Still warm. Home-made sourdough bread. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Today has been bread-making day, and now there are two loaves of wholemeal sourdough cooling on the kitchen bench.
All cooking is slightly magical, but sourdough is especially so. A paste of flour and water that we first made two years ago (called a starter) provides food for the natural yeasts and bacteria that hang out in our kitchen. We add flour, water and salt; and natural fermentation does the rest.
Sourdough; mixed, kneaded and ready for final proving. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Zimmerbitch 
The starter must feel like a good friend by now; or even a member of the family. 🙂
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That’s very perceptive. I was actually thinking recently that it’s become one of the “things I’d rescue if the house was on fire”.
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Then it is indeed very dear to you!
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Love sourdough bread
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Yum—nothing like fresh baked bread. And I love sourdough also!
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Me too. It is labour and time intensive, but so satisfying.
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I’m glad you included the method of making the starter, Su. My younger daughter was mentioning how healthy that bread is.
Leslie
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Thanks Leslie. Sourdough bread is very healthy; just four ingredients really. People who think they are gluten intolerant often find that sourdough bread is digestible for them and what they actually are intolerant of is the additives in commercial bread.
We made the most basic starter — flour and water. Some recipes suggest adding some commercial yeast or other ingredients but we found it wasn’t necessary. It took about a week I think, and we are still using the same starter two years later.
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They used to use that when my grandparents settled in the prairies.
Leslie
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🙂
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🙂
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Oh, gosh, first Sue’s post about mussels, now yours about bread! I’m getting SO hungry and it’s not dinnertime yet. Perhaps snack time, though.
janet
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Mussels and bread — what a great combination. I’m particularly proud of yesterday’s bread. I’ve finally (I think) reached a point where I can FEEL when the dough is right.
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Love the taste of sourdough. Great that you have your own starter. How often do you bake a loaf?
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Every couple of weeks I bake two. We eat about a third of one fresh, and I slice and freeze the rest. We find it so filling compared to commercial bread that one slice is usually enough at a time.
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There’s a bakery I go to occasionally that does several varieties and flavours of sourdough, “The Grumpy Baker”. A strange idea to me at first but the potato/rosemary sourdough is fabulous.
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My mouth is watering at the thought of that!
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Smells good! I’ll be right over! 😉
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😃
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Mmm, I’m getting the aroma from here!
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I’ve always wanted to do more bread making – one of these days, I’ll finally get started with it!
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I does take time, especially sourdough. And I t took us ages to actually commit to making the starter. But I’m sure you’ll find it really rewarding when you start.
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Yum! Homemade bread is so rewarding.
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😃 I feel like I’ve already used up the calories in it, just kneading the dough
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Then you better eat your fill!
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We would like our breads to look like yours! What quantities of each ingredient do you use?
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I just love your sourdough magic! Wish I could eat a slice of two but guess it’s already gone by now 😉
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😃 mostly into the freezer for late. Toast perhaps? xxx
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Yes please! 🙂 With some of your lovely citrus marmalade 😀 xxx
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The grapefruit are almost ripe. Perhaps it’s time to make more marmalade.
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It definitely is!!!!! 😄😋 xxxxxx
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🙂 xxx
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