slow baking

we finally tried our hand at making sourdough bread from scratch (i know, i know, next thing you know, we'll be making soufflés...). the result was fantastic (although isabelle wouldn't touch it with a barge pole). but the process... the process changed my life. it started last week sunday, when i cooked some potatoes and mashed them into their cooking liquid with a bit of flour. then i put the mush away. on tuesday, i stirred.

(ok, seriously, don't you just want to scream from sheer joy? imagine, that's the actual recipe: 'stir on tuesday'. i love just saying it, 'on tuesday, i stirred'. doesn't that completely rearrange all the thoughts you've ever had about this life? and it gets even better...)

on wednesday, i stirred again. and added a bit of flour and some water.

on friday, i stirred once more and added a bit more flour and water.

on saturday, i added lots of flour, lots of water, some salt and some oil, and then kneaded the (very very wet) dough and put it away to rise.

on monday, we baked.

it lasted three days, we were savouring. the flavour just kept getting better. as did the smell.

(8 days, it took 8 DAYS... that's a day longer than you-know-who needed to make the world!) (and i know i am a weirdo, and a blasphemous one at that, but humour me here, i just really enjoyed making this bread)

(... and of course forgot to save a piece of the friday dough for future bread, which means we have to start from scratch next time...) (oh... can't wait...)