Sourdough- Take Two!

I made a second loaf of sour dough, this time in an oblong pan. 

I'm a novice to all the sourdough methods, but as far as I understand the madness I'm using a recipe for a cold, unfed starter straight from the fridge with 100% hydration with an overnight rise with zero stretch and folds. 

I got this recipe from "Sour Dough for Lazy People," because it was recommended to me by a friend who uses it, and I love her bread, and I have no interest in the other seemingly absurd methods that require a full-day process- at least not yet. 

My dough was so wet and sticky as it poured from the bowl, it was nearly impossible to work with. I added enough flour to it to shape it into a loaf and salvage it. 

This is the second loaf that came out of the bowl too sticky to work with. 

So now, I know that I definitely need to adjust the hydration of my starter, something I suspected after my first loaf, but wanted to confirm with another test. 

There's a method to adjusting the hydration of your starter that I won't explain here, but I am hopeful after that process is complete, my loaves will begin coming out of the bowl better formed, easier to shape, and hopefully, then, I'll also get a better rise. 

So this second loaf isn't the prettiest. 

Neither was the first loaf. 

But I bet it's going to be delicious nevertheless, because the first loaf was. 

I'm making homemade beef stew tonight. 

We'll have it with some freshly baked sour dough! 

Scottish Buttermilk Bread

I made Scottish Buttermilk Bread from Bernard Clayton's Complete Book of Breads. It was similar to Irish Soda Bread; It was also similar to homemade buttermilk biscuits, so we ate it like biscuits with eggs or butter and jam, etc.  This was my least favorite bread so far, honestly. 

Egg Harbor Bread

 

I made the Egg Harbor bread from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Bread. 

This particular bread has five rises, so it was the most complicated bread I've made so far, and it took the longest by far. 

I am working my way bread by bread through Clayton's book in the order that the recipes come, and I'm growing in competence and confidence. 

One important thing I have learned from my mistakes: Check the temperature of your water before adding yeast to it. This way, you don't end up killing the yeast and preventing your dough from rising. 

Cuban Bread

I made Cuban Bread, the third recipe in Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads. 

I pulled a chunk off while it was still warm, buttered it, and...  delicious! 

I also bought the entire box of active dry yeast at the grocery store, because I grew tired of running out- so I have 36 (minus the two I used today) packages total. 

So count on more breads to come!

 

My First Sourdough

I made my first loaf of sourdough with starter given me by my friend Rachel. There's room for improvement as far as rise, crumb, and crust goes, but the flavor was unparalleled; My whole family agreed. I'm using the You Tube Channel: Sourdough for Lazy People for my recipe, recommended by my friend Rachel also. 

Thirty-Minute White Bread

I made the next recipe in Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads, the "Thirty-Minute White Bread." 

I think I've officially entered my bread-making era. 

I find bread-making delightful and satisfying. 

And, though it took me longer than thirty minutes to make this recipe... I'm just saying... it was still quite easy, and the time and effort is totally worth it. 

Deliciousness for days! 

Great Wolf Getaway

We took a quick trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Massachusetts. Our friends, the Catalanos, met up with us there. 

We left right after church Sunday, stopping at Nardelli's in Waterbury for lunch, a favorite back when we lived there. 

We arrived at Great Wolf in time to check in, get in our room, and meet up with the Catalanos to ride waterslides for an hour and a half before having joint dinner then going together to the ropes course, arcade, etc. 

I love the ropes course at the Fitzburg, Mass. location. I remembered it from years ago when we went. And this time, it was even better since they added a zip line that takes you back to the start of the course, so you can begin again from the start. 

We met up at the waterpark this morning, and we all played/ visited until early afternoon when our family left to head home. I wanted to get home for my graduate school class online. Dwayne needed to get back to work Tuesday, etc. The Catalanos stayed on for another night/ day. 

But before we left Great Wolf, we spent the rest of our credits in the arcade, quickly accumulating enough tickets to get to the girls some stuffed animals. Dwayne and I agreed we'd like a ski ball machine in the basement. I could play ski ball for hours.

We enjoyed Chickfila on the way home, indulging in limited-time pretzel breaded sandwiches and milk shakes or frosted coffees. Then we stopped again at Chesire Coffee and indulged again. The girls had delicious boba teas. Dwayne had a perfect capacchino. I had a maple salted latte with oat milk, which was divine, but it may also be why I am still wide awake this late... 

So it was the quickest of getaways- just enough time to make some great memories with friends!