[dredmorbius]

I've become a sourdough bread baker over the past three weeks, going from producing constructionnmaterials (dense bricks) to some of the best bread I've ever had.

Realized yeaast wasn't to be had for love or mone:

https://mastodon.cloud/@dredmorbius/103845407941910287

Starter recipe:

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-starter-re...

Took about 6 days to get going. 3rd loaf was a winner. Feedback from household and neighbours is strongly positive as well.

Flour sourcing has been spotty, but even that has upsides: testing out spelt and einkorn, along with whole wheat, AP, and (blech) bleached flour.

Loaves, rolls, pizza, crumpets, and more.

Most of this based of Youtube videos:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BJEHsvW2J6M

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2FVfJTGpXnU

Dutch oven, food scale, bench knife (I use a plastering spatula) highly recommended.

[mattrp]

Great advice thank you. Where are you finding the spelt and whole wheat?

[dredmorbius]

Very intermittantly.

Spelt was a buy where other flours were cleared out at a natural food store. Last whole wheat was a half-kilo bag. I'll hit numerous stores, early in the day. Buy what's available though AP / whole wheat / specialty by preference.

Gourmet / natural food stores have tended to better selections. Ethnic food aisles often have flour where main selection is out, or specialty flours regardless.

Whole grains are also available. I've contemplated buying a mill.

[mattrp]

<I’ve contemplated buying a mill.

As in a business or the machinery to use at home?

[dredmorbius]

Home.

Ironically, the KitchenAid I'd always coveted has proved all but wholly unnecessary for breadmaking, though the milling attachmnent is among the options available.

And, FWIW, I'm experimenting broadly with grains and augmentations.

Today's batch was 1000g flour (50% AP, 25% spelt, 20% WW (last of the bag), 5% einkorn), 25g salt, 80% hydration, 200g walnut pieces, 100g mixed whole spelt & eincorn grains (boiled. in salted water). OMFGood.

I've started a straight bleached white flour batch, basically to see what the worst possible flour might be.

Basically: experiment, see what happens.

[mattrp]

Sounds great. We just broke out our kitchen aid which had sat dormant next to the bread machine for years. I didn’t know it had a mill attachment but I guess I’m not surprised.