"Rocky Mountain High"
I've just returned from my first visit to Aspen, CO.
I went with my daughter to visit the new vacation home, she's been busy decorating.
She showed me all over Aspen, wined and dined me day and night. It was an amazing week, I came home with the 'Rocky Mountain Highs".
The weather, town, new home and food were all so beautiful! And, we missed 'The Blackout"...
Feeling a little guilty, I baked the boys some sourdough bread before I left...'Robbie, my grandson requested 'sourdough'!
Basic white sourdough at 100% hydration levain, 65% total hydration
Crumb shot : ) have to have one of those : )
Oh yes, and how about a cracked crust..enhanced by a 'Bold Bake' and face first, gringe, drop on the floor :-/
And now for the really fun part. "My, Rocky Mountain High"
The day before leaving, I came down with a very sore throat, to say the least..something my husband said was going around at his workplace and even my girlfriend in Vegas confirmed she had too! So, I started my antibiotics along with the advice of my daughter to be sure and consume plenty, plenty of water before going from my sea level altitude to 7000ft and above altitude.
Short rainshowers most afternoons.
Main Street Bakery One of our morning stops for breakfast or brunch. There's one other bakery we like even better..usually packed to the door, both of them. Sorry, didn't get photos of the other local's bakery and lunch cafe..they close at about 3 in the afternoons.
They serve delicious breakfast, lunches and pastries.
I loved this beautiful large old home across the street from the Main Street Bakery! Mandy said it was for sale for I think she said 14 million... it had offers, but no sale. Years and years ago..it was this old mining town's mortuary! It did look kind of haunted, especially face on and up close!
Not far away, another Victorian, this one, a charming bookstore, with an 'Organic Resturant' included in back, upper level.
Up the mountain to a lovely lunch of fresh trout.
Yep! That's me, biking around the neighborhood..it's gorgeous, full of Victorians, that look like gingerbread houses.
In front of Jack N. home. I thought it was a little creepy looking.. :) Lance A. home around the corner.
There's lot's of black bears in the neighborhood, just waiting to get into your food and garbage..garbage cans have locks!
Last evening in Aspen. Dinner of whole Dover Sole and fine wines. Before dinner they bring plenty of bread, appetizers and parmesian from a hugh wedge brought to your table. Resturant is at the foot of the ski lift.
Just for fun!
Earlier this summer... grandson, friend, grand daughter, youngest grandson, daughter and instructor.
"Planking" friend and instructor ..... granddaughter laughing her off ... two grandson's and my daughter.
Back from the Rocky Mountain High and to baking :-) Sylvia
Comments
Your bread looks beautiful, Sylvia. Crust, colouration, crumb, cross section and crackles (in fact just about every 'c'-initial adjective or noun that I can think of - if I have left any out, please forgive me). So pleased to hear you had a wonderful vacation in Aspen. The pictures say it all. Makes coming home all the more sweet.
Best,
Syd
for the nice comments. This is one of our favorite house breads. I'm looking forward to baking in our now cooler fall weather!
Sylvia
Aspen looks nice (I haven't been there for 20 years), but your breads look incredible. How was baking at high altitude?
Sounds like a great trip!
Glenn
Thank you for the nice compliment. I'm looking forward to baking in cooler weather.
We only had coffee/tea in morning and ate all our meals out. Mandy wanted to show me her favorite resturants and all around the city. Aspen has so many lovely resturants. What a beautiful town.
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
Wow, Talk about knocking one out of the park!
That's a beauty of a sourdough. I'm not sure which aspect of it I like best, it all looks so good, but I'll go with the gorgeous crumb, followed very closely by the perfect slash and crust.
What a thoroughly enjoyable post you've done here Sylvia, with all the great photos of Aspen and the some of the local attractions, especially the bakeshop. Rocky Mountain high for sure! Thanks for bringing us along with you on your excellent vacation.
All the best,
Franko
You always say the nicest things :) How about that little old building...they do all the baking right there..same with the other bakery. They close early and are always busy.
Sylvia
Your daughter certainly knows how to treat her mother! Can I send my daughter around to get a few lessons? :p
Wonderful array of really good looking loaves. The crumb is so beeeaautiful!
Lovely holiday pics, too. Thank you for sharing.
lumos
What a darling daughter she is and an amazing wife and mother. Thank you for the kind remarks and I'm glad you enjoyed the pics.
Sylvia
Perfect breads Sylvia. Were those baked in Aspen? If so you certainly didn't have any trouble with the high altitude. Your photos of the area bring back old memories for me. I used to spend a Month or two every year in Aspen. It is a beautiful place to relax and dine.
Eric
Thank you! These loaves were baked just before leaving...for the boys : ) I would like to try baking in high altitude, ...but was busy seeing the sites...maybe someday! I have a totally organized daughter who had each day planned for showing me all around, R&R..shopping :) while some work was being done on the windows and new landscape around the house. It was just the two of us, this trip. The kids are back to school and college..so it was a little break time for her too.
You know the beauty of Aspen : ) I loved the trees. The colors are just about to change for fall. I was amazed at how many homes are there and that only about..I think around 2000 plus population lives there full time. The people are very laid back and easy going.. Mountain town and people...love them! I've never seen so many elderly in such great shape...a lot of very grey heads under those helmets, biking up the mountains. I felt like the fattest person there 'lol'
Sylvia
As the commercial for the Colorado Lottery says "For some people this is a two week vacation. You live here. And you don't think you're lucky?"
Aspen is a great place. I see you were out enjoying the runoff from our record snowpack...
Nice breads!
Pat
I'm so happy our drought has been broken in San Diego...thanks to all the snow and rainfall this year!
Sylvia
...but those loaves of sourdough are just GORGEOUS! Crust and crumb and shape and slashing. It just doesn't get any better.
Were these baked in your oven or your wfo.
In either event, magnificant bake!
Larry
Thank you for nice compliment...good to hear from you : ) I was so busy packing. I was just able to get these loaves done...probably would have been just as quick to fire up the oven. I could have done them all at once. Instead, I baked 2 at a time inside as I got things ready to leave. I just can't fire up the oven, just for bread..I like to spend the day and use the fire for cooking, roasting. I have this 'thing' about putting it all to use..it's fun to plan and organize the firing. It can take a full day..but so worth it..just like playing all day long. You can cook up a week's worth of meals, or freeze some for later..lasagna!
Sylvia
great fun on your vacation. But oh my ... the bread! -Varda
Thank you, .....as you know those mountains are gorgeous! You missed the floods and I missed the blackout : )
Sylvia
Sylvia,
What a fun trip you must have had. Your bread is absolutely beautiful, as always. The bakery cafe with the good looking expresso machine looks very inviting. Oh, and I was thinking the $14 million former mortuary is an interesting piece of real estate that might make a great restaurant---until I calculated the cost of debt service...$750,000 per year.
Seriously, time with your family, lovely memories of Aspen and environs, AND terrific bread. It doesn't get any better than that.
Howard
Thank you and always good to hear from you. I use the double levain build for this bread..thanks so much for
suggesting it in one of your earliest blogs. It looks as if the old home mortuary will be up for sale for some time!
Now there would be an interesting place see some 'Planking' :-)
Sylvia
Splendid sourdough, Sylvia!
So nice to hear about the good time you had in Colorado - great photos!
:^) from breadsong
Sylvia
Great to hear of your Aspen adventures and some lovely photos too Sylvia.
I have to say that your bread is far superior to the other commercial baking you show; wonderful in every way
Best wishes
Andy
I'm very picky about bread at bakeries and resturant's now..but it's no wonder! Nothing beats home baked bread and pastries...I'm amazed what people will eat and think it's wonderful. Most of the bakeries business comes from selling breakfast, sandwiches, soups and salads.
Sylvia
David
Sylvia