Yesterday my goal was to start the task of revitalizing my sourdough starter which had spent most of the summer in the fridge being ignored. I know it makes me a bad sourdough mom, but it's coming together now that there's snow on the ground and I hunt for reasons to keep my oven on!
An experiment with pluses and minuses. The original formula was posted here:http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/28855/spelt-beach. There weren't really any directives . I mixed the levain and it was gang busters when it grew ! I subbed my active raisin yeast water for all the water and used my rye wild yeast. I had to refrigerate it after only 6 hrs as it was already doubled. I didn't want it too sour.
Yesterday I decided to bake some bread, so I took out my sourdough starter from the fridge in the morning gave it some flour and water twice during the day and let it ferment over night.
I would like to post the sequence of my labour today but can't find how to post more photos.
Found this recipe lurking around on this site and just had to try it. IT'S PERFECT!!! Quick, easy and a delightful companion for my home made chicken soup.
My picture shows four subjects, the bread ready to go in the oven, the bread just out of the oven, the bread torn by hand into pieces and the soup it went so well with.
I will have to stock up on flour as I envision myself finding many more recipes to try!
I thought a baguette would really be a nice true first foray into true "baking" for myself. All of the time I hear! I don't bake from people. I am a little shocked at how loose the term bake is used. I can make cookies, banana breads, and other recipes in the oven. I wanted more depth. I mean baking that requires thought, technique, and skill. I love the beauty and texture of good bread. It is like art. Perhaps, this is a way I can be creative and artistic to create something pleasing to both the palate and the eyes.
This is my second bake of this bread in the last few days. I had made a batch of dough to go with my wife's football party eggplant parmesan and chicken parmesan with homemade sauce, meatballs and sausage. She also had made some fresh croissants with chocolate inside and all I was going to do was make some bread.
I've been curious about trying the Antimo Caputo Tipo 00 Rinforzato flour.
A few weeks ago I called an Italian grocer 'Taylor's Market' located in CA and asked if they would repackage their Caputo Rinforzato flour into smaller 5 lb bags. They were very obliging. Their shipping is very reasonable for me.
I will admit right here and now that I have been a BAD sourdough caretaker! My sourdough starter spent most of the summer in the fridge being fed intermittently. But now there's snow on the ground and I wanted some sourdough pancakes so that I could sample some home made wild raspberry syrup. My starter was like "whatever...", so I figured that since I use sourdough starter for flavor rather than rising power for pancakes, I'd give it a shot. And they were delicious pancakes and the raspberry syrup was to die for, but I noticed that my starter had very little action to it.
Lately I've been so focused on baking what I know consistently and well that I haven't tried new things. Fortunately I am still a regular browser (if less frequent commenter) on TFL and there is a lot of new out there. Josh (golgi170) has been posting one interesting bread after another, and I haven't had a chance to start let alone catch up. Yesterday I decided to try his Sprouted Wheat Levain, that of the beautiful ear. Wh
Finally I have been able to bake something decent using my starter. I think Im getting there. 
