H is for Home Harbinger

We’ve been experimenting with bread recently…

…in particular, sourdough bread.

It begins with making a starter. This is a living, breathing culture. There are various methods of making a starter – flour & water, flour & apple juice – ours is a mixture of flour, milk & natural yoghurt. No extra yeast is added, it relies on naturally occuring yeast in the flour and air. The starter is ‘fed’ daily – we feed ours with:

• 4 tablespoons strong white bread flour
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon natural yoghurt

Some bakers have nurtured the same starter decades – even centuries!

A portion of starter is added to flour & water for each new loaf – along with any additional ingredients such as seeds, cheese, honey etc.

We’ve been very pleased with the results!

The bread has a lovely open texture and distinctive sourdough smell & taste.

It’s great with all kinds of food – it’s particularly good with different cheeses, cooked meats, pickles etc – it was, in fact, ideal as part of this traditional ploughmans’ lunch.

And when it’s past its best, it makes great breadcrumbs for future use!

If you fancy having a go yourself, here are a few links to websites & books that we’ve found helpful:

Our delicious.com ‘bread’ web bookmarks

The Handmade Loaf, Dan Lepard

Bread: River Cottage Handbook No 3, Daniel Stevens

Bread Matters: Why and How to Make Your Own, Andrew Whitley

Dough, Richard Bertinet

Crust: Bread to Get Your Teeth into, Richard Bertinet

ARTISAN BREAD IN 5 MINUTES A DAY: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking, Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois