My Fabulous Sourdough Bread Adventures

sourdough

I started my sourdough adventures at PanContigo in Badajoz, Spain.

I love sourdough bread but never had the courage to bake it.  Every time I read about creating a starter I felt overwhelmed and well, frankly scared because it seemed like such a complex thing.

Sourdough workshops at Pan Contigo in Badajoz

I learned so much at the workshop and felt confident to do my starter.  The first starter was called Princess Leah after the Star Wars Princess.  She didn’t make it and  I was truly upset.  I made another starter and named it King Arthur and this one was strong, beautiful and full of life.

Unfortunately I discovered that there  is a well known commercial starter called King Arthur so I had to go back and rename it after a few weeks. My first loaf of bread looked like a huge pancake. It was flat. I posted a photo of it on Facebook and received a lot of support.

Friends and acquaintances were very kind to me and I continued my sourdough adventures and I finally made a beautiful loaf. I took my bread to Eugenio (the baker and owner of PanContigo)  and to my cooking teacher Jorge.  They tapped on the bread, smelled it, broke out chunks, chewed it… And the general comments were that it had a good consistency but it was a bit too acid.

I went back to work!

Sourdough and Different Flours

My first rye sourdough bread

I just finished another bread workshop where I learned about different flours: Rye, Spelt and Tritordeum.  I met lovely people and our teacher made it fun and interesting.

We had to wait 7 hours to taste the spelt and the Tritordeum and we could only try the Rye on the next day. The bread had to cool off and settle.

It was torture!I make sandwiches for my morning breakfast.

I love to add fresh veggies such as tomatoes and avocados and whatever I may have around the house. When the bread is a bit old I toast it and lather it with good butter and honey. And when the bread gets even older it becomes croutons and it will go in a tasty Spanish soup called Salmorejo soup.

Marguerite Beaty

One bread at a time

Links for you

Pan Contigo in Badajoz Spain