Bread disaster
In one of my more relaxed recent vacation moments I had the thought that I ought to bake my family bread every weekend instead of buying it at the supermarket. And, as I just posted a few days ago the result was dreadful. I literally threw the two warm loaves into the garbage. In retrospect I think the whole wheat flour was rancid? Anyway, I called my nice, talented friend David Farmer who is very SERIOUS about most cooking projects to see if he might have some sour dough starter for me???
Of course he did. Made from the skin of organic grapes. And he delivered it on Sunday afternoon with a half loaf of warm bread and a handwritten recipe that he has spent some time perfecting. It looks quite that was simple I will grant it that but all the ingredients are in grams. So I think I need a digital scale? NO jokes please.
He said I could convert everything into regular cups and etc but he looked a little pained when he said this. I am afraid that I have wandered into a whole new very obsessed world of bread baking. It’s not the first foray I’ve had with bread.
I remember back when I was 15, deciding to save up with my best friend, Jeanne McKenzie to go to France. We very reasonably thought that baking and then selling french bread from Mastering the Art of French Cooking was an appropriate (and attainable?) way to make the money. We did make great bread and we did sell it — I think to many grateful people in the Miami U French Dept where my father taught… but, being 15, we lost our focus and moved on to something else. She and I never did get to France together. I’ve since lost touch with her. And I clearly have lost my way with bread as well.
Here’s hoping that I find it this weekend. Keep your fingers crossed.
Update: I wrote this mid-week and never pubbed due to various forms of disorganization and distraction (the one breeding the other). Anyway, on my second “refresh” of the dough and it’s looking/smelling sour. That’s a good thing. More later.