My First Real Loaf of Sourdough

Ingredients:

¼ c sourdough starter
1 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 t salt
2 T oil
3 ¼ C flour

Combine all ingredients. Knead until smooth. Let rise, covered, in warm place until doubled.

I sprayed a medium-sized bowl with pan spray, and sprayed the top of the loaf. Then I put a plate on top of the bowl. I placed the bowl in a barely-warm oven, where both rises took place. I did need to re-warm the oven a few times.

This rise took about 6 hours, and I really couldn't tell it had risen at all! But I trusted that it had, and when I punched it down, there were gas/air bubbles popping every now and then. I may try this first rise overnight next time.
Punch down. Shape into round loaf. Let rise until doubled.
This I did in a sprayed 7” round pan. I also sprayed the dough with pan spray, and loosly covered the loaf with plastic wrap.

This second rise ended up going 7 hours. I was about to go to bed and realized I had better bake whatever had come to be in the oven. I peeked in, and the loaf had risen into a neat little round.
Slash crust. Bake at 375 degrees 45 minutes.
I slashed my crust in four parallel stripes. The loaf baked up and became a little oblongated. I think I will slash in a cross shape next time.
Forty-five minutes was too long. I baked it for about 30 minutes, and noticed the top getting nice and brown and ready-looking, but the bottom looked underdone. I pulled the loaf out of the pan, lowered the rack, placed the loaf directly on the rack, and baked it for 5 more minutes.

Too bad it was 11:00 when that loaf came out! It smelled sooo good. I had some for breakfast the next morning. It sliced very nicely and tasted absolutely heavenly, even cold and with just a tiny bit of spread.
I didn't proof my starter before I started out, which may explain why the rising took so long. I have to plan ahead to do this, so I think I will begin everything the day before I expect a loaf of bread. Take the starter out of the fridge and bring it to room temp; add the requisite flour and warm water; let it bubble for a while; begin the process of the first rise; go to bed; get up, punch down, set in pan, get set for second rise, bake, and enjoy by lunchtime. Mmm, mmm.

Now, homemade sourdough bread and I have a history, but that story is for another day.

Accomplishing Goals

Colleen, Anne, and Agnes on the perch together.

Thrill of thrills, Aggie came down and joined her sisters after the big wind storm the other day. Is it because I isolated her outside that entire day? I like to think that had something to do with it, but it may not have. As they say in the statistics world, "Correlation is not cause." But, I am glad she is out of the nest, eating weeds and pecking away at all sorts of things.

Speaking of food, Annie ate some tomato pieces right out of my hand! Actually, I don't think she really ate them--she just took them out of my hand. Colleen then came and swiped them out of her mouth (beak?), and she came and got more. It was funny! I saw a photo once of a chicken eating out of her owner's hand and thought it looked cool.

Finally, I accomplished a goal this morning: I ran 3 miles without stopping. I have not done this since early college, when I ran with our dog, Juno. That was a long time ago!!! And it's hilly here, not like in the home of my youth. This was the last stop goal before I run a 5 k this summer, hopefully in August. If I keep this up, anyway

Defeated by a Chicken

Aggie found her way out late in the evening. She crawled through the top of the barrier and straight into the nest in the little house. I am not sure she would have thought (?) of it if it hadn't been super-windy and all girls took shelter in the little house, which is rare.

Finding Humor

I love to read and am spending (too) much time doing it these days. It is my learning time, vacation experience, and entertainment. This past week I picked up a book at the library called The $64 Tomato by William Alexander, and am laughing my head off at the way the author describes his experience gardening on his very own 3 acres in New York. I was laughing so much Chloe couldn't stand not knowing what was so funny.

Which brings me to Aggie, the hen who has been sitting on the (empty) nest for a month now. She is lethargic and her feathers are shiny and stick up all over, and she's no longer smooth and pretty like the other girls. So, I decided, after inspiration from Bill's experience, to do an intervention. I came to the conclusion she must be isolated and nestless until she is over her propensity to sit around all day in the little house. (I do understand her desire to do so, since there is nothing I love more than sitting around all day in my own little house.)

At 8:45 PM last night I began my Save Aggie quest. I filled food and water dishes and put them at the end of the pen. I cut wire and fencing and began lacing the chicken wire at one end to keep the little girlie from the relative freedom of the pen and house. I tossed her into her new quarters and began lacing the other side of the fencing, struggling with the dusky light and bifocals and gardening gloves. Just as I was finishing she amazingly slipped under the fence. Dang! It was too dark to tack the fence down, and I was getting tired. "Hey, I know," I thought. "I'll just block off the entrance to the little house and she can roost overnight with her sisters." I (thought I) prevented entry with a board over the walkway. Not so! Aggie pushed right through. Hens can be very determined, I now know. I changed the position of the board so that there was no way to wedge in an avian head, and then body. "Dream on," Aggie seemed to say as I watched her head back for the nest.

There comes a point when, as a human being, pride takes over. I don't generally want or need to feel like a man, but I sure did last night. "You are going DOWN little lady!" I got another board and crossed it over the first one. A huge rock I nearly had to drag from the yard topped the boards. When I came in at almost 10:00 there were 3 red hens roosting just where they were meant to, and that's where they were when I left for my walk this morning.

Garden News

Beans, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, melons, beets, spinach, carrots, and radishes have sprouted! Oh, and weeds, too.

The 2 apple trees I planted last year have promising fruit on them.

I can now tell Agnes, Anne, and Colleen apart. Agnes is up in the nest hoping for babies. She never believes me when I tell her they are not to be.

These beans are really pretty.

Lettuce is thriving on the side yard. We enjoy fresh salad most nights.

The asparagus I planted, not quite knowing which end was up, is growing nicely.

The herb barrel flourishes.

This hummingbird feeder, priced at $4, has been the purchase which has brought me the greatest joy this spring. These little birdies are dive-bombing each other, swooping all over the yard, and licking their long chops with their sewing-needle-sized tongues. I made the mistake of fixing up super-strong sugar-water the first go-round, so our feeder has been well-populated. And the warmer days are abuzz with hummingbirds. I had never even seen one in our yard before this season!

Sweet Finds

Have you ever had a thought that you needed something, or that you could really use something, and then it just happened in your path like it was simply meant for you to have it? This has happened to me many times: just look in my garage! Seriously, though, last October I took a class in Seattle for one of my volunteer jobs and realized I needed some better shoes for walking in inclement weather. During lunch I went to a Value Village, one of my old haunts when I worked nearby, and found just the perfect shoes for $6.00. They were practically new, a well-known brand name, and totally affordable, even on my budget. And since October they have traveled many miles on my feet, and kept my feet warm and dry, no matter what the weather.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was at our local Value Village, and happened upon a dollhouse. Do I need a dollhouse? No, definitely not. But...I have always wanted one, and with Sophie coming over, I thought it would be a fun project for the two of us to work on together. And Chloe could help, too, if she would like. I am imagining spool-knitted rugs, match-box beds, and all kinds of things. This was a completely impulsive buy, not usually like me. It has occurred to me that I may be shifting my eating compulsion to frivolous thrift-store purchases.

Finally, I was at the local St. Vincent De Paul and spotted this beauty in the case. Now, for those that don't frequent the places of business I do, these cases of which I speak are where the collectibles or really expensive things are. Really expensive to people who come especially for the 99 cent sales, that is, since the items in the case will never be 99 cents. Anyhow, I took one look at the miniature pot (perfect for melting butter or warming chilled pancake syrup, or many other uses, I am sure) with its matching trivet and realized they exactly matched the Dutch oven I had inherited from my grandmother (and Great-Grandma had one, too)! I called my friend Kathryn over to the case, and explained the match. "Well," she said energetically, "then you have to get it," which is what I knew she would say. And I did.

I have now imposed a moratorium on purchases until all my projects, including the dollhouse, not-yet-constructed clothing, various knitted and crocheted items, and my laundry room storage shelves are assembled and appropriately filled.