Category: Fermented

Categories
Fermented Recipe

Kimchi

Ingredients

3-6 tbsp sriracha (depending on your spice preference)

1 Chinese cabbage

6 radishes

100ml apple cider vinegar

20ml fish sauce (optional)

12 cloves garlic (minced)

1-2 carrots

1tbsp sea salt

Utensils

Mason jar/Airtight container

Sieve/colander

2 mixing bowls

Wooden spoon or your hands (for massaging vegetables)

Weight (optional but helps in the fermentation process)

Step-by-step Instructions
  1. Prepare the Chinese Cabbage:
    1. Wash the Chinese cabbage thoroughly and remove any damaged outer leaves.
    2. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the core. Chop each quarter into bite-sized pieces (about 2-inch squares).
    3. Place the chopped cabbage in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Salt the Cabbage:
    1. Sprinkle the sea salt over the cabbage. Using your hands, massage the salt into the cabbage for a few minutes. This will help the cabbage release its water and start the fermentation process.
    2. Once massaged, cover the cabbage and let it sit for 1-2 hours, mixing and massaging occasionally. The cabbage will reduce in size and soften as it releases moisture.
  3. Prepare the Other Vegetables:
    1. While the cabbage is salting, thinly slice the radishes and julienne the carrots (cut them into thin matchsticks).
    2. Mince the garlic cloves.
    3. Set these vegetables aside in a separate bowl.
  4. Rinse the Cabbage:
    1. After the cabbage has sat for 1-2 hours, it should be soft and have released a lot of water. Rinse the cabbage under cold water a couple of times to remove excess salt, then drain well.
    2. Squeeze out any remaining water from the cabbage with your hands and return it to a clean large bowl.
  5. Make the Kimchi Paste:
    1. In a small bowl, combine the sriracha, apple cider vinegar, fish sauce (if using), and minced garlic. Mix well to form a spicy paste.
    2. The amount of sriracha can vary depending on how spicy you want your kimchi. Start with 3 tablespoons if you prefer it milder and go up to 6 for a spicier version.
  6. Combine the Vegetables with the Paste:
    1. Add the sliced radishes and carrots to the bowl with the cabbage.
    2. Pour the spicy kimchi paste over the vegetables.
    3. Using your hands (wear gloves if you prefer), thoroughly mix the paste into the vegetables. Massage the paste into every piece of vegetable, ensuring they’re all well-coated.
  7. Pack the Kimchi into a Jar:
    1. Transfer the seasoned vegetables into a large jar or airtight container. Press the kimchi down as you go to remove any air pockets and submerge the vegetables in their juices.
    2. If needed, place a small weight on top of the kimchi to keep it submerged. This helps with the fermentation process.
  8. Ferment the Kimchi:
    1. Cover the jar loosely with a lid or a cloth to allow gases to escape during fermentation.
    2. Leave the kimchi to ferment at room temperature for 2-5 days, depending on how tangy and fermented you like it. Taste it after 2 days to check the flavour. If it’s tangy enough, you can transfer it to the fridge to slow down the fermentation. If not, let it ferment longer.
    3. Make sure to press the kimchi down daily with a clean spoon or spatula to keep it submerged.
  9. Store and Serve:
    1. Once the kimchi has reached your preferred level of fermentation, tighten the lid and store it in the fridge. Kimchi can last for several weeks or even months when refrigerated, continuing to develop its flavour over time.
    2. Serve your kimchi as a side dish, in soups, with rice, or however you prefer!
Tips!
  • Fermentation Time: The warmer your kitchen, the faster the kimchi will ferment. If you prefer a milder flavour, you can refrigerate it earlier (after 2-3 days).
  • Fish Sauce: If you skip the fish sauce, your kimchi will still be delicious but will have a slightly different flavour profile. You can substitute with soy sauce or leave it out entirely for a vegetarian version.
  • Substitutions: Feel free to adjust the vegetables based on what you have on hand. Korean kimchi often includes daikon radish but so if you can get a hold of these that is great for a more authentic experience.
Categories
Baking Bread Fermented Recipe Sourdough

Sourdough Bloomer

Ingredients

90g Leaven

450g Water

85g Brown/Wholemeal bread flour

500g Strong white bread flour

12g Salt

Method

Add the leaven to a bowl.

Add water to the mixture – lukewarm temperature would be best as this helps the starter feed and carbonate.

Mix the thoroughly, until there are no lumps

Add 85g of brown or wholemeal flour

Add 500g of strong white bread flour

Mix by hand until the ingredients form a ‘shaggy’ mass.

The mixture may be tough to mix and stick to your hand/fingers. But try not to add any excess water and flour as this will compromise the overall quality of the bread once baked.

Cover with a cloth/tea towel for 30 minutes. This allow the flour to absorb moisture before adding the salt

After sitting for 30 mins the mixture should look something like the following:

Add 12g of salt – Make sure to weigh your salt as different salt can have different density and therefore spoon measurements cannot accurately be used.

Mix thoroughly (3-4 minutes) and the dough should have become slightly less sticky, and much more stretchy.

Mix thoroughly (3 minutes) dough will be slightly less sticky and much more stretchy. (Should have less excess stuck to fingers)

Cover again and leave for 30-45 minutes (depending on temperature in the area you leave your dough – the warmer it is the less time you will require. This is the start of your bulk fermentation.

After the 30 – 45 minutes are up must perform your first stretch and fold.

This process is done instead of kneading and the goal is to have bubbles across the surface, but you may start to see this already.

First, wet your hands and put them underneath the dough, stretching upwards and folding over the dough. Turn the bowl and continue this until you have folded all the dough.

Caption

Re-cover with tea towel and place in ‘warm spot’ for another 30-45 mins.

After the timed has passed, you need to perform another stretch fold (you will need to repeat this around 4 – 6 times).

Each time you should start to notice that the mixture is gaining more bubbles across the surface.

After each stretch and fold, be sure to re-cover and place in your spot for another 30-45 minutes.

After around the third or fourth stretch and fold you should start to see bigger bubbles forming on the surface of your dough, and the dough will have increased in size due to its inflation. See below.

One more stretch and fold is required and then we are ready to shape.

Once ready to shape, you want to start by flouring a surface to work the dough on, and place the dough on top.