Project Sourdough: Pain De Campagne Semi-Fail

We baked our first loaf of sourdough today, that was 3 days in the making, and it was, um, ok. Not a raging success, not a total failure. I can't say I'm disappointed exactly, as I didn't expect to be turning out perfect artisan loaves on day one - here's what happened, and where I think I'm going wrong:

Project Sourdough: Care and Feeding

First things first, I've got to apologise for the photo quality here. A sourdough starter is not a photogenic creature. But it's a creature! Nearly a week old, my little colony is alive and well. I've found an excellent resource in this website, Sourdough Home, so I've been taking my advice from there among other places.

Easter Staycation

Happy Easter Weekend! It's a 4 day weekend here in the UK, and we normally spend it travelling to make the most of the time off. Besides when we moved 3 years ago, I can't recall a single Easter spent at home. This year, for the first time, we're staying in and enjoying spending some time together! Because we're always away, we don't really have any Easter traditions either - so we get to make it up as we go along. So far it's been painted 'eggs', hot cross buns, french toast and the farmer's market. All very casual! 

 

Someone is enjoying having Dad around!



I don't know how to make hot cross buns (yet), but the Bramley Apple variety from M&S is accidentally vegan. The other flavours aren't, I don't think. Quite good toasted, but I think I'm getting very spoiled when it comes to fresh bread  - the store bought stuff just doesn't cut it anymore.





'What did I do now? Wear red and purple together?'

Also tackling some chores, for instance my fella is cleaning our little back garden. I think she's trying to protect her only patch of dirt? Just you wait, in a month or two we're going to have some garden before and afters - I have high hopes.

In other news, I think my sourdough starter is well and truly started (been making some bad 'risen' puns...) and I've got high hopes about that as well. Fed it this morning, and will feed it again in 12 hours then move it to the fridge to slow things down a little while the microorganisms battle for supremacy. I will post in depth about that later.

Anyway, have a good Easter break. Hope you're all enjoying a nice meal with some good people.

Project Sourdough: Making a Starter

 

Sourdough. Human beings have been making it for millennia. How hard can it be, right? Famous last words? Picked up a tiny, expensive but exquisite loaf of quinoa sourdough from Gail's this morning, and thought, enough is enough. I gotta learn how to make this.