My first sourdough

I have always wanted to make my own sourdough starter and sourdough bread.  Well, I finally got my act together a couple of weeks ago and started my started using sourdolady's guidance at:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/233/wild-yeast-sourdough-starter

Though I did use apple cider instead of pineapple juice.  It's what I had available.  I never had a nonbubbly day with the starter and started getting good yeasty smells in about 4 days.

After two weeks of dumping and feeding I started building up the volume.  I used sourdolady's recipe at:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/blog/sourdolady

Such wonderful dough to work! 

I forgot to get pictures of the work in progress, but here are the results.

Hot from the oven and brushed with butter.

The slashes that I almost forgot to do.  Had the bread in the oven and was ready to shut the door.  Two seconds of panic digging through my knife drawer looking for something to use for slashing.  Ended up using a chef's knife.  Seems I do better when I don't plan the slashes!

So hard to wait for the bread to cool!  So soft and tender.  And a great crust.

And dinner with the bread.  Taco soup, sourdough bread and apple cider.  And the development of the taste was amazing even after just a couple of hours, wow!

Time to start increasing the starter again, because those two loafs are not going to last long.  I now have one shelf in my refrigerator permanently empty waiting for trays of bread dough.