I have been wanting to start developing my bread making skills lately. Our family's 5 generation rolls were the extent of my talent until now; well, that and pizza dough. I was reading my favorite blog the other day and she was giving away some of her new sourdough starter. So I entered, being thoroughly frustrated with entering people's giveaways and not winning anything, and patiently waited to hear the results.The whole weekend came and went and finally, she picked (through random.org, of course) a winner... drum roll, please... Lucky number 5... that's me!! Whoo hoo! So I sent my new friend my address [and last name- thats important :)] and a day later, got my sourdough beginnings.The container had exploded inside the package all over the direction, unfortunately. So, I scooped the sticky goop off of the paper and bubble wrap and stuck it a bowl and proceeded to feed my new project, and my new dreams. After it got a little food, what do you know but, IT'S ALIVE! A bubbling sticky mess.
So I waited until today to actually dive headfirst into some new recipes. I tried the Rustic Sourdough recipe that came with it (from King Arthur Flour) and made a pizza crust with one half, and a loaf with the other half. The results? See for yourself:
The pizza was absolutely delicious. It was the best crust I have made so far. And by the way, it was a Kalamata olive and Feta cheese pizza (with green onions and tomatoes). Yum!
The loaf was great too. We tested it out after it had cooled and our bellies had settled. It didn't really have that strong of a sourdough flavor, more like a hint. I think next time I will try the Extra Tangy Sourdough recipe. I was all out of spelt flour, and used whole wheat instead. I think it would be great with spelt, though. So, all in all, I love it. Thank you, Katie! So who wants some starter? I need to give (or throw) away a cup every week.
