We like to buy local, so we’re fortunate to have a flour mill within an hour’s drive of our farm (and, as an added bonus, it’s in a postcard-worthy setting). We recently picked up some flour for our sourdough, as well as a bag of rye flour and a bag of white cornmeal. Today, we used some of the rye flour to replace the wheat flour in our sourdough bread. Was it scientific? No. But keep reading to see how it came out.

When we first starting making sourdough, the loaves came out rather brick-like, very dense, suitable to be used as pavers or wheel chocks. Ok, they weren’t that bad, but they weren’t lofty, either. Since then, with each iteration, the bread has improved, and now it’s superb. Our sourdough starter, Audrey, is also very happy and well-established, a critical part of making a good sourdough. Continue reading “Baker’s Journal: Sourdough Rye” →

One of our favorite ferments is our recently-resurrected sourdough starter. It began as a dry powder, but with consistent feedings, has become a reliable producer of delicious sourdough loaves – no yeast needed!

Making a loaf starts with mixing the starter, which should be bubbly and sour-smelling, with water, salt and flour. The stand mixer does a marvelous job of creating the right elasticity, and once properly mixed, the dough is poured out onto a floured surface to be shaped into a loaf. After filling the loaf pan, the dough is covered and left to rise. With the cold temperatures, we find that letting it rise on a heating pad on the low setting really helps. Continue reading “What’s Better Than Homemade Bread? (not much)” →