This past week has been so exciting as I’ve been making sourdough bread using the Elaine Boddy method from the book, The Sourdough Whisperer.
One loaf - fantastic Two loaves - best bread I have ever made Three loaves .. is three loaves the charm or did I get cocky and end up with a fail?
The Bread-Making
Why did I think I had messed up somehow?
During the four stretch and fold interactions with the dough, it was really wet and never really moved into that smooth ball texture.
I remember, with the first two loaves, being intrigued to see and feel the change in texture, as it turned into a smooth ball of dough.
Even when I put the dough into the banneton last night, it was very gooey and I never got that “ball” of dough in my hand.
Did I not work it enough? Was my sourdough starter not ready? Did I use too much starter? Did I measure the flour and water incorrectly? Was it too hot or cold in the kitchen? Did I not work the dough enough? Did I work it too much?
I had so many questions and, yet I kept going.
This was a learning opportunity. When I cut that bread open, I was going to learn something new about bread-making. I was probably going to have to reach out to Elaine Boddy, to discover what that was, but a lesson was definitely unfolding, in a gooey, blobby, mess.
The Dough
For the records, I used the mini-loaf recipe in Elaine’s book, with the adaptation of homemade garlic-infused salt and the addition of a handful of freeze-dried kale flakes.
This was the same additions that I had done in my second loaf, “the best bread I have ever made” version.
The Outcome
Delicious. The texture is very spongy and, while some may not like that (and I don’t know why), I love it !!
Third time was definitely a charm, even if it didn’t go as smoothly as expected.
The lessons
Be patient
Trust the process
Go with the flow
Different isn’t necessarily a fail
Let the yeast do its thing in its own time
And if it hadn’t turned out delicious, find the “why” and learn from it, for next time
Take photos - even if you think it is the same as before. You never know.
- Debbie - - -
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