Tag: bread

Getting to know Lavern…

It must be a new season, because this morning my sourdough starter whispered to me. I dutifully fed it, setting aside the discard for a batch of homemade crackers. Although my starter isn’t new, it’s still without a name.

Perhaps it’s time to address that gap. OOH !!! I just discovered a sourdough name generator. Lavern Surely Doughry will certainly help my bread production through the winter, and I look forward to getting to know her.

This is amazing! And scary. I was simultaneously making bread and texting with Liv and Bobby about AI. I know that my computer is listening to me, but is it also picking up on the yeasty tang in the air?

Today’s bake is not sourdough, but is no-knead, which, given the effect arthritis has on my hands, is welcome.

After a couple of hours at room temperature, the dough has risen a lot.

I’m hoping for a bread as gorgeous as this one I made last year.

No-knead bread can be perfect. Lavern and I will not be chasing perfection, but I predict we will have a lot of fun over the next few months.

Baking Day

I started baking bread regularly about 15 years ago, during a time when much of my life seemed out of control and letting my mind wander while putting my hands to work with flour, water, salt and yeast was a great comfort. I suspect that’s been true for many women over many centuries.

Today, the whole world seems out of control.

I like simple breads. Flour, water, yeast, and salt. Sometimes I’ll add herbs or nuts or dried fruit, and quite often I’ll add oats or rye or some other grain. Mostly it’s white flour with a little whole wheat thrown in to make me feel virtuous.

After a summer hiatus, I’ve revived my sourdough starter. It’s still a little wimpy, so today’s bread had the benefit of some commercial yeast too. I let it rise in bannetons, baskets lined with flour-dusted kitchen towels. One round loaf baked in my old cast-iron Dutch oven, which belonged to my sister Martha. One long loaf straight onto the baking stone.

It’s a good thing no one in my family is gluten-averse, because baking bread is a joy for me and I can’t eat it all myself!

“Avoid those who don’t like bread and children.” (Swiss proverb)