Getting better! This is my second loaf ever of sourdough bread. After talking to the resident expert (Matt, my husband), we came to the conclusion that with my first loaf, I probably left it to proof for too long, I didn’t dock it deep enough (docking is done by scoring the top so that moisture and dough can rise while it’s baking), and I didn’t quite bake it long enough.
Our sourdough is based on Nancy Silverton’s Country White recipe, from Breads from the La Brea Bakery. I have to admit that the instructions are a little overwhelming (there are 17 pages for this one recipe!), but it’s worth it.
However, I’ve also come to realize that two people can make the same exact recipe, and have very different results. The same is true of two gardeners planting tomatoes. This is because of the differences in gardeners’/bakers’ personalities, microenvironments (humidity, temperature), ingredients (soil in the garden, flour in the kitchen), tools, and a number of other small variables. Observing and accounting for that uniqueness is truly delightful (though at times it can be frustrating) and so important.
I’m finding that baking bread is a lot like gardening. There are so many things to think about in the beginning, that it makes your head spin. But after a while you begin to realize that for the most part you need to learn the basics, and then just get your hands dirty (or doughy). Like soil and plants, the yeast and bacteria in dough are alive. By learning to become observant of small details, you can tweak as you go to make them thrive a little bit more each time. At the same time, you can read here and there to increase your learning curve even more.
The other thing that’s important? Having fun. Allowing yourself to relax, to make mistakes, to enjoy the taste of something you’ve created from scratch. While my loaf yesterday wasn’t perfect, it was so fun and satisfying to eat after making it all by myself!
