Latest obsession: SOURDOUGH

A few days ago I got a recipe and made some sourdough starter. This is the yeast colony that you keep alive and from which you make sourdough bread.

I started with whole wheat flour that I got at City Market...

Add water, yeast, sugar, and some elbow grease, and you get

the starter.

It's alive! It's aliiive!!!

Let starter live until the yeasties are making tools but haven't harnessed fire yet, then take out 1-1/2 c of the stuff (kinda pudding-texture, but it pulls at you). Mix it with more flour and let it rest (it's supposed to rise). Knead it up, make a ball, then let it rise again.

Then you cook the bastard!!!

I "borrowed" a natural slate tile from work, washed it off, and into the 400-degree oven it goes! I gots me a new bread/pizza stone! (Someone tell me if slate has any poisonous chemicals...) ...Just a little more flour between stone and dough worked well to avoid any sticking.

Then watch Iron Chef and drink beer!

Tomorrow, tune in for

Whole-Wheat Powerdough!

-or-

Bread Bowl XL: The Rising