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Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

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« Sharing the Sourdough Love
Bits and Pieces »

Dakos

January 14, 2015 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Now that everyone’s madly baking sourdough, here’s a nice idea for using up any leftover loaves!

. . . . .

Whenever we have leftover sourdough, I slice it thinly and pop it into a 100C oven for two to three hours. We started doing this last year as a way of using up old bread, but it’s now become so popular, especially with Small Man, that I’ll often bake a loaf specifically with this in mind.

I recently watched Yotam Ottolenghi making Dakos – a popular Cretan dish comprising hard barley bread rusks topped with tomatoes and olive oil. I was inspired to try something similar with our “crunchy bread” (as it’s known here).

I started with really ripe baby plum tomatoes…

…and some of our marinated feta…

The hard rusks were drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil…

…then topped with the tomatoes, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, a little dried oregano and small chunks of feta. A good drizzle of more extra virgin olive oil finished it off…

This is one of those dishes where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The dried out bread provides an essential crunch – I’ve tried this with regular sourdough toast and it just isn’t as addictive. The tomatoes have to be very ripe and the double drizzle of oil seems to add just the right mouthfeel. Serve with a spoon – you’ll need one to scoop up the topping as the bread cracks.

I’ve now eaten this for breakfast three mornings in a row! Drying out old sourdough in the oven sounds a bit boring, but it’s amazing what a versatile product we end up with as a result. It’s definitely a better thing to do with stale bread than feeding it to the chickens!

. . . . .

PS. A headsup to anyone after an enamel roaster to bake bread in – Peters of Kensington currently has them on sale for $27. But be quick, the blue ones have already sold out!

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Posted in Recipes | 52 Comments

52 Responses

  1. on January 14, 2015 at 1:37 pm Liz

    Looks like the perfect breakfast to me. Two problems for this household–no stale bread and a gas oven that doesn’t like to sit at 100C so I’ll have to stick to toast. I like using labna (that I make by straining Greek yoghurt) instead of feta..


    • on January 14, 2015 at 2:17 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Liz, I baked in a gas oven for years and never thought I’d like electric, but now I’d never go back! Possibly for that very reason – it can hold steady at low temps, which lets me confit things overnight for hours at 90C. LOVE labna! :)


  2. on January 14, 2015 at 1:58 pm Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    I love this idea, Celia. We never finish a loaf of bread with just the two of us. Dakos it is!


    • on January 14, 2015 at 2:18 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Maureen, this might be good for the new healthy diet – we don’t buy Kettle chips anymore, because the boys are happy to eat this! :)


  3. on January 14, 2015 at 2:07 pm Julie

    After hunting all over the City of Adelaide yesterday for one of these enamel roasters , even at a camping shop, “voila”… open up my email to your blog this afternoon and there you are! …Order put in, paid for and will be winging its way to me shortly. Thanks Celia :) – And I do like the look of the snappy SD, though my Feathered Ladies would merely glance with an air of disdain at missing out.
    Blessings
    Julie


    • on January 14, 2015 at 2:20 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hooray! I’m glad you saw it in time to pick one up, Julie! If you’re going to use it to bake bread, know that it can get grotty because of the high temps, but it works perfectly well nonetheless. I don’t even bother washing mine (so lazy!), I just empty out the crumbs and semolina before putting in the next loaf! :)


  4. on January 14, 2015 at 2:51 pm heidiannie

    This looks great- I’d pair it with a nice winter soup – since it is in the single digits here and below.


    • on January 16, 2015 at 4:52 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Heidi, that’s the perfect time to have the oven on low for a couple of hours. Hope 2015 has started brilliantly for you, dearheart! x


  5. on January 14, 2015 at 3:34 pm Chookie

    Looks delicious, Celia. I have been drooling over your Sour Dough bread . I use excess starter to make SD crumpets. Just mix 1 cup of starter with 1/2 teaspoon carb soda, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook in crumpet rings in well oiled pan. Mine take 7 minutes. Smaller ones in egg rings.


    • on January 16, 2015 at 4:53 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      That’s a great idea, thank you! We’ve only ever made yeasted crumpets:

      https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/02/18/crumpets/


  6. on January 14, 2015 at 5:21 pm My Kitchen Witch

    Dakos are great – they are sold by the bag full in Cretan bakeries and have a long shelf life. They are usually round half shells, in imitation of turtle shells, the meaning of the Greek word Dakos. They are only one type of a variety of dried (usually barley) rusks that generally go by the name of Paximadi. I did a post on Dakos a while ago: https://americanfoodieabroad.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/dakos/ ‎ However, I never thought to use the ends of sourdough – something to do!


    • on January 16, 2015 at 4:53 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Turtle! Now the name makes sense! Thanks Debi, your post was really interesting! :)


  7. on January 14, 2015 at 5:50 pm Elizabeth

    Great idea… just a better bruschetta :)


    • on January 16, 2015 at 4:53 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Liz, I think that’s right! Only crunchier! :)


  8. on January 14, 2015 at 6:04 pm Frugal Hausfrau

    Lovely idea for left over bread! :)


    • on January 16, 2015 at 4:54 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thank you – it really is! Once we make the rusks, they disappear within days! :)


  9. on January 14, 2015 at 7:40 pm Lina

    Yes! We do this all the time for brekky Celia! We also top them z’ator or make garlic bread to go with our pasta or casseroles! Waste not-want not!


    • on January 16, 2015 at 4:54 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Ooh Lina, za’atar and garlic – both great ideas, thank you!


  10. on January 14, 2015 at 8:27 pm Jan

    I can imagine that is very satisfying – not just to be able to do but to eat as well. Nice olive oil and ripe tomatoes on good crunchy bread sounds like a good late night snack – say after a movie .. Yum yum


    • on January 16, 2015 at 4:58 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Jan, it’s so crumbly – a plate and spoon are a necessity! :) Good thing to do with Patsy’s surpluses! :)


  11. on January 14, 2015 at 11:06 pm Beth

    Anything based on an Ottolenghi recipe has to be awesome! Sounds like a yummy way to use sourdough.


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:01 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Beth, it’s nice not having to waste it! And agree, anything by Ottolenghi is absolutely brilliant!


  12. on January 14, 2015 at 11:26 pm Sally

    I do this but don’t call them dakos (sounds exotic). When they are out of the oven try rubbing the surface with a cut clove of garlic before you drizzle the oil. Garlic = good in my book :) P.S. Sadly still not sign of the envelope of white powder!


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:03 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Sally, I’ve resent! And garlic is a wonderful idea, thank you!


  13. on January 15, 2015 at 1:27 am Eugenia

    Dakos is truly delicious and such an easy snack to make! I always had a think for the barley rusks, I will definitely try it with sourdough!


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:04 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      I’ve been trying to find some barley flour to give it a go! :)


  14. on January 15, 2015 at 2:52 am dianeskitchentable

    What a great idea Celia & one that I’ll definitely try. With just the 2 of us, we usually end up with some extra. I’m just picturing all different variations of this, like garlic butter on top & using the bread for dunking in something like say a mussels sauce…oh the possibilities.
    I’ve only once used a gas stove & it seems that all I ever did is burn up pot holders & catch my sleeves on fire. Maybe it’s best that my only option is electric here.


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:09 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Di, it’s a great dipper for all sorts of things too! And yes, maybe electric is best – I loved my gas oven, but it was always a wee bit scary.. :)


  15. on January 15, 2015 at 3:53 am narf77

    Leave off the feta for me and tumble or squish on some avocado and this is a marriage made in heaven! Breakfast? How do you do anything productive for the rest of the day after you just had perfection for breakfast! I think I would have to spend the next hour swooning and basking in the bliss :).


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:12 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Yum yum yum – I’d love them with avocados!! :)


  16. on January 15, 2015 at 4:01 am MamaD1xx4xy

    What a wonderful idea for leftover bread, it’s something that we have often! Another option besides bruschetta, the crunch in this version speaks to me. Once I get my garden fresh tomatoes in the summer I will be eating this often (though trying to avoid the issues I had last year by eating too many tomatoes)!


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:12 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Gretchen, my youngest son just eats them straight, hand over fist. Since I started making them, we haven’t been buying chips or crackers. I think your kids might love them! :)


  17. on January 15, 2015 at 5:50 am cityhippyfarmgirl

    Celia there is a Southern Italian dried bread that you eat in a similar way. I can’t remember what it’s called but I suspect would have come out of hard times. You actually put the bread (it’s a much bigger piece) under a little water first to soften and then add the tomato, salt, garlic and olive oil. So good!


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:13 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Brydie, I used to see that for sale in the bread shop, but never knew what they did with it! Good to know, thanks!


  18. on January 15, 2015 at 11:57 am Jo

    Marinating feta is on my to do list for tonight so I just re-read your post from 2009. Unbrined cheese won’t keep as long will it? Can you freeze feta? I bought some cheaply and the use by is coming up fast!


    • on January 15, 2015 at 12:09 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Jo, I don’t think unbrined cheese keeps as long – the brined feta has about a 2 year fridge life. Don’t know if it freezes, sorry!


      • on January 17, 2015 at 5:14 am Jo

        Thanks Celia.


  19. on January 15, 2015 at 3:11 pm Nicola

    Hi Celia, I have been reading your blog for ages but this is the first time I’ve commented — and the reason is: clay bakers! I bought a Romertopf in November, and have used it several times, following your recipes, with great results. But the best part is baking bread in it — I love how quickly the second rise happens, and also not having to have the oven blasting away while it pre-heats. My first loaf had a really thick crust, which I didn’t like, but subsequent loaves have been better; maybe because I turned the heat down a little after 30 mins. Anyway, just wanted to say thank you — for the clay baker revelation, and for your blog generally.
    Nicola


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:15 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Nicola, I’m so glad you’ve been happy with it! We love our Romies but I don’t tend to use it for bread – how great that you’ve been able to perfect a loaf in it! Thanks for reading along! :)


  20. on January 15, 2015 at 4:02 pm Jan (A gluttonous wife)

    delicious!!! Jan x


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:15 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Jan! They really were!


  21. on January 15, 2015 at 6:57 pm Chica Andaluza

    Sounds wonderful to me and very simialr to my favourite Spanish breakfast!


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:16 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      I want to go and live in Spain with you. I want to smear my crunchy rusks with paprika infused lard, then top it with vine-ripened tomatoes and feta. Yes, please, that’s what I’d like. :)


  22. on January 16, 2015 at 6:58 am Mango Chicken with Mascarpone Sauce | Photographs and recipes

    […] help but think…what if I added mussels to that… and then made up some of Celia’s Dakos to dunk in the sauce?  Then there are times when you’re not sure where you’re going […]


  23. on January 16, 2015 at 7:20 am nagimaehashi

    I must’ve missed that episode! I’m obsessed with Yotam. He’s my foodie crush :)


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:16 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      It might still be on catch-up, Nagi! :)


  24. on January 16, 2015 at 11:48 am Jean | DelightfulRepast.com

    Sounds good to me! Will keep it in mind for around August when I’ll be starting to harvest tomatoes.


    • on January 16, 2015 at 5:16 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Jean, it’s a great way to use up leftover sourdough! :)


  25. on January 16, 2015 at 6:41 pm The Life of Clare

    Yum! What a delicious idea! We use all our crusts and left overs to make bread crumbs. Best bread crumbs I’ve ever had!


  26. on January 19, 2015 at 9:10 am hotlyspiced

    Those ripe tomatoes look wonderful. I do love the sound of dakos. Never heard of them before but with some basil, this could be bruschetta. Having these for breakfast sounds like a lovely way to start the day xx


    • on January 19, 2015 at 9:11 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Charlie, it’s very different to bruschetta because of the rusks! :)


  27. on February 14, 2015 at 9:18 pm Goldenpudding

    I make lots of breadcrumbs with leftover sourdough, but I like the idea of rusks – we can only use so much breadcrumbs :)



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