It has holes!

“It has holes!” This was my jubilant cry as I carved the first slice from my first loaf of home baked sourdough. I was pretty nervous. I had spent the whole of the day before making this loaf of bread. I started when I got up in the morning and took it out of the oven just before I went to bed. It was a long process. I didn’t actually do very much. I mixed the ingredients together, gave the dough an occasional fold (no kneading at all), but mainly just left it alone. For ages. I waited patiently (partly in the pub) for it to double in size. After 8 hours it hadn’t. But it was bedtime and I couldn’t wait any longer, so I baked it.

The next morning, with my expectations fairly low, I cut a slice for breakfast. It was chewy, holey, tangy and delicious, just as it should have been, without me doing anything at all really, except a whole lot of waiting. Amazing.

My first loaf of sourdough, resting on the previous day’s (also homebaked) white loaf

I did cheat a bit – I used a starter that came from a bakery in France via a friend who worked there in the summer rather than making my own (I do have two new ones that I have started myself, but they’re not ready to bake with yet). I followed the method I was taught by Aidan Chapman on a bread making course at River Cottage last week and it works! Although I don’t want to tempt fate. Perhaps it was beginner’s luck. I have another loaf on the go today. We’ll see how that turns out.