Adventures in Sourdough - The Inbetween Day

There is nothing to add to the sourdough starter today; it's resting in a warm place. As yet, no bubbles!


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Adventures in Sourdough - Day 2

Here we are, day 2 on my sourdough challenge.  My starter culture had thickened and I did have to give it a stir to combine the separated liquid, it really did look like yoghurt.  The next step was to add flour, 4oz (120g) of strong white flour to the yoghurt mixture and mix well.  Now it just looks like a thick batter, here is a view down the next of the jar ...

Here's another of the outside of the jar, just because...

The mixture now needs to remain at room temp for 2 days; at the end of which the mixture should be full of bubbles and smell pleasantly sour, apparently.  Heres hoping!

Adventures in Sourdough - Day 1

Inspired by last night's episode of Paul Hollywood's Bread, I decided to take on the challenge of baking sourdough bread.  It's not a quick process, the first step is to make your sourdough starter culture which will take at least 5 days to cultivate and be ready for use in your first loaf!

There are many, many, many recipes for sourdough starters.  Had I saw Paul Hollywood's recipe first I would probably have used that, but I didn't; so I used this one instead.

So, the main protagonists in day 1 are:  5 tablespoons of live full fat plain yoghurt and 6fl oz skimmed milk.  Gently warm the milk and mix into the yoghurt, pop into a airtight container, I used a kilner jar, place in a warm place for 12 - 24 hours to thicken.  Here is how it looks now.

Stayed tuned!

Snowy Behind the Ears

So, 7 days of snow later the thaw comes, starting with rain then milder temperatures.  I love snow, I love the clean, almost sparkly white covering it brings; I love snow days too.  However when it starts to melt, leaving behind patchy grit stained mounds, then my love affair with it melts away too.

I set my mind to baking a Lemon Meringue Pie today.  My inspiration came from watching one the technical challenges on this week's Great British Bake Off.   I have never made one before, this is my Saturday Challenge!

I used this recipe by Dan Lepard in The Guardian.  It was easy to follow and the pastry turned out to be very workable.  The sweet pastry was the part that I was not looking forward to, me and sweet pastry don't have a happy history.  But I am pretty pleased with how it turned out!

The lighting is not great in these pictures, night time is not the best time for snapping!

Bank Holiday Baking

As the soothsayer predicted, it is another grey and rainy Bank Holiday, is there any other kind?  Perfect day for baking.

Today's bake is: Banana Loaf with Dark Chocolate Chips

This recipe is perfect if you have just a little over ripe bananas sitting around in your fruit bowl.  In fact an under ripe banana wouldn't suit this recipe.  You get an extra bananary flavour from slightly speckley, over ripe ones.

You can make it without the chocolate chips; in fact, most folk do.  But I like it!  And don't be mean get the good dark chocolate.  Actually, just thought, walnuts might be a nice addition too, (there is always next time).

The Main Protagonists:

113g butter
170g caster sugar
226g self raising flour
pinch of salt
2 large eggs (I use free range)
2 bananas
40g dark chocolate
1lb loaf tin

1. Grease and flour a 1lb loaf tin, so the loaf won't prove difficult when it comes to removing it

2. Peel your bananas, you can see mine are just a little over ripe, but inside they are good, no bad bits.  We don't want bad bits.

3. Pop them in a bowl and mash them up good, with a fork.

4.  Now for the chocolate.

 5. Cut it up into chips with a sharp knife; not too small, the chocolate not the knife.

6.  I didn't mix this cake by hand the 'Dude' helped me.  Pop the sugar and butter into the mixing bowl.

7. Like so.

8. Then mix, ACTION SHOT.

7. Mix until well combined and soft, you may need to bring the mixture down from the sides of the bowl.

8.  Then add the eggs, 1 at a time.  Beat each one into the mixture until combined, before adding the next.

9.  The mixture will look like this, quite soft and pale.

10.  Next add the flour and a pinch of salt.  By the way, that is not my gnarly hand in shot.  Muse helped me out today.

 11. Do not use an electric mixer for the next part, instead use a wooden spoon or a spatula (as I did). Add the banana.

12. And the chocolate, and mix all the ingredients together

12. No licking the spoon (yet).  Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf tin

13. Shake gently from side to side so the mixture settles evenly in the tin

14. Pop in a preheated oven at 180C (I use a fan oven).  My Mother always said that as soon as you could smell a cake baking then it is cooked.  For the most part I have found this to be true.  But if you don't trust mine, my Mother's or your own sense of smell,  it takes around 40 - 45 mins to cook in the middle of the oven. 

15.  Now the lick the spoon.   No photographic evidence of this.

16.  Turn out of tin and leave to cool.

17.  Enjoy with a cuppa.