Hi!
Welcome to my blog! Though I’ve loved baking for as long as I can remember, about two years ago I fell down a rabbit hole of reading about sourdough. I was amazing that tiny little symbiotic community of yeast and lactic acid bacteria formed that basis behind so many wonderful types of breads and pastries. That was all the convincing that I needed to mix some flour and water in a jar and hope that some magic happened.
Since then, I have made several hundred loaves of bread and joined a wonderful community of home bakers across the world. I have had beautiful bouncy, perfectly risen loaves, and I have had dense loaves that could be used as a frisbee. I’ve diligently tracked folds, time, temperature, and humidity, and I’ve neglected dough for several hours. With each success and failure, I’ve learned a little bit more about how to optimize my little symbiotic culture (a.k.a Brenda the Sourdough Starter).
For me, bread (and cakes, macarons, cookies, and pastries) is the perfect blank canvas for creative outlet. I love using a bread lame (a sharp blade) to score intricate designs into my loaves and using pops of color to turn an everyday bread into something fun. If this is a thing that sounds fun to you, I also plan on posting about techniques for scoring and “painting” your loaves.
Keep in mind that there are hundreds of factors that play into bread baking. What may work for me on a given day might not work for you. If you’re struggling or have questions, feel free to message me!
-Emma