au revoir...

in hindsight i think this is where it all went wrong...


a distinct lack of bubbling...




and rising...


i was preparing for complete failure (Katie was preparing for me burning down the flat)...


then Katie and i ate most of a loaf before bed, with cloudberry jam (thanks ikea)...

baking is fun...

stage 4: 'when the starter is ready, it will appear fully risen, and a small indentation made with a finger won’t spring back'...


unfortunately folks, that's only the end of the beginning. the good news is that (in theory) i can keep the starter alive FOREVER. Boudin Bakery in San Francisco has been using the same 'mother dough' for 160 years. WOW! if i'm still boring you, just take a look at this bread crab














boy. oh. boy. now the beginning of the end...

touching wood...

yesterday was stage 3: it's working!... at this stage the dough should have -and i quote -'a new, fresh look'. and if by 'fresh' they mean gooey...


can you get fresher than this?...


you have to keep feeding sourdough... in this way (and also my too frequent/paranoid checking) it's like a baby. also like a baby is how it keeps growing. my fears of it spurring some world dominating alien life-form may not be unfounded


but do not fear... these aliens are most likely to come paint your house. maybe i'll win a nobel prize for my discovery

improv-ing...

stage two: i don't know if i'm doing it right but here goes anyhoo...

the original dough blob was supposed to left for 2-3 days, so i left it for 1 day instead. i just thought it looked kind of ready...


it is an experiment afterall and making it up as you go along seems as good a tactic as any (following recipes is for losers)... the next bit looks surprisingly like the start, but i would at this point advise anyone expecting anything exciting to happen to give up on me now (or tune back in a few days time to see some bread - or most likely no bread)...


it's actually a BIGGER blob...'OH!' i hear you all cry 'a BIGGER blob, well that IS interesting'. it's back in the cupboard now (see stage one)

p.s. recipes are NOT for losers, i take it back. in fact, if you rearrange the letters of RECIPES you can make the word PRECISE... :)

experiment #2...

make some sourdough bread. stage one: the solid starter...


it's cosy home for the next few days...


....

TED of the day = uber-simplicity... (bjarke ingels = new hero btw)



http://big.dk
Yes Is More