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Fenugreek sourdough bread - traditional in Greece region Epirus

Epirus where I'm from is the west side of Greece. It has always been a poor region and the natural grown herbs where something regular in real traditional Greek kitchen. One of the if Fenugreek or "mos-ho-si-tar-o" as they call it which means something like fragrant herb!

The only connection I have with that time is my grandma and a relative of hers, grandma "Fone". This grandma makes the classic traditional sourdough bread but with an amazing twist of fenugreek seeds. I'll sadly give you the recipe I use(classic 70% sourdough) with the fenugreek seeds addition and then try to describe how they make them.

100% strong flour
70% water
10+% sourdough starter(100% hydration)
2% salt
1% fenugreek seeds broken in a pestle and mortar.

Make it the classic way, autolyse for 20-30 minutes, I use the slapping technique for kneading for 2-3 minutes, then put in folding bucket and fold at 45 min and 1 + 1/2 hours, then preshape, shape and retard overnight in banetton coated with coarse cornflour. Bake at 220 for 40-45 min in closed pot.

The fragrance of the seeds is amazing, but that's not the way this gradma makes bread. All greek grandmas I've met use something like the same recipe.

They don't use strong flour. As I have never had many success with "soft"(?) flour I don't use it that often but works nice as they do it.

They feed the sourdough the previous night. The morning as it is quite ripe and they add flour to it and start kneading by hand. It hasn't got much humidity because "not strong" flour can't hold much water, so they add quite a bit of flour to eat while kneading with their firsts.

Then after 10+ min they kinda shape it and put it in big round oiled trays and leave to ferment for 4-5 hours. Then they bake it. It's pretty good, it's the bread I was raised with, sometimes more fluffy others more dense.

I'll try it, though I have never tried making it, I know it's strange! I tried to work soft flour like strong when I was at my village, first time this year. It felt quite weird, had nice results but nothing close to what I get with strong flour. I tried to put it in "banneton" but it kinda got stuck to the towel though that have never happened to me. Have you worked with soft flour? Got any good recipes?

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