Sourdough Beetroot Bread

Sourdough beetroot bread step-by-step recipe with photos.

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• About this recipe
• Step by step instructions
• Tips and tricks
• Recipe card

About this recipe

The slight tang from the sourdough when combined with earthy beetroots and the nuttiness from poppy seeds makes this sourdough beetroot bread absolutely delicious. This unique combination of beetroot and poppy seeds combined with sourdough is something you don’t want to miss. Even though the colour of the dough would be bright pink, the bread itself will not have this colour. For a bright pink/red bread, you may choose to add some food colours.

I have shared earlier how to make the no-knead sourdough bread. This bread is a slight variation of the same with the addition of beetroot and poppy seeds. The earthy beetroot and nutty poppy seeds, when baked in the naturally leavened bread, tastes so wonderful.

See the recipe for basic no-knead sourdough bread here.

Step by step instructions

Combine water and starter. Slowly add the flour and mix well making sure there are no dry bits of flour. Let it rest (step 1).

Next add salt, grated beetroot, and poppy seeds to the dough. Mix well, making sure they are incorporated well (step 2).

Perform stretch and fold at regular intervals (steps 3,4).

Continue to stretch and fold until the dough develops good strength (steps 5,6).

Let the dough sit for bulk fermentation. The dough rises and almost doubles after bulk fermentation (steps 7,8).

To shape the dough, pick one side of the dough and bring it to the centre. Pick the other side and bring it to the centre (step 9).

Roll it to form a log. Place in a well-dusted banneton for cold proofing (step 10).

The next morning remove the dough from the fridge and score it (step 11).

Place in the hot dutch oven and bake with the lid on. Next bake without the lid (step 12).

Tips and tricks

The colour of the dough will be bright pink but the colour will not be retained after baking. If you would like to bread to be pink/red, add a few drops of red food colour. I prefer not to use any food colours.

The amount of poppy seeds can be altered depending on your preference.

Add the grated beetroot and incorporate it as much as you can initially. The dough will be uniformly incorporated as we continue to stretch and fold.

Make sure the starter is active. The night before you plan to make the dough, take the starter from the fridge and feed it in 1:1:1 ratio of starter:flour:water. See the detailed process on how to prepare sourdough starter for baking here.

It is important to note that the time taken for the starter to activate depends on many factors. For example, the ambient temperature, the nature of the starter itself, etc. If your starter activates at a much faster rate, you can activate it the same day you are making the dough. Or, you can use either less starter or cold water to slow down the activation.

I have made this sourdough with a combination of bread flour and atta (Indian whole wheat flour), but you can choose any flour – for example, a combination of plain flour and whole wheat flour.

Recipe card