witch’s garden 🌿 rainy baking, moody kitchen & beetroot bread recipe

A slow, rainy spring day spent baking in my moody kitchen, inspired by the love of my goth garden and seasonal rituals. I’ve been drawn to learning more about herbal remedies and the history and folklore behind the plants I grow, and this felt like the perfect quiet day to bring some of that into the kitchen. In this video, I take you from garden to table: gathering fresh herbs in the rain, exploring ideas from a witch’s garden book, and creating a comforting loaf of beetroot bread. There’s something about baking on a rainy day that makes everything feel a little more intentional, slower, softer, and more grounded. This video is part cosy baking, part garden-inspired ritual, a gentle look at early spring, when everything is still waking up. 👉 Want to learn more about how I design my interiors? Download my guide to moody interiors: https://www.carbonrow.com/collections... Discounts/Affiliate links: Get 15% off at Carbon Row with code RUBY15 : https://tr.ee/Lht9Y73mX3 Amazon Magical Garden Finds 🇺🇸 (US links): https://www.amazon.com/shop/casaardolino Amazon Magical Garden Finds 🇬🇧 (UK links): https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/casaard... Dutch Oven Beetroot Bread Recipe (Adapted from Brian Lagerstrom) This is my adapted version of a Brian Lagerstrom bread recipe, baked in a Dutch oven. This particular bake was an experiment using beetroot for colour and flavour. BIGA 175g (3/4 cup) warm water 1/4 tsp instant yeast 225g (1 1/2 cups) white bread flour Mix water, yeast, and flour in a tall container until no dry flour remains.Cover and ferment at room temperature for 12 hours (up to 24 hours max). AUTOLYSE 180g (3/4 cup) warm water 250g (2 cups) white bread flour In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix water and flour on low until combined.Cover and rest for 30 minutes. FINAL MIX 40g warm water 5g (about 2 tsp) instant yeast 10g (1 3/4 tsp) salt All of the biga 👉 See experimental notes below if adding beetroot Add all ingredients to the autolyse.Mix on low for 3 minutes, then increase speed and mix for 5 more minutes.The dough should become smooth, slightly shiny, and begin to pull away from the bowl. FERMENTING Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl Cover and rest for 30 minutes Perform one stretch and fold Rest another 30 minutes Laminate the dough (this replaces a second fold) Return to bowl seam-side down BAKING (Dutch Oven Method) Preheat oven to 240°C / 465°F with your cast iron pot (lined with oiled parchment) inside Carefully transfer dough into the lined hot pot Cover with lid and bake for 20 minutes Remove lid and bake for an additional 5 minutes until golden ⚠️ Don’t overbake - I left mine in too long and it got darker than intended. 🧪 EXPERIMENTAL BEETROOT VERSION For this bake, I adjusted the final mix by adding: 200g additional flour 3g additional yeast 500g pureed beetroot Result: Beautiful colour and slightly earthy flavour, but a bit too dense at the base. 👉 Next time: I would reduce the beetroot to 330g for a lighter crumb and better structure. If you try this, let me know how it turns out, especially if you tweak the hydration! #herbgarden #GothGarden #DarkAesthetic #GardenTour #SlowLiving #whimsical #herbalmedicine #MoodyHome #GothicGarden #herbalremedies #witchykitchen #practicalmagic #WitchyVibes #KitchenWitch #darkacademia #springvlog #rainyday #rainymood #folklore