My sourdough hopes are on the rise after a flat start

 Sourdough breads were to be my thing here in Alaska.  I’ve never been much of a baker.  Cornbread, a caramel cake for Sal’s birthday and an occasion dessert pretty much sums up my baking experience.  But Alaska and sourdough seemed a natural pairing, and it was an inside activity requiring little, none really, physical activity, so right up my alley.  But baking is a science, and I’ve always been kind of a wing it cook.  Do you see problems I didn’t anticipate?

First off, I cheated.  I was gifted a fabulous book, Alaska Sourdough, which took you through all the steps of making the sourdough starter, maintaining it and recipes from breads to ginger cookies.  That would be my guide.  However, at the State Fair there was a woman, award-winning author Laurel Downing Bill, selling sourdough starter that had originally come to Alaska in the 1890’s with her gold-mining great-grandfather.  How cool was that, I thought.  Upon discussion, I learned that the starter was actually freeze dried, but still, ok.  I purchased it, bought a special non-metal container, the distilled water and unbleached flour required, and started my sourdough journey.

First off, wow, it was stinky.  Maybe the term “sour” should have alerted me, but no.  But I stirred it and fed it and it responded with bubbles and growing and it seemed happy.  Now I’d make my bread.

Cheat number 2.  I read that sourdough can take longer to rise than yeast bread, like maybe 8 hours or more.  Come on, that’s ridiculous.  I started my loaf for that evening’s dinner around 2:00.  And it was to go through two proofs.  With very little rise I baked it at 6:30.  Bread fail.

Nice color and crisp bottom, but absolutely no rise.  As Paul Hollywood would say, “It’s a shame.”  Sal gamely ate one slice, I ate two.  

Discouraged but flipping through my book for a second attempt, I found the perfect recipe, Sourdough Hotcakes.  Who cares if they rise or not?  Who would even know?

Yum.  Success.  I am back on my journey.  I have a jar of starter in the fridge and we’ll enjoy pancakes until I’m ready to attempt another bread.  And I will sometime, now that I know the bread rise will require an early rise from me.