I’m baking again! I’m super excited about it. I started a new sourdough starter shortly after we returned to San Diego, and last week I baked with it for the first time. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite ready then, and the loaves did not rise enough. They were flavorful but also dense enough to cause jaw pain after just one slice. But I persevered: kept feeding my starter, and paying close attention to the conditions that made it thrive. And today, I reaped the reward in the form of two gorgeous, golden sourdough loaves fresh from the oven.

They look more rustic than they did before (that is, in the time before Storm). This is primarily because my rising baskets have disappeared, and I’m hesitating to buy new ones when we might be moving in six months. So for now, I’m making do with a bowl and a colander for the overnight rising time in the fridge. But that means that the loaves start out as round shapes which then have to become oblong shapes as they bake inside my dutch oven, and that results in some unevenness. Or perhaps I just have to get better at shaping the loaves in the first place. But nevermind that, because the taste and texture or these loaves was perfect despite their rustic looks.

Storm liked the bread, too, although the crust is too hard for him to chew at this point, even with his first molars having emerged.

Now I just have to keep my starter alive and happy so I can do this again next week.