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Fall is here and my baking reflects it.  Today it was zucchini muffins.  Earlier this week it was a grape focaccia.

     I've had salzstangerl (salt sticks) on the brain for a while now.

One of my favorite sourdough variations is inspired by a combination of the classic blue cheese and walnut sourdough (which I've never made because I don't like blue cheese) and a twisted sourdough with chunks of dark chocolate that I got from a bakery in Chelsea Market in Manhatten on a family vacation some years back. The combination: sourdough with dark chocolate and walnuts.

Today was a fun day, featuring a thoroughly informal and just as thoroughly entertaining class on how to make bread.  Eight friends and acquaintances received a lesson on making a honey whole-wheat bread.  Two of them thought that they would just observe but we had them up to their elbows in flour along with the rest of the group in no time flat. 

 This is my version of bread which became very popular in Japan some years ago.  Apparently some Italian restaurant in Tokyo started serving this some years ago and it became so popular,  other restaurants and bakers followed suit, so did home bakers.

Yesterday did the prelim work to creating my first loaf. 

Just using the directions from the Sourdough Intl. book this time around. 

Pulled my starters from the fridge and fed them.

Waited.

Removed the prescribed amount of starter from the jars and then added the flour and salt water mixture. I let my Kitchen Aid do all of the mixing and kneading.

Fed the two starter jars in preparation for putting them to sleep in the fridge.  I had planned to put them into the fridge before going to get my kids from school. 

Last Saturday I started my SFO sourdough starter from Sourdoughs, Intl.   As a newbie to breadmaking and especially to sourdough starters the directions were a bit complicated. 

Tried the lightbulb and styrofoam for a proof box and was glad I tested the temp before starting my starter.  Temps got up to 102 degrees!

I ended up proofing inside my oven with the light turned on.  Temps stayed steady at about 91 degrees.

Second stage proofing was done at room temp.

My starter was very active by Tuesday/Wednesday.

Last Saturday I started my SFO sourdough starter from Sourdoughs, Intl.   As a newbie to breadmaking and especially to sourdough starters the directions were a bit complicated. 

Tried the lightbulb and styrofoam for a proof box and was glad I tested the temp before starting my starter.  Temps got up to 102 degrees!

I ended up proofing inside my oven with the light turned on.  Temps stayed steady at about 91 degrees.

Second stage proofing was done at room temp.

My starter was very active by Tuesday/Wednesday.

I began a rye and pineapple juice starter this week.  When Igot to day 5 and needed to split the starter, I just couldn't throw any away.  The culture has a fruity aroma and a good bit of rise action.  Not wanting pancakes, I decided to make sourdough biscuits.  The result was a two and a half inch rise from oven spring, a tosty crunch for the bottom with a tender crumb inside.  Appealing to the eye? Yes.  The aroma in the house, divine.  The real tell, of course, is in the taste. And the Mr. was pleased.

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We cut the miche today, three days after baking...and after a lazy Saturday lunch sent my parents home with half.

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