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:
Your loaves are beautiful! My family loves sourdough bread -- it tastes wonderful toasted -- but I have not attempted to make it from scratch yet.
ReplyDeleteYum. I need to start baking bread again.
ReplyDeleteOh, yum. You have me drooling...sigh! =)
ReplyDeleteWhat type of pan do you bake them in?
ReplyDeleteWow. I have an on again, off again relationship with sourdough, I must check this book. Gorgeous loaves Anna.
ReplyDeleteYum! And I'm sure they smell as good as they look.
ReplyDeleteBravo! Sounds so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteGreat book.
ReplyDeleteI love the reality of
daily bread
...like this.
{{* *}}
Can you tell me how it compares to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day style baking?
ReplyDeleteBarb in Nebraska
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.
ReplyDeleteHow do you find the baking books you want to try?
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.
ReplyDeleteMmmm!It looks so scrumptiously crunchable.
ReplyDeleteI’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!
ReplyDeleteI 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?
ReplyDeleteLOVE!
ReplyDeleteBtw, 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 :)
Yes! E-mail on the way.
ReplyDeleteNope, e-mail is not on the way. Can you e-mail me through my profile? That will work. Thanks, Natalie.
ReplyDeleteSomeday I hope to eat bread again (dieting, again, sigh). I am planning on making sourdough.
ReplyDelete