I definitely agree to the 'no turning back'... (I also branched out from sourdough into fermenting other things... and also using the outputs of the other ferments back into sourdough baking, so the circle goes round 😂 )
I started baking bread (and only bread) back when Bittman published “Laney’s” no-knead bread, and started with sourdough in the pandemic’s early quarantiny starter days. I’ll never go back! I’ve gone a little forward (I’ve taken your baguette and flatbread classes, and make both occasionally, especially baguettes), but a basic sourdough batard feels like “home” and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it! Soon I’d like to try one of the Pullman loaves, but I keep putting it off…
I'd baked yeasted breads for years, and started with sourdough about 4 years ago. Once I settled on my master formula, I've had so much fun creating variations with different inclusions, and watching how the changing seasons affect my loaves. It's certainly been a humbling hobby, but I believe it's helped all my bread baking immeasurably.
I love baking with sourdough and currently have a nice, healthy starter going, which I recently successfully revived after being away for a while due to a family situation. In other words, I get away from sourdough now and then when life gets busy. I am going to be moving soon which is going to be a big project, so at some point I am planning to bake up a bunch of loaves for people and let it go until after I am moved and a bit settled. After retirement in a year or so, then I plan to be much more regular about baking with sourdough. I am also interested in using more whole grains, and from what I have done so far, they all behave rather differently and I have relied to at least some extent on commercial yeast and adding some white flour for a reliable rise with whole grains, but I intend to experiment more and see where that leads.
As you describe it, sourdough baking does create a spell. That spell evolves from the process and effort and patience of making and tending a starter, then the time and planning and work for the levain, the dough, the fermentation, and the baking . The sweet satisfaction of baking a fine loaf drives me to do it again and again.
I had a sourdough starter for several years in the '80s but I'm single and career complications meant far less time and far less bread needed (kneaded?). I needed to cut carbs some and had few friends or family who wanted sourdough (heathens!), but my big discovery was that sourdough pancakes and waffles was one of the best ideas ever. They were spectacular.
I’m obsessed with sourdough. One problem is that with bread and cooking, I keep wanting to try something different every time I’m in the kitchen so my book collection keeps growing and I almost make too much bread but there’s so much still to learn. The only yeasted bread I make regularly is white bread for my wife’s lunches at her request and a baguette recipe from Patrick Ryan.
Now I’m trying to figure out if desem is a path worth going down. Curious if others have tried that and if it’s at least interesting (taste or technique).
My bread baking began with sourdough and the spell immediately captivated me. The only thing I regularly make with yeast are cinnamon rolls and that’s all due to time and the need for cinnamon rolls quickly! I have plans to try your ballpark pretzel recipe this weekend and am excited to give your hybrid version a go :)
Hey Andrew - do you have plans for a sourdough with regular whole wheat (not rye) in the book? Your yeasted 100% whole wheat was such a hit that I’d like to see what you do with whole wheat sourdough.
When I ate wheat, we baked sourdough regularly. Since a diagnosis of celiac disease, I am regularly working on sourdough bread without the help of gluten. The more complex flavors of sourdough help gluten free bread a lot. My preferred starters are made with sorghum and sorghum/teff flours. My new project is trying to add fermented honey to the bread. Flavor development is interesting art.
I definitely agree to the 'no turning back'... (I also branched out from sourdough into fermenting other things... and also using the outputs of the other ferments back into sourdough baking, so the circle goes round 😂 )
I started baking bread (and only bread) back when Bittman published “Laney’s” no-knead bread, and started with sourdough in the pandemic’s early quarantiny starter days. I’ll never go back! I’ve gone a little forward (I’ve taken your baguette and flatbread classes, and make both occasionally, especially baguettes), but a basic sourdough batard feels like “home” and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it! Soon I’d like to try one of the Pullman loaves, but I keep putting it off…
Got into sourdough thanks to you and my dried starter packet and never looked back!!
I'd baked yeasted breads for years, and started with sourdough about 4 years ago. Once I settled on my master formula, I've had so much fun creating variations with different inclusions, and watching how the changing seasons affect my loaves. It's certainly been a humbling hobby, but I believe it's helped all my bread baking immeasurably.
I love baking with sourdough and currently have a nice, healthy starter going, which I recently successfully revived after being away for a while due to a family situation. In other words, I get away from sourdough now and then when life gets busy. I am going to be moving soon which is going to be a big project, so at some point I am planning to bake up a bunch of loaves for people and let it go until after I am moved and a bit settled. After retirement in a year or so, then I plan to be much more regular about baking with sourdough. I am also interested in using more whole grains, and from what I have done so far, they all behave rather differently and I have relied to at least some extent on commercial yeast and adding some white flour for a reliable rise with whole grains, but I intend to experiment more and see where that leads.
As you describe it, sourdough baking does create a spell. That spell evolves from the process and effort and patience of making and tending a starter, then the time and planning and work for the levain, the dough, the fermentation, and the baking . The sweet satisfaction of baking a fine loaf drives me to do it again and again.
Started with your Quarantiny Starter in early 2020 and still baking with the same starter!
I had a sourdough starter for several years in the '80s but I'm single and career complications meant far less time and far less bread needed (kneaded?). I needed to cut carbs some and had few friends or family who wanted sourdough (heathens!), but my big discovery was that sourdough pancakes and waffles was one of the best ideas ever. They were spectacular.
I’m obsessed with sourdough. One problem is that with bread and cooking, I keep wanting to try something different every time I’m in the kitchen so my book collection keeps growing and I almost make too much bread but there’s so much still to learn. The only yeasted bread I make regularly is white bread for my wife’s lunches at her request and a baguette recipe from Patrick Ryan.
Now I’m trying to figure out if desem is a path worth going down. Curious if others have tried that and if it’s at least interesting (taste or technique).
My bread baking began with sourdough and the spell immediately captivated me. The only thing I regularly make with yeast are cinnamon rolls and that’s all due to time and the need for cinnamon rolls quickly! I have plans to try your ballpark pretzel recipe this weekend and am excited to give your hybrid version a go :)
Hey Andrew - do you have plans for a sourdough with regular whole wheat (not rye) in the book? Your yeasted 100% whole wheat was such a hit that I’d like to see what you do with whole wheat sourdough.
When I ate wheat, we baked sourdough regularly. Since a diagnosis of celiac disease, I am regularly working on sourdough bread without the help of gluten. The more complex flavors of sourdough help gluten free bread a lot. My preferred starters are made with sorghum and sorghum/teff flours. My new project is trying to add fermented honey to the bread. Flavor development is interesting art.