Friday, February 03, 2012

So Much Sourdough

I bought the book Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson and eyed it sideways for months. I wanted to bake that loaf on the cover, but first had to make myself buy a scale for the kitchen, so I could measure by weight.

I don't even want to know why that purchase took me so long. It's behind me now. I love baking by the scale! But I race ahead. First I had to grow my own sourdough starter. The book made it sound so easy--just flour and water, cover it up with a towel, and start baking on Tuesday.

Unbelievably, that is exactly what happened. I followed the meticulous directions for raising, shaping, and baking my loaves and they have been perfect every time. I bake so much *we can't eat it all*. I have moved on to the advanced pleasure of giving away bread so good it can't even be purchased in this county.

The bench rest (I adore doing all these shapings):


The final rise (I know you can spend money on special baskets and linen liners, but I just line my Pyrex bowls with dishtowels):



The finished loaves making crackling sounds as they cool:

18 comments:

Angela said...

Your loaves are beautiful! My family loves sourdough bread -- it tastes wonderful toasted -- but I have not attempted to make it from scratch yet.

MamaBirdEmma said...

Yum. I need to start baking bread again.

McKee Family said...

Oh, yum. You have me drooling...sigh! =)

Mrs. MK said...

What type of pan do you bake them in?

Rose said...

Wow. I have an on again, off again relationship with sourdough, I must check this book. Gorgeous loaves Anna.

Adie said...

Yum! And I'm sure they smell as good as they look.

Leah H said...

Bravo! Sounds so wonderful!

Laura {{* *}} said...

Great book.

I love the reality of
daily bread

...like this.

{{* *}}

Anonymous said...

Can you tell me how it compares to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day style baking?

Barb in Nebraska

Margo said...

oooh, inspiring. I have a friend who bakes by scale and turns out fabulous sourdough. He tried to teach me years ago and gave me a scale. I'm going to check out this book.
How do you find the baking books you want to try?

Amy said...

Way to go, I've been intimidated by the book and the scale for a while. Yours looks just like the one on the cover. We live close enough to Tartine that we get to eat there sometimes, the kitchen is visible from the street -- such huge mixers and wisk attachments I'd never before seen.

Ruth said...

Mmmm!It looks so scrumptiously crunchable.

Linsey said...

I’ve wanted to try a sourdough starter for a long time - I’ve just been too scared! If it’s really as easy as it sounds, I may just have to try it though: nothing beats a toasted sourdough and pimiento cheese sandwich. Thanks for the inspiration!

Anonymous said...

I make my own bread too, very simple loaves using yeast and organic wholemeal flour. I'm just wondering when people talk about scales ar,e you referring to the old fashioned type which uses actual weights or ones where you read the measurements in oz or grammes?

Natalie said...

LOVE!

Btw, I set aside a whole box of Emily Loring books for you (they're currently in storage). I can probably get to them in the next month or two if you'd like. Email me at ragamuffin83 (at) the google and let me know if you still want them and where I should send them :)

Anna said...

Yes! E-mail on the way.

Anna said...

Nope, e-mail is not on the way. Can you e-mail me through my profile? That will work. Thanks, Natalie.

Farrah said...

Someday I hope to eat bread again (dieting, again, sigh). I am planning on making sourdough.

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