Baguettes and sourdough

Last year, I tried making a French baguette. I botched the recipe but the results were still good. Not really baguette shaped, though.Late in December, I tried again and followed the recipe. The results were good but again, did not have the slim elegance of the classic baguette.If anything it looked more misshapen. No big — I care more about taste than looks and it’s not like I’m baking for public consumption — but still slightly annoying.

I had more problems with sourdough. Once again I checked out Bread Head from the library last month, to make the cornbread recipe for the writers’ group Christmas party. And since I had it on hand, why not try a couple more recipes?

The process: mix flour and water, then wait a couple of days for wild yeast to colonize and start fermenting it. Then take some of that “seed starter,” mix with fresh flour and water to create a new batch of starter, and use that in the bread. I planned to use the fermented initial starter for a buckwheat banana bread, then the second generation starter for a regular loaf.

The banana bread turned out extremely tasty but very doughy in the middle. My guess is that I used the seed starter before the fermentation was far enough along and the yeast ran out of steam. The second-generation starter, which I made after the ferment got going, was worse — completely lifeless. I don’t know if it was too cold in the kitchen or what but by this point the seed starter was thriving so I used that. And guess what, it turned out great.It’s a very tasty, firm bread, though not hugely superior to some of my favorite non-sourdough recipes. Still, the sour tang does make it different so I’m going to try a couple more sourdoughs from some of my other bread books.

#SFWApro.