I decided to explore the city (read as to find bakeries with sourdough bread). Mission NY sourdough bread was successful, I found a lot of bakeries with delicious sourdough bread. Can’t wait to come to New York next time to visit the Bien Cuit bakery. And since so much bread I bought was quite a challenge for me (I usually eat one loaf per week), I shared the it with homeless people.

Sourdough pull apart bread
Upper left: sourdough chocolate twists from Amy’s Bread. Upper right: sourdough boule from Bread’s Bakery. Lower left: Rosemary sourdough bread from Whole Food Market Brooklyn. Lower right: Sourdough boule from Kaiser Maison.

By Natasha Krajnc

Hi! My name is Natasha and I'm specialized in home sourdough bread baking and currently based in Slovakia - a very small country in Central Europe. My bread baking story began in 2011 when I decided to give up commercial yeast. I felt tired all the time (especially after eating bread and other foods made with yeast), I wasn’t motivated to do anything, had trouble concentrating throughout the day, my abdomen was bloated and I was like a trumpet on steroids – basically, I was quite a wreck. I was a big bread lover (and still am) and having to stop eating bread was quite hard at that time but I felt I was on a right way to give my body a chance to heal itself.

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