Sourdough Bread Success Story Starting From November 19th

 Hi everybody,  sorry this hasn't been updated sooner,  things you want to do get slowed down when you have a little guy with autism and another younger child discovering how many things they can get into together...when they're not fighting or getting into things separately.  However,  I've made notes each time I took a snap shot of our sourdough progress to share the journey and hopefully encourage anyone who wants to get started making sourdough themselves.  

November 19th,  2022 - 7 hours after a feeding, I'll have to see when it reaches double after a feeding tomorrow (November 20th,  2022) because we're ready for actual sourdough bread making now.

10:08am Time to see when it rises to double. Didn't do a whole discard because I need enough for 3 or 4 loaves and some to begin a starter for selling to others. I just mixed this, will be taking a photo of it every hour or so.

11:14am I predict that it will take 5 hours at this rate to reach double size.  My sourdough starter didn't start acting proper till I made it a thicker : 1/2 the amount of starter 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water.  It started to get a bit to thick though so now I'm doing 3/4 amount of starter with 1 cup flour with 3/4 cup of water.

12:10pm If it's double by 2pm it's ready in 4 hours, if it reaches double by 3pm it takes 5.

1:33pm Oh boy, this has risen faster than expected...hope it doesn't overflow...this stuff is a little unpredictable

THE NEXT DAY: So I missed last night's 9 / 10pm feeding so it seems like even though it's been 4 1/2 - 5 hours in this photo since it's last feed, it hasn't yet reached the double volume like yesterday.  Oh well, maybe tonight will be different.

Because my dear friend Linda Fidler was visiting me the next day,  I decided to take a chance and start making those first sourdough loaves anyway and I'm glad I did because they turned out great anyway.  Here's how that went.

Before I stir it down 

My first two loaves are ready to slow ferment / rise in the fridge for 12 hours, they'll be ready to flip into parchment lined loaf pans. Cross my fingers and hope they turn out good, well risen and tasty.

Well, this starter is sure happy after mostly getting used up for bread and getting replaced by mostly new flour and water.  Wow.

Okay, the fella on the website said "be ready for this, your dough will not be double in size" Boy, am I nervous, I never put bread in the oven that wasn't double before.  I'm going to throw 4 ice cubes in the bottom of the oven though to give these two their best chance at turning out right.

Oh my goodness, they rose in the oven!!!  But they are lop sided, oh well, I guess I better get a proper tool for cutting patterns into the loaves. (The cut patterns are there to guide the expanding, so neat).

Hmm, here they are out of the oven, they rose quite differently then regular bread. I think I will try loaf pans next time.  I really do have to make those cut patterns deeper though. Got to wait 24 hrs before I cut into the bread apparently...I'm going look into that (I don't want to wait that long)

Just as I thought,  you only have to wait 1 1/2 to 2 hours before you try the bread out....It was a totally different bread experience,  I actually feel like it's the first time I've made real bread.  So, so good. 

Day after bread was made: Oops, this is rising higher than double....

A very necessary upgrade...

Oh no,  I forgot to throw the ice in the oven 🥲 have to make sure not to do that again, bread seems to rise more with the steam...the bread seems a bit softer too. 😭

While this beautiful smelling bread is cooling off I'm going to have it under this thick cloth and cover it a bit so the moisture can redistribute and the crust will soften regardless.

Alright,  that's the progress I've made so far,  now I've got to get my stuff in gear  (perfect my procedure) to start selling my starter and t hose delicious future loaves.   If you're interested and you live near enough to 200th and 20ave just text or call me at 604-970-1921.  Thank you and have a great day.