I have a to-do list
Two years since we were sort of let out
It dawned on me just yesterday, after the market, that it was this weekend, two years ago, that we resumed the McGregor Market. Restriction levels were 3A. Whatever that means. They seemed to change every week.
McGregor Market on a wintery 4 July 2020: Level 3A lockdown restrictions
I remember for three reasons.
- It coincided - by a day - with The Husband's birthday. Which we could not celebrate in any meaningful way.
- The reunion of market pals was happy - almost like a family reunion. It was tentative, though, because we were all still caught up in the fear of this unknown thing that was the pandemic.
- I added sourdough buns to my regular market fare, and I've been baking 24 of them - sometimes more - every week since. I have a customer who has a standing order for between 6 and 10 a week.
Learning
The first thing I learned about making sourdough, was that I had to keep mother alive. I have successfully managed to do that for more than two years. At the market the other day, someone actually asked me how old "the culture" was. There was no response when I said just over two years. I wonder why he asked. I had other customers, so I didn't enquire.Natural yeast is good for you
A few years ago - I'm not exactly sure how many - I stopped eating commercial bread. I felt hugely better for it and lost weight. A lot. Since I've been making bread with natural yeast (sourdough) - I've resumed bread eating - daily. In truth, I've eaten more bread in the last two than jI ate in the previous two years. I've not regained the weight I lost. That tells meTwo years later: a confession
In January, I shared my first bakeWhat I've learned
The rolls are never exactly the same each week and you need to watch every step of the way. It's trial and error and one has to be open to that. I will admit that just in the last six weeks to two months, something has just clicked and I'm getting them consistently "righter" than before. I am so much happier with them now.
What is it, I hear you asking?
I'm not exactly sure, but I'm leaning towards adjusting some of the quantities and instead of using a liquid measure for mother, I'm now weighing her instead. I am also not allowing myself to be tempted to add more water than the recipe says.
The results: much, much better.
My sourdough offering at the market every Saturday
If you'd like the recipe for these rather delicious (even if I say so myself) buns, you can download it here. If you do download recipes, buy me a coffee. Or better yet, a glass of wine....?
As that photo confirms, those buns are not the only sourdough bread I'm doing. I'm doing those loaves, too. I've been doing them for about nine months. I'm still not getting things right there, so when I've learned what I'm doing wrong, I'll share that recipe too. Oh, and I've also made naan breads - that recipe, too, I shall share. Possibly before the loaves because they are super delicious and given that it's winter, I'm hankering for a good curry and naan.
PS This is a cheeky contribution to the current Silver Bloggers Prompt. I love cooking and learning how to "cope with mother" is just an extension of this lifelong interest that I embrace as a hobby.
Until next time, be well
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa
Photo: Selma
Post script
If this post might seem familiar, it's because I'm doing two things:
- re-vamping old recipes. As I do this, I am adding them in a file format that you can download and print. If you download recipes, buy me a coffee. Or better yet, a glass of wine....?
- and "re-capturing" nearly two years' worth of posts.
- From Wordpress, I use the Exxp Wordpress plugin. If this rocks your socks, click here or on on the image below to sign up.
- Join Hive using this link and then join us in the Silver Bloggers' community by clicking on the logo.
Original artwork: @artywink
- lastly, graphics are created using partly my own photographs and Canva.
Posted from my blog with Exxp : https://fionasfavourites.net/sourdough-buns-recipe/
I've downloaded your recipe and will print & read it tomorrow. Your sourdough bread and buns look sooo good!
I've been having more success with my starter since using a very interesting German method on the YouTube channel Our Gabled Home no daily feeding. @ericvancewalton found the video, not because he's tried that one, he's only made a spacecraft that had enough space inside to go for a space ride😉, It sure looked good on the outside though.
I'm still adding a little instant yeast, but like you, I simply cannot eat commercial bread anymore so I bake about every 2nd or 3rd day. This bread doesn't give me reflux at all!
Awesome and helpful post Fiona, thank you 💞
Oh, I am glad you found this helpful. I have also discovered that I don't have to feed mother every day and
she tends to have a breakbecause my Saturdays and Sundays are what they are, I start feeding again on Monday. Unless I plan something else before I start the rolls on Thursday night for baking on Friday for Saturday.Congratulations @fionasfavourites! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):
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Those buns look totally awesome.
!Lady
Thank you!
My mouth is watering just by looking at those bread.
Thank you for sharing your recipe. My husband will be delighted to try it.
Hope the weekend at the market went well.🤗
Although the wind howled and nearly blew us away, and robbed me my brain and sense of humour,it ended up being a much better market than I had expected. Thank you.
Let me know how the recipe works out for your husband?
I'm glad that despite the windy weather, the market turned out well.
And of course, I'll let you know when my husband tries the recipe. He's full of work these days, but I'm sure he'll try it as soon as he finds some time. He's always found it relaxing to bake bread even if it doesn't always turn out well ;)
Have a lovely week 🤗
My Mum is a guru of sourdough. My oven isn't that great is my excuse. I was into it for a while but it ended up too time consuming for me when I had other hobbies to juggle. The rolls look great. It's rather an intuitive practice hey.
You have hit the nail on the head. And one has to listen to that intuition. To be honest, if I didn't cook every evening and had other distractions, I am not sure I would sustain it either. I admit that realising it was two years ago, that I began this was a little startling.
Thanks for the recipe... gonna try again. Though i kinda killed a lot of mothers the last four years. Something just isn't right in the house, too cold, too humide - just found no way to keep her alive.
I keep mine on the stove, next to the kettle. And I wrap her up to keep her warm. That seems to work. Good luck!
I got an average temp of around 16°C in the kitchen, when not preparing a meal.
Which is often only once a day. And the "levain chef" (chef leaven as they call it in france) is just not happy in any place i tried in our house. hmm...
Though i got some plans of creating a kind of a thermo chamber, a chef house, just that is something way down on my list at the workshop.
🤷♂