My breads were not turning out exactly the way I wished and there was one thing that I continued to feel insecure about- the packet of yeast. I didnt trust it, so I decided to grow my own.

I started out with a big glass jar.Inside, I placed a cup of water and one cup of whole wheat flour and stirred. Thats it- thats the beginning of a starter. I covered my jar with a clean cotton kitchen towel and stuck it on top of my refrigerator- a warm, draft-free spot. Then minor maintenance-every twelve hours I gave it a good stir and in just a few days it was ready to use. In the end it looked as it should- a bit bubbly and smelling sour. That means yeasty & rich- not a gag reflex inducing sour. I have to tell you, I enjoyed the routine of checking on the starter. Sleepily padding into the kitchen to tend to my jar in the morning became a satisfying groove. On the fourth day, I put her to the test.

I took some of my starter and combined it with water, flour and salt. After kneading and developing a soft dough I set it under a cotton cloth and let it rest for twelve hours. I keep reading how crucial it is to allow your breads to rise- the slower the better. After my last few breads went to the trash I decided I would give this a shot. So I let it sit and then I re-kneaded it, shaped it and gave it a second rise. Covering it carefully, I left it overnight. Already, my dough was looking healthier than my previous attempts. It was rising beautifully and I was feeling confident. The next morning, unfortunately, it took a turn for the worse. The dough doubled in size as expected but instead of rising up-it spread out. There it sat on the cookie sheet looking nearly as flat as a pizza, even though I had shaped it into a tight roll the night before. I decided to follow through and bake it.

It came out forty five minutes later looking exactly as it did when it went in- except darker and much harder. I cut it in half and bit into a slice…and spit it out.

Another loaf in the trash.

I am intent on producing a gorgeous loaf of bread. I succeeded in creating a sourdough starter…now I just have to get the bread part right.