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One of the reasons I started learning how to make bread was that one of my favorite foods was pizza, and I was never quite happy with my crust, I felt that crusts I got at good pizza places were usually better. My pizza making efforts started in the 1980s. In 2011 I gave up eating cheese, should have never had it due to milk allergy, and I took my last picture of my last cheese pizza (not sure where that photo is) at the same time.

The other day I happened upon a video, New York Pizza Crust by Bruno Di Fabio.

I just got home last night from the UK (still really jet-lagged!) where I keep a supply of sourdough starter that I carried over last year in checked baggage from our home in California.  I revived it fairly easily after it had been left in the fridge for several months.

A few weeks back yozzause/Derek mentioned a 'local' cookbook, BOURKE STREET BAKERY, in his blog and it caught my attention.  I wasn't able to obtain a copy of the book from my local library so, to satisfy my curiosity, I plunged in and actually purchased a copy sight unseen. Luckily the risk was well worth it.  A real beauty in appearance and all that it contains within its covers.

I'm always on the lookout for something new and different when I visit specialty markets.  The other day I found some red lentils at the market and figured it would be worth trying them in a bread.

Almost 9 months since I began my sourdough starter, and I finally feel like I'm getting a teeny bit of a handle on this, which I say joyfully but cautiously.

Yesterday, I baked a couple loaves of my version of the Pain de Campagne from Ken Forkish's Flour Water Salt Yeast. I increase the whole wheat flour proportion and also substitute some medium rye for AP flour. And then, of course, my timing of the various steps is quite different from Forkish's. Anyway, it's really good bread.

 I also made a couple loaves of San Francisco-style Sourdough with dried sour cherries and toasted hazelnuts. I used Forkish's standard levain for both of these breads.

This CTC (Clean The Cupboard) loaf was created to use up some grains and take advantage of the oven-dried tomatoes from the days big harvest.

The formula was something like this:

• 100g farro
• 100g WW flour
• 400g Bread flour
• 150g white flour levain - mild 100% H
• 150g rye flour levain - sour 100%H
• unknown quantity of oven-dried tomatoes and grated parmesan.
• sesame and chia seeds

Was really delicious and with additional oven-dried tomatoes slathered on was a meal in itself.

I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow TFL baker during my trip to the UK from California.  I had noticed last year on TFL that Peter (blueboy2419) baked some impressive breads with beer and mentioned a beer festival that he volunteers at every year in Liverpool, my husband’s home town.  More than a year ago, I found out that we would be in town for the beer festival, as we were going to be in the UK for my niece’s wedding.  Peter gave me information on the festival, and I bought tickets.

That was today's bake. Only one loaf, because I did go a little crazy on Friday.

2014 Dabrownman’s TFL Blog Index

1/1/2014 - New Year’s Panettone - 2014

1/3/2014 - YW SD Spelt and White Whole Wheat Miche

1/5/2014 -  Saturday Night Pizza - 1/4/2014