A Hunger Filled With Fragrant Gold

I really considered making the title for this post "a great resource for sourdough bread making...would not be this blog." But I just finished a book of poems by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my absolute favorite authors, called Another America. She wrote a fantastic poem about bread making where she describes her husband baking a loaf while she reads a book and the "hunger filled with fragrant gold" drew her from the book and to the kitchen. I listen: to the measuring cups/ little quarrels of half against quarter/ then the sifted hush of the flour/ there will be kneading/ there will be punching down/ and rising and rising again/ and finally a home/ and a hunger filled with fragrant gold. I love that. 

I'm not sure what is so attractive about bread-making for me (actually, I do have a clue: the taste) because it's definitely time-consuming and a tad bit expensive. But I enjoy it. When I make wheat bread, I use a recipe from my godparents. My machine is a garage-sale find gifted to me by my mother (it also looks like R2D2, a total plus). I think the ritual and history is attractive: knowing that for hundreds, thousands, of years there have been men and women-- some of whom I know or am related to-- making measuring flour, kneading dough, and baking bread. That's really cool.

I'm comfortable rolling out the dough for wheat bread or throwing some ingredients in a bread machine. I'm still voyaging into the foray of sourdough bread making. Maybe in a couple, I don't know, years when I have a method down I can speak with some authority on the topic, but right now? HA. So this is not a post about how to make a sourdough starter or the best recipe for sourdough bread, this post is about good resources for sourdough and how I made my first loaf. Here we go:

I decided early in the summertime that I wanted to make sourdough bread. I googled around, reading and attempting a few different methods (none of which were successful. some of which were smelly.) before finding the motherload of sourdough bread resources here. It has great advice for beginners.

I learned that I probably shouldn't be making my own starter (oops), so I ordered one from Carl's Friends. Carl's Friends is just that, a group of friends who send free sourdough starter to anyone who sends them a self-addressed and stamped envelope in memory of their friend (who gave them the starter) Carl T. Griffiths. He was not only a very accomplished bread-baker, but also a very generous man. He, too, would give starter to anyone who asked or sent an envelope. The starter has been in his family for over 150 years. When you order the starter, they say expect about a six week turn around, but it only took about three weeks before mine came in the mail. It arrives like this.

Their brochure has instructions on how to reactivate the starter. And once you complete those you end up with something that looks like this! 

I decided on the Alaskan Sourdough Bread recipe included on the reactivation instruction (link above), with a few small changes:

(recipe adapted from Carl's Friends 1847 Sourdough Starter Brochure)

Makes one large and one small loaf. (Or possibly three small loaves)

1 c sourdough starter
4 T olive oil
1 t Baking Soda
8 c bread flour
2 1/2 c warm water
1/2 c sugar
1 T salt

The night before, combine starter, water, and 2 c flour. Mix with a fork, cover with a dish towel and let sit overnight. The next morning, add all the other ingredients, mix well, and knead until "elastic and smooth." Place in large bowl, cover again, and let rise until doubled (approximately 40 minutes). Punch down and knead again. Line pan with parchment paper and bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes.

Do you make your own bread? If so, what kind? I'd love to hear about your methods!

-Madelyn 

P.S. Have you read this article about 10 habits you should pick up from your grandmother? I agree with every. single. one.

also-

Another America by Barbara Kingsolver// found here
Recipe for the soup in the first photo// here