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I haven't posted recently and would like to wish everyone a very "Happy St. Patrick's Day"!  

Family has kept me busy lately and in a few days my youngest grandson is having some very extensive corrective overbite surgery done.  It's going to be a long recovery.  He's taking it very well and wants to have it done.

To keep things on a cheerier note.  A little St. Pat's Day feast.  Along with the traditional dinner of Corn beef with all the trimmings.  

I've been making the basic Tartine Country Loaf (from the first book) for a little over a year.  I love the method and have been really happy with the loaves but my goal has always been to make a sour sourdough loaf, like I remember from a favorite bakery in California years ago.  Along the way, I've read lots of varying suggestions and have tweaked the maintenance routine for my homegrown starter and the timing/temperature for the proof but that sour loaf has eluded me so far.

I have been baking these breads for several months.  I typically use my unfed (for a week) starter straight from the fridge, mix it with 200 grams of water, 100 grams of King Arthur AP and 100 grams of King Arthur White Whole Wheat.

Since today is St Paddys day, Ive come up with something pretty green. I added boiled and blended spinach into the bagel dough giving it the greenery color with the cheese sprinkle on top its delicious!! Happy St Paddys Day and happy baking. 

It's been two months since I last posted and I've scarcely gotten past the lurking stage here at TFL in that time.  The new project has kept me very busy at work, with more overtime than I care for.  The good news is that if the project progresses past the current stage, I'll get to work even more overtime for the next three years!  Yippee!  It's kind of like the airlines; if you fly with them often enough, they reward you by - wait for it - letting you fly even more!

Drinking, eh, I mean, baking for Saint Patrick's Day...

Guinness chocolate cupcakes

For this past Market day, I've baked the same breads I often bake For all preceding Arts and crafts markets: A Rye , A Whole Wheat multigrain, and a country White loaf.  For This market ,however, I've baked all three of them. a 7 Kg. worth of Rye dough, 5.5 Kg. Worth of Whole wheat multigrain, and 5kg. worth of Tartine’s Sesame bread dough; yielding a total dough of 17.5 Kg!  All bread was baked in three consecutive days, and none were frozen. Phew!

My husband is an artist when it comes to pasta. Always wonderful . Tonight homemade tagliatelle and a shrimp topping based on one that our son , the Chef , makes frequently. Preserved lemon and capers are the key...oh...and the homemade hot cure peppers. If you want the recipe just ask...I will be glad to forward the gist of the idea .c 

oh my...apple pie !  

before baking... after...most amazing...2 apples and a small amount of " goop"...if you want I will post the link to recipe...so easy.

Bulger Wheat Sourdough collage

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