Morning descent Turning left at the bottom of the stairs Sourdough from rye starter and 1/3 rye flour Sourdough crumb from above loaf Second sourdough loaf from 2012 AP starter, with sunflower, flax and sesame seeds Second sourdough, second view In the gazebo after the winter Second sourdough loaf crumb
Category Archives: Food
The science of bread
Last week I spent some time researching “hydration” of bread dough. This morning I decided to apply, with some precision, the concepts I read about. The result — exactly as intended — a perfect loaf with a perfect crumb. After 4 years of baking a bread every 3 – 4 days — nurturing a sourdough starter since […]
Friday’s flour…
…fresh-out-of-the-oven sourdough bread baked a tad too dark, though with the brie tastes almost too magnificent; as I can’t stop eating them together (click photograph for larger view) iPhone 6s
Friday: frogs, flowers, bread baking and bike riding
(click photograph for larger view) Leica M, 350 mm Telyt – R Leica M, 100 mm Apo Elmarit – R + 2 x Apo Been an interesting week… which began ANEW last Saturday… when I went to look at, and took possession of, a used, large frame (35″ inseam), relatively current, 2008, road bike, found on Craigs List, […]
Three things I love SEEING…
together… Something living and growing. Something full of the potential to live and grow. Raw material which can become something entirely new. These three objects sit on my desk. Diffused light falls across them from a large window, north facing, with a white fabric shade. They beg to be photographed, arranged, drawn, seen, appreciated. Though […]
Friday’s flora…
the only growing, green thing I could find… well… actually… simply the first that caught my eye It took 5 attempts… and an hour and a half… to capture the feelings… (click photograph for larger view) though I’m not sure one can appreciate the feel of things without looking extremely close… It often seems I cannot “get […]
…our daily bread
…came out of the oven at 10 pm last evening From gathering ingredients to mixing and kneading to feeling what the dough wants to become to smelling the dough transform into bread to hearing the finger thump on the crust to photographing to tearing (or slicing) to tasting ’tis one long meditation, involving all the senses a practice, […]
Jack’s visit…
Jack Hernon, my friend, college roommate and a fine artist, flew up from North Carolina to visit his sister; and celebrate her sixtieth birthday with a large family reunion. Jack and I spent Friday together; reminiscing and “catching up.” I took him to the world famous Solly’s Grille for lunch. Even though he spent his first twenty plus years in Wisconsin […]
Nailed it:
Yesterday I made my usual Raisin/Walnut Morning Bread. Of course it’s always a little different. Maybe cinnamon maybe not. More or less honey. Lately I’ve moved toward greater hydration, working around 75 percent; and using the stretch and fold method rather than the knead method. Anyway – yesterday’s loaf turned out unexpectedly dense and heavy […]
Finally achieved incredible bread…
not just delicious, pretty, healthy… but exceptional… true “artisan”… as good as the best I’ve ever had. As Walter Brennan said, “No brag. Just fact.” I finally “get it.” The correct feel of it. The secrets: Wet, sticky dough – 65 to 80 percent hydration. Stretched and folded in almost any number of different ways and schedules […]