[kimmie]

I'm in love again...with Steve Sullivan.

I had a long weekend in front of me and all this talk about bread...I made a pizza Saturday and kept a piece of dough for Sullivan's first starter.

Everything worked according to plan, by golly at noon yesterday I was putting my beautiful "couronne" in the oven. And 45 minutes later came out a picture perfect 2 pounder couronne, with it's pearl necklace on top. When the loaf came out of the oven, it still had little crackling sounds. This one is not actually mine but sure looked like it.

And the crumb? Creamy white with large irregular holes.

I had tried this recipe a couple of years earlier and it hadn't turned out so well.

The conditions were probably just perfect, my kitchen was at 84 degrees!

That was such a satisfying experience. Thanks Steve Sullivan for sharing such a gorgeous recipe. I had a wonderful weekend!



[ July 11, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

 

[plum]

Pleased it went so well, Kimmie!

You all might enjoy reading and article by Jeffrey Steingarten "J..S..goes on a year long quest for the primal bread" in Vogue, November 1990, which I just read in the Penguin Book of Food & Drink, Ed. Paul Levy. It's an entertaining account of his voyage from Mess "sizzling and seething over the stove and running into those little holes in the gas burners" to Bliss "Most days the bread is more than good enough to eat, and some days it is so good that we eat nothing else".

 

[kimmie]

When are your classes starting, KyleW?

 

[kylew]

The following Monday, July 9th, if The Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise

 

[kimmie]

Lucky you. My classes were so much fun, I wish yours will be that way too!

Where?? What school?

 

[kylew]

My classes are for 3 consecutive Mondays from 10-4. They are being conducted @America's favorite cooking school (professional and otherwise)
Peter Kump's New York Cooking School!

 

[kimmie]

Wow, you will have a great time and wonderful learning experience. It won't take ALL the mysteries out but will give you self-assurance coupled with the urge to experiment...as if you didn't have that yet with your "wild yeast mission" quest!

I wish you started a new topic to share your experience after your classes...

 

[kylew]

The Steingarten Treatise on wild yeast is truly hysterical. In the bread section of Nick Malgieri's "How to Bake" he cites Steingarten as his source for things related to wild yeast and sourdough.

I have all of the ingredients assembled. I have "Crust & Crumb" in hand. All I need now is the time. Monday I will have the requisite 7 days in a row, at home, to begin my first wild yeast adventure!

Film @11!

 

[kimmie]

Look at what I found, thanks to thebighat:

The Care and Feeding of Sourdough Starters

Enjoy!

 

[momoreg]

Cool link!

 

[thebighat]

I found that site the other night. All I can say is compare Kyle's FIRST loaf of bread to the one this guy pictures. Who had better oven bang? Who probably had better fermentation going on up to 138 degrees? Kyle's FIRST loaf is better looking than this guy's.

 

[kimmie]

Yep. So true.

 

[kylew]

Yea Me! Thanx TBH

 

[kimmie]

Kokopuffs

I just thought you could cover the jar with a double layer of cheesecloth, secured with an elastic band. Then use the cover when you put the jar in the fridge.

Especially if you put your jar outside?



[ July 12, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

 

[kokopuffs]

Okay Kimmie:

The feeling I get is if the starter is at room temperature, leave the lid ajar. If refirgerated, then keep tightly closed.

Having no experience with this process (it'll change soon), Tupperware containers still sound good to me.

 

[kylew]

I don't know from nuthin' but...

Both Frank and Ernest were kept in fairly constant temp ([email protected], [email protected]) completely closed. Frank with Saran wrap and Enest in a ClikClak container. Submitted FYI.

[ July 12, 2001: Message edited by: KyleW ]

 

[kimmie]

That's perfect KyleW. I followed same method as you for Ernest.

Actually, Koko and I were talking about hazardous glass jars. I'm not sure I would feel all that comfortable with glass jars.