Part of my brain is reserved for thoughts about my sourdough starter. (After all, there is plenty of empty space up there.)
Every day these thoughts revolve around:
Is it time to feed my starter? (Maybe in a few days.)
Am I running out of my sourdough English muffins? (Nope, still have 14 in freezer.)
Am I running out of my sourdough boules? (Yup. Slices in freezer almost gone.)
Am I running out of my supply of King Arthur flours? (Don’t think so. One can never have enough flour on hand.)
Is my SAF instant yeast finally losing its strength after five years in the freezer? (Possibly. My filone di sesame loaves didn’t seem to rise as much as they should have.)
These are just some of the joys to be had when caring for a sourdough starter. I have had mine slowly percolating in the fridge for about five years now. A friend from my Gazette days passed along some of her discard and it has been cloning itself happily here thanks to my diligent attention to it.
My latest bread (seen above) was baked earlier this week. It is a sourdough miche, which is a French term for a round loaf of bread.
I used a recipe from “Breaking Bread: A Baker’s Journey Home,” by Mark Philip.
He is the head baker at King Arthur and his cookbook is a wonderful trip down memory lane, from his Southern upbringing to his current life in Norwich, Vermont.
I have tried several of his recipes and they perform the magic of making me feel like I know what I am doing with this sourdough alchemy.
Now I have to slice that miche into pieces for the freezer. They toast up wonderfully for breakfast.
By the way, happy Leap Day!
— LOU
Sounds like you are very attached to that starter. What happens when you go away? Do you have to get a starter sitter? Or is there a starter-care center? Hey, maybe that’s how you can make your millions: Lou’s Sourdough Starter Care Center. Although maybe that’s too much of a leap.
— LUCY