I found, a few months ago, that I really missed baking bread nearly weekly. The bread I baked wasn't really daily-eating bread, but it was fun and there's nothing like the smell of dough in the oven, being transformed into something supremely delicious. I've been working on my breadmaking skills, and I think I'm getting better. I've made a series of doorstop-style loaves, which I believe had fallen due to over-proofing. I've been studying the chemistry of bread, from the way that gluten forms and how yeast eats all the bits of sugar its fed. Reading, however, doesn't seem to really be helping in and of itself. I'm dealing with a crap oven in a rental apartment, the wildly varying temperature of Portland's summer, and craziness in the moisture. Despite this all, I started a culture about 7 days ago which has become a proper sourdough starter (using Susan's awesome instructions), and it's happily eating whatever I give it with great abandon. And thus, this, dear readers, is what I'll be using tonight to make my first sourdough loaves. The bf and I went down to Bob's Red Mill last Saturday and purchased a ton of flours (well, okay, so maybe 30#), and I have a feeling I'll be baking up a storm this fall and winter. I am going to track this sourdough bread with photos to show you my triumph (or utter failure to bake bread that looks like bread)! Hopefully with more tomorrow... wish me luck!
