In my family’s tradition of nicknaming everyone and everything, I’ve given our sourdough starter a name; June (obviously), after her birthday.
My husband, bemused and amused, gave her a surname; Steinburg. He told me recently this was a guitar brand (I like baking, he likes guitars), and that I spelled it with a “u” instead of an “e”. I said that just made June more unique.
He comes home from work and asks if June Steinburg had her daily feeding. I laugh and hand him another doorstop to take to work and endear himself to his co-workers.
Since there are no knives in his office lunch room (?), I started slicing the loaves. After a week of this, my shoulder muscles were ballooning into a super-hero-like mass. Great for muscle-building, but not great bread. Something had to be done (not just the gift of a bread knife).
Enter Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson.
I’m learning all kinds of things. Like why my bread sucks. First, I’m busy and impatient. This equals inconsistency. Second, I abhor waste. My grandparents were from the Depression Era and although I’m very tidy and not a hoarder… I can’t bear to discard any starter, and everything I’ve read says you should discard 80% before each feeding. Third, I’m stubborn. Whole-wheat equals heavy. But the heart wants what the heart wants. This one is determined to make fantastic, consistent, mostly whole-wheat, home-fermented sourdough bread… that’s delicious… with a perfect texture.
I’m learning.
This is my process…