A standard operating procedure that works is an invaluable tool

I have been baking sourdough bread for some time now and one thing I have discovered is the secret to a good sourdough loaf: a good, active starter. As I only bake once a week-at the weekend-I always refrigerate my starters (I have two) between bakes. And getting the starter to wake up, so to… Continue reading A standard operating procedure that works is an invaluable tool

The sound of crust cracking and cooling

Christmas day, 2022. The sound in our kitchen is the sound of sourdough bread crust cracking while it cools on the worktop. It’s like the sound of ice thawing. As I write this there are two white loafs proofing on the same worktop. They are for the turkey sandwiches over the next two days. I… Continue reading The sound of crust cracking and cooling

Sourdough starter-the art and science

The secret to great sourdough bread is your starter. I think anyone who makes sourdough bread will agree with me and you cannot spend too much time getting your starter ready to perform. I have two starters: one is from Neven Maguire’s book, “Home Economics for Life”, and is made up of strong white flour,… Continue reading Sourdough starter-the art and science

My no-knead sourdough bread experiment

I’m looking forward to baking a ‘no-knead’ sourdough loaf at the weekend. I came across a video on YouTube this week which shows you how to make an attractive looking sourdough loaf with the minimum of ‘hands on’ activity. Normally, when making a sourdough loaf you would be stretching and folding the dough at intervals… Continue reading My no-knead sourdough bread experiment

The key ingredient in successful sourdough bread making

I make sourdough bread every week, sometimes more than once a week, too. And I might make two or three loaves at a time or at least over the weekend. I know what a good sourdough loaf should look and taste like. And I am familiar with the occasional disaster loaf too-the one that fails… Continue reading The key ingredient in successful sourdough bread making

My brown soda loaf-a staple in my diet

Twice or three times a week I bake the brown soda loaf you see on this page. It is Neven Maguire’s recipe from a book of his which I was gifted one Christmas. The book is called “Home Economics for Life” and I believe my wife, Sally, gave me the book in an ambitious attempt… Continue reading My brown soda loaf-a staple in my diet

Combining two interests: baking and photography

I baked some sourdough bread with black and green olives this morning. Look at the photographs below. It turned out well and I am looking forward to getting stuck into the bread when it cools down. Taking photographs of bread that I bake allows me to combine two interests of mine: baking and photography. I… Continue reading Combining two interests: baking and photography

Some bread I baked-a rye and walnut loaf

This is a rye flour bread with walnuts. It is from Richard Bertinet’s book, Dough, which I have previously recommended. The bread itself is made from a combination of strong white flour and rye flour and contains walnuts. You can choose to put pretty much anything in a loaf or bread-for example, cheese, olives, walnuts,… Continue reading Some bread I baked-a rye and walnut loaf