sourdough starter

 So, if you recall, I posted about bread experiments way back in February.

I never really told you how it all turned out. I did end up making the sourdough rye, and I’ll report on it below, but what I should tell you is that I’d planned, for today’s post, to try again.

Alas, it was not to be.  You know those weeks where all you do is run (literally and figuratively)?  That’s been my week (see my post re: clams). 

I didn’t even call Diana yesterday for our weekly date.  Not even a call.  I’m sorry, Diana!

Hopefully next week (… year? … life?  …) will be better.

In the meantime:
The sourdough rye turned out … okay.  What I learned from the many cookbooks and websites that I consulted is that sourdough rye needs to be a fairly quick process.  Something about the yeast eating rye flour faster and thus falling flatter in the end baking. 

The result was a flat, but tasty rye loaf.  Not a lot of sour on the palate.  Now I like my sourdough bread sour, don’t you?  My brother-in-law likes sourdough bread so  much that I’ve seen him put away an entire loaf in a day.  That’s a lot of bread, folks! 

flat loaves

nice crumb!

So, back to the sourdough drawing board for me.  I’ve been incubating my starter in the back of the fridge.  Joy of Cooking says that I can pour the ugly gray water off the top of it and bring it back to life in a jiffy.  Or in a few days.  I will get that going over the weekend and then keep you posted.

~ Eva

P.S.  Happy Birthday, Jimmy!

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