Blog posts

I had an unmitigated success with my sourdough starter today. Two round loaves of something resembling my rustic bread but with my starter instead of yeast. I pulled the starter out and started feeding it every 12 hours beginning Thursday evening. During that time I kept it in my oven with the light on so that it was in a 80 to 90 degree environment. It seems to require that: without it, I don't even get a doubling in 24 hours. With it I get nearly a tripling in size in about 8 hours.

This recipe comes from "Home Baking-The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World" by Alford and Duguid. I don't know if this book is known on this board as I recently got involved with this site. It is available from chapters.ca and is well worth it.

Continuing my bread exploration, i decided to try the Sweedish Rye aka Limpa recipe in the BBA. The loaf was too big to fit in my rather..too small oven, so the loaf look like a snake tht've swallowed too many chickens. In fact, one end was falling a bit from my baking sheet (covered all of it in the photo though) :P. I reduced the sugar content and used blackstrapp molasses instead. I regretted it. I should have added more sugar.

With the site turning one year old, I decided it was time to finally put together an article on French Bread. Regular readers probably have noticed that while I bake some kind of French Bread (rustic bread, pan sur poolish, etc.) almost every week, I've yet to do an article on it.

Done some bread baking this past Sunday. Was fun getting the ole fingers into the dough. The first bread was two loaves of 100% Whole-wheat Bread. I used the recipe from Laurel's bread book. It is called "A Loaf To Learn". I have made it several times. And it usually turns out rather good. Especially after I found Wheat Montana brand whole-wheat bread flour at the local Wal-Mart. A wonderful whole wheat flour that is high-gluten as well as chemical-free. It will definetly be used in my bakery.

What better title for my first blog than a turn of the phrase from that classic book by Betty MacDonald, The Egg and I? Usually if I want something catchy I have to borrow from someone brighter than myself. A little introduction, I am Teresa and I live in North Carolina, which is a Southern state in the US. Among the things that I am, I am a bread maker. I'm also a mom, sister, daughter, friend and quilter. I started making bread in earnest about 30 years ago when I used the very basic of tools, a bowl, wooden spoon, measuring cups and spoons, and my hands.

For a pot luck at church last weekend, I followed the 'Casatiello' recipe in the BBA. It was rich and very cheesy, and the crust was flaky. Also made the Tuscan Bread recipe. But i think too much flour paste and water made the inside a lil sticky and it became a rustic dough..and somehow, the gluten didn't develop right. Anyone experience that too? But the flour paste made the bread naturally sweet! Nevertheless, good with a stew..

I've been meaning to mention that this site is one year old now. Check out the first post. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and participated in the discussions. May your bread always rise!

This weekend:

• Banana bread: good, as always. I haven't baked it since the holidays began. Nice to have again.
• Sourdough batch #1: refrigerated overnight. Great flavor, but too dense. About like a bagel. I still ate two-thirds of the loaf.
• French bread: Awesome. Perfect with the pot of soup I made on a cold, damp day. Pictures and more info to come.
• Sourdough batch #2: I thought I did everything right, but instead of springing in the oven it just sat there.

Well, this is my first blog. And It won't be very active at present. I seem to be working a lot of hours lately. About 60-70 per week. I have a full time job with a short-line railroad in SW Indiana. We move railcars for a major plastics/chemical plant in the area. I am also working part-time at a local grocery store bakery. Wish the bakery job paid more. They have offered to train me as a bakery manager. But the money doesn't seem to be there. And if it is, the present manager could become upset. I think I would be making more than she does after 17 years with the company.