Burgeoning Baker

Being stuck inside your house during a world wide pandemic will lead you into hobbies you never dreamed you would explore. For me, I jumped aboard the millennial bread making train. I can't say the idea of baking bread had never crossed my mind, since I have a number of food allergies/sensitivities that make finding bread in stores a little challenging, but I certainly didn't think it would be something I actually enjoyed.

The loaves above are from my very first attempt at sourdough bread, and while the end result was a little more dense than any of my later attempts, it was certainly still delicious, and don't they look pretty!?

Creating my own starter from scratch was actually pretty exciting. Looking at it each day to see if it was bubbly, smelling it to see how 'sour' it had become from the last time, it was a constant process. It sort of felt like a grown up culinary science experiment and I am absolutely here for that kind of entertainment.

The absolute best part about keeping a sourdough starter going is that you have to discard some each day before you feed it. I say this is the best part, not because I don't enjoy the end bread result, but there are MANY delicious stop-overs along the way. I discovered recipes for crackers, biscuits, scones and waffles.

Ultimately, having a freezer full of fresh baked bread that you have made yourself (and waffles, too) is probably the best reward. I know exactly what all the ingredients are in everything, so my tummy stays happy, and I can enjoy the delicious rewards of my labors one day at a time.