Yesterday was bread MAKING day and today was bread BAKING day - and it all paid off!

The recipe/directions for my mini-loaf is from “The Sourdough Whisperer” book by Elaine Boddy 

In the book are many variations, not only for the sourdough bread, but for different kitchen environments and baking plans. 

This bread is the mini-loaf, prepared for a breakfast bake. The timing worked perfectly for my lifestyle and goal. 

The recipe was very easy to follow AND the book is filled with tips and things to watch out for, how to prevent issues, and what to do if they happen! 

It was fascinating to see and feel how the dough changed throughout the day and I am pretty sure that I would have given up at many points, thinking that my dough wasn’t “right”. 

But, in the book and in her videos, Elaine frequently says to just keep going and to not compare your bread to others. And, so, I kept on going. 

This morning, I baked my little loaf of bread, painfully waited the hour before cutting into it, and then had the taste-test slice. Oh my!! It is so delicious. It isn’t too sour but it is definitely a sourdough bread. It was really, really hard to not eat several slices! 

My goal was to start early in the day, finish early in the evening, and bake bread for breakfast.

This is the schedule that I used:
5 AM: feed the starter
9 AM: make the dough
10 AM: stretch and fold
11 AM: repeat
12 noon: repeat
1 PM: repeat
Let rest/ferment on the counter, covered
11 PM: shape and put into banneton and into the fridge for the night
5 AM: transfer to covered baking pan and score the top; cover and bake (no preheating the oven)
6 AM: cool on wire rack
7 AM: serve

NOTE: in her book, Elaine Boddy has several variations of the prepping schedule, based on kitchen environment and goals

I already have the sourdough starter fed, getting ready for tomorrow’s loaf.

In the next bread, I want to add in some freeze-dried kale powder, to sneak in extra goodness. We will see how that works out.

I love these little mini-loafs - easier to experiment with.

Thanks, Ms Elaine for teaching me this method of sourdough-making. 
- Debbie

(Don’t forget that her book is the giveaway this month, Dec/22, here at Homesteadian.com

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