About Me

My photo
Baker. Cook. Gardener. Animal Lover.

Friday, January 21, 2011

The Journey To Sourdough Bread Thanks To Octoberfarm

there it is...one week in the making...and it wouldn't be here if it wasn't for OCTOBERFARM. we all know blogging is FUN...but this was REALLY fun. but it did have it's moments...i would be lying if i said it was easy. it wasn't. and i almost gave up... more than once...i tried making sourdough bread a couple of years ago and i failed, miserably. and i have never tried again. until now...and it is because i had a very PATIENT and WONDERFUL teacher. Octoberfarm.
it all started one week ago...making a "seed culture". you feed it every day for 4 to 5 days depending on how bubbly it is getting...and i was pretty lucky with the heat wave...the culture loved the warm...i let it bask in the sun on the farm table for days....feeding it....loving it..although there was a couple of days that i lost interest...the bread at the bakery looked really good this morning..what am i doing? nope...i am sticking with this...i am not giving up. i want to make my own sourdough bread. right here in Farmhouse Kitchen.

after you have made the "seed culture" you turn it into a starter or barm...and let that go overnight in the fridge...


and then the bread making begins...i ran out of flour right in the middle of making the bread and had to run to the organic hippie store around the corner...i hoped this wasn't a bad sign....




it wasn't bad luck....this dough looks beautiful...i cut it in half




and rolled it into two balls....





put it to sleep last night in the fridge...and this morning was BAKE DAY. i have admit i was nervous...after a week's worth of work i hoped it would turn out...and with the help and encouragement of Octoberfarm... it did.





last night's line-up. 2 bowls of bread and a bowl of starter...gave me a good excuse for cleaning out the fridge







and there it is...i might have let it go about 5 minutes too long...but i think this is a process...learning the bread and how your oven works. i know mine does run hot. so i am so proud of my first loaf of real sourdough....THANK YOU OCTOBERFARM !!!!! what a great teacher i had....i NEVER could have done it without you, my friend. Oh, and john gets his wish...BLT'S on SOURDOUGH tonight !!!!!











octoberfarm said we are SOURDOUGH SISTERS..we are indeed, my friend