6 Comments

Interesting. If one wasn't making _walnut_ bread but still wanted to tint any bread, other sources of tannins would work, right? So adding a little bit of an iron supplement tablet to some brewed tea, for example, should have the same effect? Or soaked grape or oak leaves, or crabapple juice, etc.?

Expand full comment

Stiv - I had the same thought as I was writing this, and it's one I haven't got an answer for yet. I need to see what happens when you add iron to various tannin containing extracts. Will let you know when I do!

Expand full comment

the answer is yes - any tannins will do. I just added a tiny amount to some green tea, and it turned purple instantly.

Expand full comment

Thanks! I figured it would but still nice to get experimental confirmation!

Expand full comment

So cool! I loved that purple loaf when I first saw it.

Expand full comment

very cool! i have tried for purple loaves twice-- with green tea and black tea as two different tannin sources. dough was a greyish blue, and the loaf similar, definitely not a crimson like your amazing image. the reaction of tannin&iron in the water was a dark purple, as in your photos (to my eye). curious why blue not more reddish? i added the tannin-iron liquid to porridge loaves, since i am trying to learn their ways...too many variables? fats in the butter? or maybe not enough iron in my reaction liquid?

wondering also about how the dough in a formula dictates the form it bakes in -- your porridge loaves are intended for loaf pans, as opposed to shaping into ...boules or something else. is that a best form/shape/process for that formula?

i made "porridge boules" and great, but there was a thick wettish layer below the upper crust. could be all sorts reasons on my end besides shape! but

just curious, in general, about that

cheers!

Expand full comment