Sourdough for the soul

Taking a little break from the garden to warm up inside.

As winter insists on creeping on into the early weeks of spring here in Melbourne, we’re still looking for ways to keep warm.

Turns out nothing warms the body and soul quite like a fresh crunchy loaf of sourdough.

I’ve been making bread at home for about two and a half years. It’s now a habit, and well worth the time invested in learning. It took about a year to get to a point where I felt comfortable with all the techniques and not needing to read a recipe.

There really is something magical in the process that can turn three simple ingredients (flour, water, salt) into a plethora of possible loaves. And what could be better than that smell permeating the house, and the crackle of the crust still cooking as it's resting?

Lately I’ve been experimenting with adding seeds. These two loaves are chia and linseed. The sourdough starter was fed the night before, the dough mixed in the morning and left to rise all day. Baked in time for dinner.

Needless to say, well worth the wait.

As the weather warms up, the fermentation gathers speed, and it becomes easier to fit the breadmaking into a daily schedule (with a little help from long cold fermenting in the fridge).

For me, it’s hard to beat a slice, still warm, slathered in butter. Mornings, mine is toasted and covered in vegemite with melty butter, and a coffee on the side.

How do you take yours?

Mike