Sourdough: The Unveiling of My Daniel Leader Whole Wheat Sourdough Miche Inspired by Pain Poilane (Plus: "Dog Patch" Moments)

Looking back, this whole sourdough making experience was a lot easier than I had anticipated. Most of the work took place with me having to do nothing. Well, there were observations as there are with all experiments. But aside from that, it's a fairly hands-off sort of deal. 

However. The week it took to get my formula right had its moments. I have a little "reading" problem, as in, my eyes skip lines, skip pages and skip in general. I've had trouble with this for as long as I can remember. I just wrote it off as being someone with bad eyes and being blonde. After having been "in glasses" since I was six years old, I've always had to work a bit harder to "read". I am generally aware enough of this issue and just deal. 

But the "eye/sight/skipping/problem" took a turn for the worse when on day three of making what started out as a "liquid levain", I added what I thought was the correct measure of flour and water for said day, but watched horrified as my "liquid" turned into something closely resembling a cross between a hornet's nest and a brick. My eyes again! Gaaaah!

Well. I had to start over. This time setting a course for a "stiff levain". And happy, so very happy I did. (Never mind it took another four days for this sourdough levain)--we had "activity".

So this is the closest thing to chocolate a girl like me could want. Perfect. Sourdough. Bread. Dr. Thyme was quite impressed--especially after all the hoo-haa over my little levain error and the tirade that accompanied it. For those interested, I used the recipe from Daniel Leader's book, Local Breads and his directions for baking Whole Wheat Sourdough Miche Inspired by Pain Poilane. 

One more item off my bucket list.

Spectral bread. I don't know how this shot of the bread baking happened, but it really impressed husband and me both. We dubbed it "blog worthy".

Never try to tell a Pyr where to look. Or to sit. Or fetch. Or basically any command. They are their own beings and quite independent. (Some might say stubborn.) But that's why I love them so.

Our boy in the Field of Zinnias. It's not really a field per se, just a lucky corner of the now dead cucumber bed. I started the flowers from seed. How the chipmunks, rabbits AND squirrels missed them, I have no idea.

Never try to tell a lab/retriever/mix to pose for the camera either! Every single sound, movement, flash, critter, shake, slither--she hears it and points. Or tries to eat it.  

Whatever it was, it's gone now.