MAKING DOUGH!!!

 It's finally here .... FALL!!  Not that the leaves are falling, because they aren't ... but because running now requires long pants and a long sleeve shirt.  The leaves aren't turning yet either, that's just the color from the sun rising as I headed out and around the corner.

It was slow going.  Breathing ..... check!  Arms ...... check!  Legs .... OMG I didn't even get 100 feet before I could feel them.  My how quickly that being in shape thing goes away.  I kept at it, in spite of the spiders hanging out two streets over.  I made it all the way to mile 3/4 before turning around.  Yeah, not my best running day!!

My excuse however is the time schedule required to bake another loaf of sourdough bread.  I'm guessing the ladies in the 1800's didn't have much to do around the house, because this is a L O N G process.  First off, you have to get your starter started.  If it's been sitting in the fridge for a week, you have to FEED it some flour and water in specific proportions.

So specific that you have to measure them in grams on a scale.  The flour SHOULD be bread flour, the water just the right temperature and the exact number of grams of each.

Once stirred up, it goes in the warmer at about 81 degrees.  Every house is different, and if I don't use this little gadget, it will take 8 hours because my house is too cold.  Once all bubbly and more than doubled in size, which took 6 hours on this day ... THEN you can begin to make the DOUGH.  You thought I meant dough as in MONEY.  Nope ... it's BREAD DOUGH day!!

Don't miss this step ..... HAVE A COOKIE while you wait.  I tried to tidy up a bit ... sewed on the quilt a tad and generally tried to pass the time until the starter was ready.

Next step ... autolyze ... that's just adding water to flour and letting it sit until it's all soaked up.  This is definitely NOT the fun part.  Let that sit for 30 minutes.

The next step is the worst.  I put on a plastic glove and dump the starter into the hard dry flour and water mixture.  The starter is a pile of sticky gunk that you have to try and incorporate into a big pile of glue.  And don't overwork it!!!  

Now that has to sit for 30 minutes.  Kitters and I had a little talk and she got lots of pets.  

Wash your hands and clean off all the kitty hair.  Yes, that's in the recipe book.  Uncover the bowl, grab a corner,  S. T. R. E. T. C. H.  the dough and fold it over ..... three times.  Let it rest another 30 minutes.  There's THREE of those 30 minute sessions before you stick it in the oven with just the light on, to rise for an hour.

Have another cookie, because this is an all day process!!!  I had a small plate of leftovers for dinner.  It is now 6:30 at night.  

Take it out of the oven, and drag it kicking and screaming out of the bowl, onto a floured surface.  Let it sit there and sulk for another hour.  

This is a banneton, and it's what you gently put the dough in before sticking it in the fridge for a good nights sleep.  Yeah, no one ever said this was an easy or quick process.  

This morning I will turn the oven on to 500 degrees and stick my dutch oven in to heat up.  To cover or not to cover .... that is the question!  To bake it uncovered so the crust will get crunchy, or covered so old teeth can actually bite into it.  Today I'll try the 35-10 method and see what happens.  

All this work ... an entire DAY ... to get one beautiful tasty loaf of homemade sourdough bread ........

Worth every minute!!!!!