INSPIRASUNS

A few weeks ago I shared in this little blog how I was trying my hand at making homemade bread from scratch. I also shared how I have a love/hate relationship with making anything that includes using yeast. I’ve never had much luck with it, so you could say I was challenging myself to overcome a fear of sorts. Well, if you followed along, you know that the final product, which took a few days to make, the bread came out wonderfully!

Well, fast forward a few weeks, and here I am on to the next challenge, yep I’m attempting the ever-popular sourdough bread. And…wait for it, I’m going all in and making my own starter. For those of you not familiar with making sourdough, the process begins with making your own yeast starter instead of buying yeast. I didn’t realize until I began this process that simply mixing water and flour and allowing it to sit could form this wonderful yeast product that makes amazing baked goods. I found this great explanation of the process:
>>wheat flour + water = natural enzymes break down starches into sugar
>>natural bacteria + sugar = food for natural yeast
>>leaven + more flour + more water = more natural leaven
>>natural yeast + flood = natural leaven (carbon dioxide)

Basically, you start with flour and water. Nature takes its course and over time, you have a mixture that contains enough leaven, (yeast) to make bread, or whatever baked goods, rise. Kind of crazy to think that it’s just that simple.

Well, as with my previous bread-making experience, I’m learning a lot. Like the fact that I can just keep “feeding” my starter to make bread or whatever, every week. Side note, I’ve found some pretty amazing recipes for things like pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, and even pretzel bites, sorry, that’s for another blog!

My first batch of the starter began just as it should, but then did some weird stuff, so I started over. I’m a few days into this batch and so far so good. It’s definitely a process, not difficult at all, you just need to stick with it and keep feeding your “creation”.

I do like the simplicity and it made me think, this is how bread has been made for centuries. Water, flour, starter, and salt, that’s it. No list of additives you can barely pronounce, no preservatives, just water, flour, and salt. Ya, I’m really looking forward to trying this final product and sharing it with neighbors in the community.

So my friends, I’m trying my hand at something new, and if it works, who knows, I might just be making sourdough products weekly. You can put your orders in here 🙂 . Ya, that’s a stretch! But hey, I am trying something new, and I’m continuing to learn some new skills, even at my age. Father keeps pointing me in a direction to keep trying, keep doing, and keep sharing.

I will keep you updated along this sourdough journey, oh and hey, if you have any pointers, let me know. Have a great day my friends!

John 6:51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.