Sourdough Woes
Dear Edda,
My son-in-law gave me a recipe for sourdough bread for my birthday, along with some starter. He insists that baking is the COVID thing to do. I made my first loaf, and it weighed about five pounds and sagged in the middle. He ZOOM called me and walked me through the next one. It turned out better, but I had to buy a scale, and a proofing basket, and a special knife first. Now he’s sending me recipes for what to do with leftover starter, different types of flour to use, etc.
Honestly, I don’t really like making sourdough bread, and I live alone, so I can’t really eat that much of it either. I wanted to call it quits, but my daughter insists that he’s trying to deepen our relationship by finding a common hobby. I appreciate that, but my freezer is getting full of bread and my neighbors hide when they see me coming. What ever happened to going fishing?
Also, do you want some bread?
Signed,
Dad
Dear Dad,
Thank you for the offer. My freezer is a little full too. The good news is that sourdough bread baking is quickly passing out of trend. I saw it on a TV commercial. Yes, there are some staunch defenders of the practice, and they will be the ones to proudly carry on the traditions started in the Great Pandemic of 2020. But the rest of us can cry Uncle and get back to online workout programs where we belong.
Tell your son-in-law how much you have enjoyed learning this new skill and offer to make a loaf for your next father-in-law/son-in-law camping trip.
Edda
Edda is not a medical professional but a local lady who loves to give out advice, even when it's not asked of her. Submit your question to [email protected] for Edda to answer.
16 Comments
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Oct 17, 2020 04:11 PMWhy are these so fake?
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Oct 17, 2020 04:55 PMTo get a rise out of Edhatters. :-)
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Oct 17, 2020 05:03 PMSo many real questions and issues out there, and these are so obviously fake.
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Oct 17, 2020 05:26 PMSo many real questions and issues out there, and these are so obviously fake.
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Oct 17, 2020 05:59 PMI appreciate the levity. Lighten up, Francis :)
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Oct 17, 2020 07:01 PMI see what you did there.
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Oct 17, 2020 07:02 PMI see what you did there.
for the F-I-L, whatever happened to "just say no"?
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Oct 18, 2020 08:39 AMWhat's wrong with a cute story? I think we can all use a smile right now. And you don't have to read it! Pass over it and let us have a chuckle.
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Oct 17, 2020 09:36 PMThe reason that sour dough has become popular for at home bakers with time on their hands is because there has been a run on yeast. Most grocery store have none and getting it on line is 3 times more expensive as it was before the pandemic hit.
Sour dough doesn’t use yeast. It uses starters. Starters are fermented mixture of flour, water and salt. When you make the bread dough you save a small portion of it to use to “start” the next batch.
It’s time consuming and the started needs attention and care even if you don’t make bread often.
Making sour dough bread has become a religion. When it comes to making sour dough bread it’s best to remain mercifully unchurched.
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Oct 18, 2020 10:59 AMI tried making a starter 'coz I heard there was no yeast to be found, along with toilet paper. So I threw a lot of flour away and after a week was no closer to the magical mix of yeast and desirable bacteria than I'd been in the beginning. Bah humbug... time to go back to store bought peasant bread that had just gone up from $3.99 to $4.99. Thanks Ralph's, you're a gem, but at least you had plenty of yeast so I could make my own.
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Oct 18, 2020 08:39 AMI make it and maintain a culture because I enjoy doing it and eating the results. To be really good at making a beautiful loaf is no easy trick it is an accomplishment.
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Oct 18, 2020 11:31 AMQ: What's the difference between sourdough starter and Bakersfield?
A: Live culture.
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Oct 18, 2020 02:21 PMThese posts are cringeworthy levels of fakeness, but the basic topic is fine. If anyone is having trouble getting a starter going, I have a really good one from a local artisan bread company. Post a request on Nextdoor and I'll hook you up.
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Oct 19, 2020 08:44 AMYeah, Edda, your posts are too light-hearted. Next time maybe respond to a letter about what kind of gun is most appropriate during Pandemic times? We can all get a good chuckle out of that.
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Oct 19, 2020 09:07 AMAs a cancer "survivor", I have a diet very much like a diabetic..
Sourdough bread is one of the few breads I can enjoy without consequence.
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Oct 20, 2020 12:08 PMSome readers would appreciate a column on how not they their panties in a bunch.