The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Once upon a time...

PetraR's picture
PetraR

Once upon a time...

... there was a woman that loved baking bread.

Her fav. bread was called *Sourdough bread *

The woman had a husband and 4 children.

They all loved the womans * Sourdough bread * very much.

They named the Sourdough Starter * Gordon * and Gordon was happy , he ate well and he rose and sank and made beautiful loafs of bread.

The woman learned a lot about baking with Sourdough Starter and so she baked and baked and baked, and the loafs turned out lovely and the husband and the children where happy.

The woman baked her bread in a * Dutch Oven * with great success.

She took her time to prepare the dough and it took HOURS for the bread to be ready to sit on the table to be eaten.

One day *  yesterday * the woman did not have much time so she kind of rushed the bread, did not autolyse nor knead properly.

She chucked the poor dough in a bowl, covered him and let him sit for a LONG time so that he almost jumped out of the bowl.

Still, the woman had to use the dough as the husband and the  children where hungry for Sourdough bread.

She quickly shaped the dough and chucked it in a bread pan, let it proof for 2 hours and chucked the bread in the oven.

Oh the chucking !

The poor bread sat in the oven and when it came out it was not a swan , it was an ugly duckling.

The ugly duckling refused to come out of the bread pan for it was so ashamed but the woman grew angry and used a knife to help it out.

The poor UGLY DUCKLING BREAD sat on the rack waiting to cool down when suddenly  the  womans husband and children came to slice it up.

How amazed the UGLY DUCKLING BREAD was when the women, the husband and the children all said : this UGLY DUCKLING BREAD is the BEST tasting bread they had EVER tasted.

I guess, once you learned about baking bread you can never NOT produce a nice tasting bread, even if it looks like an ugly duckling .

I can not show you an image as the bread is gone, we had it with our lentil soup and we could not stop eating it.

 

 

 

v's sis's picture
v's sis

for making me laugh!

PetraR's picture
PetraR

Thank you, I am glad I could make you laugh:)

It really was an ugly duckling but so darn tasty!

JulieJulia's picture
JulieJulia

That's hilarious!!!  Great story!  

PetraR's picture
PetraR

Thank you JulieJulia,

I just edited a few things out, but that is what happend. 

A true story.

I hope I can replicate the * Ugly duckling bread * 

I think I wrote it down.

All the chucking that went on lol.

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

you can't judge a book by its cover or why beauty is only skin deep, or you can't eat the atmosphere of a restaurant.  Ugly bread can taste good!  Great story and thanks for not showing us a picture of the inside or outside of the ugly duckling:-)

BobBoule's picture
BobBoule

are streaming down from my eyes, such a sweet the sad story with such a wonderful ending. Thank you for sharing it with us.

PetraR's picture
PetraR

Thank you BobBoule:)

 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

What a wonderful Recipe!   No cups or grams needed.  Key ingredient: Loving family

PetraR's picture
PetraR

Awww. thank you Mini Oven.

YES we love our bread, no matter what it turns out ot look like.

 

drogon's picture
drogon

... alive

 

;-)

 

-Gordon

PetraR's picture
PetraR

I LOVE my Gordon, he is the best Starter in the world.

He gone through some transformation in his nearly 2 years of life but he takes it all in his stride.

He loves to be 50% hydration, but he also is a good boy at any other hydration and he does not mind what kind of flour he gets fed.

* I talk to him too, but pssssst, that stays between us, the others might laught *

Ingrid G's picture
Ingrid G

you'll share your 'recipe' soon!

PetraR's picture
PetraR

The recipe is the one I always use.

200g stiff starter * 50% hydration*

600g wheat flour

100g wholemeal flour 

  15g Salt

400g Water 

   2tbsp Olive Oil

This time I was in a real rush that evening, so I just chucked everything in the bowl, mixed it, but quickly, did not knead it to well , was not very smooth * did not really bounce back when the thumb test was made *

I left it out on the counter where way to long so that was trippeld in size and would have gone out of the bowl if there was no cover over the bowl.

I than had to use what I had because we all wanted sourdough bread with our soup.

I just shaped it , but since I was so dissapointed with myself reg. the poor dough * I did it quick just to get it over and done with.

Put the dough in the bread pan and put some wholemeal flour on top  * which thank god I greased * and let it sit for a few hours.

I put it in the preheated oven * 250 C * for 10 minutes, and then reduced the heat to 220 for the last 35 minutes.

Well the bread looked WONKY at best and the colour was a grey.

It tasted DIVINE.

The right amount of sour and the crust was so nice.

This is my base recipe at the moment, our staple sourdough bread so to speak.

Ingrid G's picture
Ingrid G

for the recipe Petra..

PetraR's picture
PetraR

No problem Ingrid, it is nothing special, just a biggish loaf that works for us as everyday bread. 

Remember, you need to chuck and not be very precise kneading and mixing lol.

 

Ingrid G's picture
Ingrid G

I like chucking!

PetraR's picture
PetraR

lol, me too, it feels so good after a long day, maybe that is why I like to prepare the dough in the evening.

I chuck the best in the evenings. rofl

Ingrid G's picture
Ingrid G

you are a night bird Petra! It's already very late over there.

PetraR's picture
PetraR

Yep, I just prepared the dough for 2 loafs tomorrow and now I make some 3D Images, that is my second hobby:)

I do not sleep very well since my sons where in that car crash, it creeps up on me when I lie down to sleep.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

to say good night to you before you go to bed, it might help.  And collect lots of hugs from them, they need them too whether they know it or not.  :)  

Getting up in the middle of the night is also not uncommon, keep the lights low and a boring book to read.  A few raw almonds are good for heartburn, at least it helps me.  

PetraR's picture
PetraR

Thank you Mini Oven, I never made it to bed, it is now 8.19 am, I had a nice hot shower 1 hour ago but did not help much, only made me clean. lol.

Mind you, today is mothers day in uk, so I have the day off and can be lazy and stay in bed all day watch TV.

I hug my sons and my daugher every day and always tell them that I love them, they should not for one day think they are not loved by mum and dad.

 

Alchemist42's picture
Alchemist42

OMG.  I thought I was crazy.  I thought I was the only one that had named my starter. 

It has taken a little while to get to know Terwilliger but lucky for me he is a very forgiving sort.  He happily naps in the refrigerator, very cozy in a bed of dry flour, but is a very easy riser and has a great appetite as soon as food is in front of him.  And he eats anything it seems plus is happy whether or  not he gets much to drink.  But he has also hung out on the counter weeks (months, did I say that?) at a time without feeding or going off. That does seem to make him a little tired though and napping cool we have agreed is better (for now).

Any one else name their starter?

PetraR's picture
PetraR

*Sings : you are not alone.... *

I named my starter the day he was born created , that was March 11.2013 8pm :)

His jar has a sticker with name and date of birth and I talk to him * I am not crazy, I think promise .

Gordon has gone through many changes , from wheat to rye to wheat&wholeweat starter and never complaint.

Gordon is happiest as 50% hydration and fed with bread flour.

Gordon sleeps best in the cool of the refrigerator, he can take it easy and he does deserve an easy life for all the joy he gives us.

Gordon once almost died but he made it and ever since I take double care that he is well looked after.