Editor’s note: Karen Harris Tully is a writer who lives in Raymond and has agreed to keep a journal to share with Daily World readers during the odd and uncertain time we’re all navigating.
Dear Journal:
The sourdough bread project. I have been mostly gluten-free for years, as too much regular flour makes me feel tired and gives me a headache, almost like a hangover. I love regular bread and pizza, it just doesn’t love me. No, I don’t have celiac’s or even a testable allergy and it’s definitely related to the amount for me. But I’ve read that true sourdough eats the problem causing bits (and some of the carbs) and I guess I needed a new project during quarantine. Plus, I like learning new things and procrastinating. So, I tried to catch wild yeast in my kitchen.
My first try used All Purpose flour and filtered water. It was a dud. Maybe AP flour doesn’t have enough natural yeast in it to work, or maybe our filtered water still has too much chlorine. Because I was unable to get rye flour locally, I got some stoneground whole wheat and tried again, this time with pineapple juice. It’s supposed to lower the Ph enough to let the yeasts grow, but not harmful bacteria. Still unsure it would work (did I even have natural yeast in my kitchen?) I started two different recipes found on the internet, two days apart. And both worked! They bubbled and smelled like sourdough, and began doubling in size with every feeding. And then I had too much starter. But I pared it back to one and now it’s like a pet living on the counter (or in the fridge). I hear sourdough people even name their starter pets, but I haven’t done that. “Gertrude,” a voice whispers in my head. Well dang, now it has a name.
I’ve successfully made delicious bread twice now, without ill effects (except maybe eating too much.) I made some terrible sourdough tortillas. That was a gooey, floury, smokey, burning disaster. I made some pancake-like crumpets that were so simple and good. And the amazing thing is how few ingredients true sourdough bread has. There’s no butter or oil, no milk. It’s basically flour, water, and a little salt. It’s crazy that this produces delicious bread, but it does. I’ve even successfully made it in my old bread machine. I let it do the kneading, then unplugged it to rise for the 12 hour (overnight) fermentation rise, and then baked it. It didn’t darken much on top, but other than that, it’s perfect. Sourdough success!
Song of the day: Are You Gonna Go My Way, Lenny Kravitz
Karen Harris Tully is a novelist living in Raymond with her husband and two small children. She writes sci-fi/fantasy for teens and adults and can be found at www.karenharristully.com.
